NEWS Nóra Lehotai has interviewed Lana Jachmann who joined the Barbara Sixt lab in June 2021. She moved to Umeå from Germany to start the next phase of her scientific carreer.
Lana Jachmann, PhD student at the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University.
ImageprivatCan you tell us about your role at MIMS, what are you working with?
“I joined Barbara Sixt’s lab as a research assistant, with the goal to stay long term as a PhD student. I am studying a bacterial pathogen, called Chlamydia. More specifically, I aim to determine the role of the Chlamydia-containing vacuole in counteracting the intrinsic defense responses of infected host cells. To do so, I am using a lot of microscopic and molecular biology techniques.”
What were you doing before you joined MIMS and what attracted you to start a position here?
“I studied biochemistry in Greifswald in Germany and there I also worked with very interesting pathogens. After my master thesis, which was on Streptococcus pneumoniae, I joined a project named KOInfect for half a year to give a bit more time to myself to decide what career path to take. I learned a lot in the frame of this project and I got even more interested in the host-pathogen interactions. Then I saw this opportunity with Chlamydia, which has a very unique infection style, and I am here now.”
How was it to start at a new workplace during the pandemic?
“It was not too bad actually because Germany had more and stricter restrictions than Sweden. The recruiting process worked out fine and everyone is very kind. Barbara also helped me to find accommodation.”
If you would not have your current profession, what do you think you would be doing?
“I love to discover new things, so maybe I would be an explorer or a botanist, wandering around discovering new plant species.”
What do you do in your free time and what are you most enjoying in living in Umeå, Sweden?
“I love being outside. The summer was beautiful, I hiked and jogged a lot. In the winter, I like skiing, snowboarding, ice skating. I live near Carlshöjd, which is very close to the forest. I am looking for something other than Germany and I love the landscape and nature here, they are changing a lot, which I truly enjoy.”
Is there a little known fact about yourself?
“I practised Ju-Jutsu for six years. My dad thought that it is a good self-defense skill. We even had police officers joining our training and practise life-like events. It does give you the preparedness for sure, if such situation rises. Maybe I will pick it up again in Umeå.”