It is an absolute pleasure meeting you. After giving it some thought, I have decided to join this intimidating platform. I hope to learn a lot, receive helpful feedback, and have the chance to share what I am working on publicly.
Curious by nature, I am an enthusiastic scientist who sees research as inseparable from its social context. With a BSc in Biomedical Sciences (UAB) and a research MSc in Neurosciences (UvA), I'm currently pursuing my PhD at UCT's Neuroscience Institute. My focus is on longitudinal neuroimaging studies in resource-limited settings, exploring how early life factors shape children's brain development. Experienced in pediatric MRI, HIV, and malaria research, I have also been involved in training and implementation research to strengthen capacities in malaria-endemic countries.
What is paediatric HIV exposure?
You most definitely have heard about the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Children born to mothers with HIV but not infected themselves, called HIV-exposed and uninfected (HEU), are more likely to have health problems and developmental difficulties than their HIV-unexposed peers (see Brennan et al (2016) and Wedderburn et al (2022)).
How come? What is the scientific explanation for this?
We're not exactly sure why this happens, but it might be because of changes in the mother's health and immune system during pregnancy, affecting the baby's brain development. Even with treatment to prevent the spread of HIV from mother to child, these babies may still face challenges with their immune and nervous systems.
And what are you contributing to the research field of paediatric HIV exposure?
We are currently trying to understand how the immune system and developing brain shape each other in a group of South African children who are HEU. We have been following them and their mothers over time to see how different factors influence the children's health and development. You can follow the progress of our research here.
We might share hobbies such as theatre, hiking, and scuba diving. A rather niche activity that I dare you to try one day is human towers.
Catalan and Spanish are my mother tongues, other than that, here are some languages we can communicate in:
🇬🇧 English
🇧🇷 Português
🇿🇦 isiXhosa