By Judy Berthiaume, Senior Editor, UW-Eau Claire Integrated Marketing and Communications Although many senior citizens assume that having two or three drinks is harmless, a University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire student-faculty research team has found that as people age, they feel the effects of alcohol differently than when they were younger. Psychology Prof. Doug Matthews, who has studied the effects of alcohol on the aging brain for several years, said that alcohol significantly affects older brains in ways that may threaten health and well-being, including increasing the risk of falling. “Something changes in the brain as we age,” Matthews said. “The older brain is fundamentally different, and the difference makes it more sensitive to alcohol.” To read more about this research, including the collaboration between UW-EC and a Mayo Clinic researcher doing cutting edge work, please click on the headline.