in 1979 marshall became a registrar in medicine at the royal perth hospital. at the hospital he met robin warren, a pathologist who was interested in gastritis. they were both training in internal medicine at royal perth hospital in 1981. together they looked at spiral bacteria in gastritis. in 1982 they grew a culture of "h. pylori". they worked on their idea that there was a bacterial cause of peptic ulcer and stomach cancer. their idea was laughed at by scientists and doctors who did not believe that any bacteria could live in the acidic stomach. marshall said that "everyone was against me, but i knew i was right". other doctors said they wouldn't believe it until the "h. pylori" idea could be proved.