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Alcohol Impact on Traumatic Brain Injury: Focus on Mitochondrial Alterations

Award Number: F32AA031902
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/01/2025
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/19/2026

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Alcohol Impact on Traumatic Brain Injury: Focus on Mitochondrial Alterations - Abstract Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects millions of otherwise healthy individuals annually. A significant risk factor for TBI is alcohol intoxication, with 30-50% of TBI cases in the US attributed to alcohol-intoxication at the time of injury, potentially intensifying cognitive deficits and TBI-related disability, particularly in moderate to severe cases. Moreover, following TBI, approximately 25% of TBI patients resume alcohol consumption, which can also contribute to neuropathological outcomes. Several mechanisms can contribute to greater injury in alcohol and TBI comorbid conditions. Prior work from our laboratory has shown enhanced neuroinflammation at site of TBI in rodents exposed to alcohol, and delayed recovery of neurobehavioral function in TBI followed by alcohol exposure. Enhanced neuroinflammation may be the result of mitochondrial components or metabolic byproducts that act as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Alcohol and TBI both alter cellular metabolism, affects mitochondrial function and glutathione availability. The TBI and alcohol associated disruption in brain metabolism, requires metabolic flexibility in energy substrate utilization to maintain adequate ATP production. This metabolic shift may lead to glutathione depletion and reactive oxygen species overproduction, triggering cell death and accentuated neuropathology that can significantly impact recovery from TBI. Based on these data, we hypothesize that alcohol exacerbates TBI-induced alterations in mitochondrial bioenergetics; particularly at the site of injury, leading to increased oxidative stress and cell death. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent programmed cell death mechanism, is highly sensitive to mitochondrial bioenergetic alterations and is reported in TBI. The research-training plan proposes three specific aims to test the hypothesis that a) alcohol impairs mitochondrial bioenergetics at the site of TBI injury, b) alcohol accentuates oxidative stress affecting predominantly astrocytes at the site of TBI, c) and that ferroptosis is a significant contributor to cell death at the TBI site. The applicant will leverage his background training in mitochondrial mechanisms of tissue injury, translating them from cardiac tissue to the brain and from ischemic injury to TBI, with emphasis of the role of alcohol in exacerbating these pathophysiological mechanisms.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $39,674 )
2026	2026	LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER NEW ORLEANS	433 BOLIVAR ST RM 619	NEW ORLEANS	LA	70112	ORLEANS	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	001	2	3/31/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$1,296
2026	2026	LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER NEW ORLEANS	433 BOLIVAR ST RM 619	NEW ORLEANS	LA	70112	ORLEANS	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	002	2	5/6/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2026	2026	LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER NEW ORLEANS	433 BOLIVAR ST RM 619	NEW ORLEANS	LA	70112	ORLEANS	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	2	1/27/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$38,378
														Subtotal = $39,674

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $74,284 )
2024	2024	LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER NEW ORLEANS	433 BOLIVAR ST RM 619	NEW ORLEANS	LA	70112	ORLEANS	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	1	8/27/2024	NEW	$74,284
														Subtotal = $74,284

Grand Total All Awards = $113,958

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Alcohol Impact on Traumatic Brain Injury: Focus on Mitochondrial Alterations

Award Number: F32AA031902

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/01/2025

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/19/2026

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