Could Vitamin D Protect Foetuses from a Deadly Parasite? GSS 2.0 (3/4) - Seyigbena P. Deo-Gracias Berry

ImmunoAfrica's Graduate Student Series offers emerging and aspiring immunologists the opportunity to connect with, learn from, and be inspired by some of the most talented immunology graduate students from Africa. For its second edition, this year, we peek into the fascinating work and busy lives of 4 graduate students (Vania, Onyeka, Deo-Gracias, and Segun), representing 3 African countries: Benin, Mozambique, and Nigeria.

Our third guest is Seyigbena P. Deo-Gracias Berry.

Deo-Gracias is a PhD student at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany, where she researches interactions between mothers and foetuses, in the context of immune function and tropical diseases. For her PhD project, she is trying to understand how infection with parasitic worms, particularly schistosoma found in fresh water snails, modulates vitamin D levels and immune function during pregnancy. Prior to joining TUM, she studied for master's in Cell Biology and Immunology at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin, exploring malaria infection, also in the context of pregnancy.

In this episode, Deo-Gracias discusses her research on vitamin D and schistosomiasis, highlighting some of its implications for women and infants in regions endemic to the parasitic disease. She also talks about her love for the vitamin D-enriching African sun and reminisces about some of the mistakes that have punctuated her journey and how she's managed to navigate and learn from them.

Female Intro/Outro Voice-over: Ruth Ogboye.

Timestamps:

00:00 – intro

01:25 – early career journey, entry into immunology

07:10 – MSc project (how malaria infection during pregnancy shapes infant immunity)

11:15 – PhD project (vitamin D vs schistosomiasis infection in mother-foetus pairs) – findings and potential implications

[14:52-17:27] – about schistosomiasis

[18:52-22:32] – vitamin D and immune modulation

31:46 – missing Africa, finding balance, and time management

38:44 – useful skills

41:34 – dealing with mistakes

49:57 – core values and how they inform her work-life

53:27 – fun task (what’s your favourite immune cell and why?)

55:32 – outro