Danielle Smyth's scientific career has a theme running through it: molecules and poking about in intestines or poo. Danielle's research in molecules and intestinal tracts has taken her up the evolutionary scale from pathogenic factors found in bacteria to cellulases from anaerobic fungi (found in the forestomach of the kangaroo) and onto immuno-modulatory molecules from gut dwelling parasitic worms.
Continuing this theme, in 2013 Danielle moved to Scotland and joined the Maizels lab to study the effect parasite molecules have on models of inflammatory bowel disease (Funded by The Kenneth Rainin Foundation). Danielle's work has been recently published in Nature Communications and she continues to investigate helminth molecules (and poking about in intestines) in the quest to find novel therapies for inflammatory conditions such as IBD. Danielle holds a BSC with Honours degree and PhD in Microbiology from The University of Queensland, Australia.
In 2020, Danielle relocated to the McSorley Lab at the University of Dundee, and both laboratories continue close collaboration on helminth modulators of immunity.