PhD candidate seeks to develop first clinically approved antifungal vaccine - UMass Medical School

By Hallie Leo and Kaylee Pugliese

UMass Chan Medical School Communications

Maureen Hester, a PhD campaigner successful the immunology and microbiology program of the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, got an undergraduate internship successful a UMass Chan laboratory done bold means: acold emailing. While a elder majoring successful biology and biotechnology astatine Worcester Polytechnic University, she contacted Stuart M. Levitz, MD, prof of medicine, and helium responded to her email.

“After moving successful his lab, I fell successful emotion with fungal immunology,” said Hester “I stayed connected arsenic a technician. Then, they couldn’t get escaped of me, and I stayed for my PhD.”

Prior to uncovering her footing astatine UMass Chan, she weathered twists and turns passim her undergraduate career—starting astatine a assemblage that she had to permission owed to underperformance, excelling astatine Quinsigamond Community College and transferring to WPI, wherever her grades began to gaffe again.

“I was giving up connected assemblage and my ma said, ‘Alright, we’ve got to bash something. Something’s not right.’ The doc realized I had ADHD and depression. With medicine and therapy, each the achromatic sound successful my caput was gone. I finished assemblage astatine 27 years old,” Hester said.

Fungal diseases termination astir 1.7 cardinal radical annually, but determination are nary licensed antifungal vaccines. Hester’s probe explores fungal immunology, moving with vaccines to people Cryptococcus neoformans, a fungal pathogen that tin origin pneumonia and yet advancement to meningitis.

“Cryptococcus is thing astir radical respire successful regularly; it’s lone truly a occupation if you’re immunocompromised,” said Hester. “It's liable for astir 20 percent of AIDS-related deaths each year. It's important to make a vaccine that works for objective trials.”

Hester, who defends her thesis this period portion readying her January wedding, plans to enactment connected astatine UMass Chan arsenic a postdoctoral researcher portion searching for vocation opportunities successful seat science.

The Student Spotlight bid features UMass Chan Medical School students successful the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing and T.H. Chan School of Medicine. For much accusation astir UMass Chan Medical School and however to apply, sojourn the Prospective Students page.

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