Complications such as preterm birth and miscarriage affect thousands of Australian families every year. Worldwide, preterm birth is the leading cause of infant death.

Among the many determinants of pregnancy challenges, one often goes unnoticed: the microbiome—the trillions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses living in your body.

The reproductive tract microbiome plays a particularly important role during pregnancy, when it helps prevent infections that can cause premature labour and birth. There is also strong evidence that the microbiome influences other areas of women’s heath, including cervical cancer progression, STI risk, and IVF success.

University of Adelaide academics are researching the body’s bacteria to improve care across pregnancy and women’s health more broadly. By detecting early signs of trouble and developing new treatments, they’re translating research into better real-world outcomes.

Join us in August to learn about the latest breakthroughs.

The presenter

Professor David MacIntyre is a Professor of Reproductive Systems Medicine and Director of the Robinson Research Institute at the University of Adelaide. He received his PhD in Reproductive Medicine from University of Newcastle, Australia, in 2007 before undertaking post-doctoral training at the Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe in Spain, where he was awarded the Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship. At Imperial College London, he received the prestigious UK Medical Research Council Career Development Award and established an internationally recognised research program dedicated to understanding the microbiome’s influences on reproductive health. His team also works on developing diagnostic and predictive tools. In recognition of this work, he was awarded the American Society for Reproductive Immunology’s 2024 J. Christian Herr award.