Christa Nehs

Every cell in the body needs fuel to function properly and when energy systems fail, disease follows. The United States is currently facing a metabolic health crisis, with more than one-third of adults affected by obesity or diabetes. These metabolic problems do not remain confined to the body; they also have profound effects on the brain. When the brain cannot efficiently use energy, critical functions such as sleep, memory, and emotional regulation begin to break down. This metabolic vulnerability contributes to disrupted sleep with aging and puts older adults at higher risk for postoperative delirium, a state of confusion that often follows surgery. In addition, Alzheimer’s disease and serious neuropsychiatric disorders share a common feature: impaired brain energy metabolism. While aging and illness reduce the brain’s ability to use sugar efficiently, its capacity to use alternative fuels such as ketones often remains intact. This resilience provides a powerful therapeutic opportunity to target disrupted brain metabolism across many diverse brain disorders. Therefore, my research is dedicated to understanding how metabolic failure occurs across aging, sleep loss, surgery, and disease, with the goal of translating these insights into therapies that restore brain energy, protect vulnerable patients, and improve long-term brain health.