I completed a BSc degree in Laboratory Medicine at Taibah University, Saudi Arabia. My keen interest for Biomedical Sciences prompted me to pursue an MSc degree in Immunology at the University of Texas at San Antonio, U.S.A. I subsequently enrolled as a full-time PhD student at the Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences at the University of Liverpool, since October 2019.
Streptococcus agalactiae, also known as Group B Streptococcus (GBS), is an encapsulated gram-positive opportunistic pathogen that colonises the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts of more than 20% of healthy women globally. This elevated incidence of maternal colonisation is particularly problematic during pregnancy where high rate of morbidity and mortality caused by GBS are reported in infants. Annually, more than 300,000 GBS cases among infants are reported worldwide, resulting in 90,000 infant deaths. There are currently no licensed vaccines against diseases caused by this invasive pathogen.
My PhD project aims at the preclinical evaluation of a novel protein-based GBS vaccine based on conserved entities deemed essential for the transition of GBS from a commensal to an invasive microorganism and capable of inducing an immune response against a broad spectrum of GBS serotypes. More specifically, I will exploit a range of in vitro and in vivo tools to investigate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of this novel vaccine formulation in preclinical model of GBS colonisation and invasive disease.
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