Dr. Rajasekar Nagarajan | Cognitive Neuroscience | Best Researcher Award
Dr. Rajasekar Nagarajan | Cognitive Neuroscience | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | United States
Dr. Rajasekar Nagarajan, M. Pharmacy, Ph.D. is an accomplished neuroscientist and research professional specializing in neuropharmacology, with a distinguished record of international research spanning India, Italy, and the United States. Currently serving as a Research Scientist in the Department of Comparative Biosciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, Dr. Rajasekar Nagarajan has made significant contributions to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation, cognitive impairment, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. He obtained his Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology from the CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow, India, where his doctoral work focused on elucidating the role of astrocytic insulin receptor signaling in neuroinflammation and memory impairment. His educational journey also includes an M. Pharmacy in Pharmacology from S.R.M. University, Chennai, and a B. Pharmacy from Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, India. Professionally, Dr. Rajasekar Nagarajan has accumulated vast experience in academia and research, holding positions such as Lecturer and Assistant Professor in India, followed by successive research fellowships and postdoctoral positions at CDRI, the University of Verona, Italy, and the University of Illinois, USA. His international research projects include the European-funded IMMUNOALZHEIMER project and investigations into cellular mechanisms for age-related cognitive dysfunction. Dr. Nagarajan’s research interests lie in the fields of neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, cognitive dysfunction, astrocyte and microglial biology, insulin receptor signaling, and pharmacological interventions for age-related cognitive disorders. His technical expertise covers advanced in-vivo and in-vitro models of memory impairment, miniscope-based calcium imaging, molecular biology assays, and immunohistochemistry. He has authored several influential papers in high-impact journals indexed by IEEE, Elsevier, and Scopus, with his work collectively cited more than 600 times, reflecting his scientific impact. Dr. Rajasekar Nagarajan has also been a member of IEEE and the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), contributing actively to research collaborations, mentoring, and scientific communication.
Featured Publications
-
Rajasekar, N., Nath, C., Hanif, K., & Shukla, R. (2017). Intranasal insulin administration ameliorates streptozotocin (ICV)-induced insulin receptor dysfunction, neuroinflammation, amyloidogenesis, and memory impairment in rats. Molecular Neurobiology, 54(8), 6507–6522. Cited by 102.
-
Rajasekar, N., Dwivedi, S., Tota, S. K., Kamat, P. K., Hanif, K., Nath, C., & Shukla, R. (2013). Neuroprotective effect of curcumin on okadaic acid-induced memory impairment in mice. European Journal of Pharmacology, 715(1–3), 381–394. Cited by 98.
-
Pietronigro, E., Zenaro, E., Bianca, V. D., Dusi, S., Terrabuio, E., Iannoto, G., Rajasekar, N., et al. (2019). Blockade of α4 integrins reduces leukocyte–endothelial interactions in cerebral vessels and improves memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 12055. Cited by 73.
-
Rajasekar, N., Nath, C., Hanif, K., & Shukla, R. (2017). Intranasal insulin improves cerebral blood flow, Nrf-2 expression, and BDNF in STZ (ICV)-induced memory-impaired rats. Life Sciences, 173, 1–10. Cited by 68.
-
Dwivedi, S., Nagarajan, R., Hanif, K., Siddiqui, H. H., Nath, C., & Shukla, R. (2013). Standardized extract of Bacopa monniera attenuates okadaic acid-induced memory dysfunction in rats: Effect on Nrf2 pathway. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013(1), 294501. Cited by 68.
-
Dwivedi, S., Rajasekar, N., Hanif, K., Nath, C., & Shukla, R. (2016). Sulforaphane ameliorates okadaic acid-induced memory impairment in rats by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant pathway. Molecular Neurobiology, 53(8), 5310–5323. Cited by 67.
-
Rajasekar, N., Dwivedi, S., Nath, C., Hanif, K., & Shukla, R. (2014). Protection of streptozotocin-induced insulin receptor dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and amyloidogenesis in astrocytes by insulin. Neuropharmacology, 86, 337–352. Cited by 64.