![Farah Latif](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/2487?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Trosolwyg
Farah is a clinical academic trainee in Nephrology and Transplantation at the Wales Kidney Research Unit, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
Her training to date highlights a strong track record of commitment to excellence in clinical medicine and research. Graduating with merits from Barts & the London School of Medicine, University of London, she moved back home to Wales to complete her clinical training. She excelled in a wide range of clinical specialties subsequently gaining membership with the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP UK), and obtaining a national training number in Nephrology.
She simultaneously completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Education, from the University of Edinburgh, and has an active clinical teaching portfolio. She has also been an active co-investigator on multiple portfolio phase 1-4 clinical trials, with an early understanding of the importance of research and the value it adds to healthcare.
Having competitively obtained 6-months research funding (Wellcome Trust ISSF3 Clinical Primer Award. July 2017), Farah has been instrumental in setting up and developing the Cytomegalovirus Immune Responses (CMVIR: IRAS #235946) clinical study at the Wales Kidney Research Unit in collaboration with the Viral Immunology Group and Cardiff & Vale UHB, to investigate the important and incompletely understood problem of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in kidney transplant recipients. This has resulted in successful international presentations, further research funding, and appointment as a Welsh Clinical Academic Training (WCAT) Lecturer & Kidney Research UK Fellow. Farah is currently completing her PhD studies under the supervision of Professor Ian Humphreys in the Antiviral Immunity Group.
Ymchwil
Deall sut mae cleifion trawsblaniad aren yn ymateb i haint cytomegalofirws
Gall cytomegalofirws fod yn beryglus i gleifion yr arennau
Mae cytomegalofirws dynol (HCMV) yn haint firaol cyffredin ac mae'r rhan fwyaf o bobl yn y DU wedi cael eu heintio ag ef ar ryw adeg yn eu bywydau. Fel arfer, mae'r system imiwnedd yn rheoli'r feirws ac yn gyffredinol mae'n achosi ychydig, os o gwbl, symptomau — ond mae'n parhau i fod yn dawel bresennol yn y corff ar ôl yr haint.
Oherwydd bod pobl sydd â thrawsblaniadau arennau yn cymryd cyffuriau i atal eu systemau imiwnedd a rhoi'r gorau i wrthod organau, maent yn agored i haint HCMV. Heb driniaeth, gall HCMV achosi salwch difrifol sy'n effeithio ar lawer o wahanol organau, gan gynnwys yr ysgyfaint, yr afu a'r coluddyn.
Mae HCMV yn arbennig o beryglus mewn cleifion nad ydynt wedi dod i gysylltiad â'r feirws ond sy'n derbyn aren gan roddwr heintiedig. Er bod y cleifion hyn yn cael eu trin â chyffuriau gwrthfeirysol am dri i chwe mis ar ôl cael eu trawsblannu, mae hanner ohonynt yn dal i fynd ymlaen i gael y feirws yn eu llif gwaed.
Deall yr ymateb imiwnedd
Bydd grant cymrodoriaeth Farah yn caniatáu iddi ymchwilio i sut mae HCMV yn rhyngweithio â'r system imiwnedd mewn derbynwyr trawsblaniadau arennau a sut mae'r system imiwnedd yn ymladd yr haint hwn.
Bydd hi'n archwilio sut mae moleciwlau o'r enw cytocinau — negeswyr hydawdd y system imiwnedd — yn helpu i reoli haint yn y rhai sy'n derbyn trawsblaniad aren sy'n cynnwys HCMV, a sut mae'r feirws wedi addasu i drin ymatebion cytokine yn y cleifion hyn. Deall haint HCMV mewn cleifion trawsblaniad aren yw'r cam cyntaf tuag at ddatblygu cyffuriau gwrthfeirysol newydd i amddiffyn cleifion rhag y feirws niweidiol hwn.