# Assessing vaginal microbial communities as a risk factor for HIV acquisition in pregnant and postpartum Kenyan women

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2022 · $23,097

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
Pregnant and postpartum women are at substantially increased risk of HIV acquisition compared to non-pregnant
women. The risk is not fully explained by changes in sexual behavior during these time periods. Alterations in
the vaginal microbiota and mucosal immune activation may provide a mechanism for this increased
susceptibility. The impact of pregnancy and the postpartum period on concentrations of the vaginal bacteria most
strongly associated with HIV acquisition is unknown. One important barrier to addressing this question is that
the optimal approach for investigating vaginal microbiota as a risk factor for HIV has not been definitively
established. In this proposal, the candidate will first perform hierarchical clustering analysis utilizing species-
specific quantitative PCR data from our existing HIV acquisition dataset to generate vaginal bacterial profiles
describing distinct groups of women based on the collective concentrations of 20 bacterial taxa, including the
minority species that have been most closely associated with HIV acquisition. The candidate will then examine
the association between the distinct bacterial profiles and HIV acquisition (Aim 1). Data from Aim 1 will inform
analyses in Aims 2 and 3, utilizing unique data from an ongoing preconception through postpartum cohort in
Nairobi, Kenya. These analyses will examine how concentrations of key vaginal bacterial species (Aim 2) and
concentrations of mucosal cytokines (Aim 3) associated with HIV risk evolve over the course of preconception,
pregnancy, and the postpartum period. We hypothesize that vaginal bacterial profiles characterized by high
concentrations of groups of ‘high-risk’ vaginal bacteria will be associated with women’s risk of HIV acquisition.
In addition, we expect that concentrations of vaginal bacteria associated with HIV acquisition will be higher during
pregnancy and the postpartum period compared to preconception. Our results could inform development of HIV
prevention strategies targeting the vaginal microbiota and provide insight on how these interventions might be
tailored for pregnancy and the postpartum period. This proposed research plan is paired with a robust training
plan encompassing formal and informal education in several areas including: 1) analysis utilizing cutting-edge
laboratory data, including molecular quantification of vaginal microbiota in cervicovaginal secretions, 2)
employing advanced statistical methods to contend with highly dimensional vaginal microbiota data, 3) content
knowledge in the field of HIV prevention, with a specific focus on key vulnerable periods in a woman’s
reproductive life – pregnancy and postpartum, and 4) career development opportunities including grant writing
and mentoring experience. The candidate’s long-term career goal is to leverage her training in biology, applied
public health, and epidemiology to conduct high-impact research that informs interventions for improving
women’s sexual and re...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10291403
- **Project number:** 5F32HD100202-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Erica M Lokken
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $23,097
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-11-01 → 2022-01-07

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10291403

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10291403, Assessing vaginal microbial communities as a risk factor for HIV acquisition in pregnant and postpartum Kenyan women (5F32HD100202-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10291403. Licensed CC0.

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