Dr. Tessier-Lavigne was born in Trenton, Ontario, Canada. He received undergraduate degrees in physics from McGill University and in philosophy and physiology from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He earned a Ph.D. in physiology from University College London (UCL) and performed postdoctoral work at UCL and at Columbia University. He then held faculty positions at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and subsequently at Stanford University, where he was the Susan B. Ford Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences. While at UCSF and Stanford he was also an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

A world leader in the study of brain development and repair, Dr. Tessier-Lavigne’s research has focused on the cause and treatment of degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as on therapies for spinal cord injuries. Dr. Tessier-Lavigne and his colleagues revealed how neural circuits in the brain form during embryonic development by identifying molecules that direct the formation of connections among nerve cells. Defects in these mechanisms lead to neurological disorders. These mechanisms also provide targets to assist regeneration of nerve connections after trauma. His contributions have been recognized by numerous prizes and honors, including his election as a Member of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), the National Academy of Medicine (USA), and the American Philosophical Society and as a Fellow of the Royal Society (UK), the Royal Society of Canada, the Academy of Medical Sciences (UK), the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In 2003, Dr. Tessier-Lavigne was recruited to biotechnology company Genentech, where he became Executive Vice President for Research and Chief Scientific Officer, directing 1,400 scientists in disease research and drug discovery for cancer, immune disorders, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, while maintaining an active research laboratory.

In 2011, Dr. Tessier-Lavigne became President of The Rockefeller University, a leading biomedical research university in New York City. At Rockefeller, Dr. Tessier-Lavigne worked with faculty, students, staff and trustees to develop and execute a nine-year strategic plan focused on junior and mid-career faculty recruitment; enhancement of graduate and postdoctoral education; establishment of interdisciplinary research programs and acquisition of advanced research instruments; expansion of the university’s translational medical infrastructure; and a $500 million, two-acre campus expansion project in the heart of Manhattan that broke ground in 2015.

Early in his tenure as Stanford president, Dr. Tessier-Lavigne, in partnership with Stanford Provost Persis Drell, launched a long-range planning process that led to the announcement of a new strategic vision for Stanford’s future in spring 2018. Built on more than 2,800 ideas received from across the Stanford community, the vision sets priorities across four areas: values, research, education and community. Now in its design phase, the long-range vision promises to chart a purposeful course for the university in its continued efforts to spark knowledge and creativity, advance learning, and accelerate impact for the benefit of humanity.

At a national and international level, Dr. Tessier-Lavigne has been an active spokesperson for societal support of science, through editorials, advocacy and congressional testimony.

Dr. Tessier-Lavigne serves on several scientific advisory, non-profit, and corporate boards. He has co-founded two start-up companies, targeting neurological disease and neurodegenerative disease.