Online PhD defence Da Hae Jung

Keywords: Olfactory system, Alzheimer’s disease, Proteinopathy, Neuroinflammation 

"Olfactory System Vulnerability In Alzheimer’s Disease: A Multidisciplinary Study Decoding Alzheimer’s through the Nosebrain Axis"

This thesis investigated how the sense of smell can reveal early changes in the brain during Alzheimer’s disease. The olfactory system, which allows people to detect and recognize odors, is among the first regions affected in the disease, often before memory loss becomes noticeable. By studying human-derived samples — including nasal fluid and postmortem brain tissue — this research showed that inflammation and abnormal protein buildup occur early in olfactory regions. These processes may contribute to how Alzheimer’s disease develops and spreads in the brain. The findings highlight that the nose and related brain areas offer an accessible window into understanding and potentially detecting the disease at an early stage. This work bridges neuroscience, pathology, and clinical research to provide new insights into the biological link between smell and Alzheimer’s disease.

Click here for the live stream.