On Monday 26 January 2026 at 13.00, Signe Hirschel Mikkelsen defends her PhD dissertation entitled "Hemodynamics in the aging hippocampus.

A window to the hippocampus furthers the study of aging in mice. A new PhD project from Aarhus University, Health, investigates the function of the brain’s smallest blood vessels during early aging. 

Efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients through the brain’s vascular network is essential for normal brain function. Disruptions in blood flow regulation and oxygen supply are thought to play an important role in cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease, where aging is a primary risk factor. Vascular alterations typically arise before the onset of clinical symptoms, and these changes are particularly relevant in the hippocampus, a structure with unique vascular organization and a central role in learning and memory. This dissertation presents the development and validation of a cranial window to investigate hippocampal microvascular function in healthy aging in a murine model. Using complementary in vivo optical imaging techniques in awake mice, the project measured flow dynamics and oxygenation in the hippocampus, coupling the physiological estimates to assessments of learning and memory and immune-related changes associated with aging.

The summary is written by the PhD student.

The defence is public and takes place at 1253-211, Merete Barker Auditorium, Aarhus University. Please see the press release for more information. 

Contact

PhD student Signe Hirschel Mikkelsen
Mail: simi@cfin.au.dk
Phone: +45 42916618 

Read full press release