Lena Nguyen

Lena Nguyen is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) within the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of brain development and how molecular signaling pathways contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders and epilepsy. She leads the Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Epilepsy Lab, aiming to advance treatments for conditions like tuberous sclerosis complex and focal cortical dysplasia.

Nguyen holds a B.S. in Biology (University of Houston, 2009), a Ph.D. in Neuroscience (Baylor College of Medicine, 2016), and completed postdoctoral training in Neurosurgery and Cellular & Molecular Physiology at Yale University School of Medicine (2022). Her work integrates molecular biology, animal models, and translational approaches to study mTOR signaling pathways and their role in epilepsy pathogenesis.

Key research interests include cortical neuron development, molecular mechanisms of epilepsy, and translational control. Her studies investigate how dysregulation of pathways like mTORC1 and 4E-BP1 leads to neuronal dysfunction and seizures, with a focus on developing therapeutic strategies. Recent work highlights the potential of targeting MEK-ERK signaling and HCN4 channels in epilepsy treatment.

Nguyen has received prestigious awards including the American Epilepsy Society Fellows Program (2019), the Epilepsia Basic Science Prize (2016), and the Grass Foundation Young Investigator Award (2014). Her funding includes grants from the TSC Alliance, NIH-NICHD, and the Yale Swebilius Foundation, supporting projects on translational control mechanisms, gene therapy, and developmental epilepsy.

Her lab actively explores novel therapeutic targets and employs cutting-edge techniques such as in utero electroporation and translating ribosome affinity purification to study age-dependent gene expression in cortical neurons. Ongoing projects aim to bridge basic research with clinical applications, focusing on improving outcomes for patients with neurodevelopmental and epileptic disorders.