Uladzimir Barayeu

Uladzimir (Vladi) Barayeu is a researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Polymer Research, where he leads a research group. He specializes in free radical chemistry, redox biology, and their implications in cellular processes such as lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis. His work bridges biochemical mechanisms with potential therapeutic applications in pathological conditions.

• Diploma in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Belarus (supervised by Oleg Shadyro)
• Master’s in Molecular Spectroscopy, Lille1 University, France and Leipzig University, Germany (supervised by Maria Fedorova)
• PhD at German Cancer Research Center (Helmholtz Fellowship, supervised by Tobias Dick, Richtzenhain Doctoral Prize)
• Postdoctoral work with Takaaki Akaike at Tohoku University, Japan (Humboldt-JSPS Fellowship)

His research focuses on free radical reactions in biological systems, particularly collagen modifications under mechanical stress and lipid peroxidation. He employs advanced techniques like EPR and mass spectroscopy to study radical scavenging by poly-sulfur species and their role in cellular redox homeostasis.

Recent publications highlight his contributions to understanding supersulfides in joint health, redox signaling in disease, and sulfur species in mitochondrial energy metabolism. His work also explores antiviral mechanisms involving supersulfides against SARS-CoV-2.

Scientific awards include the Richtzenhain Doctoral Prize, Helmholtz Fellowship, and Humboldt-JSPS Fellowship.

Barayeu’s work is conducted within the Gräter Group at the Max Planck Institute, focusing on translating fundamental redox biology into disease control strategies.