About
Vincent Richards’s lab's primary research focus is microbial genomics and we seek to better understand how bacteria evolve and adapt to their environment, are transmitted among environments and hosts, and interact at the community level. The study of complex microbial communities (microbiomes) is of particular interest and the profiling of communities from the perspective of species, genes, and gene expression has the potential to aid in the development of novel disease therapeutic and prevention strategies. The human oral microbiome is a particularly diverse microbial community and a major emphasis of my research aims to better understand the relationship between this community and dental caries. A specific focus is the impact of childhood HIV infection and treatment on this microbiome. A new pilot project (a collaboration with Prisma Health)is focused on the urethra microbiome and its role in recurrent urinary tract infections in post-menopausal women.To advance the field of microbiome research, my lab is actively developing new and innovative high resolution molecular approaches to profile microbiomes.
For more information, see his department profile.
How their research is transforming health care
Major outcomes of Richards’ microbiome work are the development of probiotic therapies that will improve the quality of life for (i) children living with HIV and (ii) post-menopausal women suffering with recurrent urinary tract infection.
Health Research Expertise Keywords
Faculty Scholar, Microbiome, caries, HIV, children, menopause, recurrent urinary tract infection
