Dr. Supriya Mehta, associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, received notice of award for a five-year, NIH-funded grant to study genital bacteria in a cohort of 200 heterosexual couples in Kisumu, Kenya. The study, “Afya Jozi, Afya Jamii” (Healthy pair, Healthy community) will examine bacterial community composition in pairs of men and women. Dr. Mehta’s study will examine how the penile microbiome may increase the risk of reproductive tract infections, especially bacterial vaginosis (BV), genital ulcer disease (GUD), and genital epithelial disruption. The study will also evaluate behavioral factors leading to differences in genital microbiomes of individuals and within couples.