The Reproductive Infection and Immunity Team, led by Professor Ken Beagley and Dr Alison Carey, along with their collaborator, Asssociate Professor Karla Hutt of Monash University, has just been awarded an NHMRC Ideas grant to research the ability of Chlamydia to infect and damage the ovary, which has never been investigated. The researchers aim to determine exactly how Chlamydia infects and damages ovarian tissues by studying aspects of ovarian function including hormone production, egg health, and fertility in their unique mouse model, and a cohort of human samples. They will also assess whether antibiotics, and their newly developed Chlamydia vaccine, can protect against ovary damage.