In Manchester’s Embrace – An Ode to my Time at UoM

Author: Bridgious Walusimbi // Editor: Erin Pallott

^{Bridgious at the head of the table with the Grencis group!}

Bridgious Walusimbi is a Bioinformatics PhD student in Uganda, researching helminth infections in human populations. He visited Manchester to conduct microbiome and metabolomics experiments for his PhD research, and he certainly left a wonderful impression on everyone he worked alongside. He recently wrote an article for Nature Microbiology about his experiences with and the importance of collaborative research, and has published a meta-analysis paper on how helminth infections affect the human microbiome. He has now graciously written for the highly esteemed Research Hive about his time at The University of Manchester, in the form of a poem.

In Manchester’s ‘rainy’ embrace, I found my safe place,
A home away from home!
A tortuous journey of learning, with a smiling face.
From Master’s to PhD, I spread my wings,
In the realm of knowledge, where my heart sings.

Masters’ halls welcomed me, a humble novice,
In pursuit of wisdom, life’s greatest promise.
Manchester University, a beacon so bright,
Guiding me through the wet days and the starry nights.

^{Before Bridgious left in December, we had to treat him to some Christmas traditions: Eating way too much food and watching Die Hard .}

Bioinformatics’ embrace, a scientific dance,
In labs and research, I took my chance.
The famous Grencis group, a family so dear,
Together we explored, without a fear.

In the city’s heartbeat, I made my stand,
From Curry Mile to the Northern Quarter,
With friends aplenty, hand in hand.
Bouldering challenges, climbing so high,
Scaling the peaks, touching the sky.

Game nights and laughter, under the moon’s glow,
Shared crazy stories, the Ugandan footballer,
With dreams so big, letting our spirits flow.
A tapestry of memories, woven with care,
In Manchester’s embrace, beyond compare.

Learning and growing, each passing day,
Chasing horizons, in our own unique ways.
The lessons I’ve gathered, the friendships I’ve found,
In Manchester’s embrace, my heart is bound.

So, here’s to the moments, both big and small,
In Manchester’s embrace, I gave it my all.
A chapter now written, in life’s grand design,
Forever in my heart, this city will shine.

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