Nai-Kui 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 the 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 postdoctoral training. 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.