All posts by Anna Holmström

PhD student networking opportunity in Germany 6 December 2018

Our international collaborator, the Helmholtz Graduate School for Infection Research (GS-FIRE) in Braunschweig, Germany, is inviting NDPIA PhD students to the GS-FIRE 11th international PhD symposium 6 December 2018 in Braunschweig – the symposium and accommodation in Germany 5-7 December are free of charge.

German PhD students and Master students in Life Science and related disciplines are invited to the symposium. At the symposium participants will present their research either via a poster or via an oral presentation (if selected) and there will be many opportunities for networking.

Registration deadline for NDPIA PhD students – 22 October 2018

The first four NDPIA PhD students who apply to the event will be admitted and can apply for a maximum of 3 500 SEK for NDPIA co-funding of travel costs (see below). Airports in Hannover or Berlin are the best options for reaching Braunschweig.

Admitted NDPIA PhD students are strongly encouraged to promote NDPIA at the symposium (link to NDPIA promotion material) and will be asked to provide a short summary of their learning outcomes for publication at NDPIA web site (link to a previous summary).

If you want to participate in the retreat, please send an e-mail to hzigrad.school@helmholtz-hzi.de by 22 October at the latest and you will receive additional information and an abstract form to fill out.

If you are admitted to the retreat, please send an e-mail to anna.holmstrom@umu.se to apply for NDPIA co-funding of travel costs to participate in the activity (co-funding will be paid after the retreat has taken place but please send the request upon admittance).

Urgent to register for the NDPIA/IBA course on Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance, 26-30 November 2018!

To facilitate the organization of the unique and intensive NDPIA/IBA course on “Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance” 26-30 November, 2018, at Hjortviken Konferens outside Gothenburg, all interested NDPIA and IBA members are urged to register as soon as possible (and by 20 September at the very latest).

The course features lectures by internationally leading scientists, opportunities for participants to present research in poster walks and ample time for networking. Scientific lectures describing antibiotic resistance from other perspectives focusing on ethics, public awareness and media are also included.

Link to additional information and how to register

International networking for NDPIA members at symposium in Belfast

The Young Microbiologists Symposium (YMS) on Microbe Signalling, Organisation and Pathogenesis took place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, 27-28 August. NDPIA postdoc Enrique Joffré (Karolinska Institutet) participated in the event together with PhD students Danna Lee (Uppsala University) and Carlos Núñez Otero (Umeå University) in order to increase their understanding of the topic at hand and to network with peers and cutting edge researchers.

Enrique Joffré (in the photo): “The YMS2018 held in Queen´s University Belfast was a very fruitful and fun experience. I enjoyed building connections with other young researchers, being exposed to new ideas and getting feedback from well-known scientists in a very friendly environment. I noticed the effort of the organizers and speakers to recognize the important role of young scientist nowadays, which was very inspiring. The highlight of the conference, besides de scientific part, of course, was the social dinner and Irish céilí dance. Almost everybody participated, which was very entertaining. I would like to thank NDPIA for the financial support”.

1.5 ECTS NDPIA course on “Protein structure and structure-based drug design” in Lund 15-18 January 2019

A 1,5 ECTS NDPIA course on protein structure and structure-based drug design will be held in Lund 190115-18 and will feature lectures and hands-on tutorials on: Protein structure / Sequence & structural databases / Structure in drug discovery / Internet tools for drug discovery / Ligand docking and screening. There will also be time for networking.

Link to additional information and registration

Registration deadline – 3 December, 2018

Thesis defence by Pedro Lopes (UmU) on “Candida albicans adaption to host microenvironments drives immune evasion”, 5 October 2018

Pedro Lopes (Umeå University, Dept. of Clinical Microbiology) will defend his thesis entitled " Candida albicans adaption to host microenvironments drives immune evasion" 5 October 2018 at 9 a.m. Venue: Major Groove, Building 6L, Norrlands Universitetssjukhus.

Opponent: Professor Allistair Brown, Aberdeen Fungal Group, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK.

Immunosuppressed patients are frequently afflicted with severe mycoses caused by opportunistic fungal pathogens. Besides being a commensal colonizing predominantly skin and mucosal surfaces, Candida albicans is the most common human fungal pathogen. Mast cells are present in tissues prone to fungal colonization being expectedly among the first immune cells to get into contact with C. albicans. Here we describe how mast cells acted as tissue sentinels and modulated initial antifungal immune responses. Mast cells response was able to reduce fungal viability and signaled for neutrophil infiltration to the tissue.

Continue reading Thesis defence by Pedro Lopes (UmU) on “Candida albicans adaption to host microenvironments drives immune evasion”, 5 October 2018