01
Molecular Mechanisms
Uncovering the molecular mechanisms of neurological recovery following cardiac arrest, including the role of the orexin pathway and energy stores such as caloric restriction and mitochondrial Zn²⁺.
Advancing neurocritical care from bench to bedside.
The first cardiac arrest and resuscitation lab at UC Irvine — investigating the mechanisms underlying consciousness, coma, and global stroke, from basic science to the patient's bedside.
“The only way to innovate new therapies is through fundamental, translational research.”
The Waveflow mission UC Irvine · Neurocritical Care
4Specialized research teams
12+Collaborating faculty · UCI & the NIH
57+Active research personnel
100+Trainees & alumni to date
The Lab
We study what happens to the brain — from molecules to consciousness itself.
Waveflow is the first cardiac arrest and resuscitation laboratory at UC Irvine, investigating the mechanisms underlying consciousness, coma, and global stroke, with a particular emphasis on cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
By combining basic science, translational research, and clinical practice, our work stays uniquely aligned with the realities of patient care — every discovery is driven by a question we face at the bedside.
Yama Akbari, MD, PhD
Principal Investigator
A practicing neurointensivist in the Neuro-ICU at UC Irvine Medical Center, bridging the laboratory and the patient's bedside.
Research
Three mechanisms, one question
Our program investigates neurological recovery after cardiac arrest across three complementary scales — from molecules to the conscious brain.
02
Hemodynamic Mechanisms
Studying hemodynamic mechanisms — cerebral blood flow, brain metabolism, and neurovascular coupling — during and after cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
03
Changes in Consciousness
Uncovering changes in consciousness during cardiac arrest, including alterations in brain connectivity measured using quantitative EEG analysis.
Our Approach
A translational approach: bench to bedside
We have incorporated multidisciplinary techniques across the lab to maximize our translational potential — pairing rigorous laboratory science with direct clinical application.
In the laboratory
At the bench
- In-vivo cardiac arrest & resuscitation models
- In-vitro molecular & cellular techniques
- Multimodal hemodynamic & metabolic monitoring
- Quantitative EEG & data signal processing
In the clinic
At the bedside
- Neuromonitoring of recovery in the Neuro-ICU
- Assessment of disorders of consciousness
- Translation of findings into patient therapies
- Clinical questions that drive the science
Current & upcoming projects
Curing Coma Campaign
Resuscitation outcome studies
Quantitative EEG biomarkers
Cerebral blood-flow imaging
Orexin & recovery
Our Roots
Where we started
Waveflow began as a UC Irvine senior-design project — born in the Akbari Lab and the Beckman Laser Institute — with one goal: make the EEG as quick and easy to use as a stethoscope. It started from a simple observation: every tool clinicians use to read the brain leaves a gap.
That gap is exactly what we set out to close — pairing EEG with photonics to read the brain's electrical activity alongside its blood flow, oxygenation, and metabolism: continuous, portable, and available at the bedside the moment it's needed. We believe that fusion is where the future of neurological medicine is headed.
Publications
Research output
Selected peer-reviewed publications spanning the lab's work in cardiac arrest, resuscitation, and the recovery of consciousness.
2024
Elsevier · Book Chapter
Role of metabolic state, hemodynamics, and neuromonitoring in cardiac arrest survival and neurological outcome
Rafi M, Yi JD, et al., Akbari Y. — Cardiometabolic Diseases (1st Ed.), pp. 427–438.
2022
The Journal of Neuroscience
Blocking mitochondrial Zn²⁺ accumulation after ischemia reduces mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal injury
Medvedeva Y, Yin H, et al., Akbari Y, Weiss J. — 42(26):5281–5292.
2022
Neurocritical Care
Cortical anoxic spreading depolarization during cardiac arrest is associated with remote effects on peripheral blood pressure and postresuscitation neurological outcome
Han S, Contreras M, et al., Choi B, Wilson R, Akbari Y.
Show full publication listHide full publication list
2021
Frontiers in Neuroscience
Overnight caloric restriction prior to cardiac arrest and resuscitation leads to improved survival and neurological outcome in a rodent model
Azadian M, Tian G, et al., Steward O, Akbari Y. — 14:609670.
2020
Neurotherapeutics
Resuscitating the globally ischemic brain: TTM and beyond
Hosseini M, Wilson RH, Crouzet C, Amirhekmat A, Wei KS, Akbari Y. — 17(2):539–562.
2020
J. Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases
Stroke care trends during the COVID-19 pandemic in Zanjan Province, Iran (CASCADE Initiative)
Ghoreishi A, Arsang-Jang S, et al., Akbari Y. — 29(12):105321.
2020
Neurocritical Care
The Curing Coma Campaign: framing initial scientific challenges
Neurocritical Care Society Curing Coma Campaign. — 33:1–12.
2020
Neurocritical Care
Which spreading depolarizations are deleterious to brain tissue?
Shuttleworth CW, Andrew RD, Akbari Y, et al. — 32(1):317–322.
2020
J. of the American Heart Association
Dissociation of cerebral blood flow and femoral artery blood pressure pulsatility after cardiac arrest and resuscitation in a rodent model
Crouzet C, Wilson RH, et al., Akbari Y, Choi B. — 9(1):e012691.
2017
Neurophotonics
High-speed spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) of rat cortex following cardiac arrest and resuscitation
Wilson RH, et al., Akbari Y, Tromberg BJ. — 4(4):045008.
2017
Journal of Neurotrauma
Recovery from coma post-cardiac arrest is dependent on the orexin pathway
Kang YJ, Tian G, et al., Steward O, Akbari Y.
2017
Brain Connectivity
Neural correlates of consciousness at near-electrocerebral silence in an asphyxial cardiac arrest model
Lee DE, et al., Lopour BA, Akbari Y. — 7(3):172–181.
2017
Frontiers in Neurology
Resistant hypertension after hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage is associated with more medical interventions and longer hospital stays
Hong D, Stradling D, et al., Akbari Y. — 8:184.
2016
Biomedical Optics Express
Cerebral blood flow is decoupled from blood pressure and linked to EEG bursting after resuscitation from cardiac arrest
Crouzet C, Wilson RH, et al., Choi B, Akbari Y. — 7(11):4660–4673.
2013
IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Soc.
Band-specific changes in thalamocortical synchrony in field potentials after cardiac-arrest-induced global hypoxia
Maybhate A, Chen C, Akbari Y, et al. — pp. 7112–5.
2011
Critical Care Medicine
A new generation of therapeutic hypothermia: using a warm syringe to cool
Akbari Y, Geocadin RG. — 39(11):2558–9.
Preprint
Optical Imaging · Metabolism
High-speed quantitative optical imaging of absolute metabolism in the rat cortex
Wilson RH, Crouzet C, et al., Akbari Y, Choi B.
Preprint
Cardiac Arrest · Prognosis
Cerebral perfusion and metabolism coupling during a critical time window provides rapid assessment of cardiac arrest severity and prognosis
Wilson RH, Crouzet C, et al., Choi B, Akbari Y.
2008
J. General Physiology
SERCA pump activity is physiologically regulated by presenilin and regulates amyloid-β production
Green KN, Demuro A, Akbari Y, et al., LaFerla FM. — 132(2):i1.
2003
Neuron
Triple-transgenic model of Alzheimer's disease with plaques and tangles: intracellular Aβ and synaptic dysfunction
Oddo S, Caccamo A, et al., Akbari Y, LaFerla FM. — 39(3):409–21.
2002
PNAS
A physiologic signaling role for the γ-secretase-derived intracellular fragment of APP
Leissring MA, et al., Akbari Y, LaFerla FM. — 99(7):4697–702.
Members
Led by clinicians and scientists
A multidisciplinary team of principal investigators, clinical researchers, postdoctoral scholars, and dozens of dedicated trainees.
Yama Akbari, MD, PhD
Principal Investigator
21In-Vivo members
10In-Vitro members
15Clinical members
11Data Signal Processing
Lab alumni
More than 100 alumni have trained and contributed to the lab over the years.
News & Funding
Funding & projects
Selected funding and support, plus the current and upcoming projects advancing our mission.
Funding & support
Endowment
Roneet Carmell Memorial Endowment Fund
Established by Gary Carmell in memory of his wife, lost unexpectedly to cardiac arrest — sustaining the lab's mission to improve care for cardiac-arrest patients. (2019–present)
NIH R21
Multimodal optical imaging of hyperdynamic cerebral responses to cardiac arrest & resuscitation
NIH NIBIB R21 (EB024793) · Principal Investigator.
NIH R01
Mitochondrial Zn²⁺ in ischemic neurodegeneration
NIH NINDS R01, 2022–2026 · Co-Investigator.
Industry
Time-Resolved Spectroscopy for the Neuro-ICU
Hamamatsu Photonics translational feasibility study · Lead PI.
Current & upcoming projects
- Global Consortium Study of Neurological Dysfunction in COVID-19
- Non-invasive optical neuromonitoring of vasospasm at bedside in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
- Intra-operative optical neuromonitoring of patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke
- Intra-operative optical neuromonitoring of patients undergoing major cardiac surgeries
Show all projectsShow fewer projects
- Non-invasive monitoring of brain edema during acute brain injury using a portable, compact optical imaging system
- Fundoscopy with near-infrared spectroscopy in addition to a multi-modal monitoring system (EEG, optical imaging, ventriculostomy) of neuro-ICU patients
- Applying sensors (e.g. laser speckle BF sensor, BP sensor, RR sensor, lactate sensor) from four different biomedical engineering labs to COVID patients
- Mouse stroke model testing novel drugs to improve recovery and outcome from global ischemia and complications of sickle cell disease
- Curing Coma Campaign
- CASCADE consortium on COVID-19 and cerebrovascular disease
Support our mission
Help us advance neurocritical care.
“The only way to innovate new therapies for patients suffering from such severe acute brain injury is through fundamental, translational research.”
Contact
Get in touch
Questions about our research, collaborations, or joining the lab? Send us a message.
Institution
UC Irvine — Department of Neurology
Clinical
Neuro-ICU, UC Irvine Medical Center
Location
Irvine, California
Email