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Huaxin Sheng

Professor in Anesthesiology
Anesthesiology
Box 3094 Med Ctr, Durham, NC 27710
138 Sands Bldg, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


We have successfully developed various rodent models of brain and spinal cord injuries in our lab, such as focal cerebral ischemia, global cerebral ischemia, head trauma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, spinal cord ischemia, and compression injury. We also established cardiac arrest and hemorrhagic shock models for studying multiple organ dysfunction.  Our current studies focus on two projects. One is to examine the efficacy of catalytic antioxidants in treating cerebral ischemia, and the other is to investigate the effectiveness of post-conditioning on the outcome of subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced cognitive dysfunction.

We are a part of the NIH Stroke Preclinical Assessment Network (SPAN).

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor in Anesthesiology · 2025 - Present Anesthesiology, Clinical Science Departments

Recent Publications


Activation of Intestinal Mast Cells Contributes to Gut Damage After Cardiac Arrest in Mice.

Journal Article Shock · January 1, 2026 Sudden cardiac arrest (CA) is associated with high mortality and morbidity rates, largely due to detrimental effects of global ischemia on every organ. Notably, clinical evidence indicates that gastrointestinal tract damage is frequently observed in succes ... Full text Link to item Cite

Activation of ATF6 Signaling Confers Long-Term Beneficial Effects in Young and Aged Mice After Permanent Stroke.

Journal Article Transl Stroke Res · October 2025 Ischemic stroke disrupts protein homeostasis in brain cells, causes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and consequently activates the unfolded protein response (UPR). The primary function of UPR activation is to help cells restore ER function, thereby prom ... Full text Link to item Cite

SUMOylation Regulates Neutrophil Phagocytosis and Migration.

Journal Article Pharmaceuticals (Basel) · July 20, 2025 Introduction: Accumulating evidence indicates that neutrophils undergo reprogramming of their effector functions as they migrate from the bloodstream into an inflamed tissue. Here, we examined the role of the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) conjugatio ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Impact of Autonomic Dysfunction on Multi-Organ Dysfunction following Severe TBI: The AUTO-BOOST Study

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke · 2023 - 2028

Immunosuppression after cardiac arrest and resuscitation

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2022 - 2026

The Unfolded Protein Response and Neuroprotection in Stroke

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke · 2016 - 2026

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Education, Training & Certifications


Nantong Medical College (China) · 1984 M.D.