The 23rd UCI Distinguished Lecture Series on Brain, Learning, and Memory hosted by UCI MIND, UCI School of Biological Sciences, and UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory was held on February 7, 2017, at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. Dr. Ruth Benca, UCI MIND faculty member and Professor and Chair of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, delivered a lecture on sleep and brain health to over 850 community members, the largest attendance for this series to date. Dr. Benca’s engaging presentation first addressed why human’s need sleep and some of the common disorders that interfere with the critical sleep process. She then discussed what sleep tells us about the brain, including the possible link between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease. She noted more research is needed to understand this relationship, including whether amyloid-beta protein is cleared from the brain during sleep and whether treating sleep disorders may reduce the risk for or slow Alzheimer’s disease. To view the full lecture on YouTube, click here!
