Staff Profile

Qualifications

BSc Biochemistry, University of Warwick
PhD University of Newcastle

Memberships

Society for Immunology; Society for General Microbiology ; Biochemical Society

Newcastle University Biosciences Institute Director of Education

Education Theme lead for Microbes in Health & Disease

Teaching : 

CMB1003;Microbiology & Immunology (UG)

CMB1006; Practical Skills in Biomedical & Biomolecular Sciences (UG)

PSC3011/13; Physiology of the Gastrointestinal Tract (UG)

MMS8102.Human Health & Impact of Microbial Genomics (PG)

Supervision of Stage 3 Biosciences Suite of UG research projects, Stage 4 MSci projects and MRes research projects 

Research Interests

Innate Defences of the Urinary Tract: Antimicrobial Proteins and Peptides

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a major health issue with up to 50% of the female population experiencing at least one episode in their lifetime and 1:4 suffering recurrent infections. Antibiotics are the mainstay treatment, but the use of such agents has led to increasing antimicrobial resistance amongst uropathogens.   My group is focused on understanding how the urinary tract defends itself against infection and why some people are more susceptible to recurrent urinary tract infections. Collaborators include Mr Chris Harding (Newcastle University & Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust), Dr Phillip Aldridge (Newcastle University), Professor Jenny Southgate (University of York), Mr Ased Ali (Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield) and Prof Soman Abraham (Duke University).  

Our focus has been on studying uncomplicated UTIs and our aims are to use clinical and in vitro approaches to:

1. Investigate whether patients suffering repeated uncomplicated rUTIs are genetically predisposed to such infections.

2. Understand the molecular interactions occurring between uropathogens and the vaginal and bladder epithelia.

3. Explore potential urothelial defence mechanisms that can be exploited in the development of new therapies to be used alongside or instead of antibiotics.

A new area of research focusses on complicated UTIs and particularly those linked to the use of intermittent single use catheters (ISC). This study has exploited clinical samples banked from a NIHR funded clinical trial called AnTIC, led by Professor Pickard (deceased). The study is exploring potential links between patient host genetics, infection and the isolation of antibiotic resistant uropathogens.   

We acknowledge the support of funders including the Rosetrees Trust, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Dr William Edmund Harker Foundation.

We are open to enquiries from prospective PhD students and Post-doctoral Fellows. 

Past funders include The Wellcome Trust; Wellbeing of Women, BRC and MRC .   

• Mowbray C, Tan A, Vallee M, Fisher H, Chadwick T, Brennand C, Walton KE, Pickard RS, Harding C, Aldridge PA, Hall J. Multidrug-resistant Uro-associated Escherichia coli Populations and Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Patients Performing Clean Intermittent Self-catheterisation. European Urology Open Science 2022, 37, 90-98.
• Vallee M, Harding C, Hall J, Aldridge P, Tan A. Exploring the in situ evolution of nitrofurantoin resistance in clinically derived uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2022, epub ahead of print.
• Stanton A, Mowbray C, Lanz M, Brown K, Hilton P, Tyson-Capper A, Pickard RS, Ali ASM, Hall J. Topical Estrogen Treatment Augments the Vaginal Response to Escherichia coli Flagellin. Scientific Reports 2020, 10(1), 8473.
• McQuade R, Kometa S, Brown J, Bevitt D, Hall J. Research project assessments and supervisor marking: maintaining academic rigour through robust reconciliation processes. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 2020, 45(8), 1181-1191.
• Mickiewicz KM, Kawai Y, Drage L, Gomes MC, Davison F, Pickard R, Hall J, Mostowy S, Aldridge PD, Errington J. Possible role of L-form switching in recurrent urinary tract infection. Nature Communications 2019, 10(1), 4379.
• Drage LKL, Robson W, Mowbray C, Ali A, Perry JD, Walton KE, Harding C, Pickard R, Hall J, Aldridge PD. Elevated urine IL-10 concentrations associate with Escherichia coli persistence in older patients susceptible to recurrent urinary tract infections. Immunity and Ageing 2019, 16(1).
• Byrne M, Singh A, Mowbray CA, Aldridge PD, Drage LKL, Ali ASM, Bates L, Hall J, Wilson C. Bladder-Drained Pancreas Transplantation: Urothelial Innate Defenses and UTI Susceptibility. Journal of Surgical Research 2019, 235, 288-297.
• Mowbray CA, Shams S, Chung G, Stanton A, Aldridge P, Suchenko A, Pickard RS, Ali ASM, Hall J. High molecular weight hyaluronic acid: a two-pronged protectant against infection of the urogenital tract?. Clinical & Translational Immunology 2018, 7(6), e1021.
• Ali ASM, Mowbray C, Lanz M, Stanton A, Bowen S, Varley CL, Hilton P, Brown K, Robson W, Southgate J, Aldridge P, Tyson-Capper A, Abraham S, Pickard RS, Hall J. Targeting Deficiencies in the TLR5 Mediated Vaginal Response to Treat Female Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection. Scientific Reports 2017, 7, 11039.
• Mowbray CA, Niranji SS, Cadwell K, Bailey R, Watson KA, Hall J. Gene expression of AvBD6-10 in broiler chickens is independent of AvBD6, 9, and 10 peptide potency. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 2018, 202, 31-40.
• Cadwell K, Niranji SS, Armstrong VL, Mowbray CA, Bailey R, Watson KA, Hall J. AvBD1 nucleotide polymorphisms, peptide antimicrobial activities and microbial colonisation of the broiler chicken gut. BMC Genomics 2017, 18, 637.
• Butler VL, Mowbray CA, Cadwell K, Niranji SS, Bailey R, Watson KA, Ralph J, Hall J. Effects of rearing environment on the gut antimicrobial responses of two broiler chicken lines. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 2016, 178, 29-36.
• Wenzel M, Prochnow P, Mowbray C, Vuong C, Hoxtermann S, Stepanek JJ, Albada HB, Hall J, Metzler-Nolte N, Bandow JE. Towards profiles of resistance development and toxicity for the small cationic hexapeptide RWRWRW-NH2. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 2016, 4, 1-9.
• Townes CL, Ali A, Gross N, Pal D, Williamson SC, Heer R, Robson CN, Pickard R, Hall J. Prostate specific antigen enhances the innate defence of prostatic epithelium against Escherichia coli infection. The Prostate 2013, 73(14), 1529-1537.