Yonglun Luo from Aarhus University is a genetics researcher. He has just received a grant of almost DKK 4 million from the Danish Council for Independent Research. The aim of his research is to develop a system that ultimately will be able to treat serious diseases such as diabetes, dementia and cancer.

2013.10.24 | Anders Corydon Frederiksen

Grant recipient Yonglun Luo from the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University.

Yonglun Luo conducts research on the human genome. He has been awarded a grant of almost DKK 4 million in recognition of his distinguished research. He will use the money to develop a system which can improve the prevention of chronic widespread diseases such as diabetes, dementia and cancer.

”By continuing to work on a system (CRISPR/CAS9) that can be used to develop specific stem cells in the human body, we will target the activation of a number of specific genes and use them to produce even more of these stem cells. We can use the stem cells for cell renewal and organ development and repair,” explains Yonglun Luo.

In the long term, Yonglun Luo’s research will benefit patients with degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other forms of dementia.

The grant of DKK 3,982,265 comes from the Danish Council for Independent Research Technology and Production for Individual Postdoc Scholarships. Yonglun Luo has carried out the research in collaboration with Professor Lars Bolund and Professor Thomas G. Jensen, both from Aarhus University, the Department of Biomedicine, Associate Professor Charlotte B. Sørensen, Aarhus University, the Department of Clinical Medicine, and Professor Poul Hyttel, University of Copenhagen, the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.

Yonglun Luo was born on 1 May, 1981 in China, where he received a Bachelor's degree in 2006 and completed his Master’s degree in 2009. In 2012 he obtained a PhD degree from Aarhus University, the Department of Biomedicine.

Further information

Postdoc, PhD Yonglun Luo
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine - Human Genetics
Direct tel: +45 8716 7015
alun@hum-gen.au.dk