In this article, the author reflects on the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on their laboratory's research, particularly emphasizing the loss of Brazilian researcher Lissa Ventura-Antunes due to budget cuts. Lissa, who excelled in microscopy and had been working on brain capillary distribution and its implications for blood flow and energy use in the brain, was offered a new role by Professor Matthew Shrag at Vanderbilt University, where she will continue her research. Lissa's work is crucial in exploring a lesser-known aspect of Alzheimer’s disease: the effects of vascular damage on cerebral circulation. By studying the brain's capillary networks, which do not adapt to the locations of neurons and synapses, her research may unravel new insights into how vascular health influences neurological functions. This could potentially shift how Alzheimer's is understood by combining vascular and neurodegenerative perspectives, emphasizing the importance of considering blood flow in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The author draws an interesting analogy between brain capillaries and river systems, highlighting that while rivers serve various communities, brain capillaries provide for the neurons and synapses based on the existing flow rather than their needs. This analogy serves to explain the complexity of brain vascularization and how it may relate to diseases such as Alzheimer’s. The implications of such research could be significant for developing therapies aimed at mitigating vascular contributions to Alzheimer’s and improving patient outcomes.