Liqun Luo (; born January 1966) is a neuroscientist in the Department of Biology at Stanford University, where he is the Ann and Bill Swindells Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences, and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. His laboratory studies the development and organization of neural circuits, and he is the author of the textbook ''Principles of Neurobiology''.

Early life and education

Luo was born in January 1966 in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

, China. After graduating from the middle school of No.1 High School Affiliated to East China Normal University, he was admitted to the

Special Class for the Gifted Young The Special Class for the Gifted Young is a program aimed to select gifted young students to enter the universities in China. First established in 1978 at the University of Science and Technology of China, it was a major innovation in China's higher ...

at the

University of Science and Technology of China A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

(USTC) in 1981 and skipped high school. Luo earned his bachelor's degree in molecular biology from the

in 1986. He completed his PhD at

Brandeis University , mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = NECHE , president = Ronald D. Liebowitz , ...

in 1992, studying the ''

Drosophila melanogaster ''Drosophila melanogaster'' is a species of fly (the taxonomic order Diptera) in the family Drosophilidae. The species is often referred to as the fruit fly or lesser fruit fly, or less commonly the " vinegar fly" or "pomace fly". Starting with ...

'' homolog of the

Amyloid precursor protein Amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP) is an integral membrane protein expressed in many tissues and concentrated in the synapses of neurons. It functions as a cell surface receptor and has been implicated as a regulator of synapse format ...

. After his postdoctoral work in the lab of Lily Jan and

Yuh Nung Jan Yuh Nung Jan (; born January 11, 1947) is a Taiwanese-American neuroscientist. He is the Jack and DeLoris Lange Professor of Molecular Physiology at the University of California, San Francisco, where he works together with his wife Lily Jan a ...

at the University of California in San Francisco, he became an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Stanford University in 1996.

Research

Luo's research focuses on the assembly and organization of neural circuits. His lab has invented tools to facilitate

mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

analysis in flies (

MARCM Mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker, or MARCM, is a genetics technique for creating individually labeled homozygous cells in an otherwise heterozygous ''Drosophila melanogaster''. It has been a crucial tool in studying the development of ...

) and mice (MADM).

Honors and awards

Luo has been an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 2005., and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

. He has received numerous awards including the Technology Innovation in Neuroscience award from the

McKnight Foundation The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, advances a more just, creative, and abundant future where people and planet thrive. Established in 1953, the McKnight Foundation is deeply committed to advancing climate solutions in ...

and The Young Investigator Award from the

Society for Neuroscience The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is a professional society, headquartered in Washington, DC, for basic scientists and physicians around the world whose research is focused on the study of the brain and nervous system. It is especially well kn ...

References

External links

Luo lab website

Website for Dr. Luo's textbook, ''Principles of Neurobiology''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luo, Liqun 1966 births Living people University of Science and Technology of China alumni Brandeis University alumni Stanford University faculty Chinese emigrants to the United States American neuroscientists Chinese neuroscientists Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Biologists from Shanghai