Grant: DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)

Severe pneumonia caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a large public health concern but there remains no effective vaccine to protect against it. Research into new vaccine types is needed to help find treatments against MRSA. One unexplored vaccine type is using eye drops to protect against pneumonia caused by MRSA. Vaccinating through eye drops has had success against other infectious diseases. Another benefit of eye drop based vaccines is that they can be easier to transport, store and administer allowing them to better aid remote Canadian communities. Towards this goal, this research in mice will characterize the effects of MRSA on the healthy eye surface. This study will also measure the resulting immune system response to see if it is protective against later severe pneumonia from MRSA. Overall, this research will offer new insight into eye drops as a strategy to vaccinate against MRSA to reduce severe pneumonia. If successful, this approach could be expanded to protect against other serious bacterial infections.