Meet Dr Sushmita Poddar working on antibody drug discovery
The Indian specialist in gene therapy from the Laboratory of Biological Engingeering of Professor Platt is working on genome engineering in cancer immunotherapy. She is excited to have her first Swiss fondue experience soon.
Dr Sushmita Poddar, what did you know about D-BSSE before you came here, and what was your motivation to come to ETH Zurich?
ETH Zurich is a prestigious research institution which is reputable in the field of innovative science. D-BSSE’s inter-disciplinary research platform combines the best of both science and technology, which was very attractive to me and reflects the way I have worked in the last few years. Additionally, being located in Basel, the pharmaceutical hub of Switzerland, offers many collaborative opportunities.
What were your expectations and were your expectations met since you arrived in Basel?
My expectations of D-BSSE was met with a pleasant surprise. I found this place extremely international, positive and full of exciting people. I was very impressed with the high level of talent that D-BSSE has to offer. I have worked and lived in Freiburg, Germany, before and have travelled Switzerland extensively and am familiar with the Swiss customs and cultures. I am very excited to explore Basel now. I found this place a perfect balance of heritage and trendiness, and I see myself integrating here quite well.
What were your first impressions?
My first interactions with the research group were very positive. The Platt group is dynamic, engaging, challenging and very endearing. Everyone is very focused and full of energy. They have been extremely helpful and made me feel welcome. I am very excited to be a part of this lab.
Which research will you pursue at D-BSSE?
I will be working on genome engineering in cancer immunotherapy. I will use the recent advancements in CRISPR/Cas9 technology to engineer improved mouse models for antibody drug discovery and personalized medicine.
Which hobby do you hope to pursue in Switzerland?
I have always been an outdoor person and I love to travel. Basel is very well located in the heart of Europe; hence I foresee a lot of weekend trips. I am excited to have my first fondue experience soon.
Thank you and all the best with your research!
Dr Sushmita Poddar is an Indian researcher specializing in gene therapy. She completed her Bachelors (2009) and Masters (2011) in Zoology with a focus on Genomics at the University of Delhi, India. She then moved to Singapore to pursue her PhD at the National University of Singapore (NUS) under the guidance of Dr Volker Patzel where she worked on RNA therapeutics and developed a novel universal vector for suicide gene therapy using RNA trans-splicing (see patent PCT/SG2017/050183 and article by Poddar et al. 2018 Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids). Upon completion of her PhD in 2016, she moved to Germany to work with Prof. Dr Toni Cathomen at the Medical Center-University of Freiburg. Her focus was on improving gene-editing platforms like CRISPR/Cas and TALENs. During her postdoctoral training, she established a pre-clinical CCR5 disruption-based therapy for HIV-1 in human hematopoietic stem cells. The therapy will be soon tested on HIV-1 patients. She currently benefits from a Personalized Health and Related Technologies (PHRT) fund to support her work on genome engineering in the Laboratory of Biological Engineering of Professor Randall Platt.