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Mihai Cirstea
Research topic
The Microbiome and Parkinson's Disease
Faculty
Research supervisor(s)
Home Town
Bucharest
Country
Romania
Selected Award(s)
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
After completing my undergraduate degree, I worked for four years as a research technician. Although I found this extremely rewarding, I came to realize that in order to further my career in science the best path would be to return to school and complete a graduate degree.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
I did my undergraduate degree at UBC and have lived in Vancouver since I was 5 years old. I absolutely love this city and definitely wanted to stay. It was an easy decision to return to UBC, given its prestigious standing as one of the top universities in Canada.
What is it specifically, that your program offers, that attracted you?
Microbiology has always been an extremely exciting and challenging area for me, and in searching for potential supervisors I was immediately drawn to the research of Dr Finlay. His studies of host-microbe relationships in both health and disease are always on the cutting edge of the field, and I knew this was a team I wanted to be a part of.
What was the best surprise about UBC or life in Vancouver?
I've been living here for 20 years, but I'm still always in awe of how beautiful the city gets in spring and summer!
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
Take your time. If you have a chance, take a break between undergrad and graduate school. Travel, get into the workfore for a bit, really think about what you want to do next. When you start grad school, build relationships early on and they'll bear fruit as you progress through your degree.
Learn more about Mihai's research
My research investigates the role of the gut microbiome in Parkinson's disease. PD is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nearly 100,000 Canadians, and has long been connected with gastrointestinal complications and, more recently, microbiome dysbiosis. Using both human cohort studies and in vitro cellular systems, my aim is to draw new mechanistic insights connecting the microbes in our guts and the health of our brains.
