Tara Wagner-Gamble

E.P. Abraham Scholarship

Joining us from:  Scotland & Germany

DPhil Clinical Medicine (2024)

Prior to starting this DPhil, I worked as a research assistant at King’s College London on a project investigating the role of the lectin complement pathway in SARS-CoV-2 epithelial infection and pathogenesis. In 2021, I completed a BSc (Hons) in Immunology at the University of Edinburgh, followed by an MSc in Medical Microbiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2022. My MSc thesis focused on investigating SARS-CoV-2 shedding dynamics and evaluating a novel, low-cost variant-calling assay.

My DPhil provides an incredible interdisciplinary opportunity for me to expand my host- and microbe-centric views of infectious disease and look at infectious disease dynamics at a macro population level. I have a particular interest in infectious disease surveillance and response capacity building in low resource settings and mitigating the impacts of environmental changes.

The overall aim of my DPhil project is to analyse the spatial trends of infectious diseases and febrile syndromes in rural villages of South and Southeast Asia. I seek to identify the environmental and demographic factors that contribute to the formation of clusters, outbreaks, and variance between sites, to ultimately inform targeted and cost-effective surveillance and response.

The E.P. Abraham Scholarship has provided me with an incredible opportunity and the means to expand my knowledge and understanding of infectious disease dynamics, as well as to develop a range of skills that will have an invaluable impact on my career — all while conducting translational research as part of my DPhil.

Although I am based abroad at the Mahidol Oxford Medical Research Unit in Bangkok, visiting the college is always an enjoyable and welcoming experience. I look forward to visiting and integrating myself into college life over the course of my degree