Dr Prerna Vohra

Lecturer in Microbiology

Biography

Background

2019    Lecturer in Microbiology, Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh

2013    Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh

Projects: Developing and evaluating the efficacy of glycoconjugate vaccines against poultry pathogens; Defining the host cell tropism of Salmonella enterica in cattle; Studying survival of Salmonella serovars in vivo; Assigning niche-specific phenotypes to Salmonella genes in vivo

2013    Postdoctoral Research Associate, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Projects: Developing glycoconjugate vaccines for porcine pathogens; Understanding N-linked glycosylation in Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae

2012    Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh

Projects: Developing novel oral vaccines for diarrhoeal diseases in Bacteroides fragilis; Studying the function of wzzB in Bacteroides fragilis; Understanding small capsule production in Bacteroides fragilis

Qualifications

2011    PhD in Medical Microbiology, University of Edinburgh

Thesis title: Clostridium difficile: expression of virulence factors, resistance to disinfectants and interactions with human cells

2007    MSc by Research (Distinction) in Life Sciences, University of Edinburgh

Final thesis title: Comparative analysis of growth and toxin production in two virulent strains of Clostridium difficile

2006    BSc Honours (Distinction) in Microbiology, Biochemistry and Environmental Science and Pollution, St. Xavier’s College, University of Mumbai

Research summary

Enteric bacteria are varied and wonderful. Some, like Bacteroides, are friendly and help us to stay healthy while others, like Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli and C. difficile, wreak havoc and often give us diarrhoea! My main research interests are understanding how these bacteria interact with their hosts and developing strategies to control pathogenic bacteria.

My current research focusses on Salmonella, which causes disease in humans and livestock. Ongoing projects include developing a live-attenuated vaccine to prevent salmonellosis, investigating alternative vaccine strategies, trying to understand why different types of Salmonella behave differently in different host species and expanding a sequencing methodology I developed to study mixed strain-infections of Salmonella to other enteric pathogens like Campylobacter and E. coli.

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