Oxygen imaging · Nedergaard Lab · Copenhagen

Deciphering
oxygen dynamics
in the brain

Research into cortical oxygen distribution, microcirculation, and the biosensors that reveal how the brain breathes — and what happens when it can't.

Explore the research Publications
Portrait of Dr. Felix Beinlich
O₂Brain research
12
Peer-reviewed publications
2
Papers in Science
4
Papers in Nature journals
6
Research areas

Research focus

Understanding how the brain breathes

My work is centered on the neurophysiology of the brain — particularly the oxygen dynamics and microcirculation that underpin neurological conditions.

01

In Vivo Oxygen Imaging

Using innovative fluorescent oxygen biosensors (GeNL) to study oxygen distribution and dynamics within the living brain.

02

Brain Metabolism

Investigating how the brain's energy metabolism is shaped by oxygen availability, linking cortical oxygen supply to metabolic demand in health and disease.

03

Novel Biosensors

Developing and applying new genetically encoded biosensors for in vivo imaging to understand brain physiology.

04

Aging & Alzheimer's Disease

Studying how cerebral oxygen availability changes with aging and in Alzheimer's disease, and how hypoxia contributes to neurodegeneration.

05

Fourth Meninges (SLYM)

Unraveling the novel meningeal layer's role in cerebrospinal fluid flow and immune cell trafficking.

06

Molecule Exchange Assays

Elaborating on the mechanisms of molecular exchange across the blood-CSF barrier using bioluminescence imaging.

Full research overview

Selected work

Two discoveries, one question

How does the brain keep itself alive? One paper follows oxygen into the cortex and finds brief, local shortages: hypoxic pockets. The other finds a thin membrane that divides the fluid space around the brain, acting as a barrier that keeps clean and waste-laden fluid apart and as a home for the immune cells that stand guard.

All publications
Science 2024

Oxygen imaging of hypoxic pockets in the mouse cerebral cortex

We developed GeNL, a genetically encoded bioluminescent oxygen sensor, to image cortical oxygen tension in awake, behaving mice. This revealed brief, spatially confined “hypoxic pockets” linked to stalled local capillary flow — and exercise reduced their burden by 52% compared with rest.

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Science 2023

A mesothelium divides the subarachnoid space into functional compartments

We describe a fourth meningeal layer — the subarachnoid lymphatic-like membrane (SLYM) — that divides the subarachnoid space into functional compartments, encases blood vessels, harbors immune cells, and permits exchange of small solutes between cerebrospinal fluid and venous blood.

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