Category:Doctoral supervisor
Education Background: Doctoral degree
Degree: PhD
Faculty: School of Acupuncture - Moxibustion and Tuina
Subject: Traditional Chinese Medicine-Acupuncture and Tuina
Contact：luisulloa@shutcm.edu.cn
Education/Biography:
Dr. Luis Ulloa is a pioneer and international leader in neuromodulation of organ function, with particular emphasis on immune and metabolic regulation with translational applications in infectious and inflammatory disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease leading to cancer and sepsis. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed articles in PubMed, generating nearly 25,000 citations, with work appearing in prestigious journals including Nature, Nature Reviews, Nature Medicine, Neuron, and Science Translational Medicine.
Dr. Ulloa completed his PhD studying neuro regeneration in Alzheimer's disease, followed by postdoctoral training in cancer immunology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. After serving as faculty at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, he joined Duke University in North Carolina as Founding Director of the Center for Perioperative Organ Protection.He recently joined Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine as Chair Professor to establish a new Center for Neuroimmune Regulation, bringing cutting-edge neuroscience technologies to China.
His pioneering research established the anti-inflammatory reflex concept and demonstrated the therapeutic potential of vagus nerve stimulation for controlling inflammation and immunity. His current research integrates advanced techniques including whole-brain imaging, genetic tagging, chemogenetics, single-cell transcriptomics, and bioelectronic neuromodulation to dissect brain-immune circuits with direct translational applications in sepsis, IBD, and critical care medicine.
Dr. Ulloa has received prestigious awards and continuous funding from the Human Frontier Science Program, NATO, the American Heart Association, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Ulloa's laboratory offers exceptional doctoral and postdoctoral training in neuroimmune circuit research using cutting-edge technologies with strong mentorship, competitive compensation, international collaborations (Columbia, Duke, MSKCC), and excellent career outcomes including faculty positions, industry roles, competitive fellowships, and publications in the most prestigious journals.
Education:
Oct 1996 - Dec 1999 Post-Doctoral. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,
NYC
June 1996 PhD (Neuroscience). University Autonoma Madrid.
Madrid, Spain
June 1989-91 BSc (Biochemistry). University Autonoma Madrid.
Madrid, Spain
June 1986-89 (Biology). University of Granada. Granada, Spain
Positions:
Jan 2025
Sept2019-2025 AssocProfessor.DptAnesthesiology.DukeUniversity,Durham, NC
Sept2019-2024 FoundingDirector, CenterforPerioperative
OrganProtection.DukeUniversity,Durham, NC
Jul2009-Aug2019 AssocProfessor.RutgersNewJerseyMedical School,NJ.
May2007-Jun2009 Directorof BasicScienceResearch.NewJerseyMedicalSchool,UMDNJ.NJ
Jan2000-Apr2007 AssistantInvestigator. NYU-North ShoreUniversityHospital,Manhasset,NY.
Oct1996-Dec1999 AssistantInvestigator.Memorial SloanKetteringCancerCenter,NYC.
Services and Committees:
NIH.StudySection:
Surgery,Anesthesiology,andTrauma(SAT).SRO:WeihuaLuo,
M.D.,Ph.D.Permanentmember:July2024-June2028.
NIH.StudySection:
SurgicalSciences,BiomedicalImaging,andBioengineering(SBIB).
Permanentmember:July2024-June2028.
neuromodulation of organ function, with particular emphasis on immune
and metabolic regulation with translational applications in infectious and
inflammatory disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease leading to cancer and
sepsis.
Representative Publications:
Ulloa L & Yang YQ “Decoding Acupuncture Somatotopic Maps for Neuromodulation. Neuron. 113(19):3072-3075. 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41038156/
Youssef A, Rehmnabn A, Elebasy M, Roper J, Sheikh S, Karhausen J, Yang W, Ulloa L.Vagal stimulation resolves colitis by regulating SUMOylation.Sci Transl Med, (16)774.2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39413782/
Ulloa L, ‘Bioelectronic neuro-immunology: Neuronal networks for sympathetic-splenic and vagal-adrenal control’ Neuron. 111(1):10-14. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2022.09.015.
Ulloa L, ‘Electroacupuncture activates neurons to switch off inflammation’ Nature. 598(7882):573. 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34646023/
Torres-Rosas R, Yehia G, Peña G, Mishra P, del Rocio Thompson-Bonilla M, Moreno-Eutimio MA, Arriaga-Pizano LA, Isibasi A, Ulloa L@; ''Dopamine Mediates Vagal Modulation of the Immune System by Electroacupuncture''; Nature Medicine 20(3):291-5, 2014 https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nm.3479
Ulloa L. The Cholinergic Anti-Inflammatory Pathway Meets MicroRNA. Cell Research, 23(11):1249-50, 2013 https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/cr.2013.128
Ulloa L@; The Vagus Nerve and the Nicotinic Anti-Inflammatory Pathway. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery; 4:673-684, 2005. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrd1797
Huston JM, Ochani M, Rosas-Ballina M, Liao H, Ochani K, Pavlov VA, Gallowitsch-Puerta M, Ashok M, Czura CJ, Foxwell B, Tracey KJ, Ulloa L@; ''Splenectomy Inactivates the Cholinergic Antiinflammatory Pathway during Lethal Polymicrobial Sepsis''; J Exp Med, 203(7):1623-8, 2006.https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20052362
Wang H, Liao H, Ochani M, Justiniani M, Lin X, Yang L, Al-Abed Y, Wang H, Metz C, Miller EJ, Tracey KJ & Ulloa L@; ''Cholinergic Agonists Inhibit HMGB1 Release and Improve Survival in Experimental Sepsis''; Nature Medicine; 10(11):1216-21, 2004 https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1124
Ulloa L, Doody J, & Massague J; ‘Inhibition of TGFβ/SMAD signaling by the IFNγ/STAT pathway’; Nature, 397(6721):710-3, 1999. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/17826
Honors and awards:
2016-Heo-JunInternationalAward.Journalof AcupunctureandMeridianStudies(JAMS)
2016-EasternScholar.Universityof Shanghai
2015-ResearchGrantProgram.NewJerseyHealthFoundation
2014-‘Facultyof theYear’(Basic
Science).RutgersNewJerseyMedicalSchoolFacultyOrganization
2014-‘ExcellenceinResearch’.NewJerseyHealthFoundation
2014-LaboratoryTravelAward.AmericanAssociationof Immunologists
2012-SeedFacultyResearchAward.UMDNJ-NewJerseyMedicalSchool
2012-HighImpactCollaborativeAward.UMDNJ-NewJerseyMedicalSchool
2007-BestAbstractProgramAward.InternationalSepsisForum
2006-NationalProgramScientistDevelopmentAward.AmericanHeartAssociation
2006-HeritageProgramScientistDevelopmentAward.AmericanHeartAssociation
2006-MeetingResearchAward.InternationalSocietyofNeuro-immunomodulation
2005-FacultyResearchAward.NorthShoreHealthSystem,Manhasset,NY
2004-FacultyResearchAward.NorthShoreHealthSystem,Manhasset,NY
2001-NSF-NATOInternationalFellowships
1997- InternationalFellowships.InternationalHumanFrontier
1996-AwardfortheThesisResearch.Universityof Madrid
1991-ResearchAward.MerckSharp&Dohme.Madrid
Grantsupport
NCCIH.R21AT011387PIsDr.Ulloa&Yang
“Vagal control of tissue SUMOylation as a novel anti-inflammatory target in IBD,
June2022-July2025(NCE)
NINDS.R01-NS130832PIDr.Krishnamoorthy.L.Ulloa(Col) “Autonomic Dysfunctionon Multi-OrganDysfunctionfollowingSevereTBI:AUTO-BOOSTStudy”
June2023-May2028
NIGMS.T32-GM8600-26PIsMathew&Treggiari.L.Ulloa(Mentor)
“Integrated Training in Anesthesiology Research”.
July2021-June2026
NCCIH.U24AT012560PI:Harris&Napadow.L.Ulloa(Consultant)
“Topological Atlasand Repository for Acupoint research:TARA”
Sept2023-Aug2025
NIH.NCCIH/PPG1P01AT009968PIDr.Maixner.Ulloa(Co-I)
6Analgesic Mechanisms of Neuromodulation,
April2020-Dec2021
NIHR01/NIGMSGM114180PI.L.Ulloa
6Dopaminergic Regulation of the Immune System,
Jul2016-Jun2021
DukeUniversity.PIsM.Fudim&Ulloa
6Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulationfor Treating Hyperinflammatory SyndromeinCOVID19,.
Jan-Dec2021