![\"Jenn](\"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/gwach\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Jenn-Slyker-827x1024.jpg\")
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Dr. Jennifer Slyker, PhD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Global Health and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, received a R21 National Institute of Health Exploratory\/Developmental Research Grant Award to support on-going research on the risk factors and mechanisms of sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV\/AIDS.\u00a0 Dr. Slyker’s project titled “Cytomegalovirus (CMV) as a cause or co-pathogen in cervicitis”<\/strong> aims to determine whether CMV, a common virus that replicates in cervical tissue, contributes to cases of “non-specific” cervicitis and persistent cervical inflammation.<\/p>\n Cervicitis is\u00a0usually\u00a0caused by STIs and if left untreated, can lead to more serious infections of the uterus, infertility, and adverse pregnancy outcomes.\u00a0 Cervicitis attributed to a \u201cspecific\u201d bacterial infection can be easily treated.\u00a0 However, up to 40% of women with cervicitis do not have a specific bacterial infection that can be identified.\u00a0Understanding which bacteria or viruses contribute to these \u201cnon-specific\u201d cases will help researchers understand better the basic biological processes of the condition and develop new treatments.<\/p>\n Dr. Slyker and her team plan to use data and specimens from a 20 year cohort of more than 2,000 female sex workers in Mombasa, Kenya\u00a0led by Dr. Scott McClelland (Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Global Health).\u00a0 This long-term observational cohort has been invaluable in STIs and HIV\/AIDS research at the University of Washington.\u00a0 If CMV is found to be an important contributor to cervicitis,\u00a0clinical trials can\u00a0determine if antiviral medication is effective in treating non-specific cervicitis and cervicitis that does not respond to conventional treatment.<\/p>\n We congratulate Dr. Slyker for\u00a0her award and look forward to learning how the study findings could benefit the large percentage of women globally with non-specific cervicitis!\u00a0 The study is expected to end in 2020.\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr. Jennifer Slyker, PhD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Global Health and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, received a R21 National Institute of Health Exploratory\/Developmental Research Grant Award to support on-going research on the risk factors and mechanisms of sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV\/AIDS.\u00a0 Dr. Slyker’s project titled “Cytomegalovirus (CMV) as a cause or co-pathogen in…<\/p>\n