As part of our Staff Profile series we spoke to Charlotte-Eve Short our newly appointed Clinical Senior Lecturer In HIV and GU Medicine. Here she talks about her career journey and her excitement about initiating a new research programme into Bacterial Vaginosis.
Introduce yourself – who are you and what do you do?
My name is Charlie Short, I am a medical Consultant in Genitourinary and HIV Medicine and a new Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Department of Infectious Disease. I am excited to initiate a new research program into a neglected but common women’s health condition called Bacterial Vaginosis that affects approximately 10 million women in the UK.
Tell us about your career so far – when did you join the college, and where were you working or studying before this?
I joined the college in 2010 as an Academic Clinical Fellow as part of the NIHR/NHS England’s Integrated Academic Training Pathway having previously completed Academic Foundation training in Brighton in GU/HIV Medicine. My research at Imperial has focussed on the immunological mechanisms underlying high rates of preterm birth seen in women living with HIV. I started the Wellcome Trust 4i Clinical PhD Programme in 2013 under the supervision of Professor Graham Taylor and Robin Shattock and established pan London HIV Preterm Birth Research Network. One of the most interesting findings from my PhD was that all the women in whom preterm birth occurred and adverse vaginal microbiota – of the Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) phenotype.
I successfully attracted further funding for my research as part of Imperial College March of Dimes European Prematurity Research Centre bid and started my Academic Clinical Lectureship in 2020 (at the start of the pandemic) and spent the first part of my post-doc running a COVID biobanking study called CoVidity which facilitated some excellent collaborative projects within Imperial and high impact papers. My HIV preterm research eventually restarted, and I showed that vaginal dysbiosis (BV) was proinflammatory, recruiting local immune cells and upregulating a collagenase (MMP-9) which is important in cervical remodelling in preparation for labour.
Can you explain a bit more about your research interests, and what you work on at Imperial?
BV is the most common cause of vaginal discharge, affecting 1 in 3 women/year. It is hard to treat with half of women experiencing a recurrent episode with in 6 months. It also has serious consequences such as preterm birth and increased susceptibility to infections like HIV, HPV and Chlamydia. Molecular genomic techniques have enabled us to understand more about its aetiology. BV does not follow Koch’s postulates and is caused by multiple anaerobic pathobionts that form an adhernt biofilm that is hard to eradicate.
I am developing a research programme to understand why BV is highly recurrent and difficult to treat, including exploring antimicrobial resistance. I am also working with clinical studies of new BV treatments and establishing a new randomised control trial of a live biotherapeutic product, harnessing the power of the microbiome in treatment. I am excited to finally get the chance to work on an under researched area which huge scope for translational benefit for women.
What initially sparked your interest in your current field of research?
As a Genitourinary Physician, one of the most frustrating conditions to treat in our clinics is BV. The treatment with antibiotic metronidazole has not changed for over 40 years. This condition has huge unseen psychological morbidity and stigma alongside associated pathology. Women want, need and deserve better treatments.
You were recently appointed to Clinical Senior Lecturer in Genitourinary and HIV Medicine- congratulations! What are you excited to continue or start in your new role?
I am excited to finally get the chance to work on an under researched area which huge scope for translational benefit for women. Bringing live biotherapeutic treatments to the women that want them through research and getting them licensed in the UK will provide wider access and choice for women and hopefully result in better outcomes and fewer antibiotic prescriptions.
When you are not working, what are your main passions and hobbies?
I have a few: my creative outlets are upholstery and cooking; my restless traits are channelled into cycling, running, swimming and the occasional roller blading, swing dancing and standup paddling; and finally leaving London in my VW Campervan, communing with trees and enjoying music are my happy places.
And finally – if you were exiled to a desert island but allowed one luxury item, what would it be?
A radio, is that cheating? It is the eternal podcast to stave off boredom and I can listen to music whilst communing with palm trees.