Breaking ground in brain science: Researchers win national awards for uncovering the dangers of manganese

At the intersection of passion and discovery, two emerging scientists from the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work took the spotlight at the recent 2025 Society of Toxicology annual meeting.

Alexander Rodichkin, a postdoctoral associate, and Ritishka Kapoor, a Ph.D. candidate in environmental health sciences, are part of FIU’s Brain, Behavior and the Environment (BBE) Lab, led by Tomás R. Guilarte, which focuses on uncovering the environmental causes of neurological diseases. The awardees were recognized for their research on manganese neurotoxicity and childhood-onset dystonia parkinsonism.

The Society of Toxicology, a global hub for experts in the field since 1961, draws thousands of researchers to its annual meeting to share advances in toxicological science. Among fierce competition, Rodichkin secured first place over 19 other presenters in the Metals Specialty Section, while Kapoor earned second place in the Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology Specialty Section in a field of 36 presenters.

“I’m incredibly proud to see these outstanding individuals recognized for their efforts in advancing science for such a rare and devastating disease,” said Guilarte. “They’ve shown that with hard work, dedication, focus, and perseverance, anything is possible.”

The hidden peril of a common element

“Manganese is an essential element for various physiological functions, but it becomes toxic at high concentrations,” says Kapoor. 

Exposure to manganese can occur in occupational settings, such as in mining and welding, or through environmental sources like contaminated food and water. Over time, excess manganese can build up in the brain, particularly in the areas that control movement and motor coordination resulting in a devastating disease called manganese-induced dystonia-parkinsonism.

While rare, the disease has also been diagnosed in children. Rodichkin explains that some cases of childhood-onset manganese-induced dystonia-parkinsonism have been linked to loss-of-function mutations in a manganese transporter gene called SLC39A14, which is a key regulator of manganese levels in the body. When the gene is dysfunctional, the affected individuals are unable to properly regulate manganese levels, resulting in accumulation of the metal in the brain, causing neurological disease, sometimes as early as three months of age.

Rodichkin: Shifting the focus in manganese research

Since 2018, Rodichkin has worked to understand why prolonged manganese exposure leads to the development of manganese-induced dystonia-parkinsonism.

Due to some similarities in the clinical expression of the disease to Parkinson’s disease, researchers who study manganese-induced dystonia-parkinsonism have traditionally focused on the basal ganglia, a brain region that controls voluntary and involuntary movement. Rodichkin, however, is focusing on a different part of the brain called the cerebellum. The principal neurons within this region—known as Purkinje cells — assist in motor control, coordination and motor learning. 

“In the genetic model that we are using to study the human version of the disease, the cerebellum undergoes profound neuropathological changes,” Rodichkin shares. In the lab, he discovered that when the cerebellum accumulates excess manganese, inflammation increases, and the Purkinje cells begin to die.  

“This is the first report of its kind in the literature, which fundamentally changes our understanding of the disease,” Rodichkin says.  “I do hope that the information conveyed within my work will highlight the cerebellum as a target brain region in the field of manganese neurotoxicity.”

Kapoor: A personal mission to improve pediatric outcomes

Kapoor’s research focuses on the role manganese plays in the development of childhood-onset dystonia-parkinsonism. “This is a rare but devastating pediatric disease that requires early life investigation for better therapy and drug intervention,” says Kapoor. “Currently, there is only limited success in drug delivery for these patients due to a lack of research.”

Kapoor’s research highlights the neurodevelopmental changes caused by early-life manganese imbalance, opening a path to better therapies in the future for these children. 

Her drive is deeply personal.  “Growing up, I watched close family members with birth defects and conditions that are often overlooked and considered as fate, with little to no medical help available,” she says. “My passion is to help these individuals, which makes my area of study personally motivating.”

Kapoor is the first member of the BBE Lab to present and win an award in the Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology (RDT) Specialty Section. “Seeing my mentor and team—who are also my mentors—filled with joy, pride, and happy tears was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” she says.