A Conversation with Scientific Advisory Board Member Rebekka S. Klausen, Ph.D.
Please tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up?
My early life was split between the US and Denmark, which is where my mom is from. I think of myself as growing up in New England because we settled in the Boston area when I was 10 and I stayed there through my undergraduate and graduate training.
Where did you go to college/university?
I went to Boston College, where I majored in Biochemistry and studied enzymology.
Where did you attend graduate school? What are your areas of study and expertise?
My research group at Johns Hopkins University is broadly interested in synthetic chemistry, including molecular and macromolecular systems. My core expertise is organic chemistry, which I love for two main reasons: (1) it’s a wonderfully creative discipline and (2) organic chemistry intersects with so many other fields. My background reflects the wide-ranging application of organic chemistry to adjacent disciplines. My undergraduate research at Boston College focused on understanding the mechanism of an unusual enzyme that lacked a metal cofactor. This led to an interest in organocatalysis, which was just taking off when I started graduate school with Prof. Eric Jacobsen at Harvard University’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Ultimately, an interest in molecular design led me to postdoctoral study with Prof. Colin Nuckolls at Columbia University where I shifted focus towards organic and organometallic materials chemistry.
What are your favorite things to do outside of work? Favorite places to travel? Favorite experiences/memories?
I’m usually juggling two books at a time (one paperback and one audiobook). My favorite place to read a book is on the beach, so I love returning to Cape Cod and Denmark for the water and memories.
Do you have any pets?
No pets :)
Can you share some thoughts on your decision to join the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)? What excited you?
The mission of the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation to support fundamental research could not be more timely or essential. My highest scientific value is creativity, which to me encompasses both identifying emergent and unappreciated research problems, as well as finding unexpected solutions to long-standing problems. By funding new investigators as well as new collaborative initiatives, Kaufman powers growth in both of those areas. I’m honored to put my scientific values into practice by joining the Scientific Advisory Board of the Foundation.