Submitted by J. Hudson on Tue, 03/10/2023 - 14:40
Well done to Etienne and Marina for receiving their recent awards in September's Research Afternoon at the Department of Veterinary Medicine. Etienne's Blitz Talk was about 'Population Genetics and Mutant Library Analysis to Understand the Pathogenesis of Streptococcus Canis'. Etienne's Blitz Talk was up against six other speakers at the research afternoon and was voted the best talk by the people in the room. Also a winner at the research afternoon was Marina Papaiakovou whose poster won the poster competition.
Marina said "I am delighted and honoured to have won the Best Poster Prize at the Research Afternoon! It is a huge recognition and very much appreciated now that I am heading towards the 3rd year of my PhD. My PhD focuses on understanding the genetic variation (as SNPs, or single nucleotide polymorphisms) in mitochondrial and nuclear diagnostics targets of intestinal parasitic worms. The worms (soil-transmitted helminths or STHs) I am studying affect 1.4 billion people worldwide and the molecular diagnostics we have been using for ~15 years are poorly evaluated in terms of efficacy, particularly across geographies. Any detected variation that leads to reduced PCR efficiency and false negative results can greatly impact the surveillance of these infections. My work would not be possible without support from the Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme, all my fantastic supervisors and a huge network of collaborators I have built over the years working in this field."
Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Blitz Talks and the Poster Competition - we look forward to the next Research Afternoon in the near future!