![Helen Brown](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/937?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Helen Brown
(she/her)
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Teams and roles for Helen Brown
Lecturer - Microbiology (T&R)
School of Biosciences
Overview
My research investigates how commensal and environmental microbes transition into opportunistic pathogens, with a particular focus on anaerobic and microaerobic bacteria, biofilm formation, and microbial persistence in compromised niches. I work across clinical and environmental contexts, exploring how microbial communities contribute to opportunistic human diseases. By integrating concepts from One Health, infection biology, and microbiome therapeutics, I aim to uncover mechanisms of microbial adaptation and persistence that influence human health across the lifespan.
I lead four interrelated strands of research:
-
Biofilm formation and persistence of Campylobacter jejuni
Campylobacter jejuni is a microaerophilic pathogen and a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis. Despite its fastidious growth requirements, it persists in food chain environments through biofilm formation and surface attachment. My research investigates how C. jejuni forms biofilms under aerobic and microaerobic conditions, with a particular focus on the role of extracellular DNA (eDNA) in biofilm structure, stability, and antimicrobial resistance. -
Cutibacterium acnes as an opportunistic pathogen
C. acnes, an anaerobic skin commensal, is increasingly implicated in implant-related infections and prostate cancer. The anoxic tumour microenvironment may support its colonisation, and associated inflammation could drive cancer progression. I investigate microbial persistence and host responses to this underexplored organism. -
Microbial colonisation of chronic wounds
Chronic wounds are colonised by diverse microbial species from the environment and human microbiome, including anaerobes and facultative anaerobes. Using multi-species biofilm and bacterial–mammalian co-culture models, I study how microbes integrate into wound communities and the factors driving overgrowth and symptomatic infection. -
Probiotic and natural product-based treatment of wound infections
Conventional antibiotics often fail against chronic wound infections due to biofilm formation and intrinsic resistance, particularly among anaerobic and biofilm-forming species. I explore the antimicrobial and antibiofilm potential of fermented foods, probiotics, and natural products as alternative therapies for complex wound biofilms.
Publication
2025
- Elfar, M. Y., Brown, H. L., Clayton, A. and Stephens, P. 2025. Antibiotic carry over is a confounding factor for cell-based antimicrobial research applications. Scientific Reports 15(1), article number: 28310. (10.1038/s41598-025-14186-7)
- Miles, A., Porch, A., Choi, H., Cripps, S., Brown, H. and Williams, C. F. 2025. Direct measurement of non-thermal microwave effects on bacterial growth and redox dynamics using a novel high-throughput waveguide applicator. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 383(2297), article number: 20240073. (10.1098/rsta.2024.0073)
- Metris, A. et al. 2025. Assessing the safety of microbiome perturbations. Microbial Genomics 11(5), article number: 1405. (10.1099/mgen.0.001405)
2024
- Brown, H. L., Pursley, I. G., Horton, D. L. and La Ragione, R. M. 2024. One health: a structured review and commentary on trends and themes. One Health Outlook 6(1), article number: 17. (10.1186/s42522-024-00111-x)
2023
- Kempf, F. et al. 2023. Inflammatory responses induced by the monophasic variant of salmonella typhimurium in pigs play a role in the high shedder phenotype and fecal microbiota composition. mSystems 8(1), article number: e00852-22. (10.1128/msystems.00852-22)
2022
- Knight, R. et al. 2022. Oral progenitor cell line-derived small extracellular vesicles as a treatment for preferential wound healing outcome. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 11(8), pp. 861-875. (10.1093/stcltm/szac037)
- Abbott, C., Grout, E., Morris, T. and Brown, H. L. 2022. Cutibacterium acnes biofilm forming clinical isolates modify the formation and structure of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms, increasing their susceptibility to antibiotics. Anaerobe 76, article number: 102580. (10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102580)
- Brown, H. L. 2022. Microbial growth. In: Rezaei, N. ed. Encyclopedia of Infection and Immunity., Vol. 1. Elsevier, pp. 324-335., (10.1016/B978-0-12-818731-9.00190-7)
2021
- Brown, H., Clayton, A. and Stephens, P. 2021. The role of bacterial extracellular vesicles in chronic wound infections: current knowledge and future challenges. Wound Repair and Regeneration 29(6), pp. 864-880. (10.1111/wrr.12949)
2020
- Brown, H. L. et al. 2020. Antibacterial and anti-virulence activity of manuka honey against genetically diverse Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 86, article number: e01768-20. (10.1128/AEM.01768-20)
- Brown, H. L., Passey, J. L., Getino, M., Pursley, I., Basu, P., Horton, D. L. and La Ragione, R. M. 2020. The One Health European Joint Programme (OHEJP), 2018-2022: an exemplary One Health initiative. Journal of Medical Microbiology 69(8), pp. 1037-1039. (10.1099/jmm.0.001228)
2015
- Jenkins, R., Roberts, A. and Brown, H. L. 2015. On the antibacterial effects of manuka honey: mechanistic insights. Research and Reports in Biology 6, pp. 215-224. (10.2147/RRB.S75754)
- Reuter, M., Periago, P. M., Mulholland, F., Brown, H. L. and van Vliet, A. H. M. 2015. A PAS domain-containing regulator controls flagella-flagella interactions in Campylobacter jejuni. Frontiers in Microbiology 6, article number: 770. (10.3389/fmicb.2015.00770)
- Brown, H. L., Hanman, K., Reuter, M., Betts, R. P. and van Vliet, A. H. M. 2015. Campylobacter jejuni biofilms contain extracellular DNA and are sensitive to DNase I treatment. Frontiers in Microbiology 6, article number: 699. (10.3389/fmicb.2015.00699)
- Gerlach, R. G., Brown, H. L., Reuter, M., Hanman, K., Betts, R. P. and van Vliet, A. H. M. 2015. Prevention of biofilm formation and removal of existing biofilms by extracellular DNases of Campylobacter jejuni. PLoS ONE 10(3), article number: e0121680. (10.1371/journal.pone.0121680)
2014
- Brown, H. L., Reuter, M., Salt, L. J., Cross, K. L., Betts, R. P., van Vliet, A. H. M. and Griffiths, M. W. 2014. Chicken juice enhances surface attachment and biofilm formation of Campylobacter jejuni. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 80(22), pp. 7053-7060. (10.1128/AEM.02614-14)
2013
- Marlow, V. L., Stanley-Wall, N. R., MacLean, T., Brown, H. and Kiley, T. B. 2013. Blast a biofilm: a hands-on activity for school children and members of the public. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education 14(2), pp. 152-254. (10.1128/jmbe.v14i2.563)
- Brown, H. L., van Vliet, A. H. M., Betts, R. P. and Reuter, M. 2013. Tetrazolium reduction allows assessment of biofilm formation byCampylobacter jejuniin a food matrix model. Journal of Applied Microbiology 115(5), pp. 1212-1221. (10.1111/jam.12316)
Articles
- Elfar, M. Y., Brown, H. L., Clayton, A. and Stephens, P. 2025. Antibiotic carry over is a confounding factor for cell-based antimicrobial research applications. Scientific Reports 15(1), article number: 28310. (10.1038/s41598-025-14186-7)
- Miles, A., Porch, A., Choi, H., Cripps, S., Brown, H. and Williams, C. F. 2025. Direct measurement of non-thermal microwave effects on bacterial growth and redox dynamics using a novel high-throughput waveguide applicator. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 383(2297), article number: 20240073. (10.1098/rsta.2024.0073)
- Metris, A. et al. 2025. Assessing the safety of microbiome perturbations. Microbial Genomics 11(5), article number: 1405. (10.1099/mgen.0.001405)
- Brown, H. L., Pursley, I. G., Horton, D. L. and La Ragione, R. M. 2024. One health: a structured review and commentary on trends and themes. One Health Outlook 6(1), article number: 17. (10.1186/s42522-024-00111-x)
- Kempf, F. et al. 2023. Inflammatory responses induced by the monophasic variant of salmonella typhimurium in pigs play a role in the high shedder phenotype and fecal microbiota composition. mSystems 8(1), article number: e00852-22. (10.1128/msystems.00852-22)
- Knight, R. et al. 2022. Oral progenitor cell line-derived small extracellular vesicles as a treatment for preferential wound healing outcome. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 11(8), pp. 861-875. (10.1093/stcltm/szac037)
- Abbott, C., Grout, E., Morris, T. and Brown, H. L. 2022. Cutibacterium acnes biofilm forming clinical isolates modify the formation and structure of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms, increasing their susceptibility to antibiotics. Anaerobe 76, article number: 102580. (10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102580)
- Brown, H., Clayton, A. and Stephens, P. 2021. The role of bacterial extracellular vesicles in chronic wound infections: current knowledge and future challenges. Wound Repair and Regeneration 29(6), pp. 864-880. (10.1111/wrr.12949)
- Brown, H. L. et al. 2020. Antibacterial and anti-virulence activity of manuka honey against genetically diverse Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 86, article number: e01768-20. (10.1128/AEM.01768-20)
- Brown, H. L., Passey, J. L., Getino, M., Pursley, I., Basu, P., Horton, D. L. and La Ragione, R. M. 2020. The One Health European Joint Programme (OHEJP), 2018-2022: an exemplary One Health initiative. Journal of Medical Microbiology 69(8), pp. 1037-1039. (10.1099/jmm.0.001228)
- Jenkins, R., Roberts, A. and Brown, H. L. 2015. On the antibacterial effects of manuka honey: mechanistic insights. Research and Reports in Biology 6, pp. 215-224. (10.2147/RRB.S75754)
- Reuter, M., Periago, P. M., Mulholland, F., Brown, H. L. and van Vliet, A. H. M. 2015. A PAS domain-containing regulator controls flagella-flagella interactions in Campylobacter jejuni. Frontiers in Microbiology 6, article number: 770. (10.3389/fmicb.2015.00770)
- Brown, H. L., Hanman, K., Reuter, M., Betts, R. P. and van Vliet, A. H. M. 2015. Campylobacter jejuni biofilms contain extracellular DNA and are sensitive to DNase I treatment. Frontiers in Microbiology 6, article number: 699. (10.3389/fmicb.2015.00699)
- Gerlach, R. G., Brown, H. L., Reuter, M., Hanman, K., Betts, R. P. and van Vliet, A. H. M. 2015. Prevention of biofilm formation and removal of existing biofilms by extracellular DNases of Campylobacter jejuni. PLoS ONE 10(3), article number: e0121680. (10.1371/journal.pone.0121680)
- Brown, H. L., Reuter, M., Salt, L. J., Cross, K. L., Betts, R. P., van Vliet, A. H. M. and Griffiths, M. W. 2014. Chicken juice enhances surface attachment and biofilm formation of Campylobacter jejuni. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 80(22), pp. 7053-7060. (10.1128/AEM.02614-14)
- Marlow, V. L., Stanley-Wall, N. R., MacLean, T., Brown, H. and Kiley, T. B. 2013. Blast a biofilm: a hands-on activity for school children and members of the public. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education 14(2), pp. 152-254. (10.1128/jmbe.v14i2.563)
- Brown, H. L., van Vliet, A. H. M., Betts, R. P. and Reuter, M. 2013. Tetrazolium reduction allows assessment of biofilm formation byCampylobacter jejuniin a food matrix model. Journal of Applied Microbiology 115(5), pp. 1212-1221. (10.1111/jam.12316)
Book sections
- Brown, H. L. 2022. Microbial growth. In: Rezaei, N. ed. Encyclopedia of Infection and Immunity., Vol. 1. Elsevier, pp. 324-335., (10.1016/B978-0-12-818731-9.00190-7)
Research
Research Overview
I investigate how microbial communities interact with host tissues and each other to drive infection, persistence, and healing. My research spans biofilm biology, chronic wound microbiology, tumour microbiomes, and host–microbe signalling, to develop novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies for hard-to-treat conditions.
I’m particularly interested in how commensal and opportunistic bacteria adapt to complex environments like wounds and tumours, and how we can harness microbial ecology to improve health outcomes.
Current Research Themes
Bacterial–Host Interactions
- Investigating how fibroblast secretomes influence bacterial virulence and biofilm formation
- Exploring how mixed-species bacterial communities respond to host-derived signals and immune factors
- Studying host–microbiome interactions in prostate cancer, focusing on inflammation, immune modulation, and microbial persistence
Bacterial–Bacterial Interactions
- Understanding how commensal–pathogen dynamics drive microbial persistence and opportunistic infection
- Using commensal microbiota to suppress or outcompete pathogens in chronic wound environments
- Exploring biofilm synergy and competition in tumour and wound settings
Innovative Therapies and Diagnostics
- Developing antimicrobial and antibiofilm strategies that leverage host-derived molecules
- Investigating bacterial extracellular vesicles (bEVs) as non-invasive biomarkers and biofilm community modulators
- Characterising the secretome and vesicle-mediated signalling of C. acnes in prostate tumour progression
- Targeting Campylobacter jejuni biofilms using DNase-based approaches to disrupt extracellular DNA and reduce pathogen persistence
- Studying C. jejuni survival and resistance mechanisms in food chain environments under aerobic and microaerobic conditions
Teaching
I teach on the following modules:
BI1001 Skills for Science
BI1003 Organisms and the Environment
BI2332 Concepts of Disease
BI3155 Infection biology and Epidemiology
I am also available to supervise BSc, MSc and MRes students
Biography
2022: Lecturer in Microbiology, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University
2019 - 2022: Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Dentistry, Cardiff University
2018 - 2019: Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Veterinary Medicine, Surrey University
2016 - 2018: Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Dentistry, Cardiff University
2015 - 2016: Postdoctoral Researcher, Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University
2011 - 2015: PhD student, Institue of Food Research/University of East Anglia
2004 - 2011: Experimental Officer, Biosafety Division, Covance Laboratories Ltd
Honours and awards
2013: Society of General Microbiology Outreach Award
2013: University of East Anglia (CUE EAST) Outreach Newcomer Award
Professional memberships
2025 onwards - member of the UK Society for Extracellular Vessicles
2022 onwards - member of Applied Microbiology International
2012 onwards - member of the Microbiology Society
Committees and reviewing
2025 onwards: Editor of Microbiology Outlooks
2020 - 2024: Editor of Access Microbiology
Contact Details
+44 29225 14560
Sir Martin Evans Building, Room W2/03, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
Research themes
Specialisms
- Aged health care
- Medical bacteriology
- Medical microbiology
- Zoonosis
- One health