Research Faculty Spotlight: Matthew Borzage, PhD
“An MRI machine is like a grand piano,” says Matthew Borzage, PhD. “Just as a piano can sound completely different depending on the pianist and the music being played, an MRI machine can produce vastly different images and information.”
That versatility has made MRI Dr. Borzage’s go-to tool for investigating his favorite topic: the brain. A biomedical engineer, he collaborates with multiple CHLA researchers to study how certain conditions affect the brain’s blood vessels and metabolism.
Meanwhile, his biggest project is exploring a longstanding and controversial question: Does anesthesia harm the developing brain?
“This has been an active area of research since the 1970s,” he notes. “Many papers say anesthetic drugs are neurotoxic based on animal research, and some say they aren’t. But definitive answers about a potential effect in humans have been elusive.”
To tackle this issue, Dr. Borzage and his team are taking an innovative approach. Under a National Institutes of Health grant, they are using MRI to “look inside” the brains of babies and young children while they’re under anesthesia for a clinically necessary MRI.
Specifically, the team is measuring if—and how—brain blood flow and oxygen use change during anesthesia. “We want to see if these changes could potentially lead to neurotoxicity in some patients,” he explains. “Anesthesia is an important tool. Our goal is to enhance its safety.”
Originally from Chico, California, Dr. Borzage credits a high school teacher for encouraging him to pursue both biology and engineering. He joined CHLA in 2008 as a PhD student and became faculty in 2014. “I get to be in a lab, while making a meaningful impact for our patients,” he says. “That’s like, Eureka!”
He stresses that his work is a team effort. “My mentors—John Wood, MD, PhD, Brad Peterson, MD, and Philippe Friedlich, MD—are amazing,” Dr. Borzage says. “I also now have the chance to mentor my own team members. I find that very fulfilling.”
Outside of the lab, he enjoys woodworking and is an epicure (“If you need a brulee torch, let me know”). He and his wife, Amanda, a USC professor, have a four-legged family member and “designated mouser”: Louie the Jazz Cat.
