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What do you examine in your thesis?

"I studied the interaction between Lactobacillus strains of bacteria – generally considered safe, beneficial bacteria that make up a part of the normal gut microflora – and Helicobacter pylori, a pathogenic bacterium that is the strongest known risk factor for gastric cancer in humans.

The overarching goal of my thesis was to examine the potential of lactobacilli to counter an H. pylori infection, either by affecting H. pylori virulence factors that contribute to successful colonization of the host, or by influencing host immune responses to reduce inflammatory responses and contribute to clearance of the pathogen."

What do you hope your research can lead to?

"Antibiotic resistance to conventional therapeutic treatments against H. pylori infection that are currently still widely in use is growing at an alarming rate, particularly in the past ten or so years. This has also prompted the WHO to list antibiotic-resistant H. pylori research as high-priority. My hope with the findings of this thesis is that it leads to the development of novel therapeutic agents against H. pylori that use lactobacilli either on their own or in combination with other treatments, such that there is improved efficacy and higher rates of successful clearance of the pathogen from the human host."

What will you do after the defense?

"I’m excited to move on to the next chapter and take what I’ve learned during the PhD and apply it to research and development in the pharmaceutical industry! I look forward to perhaps being on the other side of research where I can apply scientific findings to drug development that can battle global infections and contribute to the fight against cancer."