After earning a PhD in biochemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ) in 1976, Erich Nigg sought culturally and scientifically enriching experiences in California and Switzerland's French-speaking region before he was lured to Germany's Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry for the past decade. He is now headed home again to lead the University of Basel's Biozentrum. See CV

Nigg's moves have prompted several shifts in his research focus. That eclectic background positioned him to head the Biozentrum, one of the first basic research institutes to foster interdisciplinary collaborations in cell biology, microbiology and structural biology. But, he says, “the price I've paid for changing my scientific research many times during my early career is the long time to gain recognition”.

Nigg's initial focus was on cell-membrane dynamics and his doctoral dissertation explored protein mobility through cancer cell membranes. He followed this interest to sunny San Diego, to a postdoc position with John Singer at the University of California. “You are never as free to focus solely on your own work as you are when doing a postdoc,” he says, regretting that some students don't take the opportunity to study abroad and learn about other cultures. At the University of California, he learned to use antibodies to visualize cell structures.

After returning to the ETZH for a few years, he opted for a tenure-track position at the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, where he concentrated on the emerging topic of cell-cycle regulation by kinases. After a period at the University of Geneva, he was offered a directorship at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany. Nigg couldn't turn down the sheer power of Max Plank's instrumentation and financial support, which over the past decade has enabled him to study cell division using both cell biology and proteomics.

Nigg plans to use his varied experience to help young Biozentrum faculty members achieve their career goals. The Biozentrum had a common complaint — a generation gap had opened up when the original scientific leaders retired, says Susan Gasser, director of the Novartis-funded Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI) in Basel. She helped convince Nigg that the region was developing into a strong biosciences hub. “Erich's recruitment demonstrates that Switzerland is able to attract back top scientists who took leadership positions in other countries,” she says.