Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Eosinophils are a type of immune cell that are present in the intestinal tract of healthy individuals. During inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) the number of intestinal eosinophils rises, and a higher number of eosinophils is associated with more severe disease. In addition, IBD leaves patients at higher risk of infection with harmful bacteria. The role of eosinophils in this context is unknown: are eosinophils helpful in contributing to a protective immune response against bacteria or is the presence of eosinophils allowing the bacteria to thrive in the intestinal tract? This research project aims to determine whether, and how, the presence of eosinophils alters the outcome of infection with a bacterial pathogen. I hypothesize that eosinophils promote intestinal colonization by bacterial pathogens. To test this hypothesis, I will orally infect wild-type and eosinophil-deficient mice with a model bacterial pathogen and track the resulting inflammation, pathology and bacterial burdens along the intestinal tract. The use of these mouse models will allow for the determination of causal relationships between eosinophils and susceptibility to bacterial pathogens. The Reynolds lab has state of the art research equipment in addition to all other necessary resources for the completion of this project. Canada has one of the highest rates of inflammatory bowel disease worldwide. To better treat and manage IBD it is necessary to understand how immune cell types such as eosinophils contribute to disease. As well as contributing to health knowledge, carrying out this research will allow me to acquire the necessary skills and techniques to continue into doctoral studies and ultimately establish a career as a leader in immunology research.