Author: The Wistar Institute

Khumoekae Richard, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow in the HIV lab of Dr. Luis Montaner. Dr. Richard’s early and deep interest in plants and their derivatives as medicines has taken him on a scientific journey from Botswana to Canada to Philadelphia. With clues from his Botswana culture, where various plant-based ethnomedicines are used as part of a patient’s primary healthcare, he follows the scientific complexity of documenting and investigating plant-based compounds with the hope to create future drugs. By harnessing the potential of plant-based ethnomedicines for health, wellness, and health care, he hopes to discover novel antivirals and HIV-1 latency-reversing agents (LRAs). This is his journey.

Did you come from a family of scientists?

I do not come from a family of scientists but am a product of humble beginnings in Botswana, Africa. I give credit to my mother for raising me well and ensuring that I take education very seriously even though she never had the opportunity to learn science herself. When you grow up and go through basic education, you fall in love with some subjects at school. For me, I fell in love with science – biology in particular – and it became my dream. I had good grades in secondary school, which earned me admission to the University of Botswana where I studied Biological Sciences.

Growing up, I curiously watched how my relatives prepared medicinal plants as treatments for a variety of family member health conditions. I wanted to know all the medicinal properties of those plants and wondered: What compounds and active ingredients do they contain? I realized science would provide me with answers and that’s how I also became a scientist.

What has been your scientific journey thus far?

I graduated with Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences at the University of Botswana. I applied for scholarships to further my education and was awarded the competitive Queen Elizabeth II (QE2) Diamond Jubilee scholarship in 2016. I left Botswana for Simon Frasier University in Canada to pursue a master’s degree in Health Sciences. With my supervisor Dr. Ian Tietjen, I developed assays to test bioactivities and antiviral properties of medicinal plants. I would later pursue a doctorate in Health Sciences, having been awarded the Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV Research Excellence (SANTHE) Ph.D. fellowship.

Dr. Tietjen later moved to the U.S. and joined The Wistar Institute. With scholarship in hand, I returned home to Botswana to do community-based fieldwork. My thesis project focused on documentation, screening and characterization of novel chemical compounds derived from natural sources, including traditional medicines that can modulate latent HIV infection and the biological mechanisms associated with their HIV latency.

I worked with Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) to explore the extent to which traditional and complimentary medicine is used for HIV/AIDS management by the Setswana and Kalanga peoples of Tutume, a subdistrict of Botswana. My intention was to later assess the anti-HIV properties of these regional medicinal plants and provide laboratory-based support to document and characterize the bioactivities and biological mechanisms associated with these medicinal plants.

The project required a different and important set of skills—the ability to build trust with others because this research involves intellectual property and indigenous knowledge rights. It is a project that uniquely combines community-based and laboratory approaches—two sets of disciplines that aren’t usually viewed from the same lens. I joined Wistar immediately after defending my thesis.

Tell me about your time at Wistar working in Dr. Luis Montaner’s HIV research lab.

In July 2022, I joined Dr. Montaner’s laboratory as a visiting scientist. It is exciting to be a part of this Wistar lab, with an impeccable track record in HIV research. Dr. Montaner’s laboratory focuses on HIV-1 latency, and I am investigating how we can reactivate this virus (that ‘hides’ in the body) to be better targeted by anti-HIV drugs. Part of my work is to develop assays that can measure the efficacies of these cure strategies. We hope to develop several combinations and HIV immunotherapeutic interventions.

Interestingly, this assay will also allow us to measure the efficacies of the Botswana medicinal plants used by THPs to manage HIV. This will allow me to give THPs feedback on whether their plants are or are not active against HIV.

How do you blend learning and culture and contribute to making global health inclusive across cultures?

Working toward my doctorate, I was ‘baptized’ into ways of study known as interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary. These concepts provide space for innovative approaches in solving global health problems. Taken together, these concepts have helped me to appreciate that our medical advice and opinions matter less to a patient. A patient can ‘switch and shop’ between several modes of primary health care— some of them cultural, including consulting THPs, and others based in science, including enrolling in antiretroviral therapy. This understanding allows me to be open-minded and helps me understand the patient and their blended needs of science and culture. I aim to get the best out of the two to help humanity.

A biomedical scientist must be pragmatic to be inventive when using laboratory skills to investigate medicinal plants that patients used in traditional systems and for evidence-based, data-driven primary health care systems across the world.

At the center of biomedical research should be the patient: How do we help a person living with HIV have a better health outcome? Through this project, I give back to the community by characterizing medicinal plants to provide laboratory data-based advice. Moreover, we might just get novel compounds from those medicinal plants that leads to future anti-HIV drugs.

What’s next for you?

Next is learning as many laboratory techniques as possible at Wistar, which will be useful in my journey as a scientist. I want to add scientific value to Dr. Montaner’s lab. I will be visiting Botswana soon to meet THPs and continue building trust and giving feedback on the progress of the projects — they are truly a lovely group of people to work with!

What do you most enjoy about what you do?

I enjoy connecting science to people, even in rural areas of Botswana. It is rewarding that I too am generating knowledge. The world is moving towards a knowledge-based economy and through interdisciplinary research, I am part of that transition. I want to contribute to the body of knowledge in the hope it impacts today’s and tomorrow’s generations in different scientific and cultural settings. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research is an answer to many global health problems and should be embraced. Wistar, with its diversity, equity, and inclusivity, gives me with the opportunity to grow and become a scientist who will make an impact and difference.

Any advice for those interested in biomedical research?

The more you conduct research, the more you realize what you do not know. I remain a student for life who doesn’t know everything but is willing to learn. In the quest for knowledge, we should work together and collaborate because individual brilliance cannot surpass collective brilliance. Always collaborate, for we are not all knowing. This is a message to all.

Zoomers gathered virtually for the launch of Wistar’s new Diversity in Science seminar series. A leading biomedical research institution of global reputation, Wistar is committed to advancing equity within the biomedical research community. The goal of the Diversity in Science Seminar series is to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and harness the breadth and width of talent within the biomedical research workforce. 

Guest speaker Marie A. Bernard, M.D. is the Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She leads NIH’s efforts to promote scientific workforce diversity throughout the biomedical research enterprise. 

Bernard started her lecture with one question: “Why focus on diversity?” She explained the need for diverse perspectives in science is because diversity results in more productive research collaborations and facilitates scientific advancement. She also highlighted the lack of utilization of the full talent pool of researchers, and how underrepresented populations diminish in more advanced positions along the biomedical research path. She underlined that promoting inclusivity requires intervention at both the individual and institutional level to ensure research environments are supportive and sustainable. 

Bernard summarized NIH initiatives to address these DEI challenges, including a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) strategic plan, various projects of the Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity, and the NIH UNITE initiative. 

“DEIA is an issue of doing good science. If you want to be innovative and creative in research, you need to have a big table with a lot of different people present. You need those other perspectives. If you don’t have those diverse minds at the table, you’re missing out on a lot of talent,” she emphasized at the close of the event.

Bernard earned her M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and completed further medical training at Temple University. Before joining NIH, she was an endowed professor and founder of the Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City.

The next Diversity in Science seminar will take place April 27, 2023, and feature speaker Dr. Maria Elena Botazzi, Associate Dean, National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. 

Predoctoral trainees Alex Indeglia and Pratik Bhojnagarwala are co-recipients of the annual Monica H. M. Shander Memorial Fellowship Award for outstanding predoctoral research. They were presented the award through a ceremony at Wistar’s last Research in Progress Meeting of 2022.

This prestigious award was established in 1981 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Shander in memory of their daughter, former Wistar predoctoral trainee Monica H.M. Shander, and is given annually to a predoctoral trainee who models excellence. It provides support for laboratory supplies and travel funds to help predoctoral trainees continue their research and support their scientific projects.

Conducting research in the Murphy lab, Indeglia is unraveling the role of specific genes in suppressing tumors. Bhojnagarwala is developing novel immunotherapy platforms to treat different types of cancers in the Weiner lab.

Wistar’s major accomplishments in 2022 are made possible by the dedicated and innovative scientists, staff, and generous donors committed to improve the health of all through biomedical research. From new research studies and grant announcements to awards and world rankings, Wistar is a global biomedical research leader improving the quality of life and saving lives through early-stage discoveries, vaccines, and cures.

January 2022

Wistar and Stanford Medicine initiates a phase 2 clinical study of VK-2019 in patients with Epstein-Barr Virus-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma and lymphoma who have recurred or progressed following standard therapy or have not responded to prior therapy.

Wistar scientists publish their work on a potential pathway for developing therapeutics that target Epstein-Barr virus in Nature Communications.

A collaborative study led by Wistar scientist identified that damaged “ghost” mitochondria drive tumor progression. 

Wistar hosts U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo for the announcement of a major national grant in support of locally driven programs that strengthen STEM workforce pipelines in Philadelphia and across the nation. 

February 2022

Cell Reports highlighted the work of Wistar scientists who developed a more targeted SARS-CoV-2 vaccine that can be stored at room temperature making it easier to transport to remote or developing locations than existing mRNA vaccines which require specialized cold storage.

Published in Nature Communications, Wistar researchers develop an immunogen that produces Tier-2 neutralizing antibodies, which may offer a promising step toward an HIV vaccine. 

March 2022

The Wistar Institute: Bold Science // Global Impact

Wistar’s world renown NCI-designated cancer center received a cornerstone gift and is now the Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center of The Wistar Institute, making it one of only a few named biomedical research cancer centers in the country. The Caplan Family’s $10 million investment to advance cancer research supports Wistar’s internationally respected scientists in their high-impact research and discoveries.

“Wistar scientists are some of the most dedicated, brilliant people we have ever met. Thanks to their incredible work, Wistar is the one place where every time Ron and I leave, we feel inspired.” – Ellen Caplan

April 2022

Wistar receives PAsmart grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry to on-ramp more apprentices from our biomedical education & training programs across the region and create additional pre-apprenticeships to prepare students for life science careers.

Wistar scientists publish research in PLOS Pathogens that identifies proteins in EBV-infected cells that decreased expression of genes linked to the spread of the virus, a fresh direction for EBV research.

Wistar researchers identify a mutation associated with scarring of the lungs, revealing a useful diagnostic tool and target for gene therapy in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

June 2022

Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier and State Senator Vincent Hughes toured the Institute to learn more about how Wistar bolsters the Pennsylvania workforce.

Dr. Amelia Escolano, assistant professor in The Wistar Institute’s Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, joins the 2022 cohort of Pew Scholars, supporting her project to develop innovative approaches to investigating vaccination approaches for highly mutating viruses such as HIV-1.

Wistar Institute launches the Bold Science // Global Impact Campaign to rechart the future of human health. This five-year plan sets out Wistar’s roadmap for accelerated progress to drive breakthroughs in biomedical science and technology, including education and training the next generation of innovators. Philanthropic support of the Campaign will fund the expansion of the Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center and the Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, as well as the creation of the Center for Advanced Therapeutics and the Hubert J.P. Shoemaker Education and Training Center.

In a research paper published in Cancer Immunology Research, Wistar scientists identified that inhibiting therapeutic target KDM5A can potentially re-activate immune response against tumors. The team’s novel approach may lead to improved ovarian cancer treatment efficacy and increase in ovarian cancer survival rates.

A global audience of scientists, activists, advocates, and community leaders share scientific advances and community engagement  on the global HIV cure agenda front through the first-ever global streaming of Wistar’s annual Jonathan Lax Memorial Award Lecture. Now in its 26th year, the Jonathan Lax Memorial reaches a global network across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia, creating a global center for highlighting the most groundbreaking HIV cure research.

An endowed gift from Penny Fox, Amy Fox, and Wistar Trustee Daniel Wheeler to name the Fox Biomedical Research Technician Apprenticeship now provides continuity for Community College of Philadelphia students on the road to becoming research technicians as Wistar apprentices. The Fox BRT Apprenticeship is the first-ever registered apprenticeship program for biomedical research by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.

“The idea that Wistar is training the next generation of young Philadelphia and regional students to be able to work in the sciences is very important to us and aligns with our own personal values and mission.” – Amy Fox

Creation of a five-year postdoctoral training fellowship in immunology, cancer research or vaccine biology by the Cotswold Foundation and I. Wistar Morris III now helps Wistar attract and support a cadre of exceptional, diverse, and talent postdocs conducting transformative biomedical research to advance improvements globally in health.

The SCImago Institution Rankings (SIR) place Wistar in the top percentiles among the world’s leading academic and research-related institutions based on research performance and innovation. The institute placed in the 1st percentile for innovation and in the 8th percentile for research. This past year, Wistar research teams published collaborative manuscripts in 103 journals on research and discoveries.

Wistar receives a transformational $20M gift from an anonymous donor to create a new Center for Advanced Therapeutics.

July 2022

A Wistar-led collaboration studying the rapid pre-clinical development of DNA-encoded SARs-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies to prevent COVID-19 advances to clinical trials. The research was funded by a $37.6 million award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) to the public-private collaboration which includes Wistar, University of Pennsylvania, AstraZeneca, INOVIO Pharmaceuticals and Indiana University.

Wistar scientists reveal a new function of the enzyme ADAR1 in age related diseases. The research published in Nature Cell Biology will help scientists promote healthy aging and combat age-associated disorders. 

Wistar director of operations Pete Scarpati is featured in magazine Blueprint Vol. IV 2022 in a spotlight on facilities professionals who are an essential component to ensuring Wistar lab, advanced technology, and other facility-based resources support our scientists in the research they pursue.

Wistar Institute Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Joseph Trainor, CPA, was celebrated among the top honorees of Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2022 CFO of the Year Awards. Trainor’s outstanding leadership, especially through the height of the pandemic enabled Wistar to continue to grow. 

“Surround yourself with great people, listen to them, and follow the mission. The best decisions I’ve made were those decisions made with others.” – Joe Trainor

August 2022

NCI grants a Cancer Center Support Grant Merit Extension Award totaling more than $5 million to The Wistar Institute’s Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center. The Institute is the first NCI-designated Basic Cancer Center in the nation to receive this prestigious award. The seven-year term of the current NCI-designation propel deeper understanding of cancer biology and expand programmatic initiatives in the recently launched Bold Science // Global Impact five-year strategic plan. 

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network announced that Rahul S. Shinde, D.V.M., Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Immunology, Microenvironment & Metastasis Program of Wistar’s Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center, was bestowed the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award.

September 2022

Wistar researchers and collaborators at Jubilant Therapeutics Inc. discovered that inhibiting protein arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) in specialized immune cells called neutrophils halts tumor growth and spread. 

Using artificial intelligence, Wistar scientists identify key biomarkers that reliably predict response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for melanoma. The biomarkers will help scientists better predict if a patient will respond to immune checkpoint inhibitor, or ICI therapy, and will further understanding of the mechanisms behind ICI therapy response and resistance. 

Wistar and ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute mark a decade of collaboration to expedite the pipeline of cancer interventions from bench to bedside. The collaboration has yielded more than a dozen translational cancer research papers to date and advanced research discoveries made in Wistar labs into early clinical trials at ChristianaCare, including a population health study on treating triple-negative breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) describes the collaboration—the only one of its kind between an NCI-designated research center and an independent academic community cancer—as “extraordinary and innovative.”

A $1 million grant awarded by Pew Charitable Trusts now helps Wistar recruit a world-class researcher to direct the Center for Advanced Therapeutics and put into use the Center’s new drug discovery platform. The new director will, in turn, recruit researchers who are innovators in immunology, computational and structural biology and other fields.

October 2022

The National Institutes of Health honors Amelia Escolano, Ph.D., assistant professor in Wistar’s Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, with its 2022 Director’s New Innovator Award, recognizing high impact research with unconventional approaches to major biological and behavioral research challenges. Escolano’s research identifies guidelines for the design of vaccines that will induce long-term protection against viruses that mutate frequently in humans, including HIV, influenza, and potentially future variants of SARS-CoV2. 

In a research paper published in PLOS ONE, Wistar scientists alongside national and international collaborators, distinguish a specific gene signature indicative of mitochondrial reprogramming in tumors that correlates with poor patient outcome.

Think tank Heart Forward ranks Wistar among top 3 in the nation as a top driver of innovation, research and tech transfer to build a stronger economy.

November 2022

Wistar’s 2022 Helen Dean King Award is presented to Nobel Prize winner Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi of Stanford University in recognition of her outstanding biomedical research on understanding how sugars that coat our cells impact diseases. The award, named for the well-respected geneticist and member of Wistar’s research staff from 1908 to 1950, is presented to a distinguished researcher each year of Wistar’s Women & Science series. 

“Do the highest quality science you can do with the most diligence and most attention to detail, and good things will follow.” – Carolyn Bertozzi

December 2022

The National Science Foundation (NSF) granted a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) grant to The Wistar Institute’s Hubert J.P. Schoemaker Education and Training Center totaling more than $400,000 for three years. The Center will use this grant to create a new program, Molecular Basis of Cellular Phenotypes, for undergraduate students who may not have access to research opportunities to continue their academic studies in graduate school.

The Wistar Institute’s Biomedical Technician Training (BTT) pre-apprenticeship program was voted the BioBuzz 2022 Workforce Champion of the Year. This honor recognizes the program that has made a measurable contribution to enhancing the biotechnology workforce within the Philadelphia region. Cultivating scientific talent underpins the success of a regional economy and the BTT program takes an innovative approach to attracting, training, and growing the biotechnology workforce.

Dr. Chen Wang completed her scientific training across multiple countries, including China and Germany, before coming to the United States to undertake a postdoctoral fellowship in the lab of Rugang Zhang, Ph.D. at The Wistar Institute. She conducts basic research to help improve immunotherapies to treat ovarian cancer.

Currently, Wang is identifying promising epigenetic targets in cancer-associated mesenchymal stem cells found in bone marrow. Epigenetic refers to reversible modifications that affect how genes work. These targets could enhance the immune system’s detection and attack on cancerous cells, turning “cold” tumors that do not trigger a strong immune response into immunologically “hot” tumors, which means they are more responsive to immunotherapies. In turning up the heat on tumors, this research could increase the efficacy of immunotherapies and ultimately prevent ovarian cancer progression.

Wistar connected with Dr. Wang to discuss her professional journey, how working at Wistar benefits her as a biomedical researcher, and advice on becoming a scientist.

Where are you from and what is your educational background?

I am from China. I received my bachelor’s degree at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. As an undergraduate, I gained an opportunity to conduct a short-term exchange to Philipps-Universität Marburg in Germany. This visit enabled me to conduct research under the supervision of Dr. Moritz Bünemann on the interactions of effector proteins with G proteins, specialized proteins involved in different cellular responses. I continued my academic research and obtained my Ph.D. in Cancer Epigenetics and Chemical Biology from Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2019.

What drew you to Wistar and what do you like about working here?

Wistar is a wonderful platform to do original thinking and breakthrough research as well as provides a community of collaboration. I like this environment because it encourages innovative ideas and a sense of cooperation.

Are there any differences or unique experiences you’ve had working in science in the U.S. compared to China?

In the U.S., I think I am very productive working in science. Wistar provides sufficient and productive Core facilities to help me efficiently move my research forward.

What is your favorite part of your role and your day?

My favorite part of my role and my day is to do interesting experiments and find surprising results.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to pursue science?

Always do good science and be very patient. It will eventually benefit you in one way or another.

Congratulations on receiving the Wistar Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Travel award. What does this opportunity mean for you?

This travel award will provide me with new conceptual training in ovarian cancer therapies and opportunities to better understand the mechanism underlying the development of ovarian cancer. Additionally, I will engage in advanced discussions with peers and scientists in the field and improve my communication and social skills in the scientific community.

Originally from Cuba, predoctoral trainee Giselle Lopez Fernandez is cultivating her scientific career in the United States. In the laboratory of leading vaccine researcher and immunologist Dr. David Weiner, she is working on immunotherapies for HIV using novel techniques developed in the Weiner Lab, namely DNA-launched antibodies that harness the power of genetic material in the body to create a personal antibody factory to fight against disease. More specifically, her project aims to enhance immune system response with antibodies that broadly neutralize HIV infected cells.

In a Q&A with Fernandez, she discusses her scientific background, hurdles in the lab, and the importance of teamwork at Wistar.

Where are you from and what is your scientific background?

I moved to the United States 9 years ago from Cuba. I lived for 7 years in Georgia where I attended college and graduated in 2020 with a major in Biology with a Biochemistry concentration. While in college, I became interested in research inspired by amazing science professors. I participated in summer research programs at Georgia State University and The University of Pennsylvania. From there, I knew I wanted to continue my career in research.

Did you come from a family of scientists? Who inspired you growing up to pursue science?

No one in my family is a scientist. While in school back in Cuba I had an amazing 7th grade Biology teacher who encouraged me to participate in science events and contests. I think that was the initial inspiration for my very curious mind.

What drew you to Wistar and what do you like about working here?

The amazing science made here, and the reputation of the Institute drew me to Wistar. I was particularly interested in the use of Dr. Weiner’s DNA platform for vaccines against infectious diseases.

What is your favorite part of your role and your day?

One of my favorite parts is to be able to work with amazing scientists and constantly learning from them. In my day to day, it’s very rewarding to see an experiment finally work after much optimization and troubleshooting. Many times in science, things don’t go the way we expect, but there is always an answer to find. This answer, whatever it might be, is a small piece fitting into the bigger picture – a seemingly minute, yet equally important contribution to scientific knowledge.

Do you have a challenging moment in your career so far and how did you overcome it?

I have had several challenging moments. Doing, reading, and communicating science in a second language is challenging. Most recently, I’ve had some challenges with novel assays not working. I’m learning to cope with these hurdles by not being afraid or ashamed of seeking help and asking questions. No one person has all the answers. Science is about collaboration. It’s teamwork.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to pursue science?

Get involved in research programs and courses as early as possible. This will allow you to identify the areas that excite you the most and help you strengthen your skills. Ask questions. Seek help. Get in the habit of reading the latest research papers in your field constantly. Participate in seminars, workshops, listen to what your peer scientists are working on.

Congratulations on receiving the Wistar Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Travel award. What does this opportunity mean for you?

Thank you! This award is an honor and the funds that come with it will facilitate my attendance to the 10th International Workshop on HIV Persistence during Therapy. This is an important meeting closely related to my field of study. It is unanimously recognized as the reference workshop on HIV reservoirs and eradication strategies. The workshop will be an excellent opportunity for networking and to be directly exposed to new, unpublished data and a panel of experts that will sum up the current advances in the field.