Dr. Bai Lu from GSK R&D China joins the advisory board of HMS-CSSA

Oct - 10
2011

Dr. Bai Lu from GSK R&D China joins the advisory board of HMS-CSSA

Dear CSSA members,

It is our great honor to announce that Dr. Bai Lu from GSK R&D China has recently agreed to join the advisor board of HMS-CSSA. Dr. Lu is currently the vice president of R&D-China, GSK (below is the bio-sketch of Dr. Bai Lu). With his support, we believe HMS-CSSA will be able to serve our community better.
We are looking forward to working with him in the future.

Best

HMS-CSSA

Bai Lu, Ph.D. Vice President, Biology, GSK R&D China

Bai Lu received his undergraduate training in Shanghai, China, and did his Ph.D. work at Cornell Univ. Medical College in New York, studying neurotrophin gene expression. After postdoctoral training with Paul Greengard at Rockefeller Univ., he became an assistant professor at Roche Institute of Molecular Biology/Columbia Univ. He joined National Institutes of Health (NIN) in 1996, and became the Chief of the Neural Development and Plasticity Section in 2001. In 2004, he was named Associate Director in Gene, Cognition and Psychosis Program (GCAP) at NIH. Dr. Lu joined R&D-China, GSK in July, 2009.
Dr. Bai Lu pioneered research in the role of neurotrophins in synapse development and plasticity, and is considered as a leader in the field. His major contributions include: 1) discovery of BDNF regulation of LTP, a cellular model for memory; 2) identification of a SNP that impacts BDNF secretion and short-term memory in human; 3) elucidation extracellular cleavage of proBDNF to mature BDNF and its role in long-term synaptic plasticity; 4) demonstration of the opposing roles of proBDNF and mature BDNF in synaptic plasticity, leading to a “Yin-Yang” hypothesis of neurotrophin actions; 5) revealing the functional role of activity-dependent BDNF transcription. Dr. Lu received a number of distinguished awards, including the MathildeSolowey Award in 2003.
At GSK R&D China, Dr. Lu is responsible for overall biology vision and strategy, neurodegeneration portfolio, and interfaces with various internal (e.g. chemistry, DMPK, safety, clinical, commercial) and external (business development, academic collaboration) functions.