Premium

Some viruses can wreak havoc on the brain. These UT scientists are working on a way to fix that.

By , Daily Memphian Updated: November 30, 2025 5:45 PM CT | Published: November 28, 2025 4:00 AM CT

Colleen Jonsson, Ph.D., is a virologist at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and, over the years, she’s developed a deep understanding about how our brains are protected. 

“It’s remarkable and fascinating how it evolved,” she said. 

Defending your brain, she explained, is a robust barrier, comprised of blood vessels, with gates designed to only let in nutrients. Glucose? Come on in. Sodium? Absolutely. Potassium? Yes, please.

This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.

Topics

UTHSC Subscriber Only

Thank you for being a subscriber to The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization with a hybrid business model, we rely on a mix of revenue from subscriptions (50%), advertising, events and miscellaneous earned income (25%) and fundraising (25%).

Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian today. 

👉 Your subscription pays for you to read all our journalism.

👉 Your donation powers the work we do to reach everyone else with the news.

We believe an informed Memphis is a better Memphis. If you agree, join our growing list of donors now.

John Klyce

John Klyce is an enterprise reporter with The Daily Memphian who writes a wide range of in-depth features, as well as profiles about local leaders, scientists, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone else doing exciting and important work in this city. He previously spent four years with the Memphis Business Journal, where he covered public companies, startups, and innovation, and a fifth year with The Commercial Appeal, where he covered education, and chronicled how gun violence and poverty were affecting Memphis youth and their families. He has also been a fellow with the Institute for Citizens and Scholars. John has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Memphis and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Boston University.


Comments

Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here