“I don’t think we have any chairs left.” 

Outside, the sun lingers on an unseasonably warm Danish spring evening. Inside a community centre in Solbjerg, east of Aarhus, a growing crowd settles into rows of chairs, gathered to hear about Alzheimer’s disease and the latest developments in research. 

At the centre of attention is Sara Sejer Sørensen, a PhD student in Thomas Kim’s research group. Sørensen is among the researchers taking part in “Book a Scientist”, an initiative under ‘Forskningens Døgn’ that enables organisations — and even private individuals — to host accessible science outreach talks for lay audiences on current research, as long at least 20 people attend. 

On this evening in Solbjerg, around 70 people have turned up, eager to listen to Sørensen talk about Alzheimer’s disease in general and her research, which focuses on why specific neurons degenerate in Alzheimer’s disease while neighbouring cells survive.

While the audience is noticeably larger than is typical for similar events at the venue, in the end, there is a seat for everyone.

The brain as a bouquet

The room falls quiet as Sørensen begins. She opens with an introduction to Alzheimer’s disease, using a simple but effective image: the brain as a bouquet of flowers. As the disease progresses, individual blooms begin to wither; while the bouquet may initially appear intact, it gradually loses its richness and diversity. 

As she moves on to outline common symptoms, there is a perceptible shift in the room. Chairs creak; the audience leans in. 

On the screen, Sørensen first presents a list of hallmark signs of Alzheimer’s disease: memory loss, difficulty finding words, challenges in planning or problem-solving, and changes in mood or personality. She pauses, letting the list settle with the audience, before letting an identical list appear.

“What you’re looking at now,” she says, “are common signs of ageing.” There is an audible sigh of relief, followed by a quiet, shared laughter. “Experiencing one or more of these symptoms does not, in itself, mean you have Alzheimer’s,” she reassures them. 

Moments of both seriousness and humour run throughout the talk. Sørensen guides the audience through the basics of biology, from describing the cell as the smallest unit of life to explaining the interplay between neurons and the brain’s immune cells. 

She then turns to her own research and that of her colleagues in the Kim group at DANDRITE. At one point, she even compares the process of growing cells in the laboratory in surprisingly relatable terms, drawing considerable laughter from the audience:

“It’s a bit like a teenager — it needs warmth, a little nourishment, and, given the right conditions, it will carry on.” 

600 attendees across the country

The event in Solbjerg is Sørensen’s fourth talk of the day. Demand for insights into the work carried out at Kim Lab at DANDRITE has been considerable. 

Over the course of a single week, she has delivered 15 lectures in nearly as many towns and cities. From Hjørring in the north to Sønderborg in the south, and from Esbjerg in the west to Aarhus in the east, around 600 people have attended her talks to gain insight into Alzheimer’s disease and the research behind it. 

In fact, Sørensen's busy schedule makes her the most booked speaker among the 273 researchers who have contributed their time and expertise to this year’s programme. 

“I had never imagined that many people would be interested in my talk. I was completely surprised and overwhelmed in the best way,” says Sørensen, who finds the “Book a Scientist” initiative great. “It makes research more available to the public and gives us, as researchers, a chance to put our work into a different perspective.” 

Dong Won Thomas Kim, group leader at the research lab that Sara Sejer Sørensen is a part of, agrees: 

“Researchers often underestimate how much people want to engage with science when it is offered to them on their terms. Sara has a rare ability to make complex biology feel close to people's everyday experience. That 600 people across the country chose to spend time hearing her, tells you something about both her and the public's appetite for honest conversations about Alzheimer's,” he says. 

“Goodness”

Following the talk, questions come thick and fast. They range from detailed queries about research methods to broader reflections on the nature and impact of the disease. 

As the evening draws to a close, the host notes that Sørensen began her day some 180 kilometres away, delivering a morning lecture in Augustenborg. With the Solbjerg event concluded, she has already given eight talks in just three days, and still has seven more scheduled before the week is out. 

“Goodness,” several attendees remark in unison, as the scale of the tour becomes clear and another round of applause follows.