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Claire Wheeler, a PhD student at the University of Hertfordshire, was recently awarded the Don Whitley Scientific (DWS) Travel Grant. Claire used the award to attend the 8th International C. difficile Symposium (ICDS) in Slovenia.
Here is what Claire had to say about her research and experience in Slovenia:
“My name is Claire Wheeler, and I’m a student starting my second year of a four-year PhD at the University of Hertfordshire. Thanks to the DWS Travel Grant, I was able to present my research investigating Clostridioides difficile in GB pigs and the risks to the food chain at ICDS in Slovenia from 17th to 19th September 2024.
C. difficile has been commonly associated with hospital infections but is emerging as a prominent “One Health” pathogen. The transmission route for this anaerobic bacterium is through the ingestion of spores which can be found in a variety of environments such as soil and water sources. Over this last year I have isolated C. difficile from farms and abattoirs from across Great Britain to determine prevalence rates, toxin profile and antimicrobial susceptibility. The Whitley A35 Anaerobic Workstation was critical for the cultivation of C. difficile and allowed me to characterise my isolates for further investigation.
This was my first time attending ICDS where I presented a poster. It was an amazing opportunity for me to not only share my data and collaborate with researchers from different countries, but to also network with leading researchers in my field. The conference focused on presenting the latest research from groups from across the world working on C. difficile, including poster sessions, times to network and a conference dinner where you could chat in a social setting. Attending the ICDS conference in Slovenia was invaluable to me - each presentation gave me a deeper understanding of this pathogen that I can apply to my PhD journey. I had a wonderful time meeting new people, especially Joe Walton on the DWS stand. Thank you DWS for helping me attend the conference by awarding me the travel grant!”
Here is a picture of Claire, Valerija Parthala, another one of our DWS Travel Grant Awardees, and their supervisor, Dr Shan Goh, at Lake Bled, Slovenia.
We congratulate Claire on her success and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavours.
If you would like to learn more about the DWS Travel Grant, please visit our website. For more information on our Anaerobic Workstation range please see the products below or email us at sales@dwscientific.co.uk
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