Ladan Eshkevari

Ladan Eshkevari is an Iranian-American businesswoman and academic. She is the co-CEO and founder of Avesta Ketamine and Wellness, a clinic specializing in ketamine therapy for mental health and chronic pain.

Early life and education Ladan Eshkevari was born in Iran and lived in India during her formative years, attending the British School till the age of 15. She moved to the United States with her family as a teenager.

She holds a BS (Hons.) in Nursing degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, an MS in Anesthesia degree from the Columbia University School of Nursing, a PhD in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University, has a Diplomate degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture from Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and a Certification in Corporate Executive Leadership from Georgetown University.

Career Eshkevari started her career as a nurse during the AIDS epidemic in the United States. In 2020, Avesta Ketamine and Wellness opened its first standalone clinic in McLean, Virginia. The same year, the company began offering Spravato for its patients at its clinics.

Research Eshkevari's areas of research include identifying physiologic markers for chronic stress and pain that are modulated by acupuncture, research on different anesthesia-related topics, and clinical research on ketamine's effects as an antidepressant. of acupuncture on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA axis) hormones as markers for chronic stress.

She has also published clinical research on the effectiveness of ketamine as an antidepressant, including the use of adjunct treatments like intravenous glutathione.

Selected publications Journal articles Acupuncture and pain: a review of the literature (2003) Use of acupuncture for chronic pain: Optimizing clinical practice (2005) Occurrence and removal of a knotted pulmonary artery catheter: a case report (2007) Acupuncture at ST36 prevents chronic stress-induced increases in neuropeptide Y in rat (2012) Propofol and Ketamine for Targeted Muscle Reinnervation after Limb Amputation (2013) Acupuncture blocks cold stress-induced increases in the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) in the rat (2013) Management of Postpartum Pain (2013) Effects of acupuncture, RU-486 on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in chronically stressed adult male rats (2015) Efficacy of addition of the anti-inflammatory, IV glutathione to standard ketamine IV therapy in major depressive disorder (2024)

Honors and recognition Researcher of the Year (2013) – Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing John Garde Researcher of the Year award (2014) – American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) Star Nurse (2020) – Washington Post Program Director of the Year Award (2022) – American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) Fellow – American Academy of Nursing