Study to examine how healthy moms pass deadly bacteria to infants

Written by 
narayana sthanam

Group B Streptococcus is a leading cause of death among newborns worldwide. About 40 percent of healthy women carry the bacteria, and as many as 25 percent pass it to their infants during birth, despite screening and preventive
treatment.

Narayana Sthanam, Ph.D., professor of structural biology in the School of Optometry, is working to discover how GBS escapes the mother’s natural defense systems in hopes that knowledge will lead to a therapeutic intervention. His research is funded by a $1 million R01 grant from the NIH/NIAID.

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