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Game Night for Science: Play Stall Catchers Online
Meet the scientist behind Stall Catchers and learn how to catch “stalls” in the brain blood vessels of mice to speed up Alzheimer’s research.
Welcome hosts and facilitators!
We’re so glad you’re hosting an in-person gathering to stream the Acts of Science: Connected virtual event, Game Night for Science: Play Stall Catchers Online featuring the citizen science project Stall Catchers.
LIVE Event
Three options on April 16, 2026:
2 PM ET
6 PM ET
9 PM ET
Event Duration: 2 hours
As a host, you must register for this event to receive the Zoom link to join. Your guests do not need to register independently.
This is a signature event of Citizen Science Month 2026, and all activity counts towards a collective goal of 2.50 Million Acts of Science before the end of April. Report your Acts of Science, which includes event attendance and estimated Stall Catchers classifications, to CitizenScienceMonth.org!
The below toolkit is designed to orient you to the project and help you prepare to host a successful in-person event in your space.
Welcome from the Project Leader
Project SCientist
Pietro Michelucci
Executive Director
Project Description
In Stall Catchers, you will “catch” stalls by looking at movies from the brain of mice and scoring blood vessels as “flowing” or “stalled”. The game is easy to learn, and you’ll be guided through a tutorial in the beginning! And even if you get a couple of questions wrong – don’t worry. Each vessel will be seen by other citizen scientists so we can figure out the right answers together.
Today, there is no treatment for Alzheimer’s. The Stall Catchers team and researchers at Cornell University have a goal to change that. We’re focusing on one aspect of the disease: reduced blood flow in the brain. It’s a symptom that has been known for years, but until now, nobody knew why it happens.
The researchers discovered that stalls (clogged blood vessels in the brain) are responsible for this blood flow reduction in mice with Alzheimer’s. By reducing the number of stalls, the lab was able to restore memory and reduce other cognitive symptoms in mice.
But to fully understand how stalls are contributing to Alzheimer’s and discover potential treatment targets, we need to get through lots of data. We need your keen eyes for that – even the most powerful computer technologies can’t do that accurately enough yet. Without the help of the crowd, this process could take decades.
With your help, we could potentially find an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in just a few years – quick enough to make a difference in the lives of people who have the disease now.
You can learn how to participate in the project alongside your audience, or explore it ahead of time if you’d like. Learn more about the project here.
Technology Needed to Host This Event
This event is a livestream through Zoom. Participants gathered in-person at your site will watch and listen together live while joining the activity on their own devices (phones, tablets, or laptops).
To fully participate, please plan for the following:
- A computer (laptop or desktop)
- Used to log into Zoom and share the livestream with the group
- Reliable internet connection (wired is best, if available)
- Large display for group viewing
- A projector and screen or a large TV/monitor
- HDMI (or appropriate) cable to connect the computer to the display
- Sound for the room
- External speakers, TV speakers, or a projector with built-in audio
- Sounds should be loud enough for the whole room, test with audience upon the start of the event
- Participant Devices
- Notify your guests ahead of time if they need to bring their own device or if you will supply them
- Ensure your guests have access to the Wi-Fi at the host location
- Use our printable instructions to help your audience set up their accounts to participate before or during the event
Strongly Recommended: A stable internet connection is important for a smooth experience. If possible, avoid public or heavily restricted Wi-Fi. We recommend testing Zoom audio and video on your computer before the event to be sure everything looks and sounds good.
Facilitation Support
- Create a free SciStarter Account: SciStarter.org/login. For participants under 13, an adult should set up a family account.
- Sign up for Stall Catchers! Visit StallCatchers.com and use the same email you used to sign up for SciStarter.
- Take the tour and test your ability to recognize stalled blood flow with the training movies. Once the game thinks you’re ready, you will be shown movies from the most recent dataset that needs your help. Play for as long or little as you can!
Tip: Print and distribute the instructions for your guests.
If someone shares misinformation
You don’t need to debate or correct everything. You can say, “There’s a lot of information out there, and it can be confusing,” or simply thank them for sharing and redirect back to the activity.
If someone has a strong or disruptive opinion
Before your event, align with library staff on how to handle interruptions. If a strong opinion starts to disrupt the program, pause and loop in staff so the group can stay focused on the activity.
If you’re asked a question you can’t answer
It’s okay to say, “I’m not sure, but I can help find out.” For questions about project science or data protocols, you can submit the question to the Q&A for support.
If you notice inaccurate data being submitted
Use it as a teaching moment. Sit with the participant, thank them for their enthusiasm and effort and gently walk through how to submit data correctly, modeling the process step by step.
Find instructional resources, including video explanations, a printable guide, and tips to explain the science on Stall Catchers’ Educator’s Zone.
Promotional Resources
Use these resources to promote your in-person event. See all promotional tools in this google folder.
Posters
Available in multiple time zones.
Social Media and Graphics
Keep It Going
Print and distribute this flyer so your guests can continue participating in this project from home.
Thank You!
Thank you for facilitating this event and supporting the citizen science project Stall Catchers. With your help, scientists get closer to finding treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease.
By guiding participants through this project, you’re helping scientists speed up the process of discovery, while giving your community a chance to contribute to real, ongoing research. Your time, curiosity, and leadership make these discoveries possible.
We’re grateful for your partnership and for the role you play in accelerating medical science—one stall at a time.
Please take a moment to complete our brief post-event survey. Your response should take less than 5 minutes.
All activity in April, Citizen Science Month 2026, counts towards a collective goal of 2.50 Million Acts of Science. Report your Acts of Science, which includes event attendance and estimated Stall Catchers classifications, to CitizenScienceMonth.org!