Investigating How Neurons Use Fuel: Stories From the U.S. BRAIN Initiative

Lilianne Mujica-Parodi studies the link between diabetes and dementia. As the director for the Laboratory for Computational Neurodiagnostics at Stony Brook University, Mujica-Parodi leads a team developing predictive diagnostics for Type 2 diabetes — a chronic condition that affects the way the body metabolizes glucose, an important source of energy for cells. Her work is examining how insulin resistance in type II diabetes impacts cognitive function.

With support from National Science Foundation through the U.S. BRAIN Initiative, as well as a grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation, Mujica-Parodi's team also seeks to answer a fundamental question about how the brain works: how do neurons utilize fuel and how neurons respond when fuel is limited?