This talk presents the use of 3D Cryo-Fluorescence Tomography (CFT) as a novel neuroimaging technique to study the glymphatic system, the brain's waste clearance pathway. Delivered by Ian Harrison at University College London, it highlights the limitations of traditional preclinical imaging methods and demonstrates how CFT enables high-resolution, whole-body visualization and quantification of fluorescent tracers after cisterna magna infusion in mice. The approach provides new insights into cerebrospinal fluid flow, spinal cord glymphatic inflow, and peripheral clearance routes, revealing dynamic tracer movement through the brain, spinal cord, and excretory pathways. Overall, the work shows that CFT is a powerful complementary tool for studying glymphatic function and could improve understanding of neurological diseases and therapeutic delivery.

Dr. Ian Harrison

University College London

Dr. Harrison completed his BSc in Pharmacology at the University of Southampton before moving to Imperial College London for postgraduate studies in Experimental Neuroscience and Bioimaging. He remained at Imperial for his PhD under Prof. David Dexter, evaluating neuroprotective therapies in rodent models of Parkinson's. He joined UCL in 2014 as a postdoctoral researcher, leading a collaborative program with Eli Lilly on imaging biomarkers for Alzheimer's. In 2019, he established his independent research group at UCL, focusing on the glymphatic system and its role in neurodegeneration. He holds a Dementia Research Leader fellowship from the Alzheimer's Society.