FAILSAFE Fungal Antimicrobial Resistance Innovations for Low & Middle Income Countries: Solutions & Access For Everyone
FAILSAFE Fungal Antimicrobial Resistance Innovations for Low & Middle Income Countries: Solutions & Access For Everyone
How did you get in to Science, specifically AMR?
Through medicine and then by chance. My entry into AMR came from an attempt to develop a reliable system to correlate laboratory test results with patient outcomes. Simply put, I wanted to understand why certain patients infected with susceptible strains fail to respond to appropriate treatment, while others with resistant infections do. This question has been around for a long time—after all, before antibiotics existed, many patients still managed to survive…
If you had to describe your typical day in 3 words, what would they be?
Read, Read, and Read.
What is the most exciting discovery you have made in your research so far?
Every day, I learn something new and realize how much I don’t know—an exciting discovery of ignorance that motivates me to see if I can truly understand something. Each day brings an exciting discovery of the unknown.
If you could have any superpower to help your research, what would it be?
Saving lives without lasting consequences.
What is one surprising fact about you that most people don’t know?
I write novels, which I donate to Global Action For Fungal Infections (GAFFI) and Women For Mycology (WOMYC). I would love for them to be purchased—but even more so, for them to be read.
How do you think antifungal resistance will impact our daily lives in the future?
Antifungal resistance is a major challenge today. The future is difficult to predict, even for those who believe in determinism, so the best course of action is to roll up our sleeves and actively work toward change—fostering a more inclusive, approachable, and collaborative process along the way.
What keeps you motivated when research gets tough?
The intellectual challenge of something not going as expected fuels motivation, making it stronger than the difficulties.
What’s a common misconception about fungal infections that you’d like to debunk?
It’s not exactly a misconception, but I’d like to highlight something that often gets overshadowed by antifungal resistance. The mortality rate of severe fungal infections caused by strains considered susceptible to antifungals is still remarkably high, making Fungal Disease effectively untreatable in many cases. We need to understand why this happens. It is unacceptable that the mortality rate for severe infections caused by susceptible strains exceeds 25% of patients.
What advice would you give to young scientists interested in tackling antifungal resistance?
Read, read, and read—but not just science. Broad, interdisciplinary thinking is crucial. Innovation often comes from thinking beyond the boundaries of a single field.
If you could invite 1 special guest to a dinner party who would it be and why?
Ludwig Wittgenstein. Just having a conversation with him and seeing if I truly understood “Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus”.
Tell us an interesting fact about your workplace?
It’s not just a workplace—it’s a “Solutionplace.” Here, we don’t just work; we tackle challenges and find solutions to improve the lives of people affected by Fungal Disease.
If other researchers or those from industry wanted to collaborate with you or talk to you, how would they get in touch?
Just email me at jlrtudela@gmail.com