Laurent Meijer

Laurent MEIJER obtained Doctorate degrees from the Universities of Lille (1978) and Paris (1983). After his thesis in Lille, he went for a post-doctoral training at the Stanford University Hopkins Marine Laboratory (Prof. David EPEL) in 1978-79. He was appointed by the CNRS in October 1979. He was on sabbatical in 1985-’86 at the University of Washington in Seattle (Prof. Edwin KREBS, Nobel Laureate in 1992, and Bennett SHAPIRO). He was a Visiting Professor at the Rockefeller University in New York (Dr. Paul GREENGARD, Nobel Laureate in 2000) for 3 years (2001-2004). He was Research Director at the CNRS heading a team of 20 people (‘Protein Phosphorylation & Human Disease’), at the ‘Station Biologique de Roscoff’, till June 2011. He is now Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of ManRos Therapeutics, a small biotech company focused on the development of kinase inhibitors against cystic fibrosis, polycystic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome. His major work is focused on disease-relevant protein kinases and the search for, optimization and characterization of pharmacological inhibitors thereof. Over three decades of work in this area has led to the discovery of several potent and selective compounds (olomoucine, roscovitine, purvalanol, paullones, indirubins, hymenialdisine, aloisines, meriolins, leucettines, etc...). Some of these are in preclinical and clinical tests against cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. One of its best characterized molecules, roscovitine (seliciclib), is currently in phase 2 clinical trials against lung and nasopharyngeal cancers, rheumatoid arthritis and Cushing disease, and has been in preclinical stages against Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and polycystic kidney disease. It is entering clinical trial against cystic fibrosis. The key kinase targets in the laboratory are cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3), casein kinases 1 (CK1), dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation activated kinases (DYRKs), cdc2-like kinases (CLKs). The main target diseases are cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome, polycystic kidney disease, malaria and leishmaniasis. Aged 62, he is author of more than 310 scientific articles (H factor: 67) and co-inventor in 40 patents. He was the main editor of 6 books and has received numerous honors. He has directed 24 theses.