CLAUDE KRUMMENACHER > Associate Professor
Biology & Virology
From: Champtauroz (VD), now living in Philadelphia (PA).
Work: Assistant Professor, Departments of Biological Sciences, and Molecular & Cellular Biosciences at Rowan University (Glassboro, NJ).
Hobbies: Hiking; dragon boating with the truly amazing “Power Over Cancer” team of survivors, caregivers, and friends.
Recent books: The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks by R. Skloot; Alice in Wonderland by l. Carroll; Field guide to the birds of Pennsylvania by G.L. Armistead.
Favorite food from Switzerland: Potato gratin, saucisson Vaudois.
Favorite spot in Switzerland: Any place on the shore of a lake or the banks of a river.
How did you get started, specifically what drew you to studying viruses?
Growing up on a farm, I was always curious about animals, plants, and nature in general. When I realized I could go to the University, I chose to study Biology in Lausanne, with the idea of becoming a field biologist or agronomist. I then got to perform experimental lab research and immediately loved this active process of scientific discovery. In my senior year, I got to choose a research project for my last semester. I picked the virology project thinking, “since viruses are small, they should be simple to understand”. Of course, viruses are tiny, but over the last 25 years, I remained fascinated by how complex and remarkable they are. So, I joined the lab of Dr. Heidi Diggelmann at ISREC (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research) for this project and remained in her lab for my Ph.D. By that point, I was definitely “infected” and made it a career of studying viruses.
What was the biggest obstacle in your career and how did you overcome it?
I have been lucky not to encounter major obstacles during my career. Of course, when you do academic research, you don’t always get the grants you apply for and you rarely get your articles accepted for publications right away. Therefore, it is always important to get advice and tips from your peers to continuously improve the odds. Considering the bigger picture, I realize that for many first-generation students like myself, getting a college degree is not the obvious path and can be a difficult obstacle. At Rowan, many of my students are also the first ones in their families to attend college. Remembering the importance of the support and guidance from my teachers and professors, I mentor my students by letting them know that all doors are open to them, regardless of their background.
What has surprised you most working with viruses?
First, I am constantly amazed by the diversity of viruses and their perfect adaptation to their hosts. I work on herpes viruses, which have co-evolved with humans for several million years and adopted remarkable survival mechanisms to allow them to establish lifelong infections of their host. Second, the molecular mechanisms that viruses have developed toward specific strategies of replications are extraordinary. The viral molecular machinery is remarkably accurate to ensure an efficient infection of specific cells, multiplication and spread of viruses.
Why did you choose Philadelphia?
After my Ph.D., I wanted to apply my knowledge in virology toward a more concrete field. The Wistar Institute was recruiting postdocs to work on gene therapy and I decided to apply. A couple of professors from PENN had spent sabbaticals at ISREC when I was doing my Ph.D., thus Philadelphia was not completely unknown to me, even though I had never been here before accepting a postdoctoral position at the Wistar Institute. I got a Fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation to work at Wistar for a year. That year was 1996. After that, I worked at the Penn Dental School and then at the Penn Veterinary School before joining the Rowan University Faculty. Over the years, I made many very good friends here, some born and raised Philadelphians and some coming from all over the world. Aside from the amazing scientific environment, I like the character of the city. I feel it has a unique identity, somewhat rebellious and rowdy, but ready to welcome people from various cultures to be Philadelphians. In the end, everyone roots for the Eagles!
What do you think is the most important quality to have as a researcher?
To be passionate is almost part of the definition of being a researcher, but curiosity is what starts it all. Evidently, critical thinking and rigor have to be learned and applied. Altogether these qualities will help a scientist be efficient and also make research fun.
Are you working on any project right now?
I continue working on my long-term projects on the molecular interactions between the herpes simplex virus and cells at the beginning of the infection cycle. At Rowan, I also collaborate with colleagues in the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department to develop a new type of drug against herpes. Drug discovery is a long, arduous, and expensive process, especially for an undergraduate academic research lab. We are at the beginning of the characterization of candidate molecules, which we hope to improve in the future.
Do you have any advice for your students starting out?
What I think is good career advice is “Do what you like to do.” This is what I try to convey to students in my lab and in the classroom.
What do you miss most about Switzerland?
Friends and family. The countryside, farms, and constant contact with nature.
We welcome your comments at swissimpact.pa@gmail.com
Thank you!