Christian Arias Reyes, Ph.D.

Research

In the Ramirez lab, I will investigate how brain cells adapt to reduced oxygen levels. Oxygen fuels cellular metabolism, and when brain cells are confronted with hypoxic conditions—the low oxygen levels found at high altitudes, for example—their energy-generating mitochondria must reduce oxygen consumption or use oxygen more efficiently. In preliminary studies, I have found that hypoxia triggers hyperactivation of a mitochondrial pathway that relies on succinate, a metabolite that helps to fuel the production of cellular energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate or ATP. Now, using innovative techniques in molecular metabolism, bioenergetics, and mitochondrial dynamics, I will determine how hypoxia induces this metabolic reprogramming and assess whether mitochondria that are unable to make the switch are selectively eliminated. I will also examine whether succinate supplementation promotes neurological resilience in a fatal mitochondrial disorder. The work could lead to new therapies for conditions involving mitochondrial dysfunction, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Mentor

• Jan-Marino Ramirez, Ph.D.

Country of Origin

• Bolivia