Student who fled Ukraine war develops new lung research tool at University of Exeter

A student who left Ukraine after the outbreak of war has developed a new scientific technique at the University of Exeter that researchers are now using to study a serious lung condition.

Marta Tsybanova, 23, had completed two years of a Medicine degree in Ukraine when Russia invaded in early 2022. She left the country and enrolled at the University of Exeter to study Medical Sciences, now renamed Biomedical Sciences, joining the second year of the course based on her previous education.

Marta said: "I was really feeling the psychological pressure of the attacks and air raid sirens. It's constant, day and night. You can't rest or concentrate on studies. I felt unsafe, and I felt I could serve my country better by pursuing a career in science."

She added: "I've had great support at Exeter, and I felt I was fulfilling my potential. In Medical School, we focus on how to treat disease, but here I was finding out more about the mechanism and how to prevent conditions. I really like this area of science."

During her time at Exeter, Marta's final year project saw her working with Professor Chris Scotton on research into idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung condition more common in men. The team has been studying how testosterone and oestrogen affect cells in the lab.

To track how lung cells grow and move, the team used a microscope system that photographed the cells every 15 minutes over two days, but existing software struggled to assess groups of cells moving together. Drawing on a computer coding module from her degree, which she built on by researching further resources herself, Marta developed a system capable of tracking clusters of cells.

She said: "It took a long time and lots of troubleshooting, but it worked. Each experiment generates a huge amount of data, 60 GB. I once waited six hours just for the data to transfer."

Professor Scotton said: "Marta's system works superbly, giving us some great insights into how these cells are behaving together. We're now planning to use her approach to analyse more data beyond the original project." He added: "Marta is extremely bright and highly motivated - we were all impressed by how she used her skills and initiative to problem solve, and ultimately create something we can continue to use in our work, to better understand and treat pulmonary fibrosis. It just goes to show the mutual benefit of lab experience during our undergraduate programmes."

Marta, who also works as a healthcare assistant at a residential home alongside her studies, said the experience has given her insight into disease from multiple angles. She is now applying to undertake a PhD at Exeter.

She said: "My degree went by so quickly. I wanted to make some impact. It's great to develop skills, and I'm proud that what I did may lead to discoveries that ultimately benefit patients in future."