Laurent Nguyen is a doctor of experimental biomedical science, and a researcher for the FRS-FNRS. After completing a dissertation in developmental neurobiology under the direction of Prof. Gustave Moonen (1999-2003) at the ULg, Laurent Nguyen received an EMBO research grant and completed a postdoctoral period of study in the laboratory of Dr. François Guillemot at the National Institute for Medical Research in London (2003-2006). He also traveled to Canada to work in the laboratory of Dr. Carol Schuurmans of the University of Calgary in order to learn the technique of electroporation in utero. Laurent Nguyen currently supervises a team of researchers working in the laboratory of GIGA-Neurosciences at the ULg. With his group, he is studying cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate the development of the cerebral cortex. His research has been rewarded with several scientific prizes. He has authored some forty publications, including articles in some prestigious scientific journals.

Selection of publications

De Nijs, L., Léon, C., Nguyen, L., LoTurco, J.J., Delguado-Escueta, A.V., Grisar, T CA., and Lakaye, B. : EFHC1 interacts with microtubules to regulate cell division and cortical development Nat Neurosci (2009), 12(10): 1266-74

Godin, J., Colombo, K., Charrin, B., Keryer, G., Volvert, M.-L., Guillemot, F., Bellaiche, Y., Saudou, F., Nguyen, L., and Humbert, S. CA : Huntingtin is required for proper Spindle Orientation during mitosis in Drosophila and Mammals. Neuron (2010), in press

Nguyen, L. CA, Humbert, S., Saudou, F CA., and Chariot, A. CA : Elongator – an emerging role in different neurological diseases. Trends Mol Med (2010), 16(1): 1-6

Heng, J.I.-T., Chariot, A., and Nguyen, L.CA: Molecular layers underlying cytoskeleton remodeling during cortical development. Trends Neurosci (2010), 33(1): 38-47

CREPPE C., MALINOUSKAYA L., VOLVERT M.-L., GILLARD M., CLOSE P., MALAISE O., LAGUESSE S., CORNEZ I., RAHMOUNI S., ORMENESSE S., BELACHEW S., MALGRANGE B., CHAPELLE J.-P., SIEBENLIST U., MOONEN G., CHARIOT A. and NGUYEN L., Elongator Controls the Migration and Differentiation of Cortical Neurons through Acetylation of Alpha Tubulin, Cell (2009), 132: 551-56

HENG J.I.-T, NGUYEN L., CASTRO D., ZIMMER C., SKOWRONSKA-KRAWCZYK D., BEDONGI F., MATTER J.-M., HEVNER R., GUILLEMOT F., Neurogenin2 controls cortical neuron migration through regulation of Rnd2., Nature (2008), 455 (7209): 114-8

NGUYEN L., BESSON A., HENG J.I.-T, SCHUURMANS, C., TEBOUL L., PARRAS C., PHILPOTT A., ROBERTS J.M., and GUILLEMOT F., p27Kip1 independently promotes neuronal differentiation and migration in the cerebral cortex. , Genes Dev. (2006), 20(11): 1511-24. Highlighted by Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2006), 7, 505.