Q&A with Jérémie Le Pen

We’re excited to welcome Prof. Jérémie Le Pen to the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (IID)! To get to know him better, we asked him a few questions about his research and the path that led him to a career in science.

From science fairs to postdoctoral research, what first interested you in science and how did you get started in your career?

I don’t remember how old I was when I first became science-struck, but I do remember what it was. It was when I first learned that atoms—and therefore matter—are mostly empty. I looked at the school table I was sitting in front of in disbelief. Science allows us to see the invisible world that surrounds us (deep). Later in life, I was fortunate to have a great biology teacher in high school. She sparked my interest, which led to good grades, and ultimately, my decision to study biology at university.

What has the process been like so far in building a brand-new lab and assembling a team?

Going from being a highly productive postdoc to a painfully slow young investigator building a brand-new lab is scary. I’m not usually prone to impostor syndrome (as you can tell from my self-description as a ‘highly productive postdoc’), but this is next level—there’s definitely some of that. At the same time, I feel the full support of the department, which is incredibly reassuring. And, of course, this is my dream job, and I’m beyond excited. Now that I’m at the helm, it doesn’t feel like work anymore—it’s something more exhilarating than that. Survival, maybe!

What questions/problems are you working on that you are most excited to explore?

One beautiful thing about nature is that it neither cares about nor is bound by our classifications. For example, as a geneticist, I see a great paradox in antiviral innate immunity: the same gene may be conserved across species separated by hundreds of millions of years—such as C. elegans and humans—yet still exhibit functional variations among individuals within the same species. Another example is that the processes governing innate immunity to RNA virus pathogens are just as crucial in regulating transposable elements, which are an integral part of our genome, and, in some cases, even play a role in normal development. I believe the job of a biologist is to keep constructing definitions—and then breaking them (here’s another deep statement). That’s exactly what I want to do in my field.

What plans do you have for the first few years of your new role as an assistant professor at the Harvard Chan School? 

I’d like to do exciting science, work with great people, spend time with my family, and—very importantly—become rich and famous, solve world conflicts, win a couple of Nobel Prizes, and apply for tenure. But first, I’d like to learn how to print from my computer using Crimson Print.

Can you tell us one thing (e.g hobbies/interests) that your new colleagues may not know already about you? 

I have no other hobbies besides the relentless pursuit of grants for my department. And sailing, playing music, spending time with my family, playing with my cat, considering learning Portuguese (counts as a hobby), and Crimson Print.

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