Harry Taylor - Emerging tick-borne viruses: Unravelling Infection Mechanisms in host and tick cells
Joint studentship with the School of Biosciences (University of Surrey) and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
What do you enjoy most about your PhD?
What I love most about my PhD is having the freedom to drive my own discoveries piecing together how viruses interact with their hosts and uncovering new insights with every experiment. I get to mix lab work with bioinformatics, which keeps things interesting, and there's something really satisfying about seeing my data come together. I also enjoy the problem-solving aspects when things don't work, it's a challenge to figure out why! Plus, being part of a research community, sharing ideas, and learning from others makes the journey very rewarding.
Could you share details of the journey that led to your PhD, including any experiences (professional, personal or educational) that have helped shape that path?
Understanding how these pathogens hijack cells to drive disease fascinated me, ultimately leading me to pursue a PhD in this field.
After earning my BSc in Microbiology, I was eager to work with viruses but unsure in what capacity. To gain hands-on experience, I worked in industry, moving across sectors from Dstl to APHA and later Liphook Equine Hospital, mainly focusing on diagnostics. However, I realised that diagnostic work wasn't my passion and I wanted to conduct my own research and contribute to new discoveries. This led me to explore PhD opportunities. My interest in haemorrhagic fevers began when I first learned about Ebola, and I've always been drawn to highly virulent viruses. Understanding how these pathogens hijack cells to drive disease fascinated me, ultimately leading me to pursue a PhD in this field.
Supervisors
- Dr Marine J. Petit (University of Surrey)
- Dr Yashwanth Subbannayya (University of Surrey)
- Dr Sophie Smither (Dstl)
- Dr Steve Lever (Dstl)
Understanding Disease Spread Wessex One Health Doctoral Landscape Programme