Faculty

Naikui Liu, MD, PhD

Associate Research Professor of Neurological Surgery

Phone (317) 278-2467

Address

NB 500A, Neuroscience Research Bldg.

IN
Indianapolis, IN

Bio

Naikui Liu, MD, PhD, is an associate research professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery and a member of the Indiana Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group in Stark Neurosciences Research at Indiana University School of Medicine. He first joined IU School of Medicine faculty in 2007.

Dr. Liu has received extensive training in both medical and basic sciences, holding an MD and a PhD, and he completed a postdoctoral training. Dr Liu has more than 35 years of experience in medical research and has been working in the field of spinal cord injury (SCI) for more than 20 years and in traumatic brain injury (TBI) for over 15 years. His research has appeared in more than 60 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Annals of Neurology, Experimental Neurology, Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Nature, Journal of Neurotrauma, Glia, Journal of Neuroscience Research, PLoS ONE, Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology, Brain Research and Cell Death and Disease.

An editorial comment by Dr. Linda Noble, former president of the Neurotrauma Society, in the journal Annals of Neurology (2006) described one of the studies by Liu and his colleagues concerning phospholipase A2(PLA2) as a novel target for therapeutic intervention of spinal cord injury.

Dr. Liu's research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying SCI and TBI, as well as neuroprotection and recovery of function following injuries to the central nervous system (CNS). The goal is to develop a novel repair strategy to improve anatomical reorganization and functional recovery after traumatic CNS injuries. Dr. Liu’s lab is currently working on four projects: exploring the critical roles and mechanisms of alterations in mitochondrial lipids in mediating secondary injury after SCI; investigating the role of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 in the pathogenesis of SCI and TBI; studying the role of glucose oxidation in the pathogenesis of SCI; and determining the nNOS-PSD95 protein complex as a novel therapeutic target for traumatic brain injury.

Titles & Appointments

Associate Research Professor of Neurological Surgery
Associate Research Professor

Education

1994 PhD Beijing Medical University

1987 MS Jiamusi University

1984 MD Jiamusi University
Research

Spinal cord injury, Traumatic brain injury, Animal Models, Neuroprotection, Mitochondrial lipid metabolism, Beta-oxidation and Glucose oxidation.
Publications

Restoring Cellular Energetics Promotes Axonal Regeneration and Functional Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury.
Han Q; Xie Y; Ordaz JD; Huh AJ; Huang N; Wu W; Liu N; Chamberlain KA; Sheng ZH; Xu XM; Cell metabolism 2020 Mar 3

Disrupting nNOS-PSD95 Interaction Improves Neurological and Cognitive Recoveries after Traumatic Brain Injury.
Qu W; Liu NK; Wu X; Wang Y; Xia Y; Sun Y; Lai Y; Li R; Shekhar A; Xu XM; Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) 2020 Jun 1

Descending motor circuitry required for NT-3 mediated locomotor recovery after spinal cord injury in mice.
Han Q; Ordaz JD; Liu NK; Richardson Z; Wu W; Xia Y; Qu W; Wang Y; Dai H; Zhang YP; Shields CB; Smith GM; Xu XM; Nature communications 2019 Dec 20

Remodeling of lumbar motor circuitry remote to a thoracic spinal cord injury promotes locomotor recovery.
Wang Y; Wu W; Wu X; Sun Y; Zhang YP; Deng LX; Walker MJ; Qu W; Chen C; Liu NK; Han Q; Dai H; Shields LB; Shields CB; Sengelaub DR; Jones KJ; Smith GM; Xu XM; eLife 2018 Sep 12

Protective Effects of Estradiol and Dihydrotestosterone following Spinal Cord Injury.
Sengelaub DR; Han Q; Liu NK; Maczuga MA; Szalavari V; Valencia SA; Xu XM; Journal of neurotrauma 2018 Jan 11

Anatomical and functional effects of lateral cervical hemicontusion in adult rats.
Walker CL; Zhang YP; Liu Y; Li Y; Walker MJ; Liu NK; Shields CB; Xu XM; Restorative neurology and neuroscience 2016 May 2

Unilateral microinjection of acrolein into thoracic spinal cord produces acute and chronic injury and functional deficits.
Gianaris A; Liu NK; Wang XF; Oakes E; Brenia J; Gianaris T; Ruan Y; Deng LX; Goetz M; Vega-Alvarez S; Lu QB; Shi R; Xu XM; Neuroscience 2016 Apr 4

Treadmill training induced lumbar motoneuron dendritic plasticity and behavior recovery in adult rats after a thoracic contusive spinal cord injury.
Wang H; Liu NK; Zhang YP; Deng L; Lu QB; Shields CB; Walker MJ; Li J; Xu XM; Experimental neurology 2015 Jul 9

Inhibition of cPLA2 has neuroprotective effects on motoneuron and muscle atrophy following spinal cord injury.
Liu NK; Byers JS; Lam T; Lu QB; Sengelaub DR; Xu XM; Journal of neurotrauma 2014 Nov 11

A semicircular controlled cortical impact produces long-term motor and cognitive dysfunction that correlates well with damage to both the sensorimotor cortex and hippocampus.
Liu NK; Zhang YP; Zou J; Verhovshek T; Chen C; Lu QB; Walker CL; Shields CB; Xu XM; Brain research 2014 Jun 4

Cytosolic phospholipase A2 protein as a novel therapeutic target for spinal cord injury.
Liu NK; Deng LX; Zhang YP; Lu QB; Wang XF; Hu JG; Oakes E; Bonventre JV; Shields CB; Xu XM; Annals of neurology 2014 Apr 2

A novel growth-promoting pathway formed by GDNF-overexpressing Schwann cells promotes propriospinal axonal regeneration, synapse formation, and partial recovery of function after spinal cord injury.
Deng LX; Deng P; Ruan Y; Xu ZC; Liu NK; Wen X; Smith GM; Xu XM; The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 2013 Mar 27

Systemic bisperoxovanadium activates Akt/mTOR, reduces autophagy, and enhances recovery following cervical spinal cord injury.
Walker CL; Walker MJ; Liu NK; Risberg EC; Gao X; Chen J; Xu XM; PloS one 2012 Jan 10

A bilateral head injury that shows graded brain damage and behavioral deficits in adultmice.
Liu NK; Zhang YP; O'Connor J; Gianaris A; Oakes E; Lu QB; Verhovshek T; Walker CL; Shields CB; Xu XM; Brain research 2012 Dec 28

Inhibition of cPLA2 activation by Ginkgo biloba extract protects spinal cord neurons from glutamate excitotoxicity and oxidative stress-induced cell death.
Zhao Z; Liu N; Huang J; Lu PH; Xu XM; Journal of neurochemistry 2011 Jan 19

GDNF modifies reactive astrogliosis allowing robust axonal regeneration through Schwann cell-seeded guidance channels after spinal cord injury.
Deng LX; Hu J; Liu N; Wang X; Smith GM; Wen X; Xu XM; Experimental neurology 2011 Feb 21

Characterizing phospholipase A2-induced spinal cord injury-a comparison with contusive spinal cord injury in adult rats.
Liu NK; Titsworth WL; Zhang YP; Xhafa AI; Shields CB; Xu XM; Translational stroke research 2011 Dec 1

Differential expression of sPLA2 following spinal cord injury and a functional role for sPLA2-IIA in mediating oligodendrocyte death.
Titsworth WL; Cheng X; Ke Y; Deng L; Burckardt KA; Pendleton C; Liu NK; Shao H; Cao QL; Xu XM; Glia 2009 Nov 1

Altered microRNA expression following traumatic spinal cord injury.
Liu NK; Wang XF; Lu QB; Xu XM; Experimental neurology 2009 Jul 1

Annexin A1 reduces inflammatory reaction and tissue damage through inhibition of phospholipase A2 activation in adult rats following spinal cord injury.
Liu NK; Zhang YP; Han S; Pei J; Xu LY; Lu PH; Shields CB; Xu XM; Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology 2007 Oct

A novel role of phospholipase A2 in mediating spinal cord secondary injury.
Liu NK; Zhang YP; Titsworth WL; Jiang X; Han S; Lu PH; Shields CB; Xu XM; Annals of neurology 2006 Apr
Professional Organizations

National Neurotrauma Society

Society for Neuroscience

The Society for Redox biology and Medicine

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