Wendy Lera – Redmond Smyth’s team & Gene expression analysis platform, IBMC & IBMP
Wendy Lera moved to France at the age of 18 years old from Albania, a country known for “its extraordinary hospitality and breathtaking riviera and alps” but “with limited scientific resources”. However, she was inspired by the number of successful examples of young scientists, working in prestigious labs worldwide. Her passion for molecular biology began during her high school years, especially when she was selected for the national Biochemistry Olympiad.
She chose Strasbourg for her studies inspired by the groundbreaking work of Pierre Chambon, which deepened her fascination with DNA repair mechanisms and gene mutations. During her BSc in molecular and cellular biology, she got particularly interested in the RNA world. Therefore, she decided to do a MSc in RNA and enzymology in Nancy. While she have conducted several summer internships, the one that marked Wendy the most are the MSc ones, both related to transcription. During her MSc internship at IGBMC she focused on how double strand breaks are repaired using an RNA template in absence of a sister chromatid. She used Cryo-EM as a tool to investigate the role of Rad51 and Rad52 proteins during homologous recombination repair.
For her PhD, Wendy says she is “honored to be working under the guidance of Pr. Redmond Smyth at IBMC”. She is quite passionate about transcription. It is one of the most fundamental processes in gene regulation. Regardless, how it is regulated across large genomic distances remains poorly understood. Can RNA transcription be measured across an entire DNA molecule of a single organism? To answer this question, she will utilize Oxford Nanopore sequencing, to obtain full length native DNA and RNA molecule analysis. Chemical probes and long read sequencing will be employed to directly measure DNA strandedness and further dissect the transcriptional program of the 100 kb Herpes virus genome.
The IMCBio Programme is particularly appealing due to its fascinating mission to foster a dynamic environment with researchers from various backgrounds. Wendy considers that during her internships in France, she had the chance to work under the guidance of well-esteemed international researchers, which further motivates her to follow their example, prioritizing collaboration and hard work.
She is confident that her background, skillset, and objectives perfectly align to this program. “In addition, she notes, having the chance to work in the same lab as the Nobel laureate Jules Hoffmann and in Strasbourg (la capitale de Noël, du livre, velos and more) is a lifetime opportunity.”
Wendy considers herself as a scientist with an artistic soul. She never entered a literature competition that she did not win. she dedicate this talent to her grandfather: “He was a well-known Albanian actor that I never met…”
She also love swimming and alpinism: they are her happy place. “Speaking of which, she adds, another hobby of mine is charity, as I believe that putting a smile on a child’s face or rescuing an endangered species is a small step towards a slightly more colorful world.”
