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Ordinary guy, extraordinary scientist

24 October 2013

Hawkes Bay born and bred, Ryan Kyle is a fairly typical Kiwi bloke. That is until you get him in the lab.

The Malaghan Institute is home to many talented scientists. One such individual is PhD student Ryan Kyle. Under the supervision of Professor Graham Le Gros, he is undertaking world-class research into the allergic immune response, supported by a Rex and Betty Coker Scholarship.

“Coming into work each day and doing an experiment that no person in the world has ever done before, or maybe even thought of, is exciting in itself,” says Ryan. “Then seeing the data
and outcomes of that hard work being published – it is incredibly motivating.”

Ryan is referring to his collaborative research with scientists from Sydney’s Centenary Institute, published earlier this year in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Immunology. This is a lifetime goal of any scientist, and an astounding achievement for a young PhD student in the early stages of his career.

“Working alongside Dr Ben Roediger and Professor Wolfgang Weninger from the Centenary Institute, and learning their techniques for studying cells in the skin, was an amazing experience. I am very grateful to the Malaghan Institute and Prof Le Gros for providing me with these opportunities.”

In the long term, Ryan hopes his research will contribute to work that could prevent the development of allergic diseases in children. If things keep going the way they are, we are in no doubt that Ryan will achieve whatever he puts his mind to.

This article features in the November 2013 issue of our Scope newsletter (Issue 52).  Download the full newsletter here - 611 KB (PDF)