Rima Kaddurah-Daouk, PhD, professor and chair at the Department of Precision Behavioral Health at UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences, has been awarded a five-year, $12 million grant from the National Institute on Aging. The funding will support research into how changes in the brain's energy supply influence memory, mood, and the risk of Alzheimer's disease, as well as explore potential treatments and lifestyle strategies to enhance brain health in aging individuals.
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The initiative aims to address a key question in healthy aging: What factors contribute to the brain's resilience, and how can this knowledge lead to improved strategies for protecting brain health throughout life? Central to this research is the investigation of mitochondrial function, which is essential for generating the energy the brain requires to meet its complex demands. Recent studies funded by the National Institute on Aging and utilizing multiomics data have highlighted the crucial role of efficient energy production and mitochondrial health in resilience during aging.
Impaired cellular energy metabolism has been increasingly associated with Alzheimer's disease, depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline. This research will look into how mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to these conditions and seek to understand why some individuals remain resilient while others become more vulnerable as they age. The findings are intended to inform the development of therapeutic interventions aimed at enhancing resilience and safeguarding cognitive function.
This project builds on extensive research by the Alzheimer Disease Metabolomics Consortium, which is part of the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Program for Alzheimer’s Disease. The study will analyze changes in blood samples from both Alzheimer’s disease and community cohorts to identify metabolomic signatures that indicate mitochondrial health and functionality.
Through longitudinal data analysis, the team will assess how these blood markers relate to Alzheimer's disease progression over time, including differences based on sex. Additionally, the study will explore the impact of genetics and lifestyle factors on mitochondrial dysfunction while employing advanced cellular systems and screening methods to establish links between mitochondrial failure and Alzheimer's disease pathology.
The research is structured to transition from scientific discovery to practical application. The team plans to screen compounds that target mitochondria, investigating drug and supplement options as well as lifestyle modifications that could enhance energy production and support brain health.
Kaddurah-Daouk noted, "By uncovering distinct pathways through which mitochondria fail in men and women, we are paving the way for novel precision medicine approaches for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, taking into account gender differences."
This grant is Kaddurah-Daouk's first National Institutes of Health award since she joined UTHealth Houston in July 2026 and adds to her substantial grant portfolio. Furthermore, the funding underscores UTHealth Houston's commitment to advancing brain health research. Kaddurah-Daouk also holds a new endowed chair funded by the John S. Dunn Foundation. Her team will collaborate with other National Institute on Aging-funded consortia and researchers from institutions such as Mayo Clinic, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and the University of Washington, among others. Matthias Arnold, PhD, from Helmholtz and Russell Swerdlow, MD, from the University of Kansas, will serve as principal investigators alongside Kaddurah-Daouk.