An inspiring story on resiliance I am a microbiologist and immunologist, and ever since a young age have always had a passion for discovery. I have known I wanted to be an academic since my undergraduate degree, thus completing a PhD is just the next step on my journey towards achieving that goal. I investigate the host-pathogen interactions of Salmonella enterica and its infection of, and survival within, macrophages. Salmonella is a bacteria that reproduces in the stomach epithelium and is able to survive within macrophages, an immune cell that engulfs pathogens. More specifically, I investigate the interaction between the bacteria and a particular protein that mediates the engulfing process to explore whether a relationship between the two has effects on long term bacterial survival.
When you start a PhD you are told that throughout your studies you will become more resilient. And indeed, one could argue that a PhD is just a series of difficult moments that last for a number of years until you pass, and that may be true. However, I believe I have a strong case for one of the toughest PhD journeys out there — and I hope my story can inspire anyone who’s struggling. Because if I could make it through, then trust me, so can you.
and to reshape my project into what it has become today. I had also joined the lab at a difficult time, as they recently mourned the loss of the incredible Prof. Stefania Spanò. I only had the pleasure of meeting her a single time, during my PhD interview, but since then I have continued to learn of her incredible knowledge and passion for Salmonella science.
In my 3rd year, at the age of 26 I was diagnosed with a Stage IV cancer that had metastasised. Let me tell you, when you go and get a CT scan thinking you have a back condition but finding out you have cancer it makes for quite a day. After 3 months of living in an oncology unit and after some surgery later, I can happily report that I am fully in remission, but it is a time of my life I will never forget. I would say that my mind is one of my best features, and whilst I was expecting my body to fail me, I was not expecting the significant impact it would have on my ability to put together a coherent thought – I could barely think about watching an episode of Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Hell’s Kitchen’, let alone complex protein-protein interactions during an infection. That period of time certainly changed my outlook on life as a whole, not just my PhD. I used to be the sort of person who would get incredibly stressed when experiments were not going my way such as when there was contamination in the cell culture or when there were large error bars between experiments. But compared to having cancer, that is all so trivial. It isn’t that I stopped caring, my academic career remains everything to me, but that doesn’t mean that it has to consume everything else I care about.
In 2024, as I returned to the lab, the news broke that my PhD supervisor, and husband of Prof. Spanò, Dr. Massimiliano Baldassare, had also passed away. He was the perfect supervisor for me; supportive and funny, but strong and driven and I finish my PhD now in his memory. I would not be the scientist I am today without him.
Once my PhD is over, I begin the next stages of my academic journey, the exciting but also nerve-wracking time being a postdoc. Where? I don’t know, but that is one of the joys of science – the world truly is my oyster. After my PhD I know I am ready to face any challenge, and one day I hope to have my own research group to help guide the next generation of scientists through their own academic journeys.
About the contributor
Daniel Underwood is a microbiologist and immunologist, researching the host-pathogen interactions of Salmonella enterica and its survival within macrophages. He hosts the Innately Science Podcast.
The original pages
As published in Issue 1: A World of Possibility. Click any page to view it full size.
First published in Issue 1: A World of Possibility, the Innately Science newspaper.