As a microbiologist, Dr Lucy Furfaro’s work involves tiny organisms that have a huge impact on our health. Her research focuses on bacteria that can cause severe infection in our most vulnerable populations, mothers and babies. The bacterium called Group B Streptococcus is a leading cause of these severe infections during pregnancy and early life. Dr Furfaro’s research has described the different types of these bacteria that mothers can pass on to their newborns, risk factors for having this bacteria and how effective current and future treatment options are. Over time bacteria have started to outsmart our treatments and form resistance to antibiotics, which has implications for how we manage these infections.
Dr Furfaro is exploring alternative options that could be used against harmful bacteria that are more targeted, leaving the beneficial bacteria unaffected. Using a century old discovery, known as bacteriophages or phages, these natural predators of bacteria can help in the battle against bacterial infections. Understanding these bacteria will allow the development of new ways to treat them, which has significant impacts on our society and improves the lives of vulnerable individuals, allowing for the best start to life – infection free!
2024