Meet FEMS Grantee Iraia Ladero
29-01-21
Research and Training Grants assist early career scientists in pursuing research and training at a European host institution in a country other than their own country of residence
Iraia Ladero, Neiker -Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Spain
Host supervisor and host laboratory: Professor Dirk Werling, Molecular Immunology Royal Veterinary College (RVC), Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Period in host laboratory: 02 September to 03 December 2019
Member Society: Spanish Society for Microbiology
My PhD Thesis is focused on developing novel vaccines using the rabbit infection model to combat bovine paratuberculosis. As means to obtain information about how these vaccines are affecting the innate immune response ex vivo assays have been developed for the study of immune cells. In order to broaden my knowledge on immunology, I looked for a prestigious Institution with specialists in Veterinary Immunology, like Dr.Werling who is a professor in Molecular Immunology at The Royal Veterinary College. After first contact we found synergies between both research groups and the possibility of accomplishing the present project work. The Royal Veterinary College has an experimental livestock farm for research which permits access to bovine samples. This was important for my PhD to validate neutrophil techniques with bovine cells for the development of the PTB rabbit model. In the Royal Veterinary College, under the supervision of Professor Dirk Werling, and the collaboration of the rest of the group, an ex vivo assay was designed to study Neutrophils’ interaction with macrophages during mycobacterial infection.
I needed funding support for my stay at the Royal Veterinary College. In addition, being awarded with this grant is a privilege and a prestigious complement to my curriculum vitae. I wanted to experience working abroad in another lab, learning new methods, practising English and meeting new scientists. It was a total success, I had a very good time at the RVC, meeting new people and learning new ways of working. The atmosphere was multicultural and inspiring, and I even made new friends.’’