Christiaan Leeuwenburgh
University of Florida, FL·Physiology
Many older adults gradually lose the ability to walk, climb stairs and live independently, and some decline much faster than others. Why this happens is poorly understood, and few therapies can slow it.
- Fields
Physiology
Medicine & Clinical Research
Biochemistry
- Topics
aging
gerontology
physical function
- Grants
- 2 known grants, through Jun 2027
What they work on
- Follow low- and high-functioning adults aged 70–80 for 3 years to test whether higher blood hepcidin, an iron-controlling hormone, and muscle iron buildup predict faster decline on the SPPB, 6-minute walk and strength tests.
- Test whether lower ferroportin, an iron-export protein, and higher mitochondrial iron in muscle biopsies go with poorer mitochondrial respiration, more mitochondrial DNA deletions and easier opening of the permeability transition pore.
- Provide protein, RNA and DNA biomarker analyses of aging pathways, including inflammation, senescence, autophagy, circadian clock biology and NAD+ balance, for studies within the Older Americans Independence Center.
- Measure respiration, enzyme activity and NAD coenzymes in isolated mitochondria and white blood cells to support preclinical and clinical studies of mobility loss.
More about the research
This research looks at aging muscle from the inside, focusing on mitochondria, the structures that make most of a cell's energy. It also asks how the handling of iron inside muscle cells may damage them. One project follows older adults over time to link iron and mitochondrial problems to loss of physical function. A second supports a center that measures molecular markers of aging for many studies.
Why it matters
Loss of mobility robs older adults of independence. This work could identify iron regulation and mitochondrial targets, such as the hormone hepcidin, for future drug trials aimed at slowing functional decline in low-functioning older adults. The biomarker core supplies measurements that help other studies judge whether interventions slow aging and mobility loss.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Shey-Shing Sheu
Thomas Jefferson University, PA·Physiology
Test whether hypertrophic stress raises levels of mitochondrial ryanodine receptor type 1 (mRyR1), a calcium channel, to boost mitochondrial calcium uptake and ATP production, using RyR1-overexpressing and other mouse models.
Martha Belury
Ohio State University, OH·Medicine & Clinical Research
Test whether daily supplementation with linoleic acid-rich vegetable oil improves muscle strength and physical mobility in older adults with probable sarcopenia, in a double-blind randomized controlled trial.
Matthew Abramowitz
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY·Medicine & Clinical Research
Measure how much muscle mitochondrial energy production is impaired in patients with severe, non-dialysis CKD, using CEST MRI to track phosphocreatine recovery before and after plantar flexion exercise.
The school
University of Florida: 65 labs on PI Pages, $1.3B a year on research, 795 research doctorates a year.
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