Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Division of Obstetrics and Feto-Maternal Medicine)
Position: Associate Professor
ORCID: 0000-0002-4628-9052
T +43 1 40400 28210
alex.farr@meduniwien.ac.at
Keywords
Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal; Obstetric Labor, Premature; Premature Birth; Vaginal Discharge; Vaginosis, Bacterial
Research interests
- Prevention of and risk factors for preterm birth
- Screening and treatment of vaginal infections
- Vaginal microbiome research
- Improving maternity and antenatal care
Techniques, methods & infrastructure
Our main research focus is to understand the multifactorial event of preterm birth. Since it is known that vaginal infections and dysbiosis significantly contribute to preterm birth, our research soughts to elucidate the impact of different bacterial and fungal pathogens in this context. In a greater perspective, we analyze the underlying mechanisms of the human microbiome using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing or whole shotgun metagenomics sequencing methods. This helps us to better understand the microbial community which is thought to render preterm susceptibility.
For grants: please see CV.
Selected publications
- Farr, A. et al., 2018. Human placentophagy: a review. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 218(4), pp.401.e1–401.e11. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2017.08.016.
- Farr, A. et al., 2016. Evaluation of the vaginal flora in pregnant women receiving opioid maintenance therapy: a matched case-control study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 16(1). Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12884-016-1003-z.
- Farr, A. et al., 2015. Role of Lactobacillus Species in the Intermediate Vaginal Flora in Early Pregnancy: A Retrospective Cohort Study C. S. Rosenfeld, ed. PLOS ONE, 10(12), p.e0144181. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0144181.
- Farr, A. et al., 2015. Routine Use of an Antenatal Infection Screen-and-Treat Program to Prevent Preterm Birth: Long-Term Experience at a Tertiary Referral Center. Birth, 42(2), pp.173–180. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/birt.12154.
- Farr, A. et al., 2015. Effect of asymptomatic vaginal colonization withCandida albicanson pregnancy outcome. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 94(9), pp.989–996. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/aogs.12697.