Oxygen and Alzheimer’s: Dr. Nancy Ruiz on the Vascular Connection

Can oxygen levels in the brain help explain Alzheimer’s disease? In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Nancy E. Ruiz, a Harvard Medical School research fellow and 2023 Toffler Scholar, to explore a powerful yet underexamined piece of the Alzheimer’s puzzle: vascular dysfunction.

Dr. Ruiz shares how her background in physics and biology led her to cutting-edge brain research using advanced imaging tools like two-photon phosphorescence lifetime imaging. Together, they dive into how oxygenation, blood flow, and lifestyle factors such as exercise and diet may hold the key to prevention — and why we must look beyond amyloid and tau to fully understand the disease.

Plus, hear Dr. Ruiz’s insights on the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, working with human brain tissue, and how she balances scientific rigor with pottery, running, and a good meal.

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Technical Podcast Support by Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co.