Tomás Maira PHOTO: Courtesy

Tomás Maira, graduate in Pharmacy from the University of Navarra and researcher and professor at Harvard University, collaborates with Professor Carlos Gamazo in a project of research at the same time he will teach some classes of Genetics microbial to the students of School.

Tomás Maira has been working for 11 years in the U.S., where he is studying the mechanisms of pathogenesis and the development of possible vaccines against two bacteria: Staphylcococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii. "Both are resistant to a large issue of antibiotics and are present in hospitals around the world, where they cause infections that we are trying to prevent," explains the former student.

His team at the U.S. center - where he also teaches Microbiology to first-year medical students - performs the preclinical programs of study at laboratory. Once the molecule that can fight bacteria has been identified, they contact the pharmaceutical industry to establish a partnership and try to transfer the breakthrough to the patient.

Likewise, his laboratory aims to describe the mechanisms used by these bacteria to cause damage to organisms, "which in the case of Acinetobacter baumannii is very poorly described".

The scientific degree program
Regarding his scientific degree program , Tomás Maira advises students and future researchers "to go outside our country, to have experience in other laboratories, learn languages, see other ways of working, learn new techniques; as well as to establish contacts, attend to congresses or enjoy other cultures".

"I encourage them to improve their English, which is vital for a researcher, and not to be afraid to work in laboratories of prestigious universities. My training at the University of Navarra was excellent and allowed me to compete perfectly in knowledge with people from universities all over the world," concludes graduate of Pharmacy.