August 2021
Our Ambassador of the month (August) is Dana Manuela Savulescu, medical writer for Bioforum. Dana has conducted multiple interviews on behalf of Immunopeadia and also updated some of our MCQs.
Research interests: immunology of pregnancy, development of the immune system in infants, the relationship between the endocrine and immune systems, HLA antibodies, immune tolerance
Recent publications:
- M Suchard, C Adu-Gyamfi, BM Cumming, Savulescu. Evolutionary views of Tuberculosis: indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase catalysed nicotinamide synthesis reflects shifts in macrophage metabolism. BioEssays 2020: 42, 1900220.
- D Savulescu, V Duxbury, K Scheuemaier, S Malfeld, A Koen, S Jones, M Groome, S Madhi, C Cutland, M Suchard. The prevalence of HLA antibodies during pregnancy and in new-born babies. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology 2020: 84:e13264.
- CG Adu-Gyamfi, D Savulescu, JA George, M Suchard. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO)-mediated tryptophan catabolism: leading star or supporting act in TB and HIV pas-de-deux? Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 2019: 9:372.
Why I love immunology: Immunology fascinates me because the immune system has a major role in our overall function, controlling and taking part in so many aspects of the human body! I started my journey as an immunologist after having completed a PhD in molecular and cellular endocrinology of the reproductive axis. I am very interested in the relationship between the immune and the endocrine systems, especially in the context of human reproduction.
I am also fascinated by the evolutionary and philosophical aspects of immunology – why and how did the immune system evolve the way it did, with both innate and adaptive functions, and with its multiple cell types and immune reactions? Also – what is its core role – is it to protect us from infections or rather to prevent us from attacking our “self”; is it to enable us to fight invaders or to make us tolerant, and (philosophically speaking) what is the actual difference between the two?
If I wasn’t an immunologist I would be: An endocrinologist specializing in human reproduction and/or a science journalist.
Tips for young people who want to enter the field of immunology: First thing is – welcome to this fascinating field! Always remember not to take the textbooks as the absolute truth – our knowledge of immunology is constantly evolving.
Also, remember that although we, researchers, categorize immune cells into different types (M1/M2 macrophages, regulatory T cells, etc’), what happens in vivo is probably much more complex than that – cells might be able to transition from one “type” to another and secrete different types of molecules, depending on the context, etc’. In other words, cells don’t know that they are Tregs/M2s, etc’ 😉
And lastly, don’t forget to always keep the big picture in mind, i.e., always ask yourselves – what is the significance of my research questions and findings in the context of the development and evolution of the immune system?
What being an Immunopaedia Ambassador means to me: Immunopaedia is a great platform for sharing my love for immunology and promoting the field.
How I have contributed to Immunopaedia so far: I have composed MCQ for the Autoimmune and Tolerance special focus; I have interviewedDr Nashied Peton, Professor Monika Esser, Dr Heena Ranchod and Professor Caroline Tiemessen for Immunopaedia; I have re-posted several Immunopaedia Breaking News articles on the South African Immunology Society (SAIS) LinkedIn page, which I manage; during the Covid-19 pandemic, I have edited short Immunopaedia Breaking News articles on Covid-19 written by fellow Immunopaedia members and helped build a list of new Covid-19 studies for Immunopaedia members.
You can get in touch with me by: LinkedIn.