When he was a boy, Tim Anderson enjoyed going fishing in his native Scotland. Whenever he could, Tim would sneak off to his favorite fishing spot. Catching fish was the fun, but after catching the fish, Tim needed to clean them. That’s a nice way of saying removing the guts of the fish. While cleaning the fish, Tim noticed that some of the fish were infested with parasites like tapeworms. He was fascinated by the parasites and their complex life cycle. Tim was hooked! He wanted to work in research to better understand how these organisms worked. While earning his PhD, Tim spent summers working on biology field projects studying parasites. After earning his PhD, he wanted to be his own boss, so he conducted field research which led him to parasite hotspots around the world.

While conducting field research, Tim received an email from a fellow scientist at Texas Biomedical Research Institute who had a question about parasite genetics and life cycles. Tim wrote his response and, on a whim, added the following question: “Any chance of a job offer?” The response was surprising: Yes! And that is how Dr. Anderson came to be at Texas Biomedical Research Institute where he continues his parasitology research. His lab studies schistosomes (shish-to-sohms). Commonly called a Blood Fluke, the schistosome larvae live in fresh-water snails. The adult worms are released into the water where they can infect humans causing intestinal issues and, if left untreated, cause organ failure. Mostly found in tropical areas, the disease affects over 220 million people annually.

As a researcher at Texas Biomed, Dr. Anderson determines the direction of his research. He cheerfully explains that he gets to pursue his interest in parasites and help people at the same time! Dr. Anderson wants to build a bridge between parasitology and biology, in order to bring the two fields together. By having this partnership, it makes cutting edge discoveries a greater possibility. His passion for his research and connecting with scientists is positively infectious. He is still hooked!