Karen Vickery
DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
Macquarie University
Aruba
Biography
A/Professor Vickery is a microbiologist investigating medically important bacterial biofilms. Biofilms can cause medical implant failure, instrument and hospital surface decontamination failure. Biofilm bacteria are more tolerant of biocides typically surviving 100-250 times the amount of an antibiotic needed to kill the same bacteria growing in liquid culture. Her work involves traditional microbial culture, next generation sequencing, proteomics and scanning electron microscopy for early detection, biofilm prevention and removal of formed biofilm studies utilizing clinical samples, in vitro and in vivo models
Research Interest
Prevention of biofilm formation on implantable medical devices Early diagnosis of biofilm related implant disease Biofilm removal strategies from hospital and equipment surfaces Improving healing of biofilm infected chronic wounds
Publications
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Chaufour X, Deva AK, Vickery K, Zou J, Kumaradeva P, White GH, Cossart YE. Evaluation of disinfection and sterilization of reusable angioscopes with the duck hepatitis B model. Journal of vascular surgery. 1999 Aug 31;30(2):277-82.
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Tamboto H, Vickery K, Deva AK. Subclinical (biofilm) infection causes capsular contracture in a porcine model following augmentation mammaplasty. Plastic and reconstructive surgery. 2010 Sep 1;126(3):835-42.
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Pajkos A, Deva AK, Vickery K, Cope C. Detection of Subclinical Infection in Signiï¬cant Breast Implant Capsules. Plastic and reconstructive surgery. 2003 Apr 15.
