Well done to Klara Stark and Chalita Chomkatekaew for receiving their recent awards in September's Research Afternoon at the Department of Veterinary Medicine. Klara's Blitz Talk was about 'Host specificity of the human whipworm Trichuris trichiura is determined by the host microbiome'. Klara's Blitz Talk was up against five 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 Chalita Chomkatekaew whose poster titled 'Long-term survival and adaptive strategies of Burkholderia pseudomallei in distilled water:insights from a 28-year study' won the coveted poster competition.
Chalita said “It is my absolute honour to have received the Best Poster Prize at the Research Afternoon hosted by the Department of Veterinary Medicine. This recognition is extremely meaningful to me as I begin the second year of my PhD journey, reinforcing my passion and determination to delve deeper into my research. My PhD focuses on investigating the evolutionary dynamics of Burkholderia pseudomallei across different ecological niches, including the nutrient-stress environments. This bacterium is the causative agent of melioidosis, a neglected deadly infectious disease that poses a serious public health burden, especially in tropical regions like Southeast Asia. I aim to shed light on how B. pseudomallei adapts and thrives through genomic and metagenomic studies, contributing to its persistence and pathogenicity. A better understanding of B. pseudomallei evolution and adaptive strategies in its ecological niches will allow us to inform public health strategies and improve the lives of others, particularly in endemic areas. My work would not be possible without the invaluable support of the Prince Mahidol PhD studentship, my outstanding supervisors, Prof Julian Parkhill and Dr Claire Chewapreecha, and the collaborative network I am fortunate to work with”.
Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Blitz Talks and the Poster Competition - we look forward to the next Research Afternoon.