A Career, in Sequences
Abstract
Abstract Claire M. Fraser speaks with ease, humor, and pride about the people and projects that have contributed to the success of The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) in Rockville, Maryland. She’s certainly had plenty of practice, having given multiple stories and interviews to local and national science media since she took over leadership of TIGR from founding President Craig Venter in 1998. She is often asked to compare her management style with that of the outspoken Venter, also her husband of over twenty years, and to comment on the challenges of working closely with her spouse. She does not shy away from such questions, nor is she in any way reticent about her own accomplishments as a biomedical researcher and now administrator, but she is much more likely to concentrate on the biological questions, as well as the “fun,” that have motivated her throughout her career. She seems still to be busy having fun, whether she is helping her faculty reach their goals, publicly representing the capabilities and needs of TIGR, or talking about the science of genomics, microbiology, and evolution.