About this episode

Dr. Clíona Farrell discusses the impact of the climate crisis on brain health, highlighting research from the Hot Brain conference.

Dr Clíona Farrell narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. Clíona writes from this year's Hot Brain conference , an annual meeting hosted by UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and The Lancet Neurology that asks what the climate crisis is doing to our brains. She walks through what's already known (air pollution is now a recognised modifiable risk factor for dementia), what's emerging (people with dementia were among the leading causes of excess deaths during the 2022 UK heatwave), and the questions still wide open. She also covers thermoregulation research, the case for saunas and hot-water immersion as protective strategies, and a quietly important methodological point for every lab: stop writing "room temperature" in your methods section. A blog for anyone who has been quietly despairing about the climate and wondering what it has to do with dementia research. https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-its-getting-too-hot-in-here-the-climate-crisis-brain-health/ -- -- Dr Clíona Farrell is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London. Her work focuses on understanding neuroinflammation in Down syndrome, both…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr Clíona Farrell

Topics covered

• climate crisis
• brain health
• dementia research
• thermoregulation
• air pollution
• heatwave impact

Keywords

• climate crisis
• brain health
• dementia
• air pollution
• thermoregulation
• heatwave
• neuroinflammation
• saunas
• hot-water immersion

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, The Lancet Neurology

Places: UK, Dublin, Trinity College, Royal College of Surgeons

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