Stavros Zanos, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Ins
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Posted On: 12/01/2025 8:08:39 PM
Stavros Zanos, MD, PhD,
Associate Professor, Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research
About the investigator
Stavros Zanos, MD, PhD, obtained his medical degree from Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece. He served as a general medical practitioner and a military physician before training in internal medicine and cardiology and earning a PhD in neuroscience and physiology from the University of Washington School of Medicine, where he also served as senior fellow and instructor. He joined the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research as an assistant professor in 2017. He is currently associate professor at the Feinstein Institutes and the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, as well as an adjunct professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the New York Institute of Technology. At Feinstein, he leads the Translational Neurophysiology Laboratory.
He is principal investigator in several federal-, foundation- and industry-sponsored projects on basic and translational neuromodulation, cardiovascular science, systems neuroscience and neural engineering. Dr. Zanos is the author of more than 70 peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Zanos’ group studies the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Specifically, how the ANS is involved in immune function and physiological homeostasis in health and disease, and how neuromodulation of the ANS can treat conditions with cardiovascular, immune and metabolic dysfunction. His lab uses methods from autonomic neuroscience, neuroanatomy, neural engineering, cardiovascular medicine and neuroimmunology to tackle three main areas of research.
Research focus
Precision autonomic neuromodulation
Stimulation of the vagus nerve (VNS) is clinically used in the treatment of epilepsy and depression and explored as a therapeutic option in diseases of peripheral organs with an inflammatory component, including rheumatoid arthritis, pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, arrhythmias, diabetes, obesity and others. As VNS increases its therapeutic footprint, there is urgent need for more organ- and function-selective devices, to maximize efficacy and safety. We develop stimulation methods, neural interfaces and technologies for precision neuromodulation that are guided by deep knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the vagus nerve and its target organs.
Neural regulation of immunity and homeostasis
We study the neural circuits, physiological mechanisms and neuroimmune pathways by which the autonomic nervous system senses the status of peripheral organs and systems, and regulates organ function, with an emphasis on regulation of cardiopulmonary function by the vagus nerve, and of metabolic and inflammatory processes by abdominal ganglia.
Neuroimmune dysfunction and modulation in cardiovascular diseases
We investigate how the autonomic nervous system interacts with immune processes in the context of cardiovascular diseases like pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. Furthermore, we test autonomic neuromodulation therapies in preclinical models of disease and in early-stage clinical studies.
Representative publications
Zafeiropoulos S, et al. Ultrasound Neuromodulation of an Anti-Inflammatory Pathway at the Spleen Improves Experimental Pulmonary Hypertension. Circ Res. 2024;135(1):41-56. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.123.323679. PMID: 38712557.
Kurata-Sato I, Mughrabi IT, et al. Vagus nerve stimulation modulates distinct acetylcholine receptors on B cells and limits the germinal center response. Sci Adv. 2024;10(17):eadn3760. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adn3760. PMID: 38669336.
Zanos S, et al. Focused ultrasound neuromodulation of the spleen activates an anti-inflammatory response in humans. Brain Stimul. 2023;16(3):703-711. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.04.003. PMID: 37055009.
Jayaprakash N, Song W, Toth V, et al. Organ- and function-specific anatomical organization of vagal fibers supports fascicular vagus nerve stimulation. Brain Stimul. 2023;16(2):484-506. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.02.003. PMID: 36773779.
Ahmed U, Chang YC, et al. Strategies for precision vagus neuromodulation. Bioelectron Med. 2022;8(1):9. doi: 10.1186/s42234-022-00091-1. PMID: 35637543.
Mughrabi IT, et al. Development and characterization of a chronic implant mouse model for vagus nerve stimulation. Elife. 2021;10. doi: 10.7554/eLife.61270. PMID: 33821789.
Rembado I, et al. Cortical Responses to Vagus Nerve Stimulation Are Modulated by Brain State in Nonhuman Primates. Cereb Cortex. 2021;31(12):5289-5307. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhab158. PMID: 34151377.
Associate Professor, Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research
About the investigator
Stavros Zanos, MD, PhD, obtained his medical degree from Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece. He served as a general medical practitioner and a military physician before training in internal medicine and cardiology and earning a PhD in neuroscience and physiology from the University of Washington School of Medicine, where he also served as senior fellow and instructor. He joined the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research as an assistant professor in 2017. He is currently associate professor at the Feinstein Institutes and the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, as well as an adjunct professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the New York Institute of Technology. At Feinstein, he leads the Translational Neurophysiology Laboratory.
He is principal investigator in several federal-, foundation- and industry-sponsored projects on basic and translational neuromodulation, cardiovascular science, systems neuroscience and neural engineering. Dr. Zanos is the author of more than 70 peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Zanos’ group studies the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Specifically, how the ANS is involved in immune function and physiological homeostasis in health and disease, and how neuromodulation of the ANS can treat conditions with cardiovascular, immune and metabolic dysfunction. His lab uses methods from autonomic neuroscience, neuroanatomy, neural engineering, cardiovascular medicine and neuroimmunology to tackle three main areas of research.
Research focus
Precision autonomic neuromodulation
Stimulation of the vagus nerve (VNS) is clinically used in the treatment of epilepsy and depression and explored as a therapeutic option in diseases of peripheral organs with an inflammatory component, including rheumatoid arthritis, pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, arrhythmias, diabetes, obesity and others. As VNS increases its therapeutic footprint, there is urgent need for more organ- and function-selective devices, to maximize efficacy and safety. We develop stimulation methods, neural interfaces and technologies for precision neuromodulation that are guided by deep knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the vagus nerve and its target organs.
Neural regulation of immunity and homeostasis
We study the neural circuits, physiological mechanisms and neuroimmune pathways by which the autonomic nervous system senses the status of peripheral organs and systems, and regulates organ function, with an emphasis on regulation of cardiopulmonary function by the vagus nerve, and of metabolic and inflammatory processes by abdominal ganglia.
Neuroimmune dysfunction and modulation in cardiovascular diseases
We investigate how the autonomic nervous system interacts with immune processes in the context of cardiovascular diseases like pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. Furthermore, we test autonomic neuromodulation therapies in preclinical models of disease and in early-stage clinical studies.
Representative publications
Zafeiropoulos S, et al. Ultrasound Neuromodulation of an Anti-Inflammatory Pathway at the Spleen Improves Experimental Pulmonary Hypertension. Circ Res. 2024;135(1):41-56. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.123.323679. PMID: 38712557.
Kurata-Sato I, Mughrabi IT, et al. Vagus nerve stimulation modulates distinct acetylcholine receptors on B cells and limits the germinal center response. Sci Adv. 2024;10(17):eadn3760. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adn3760. PMID: 38669336.
Zanos S, et al. Focused ultrasound neuromodulation of the spleen activates an anti-inflammatory response in humans. Brain Stimul. 2023;16(3):703-711. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.04.003. PMID: 37055009.
Jayaprakash N, Song W, Toth V, et al. Organ- and function-specific anatomical organization of vagal fibers supports fascicular vagus nerve stimulation. Brain Stimul. 2023;16(2):484-506. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.02.003. PMID: 36773779.
Ahmed U, Chang YC, et al. Strategies for precision vagus neuromodulation. Bioelectron Med. 2022;8(1):9. doi: 10.1186/s42234-022-00091-1. PMID: 35637543.
Mughrabi IT, et al. Development and characterization of a chronic implant mouse model for vagus nerve stimulation. Elife. 2021;10. doi: 10.7554/eLife.61270. PMID: 33821789.
Rembado I, et al. Cortical Responses to Vagus Nerve Stimulation Are Modulated by Brain State in Nonhuman Primates. Cereb Cortex. 2021;31(12):5289-5307. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhab158. PMID: 34151377.
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