Research areas
Stephen Gillespie has worked in Kenya researching the relationship between malaria and lower respiratory tract infection and the prevalence of parasitic infection in children in Kilifi, Kenya. He has investigated a cholera epidemic and vaccine failures in Guerrero, Mexico. He has been working in collaboration with colleagues at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre since 1988 where he has, variously, studied respiratory and parasite diagnostics and novel antimalarials, anti-helminthics and anti tuberculosis agents. His main research activity is in the area of tuberculosis drug development.
For the last twenty five years Stephen Gillespie has been involved in various aspects of tuberculosis diagnosis and drug development. This has included the evaluation of new candidate antituberculosis agents in vitro. This work has expanded into studies of the molecular mechanisms of resistance and the development of model systems to measure the fitness deficits found in resistant strains. He has been involved in the development of fluoroquinolones for tuberculosis having performed early bacterial activity studies and clinical trials of ciprofloxacin. More recently he has led the group working on the clinical development of moxifloxacin in collaboration with the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development as Chief Investigator of the REMox TB study. He later went on to be the coordinating investigator for the TB Alliance STAND trial (Shortening Treatment by Advancing New Drugs) and SimpliciTB trial. He is also one of the Chief Investigators of the PanACEA consortium that links European and African research groups in enhancing anti-tuberculosis therapy.
He has an extensive record of developing novel microbiological diagnostics. Most recently, he has developed SLIC (Scattered Light Integrating Collector), which performs phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing in less than 30 minutes. This innovation won a Longitude Prize Discovery Award and was the Scottish Life Science Alliance Innovation of the Year 2017. In addition he has developed the Molecular Bacterial Load Assay, an innovative way of detecting, quantifying and determining the viability of bacteria in a single test that allows both diagnosis and the monitoring of treatment response. Both of these innovations are being developed for clinical implementation.
He has published a number of textbooks in the area of clinicical microbiology and infectious diseases. These include Medical Microbiology and Infection at a Glance now going into its 5th Edition and translated into seven languages, Infection Microbiology and Management now going into its fourth edition also translated into three languages and Medical Microbiology Illustrated. He has edited Principles and Practice of Clinical Parasitology, Principles and Practice of Clinical Bacteriology (two editions) amd Antibiotic Resistance Protocols (Three editions) Management of Drug Resistant Infections and Medical Parasitology.
PhD supervision
- Stuart Reid
- Hannah Lawther
- Muge Cevik
- Marianna Leite De Avellar
Selected publications
-
Accuracy of the tuberculosis molecular bacterial load assay to diagnose and monitor response to anti-tuberculosis therapy: a longitudinal comparative study with standard-of-care smear microscopy, Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra, and culture in Uganda
Musisi, E., Wamutu, S., Ssengooba, W., Kasiinga, S., Sessolo, A., Sanyu, I., Kaswabuli, S., Zawedde, J., Byanyima, P., Kia, P., Muwambi, W., Toskin, D. T., Kigozi, E., Walbaum, N., Dombay, E., Legrady, M. B., Ssemambo, K. D-M., Joloba, M., Kuchaka, D., Worodria, W., & 3 others , 5 Mar 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: The Lancet Microbe.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Open access
Accuracy of the tuberculosis molecular bacterial load assay to diagnose and monitor response to anti-tuberculosis therapy: a longitudinal comparative study with standard-of-care smear microscopy, Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra, and culture in Uganda
Musisi, E., Wamutu, S., Ssengooba, W., Kasiinga, S., Sessolo, A., Sanyu, I., Kaswabuli, S., Zawedde, J., Byanyima, P., Kia, P., Muwambi, W., Toskin, D. T., Kigozi, E., Walbaum, N., Dombay, E., Legrady, M. B., Ssemambo, K. D-M., Joloba, M., Kuchaka, D., Worodria, W., & 3 others , 5 Mar 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: The Lancet Microbe.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Open access
Consideration of within-patient diversity highlights transmission pathways and antimicrobial resistance gene variability in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium
McHugh, M. P., Pettigrew, K. A., Taori, S., Evans, T. J., Leanord, A., Gillespie, S. H., Templeton, K. E. & Holden, M. T. G., Mar 2024, In: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 79, 3, p. 656-668 13 p., dkae023.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Open access
Evidencing the intersection of environmental, socioeconomic, behavioural and demographic drivers of antibacterial resistance in East Africa
Keenan, K., Papathomas, M., Mshana, S. E., Asiimwe, B., Kiiru, J., Lynch, A. G., Kesby, M., Neema, S., Mwanga, J. R., Mushi, M. F., Green, D. L., Jing, W., Olamijuwon, E., Zhang, Q., Sippy, R., Fredricks, K. J., Gillespie, S. H., Sabiti, W., Bazira, J., Sloan, D. J., & 7 others , 15 Feb 2024, Rochester, NY: SSRN, 26 p.Research output: Working paper › Preprint
-
Open access
Predominance of multidrug-resistant bacteria causing urinary tract infections among symptomatic patients in East Africa: a call for action
Maldonado-Barragán, A., Mshana, S. E., Keenan, K., Ke, X., Gillespie, S. H., Stelling, J., Maina, J., Bazira, J., Muhwezi, I., Mushi, M. F., Green, D. L., Kesby, M., Lynch, A. G., Sabiiti, W., Sloan, D. J., Sandeman, A., Kiiru, J., Asiimwe, B. & Holden, M. T. G., Feb 2024, In: JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance. 6, 1, 11 p., dlae019.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Open access
Rapid determination of antimicrobial susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria from clinical blood cultures using a scattered light integrated collection (SLIC) device
Falconer, K., Hammond, R., Parcell, B. J. & Gillespie, S. H., 28 Feb 2024, In: Journal of Medical Microbiology. 73, 2, 11 p., 001812.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Open access
Treatment seeking behaviours, antibiotic use and relationships to multi-drug resistance: a study of urinary tract infection patients in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
Sado, K., Keenan, K., Manataki, A., Kesby, M., Mushi, M. F., Mshana, S. E., Mwanga, J. R., Neema, S., Asiimwe, B., Bazira, J., Kiiru, J., Green, D. L., Ke, X., Maldonado-Barragán, A., Abed Al Ahad, M., Fredricks, K. J., Gillespie, S. H., Sabiiti, W., Mmbaga, B. T., Kibiki, G., & 6 others , 16 Feb 2024, In: PLOS Global Public Health. 4, 2, 20 p., e0002709.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Open access
Tuberculosis treatment monitoring tests during routine practice: study design guidance
MacLean, E. L-H., Zimmer, A. J., Boon, S. D., Gupta-Wright, A., Cirillo, D. M., Cobelens, F., Gillespie, S. H., Nahid, P., Phillips, P. P., Ruhwald, M. & Denkinger, C. M., 1 Apr 2024, In: Clinical Microbiology and Infection. 30, 4, p. 481-488 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Open access
A practical approach to render tuberculosis samples safe for application of tuberculosis Molecular Bacterial Load Assay in clinical settings without a biosafety level 3 laboratory
Mtafya, B. A., Qwaray, P., John, J., Sichone, E., Shoo, A., Gillespie, S. H., Ntinginya, N. E. & Sabiiti, W., Jan 2023, In: Tuberculosis. 138, 5 p., 102275.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Open access
Bacterial etiology of urinary tract infections in patients treated at Kenyan health facilities and their resistance towards commonly used antibiotics
Kiiru, S., Maina, J., Katana, J., Mwaniki, J., Asiimwe, B. B., Mshana, S. E., Keenan, K., Gillespie, S. H., Stelling, J., Holden, M. T. G., Consortium, HATUA. & Kiiru, J., 26 May 2023, In: PLoS ONE. 18, 5, 14 p., e0277279.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review