Salomé Lochmann is a pre-PhD student in the Viral Immunology Lab at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) in Basel, where she investigates the fascinating world of infectious diseases, driven by a passion to improve public health through translational research. With a background in molecular biology, she has contributed to diverse projects focusing on viruses such as coronaviruses, dengue, and enteroviruses. Her MSc research focused on investigating virus spillover events from wildlife to humans, particularly coronavirus infections in African populations. She developed variant-specific antigen capture assays based on monoclonal antibodies to distinguish SARS-CoV-2 from related Sarbecoviruses, prevalent in wildlife species, in samples from Ghana. As part of this study, she also participated in fieldwork and blood sample processing in rural and urban Ghana, greatly valuing the close collaboration with partners from diverse cultural backgrounds. Currently, she is working on enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), developing a neutralization assay to assess anti-EV-D68 seroprevalence in Swiss and Ghanaian populations. Salomé brings creativity, curiosity, and initiative to her work, thriving in problem-solving and precise experimentation. Outside the lab, she enjoys cycling up mountain roads, painting murals and exploring new cultures while learning different languages. She appreciates the supportive and collaborative atmosphere at Swiss TPH, where interdisciplinary teams work together toward a shared goal—advancing global health through science that benefits people in all parts of the world.
Interests
- Zipping around on her scooter
- Finding delicious cake
- Fearlessly riding on any roller coaster at EuropaPark