Dr. rer. nat. Jennifer Altomonte is a research group leader in the Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II at the Klinikum rechts der Isar in Munich, Germany. After completing her bachelor’s degree in microbiology at the Pennsylvania State University in the U.S.A, she carried out research work
at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, where she first learned the basics of viral engineering and gene transfer in the context of gene therapy as a tool for elucidating the molecular pathogenesis of diabetes.
She then went on to apply this knowledge to the field of oncology within the same research institute, and began work on engineering oncolytic viruses to generate novel therapeutics with enhanced safety and efficacy over conventional cancer drugs. In parallel, she completed her master’s degree in forensic science at the City University of New York. She has since carried out her doctoral studies at the Technical University of Munich, during which time, she continued her work on oncolytic viruses and cultivated her passion for viral engineering and translational research. She aims to advance her scientific career further in this cutting-edge field and ultimately develop an improved oncolytic viral product for clinical translation as a novel immunotherapeutic for the treatment of cancers with limited treatment options. Dr. Altomonte’s research is highlighted in numerous original
research articles and scientific reviews in peer-reviewed journals, as well as several filed patent applications. In addition to her research goals, she enjoys mentoring young scientists and clinicians and motivating them to become creative, independent thinkers who can make their own contributions
to the scientific community. She enjoys continuously expanding her growing networks and participating in multidirectional collaborations with international researchers working toward a common aim.