Xia Zhou, M.D.

College of Science
Research Assistant Professor

Campus Locations
Moscow

With UI Since
2001

Office: LSS 279
Phone: (208) 885-6905
Email: zhouxia@uidaho.edu
Mailing Address:
University of Idaho
Dept. of Biological Sciences
P. O. Box 443051
Moscow, ID 83844-3051

Forney Lab

M.S. Molecular Microbiology, Qingdao University Medical College, 1999
M.D. Medicine, Shandong University, 1988

I have a broad background in both clinic practice and medical microbial ecology. Over the last nine years, my research has focused on the microbial ecology of the human microbiome and I have acquired expertise in the use of cultivation-independent methods to characterize microbial diversity and community ecology. Our research group has pioneered both the development and use of these methods in studies of various habitats, which include the human vagina. I have been the lead investigator on several projects related to the vaginal microbiome and the results have been published in well-respected peer-reviewed journals.

Selected Publications

Zhou, X., Brotman, R. M., Gajer, P., Abdo, Z., Schuette, U., Ma, S., Ravel, J. and Forney, L. J., 2010. Recent advances in understanding the microbiology of the female reproductive tract and the causes of premature birth. Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2010:1-12.
Zhou, X., Hansmann, M. A., Suzuki, H., Davis, C. C., Brown, C. J., Schütte, U., Pierson, J., D., and Forney, L. J., 2010. The vaginal bacterial communities of Japanese women resemble those of women in other racial groups. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 58:169-181.
Zhou, X., Westman, R., Hickey, R., Z., Hansmann, M. A., Kennedy, C., Osborn, T. W. and Forney, L.J., 2009. Vaginal microbiota of women with frequent vulvovaginal candidiasis. Infection and Immunity. 77:4130-4135.
Bo, H. Zhou, X., Forney. L. J., and Chen. S. L., 2009. Changes in microbial community composition following treatment of methanogenic granules with chloroform. Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy. 28:60-71.
Yamamoto, T. Zhou, X., Williams, C. Hochwalt, A. and Forney. L. J., 2008. Bacterial populations in the vaginas of healthy adolescent women. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. 22:11-18.
Zhou, X., Brown, C. J., Abdo, Z., Davis, C. C., Hansmann, M. A. Joyce, P., Foster, J. A. and Forney, L. J., 2007. Differences in the composition of vaginal microbial communities found in healthy Caucasian and Black women. ISME-J (Nature publish group). 1:121-133.
Brown, C. J., Wong, M., Davis, C. C., Kanti, A., Zhou, X. and Forney, L. J., 2007. Preliminary study of the normal flora of human vulva using cultivation-independent methods. J Med Microbiol. 56:271-6.
Forney, L. J., Zhou, X. and Brown, C. J., 2004. Molecular microbial ecology: land of the one-eyed king. Current Opinion in Microbiology. 7:210–220.
Zhou, X., Bent, S. J., Schneider, M. G., Davis, C. C., Islam, M. R. and Forney, L. J., 2004. Characterization of vaginal microbial communities in adult healthy women using cultivation-independent methods. Microbiology. 150:2565–2573.

Research Projects

Using cultivation-independent methods to characterize changes in vaginal microbial communities that occur during puberty.
Determining the species diversity and relative abundance of natural bacterial populations in the external urogenital/perianal areas of women.
Characterizing the bacterial communities in male reproductive tract.