Improving testing and immune care for syphilis in pregnancy
Syphilis in Pregnancy Study (SIPS): Molecular Diagnostics and Maternal and Infant Immune Response to Infection
Researchers will use advanced lab tests and follow pregnant women with syphilis and their babies to learn how the infection and immune responses affect birth outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11378629 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, the team will enroll pregnant women with confirmed syphilis and matched pregnant controls in Cameroon and Zambia and follow you and your baby for 12 months after delivery. They will collect blood and other samples at multiple visits and run molecular tests to detect the bacteria and measure immune responses in mothers and infants. The study combines clinical visits, lab-based molecular diagnostics, and immune testing to understand when and how syphilis crosses the placenta and leads to adverse birth outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are pregnant women in Cameroon or Zambia with confirmed syphilis and matched pregnant women without syphilis who are willing to attend follow-up visits and provide samples.
Not a fit: People who live outside the study regions or who expect direct experimental treatment from participation may not receive direct benefit because this is an observational cohort focused on testing and monitoring.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more accurate tests and earlier identification of pregnancy infections to reduce stillbirth, preterm birth, and congenital syphilis.
How similar studies have performed: Previous cohort studies have documented high rates of syphilis in pregnancy and informed prevention efforts, but combining large mother-infant cohorts with advanced molecular and immune testing at this scale is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Birmingham, United States
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dionne, Jodie Ann — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Dionne, Jodie Ann
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.