Laurent Calvier, Ph.D.

Throughout my career, I have been deeply committed to unraveling the intricate biology of biomarkers and biotargets, particularly at the intersection of vascular and organ dysfunction. I completed my Ph.D. in 2012 at the INSERM (Nancy, France), a world-leading institution ranked 2nd in the health sector for research, behind the NIH (SCImago Institutions Ranking). Under the guidance of Drs. Natalia López-Andrés and Patrick Rossignol, I studied several biomarker pathways and vascular remodeling in cardiovascular diseases and kidney failure. This rigorous training resulted in the publication of 9 impactful papers, including first authorships in prestigious journals such as ATVB, Hypertension, and JACC: Heart Failure.

Continuing my academic journey, I completed my first postdoctoral training at Hannover Medical School in Germany, which is one of the top three lung transplantation centers globally, providing me with privileged access to human samples. Under the guidance of Dr. Georg Hansmann, I conducted translational research on biomarkers in pulmonary hypertension and tested treatments to prevent pulmonary artery remodeling in this disease. My second postdoc was carried out in the department led by Nobel Laureates Drs. Brown and Goldstein, within UT Southwestern (Dallas, USA), the world leader academic medical center (Nature Index). Under the supportive mentorship of Dr. Joachim Herz, I focused on the endothelial function of the proinflammatory factor Reelin in chronic inflammatory diseases, such as atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. These postdocs resulted in 15 significant publications, with 10 first authorships, in high-impact journals such as Cell Metabolism, Science Immunology, Circulation Research, or Science Translational Medicine. In addition to these scholarly achievements, I have also received recognition in the form of several research grants as a principal investigator or collaborator (from ESAC and Harrington respectively) and several fellowships (from DFG, FEBS, and Keystone), which introduced me to grant writing and management skills.

As I transition into a Principal Investigator role (tenure track Assistant Professor), I am leveraging my cardiovascular expertise to unravel the complexities of vascular inflammation across different diseases, such as atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis. My recent work, culminating in four publications including a last senior authorship in Cell Reports, underscores my commitment to advancing knowledge in these fields. Furthermore, I am spearheading efforts to establish plasma Reelin as a promising drug target for chronic inflammatory diseases. To this end, I have filed a patent and co-founded Reelin Therapeutics alongside esteemed colleagues Drs. Joachim Herz and Maria Kounnas from UTSW and UCSD, respectively. Our biotech venture aims to translate groundbreaking research into tangible clinical solutions, with a focus on developing humanized anti-Reelin antibodies. Securing NIH and Foundation funding as a co-investigator and co-principal investigator further attests to the potential impact of our endeavors.