Syphilis during pregnancy: improving tests and tracking mother and baby immune responses
Syphilis in Pregnancy Study (SIPS): Molecular Diagnostics and Maternal and Infant Immune Response to Infection
This project will use molecular tests and close follow-up of pregnant women and their newborns to learn how syphilis affects mothers and babies.
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-11105870 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will enroll pregnant women with and without syphilis at sites in Cameroon and Zambia and collect blood and other samples during pregnancy and up to 12 months after delivery. The team will use molecular diagnostic methods and immune tests to detect infection, track who passes infection to their baby, and measure immune responses in mothers and infants. Staff will also record birth outcomes like stillbirth, preterm birth, and congenital infection to link test results with health outcomes. The goal is to improve diagnosis and identify infants at risk so care can be targeted earlier.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Pregnant women with confirmed syphilis (and control pregnant women without syphilis) at participating sites in Cameroon and Zambia, plus their newborns, are the ideal candidates for enrollment.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant, pregnant people outside the study locations, or those unable to attend follow-up visits through 12 months postpartum are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to earlier and more accurate diagnosis of maternal and congenital syphilis and better strategies to prevent stillbirth and infant illness.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies show that testing and timely treatment can prevent congenital syphilis, but applying molecular diagnostics and detailed mother-infant immune profiling in large cohorts in these settings 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.