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FACULTY

Ludmila Belayev, MD

Professor - Research

Department of Neurosurgery and
Neuroscience Center of Excellence

Academic Office:

LSUHSC School of Medicine 
Neuroscience Center of Excellence
2020 Gravier Street
Room 935A
New Orleans, LA 70112

(504) 599-0849

 

Bio

I am a Professor in the Neurosurgery Department, holding joint appointments in Neuroscience and Neurology at LSUHSC New Orleans. I am both an experienced neurosurgeon and a productive and innovative bench investigator. These two aspects of my career complement each other and have helped direct my research efforts toward topics whose understanding would contribute to alleviating human disease. I have been involved in brain injury and cerebrovascular research for many years. A major area of investigation in our lab focuses on neuroprotection with novel lipid mediators as potential treatments for ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

My laboratory employs a multidisciplinary approach that combines high-throughput methodologies, such as behavioral tests and immunohistochemistry, with image analysis, MRI, and lipidomic analysis of the brain to characterize the effects of different neuroprotective agents on experimental stroke models.

I have established an unparalleled reputation for my innovative research in the development and evaluation of animal models of stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, traumatic brain injury, recovery of function after brain injury, and neuroprotection in brain ischemia and trauma. My research contributions to this field are wide-ranging and emphasize a broad methodological approach (e.g., histopathology, neurobehavior, radiotracer autoradiography, gene expression, blood-brain barrier methods, and neuropharmacology). My modification of the intraluminal suture-occlusion model of focal ischemia in rats has been adopted by laboratories worldwide and adapted for use in mice. I have also developed and validated reproducible models of intracerebral hematoma in both rats and mice. I have a long-standing interest in investigating the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the context of ischemic stroke. As PI or co-investigator on several university- and NIH-funded grants, I laid the groundwork for the proposed research focusing on neuroprotective strategies with novel docosanoids and elovanoids for experimental stroke, TBI, epilepsy, and brain tumors.

Academic, Professional, and Research Appointments:

Surgeon, Department of Surgery, Novosibirsk Regional Hospital, Russia, 1978-1979

Neurosurgeon, Department of Neurosurgery, Novosibirsk Regional Hospital, Russia, 1979-1990

Surgery and Anatomy Teacher, Medical University School, Novosibirsk, Russia, 1978–1988 

Neuroscientist, Department of Pharmacology, Pharmos Corp., Rehovot, Israel, 1992-1994

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Neurology, University of Miami School of Medicine, 1994–1998

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, University of Miami School of Medicine, 1998–2003

Research Associate Professor, Department of Neurology, University of Miami School of Medicine, 2003–2005

Director of Commercial Research and Pharmacology, Inotek Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Beverly, MA, 2005-2006

Associate Professor – Department of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 2006–2012

Graduate Faculty Member, School of Graduate Studies, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 2009-present

Professor of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience, Department of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 2012-present 

Professor of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 2013-present

Education

Medical University School, Novosibirsk, Russia, M.D., 1970-1976

Medical University School, Novosibirsk, Russia, Surgery, 1977-1978

Medical University School, Novosibirsk, Russia, Neurosurgery, 1978-1982

Post-doctoral fellowship

Cerebral Vascular Disease Research Center, Department of Neurology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 1994-1996  

Clinical fellowships

Neurophysiology and TBI fellowship, Medical University School, Kharkov, Ukraine, 1982 

Neurovascular fellowship, Institute of Neurosurgery N.N. Burdenko, Moscow, Russia, 1989

Course of Microneurosurgery, Institute of Neurosurgery N.N. Burdenko, Moscow, Russia, 1990

Course of Internal Medicine, Ishilov Hospital, Tel-Aviv, Israel, 1990-1991

Certifications

Diploma MD, B-1 No.488139, Russia, 1976

Diploma Surgeon, No 16-MYP, Russia, 1978

Diploma Neurosurgeon (Second Degree), No 32-DK, Russia, 1982

Diploma Neurosurgeon (First Degree), No 55-DK, Russia, 1987

Doctor’s License to Practice No. 24167151, Israel, 1992

Grants

Funded
NIH/NINDS 1R01NS138259-01 Bazan, Belayev (PIs) 07/01/2024 - 06/30/2029
Project title: Neuroprotective lipid mediators target penumbra in experimental ischemic stroke
Role: PI

Completed Research Support
NIH/NINDS 1R01NS109221-01A1 Bazan, Belayev (PIs)  05/15/2019 – 04/30/2024
Project title: Docosanoids modulate homeostasis and cell survival after ischemic stroke
Role: PI

NIH/NINDS 1R01NS104117-01A1 Bazan, Belayev (PIs)  05/01/2018 – 01/31/2023
Project title: Novel combinatory therapy for experimental ischemic stroke
Role: PI

Publications

Articles (selected from 94):

  1. Bazan NG, Obenaus A, Khoutorova L, Mukherjee PK, Jun B, Semikov R, Belayev L. Elovanoids, a Novel Class of Lipid Mediators, Are Neuroprotective in a Traumatic Brain Injury Model in Rats. Biomedicines, 12: 2024 12(11):2555. PMID: 39595120.
  2. Buzaglo AV, Viera C, Ciurleo GCV, Belayev L, Oria RB. Do APOE4, malnutrition, and long COVID-19 compound the risk factors for stroke in adverse environments?Frontiers in Nutrition, 11: 1422218, 2024. PMID: 39109239.
  3. Reid MM, Belayev L, Khoutorova L, Mukherjee PK, Obenaus A, Shelvin K, Knowles S, Hong SH, Bazan NG. Integrated inflammatory signalling landscape response after delivering elovanoid free-fatty-acid precursors leading to experimental stroke neuroprotection. Scientific Reports, 13:15841, 2023. PMID:
  4. Reid MM, Kautzmann MAI, Andrew G, Obenaus A, Mukherjee PK, Khoutorova L, Ji JX, Roque CR, Oria RB, Habeb BF, Belayev L, Bazan NG. NPD1 plus RvD1 mediated ischemic stroke penumbra protection increases the expression of pro-homeostatic microglial and astrocyte genes. Cell Mol Neurobiol, 2023. PMID: 37270727.
  5. Belayev L, Reid MM and Bazan NG. Novel lipid mediators as a promising therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke. Med Res Archives, 2023. PMID: 36777192.
  6. Calandria JM, Do KV, Kala-Bhattacharjee S, Obenaus A, Belayev L, Bazan NG. cRel and Wnt5a/Frizzled 5 Receptor-Mediated Inflammatory Regulation Reveal Novel Neuroprotectin D1 Targets for Neuroprotection. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 43(3): 1077–1096. 2023, PMID: 35622188.
  7. Reid MM, Obenaus A, Mukherjee PK, Khoutorova L, Roque CR, Petasis NA, Oria RB, Belayev L, Bazan NG. Synergistic Neuroprotection by a PAF Antagonist Plus a Docosanoid in Experimental Ischemic Stroke: Dose-Response and Therapeutic Window. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 31:106585, 2022. PMID: 35717719.
  8. Justi FVG, Matos GA, Caminha JSR, Roque CR, Carvalho EM, Campelo MWS, Belayev L, Lopes LGF, Oria RB. The Role of Ruthenium Compounds in Neurological Diseases: A Minireview. J Pharmacol Exp Ther, 380, 47-53, 2022. PMID: 34728560. 
  9. Freitas RS, Roque CR, Matos GA, Belayev L, Azevedo OGR, Alvarez-Leite JI, Guerrant RL, Reinaldo B. Oriá RB. Immunoinflammatory role of apolipoprotein E4 in malnutrition and enteric infections and the increased risk for chronic diseases under adverse environments. Nutrition Rev, 80, 1001-1012, 2022. PMID: 34406390.
  10. Bazan NG, Reid MM, Flores VAC, Gallo JE, Lewis W, Belayev L. Multiprong control of glioblastoma multiforme invasiveness: blockade of pro-inflammatory signaling, anti-angiogenesis, and homeostasis restoration. Cancer Metastasis Rev, 40, 643-647, 2021. PMID: 34519960.
  11. Cruz Flores VA, Menghani H, Pranab Mukherjee PK, Marrero L, Obenaus A, Dang Q, Khoutorova L, Reid MM, Belayev L, Nicolas G. Bazan NG. Combined Therapy with Avastin, a PAF Receptor Antagonist and a Lipid Mediator Inhibited Glioblastoma Tumor Growth. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12, 1-10, 2021. PMID: 34630114.
  12. Belayev L, Obenaus A, Pranab K. Mukherjee PK, Knott EJ, Khoutorova L, Reid MM, Roque CR, Nguyen L, Lee JB, Petasis NA, Reinaldo B. Oria RB,  Bazan NG. Blocking pro-inflammatory platelet-activating factor receptors and activating cell-survival pathways: A novel therapeutic strategy in experimental ischemic stroke. Brain Circulation, 6, 260-269, 2020. PMID: 33506149.
  13. Belayev L, Hong SH, Freitas RS, Menghani H, Marcell S, Khoutorova L, Mukherjee PK, Reid MM, Oria RB, Bazan NG. DHA modulates MANF and TREM2 abundance, enhances neurogenesis, reduces infarct size, and improves neurological function after experimental ischemic stroke. CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics, 26, 1155-1167, 2020. PMID: 32757264.
  14. Belayev L, Hong SH, Menghani H, Marcell SJ, Obenaus A, Freitas RS, Khoutorova L, Balaszczuk V, Jun B, Oriá RB, Bazan NG. Docosanoids promote neurogenesis and angiogenesis, blood-brain barrier integrity, penumbra protection, and neurobehavioral recovery after experimental ischemic stroke. Mol Neurobiol. 55, 7090-7106, 2018. PMID: 29858774.
  15. Bhattacharjee S, B. Jun, L. Belayev, J. Heap, M.A. Kautzmann, A. Obenaus, H. Menghani, S.J. Marcell, L. Khoutorova, R. Yang, N.A. Petasis, N.G. Bazan. Elovanoids are a novel class of homeostatic lipid mediators that protect neural cell integrity upon injury. Science Advances, 3, e1700735, 2017. PMID: 28959727.

Book Chapters (selected from 23):

  1. Belayev and Bazan NG. Traumatic Brain Injury and its consequences. In: JD England (Ed). Encyclopedia of the Neurological Sciences (third edition), Elsevier, Chapter, 2025.
  2. Belayev, Vieira CM, Oria RB, and Bazan NG. ApoE in Cerebrovascular Diseases. In: Apolipoprotein E: From biochemistry and biology to translational medicine, Springer Nature, 2025.
  3. Belayev and Bazan NG. Ischemic stroke and acute treatment. In: JD England (Ed). Encyclopedia of the Neurological Sciences (third edition), Elsevier, Chapter, 2024.
  4. Belayev and Bazan NG. Brain ischemia and reperfusion: cellular and molecular mechanisms in stroke injury. In: Brady and Carson (Eds), Basic Neurochemistry, 9 edition, Elsevier, Chapter 35, 2023.
  5. Belayev. Mouse Intracerebral Hemorrhage Model. In: Jun Chen, Zao Xu, Xiao-Ming Xu, and John Zhang, (Eds), Animal Models of Acute Neurological Injuries, The Springer, 2019.
  6. L Belayev, Freitas RS, Marcell SJ, Bazan NG. Lipid mediators. In: Caplan LR, Biller J, Leary MC, Lo EH, Thomas AJ, Yenari M, Zhang JH (Eds), Primer on Cerebrovascular Diseases, Elsevier, Second Edition, Chapter 52, 2017.

Research Interests

1. Development and evaluation of animal models of stroke:

  • Models of global cerebral ischemia in rats and mice:
    • Two-vessel occlusion model of forebrain ischemia
    • Four-vessel occlusion model of forebrain ischemia
  • Models of focal cerebral ischemia in rats and mice:
    • Middle cerebral artery occlusion by intraluminal suture
    • Mechanical (electrocoagulation, micro clip)
  • Hemorrhagic models in rats and mice:
    • Intracerebral hemorrhagic models (blood, collagenase)
    • SAH and vasospasm: (injection of blood into the cisterna magna and puncture of the cerebral artery

2. Development and evaluation of animal models of traumatic brain injury:

  • Lateral fluid percussion injury model
  • Controlled weight drops brain injury

3. Development and evaluation of animal models of spinal cord injury

4. Development and evaluation of animal models of brain tumors

5. Recovering function after brain injury (neural plasticity and reorganization), expertise in different neurobehavioral tests.

6. Evaluation of blood-brain integrity.

7. Histopathology and image analysis of the brain after stroke and head trauma.

8. Neuroprotection in brain ischemia and traumatic brain injury.