Roybon Laboratory
Patient-Based Models of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Age is one of the most important risk factors for many neurodegenerative disorders, including proteinopathies such as Parkinson’s. These diseases are marked by the aggregation of proteins in brain cells, which causes cells to sicken and die. Loss of these critical cells leads to disease symptoms. Currently, there are no approved ways to slow, stop or reverse this process.
The reasons underpinning the link between age and neurodegeneration are complex and not entirely understood. One of the major challenges to unraveling this association is developing methods to accurately model and study these nuanced diseases.
To this end, Roybon Laboratory develops robust induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based assays that enable new breakthroughs in neurodegenerative diseases, with the goal of informing new treatments. Using the Nobel Prize-winning methodology of Prof. Shinya Yamanaka to reprogram somatic cells into iPSCs, the Roybon Lab has developed several patient-specific models to interrogate the molecular mechanisms that drive disease in individuals.
Stem cells are biological “blank slates” that give rise to the specialized cell types needed to assemble and power the human body, from skin cells to heart cells and everything in between. One of their many important jobs is to maintain the body throughout life by replacing dead cells and rejuvenating damaged tissues.
iPSCs are cells derived from blood or skin cells that are “reprogrammed” in the lab to return to their earlier, undifferentiated state. From there, they can be coaxed to become other types of cells, making them powerful tools for scientists. For example, using iPSCs, scientists can generate living brain cells in the lab — allowing them to see first-hand the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration.
The lab’s work dovetails with MiND Program’s iPSC Platform, which also is led by Dr. Roybon. This powerful platform fosters research across VAI by providing the technology and expertise to enable iPSC-based models in neurodegeneration and beyond.
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- 141 peer-reviewed papers published in 2025, 74 of which were in high-impact journals
- 15 VAI-SU2C Epigenetics Dream Team clinical trials launched to date
- 10 clinical trials and related projects supported by VAI through the International Linked Clinical Trials Program
Laurent Roybon, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Neurodegenerative Science; Director, MiND iPSC Platform
Areas of Expertise
Aging, neurodegenerative diseases, induced pluripotent stem cells, proteinopathies, mechanisms of neurodegeneration, patient-based models
Biography
Laurent Roybon, Ph.D., is a neurobiologist with strong expertise in CNS- and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based assays to study diseases of the aging brain.
Laurent earned his B.S., M.S. and DEA in cellular and developmental biology from the Institute of Developmental Biology of Marseilles (IDBM) in France, and a Ph.D. in neurobiology from Lund University in Sweden (mentor: Dr. Jia-Yi Li). He completed postdoctoral fellowships in the labs of Dr. Patrik Brundin at Lund University, and Drs. Christopher E. Henderson and Hynek Wichterle at Columbia University of New York, the Jenifer Estess Laboratory for Stem Cell Research (Project ALS), USA. In 2011, he returned to Lund University as assistant professor of neurobiology and group leader of the Stem Cell Laboratory for CNS disease modelling. He was promoted to associate professor in 2015.
In 2022, Dr. Roybon joined Van Andel Institute’s MiND Program as director of its new Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Platform, which provides leading-edge technologies and expertise to empower breakthroughs in neurodegenerative diseases. He was appointed as associate professor in VAI’s Department of Neurodegenerative Science in 2023.
The Roybon Laboratory leverages iPSCs to design and develop new, much-needed models to study proteinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These critical tools enable detailed research into the mechanisms that drive neurodegeneration, thus creating new opportunities for therapeutic development.
Dr. Roybon has earned numerous accolades, including the Olav Thon International Research Award in Mathematics/Natural Sciences and Medicine, and Lund University’s Young Faculty MultiPark Award. While at Lund University, he received several grants from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, the European Joint Program for Neurodegeneration, the Swedish Research Council, the AFM Telethon France, and several Swedish private foundations.
Arianna Colini Baldeschi, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Roybon Laboratory
Jamie Durst, B.S.
Senior Administrative Assistant II, Department of Neurodegenerative Science
Gabriel Simms
Assistant Research Technician, Department of Neurodegenerative Science
