Welcome!
The Neuroscience Center pursues a multidisciplinary approach to neuroscience education and research. The primary mission of the Center is to foster and conduct science of the highest caliber that advances the understanding of brain function and diseases that affect the nervous system. A major role of the Center is to mentor the development of neuroscientists and clinician-neuroscientists through fundamental and translational research. The Neuroscience Center has established, through the faculty associated with the Center, research and clinical programs directed toward Alzheimer's disease, pain, Parkinson's disease, stroke, brain, and spinal cord injury, epilepsy, depression, blinding eye diseases, schizophrenia, and developmental and hearing disorders. Cutting-edge research programs on the molecular and cellular bases of neural diseases are the heart of the Center's innovative educational programs: the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program (Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in Neuroscience) attracts outstanding students from around the world; the Summer Undergraduate Neuroscience (SUN) Program mentors top Louisiana undergraduate students through lectures and hands-on research; and postdoctoral fellowships train the next generation of investigators. Several seminar programs and lectureships host renowned scientists who present their work to the LSUHSC community. The lecture series “Health Through Discovery” promotes the exchange of knowledge at the interface of clinical and research science. The annual statewide Neuroscience Retreat (in its 22nd year in 2010) is a forum for the showcasing of neuroscience investigation and discovery and has been the birthplace of countless research collaborations. The Center has had an economic impact in Louisiana through significant federal and private research funding. Innovations from the Center's drug-discovery program have resulted in 19 patents or patent applications; some of these innovations formed the base of a start-up pharmaceutical/biotechnology company in Louisiana. In addition, the expertise of the Center's investigators has drawn the interest of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries and has taken the lead in the establishment of the Neurobiotechnology Program of Louisiana, which brings together Tulane University, LSUHSC-Shreveport, and LSUHSC-NO to promote the application of knowledge gained through research. The Center is very active in technology transfer and is dedicated to the retention within the state of Louisiana of technologic expertise, patents, and the income generated through discovery. In 1997 the Center began its initial phase of consolidation of resources and recruitment of investigators. At present, the Neuroscience Center is undertaking its second major expansion. In bringing together academic and governmental agencies and private/public partnerships, the Neuroscience Center has had a pivotal role in innovative approaches to the treatment of disorders of the nervous system and the advancement of understanding of the mechanisms of disease.
I appreciate your visit to the Neuroscience Center of Excellence website and thanks to Dr. Rigby for his perspective on the Center's organization and activities (see below).
Sincerely,
Nicolas G. Bazan, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, LSUHSC Neuroscience Center of Excellence
THE LSU NEUROSCIENCE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE: A PERSPECTIVE
By Perry G. Rigby, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Chancellor, LSUHSC (1985-1994)
Overview
The Neuroscience Center of Excellence was proposed by Dr. Nicolas Bazan and authorized by the LSU Board of Supervisors and the Board of Regents in 1989. This recognition was supported a few years later by funds from the Louisiana Legislature to begin a comprehensive biomedical scientific center at the LSU Medical Center aligned with the mission components of Education, Research, Patient Care, and Community Service.
This Neuroscience Center, and the Cancer Center, were in subsequent years followed by other LSUHSC centers of excellence. They in turn recruited faculty participants in many related disciplines and across departmental lines, basic and clinical hierarchical relationships that joined together in common purpose and active work.
Dr. Bazan not only founded this new entity in interdisciplinary and interdepartmental endeavor, but effectively managed, grew and expanded the enterprise to include other academic institutions and organizations across the state and around the nation.
The core emphasis and focus of these teams of scientists is research; the ideas, experiments, and results that unite and encourage exploration and progress. There are also numerous areas of education by many of the related neuroscience faculty and others, and teams of clinicians, focused in practice settings, arranged, and available to deliver medical and surgical care in neuroscience.
The initial relationship with the community in which we live, broad in scope and diverse in people and talent, has also been nurtured and encouraged by Dr. Bazan. Now the Neuroscience Center is recognized as a concentration of excellence within LSU and its community environment.
The magnitude of growth and accomplishment of the LSUHSC Neuroscience Center has fulfilled the potential of possibilities, envisioned years ago and filled by real work, and continues to escalate, as anticipated by Dr. Bazan and others.
Mission and Scope
The Neuroscience Center pursues multidisciplinary neuroscience research and education. The primary mission of the Center is to foster and conduct science of the highest caliber that advances the understanding of brain function and diseases that affect the nervous system. The Neuroscience Center has research programs relevant to the understanding of Alzheimer's disease, pain, Parkinson's disease, stroke, brain, and spinal cord injury, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, blinding eye diseases, schizophrenia, and developmental and hearing disorders. These diseases have no cure at the present time; thus, new knowledge about their molecular and cellular bases contributes to the understanding of their pathophysiology and to the development of therapeutic approaches that include prevention and slowing down their initiation, progression, and/or halting their consequences.
Lectureships
In the 80s, several years before the school funding of the Center began, Dr. Bazan attracted outside funding to develop the Distinguished Lectureship in Neurosciences, Seminars and LSU Neuroscience Center Retreat. These retreats began in 1989, bringing the Neuroscience community together around a major neuroscience leader and of posters highlighting current research. In 2006, the 18th Annual Retreat was held. Several Nobel Laureates participated as guest speakers of these series.
Incentive Grants
Initially, the efforts to develop the LSU Neuroscience Center of Excellence focused on stimulating research activities among neuroscientists of various departments of the School of Medicine. Toward this end, Dr. Bazan developed an innovative Medical School-wide two-year (1991-1993) competitive incentive grants award program utilizing the initial Center budget. This program was very successful; through the gathering of preliminary data, new NIH grants were obtained. Also, this initiative fostered interactions among neuroscientists of different departments.
Major Out-of-State Grant Used to Build the 8th and 9th Floors of the Lions Building
Dr. Bazan organized and led a major interdisciplinary research program on Neural Response to Injury: Prevention, Protection, and Repair that attracted 13.8 million dollars from a federal agency. In the mid-'90s, the construction of the 8th and 9th floors of the Lions Building, with 65% of the cost funded by this grant, was made possible. Also, major equipment for the two new floors was made available by this grant. In addition, this grant funded $4 million in equipment and partial research expenses for neuroscientists in the Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Pharmacology, and Ophthalmology.
Environment
In 1996, the opening of the 8th and 9th floors of the Lions Building allowed the recruitment of promising junior investigators. Overall, an environment of research excellence was increasingly established. High-quality students and postdoctoral fellows were attracted by the newly-formed research groups. Dr. Bazan promoted a growing consolidation of a culture of research excellence. Individually, the new investigators became exceptionally productive and obtained competitive federal funding. Several discoveries were made that appeared in major journals. Among them is the recent discovery of neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1), a mediator of neuroprotection relevant to stroke, retinal degenerations, and Alzheimer's disease.
Center of Biomedical Research Excellence: Fundamental and Translational Research
The quality of the research groups and the easiness of collaborations and interactions allowed the Center to attract a major program-project type federal grant on sleep deprivation (2000 - 2002) conceived by Dr. Bazan. The Center also attracted a major EPSCoR/NSF grant on Micronanotechnologies in neural signaling (2002 - 2004), that brought together three other academic institutions from Louisiana along with the Neuroscience Center. Another outcome of the collective force is mentoring at various levels: graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty. The Center mentors the development of neuroscientists and clinician-neuroscientists through fundamental and translational research. Four years ago, Dr. Bazan conceived, wrote and received the first COBRE (Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence) award from NIH in the State of Louisiana. This competitive grant has elicited a substantial impact on neuroscience research in this state, and more specifically LSU Health Sciences Center, the University of New Orleans, Xavier University, Nicholls State University, and Tulane University. This grant fostered the development of a culture of mentoring and further brought together investigators from different disciplines. The Neuroscience Center's initiatives have contributed to the development of other COBRE grants in the state. In the months and ensuing chaos following the landfall of Hurricane Katrina, the investigators of the Center have maintained their interactions and have continued to be scientifically productive. In a way, the crisis created by Hurricane Katrina, and the many resulting uncertainties, were a test of the strength of the intellectual bonds and the commitment of the neuroscience investigators and other personnel of the Center.
Interdisciplinary Education
The Center has organized several additional innovative educational programs, such as: the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program (Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in Neuroscience), which attracts outstanding students from around the world; the Summer Undergraduate Neuroscience (SUN) Program, which mentors top Louisiana undergraduate students through lectures and hands-on research; and the postdoctoral fellowships, which train the next generation of investigators.
MOON Program
The latest addition to these programs, the nascent Medical students' Outstanding Opportunities in Neuroscience (MOON) Program, is mainly focused on LSU medical students and aims to initiate the nurturing of future medical scientists. The program began in 2006 with a small group of students as a pilot program. The positive lessons learned have made the Center decide to continue with the program in subsequent years. The activities immerse the medical students in an intensive hands-on research project during the summer. Students are required to participate in workshops (3-4 during the summer) where they share with the faculty a progress report on their specific projects. The endpoint of this short, although intensive research experience is to encourage the development of the medical students' honors thesis (during their next 3 years of medical school) and of M.D./Ph.D. candidates. These candidates, upon completion of their second year in medical school, will return to work on a specific research project in fulfillment of the Ph.D. requirements. Then they go back to complete their third and fourth years of medical school. Overall, this program, along with the Center's other educational activities, contributes to research experience that motivates young persons to choose an active biomedical research career.
Impact
Seminar programs and lectureships host renowned scientists who present their work to the LSUHSC community. The lecture series “Health Through Discovery” promotes the exchange of knowledge at the interface of clinical and research science. Also, the annual statewide Neuroscience Retreat (in its 18th year in 2006) is a forum for the showcasing of neuroscience investigation and discovery and has been the birthplace of many research collaborations. The Center has an economic impact in Louisiana through the federal and private research funding being attracted from outside the state. Innovations from the Center's drug-discovery program have resulted in 18 patents or patent applications; some of these innovations formed the base of a start-up pharmaceutical/biotechnology company in Louisiana. In addition, the expertise of the Center's investigators took the lead in the establishment of the Neurobiotechnology Program of Louisiana to promote the application of knowledge gained through research. The Center is active in technology transfer aimed at retaining within the state of Louisiana the knowledge, technologic expertise, patents, and income generated through discovery.
Dr. Nelson presenting the awards to Nobel Laureates Dr.Jerome Friedman and to Dr. Edmond Fisher
Research Features Magazine; December 13, 2016
Nicolas G. Bazan, M.D., Ph.D.
Nicolas G. Bazan, M.D., Ph.D., has been called “a true Renaissance man.” He is an innovative research scientist, inspiring teacher, effective mentor, generous community leader, creative author, screenplay co-writer/executive movie producer, patron of the arts, imaginative entrepreneur, transformative influencer of implementing in our region a knowledge-based economy, and, above all, an exemplary family man.
Dr. Bazan is the inaugural founder of the Ernest C. and Yvette C. Villere Chair for Research in Retinal Degeneration, the founding Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at the Louisiana State University Health New Orleans’ School of Medicine, and has been appointed to the highest academic rank in the LSU System—a Boyd Professor. He is also a Foreign Adjunct Professor of Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Dr. Bazan received his medical degree from the University of Tucuman in Argentina. Afterward, he trained at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York and at the Department of Biological Chemistry at Harvard Medical School. At the age of twenty-six, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto and Assistant Director of the Department of Neurochemistry at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry. He then founded a research institute, a new Biology academic unit, and doctorate and Master of Science graduate programs in Biochemistry in Argentina. In 1981, Dr. Bazan moved to New Orleans.
Dr. Bazan was the founding Editor-in-Chief of Springer Nature’s Molecular Neurobiology journal. He was also the founding Senate Member of the Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft for the neurodegenerative diseases research program (2009-2016) in Germany. He served as the Elected Chairman on the Board of Governors for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO Foundation) (2011-2014) and the elected President of the American Society for Neurochemistry (1991-2001).
Recent Awards:
- Frontiers in Vision Science Lecture, New England Eye Center, Boston, June 2023
- Frontiers in Vision Science Lecture and Visiting Professor, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, January 2023
- 2022 Exceptional Contributions to Human Physiology and Translational Medicine Award, 17th International Conference on “Bioactive Lipids in Cancer, Inflammation and Related Diseases,” New Orleans, November 2022
- Guest of Honor at “Discoveries & Decoding Lipid Mediators: Advancing Science to End Neurological and Ophthalmological Diseases,” New Orleans, November 2022
- Distinguished Lecture Series, Schepens/Mass Eye and Ear Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, April 2021
- Mark Nickerson Memorial Lecture, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, CA, May 2019
- Award Lecture, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft, Bonn, Germany, September 2018
Dr. Bazan’s select recognition and awards include: the Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award NINDS, NIH, 1989- • Elected Member, Royal Academy of Sciences, Spain, 1993 • Elected Member, Royal Academy of Medicine, Spain, 1996 • Fellow, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Dublin, 1999 • Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Nacional del Tucuman, Argentina, 1999 • Endre A. Balazs Prize, International Society of Eye Research, 2000 • Neurochemistry Research issue dedicated to Nicolas Bazan (Vol. 25, No. 5), 2000 • Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Proctor Medal and Award Lecture and Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS) introduction, 2007 • Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology (Vol. 613), Recent Advances in Retinal Degeneration book dedicated to Nicolas Bazan, 2008 • Chevreul Medal, Paris, France, 2011 • Alkmeon International Prize, 2011 • Medal, Miroslaw M. Mossakowski, Polish Academy of Sciences, 2013 • Gradle Medal, The Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology/World Ophthalmology Congress, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2016.
He devoted his life to studying fundamental signaling mechanisms in early stages of retina and brain dysfunctions. He has discovered cellular and molecular principles that reveal novel pro-homeostatic lipid mediators as well as their relevance and implications in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa, early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, experimental stroke, Parkinson’s disease, pain, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
In his first laboratory in Toronto, Canada, Dr. Bazan discovered that brain ischemia (like in stroke), seizures (like in epilepsy), or electroconvulsive shock (a therapy for depression) trigger the rapid release of unesterified essential fatty acids (docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids) from membranes through phospholipase A2 (PLA2). These findings became a citation classic (“Neural Stimulation or Onset of Cerebral Ischemia Activates Phospholipase A2,” Bazan NG, Current Contents/Life Sciences, 30:10, 1991).
Dr. Bazan’s research has opened conceptual in-roads in ophthalmology, neuroscience, and medicine by uncovering signaling mechanisms and novel molecular principles of cell survival and neuroprotection. His contributions are unique and pioneering. From the beginning of his scientific career, he has contributed innovative concepts and has discovered molecular principles that sustain neural cell integrity. He was the first to uncover arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) brain release upon stimulation by ischemia and/or seizures at rates comparable to those of maximal hormonal lipolytic activation in other tissues. At the time, medical sciences were captivated by the discovery of prostaglandins and other eicosanoids from AA (omega-6 essential fatty acid family member) and the elucidation of their functions by B. Samuelsson, S. Bergstrom, and J. Vane. Dr. Bazan took a different focus and approach and began aiming in the late 1960s to understand the significance of DHA, a member of the omega-3 essential fatty acid family. During this time, he became aware of studies that observed the beneficial health effects of diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Thus, he began conceptualizing and pondering on the biology of DHA, which is prominently concentrated in photoreceptors and synapses, and he formulated hypotheses and tested them under various conditions, as described below. Unexpected outcomes have since evolved, including his findings on the significance of the phospholipid-mediator platelet-activating factor (PAF) in the retina, anterior segment of the eye, and brain. Dr. Bazan approached this issue from a different angle because PAF metabolism involves DHA and AA release. Therefore, he and his colleagues were the first to find that PAF modulates hippocampal excitatory synaptic transmission and presynaptic glutamate release and that it is a retrograde messenger of long-term potentiation enhancing, in turn, memory formation.
He then began connecting these initial findings with the significance of DHA in the interactions between photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, and in the early 1980s, Dr. Bazan developed the concept and initial exploration of bioactive DHA derivatives that he found in the retina and suggested calling docosanoids (22C, in contrast to the 20C eicosanoids from AA).
In fact, he showed that the retina generated enzyme-derived DHA products. In groundbreaking fashion, Dr. Bazan discovered the source and mechanisms of retention of retinal DHA. He identified the link between DHA deficiency and inherited retinal dystrophies. This laid the foundation for therapeutic strategies designed to bolster endogenous levels of retinal DHA. Bazan expanded his work to examine mechanisms of release of free DHA by the brain and retina and was the first to associate phospholipase-mediated DHA release with disorders of the brain and retina—a phenomenon known as the “Bazan effect.” This has led to a number of discoveries that have impacted our understanding and potential therapies for several forms of dementia and retinal degeneration.
While studying DHA brain release due to stimulation early on, Dr. Bazan began using the retina as a natural-made brain slice since the differentiated neuron, the photoreceptor cell, is enriched in DHA, and its neuronal circuitry makes it an integral part of the central nervous system (CNS). Then he uncovered new mechanisms regarding how DHA is acquired to reach such a unique endowment in the retina and brain. Based on these discoveries, Bazan identified the liver-to-retina (and brain) “long loop” for DHA supply and an RPE/photoreceptor intercellular “short loop” for DHA retention in photoreceptors. This recycling is similar to that seen in retinoids, and he postulated it to be critical for photoreceptor survival; hence, its breakage leads to retinal degeneration. Bazan also found that Acadian Louisiana Usher’s Syndrome patients (born deaf, then blind due to retinitis pigmentosa) have DHA shortage in the blood, implicating the long loop in retinal degeneration. This observation, among others from his lab, led him to further explore the role of DHA in photoreceptor degeneration and to extrapolate it to Alzheimer’s disease. His quest focused on the specific molecular mechanisms engaged and led Bazan and collaborators to discover a specific transmembrane protein (adiponectin receptor 1; AdipoR1) for DHA uptake/retention in RPE cells and photoreceptors necessary for cell functional integrity. This AdipoR1-protein, although it has seven transmembrane domains, is not a G-protein, and thus he demonstrated that its cognate ligand, adiponectin, is not involved. Therefore, the new function is that AdipoR1 represents a key molecular switch for DHA uptake, retention, and conversion into a photoreceptor-specific molecular species of phosphatidylcholine that are decreased in AMD. In fact, when he and his colleagues genetically ablated the protein, retinal degeneration ensued. Bazan’s thinking and work have widely influenced other researchers and scientists. As an example of an additional impact of these discoveries, it was reported that a single amino acid mutation in AdipoR1 causes nonsyndromic autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. This finding was based on Dr. Bazan’s AdipoR1 work.
Bazan and collaborators demonstrated in 1984 that DHA is the precursor of docosanoids and predicted that they are endowed with pro-homeostatic cell survival properties. Dr. Bazan contributed to the discovery of the synthesis and bioactivity of neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1; 10R,17S-dihydroxy-docosa-4Z,7Z,11E,13E,15Z,19Z-hexaenoic acid) in 2003-2004. His work uncovered that NPD1 arrests apoptosis in RPE cells at the pre-mitochondrial level and is neuroprotective in brain ischemia-reperfusion and cellular models of Alzheimer’s disease. Thus, Bazan and colleagues coined the name “neuroprotectin D1” for this first identified docosanoid and showed that NPD1 is an oxidative stress/injury response mediator that counteracts disruptions of cellular homeostasis, and it is an active participant in a well-concerted process that effectively modulates neuroinflammation. Esterified DHA from phospholipids is cleaved by PLA2, releasing DHA followed by NPD1 synthesis. Bazan also showed in the RPE cells that 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LOX-1) catalyzes DHA enzymatic lipoxygenation and conversion into NPD1 and that neurotrophins stimulate this process (e.g., BDNF, NGF, PEDF). He and his colleagues found enhanced cytosolic PLA2 expression and decreased free-DHA in short post-mortem sampled CA1 hippocampal region of early stages of Alzheimer’s disease with a concomitant 25-fold decrease in NPD1. In human neuronal cells in culture, he also showed that NPD1 promotes the downregulation of pro-inflammatory genes and pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins and that it also enhances the abundance of anti-apoptotic proteins to counteract Aβ-mediated neurotoxicity. Among the molecular targets that he found for this bioactive lipid is the triggering of de-phosphorylation of Bcl-xL in a PP2A-dependent fashion during oxidative stress, which induces cell survival.
Bazan and his colleagues recently discovered a new family of lipid messengers, which they coined “elovanoids.” Elovanoids (ELVs) are set apart from all other lipid messengers. Known lipid mediators, such as prostaglandins, leukotrienes, lipoxins, resolvins, and docosanoids, are derived from 18 to 22 carbon-length fatty acid precursors. ELVs, on the other hand, have structures derived from 32- or 34-carbon precursors with different physicochemical and biological properties. Bazan and colleagues reported the complete structures and stereochemistry of the novel elovanoids ELV-N32 (derived from 32:6,n-3) and ELV-N34 (derived from 34:6,n-3), the complete R/S configuration, and the Z/E geometry of the double bonds as generated in retinal cells and neurons. Dr. Bazan furthermore showed that ELVs are cell-specific mediators necessary for neuroprotective signaling for cell integrity in photoreceptors and the brain.
In addition, Bazan designed and developed several molecules for clinical application (covered by patents assigned to LSU Health New Orleans), including non-narcotic, non-toxic analgesics for a variety of conditions: neuropathic pain; novel neuroprotective compounds, anti-inflammatories, compounds effective for slowing down invasiveness of glioblastoma multiforme; genetically-engineered transdifferentiated fibroblasts for neurons and genetically-engineered adipose tissue cells for neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, he is beginning to apply his discoveries by translating them by means of startup companies that he co-founded: NeuResto Therapeutics, LLC (discoveries for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, retinal degenerations, stroke, ALS, MS, long-COVID-19 and other brain and retina diseases) and South Rampart Pharma, LLC (novel non-addictive painkiller).
Dr. Bazan’s ongoing quest in the fields of ophthalmology and neuroscience is, in a way, reflected as a response to one major challenge to civilization: the growing incidence of the loss of sight and cognition due to increased life expectancy and other factors. His ideas are synergized with a rise in the occurrence of photoreceptor- and neuronal-survival failure, as reflected mainly by AMD and Alzheimer’s disease.
Recent Recognitions from the International Scientific Community in His Field:
- 2022 Exceptional Contributions to Human Physiology and Translational Medicine Award: For his innovative discoveries and entrepreneurial initiatives to help patients with neurological and ophthalmological diseases, Nicolas G. Bazan, M.D., Ph.D., was named the recipient of the ‘Exceptional Contributions to Human Physiology and Translational Medicine Award 2022’ at the 17th annual Bioactive Lipids in Cancer, Inflammation, and Related Diseases conference (https://bioactivelipids.org/).
- Dinner Honoring Dr. Nicolas Bazan’s Accomplishments (The Times-Picayune): The Eicosanoid Research Foundation held a special celebratory dinner in Dr. Nicolas
Bazan’s honor on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans.
This event acknowledged his devotion to studying neuroprotection mediated by lipid
signaling in the early stages of neurodegenerative diseases, his deep commitment to
his surrounding community and the arts, and his insightful discoveries on retinal
degenerations, brain tumors, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and TBI.
- For this occasion, a special song, “Nic’s Nola Song,” was composed by Ed and Martha Dennis (from San Diego, CA) and sung by opera soprano Sarah Jane McMahon to the tune of “My Favorite Things” (The Sound of Music). The event hosted over 130 guests from around the world (see LinkedIn post for images).
Impact on Worldwide Science (as of October 1, 2024)
Dr. Nicolas G. Bazan’s original research is reflected in >500 peer-reviewed publications (PubMed), monographs, books, and chapters, and an h-index of 112, an i10-index of 487, and >55,011 citations to his work (Google Scholar).
AwareNow Magazine Spotlight “Being Bazan”:
An ongoing AwareNowTM Spotlight Series featuring Dr. Nicolas G. Bazan. This monthly publication presents diverse collections of personal stories and exclusive interviews. From rock legends like Dave Navarro to iconic artists such as Shepard Fairey, they share stories about multiple causes, from mental health to human rights and every cause in between. AwareNow serves an international audience, averaging 8 million readers every month.
Established an Exemplary Mentoring Culture for Scientists /Clinicians
“I have been determined to enable a workplace culture where everyone, regardless of gender, feels encouraged and supported. This lab culture is achieved, in part, by making all understand that what is done is meaningful and that the background and knowledge acquired will open career doors of progress. I often tell students and trainees that it is best not to conduct research for the sole purpose of publishing papers. Rather, we do research to open inroads into unchartered biological territories. The approach that I have followed has, for the most part, been to avoid doing gun-shot research and instead to build ideas and hypotheses to be tested by properly designing and performing experiments that ask questions. Intellectually, I have found this approach stimulating, driving further curiosity and exploration.
“The culture that I try to foster every day seeks to contribute to enriching minds and to train constructive and effective future leaders. An additional essential component of my lab culture is that our hypotheses target specific disease mechanisms.
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolasgbazan/details/featured/1635486549057/single-media-viewer/
Organized and Directed the Summer Undergraduate Neuroscience (SUN) Program (the 1990s–Present)
Louisiana’s undergraduate students and selected others are exposed to hands-on experiences in laboratory research and education in the neurosciences, with the goal of stimulating an interest in medicine, neuroscience, and research as a career. Since its inception, this program has educated over 700 participants, most of whom are now successful physicians and/or researchers.
Link to the SUN Program: https://www.medschool.lsuhsc.edu/neuroscience/sun_program.aspx
Community Awards in New Orleans
For his entrepreneurial contributions in creating a culture that inspires novel ideas and opens a path for translating concepts into reality—from the lab to the clinic to the community—he has received many local recognitions, which include: Role Model, Young Leadership Council of New Orleans; The Alzheimer’s Association Greater New Orleans Award; Family Services of Greater New Orleans (Ten Outstanding Persons) Award; and induction into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame of New Orleans (2010).
His civic and artistic community involvement includes being a patron of the New Orleans Opera and authoring “Una Vida: A Fable of Music and the Mind” (produced as the feature film “Of Mind and Music”) as well as “The Dark Madonna: A Fable of Resiliency and Imagination”—novels exploring his lifelong intellectual quest and exploration of a better understanding of the deep beauty and complexity of the human experience.
Impact of Dr. Bazan’s Presence on the Local Community and Knowledge-based Economic Development
Editorial “Our Views: For the long term, invest in research for new knowledge but also good jobs” | New Orleans Advocate | October 31, 2022:
Once again, the brainpower of Louisiana’s educational institutions will get recognition with an international award for Nicolas Bazan of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU’s medical school in New Orleans. The award at a conference in New Orleans recognizes Bazan’s contributions to the study of human physiology and how to create new therapies for challenges like Alzheimer’s disease and other afflictions emerging during our lengthening lifespans.
But it also showcases the vital role of university research in economic development. Bazan holds LSU’s top academic rank as a Boyd professor and has also generated spin-off companies to develop therapies from research by him and his colleagues.
Editorial “Nicolas Bazan: Louisiana as neurosciences center would boost our knowledge-based economy”| New Orleans Advocate | September 24, 2022:
One of the major issues before us is that of an aging population. Age-related neurodegenerations and diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and macular degeneration, are increasing at a startling rate. Uncovering the secrets of successful aging is a must if we are to reduce the burden placed on individuals, families and society. The resources necessary for an elderly population unable to care for itself to be properly cared for by professional caregivers strike a tremendous blow to the gross domestic product of any nation. With this in mind, why should we focus on neuroscience in Louisiana?
The vision is a transformational idea to enhance neuroscience awareness of health care, business and civic leaders in the city of New Orleans and the state. It will provide a major economic and intellectual stimulus to our city, attracting neuroscientists, clinician-neuroscientists, and scientists from other fields to the region, as well as new businesses and entrepreneurs.
List of Published Work in Dr. Nicolas Bazan’s Bibliography
Link to MyBibliography: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/nicolas.bazan.1/bibliography/40724014/public/?sort=date&direction=ascending