Research Overview
Why we do what we do
We are fascinated by how the human microbiome impacts maternal and child health during pregnancy and early life. This is particularly important as preterm birth affects 1 in 10 babies around the world and is the leading cause of neonatal death worldwide. Furthermore, 1 in 5 children around the world are stunted, which is a form of chronic undernutrition that is linked with poor brain development and higher risk of chronic disease in later life. Growing evidence suggests that human microbiomes impact the biological pathways that lead to healthy pregnancies, early-life growth and healthy immune systems.
Our research has one overarching question:
How do human microbiomes influence growth and infection in early life?
How we do it
The foundation of our work is based in clinical studies. We work with large research teams in sub-Saharan Africa (predominantly Zimbabwe and Zambia) and the UK to explore human microbiomes in pregnancy and early life in both observational cohort studies and large randomized clinical trials. We conduct a variety of assays in these clinical samples including:
- Microbiome analysis via whole metagenome shotgun sequencing or amplicon sequencing
- Pathogen screening by qPCR
- Immunophenotyping by ELISA/Luminex and flow cytometry
In addition to analysis of clinical samples, we employ basic in vitro models and assays in the lab to uncover mechanisms explaining the observations from our clinical studies. These include:
- Bacterial strain isolation and characterisation
- Co-culture models using bacterial strains and cell-lines or organoid/organ-on-chip models at mucosal barriers
