This profile is adapted from "Love and Medicine" by BOBBIE COLLINS, originally published in HM News on Feb. 1, 2023.
Jonathan Abraham, associate professor of microbiology in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS
Mélissa Léger-Abraham, assistant professor of microbiology in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS and assistant professor of pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital
When they met: 2009, at a Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology happy hour
When they married: 2014
Combined years in medicine: 23
Do you mingle medicine and science within your marriage?
Abraham: We’ve learned that what is nice about being a couple with both members involved in science and medicine, it creates this intellectual intimacy where we can always connect at different levels by talking science.
Léger-Abraham: We like talking science all the time — literally, all the time. It’s easy to share because our labs are next to each other and because we see each other at home.
I think scientists have a tendency to reach out to their mentors and colleagues to talk science, and sometimes you don't get an immediate response or the immediate support that you need. It’s nice to know that the other person is going to understand what you're going through and be able to not only listen, but give perspective on it.
Can you share an example where you’ve supported one another or celebrated one of your successes?
Abraham: I guess it's kind of hard to answer because I feel like those moments are so rare in science. I would say, perhaps more realistically, we spend most of our time talking about the stuff that doesn't work and trying to help each other get through those hard patches.
Léger-Abraham: Probably one of the best examples is that I was involved in writing an R01 grant with Gerhard Wagner. We submitted the grant and initially it didn't get funded. And then we resubmitted. And on the day of our wedding, I found out that the grant was getting funded. So that was another reason to celebrate. And it reflects very well how our personal life is so intertwined with science.
And recently, we've switched to celebrating whenever we have an opportunity, and not waiting for a special event or waiting for that paper to get published or that grant to get funded.
Is there something in particular that unites you in your scientific pursuits?
Abraham: This is going to sound cheesy, but I think it’s our love for structural biology.
Léger-Abraham: I was actually going to say the same. We both see structural biology as an art. It’s just beautiful to us. We use different techniques. When we started dating, Jonathan was using crystallography and I was using NMR spectroscopy, and we constantly bugged each other about what was the better technique. But we have now both turned to using Cryo-EM, and I think that we found a good agreement there.
I think also, our passion for infectious diseases. Jonathan studies viruses and I have a passion for neglected tropical diseases, and that's why my lab studies parasites.
What do you do together for fun outside of biomedicine and work?
Abraham: Mel is really into competitive sports, but I'm not competitive enough. She loves to play squash, but I really can't keep up with her. We sometimes work out a lot together too, going for runs or weightlifting.
Léger-Abraham: It's true that I'm quite competitive — not necessarily with other people, but really against myself. Like, can I beat my 5k running time? Jonathan is also doing a lot more running lately.
We love music. There's always music playing in the house. I used to play violin and piano. We love classical music, and music from all over the world. To do something fun in the lab we started coming up with a song of the week, where people share a song that they love, and then we make sure that others in the lab can discover it.
What is the one quality about your partner that you most appreciate and love?
Abraham: Tenacity
Léger-Abraham: Discipline