Prof. Pierre Laurent-Puig : 59 years old

University Professor - Hospital Practitioner (Grade 1), Paris Descartes Medical School, Paris Descartes University.

Physician, Ph.D. (awarded in 1993 by Paris VII University), and certified Director of Research Projects (awarded in 2001 by Paris V University), Former Paris Hospital Intern (1984) 

Current hospital posts

• PU-PH (September 2004, Experimental Oncology) - Biochemistry Department (Pr. Beaune) Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou (HEGP). This laboratory includes a General Biochemistry Functional Unit and two specialised Functional Units, one of which focuses on Molecular Oncology & Pharmacogenetics to which methods and expertise are regularly transferred from the research unit (currently INSERM UMR-S775).

• Since 2000: responsible for the Clinical Oncology Functional Unit in the HEGP Genetics Department which has been directed since its inception by X. Jeunemaître.

Current Research position 

Director of joint research Unit INSERM/Paris Descartes University UMRS1147 since 2006 (ex UMRS775)

Education

After internship and specialist clinical training in gastroenterology, liver disease and digestive tract cancer, I embarked upon scientific studies, namely a doctorate and two years of post-doctoral research work in INSERM Unit 434 (under the direction of G. Thomas at the Institut Curie). My research activities soon turned towards the characterisation of somatic, genetic lesions in cancer. 

Research interests

Dual training has equipped me for research at the interface between clinic and laboratory. In1998 I integrated the mixed research INSERM Unit UMR-S490 (directed by Ph. Beaune) and I led in 2002 a research team focusing on correlations between genotype and phenotype in solid human tumours. 

My research has addressed the identification of new diagnostic and prognostic markers, and more recently, markers for resistance to chemotherapy. Initially, the work focused exclusively on colon cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma but more recently it has been extended to cover malignancies involving the Head and Neck Cancer. 

All of these activities may have implications for hospital-based biochemistry:

*genotyping for proteins active in drug metabolism and transport (e.g. UGT, thymidylate synthase, MDR);

*genome and transcriptome analysis of tumours with a view to predicting outcomes and responses to treatment (we demonstrated for the first time, the main role of KRAS mutation in resistance to EGFR therapy in metastatic colorecta cancer).

This work has been described in about 215 original scientific publications (including 46 review) in international, peer-reviewed journals, including: 2 in Nature, 1 in Nature Genet., 1 in N. Engl. J. Med., 13 in Gastroenterology, 9 in J. Clin. Oncol., 1 in PNAS, 7 in Cancer Res., 4 in Hepatology, 9 in Oncogene, 5 in Clin. Cancer Res. , 17 in Int. J. Cancer, and 7 in Br. J. Cancer

The h index is of 50; Average Citations per item is of 40.95 and the total of citation is 11056