Dr Claudio Murgia
Though the Wellcome Trust’s mission is to foster and promote biomedical research, this encompasses both human and animal health.
The Trust supports a range of activities designed to encourage veterinarians to take up research careers. Many of its fellowships, at all levels, are open to veterinary-trained researchers, and there are also three dedicated fellowship schemes for veterinary graduates and postdoctoral researchers.
Dr Claudio Murgia from the University of Glasgow is a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Fellow. His research looks at virology and cancer and the connections between them. In the first of three articles focusing on our veterinary fellows, I spoke to Claudio about his research.
Why did you originally choose to study veterinary science?
My dad was a farmer so I grew up seeing animals all the time. One of the most important factors that influenced my decision to study veterinary medicine was my fascination for small creatures (microbes) responsible for the death of many animals in our farm. Since then I always planned to be a veterinarian. It was a natural progression to follow that passion.
But you didn’t want to be a practising vet?
After spending one year working in a clinic, I realised that finding and treating the symptoms of diseases did not satisfy my curiosity. I always wanted to find more about the diseases, for instance how a virus causes cancer or other diseases.
Since I was an undergraduate student I have realised that being a veterinarian offers a privileged outlook to investigate basic questions regarding aetiology, pathogenesis and mechanisms of disease.
What attracted you to this particular fellowship?
After graduation, I decided to acquire the skill necessary to undertake a career in research. One of the fundamental steps towards this aim was the Wellcome Trust Research Training Fellowship for veterinary graduates. Under this scheme I did my PhD with Robin Weiss at University College London.
During this time I improved my scientific background on the molecular pathogenesis of cancer, and reinforced my conviction about the fundamental role that veterinarians can play in the study of clinical and basic research relevant to human and animal health. Given my interest on natural occurring tumours in animals as models for cancer research, I applied for the Intermediate Clinical Fellowship, which gave me the opportunity to further develop and maximise my research potentials.
What are you researching?
I’m studying a virus-induced lung cancer in sheep called ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma, which is similar to a particular human lung cancer called bronchioalveolar carcinoma. I’m investigating how the virus causes the lung cancer, and which cells it infects. Does it infect stem cells, or other kinds of cells? What are the signal pathways involved?
Why study sheep?
Lung cancer is commonly studied in mice; the pharmaceutical industry uses mice because it is cheap to do so and there are a lot of reagents. However, after several years of investment the drugs may be effective in mice but not in humans. Using sheep, which have more similarities to humans, can be important to design new treatments and to develop new strategies to detect lung cancer at an early stage. It requires a larger investment, as maintaining animals like sheep is expensive, but after years of investment you might have a drug that is more likely to be effective in humans. That is the aim of my research: building an effective animal model to understand human lung cancer.
What obstacles do you face as a veterinary researcher?
Funding can be a problem in veterinary science. For instance, I am studying lung cancer in sheep, but there are fewer reagents for studying sheep lung cancer than mouse cancer. The lack of reagents limits your ability to perform important experiments and consequently to publish your result in very good journals.
But, importantly, the Trust gives you 4 or 5 years for the Intermediate clinical fellowship, so you have time to develop new reagents, to do your experiments and publish your data. It is competitive, but I think this is good because the standards are high and it is awarded to those who have a real passion for research.
What advice would you give to others considering a research career?
From my point of view it is fantastic, it is an opportunity to follow your passion. The research environment is really exciting; you learn new things every day, you always share and discuss your ideas with others. Also you have the opportunity to travel and know people of different nationalities.
Find out more about the Wellcome Trust’s Veterinary Research Fellowships.
Ailbhe Goodbody
Filed under: Biomedical Sciences, Development, Ageing and Chronic Disease, Fellowships Tagged: Cancer, Clinical veterinary fellowship schemes, Dr Claudio Murgia, Sheep, University of Glasgow, Veterinary research, Veterinary science, Vets
