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Our ambassador of the month is Dana Manuela Savulescu, she is a Medical Scientist at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa. Thank you Dana for contributing to Immunopaedia.
Name: Dana Manuela Savulescu
Position: Medical Scientist
Research Institute: Centre for Vaccines and Immunology (CVI), National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa
Research interests: Immunology of pregnancy, development of the immune system in infants, the relationship between the endocrine and immune systems, HLA antibodies, immune tolerance.
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’m very interested in the relationship between the immune and the endocrine systems, especially in the context of human reproduction.
I’m 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 – and I find this so important – remember that we, researchers, are the ones who categorize immune cells into different types (M1/M2 macrophages, regulatory T cells, etc’), but 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 your research questions and findings would mean from an evolution and development of the immune system point of view.
What being an Immunopaedia Ambassador means to me: It’s a great platform for sharing my love for immunology and promoting the field, as well as finding out about the work of other immunologists across the world.
How I have contributed to Immunopaedia so far: I have composed MCQs for the Autoimmune and Tolerance special focus; I have interviewed Dr Nashied Peton ; I have re-posted several Immunopaedia articles on the South African Immunology Society (SAIS) and Federation of African Immunological Societies (FAIS) LinkedIn pages, which I manage; I have promoted Immunopaedia in my institute, having uploaded the link to its website on CVI’s website.
How can you get in touch with me ? LinkedIn: Dana Savulescu
