iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

This is super-interesting! What happens in non-arousal activity state shifts (eg reward)? How do populations relate to neurotransmitters produced in different cells? Can this explain why we see lower NVC in the hippocampus? (poss yes but doesn’t account for different capillary level responses).

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

🙋‍♀️Am now in the DRI at UCL and the Centre for Vascular Dementia Research.

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Jolly fun 150th @physoc.bsky.social birthday “lab lunch” with @sussexneuro.bsky.social - chat, community and research - all the good stuff!!

A group of people chat science and eat cake under banners celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Physiological Society. One person is wearing a branded party hat.

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Rory’s a true highlight of the morning. Inspirational, entertaining and sobering about how much we need to do as a research community.

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Reposted by Catherine Hall

The Physiological Society @physoc.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Publishing in the Physiological Society’s family journals supports the future of physiology. To tell us more about research and the latest journal news, our Editors-in-Chief take to the stage for the In Conversation session at our Member Forum. Discover more 🔗 www.physoc.org/journals-and...

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

Cheviots and many breaths of fresh air!!

A landscape of moor-covered hills in bright autumn sunshine. Two people are just visible in the middle distance by a crag.

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

This is super interesting analysis!!

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Reposted by Catherine Hall

Silvia Anderle @silvia-anderle.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

Delighted to share our latest review in Nature Reviews Neuroscience! We examine the growing evidence that vascular dysfunction plays a key role in cognitive decline in ageing and dementia, and argue that preserving/restoring CBF should be central to future therapies. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.com

The vascular contribution to cognitive decline in ageing and dementia - Nature Reviews Neuroscience

Growing evidence suggests that reduced cerebral blood flow contributes to cognitive decline in ageing and dementia. Attwell and colleagues discuss the underlying mechanisms and functional consequences...

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Thanks Leon! Hope yours has gone well too?

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Very excited that this is official now! Lots of setting up currently but will be recruiting soon!!

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

- from the best stats analysis to the coolest talk at a conference to AI to skills they've developed. These folks are exciting and excited!

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

I'm collating slides for our collaborator group lab Summer Symposium tomorrow. The brief is "cool things you learnt over the last year" and I cannot over-emphasise how optimistic I am about the future of science with this bunch of trainees' contributions!

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

Please consider supporting the Wildlife Trusts' purchase and work in the Rothbury Estate in Northumberland to create a huge wildlife corridor from the hills to the sea and protect species like the red squirrel and golden eagle. Donations currently match funded! donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

donate.biggive.org

Rothbury Estate for Nature and the Nation – Big Give

Rothbury Estate offers a unique chance to create one of England’s largest nature recovery areas. By protecting its rich heritage, supporting local farmers and improving public access, The Wildlife Tru...

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Me! But you/ UK Glia should do a starter pack!

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

@physoc.bsky.social has a starter pack of physiologists. Hooray!! go.bsky.app/2KU1XD6

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Welcome Orla - so lovely to see you here!!

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

So neurovascular coupling is more immediately sensitive to physical activity level - but maybe changes in basal neurovascular function take longer to develop? Better keep up that exercise routine (she says, hypocritically)! Anyway thanks again team and to you for reading!

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Secondly, neurovascular coupling (how well blood vessels respond to active neurons) is well correlated with the amount of exercise, even from the first time point we measured. Conversely measures of baseline function only became correlated with exercise level later on.

A graph showing box plots of correlation coefficients between all neurovascular functional measures and the physical activity level of the mice. Data is split into correlations of activity with measures of basal neurovascular function and with measures of neurovascular coupling. Correlations of exercise with neurovascular coupling are high even from the beginning of the experiment, but correlations between exercise and basal function only emerge after several months of differential physical activity across mice.

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Firstly, exercise increases vessel diameters by pericytes - suggesting it dilates them!

an image of a pericyte in red on a capillary in green, above a cartoon showing points on the capillary where we measured its diameter, near and further from the pericyte soma

A graph showing capillary diameter at different distances from the pericyte soma, for APOE4 and APOE3 mice provided with an exercise wheel or no wheel. Generally, the capillary diameters are larger near the pericyte, and diameters are larger in the mice with access to a wheel.

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Thanks so much to @AnderleSilvia, @OrlaBonBon and @BrainEnergyLab for such hard work for so long. You are all amazing! Please check out the paper - there's lots more there! Also thanks to the excellent reviewers. Here are two cool insights we wouldn't have got to without them!

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

But what it does suggest, is that exercise might particularly protect APOE4 carriers by protecting neurovascular function. So let's all go to the gym!

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

In sedentary APOE4 mice, neurons can't increase their blood flow very well when neurons are active - over time could this mean neurons don't get enough energy, promoting Alzheimer's disease?

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

And the reduction in neurovascular function in these APOE4 sedentary mice was biggest when neurons were active - when they are using more energy so need more blood flow. So there's a bigger effect when the system is under pressure.

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

But mice with the genetic risk factor for AD - APOE4 - were especially sensitive to exercise. The worst neurovascular function was consistently seen in APOE4 sedentary mice.

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

She measured *loads* of different aspects of neuronal and vascular function (e.g. calcium signals in neurons, blood flow, blood oxygen, how well different vessels dilate) Generally more active mice had better neurovascular function, and less active mice had worse.

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Silvia tested this by comparing neurovascular function in APOE4 (increased AD risk) and APOE3 (normal AD risk) mice but in some mice she took their exercise wheel away!! These mice were indeed less active.

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

But others studying anaesthetised mice found big effects of APOE4 on blood vessels. Why the difference? Well, Orla's mice were super-fit and healthy with an exercise wheel in their cage. Exercise protects from dementia - were Orla's mice' blood vessels protected?

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Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

APOE4 increases your risk of getting Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is linked to early blood flow changes in the brain. So does APOE4 impair brain blood flow? Previously Orla Bonnar and @kirasha.bsky.social found APOE4 has only subtle effects on vessel function journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10...

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Reposted by Catherine Hall

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

Get your cerebral blood flow and metabolism abstracts in for Brain and BrainPET 2025 in Seoul! Deadline Feb 1st!! I’m so excited! www.brain2025.org

brain2025.org

Brain & Brain PET 2025

The 32nd International Symposium on Cerebral Blood Flow, Metabolism and Function & The 17th International Conference on Quantification of Brain Function with PET

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Reposted by Catherine Hall

Julia M. Rohrer @dingdingpeng.the100.ci · 13/12/2024

Do you know any early career researchers in the UK who have contributed something special to improve research practices? The call for the 2025 Dorothy Bishop award is open now! Nominations close on 26 January 2025. www.ukrn.org/2024/12/12/t...

A picture of a trophy. The real award looks much cooler.

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