{"id":2051,"date":"2025-10-06T09:53:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T08:53:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/mfig\/?p=2051"},"modified":"2025-10-06T09:53:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T08:53:03","slug":"meet-the-phd-student-thomas-easter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/mfig\/2025\/10\/06\/meet-the-phd-student-thomas-easter\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the PhD Student: Thomas Easter"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”on” next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ specialty_columns=”2″][et_pb_row_inner locked=”off”][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_post_title _builder_version=”3.0.106″ title=”on” meta=”on” author=”on” date=”on” categories=”on” comments=”on” featured_image=”on” featured_placement=”above” text_color=”dark” text_background=”off” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” \/][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_layout=”light” parent_locked=”off”]<\/p>\n

Hi I’m Thomas, and I’m currently doing a PhD in medical mycology. After moving to Manchester from Exeter for my undergraduate degree in medical biochemistry, I joined MFIG to carry out my integrated masters project in October 2022. Here, I studied the interactions of Mucorales spores with alveolar epithelial spores under the supervision of Dr Margherita Bertuzzi. Following this, I remained at MFIG as a research technician, where I primarily worked under Dr Norman van Rhijn studying the growth of different\u00a0Aspergillus<\/i>\u00a0species in soil.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
In 2024, I was awarded an MRC-DTP CASE scholarship. For my four year project, I am returning to work with Mucorales with supervision from Dr Bertuzzi and Dr van Rhijn. I’ll be aiming expand the work I started in my master’s project and deepen our understanding of how the spores of different Mucorales species interact with the airway epithelium. To this end, I’ll also be aiming to improve the available genetic tools to study Mucorales. Additionally, I’ll be working with my CASE partner PiQ to develop mucormycosis diagnostics that can be applied to the environment and the clinic. I’m excited to continue the work I started two years ago, and I hope my work can\u00a0contribute to the deciphering the mechanisms of mucormycosis pathogenesis.<\/div>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_nav _builder_version=”3.0.106″ in_same_term=”off” show_prev=”on” show_next=”on” prev_text=”Previous” next_text=”Next” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” \/][et_pb_comments _builder_version=”3.0.106″ show_avatar=”on” show_reply=”on” show_count=”on” background_layout=”light” header_font_size_tablet=”51″ header_line_height_tablet=”2″ custom_button=”on” button_icon_placement=”right” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_use_icon=”off” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_size__hover=”null” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover=”null” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover=”null” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover=”null” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover=”null” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover=”null” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover=”null” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover=”null” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover=”null” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover=”null” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover=”null” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover=”null” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover=”null” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover=”null” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover=”null” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover=”null” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover=”null” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover=”null” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Related posts” _builder_version=”3.0.106″ background_layout=”light” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off”]<\/p>\n

Related<\/h1>\n

Related posts:<\/h3>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

Meet the team: Charlotte Jones<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a>
<\/div>

Meet the PhD student: Dr Luthvia Annisa<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a>
<\/div>

Meet the PhD student: Dr Felix Bongomin<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_sidebar _builder_version=”3.0.106″ area=”sidebar-1″ orientation=”left” show_border=”off” background_layout=”light” locked=”on” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” fullwidth=”on” next_background_color=”#000000″ prev_background_color=”#000000″ global_module=”322″][et_pb_fullwidth_menu global_parent=”322″ _builder_version=”3.0.106″ menu_id=”7″ submenu_direction=”downwards” fullwidth_menu=”off” background_layout=”dark” module_class=”main-navigation” \/][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”on” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#1d1d1d”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ specialty_columns=”2″][et_pb_row_inner locked=”off”][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_post_title _builder_version=”3.0.106″ title=”on” meta=”on” author=”on” date=”on” categories=”on” comments=”on” featured_image=”on” featured_placement=”above” text_color=”dark” text_background=”off” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” \/][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_layout=”light” parent_locked=”off”]<\/p>\n

\nWe are delighted to announce that Manchester University lecturer Dr Margherita Bertuzzi has been awarded a New Investigator Research Grant by the Medical Research Council (MRC) to study Aspergillus fumigatus<\/em>-epithelial interactions, how these influence immune responses and how they are dysregulated in disease.<\/p>\n

Airborne spores of the most prominent fungal pathogen of human lungs, Aspergillus fumigatus<\/em>, are a major component of the air we breathe and are responsible for more than 3 million chronic infections and initiate over 200,000 invasive diseases annually worldwide. Some groups of severely immunocompromised patients, such as those undergoing bone marrow transplants, have just a 10% survival rate once a fungal infection is contracted.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemarkably, while fungal diseases cause more deaths annually than tuberculosis or malaria, we still lack effective drugs to treat many of these infections,\u201d said Dr Bertuzzi, who is principal investigator of the three-year project. \u201cObtaining first-in-field insights into the mechanistic basis of the antifungal potency of the airway epithelium will open avenues for the development of novel immunomodulatory therapeutic strategies to facilitate treatment of lung diseases caused by Aspergillus fumigatus<\/em> and other respiratory pathogens.\u201d<\/p>\n

The New Investigator Research Grant is a competitive award aimed at researchers who are in the process of becoming independent Principal Investigators. The award will support Dr Bertuzzi\u2019s research which focuses on the epithelial interactions with inhaled respiratory pathogens and the role of these events in health and disease; how these interactions affect communication with other components of human immune and inflammatory cascades, and the technical know-how to translate this knowledge into human benefit.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_nav _builder_version=”3.0.106″ in_same_term=”off” show_prev=”on” show_next=”on” prev_text=”Previous” next_text=”Next” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” \/][et_pb_comments _builder_version=”3.0.106″ show_avatar=”on” show_reply=”on” show_count=”on” background_layout=”light” header_font_size_tablet=”51″ header_line_height_tablet=”2″ custom_button=”on” button_icon_placement=”right” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_use_icon=”off” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_size__hover=”null” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover=”null” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover=”null” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover=”null” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover=”null” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover=”null” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover=”null” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover=”null” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover=”null” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover=”null” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover=”null” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover=”null” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover=”null” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover=”null” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover=”null” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover=”null” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover=”null” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover=”null” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Related posts” _builder_version=”3.0.106″ background_layout=”light” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off”]<\/p>\n

Related<\/h1>\n

Related posts:<\/h3>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

Meet the team: Charlotte Jones<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a>
<\/div>

Meet the PhD student: Dr Luthvia Annisa<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a>
<\/div>

Meet the PhD student: Dr Felix Bongomin<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_sidebar _builder_version=”3.0.106″ area=”sidebar-1″ orientation=”left” show_border=”off” background_layout=”light” locked=”on” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Connect Title” module_class=”footer-section” _builder_version=”3.0.90″ background_color=”#1d1d1d” custom_padding=”0px||0px|” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” global_module=”380″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” global_parent=”380″ parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” parallax_method_3=”off” module_id=”footer-row” _builder_version=”3.0.89″ locked=”off”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Contact Us Title” global_parent=”380″ _builder_version=”3.0.74″ text_text_color=”#ffffff” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark”]<\/p>\n

Contact Us<\/h4>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Contact Us” global_parent=”380″ module_class=”contact-us” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ text_text_color=”#aaaaaa” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off”]<\/p>\n

Prof Mike Bromley (Centre Director)<\/strong>
Email: mike.bromley@manchester.ac.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr Margherita Bertuzzi
<\/strong>Email:\u00a0margherita.bertuzzi@manchester.ac.uk<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Find Us Title” global_parent=”380″ _builder_version=”3.0.74″ text_text_color=”#ffffff” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark”]<\/p>\n

Find Us<\/h4>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Address” global_parent=”380″ module_id=”address” _builder_version=”3.0.87″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n

The University of Manchester
Oxford Rd
Manchester
M13 9PL
UK<\/a><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Connect Title” global_parent=”380″ _builder_version=”3.0.74″ text_text_color=”#ffffff” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark”]<\/p>\n

Connect With Us<\/h4>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code admin_label=”Social Media” global_parent=”380″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n