The following interview was conducted by Signals+ Editor Maialen Sebastian-delaCruz, Ph.D. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
My lab in Australia works on understanding how humoral memory is formed, and how this goes awry in chronic infection. I’m excited to be able to learn and make new collaborations from joining the Cytokine Society, so that we can fully understand how B cell fate is regulated from cytokine-enriched niches surrounding a cell to the depths of the B cell nucleus.
Tell us your name, degree, where you currently work, and position.
My name is Prof Kim Good-Jacobson, PhD. I work at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) at Monash University in Australia, where I run the B cells, Antibody, Memory laboratory. I am also Deputy Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and co-Head of the Immunity Program at the BDI.
Where did you do your training?
I did my PhD with Prof Stuart Tangye in Sydney on understanding molecular regulators of memory B cell activation. I left Australia to do a postdoc with Prof Mark Shlomchik at Yale University, then like a boomerang (I’m sorry, fellow Aussies!) I returned to Australia to do a second postdoc with Prof David Tarlinton at WEHI in Melbourne.
Briefly, what is your research about?
I work on understanding how memory B cells and effective antibody are formed post-immunization or viral infection, how memory B cells are molecularly wired for rapid reactivation during secondary responses, and how these processes are disrupted during chronic infections. In particular, we have focused on how cytokines induced by viral infection modulate fate and function of B cells via epigenetic modifications.
Tell us your thoughts about the ICIS: how has being involved in the Cytokine Society helped your career?
I have recently joined Cytokine Society, so I have not been involved for long. However, I am looking forward to the Society having a positive impact on my career in the future.
Are there any particular friendships or collaborations that came specifically out of Cytokines meetings?
At the last Cytokine meeting in Seoul, I was able to catch up with colleagues from around the world in a different scientific environment to my usual B cell-focused meetings, which was very enriching.
What Cytokines meeting(s) have been your favorites? Tell us about any special memories or anecdotes.
I’ve only been to one, but I am looking forward to going to more in the future! The Cytokines meeting in Seoul was fantastic. Hearing cytokine-focused talks sparked new ideas for how to interpret some of our recent findings, and new experimental ideas for us to pursue.
What do you like to do when not in the lab?
I run (slowly), ski (way too fast for my skill level) and write (or at least promise myself to write a novel, one day).
I love to travel, and one of my current joys is being able to show my kids how to take a leap into the unknown and explore the world.
What is the best life/career advice you’ve ever received?
I don’t have one piece of advice that is the best, but I tend to find latch onto quotes or passages from literature that help with different aspects of life and work. Two of my recurring go-tos are:
- Comparison is the thief of joy
- Don’t let the bastards grind you down (from The Handmaid’s Tale)
What book or TV show are you reading/watching right now that you recommend?
I recently read a pair of novels that I loved – ‘The Dictionary of Lost Words’ and ‘The Bookbinder of Jericho’ by Pip Williams.
What is your favorite cytokine?
I can’t go past IL-21 – the very first cytokine I published on, in my first ‘1st author’ publication (Good et al Journal of Immunology 2006). I should also give a shout out to IFN-I. It might sound funny to call a cytokine daunting, but it really is daunting to work on (in a good way!). It has opened up so many exciting ideas and projects for my current research program, so I guess I’ll allow it to be my second favorite cytokine!
Connect with Kim on Socials:
My twitter/X handle is @kimljacobson
But I am now mostly on bluesky: @kimljacobson.bsky.social