Juan Du

Title: The Role of the Microbiome in Women’s Health

Abstract

The human body harbors trillions of microbes within the gastrointestinal, vaginal, and oral microbiomes. Emerging research underscores the microbiome's significant role in women’s health. Our research utilizes large cohorts from both healthy and disease states, with a focus on vaginal microbiome function. We have demonstrated that a non-Lactobacillus-dominant vaginal microbiota is strongly associated with conditions such as bacterial vaginosis, HPV infection, and related cervical dysplasia. This indicates a crucial role for the vaginal microbiota in HPV persistence and cervical carcinogenesis. Furthermore, in one of the largest pregnancy studies to date, we have investigated how the vaginal microbiome relate to pregnancy outcomes and HPV status.