In this interview, CureAlz-funded researchers Melissa Cooper, Ph.D., and Shane A. Liddelow, Ph.D., from New York University Grossman School of Medicine explain how the stunning image was created and how the brain’s star-shaped astrocytes—and the intricate networks they form—are advancing our understanding of aging and Alzheimer’s disease. The Liddelow lab recently discovered that these astrocyte networks are unexpectedly vast, connecting faraway brain regions and dynamically rewiring in response to experience and memory demands, revealing a new and powerful mechanism for brain coordination beyond neuronal circuitry.

Dr. Cooper created “Astrocyte Galaxy” by using physics to render the mouse brain transparent, then color-coding the astrocytes so that those nearest to the viewer are blue and those farthest away are red. The result revealed never-before-seen astrocyte networks that connect distant brain regions and enable the brain to communicate in ways previously unseen.

Learn more about the discoveries catalyzed by Cure Alzheimer’s Fund in our 2025 Annual Report.