Dr. Silvia Mangia Receives NIH Pioneer Award for Research Examining the Role of Brain CO₂ and pH in Age-Related Brain Function Loss

The National Institutes of Health Pioneer Award provides support to scientists pursuing innovative research directions in biomedical, behavioral, or social science.

Silvia Mangia, a professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Minnesota Medical School, has been awarded the prestigious NIH Pioneer Award for her groundbreaking research in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its applications to understanding brain metabolism and energetics. Dr. Mangia's work focuses on the innovative use of neuroimaging to investigate human and animal brains, particularly in the context of aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

Q: What is the NIH Pioneer Award, and what does it mean for your project? 
Dr. Mangia: The NIH Pioneer Award supports cutting-edge research that may not yet have strong experimental evidence but holds great potential for innovation. It's about pioneering new ideas. Our project challenges current neurophysiology dogmas, and this grant allows us the flexibility to pursue our goals and adapt our plans as needed.
 

Q: Could you describe your project and the discoveries you hope it will lead to? 
Dr. Mangia: Our project aims to explore the mechanisms of loss in brain function related to aging and neurodegenerative diseases. We're focusing on the metabolic waste products like CO₂ and protons, which we suspect may interfere with brain function despite adequate energy supply. This research could shift the focus from traditional energy supply issues to the impacts of metabolic waste on brain function.

Q: How do you plan to measure these changes in the brain? 
Dr. Mangia: We will utilize advanced MRI and potentially PET scans to non-invasively measure physiological parameters like CO₂ levels and brain acidity. These techniques allow us to observe what happens inside the brain without surgery, which could lead to better diagnostic tools and treatments.

Q: What are the potential challenges in your research? 
Dr. Mangia: The main challenges are the high ambition of the research plan and incorporating techniques I am less familiar with. However, I have strong collaborators and the necessary equipment, so while the results might not always follow our hypotheses, we anticipate they may lead to even more interesting discoveries.

Q: How could your research change the understanding of diseases that cause memory loss or other age-related brain issues? 
Dr. Mangia: By understanding how metabolic waste affects brain function, we could improve diagnostics and develop therapies that target these waste products, potentially slowing or reversing the impacts of aging on the brain.

Q: What does receiving the Pioneer Award mean for you and your team? 
Dr. Mangia: It's a tremendous opportunity to explore ideas that are considered high-risk due to their novelty, but can lead to new discoveries that could fundamentally impact our understanding of brain function and disease. In addition, it provides the flexibility to adapt our research plan according to the results of the on-going studies, and thus pursue new discoveries without having to apply for new funding.

Q: What future directions do you see for your research following this award? 
Dr. Mangia: Winning this award gives us the platform to delve into aspects of neurology and neuroscience that have been underexplored. Moving forward, we hope to expand our research to include more comprehensive clinical trials and potentially develop targeted treatments that can mitigate the impact of metabolic waste on cognitive function. The ultimate goal is to pave the way for interventions that could be preventative in nature and improve the quality of life for aging populations globally.