My name is Alexander Lercher, and I am currently a Postdoc in the lab of Charlie Rice at Rockefeller University in New York, and I am particularly excited about studying immune responses in the context of real-world microbe exposure. Out from the lab, my biggest hobby for the past years has been to explore the US National Parks and in particular the Southwest – the landscapes you can find there are just surreal and always worth a trip. I am also very enthusiastic about Formula 1, and I have been a fan of Ferrari since I was a kid. Regarding ICIS, I think it is a great community-building organization that brings together great minds that study cytokine signaling in very diverse model systems and at different scales, and it does an outstanding job at science communication and outreach.
Where did you do your training?
I received my doctoral degree in immunology from the Medical University of Vienna under the supervision of Andreas Bergthaler at the Center for Molecular Medicine (CeMM), working on systemic immunometabolism.
Briefly, what is your research about?
During my master studies I got fascinated with viruses and how these tiny entities can cause some of the most severe diseases if things go awry. This sparked my interest in virus-host interaction and the molecular mechanisms that shape disease severity and immunological memory. Currently, I am particularly excited about studying immune responses in the context of real-world microbe exposure – asking questions like “how do cells manage to integrate a plethora of inflammatory signals to mount adequate immune responses?” or “how do past inflammatory events shape future immune responses and what is the plasticity of this innate immune memory?”.
Tell us your thoughts about ICIS: how has being involved in the Cytokine Society helped your career?
I think ICIS is a great community-building organization that brings together great minds that study cytokine signaling in very diverse model systems and at different scales – from immune cells to epithelial cells, from engineering designer-cytokines to studying cytokine signaling in the context of organ-organ communication… the list goes on. Moreover, ICIS does an outstanding job at science communication and outreach. I think it is incredibly important to provide scientists a platform to introduce themselves, their science and their thoughts on the next frontiers in cytokine research, which will ultimately help us to expand the therapeutic value of this research field even further!
Are there any particular friendships or collaborations that came specifically out of Cytokines meetings?
For a student or postdoc, Cytokine meetings are just a fantastic opportunity to network with peers but also meet and talk to some of the most impactful scientist in this field. Cytokine meetings also give students and postdocs a chance to share their work through posters and talks, which definitely helped me to build my professional network and connect with people that I would otherwise have been too shy to talk to.
What Cytokines meeting(s) have been your favorites? Tell us about any special memories or anecdotes.
For me, that’s definitely Vienna 2019. Before moving to NYC for my postdoc, I lived in Vienna for 10 years and did my PhD there. The Cytokines meeting happened to coincide with me wrapping up my main PhD project. It was great to present my work and I also got the chance to meet some of my key collaborators in person for the first time. Having this meeting in my hometown towards the end of my PhD was really a highlight: a chance to discuss science with peers while showing them some of Vienna’s beauty… and, of course, a bit of Viennese grumpiness.
What do you like to do when not in the lab?
My biggest hobby for the past years has been to explore the US National Parks and in particular the Southwest – the landscapes you can find there are just surreal and always worth a trip. I am also very enthusiastic about Formula 1, long before Drive to Survive. It is just the perfect mix of fast cars, fierce competition, technology and drama. I have been a fan of Ferrari since I was a kid, which has not always been easy.. if you know, you know.. which brings me to the next question:
What is the best life/career advice you’ve ever received?
A piece of advice that stuck with me and that I try to actively engage with is to be part of the “positive crowd”. There are many things in life and science that are worth complaining about – and it is important to acknowledge frustrations – buuuut, I think it is even more important to not let the positives slip under the radar. Focusing on the positives and celebrating successes is just much more worthwhile!
What book or TV show are you reading/watching right now that you recommend?
I really enjoyed The Bear. It shows how stressful the food business is and that it’s not just about following “recipes” but also to remain creative and flexible if things don’t quite go as planned. It’s quite intense at times, but I would highly recommend it – not only because its gripping, but also because some of it feels quite relatable if you work in a lab.
What is your favorite cytokine?
I want to say that I like all cytokines equally, but during my career so far, type I interferon kept coming back and did not let me go. In recent years we also learned that this molecule is more than “just” an antiviral cytokine – it can reprogram metabolism, affect memory formation and also influence autoimmune diseases… This really showcases that cytokine signaling is context dependent and that the same signaling molecule can have different effects depending on the identity of the sensing cell or the overall physiological state of an organism.
Reach Alex on Twitter/X alex_lercher and Bluesky alercher.bsky.social