Photo Alexis Bento Luis
Why can’t humans regrow their legs after they are lost? While this question may seem crazy, many species with legs can regrow them! We study salamanders, which have legs that are made up of similar parts (bone, muscle, skin) but remarkably they can regenerate an entire leg after injury. We know that after injury in salamanders, the immune system, which is important for protecting us from infections, is required for regeneration.
We are working to understand the immune system of salamanders and how it differs from the human immune system. In recent years, this work has become more possible as there has been huge gains in the technologies that allow us to study the salamander immune system in the same detail as the human immune system. Our long-term goal is to try to understand what is required from immune system in salamanders so that we can design so called immunotherapies (treatments that modify how the immune system behaves) to promote regeneration after injury in humans.
Interests: I enjoy playing sports, and even though most of my active career is behind me, I still try to find time to enjoy playing a football or basketball match now and then. I also love hiking, but the best thing I know is searching for antlers that, for example, wild deer have naturally shed. This is because antlers grow through regeneration, just like salamander limbs, but antlers are the most extreme form of regeneration in mammals!
Other: I am constantly searching for the world’s best tomato!
We have the difficult task of increasing access to the academic path while protecting academia from external actors with potentially harmful intentions. I want to strengthen the bond between the academic world and society at large, and work to eliminate the so-called “Ivory tower” feeling and the perception of elitism within the academic world.
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