Department of Microbiology & Immunology

Faculty of Medicine

Karen Lithgow

Assistant Professor

KLithgow-Headshot

Pronouns: she/her

Department of Microbiology & Immunology

Email: karen.lithgow@dal.ca
Mailing Address: 
Department of Microbiology and Immunology Dalhousie University Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building, Room 7013 5850 College Street PO Box 15000 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4R2
 
Research Topics:
  • Vaginal Microbiome
  • Bacterial Vaginosis
  • Sexually Transmitted Infections
  • Syphilis Pathogenesis
  • Preterm Birth
  • Reproductive Infections
  • Female Genital Tract Biology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis
  • Protease Biology

Research Interests:

The Lithgow Lab investigates host-microbe interactions in the female genital tract with a specific focus on the molecular mechanisms used by bacterial pathogens to trigger pregnancy complications and increase endocervical susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We use anaerobic microbiology, in vitro models of the female genital tract, protein biochemistry and proteomics to understand how bacteria in the female genital tract confer protection or cause damage and disease.

Education: 

BSc: University of Alberta
PhD: University of Victoria
Postdoctoral Training: University of Calgary

Selected publications:

Lithgow, K.V., Cochinamogulos, A., Muirhead, K., Konschuh, S., Oluoch, L., Mugo, N.R., Roxby, A.C., Sycuro, L.K. (2023) Resolution of glycogen and glycogen-degrading activities reveals correlates of Lactobacillus crispatus dominance in a cohort of young African women. BioRxiv.

Lithgow, K.V., Buchholz, V.C.H., Ku, E., Konschuh, S., D’Aubeterre, A., Sycuro, L.K. (2022). Protease activities of vaginal Porphyromonas species disrupt coagulation and extracellular matrix in the cervicovaginal niche. npj Biofilm and Microbiomes. 8, 8.

Lithgow, K.V., Tsao, E., Schovanek, E., Gomez, A., Swayne, L.A., Cameron, C.E. (2021). Treponema pallidum disrupts VE-cadherin intercellular junctions and traverses endothelial barriers using a cholesterol dependent mechanism. Frontiers in Microbiology. 12: 1790.

Lithgow, K.V., Church, B., Gomez, A., Tsao, E., Houston, S., Swayne, L.A., Cameron, C.E. (2020). Identification of the neuroinvasive pathogen host target, LamR, as an endothelial receptor for the Treponema pallidum adhesin Tp0751. mSphere. 5: e00195-20. Access the article here.

Lithgow, K.V., Hof, R., Wetherell, C., Phillips, D., Houston, S., Cameron, C.E. (2017). A defined syphilis vaccine candidate inhibits dissemination of Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. Nature Communications. 8: 14273.

Kao, W., P̌etrǒsov́a, H., Ebady, R., Lithgow, K.V., Rojas, P., Zhang, Y., Kim, Y.E., Kim, Y.R., Odisho, T., Gupta, N., Moter, A., Cameron, C.E., Moriarty, T. (2017). Identification of Tp0751 (pallilysin) as a Treponema pallidum vascular adhesin by heterologous expression in the lyme disease spirochete. Scientific Reports. 8(7):1538.

Parker, M., Houston, S., P̌etrǒsov́a, H., Lithgow, K.V., Hof, R., Wetherell, C., Kao, W., Lin, Y., Moriarty, T., Ebady, R., Cameron, C.E., Boulanger, M.J. (2016). The structure of Treponema pallidum Tp0751 (pallilysin) reveals a non-canonical lipocalin fold that mediates adhesion to extracellular matrix components and interactions with host cells. PLoS Pathogens. 12(9): e1005919.

Selected awards and honours:

  • CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship 2024-2025
  • One Child Every Child Postdoctoral Fellowship 2024-2025
  • Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship 2022-2024
  • Alberta Innovates Postgraduate Fellowship 2020-2023
  • STI & HIV World Congress 2023, Early Career Researcher Presentation Award
  • IDSOG Annual Meeting 2021, Best Abstract Award
  • STI & HIV World Congress 2019, Young Investigator Oral Presentation Award
  • University of Victoria 2018, Provost’s Advocacy & Activism Award