Tracking the Spark: PET Imaging of Early Mitochondrial Distress in Neurodegenerative Disease
Meagan McManus · University of Arizona, Center for Innovation in Brain Science and Department of Pharmacology
Tue, Sep 22, 2026 · 23:00 UTC
Meagan McManus examines mitochondrial dysfunction as an early driver of brain ageing and neurodegeneration. Reactive oxygen species and other mitochondrial stress signals connect impaired energy metabolism with glial activation. The talk presents preclinical evidence for [18F]ROStrace PET, a redox-sensitive tracer that crosses the blood–brain barrier, as a non-invasive way to detect mitochondrial and immune distress before overt pathology in models relevant to late-onset Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Online via the University of Arizona Zoom meeting. Use the Zoom link published on the