UC Tower lights up red for World Encephalitis Day

Today, the 22nd of February, marks World Encephalitis Day, launched in 2014 by the 'Encephalitis Society' to raise awareness of this rare but serious condition involving inflammation of the brain.

The #RED4WED initiative is part of the mission of 'Encephalitis International', a UK-based registered charity, and involves the lighting up of iconic buildings and sites around the world to mark the date and bring public attention to encephalitis, a disease that is still relatively unknown to society compared to other neurological conditions.

In 2023, the initiative has resulted in over 200 landmark buildings/sites worldwide being lit in red, including iconic locations such as Niagara Falls, the CN Tower, Sydney Olympic Park and London's Piccadilly Lights.

This year, the University of Coimbra Tower is participating in #RED4WED to raise awareness of this neurological disease, which is on the rise worldwide, including in Portugal.

The UC Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC-UC) conducts research into the disease, specifically autoimmune encephalitis.