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Dr Tatenda Murangi has volunteered to help create pre-course modules late this year and he is therefore our last Ambassador of the Month for 2023. Tatenda recently started a position as a post-doctoral fellow at Trinity College Dublin as part of Professor Fallon’s translational immunology group. His move to Ireland comes after the completion of his PhD in Clinical Science and Immunology at the University of Cape Town. Tatenda was a part of the Division of Immunology in the Department of Pathology. During his studies he worked in the prestigious Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine Institute (IDM) and was supervised by Professor Michael Levin and Professor William Horsnell as well as collaborator Professor Franco H Falcone in Germany.
What drew you to the field of immunology?
I have always been a curious person and one of the things that have been of great interest has been the need to understand how and why people get sick. Since the immune system is our defence against pathogens, that interest coupled with how immunology was taught to me made the pursuit of immunology as a career such a viable option.
Care to give us a brief into what your project entails?
My PhD built on the foundation laid by my undergraduate studies in which I majored in Tropical Disease Biology. As such I interrogated the role of parasite exposure in the development of alpha-gal sensitization. Alpha-gal allergy, also known as red meat allergy, is an allergic condition in which affected individuals mount an immune response towards anything that has alpha-gal i.e. food products and/or pharmaceutical products from a mammalian source. The results from my PhD led to a novel discovery on the presence of alpha-gal in two local South African tick species (Amblyomma hebraeum and Rhipicephalus evertsi) and the helminth Ascaris lumbricoides. We also established a correlation between antibodies to these parasites and an increase in antibodies against alpha-gal.
How did you initially hear about Immunopaedia?
My first encounter with Immunopaedia was through the University of Cape Town division of Immunology webpage. From there I went to the Immunopaedia site where I signed up for the newsletter. Immunopaedia has been a valuable resource which allows me to refresh my immunology knowledge and keep up to date with the latest developments in the field.
What sparked your interest in becoming an Immunopaedia ambassador?
The need to be a part of something bigger than myself prompted me to be an Immunopaedia ambassador. Immunology training is essential in the development of better health platforms if global health goals are to be attained. As an Immunopaedia ambassador I get to be a part of this growing body of researchers and clinicians positively impacting the world.
What difference do you feel Immunopaedia has made in your educational and scientific journey so far?
Immunopaedia made it easy for me to re-visit and augment my current understanding of immunology through their online courses. The way the course material was presented made immunology less intimidating which is always a plus.
As someone who has just finished their PhD, what advice do you have for incoming PhD students and those in the middle of things?
It is okay not to have all the answers. It is only when you admit that you do not know that you open yourself up to being taught and can learn from those with more experience. The acquisition of knowledge is a marathon and not a sprint.
If you were not in science, what else would you see yourself doing?
I would have loved to be a Creative Director.
What are the top three highlights in Cape Town that you feel everyone else should get to experience?
- Going out for some top-notch ice cream at Tapi Tapi, you will never regret this.
- Destressing by going on a drive along Signal Hill, best spot for watching sunsets and sunrises.
- Hiking is essential, start off with Lion’s Head, it’s the easiest.
Watch Tatenda’s Day of Immunology Video from 2022 – Tatenda Murangi – South Africa
