Valerian E. Kagan

Valerian E. Kagan is a Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Pittsburgh. He holds additional roles as Director of the Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, and is affiliated with multiple departments including Pharmacology and Radiation Oncology. His research focuses on free radical biochemistry, lipid oxidation, and redox signaling in health and disease.

• Education: B.S., M.S., Ph.D., and D.Sc. in Biochemistry from Lomonosov Moscow State University and USSR Academy of Sciences.

Research interests emphasize phospholipid signaling in cell death pathways, nitric oxide interactions, and oxidative stress mechanisms. His work spans ferroptosis, nanotoxicology, and mitochondrial dysfunction in diseases like Parkinson’s and cancer.

Recent articles explore ferroptosis mechanisms, lipid peroxidation, and oxidative stress in conditions such as psoriasis, radiation injury, and lung toxicity. He collaborates on grants addressing antioxidant strategies, carbon nanotube toxicity, and radiation mitigation. His lab’s contributions include lipidomics and redox biology tools for disease modeling.