Att: Yves Brun

To whom this may concern,

It is a pleasure to recommend Dr. Jean Peccoud for the Faculty Position in Systems Biology/Microbiology at Indiana University. We are now professors of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, where our immunobiology laboratory focuses on self-tolerance and autoimmune conditions, and with a particular interest in gene regulation networks in the immune system. Our laboratory has trained more than 25 PhD students over the past 20 years.

Jean was a PhD student with us from 1987 to 1991, when our laboratory was located in Strasbourg, France. We accepted Jean at the time on the strength of his academic training (he was a graduate from one of the most prestigious “Grandes Ecoles” in France – the US equivalent of a Princeton or MIT graduate) and of his bright and engaging personality. This proved a good choice, as Jean was definitely one of the most interesting students we have had. Unquestionably bright, with a strong creativity, but also a keen curiosity to think outside of the immediate confines of his project. He was involved in a very ambitious protein engineering project, involving complex molecular biology and immunological analyses. He led very efficiently, showing great energy, determination, and ability to plough through obstacles undaunted. This mutagenesis scan led to rather important conclusions that are still considered landmark today. Yet, he was also unsatisfied with this pure “wet lab” work, and his PhD thesis also included a second part, a pure computational exploration of genetic regulatory networks (under “professional” supervision, not ours !).

Since then, Jean’s career has also followed an interesting course, reflecting well the breadth of his interests. He has made important contributions in a number of settings, and acquired an impressive experience. We are certain that this background, coupled with his natural abilities, will make him a strong faculty member, as a teacher and in his research endeavors.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for additional details.

Yours,

Christophe Benoist, MD, PhD Diane Mathis, PhD