DC10: Jinal Manek
GÖTEBORGS UNIVERSITET (UGOT), Sweden
- Host institution: GÖTEBORGS UNIVERSITET (UGOT), Sweden
Department: Biomaterials, Orthopaedics, Infectious diseases - Supervisor: Associated professor, Margarita Trobos, e-mail: margarita.trobos@biomaterials.gu.se
- Research Project 10
JINAL MANEK
I completed my Bachelor’s degree in 2021 in Microbiology (Co-op) and her Master’s degree in 2023 in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph in Canada.
For my Master’s thesis, my research focused on antimicrobial resistance, biofilm formation, and adhesion properties in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. I utilized microbiology and molecular biology tools and assays to evaluate two novel proteins and their roles in adhesion, biofilm formation, and antimicrobial resistance. I later worked at McMaster University as a Research Technician, where I studied the anti-adhesive, anti-biofilm, and antimicrobial properties of engineered surfaces.
I joined the SHIELD Network in March 2026, as a PhD candidate at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, in the Department of Biomaterials with the Trobos Group. My research focuses on bone conduction hearing implants, with an emphasis on improving infection prevention strategies.
My work aims to identify biomarkers that can predict infection and to evaluate antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for their effectiveness in reducing bacterial viability and biofilm formation, while addressing antimicrobial resistance and maintaining cytocompatibility with immune cells. The overarching goal of my research is to develop preventative approaches to reduce infection risk in the context of bone-anchored hearing implants.