Kayla Carter, PhD
- Academic Title: Faculty Member
- Primary Appointment: Epidemiology & Public Health
- Email: kaylacarter2@som.umaryland.edu
- Location: HSF III 3113
- Phone (Primary): 4107060885
Education and Training
- Georgia Institute of Technology, BS, Biology, 2015
- University of Michigan, MPH, Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology, 2018
- University of Washington, PhD, Epidemiology, 2022
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2026
Biosketch
Dr. Carter’s (they/them/theirs) research focuses on host-pathogen-microbiome interactions in the cervicovaginal environment and how these interactions impact sexually transmitted infection (STI) pathology and treatment outcomes. They employ a combination of observational population-level epidemiologic approaches and in vitro experiments in high-fidelity biomimetic tissue models to generate and rigorously test specific mechanistic hypotheses, using multi-omic technologies and integration throughout. The ultimate aim of Dr. Carter’s research program is to identify elements of host-pathogen-microbiome interactions that impact patient outcomes and are amenable to intervention in order to develop antibiotic-sparing treatment and prevention strategies for STI and their adverse reproductive outcomes. Two current primary areas of focus are how the cervicovaginal microenvironment may influence Chlamydia trachomatis persistence and spontaneous clearance, and the degree to which the cervicovaginal microbiome modulates cervical pathology and treatment success for Mycoplasma genitalium infection.
Research/Clinical Keywords
Metagenomics, Multi-omics, Vaginal microbiome, Host-pathogen interactions, Mycoplasma genitalium, Chlamydia trachomatis, Sexually transmitted infections, Bacterial vaginosis, Infectious diseases epidemiology, Molecular epidemiology
Highlighted Publications
Carter KA, France MT, Rutt L, Bilski L, Martinez-Greiwe S, Regan M, et al. Sexual transmission of urogenital bacteria: whole metagenome sequencing evidence from a sexual network study. mSphere. 2024;9(3):e00030-24. PMCID: PMC10964427. https://doi.org/10.1128/msphere.00030-24
Carter KA, Tuddenham S, Brotman RB. Dequalinium Chloride: An Emerging Option in the Sparse Landscape of Bacterial Vaginosis Therapies? JAMA Network Open. 2024;7(5):e248606. PMCID: PMC11423866. 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.8606
Carter KA, Fischer MD, Petrova MI, Balkus JE. Epidemiologic evidence on the role of Lactobacillus iners in sexually transmitted infections and bacterial vaginosis: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Sex Transm Dis. 2023;50(4):224-235. PMCID: PMC10006306. 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001744
Carter KA, Srinivasan S, Fiedler TL, Anzala O, Kimani J, Mochache V, et al. Vaginal bacteria and risk of incident and persistent infection with high-risk subtypes of human papillomavirus: a cohort study among Kenyan women. Sex Transm Dis. 2021;48(7):499-507. PMCID: PMC8184569. 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001343