Chloe Smith

Chloe Smith

Email: ch8085@hallam.shu.ac.uk
Research Centre: BMRC
PhD Thesis Title: Developing an arterial model to investigate the role of Porphyromonas gingivalis
Director of Studies: Dr Prachi Stafford
Supervisors: Professor Christine Le Maitre and Dr Daniel Kelly

SUMMARY

I started my research career by completing my BSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science and shortly after completed my Masters in Cancer Biology where I achieved the highest mark across the course. I love being a part of a vibrant and passionate research community and working with diverse individuals.

RESEARCH

Periodontitis, the 6th most prevalent disease globally, affects ~743 million worldwide, with the elderly being disproportionately affected.

This chronic oral inflammatory disease which is associated with the keystone pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis and the red complex bacteria Tannerella forsythia, is increasingly linked to an array of systemic diseases common in the ageing population. Most prominently, periodontitis sufferers are almost twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD).

It has been suggested that chronic inflammation and gum bleeding can result in bacteremia (increase bacterial load) as pathogens gain access to the circulation, where they interact with vascular cells in the circulation, contributing to systemic inflammatory responses and potentially altering the vasculature towards disease-like states similar to those seen in atherosclerosis. Increasing evidence implicates a role for P. gingivalis in CVD however, the mechanisms of periodontopathogen-vascular cell interactions are poorly understood.