Nguyen Van Thang, PhD
College of Health Sciences
Assistant Professor
Biography
Dr. Thang earned his D.V.M. from Hanoi University of Agriculture, an M.S. in Molecular Biology from KU Leuven, and a Ph.D. in Immunology from MD Anderson Cancer Center. He completed postdoctoral training at Caltech under the mentorship of Dr. Raymond Deshaies. Previously, Dr. Nguyen held several academic positions, including Lecturer at Hanoi University of Agriculture and Assistant Research Professor at the University of Missouri.
Dr. Thang’s research tackles fundamental biological questions with immediate clinical impact in cancer, inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases. His laboratory focuses on three core aims:
1. Investigating the molecular mechanisms and regulatory control of the CRL4CRBN–USP15 pathway in cancer.
2. Developing potent, selective USP15 inhibitors as potential therapeutics for cancer.
3. Uncovering the CRL3Gigaxonin–USP15 pathway that governs neurofilament degradation in neurodegenerative disorders.
In addition, Dr. Thang is advancing next-generation molecular glues and PROTACs that exploit CRBN and newly discovered E3 ubiquitin ligases to achieve precise degradation of previously untargetable oncogenic and pathogenic proteins.
Previously, Dr. Thang received an NIH/NIGMS R01 funding to investigate the CRL4CRBN–USP15 pathway. He had received both the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Fellow Award and the International Myeloma Foundation’s Brian D. Novis Senior Research Award. His research has been published in prestigious journals such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Molecular Cell, and the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
• AI-driven discovery of small-molecule inhibitors
• Targeted protein degradation
• Ubiquitin-dependent regulation of long-lived proteins in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases
• Ubiquitin-mediated signaling pathways as therapeutic targets across cancer, inflammatory, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative disorders
• Modern drug discovery
• Cancer biology: ubiquitin signaling and targeted protein degradation
• Immunology: innate and adaptive immunity
• Molecular and cell biology: protein degradation pathways
• Neurodegenerative Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies
1. Hyoung-Min Park, Ly Le, Thao T. Nguyen, Ki Hong Nam, Alban Ordureau, J. Eugene Lee, and Thang Van Nguyen. The CRL3gigaxonin ubiquitin ligase–USP15 pathway governs the destruction of neurofilament proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. October 30, 2023. 120 (45) e2306395120. PMID: 37903270.
2. Thang Van Nguyen. USP15 antagonizes CRL4CRBN-mediated ubiquitylation of glutamine synthetase and neosubstrates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 118(40), 2021: e2111391118. PMID: 34583995.
3. Thang Van Nguyen, Jing Li, Chin-Chun (Jean) Lu, Jennifer L. Mamrosh, Gang Lu, Brian E. Cathers and Raymond J. Deshaies. P97/VCP promotes degradation of CRBN substrate glutamine synthetase and neosubstrates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 114: 3565-3571, 2017. PMID: 28320958.
4. Thang Van Nguyen, J. Eugene Lee, Michael J. Sweredoski, Seung-Joo Yang, Seung-Je Jeon, Joseph S. Harrison, Jung-Hyuk Yim,
Sang Ghil Lee, Hiroshi Handa, Brian Kuhlman, Ji-Seon Jeong, Justin M. Reitsma, Chul-Seung Park, Sonja Hess, and Raymond J. Deshaies. Glutamine triggers acetylation-dependent degradation of glutamine synthetase via the thalidomide receptor cereblon. Molecular Cell. 61: 809-820, 2016. PMID: 26990986.
5. Thang Van Nguyen, Pornpimon Angkasekwinai, Hong Dou, Feng-Ming Lin, Long-Sheng Lu, Jinke Cheng, Y. Eugene Chin, Chen Dong, and Edward T.H. Yeh. SUMO-specific protease 1 is critical for early lymphoid development through regulation of STAT5 activation. Molecular Cell 45: 210-221, 2012. PMID: 22284677.
6. Thang Van Nguyen, Nahum Puebla-Osorio, Hui Pang, Melanie E. Dujka, and Chengming Zhu. DNA damage induced cellular senescence is sufficient to suppress tumorigenesis: a mouse model. J. Exp. Med. 204: 1453-1461, 2007. PMID: 17535972″
• 1997: D.V.M., Hanoi University of Agriculture, Vietnam
• 2003: M.S. Molecular Biology, KU Leuven, Belgium
• 2011: Ph.D. Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
• 2018: Postdoctoral Fellow, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), USA
• 2023 NIH/NIGMS R01 Principal Investigator
• 2013 Fellow Award, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
• 2013 Brian D. Novis Research Award, International Myeloma Foundation
• 2006 Vivian L. Smith Award for OuT.Standing Young Immunologist, UT – MD Anderson Cancer Center
• 2004 Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF) Fellowship for Ph.D program
• 2001 Vietnamese Government Scholarship for master program
• 1997 VIFOTEC prize (Vietnam Fund for Supporting Technological Creations)
• 1997 First Class Honors, Hanoi University of Agriculture, Vietnam
