My name is Maria, and I am a PhD student based at Lancaster University and Queen’s University Belfast. I graduated with an MSci in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Glasgow, where from early on I developed a strong interest in microbiology—particularly in pathogens linked to respiratory diseases. My current project focuses on developing an Airway-On-Chip (AoC) model to study respiratory infections across different age groups, with a particular focus on the increased susceptibility observed in young children and older adults. Specifically, my research examines the interactions between Streptococcus pneumoniae and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), two major respiratory pathogens.
This PhD has a deep personal connection for me, as pneumonia continues to be a widespread and serious health issue among children and the elderly in both Guatemala, where I was born, and Panama, where I grew up. Under the supervision of Dr. Caroline Weight and Dr. Alexandre Benedetto at Lancaster University, and Professor Ultan Power at Queen’s University Belfast, my work aims to utilise AoC technology to improve our understanding of how ageing influences bacterial-viral co-infections in vulnerable populations