My name is Keira and I am excited to start my PhD in Infectious Biology at MFIG. I was at UOM for my undergraduate degree, where I was lucky to complete an integrated Masters research project with MFIG. My Masters research involved investigating the interactions between respiratory fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus and the respiratory epithelia, specifically in regards to anti-fungal resistance emergence. This work involved strenuous iterative refinement of novel methodology, and uncovered interesting evidence regarding host-pathogen interaction and resistance.

My PhD is funded by the Humane Research Trust with the ultimate goal of alleviating reliance on, and use of animal models in infectious disease research. Supervised by Dr Margherita Bertuzzi and Dr Raveen Tank, and with the support of the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, we will develop a first-in-field animal-free microfluidic technology. We will then use this model to investigate molecular events during Aspergillus fumigatus infection, clearance, and colonisation of respiratory epithelium and validate its clinical applicability. I look forward to continuing my contribution to important research, and am blessed to be able to do it at MFIG in my home town.

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