The Project:
My name Is Ed, and I received a £5000 award to support my ongoing research concerning respiratory infections in intubated patients. As some cancers and cancer treatments can weaken your immune system, patients are more susceptible to infections. A common cause of infections in both critical-care and home-care cancer patients is the presence of indwelling tubing such as tracheostomy and endotracheal tubing. When inserted, tracheal tubing is quickly colonised by both your normal, healthy microorganisms, but also potential pathogens that can cause disease. Overgrowth of microorganisms can result in pathogens moving from the trachea, deeper into the respiratory tract resulting in pneumonias. Respiratory tract infections are the most common in cancer patients and are attributable to the highest mortality. My research investigates how the microorganisms interact with host factors (substances originating from the human body) such as blood, and mucus, and how these can enhance or diminish infection. We test and develop strategies to keep the tubing clean of both potential pathogens, as well as host factors to keep the risk of infection as low as possible. Our current strategy has been proven successfully in laboratory conditions and is now progressing to a clinical trial in Kent hospitals.
About Me:
I completed my undergraduate degree at The University of Manchester studying microbiology. Remaining at Manchester I completed my master’s research, investigating how different pathogens interact with each other in the lungs. During the COVID-19 pandemic I took a break from academia and worked for a year as a technician for a large company that designs cutting-edge diagnostic tests for a broad range of cancers. When the world returned to normal, I returned to academia to begin my PhD studies at The University of Kent under Professor Campbell Gourlay working on my current research project.
Kent Cancer Trust Support:
As I near the end of my PhD, funding is tight, and we have to prioritise key experiments. Thanks to Kent Cancer Trust, we’ve been able to run critical tests we otherwise couldn’t afford, including a deep genetic analysis of our infection model. This has given us valuable insights into pathogen behaviour and potential new treatment targets—progress that wouldn’t have been possible without Kent Cancer Trust’s support.