Hi! I’m Marius, a virologist and molecular biologist at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle, USA.
Background
I am a graduate from the Ecole Polytechnique in France, and have a Master of Genetics from Paris University. I received my PhD from the Curie Institute and Sorbonne University in Paris and then moved to San Francisco for a postdoc at the Buck Institute. I am currently a staff scientist in the lab of Keith Jerome at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle.
Research Interests
Viral Gene Drive in herpesviruses
My research focuses on herpesviruses, a family of ubiquitous DNA viruses that chronically infect most of the human population and represent a heavy burden on human health. I invented a new therapeutic strategy against herpesviruses, using engineered “gene drive” viruses that can replace wild-type viruses with an attenuated version to potentially reduce viral levels and suppress symptoms. This discovery was inspired by the gene drives developed in insects and represents a new way to engineer herpesviruses. My current work centers on exploring the potential of the technology for therapeutic and research purposes.
Key publications
Walter and Verdin, Nature Communications (2020)
Recent media interest
