AWARD. Congratulations to Thaher Pelaseyed and to the fine award “Research Supervisor of the Year”! The award is presented by the student committee Students in Research (SiF).
What does this award mean to you?
That means a lot! I am very happy that I have inspired my master’s student Majd Tabbara. I hope I have sown a seed of curiosity in Majd and I have lowered the threshold for a research career. Many students, including myself once upon a time, saw research as something scary and difficult. Of course, research is not a dance on roses, but it is also the most fun you can do if you are looking for new challenges.
Describe your commitment to supervising students in research.
Students who do summer research or do degree work need solid supervision. This means that we discuss issues, methods and interpretation of results on a daily basis. My students will get to try new methods and they will experience that their work is important, for their own future but also for the research field.
What do you think is most fun about supervising students in research?
I learn a lot from the feedback I get from my students. I am forced to re-evaluate hypotheses and dig into the research literature. With that, I grow as a researcher. It is also incredibly fun and valuable to work side by side with students from different backgrounds.
What are you doing in your own research – can you name something that feels extra exciting?
We have created a new mouse model where the intestinal epithelium lacks a membrane-bound glycosylated protein (mucin) whose function is poorly investigated. We see large disturbances in the intestinal barrier that we did not expect and the mice are susceptible to intestinal infections. We are now planning a whole series of experiments to understand what is going on. It’s incredibly exciting and it keeps me awake at night!
BY: ELIN LINDSTRÖM
