ProfessorResearch interests
Professor Steve Chambers' research interests relate to diagnostics in respiratory infections, the treatment of infectious diseases and intermediary metabolism with particular emphasis on the relationship between bacterial and human metabolism.
He is interested in the effective delivery of treatment for infectious disease that minimises harm to the patient depends on rapid, accurate diagnosis of the infecting organism.
Clinical studies undertaken by Professor Chambers and his team have confirmed the limitations of current methods such as culture and PCR, particularly in children, which depend on the collection of sputum and other specimens. This lead the concept of diagnostic breath testing, which can be performed on readily available samples that can be easily repeated, to follow microbial metabolism. Markers of bacterial metabolisms are obvious diagnostic candidates particularly as they are specific to a particular respiratory pathogen.
In the media
Professors Steve Chambers and David Murdoch were interviewed for Radio New Zealand's Our Changing World series in March 2014.
Publications
Murdoch, D. R., Slow, S., Chambers, S. T., Jennings, L. C., Stewart, A. W., Priest, P. C., Florkowski, C. M., … Scragg, R. (2012). Effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on upper respiratory tract infections in healthy adults: The vidaris randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 308(13), 1333-1339. doi: 10.1001/jama.2012.12505
Murdoch, D. R., Corey, G. R., Hoen, B., Miró, J. M., Fowler, Jr, V. G., Bayer, A. S., … Chambers, S. T., … Raymond, N. J., … for the International Collaboration on Endocarditis Prospective Cohort Study (ICE-PCS) Investigators. (2009). Clinical presentation, etiology, and outcome of infective endocarditis in the 21st century: The International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 169(5), 463-473.
Richards, D., Toop, L., Chambers, S., & Fletcher, L. (2005). Response to antibiotics of women with symptoms of urinary tract infection but negative dipstick urine test results: Double blind randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal, 331(7509). Retrieved from http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/331/7509/143
Corwin, P., Toop, L., McGeoch, G., Than, M., Wynn-Thomas, S., Wells, J. E., Dawson, R., … Pithie, A., Chambers, S., Fletcher, L., & Richards, D. (2005). Randomised controlled trial of intravenous antibiotic treatment for cellulitis at home compared with hospital. British Medical Journal, 330(7483). Retrieved from http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/330/7483/129
Chambers, S. T., Murdoch, D., Morris, A., Holland, D., Pappas, P., Almela, M., … Raymond, N., … and the International Collaboration on Endocarditis Prospective Cohort Study (ICE-PCS) Investigators. (2013). HACEK infective endocarditis: Characteristics and outcomes from a large, multi-national cohort. PLoS ONE, 8(5), e63181. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063181
Journal - Research Article
Chambers, S. T., Murdoch, D., Morris, A., Holland, D., Pappas, P., Almela, M., … Raymond, N., … and the International Collaboration on Endocarditis Prospective Cohort Study (ICE-PCS) Investigators. (2013). HACEK infective endocarditis: Characteristics and outcomes from a large, multi-national cohort. PLoS ONE, 8(5), e63181. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063181
Chang, C. L., Mills, G. D., Karalus, N. C., Jennings, L. C., Laing, R., Murdoch, D. R., Chambers, S. T., … Hancox, R. J. (2013). Biomarkers of cardiac dysfunction and mortality from community-acquired pneumonia in adults. PLoS ONE, 8(5), e62612. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062612
Chirouze, C., Athan, E., Alla, F., Chu, V. H., Corey, G. R., Selton-Suty, C., … on behalf of the International Collaboration on Endocarditis Study Group, including Chambers, S., & Murdoch, D. R. (2013). Enterococcal endocarditis in the beginning of the 21st century: Analysis from the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study. Clinical Microbiology & Infection, 19(12), 1140-1147. doi: 10.1111/1469-0691.12166
Murdoch, D. R., Slow, S., Chambers, S. T., Jennings, L. C., Stewart, A. W., Priest, P. C., Florkowski, C. M., … Scragg, R. (2012). Effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on upper respiratory tract infections in healthy adults: The vidaris randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 308(13), 1333-1339. doi: 10.1001/jama.2012.12505
The International HIV Controllers Study, including Chambers, S. T. (2010). The major genetic determinants of HIV-1 control affect HLA class I peptide presentation. Science, 330(6010), 1551-1557. doi: 10.1126/science.1195271
Amodeo, M. R., Clulow, T., Lainchbury, J., Murdoch, D. R., Gallagher, K., Dyer, A., Metcalf, S. C. L., Pithie, A. D., & Chambers, S. T. (2009). Outpatient intravenous treatment for infective endocarditis: Safety, effectiveness and one-year outcomes. Journal of Infection, 59(6), 387-393. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2009.09.009
Chambers, S. T., Syhre, M., Murdoch, D. R., McCartin, F. J., & Epton, M. J. (2009). Detection of 2-Pentylfuran in the breath of patients with Aspergillus fumigatus. Medical Mycology, 47(5), 468-476. doi: 10.1080/13693780802475212
Atkinson, W., Slow, S., Elmslie, J., Lever, M., Chambers, S. T., & George, P. M. (2009). Dietary and supplementary betaine: Effects on betaine and homocysteine concentrations in males. Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, 19(11), 767-776. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2009.01.004
Murdoch, D. R., Corey, G. R., Hoen, B., Miró, J. M., Fowler, Jr, V. G., Bayer, A. S., … Chambers, S. T., … Raymond, N. J., … for the International Collaboration on Endocarditis Prospective Cohort Study (ICE-PCS) Investigators. (2009). Clinical presentation, etiology, and outcome of infective endocarditis in the 21st century: The International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 169(5), 463-473.
Syhre, M., Manning, L., Phuanukoonnon, S., Harino, P., & Chambers, S. T. (2009). The scent of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Part II breath. Tuberculosis, 89, 263-266. doi: 10.1016/j.tube.2009.04.003
Syhre, M., & Chambers, S. T. (2008). The scent of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis, 88(4), 317-323.
Syhre, M., Scotter, J. M., & Chambers, S. T. (2008). Investigation into the production of 2-Pentylfuran by Aspergillus fumigatus and other respiratory pathogens in vitro and human breath samples. Medical Mycology, 46(3), 209-215. doi: 10.1080/13693780701753800
Jennings, L. C., Anderson, T. P., Beynon, K. A., Chua, A., Laing, R. T. R., Werno, A. M., … Chambers, S. T., & Murdoch, D. R. (2008). Incidence and characteristics of viral community-acquired pneumonia in adults. Thorax, 63(1), 42-48. doi: 10.1136/thx.2006.075077
Huggan, P. J., Murdoch, D. R., Gallagher, K., & Chambers, S. T. (2008). Concomitant Staphylococcus aureus bacteriuria is associated with poor clinical outcome in adults with S. aureus bacteraemia. Journal of Hospital Infection, 69(4), 345-349. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2008.04.027
Sanders, J., Pithie, A., Ganly, P., Surgenor, L., Wilson, R., Merriman, E., … Chambers, S. (2008). A prospective double-blind randomized trial comparing intraluminal ethanol with heparinized saline for the prevention of catheter-associated bloodstream infection in immunosuppressed haematology patients. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 62(4), 809-815. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkn284
Atkinson, W., Elmslie, J., Lever, M., Chambers, S. T., & George, P. M. (2008). Dietary and supplementary betaine: Acute effects on plasma betaine and homocysteine concentrations under standard and postmethionine load conditions in healthy male subjects. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 87(3), 577-585.
Lever, M., Atkinson, W., George, P. M., & Chambers, S. T. (2007). An abnormal urinary excretion of glycine betaine may persist for years. Clinical Biochemistry, 40, 798-801.
Atkinson, W., Downer, P., Lever, M., Chambers, S. T., & George, P. M. (2007). Effects of orange juice and proline betaine on glycine betaine and homocysteine in healthy male subjects. European Journal of Nutrition, 46, 446-452. doi: 10.1007/s00394-007-0684-5
Chambers, S. T., Pithie, A., Gallagher, K., Liu, T., Charles, C. J., & Seaward, L. (2007). Treatment of Staphylococcus epidermidis central vascular catheter infection with 70% ethanol locks: Efficacy in a sheep model. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 59, 779-782.
Lever, M., Atkinson, W., Sizeland, P. C. B., Chambers, S. T., & George, P. M. (2007). Inter- and intra-individual variations in normal urinary glycine betaine excretion. Clinical Biochemistry, 40, 447-453.
Vella-Brincat, J. W. A., Begg, E. J., Kirkpatrick, C. M. J., Zhang, M., Chambers, S. T., & Gallagher, K. (2007). Protein binding of cefazolin is saturable in vivo both between and within patients. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 63(6), 753-757.
Corwin, P., Toop, L., McGeoch, G., Than, M., Wynn-Thomas, S., Wells, J. E., Dawson, R., … Pithie, A., Chambers, S., Fletcher, L., & Richards, D. (2005). Randomised controlled trial of intravenous antibiotic treatment for cellulitis at home compared with hospital. British Medical Journal, 330(7483). Retrieved from http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/330/7483/129
Richards, D., Toop, L., Chambers, S., & Fletcher, L. (2005). Response to antibiotics of women with symptoms of urinary tract infection but negative dipstick urine test results: Double blind randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal, 331(7509). Retrieved from http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/331/7509/143
Journal - Research Other
Murdoch, D. R., & Chambers, S. T. (2009). Atypical pneumonia: Time to breathe new life into a useful term? Lancet Infectious Diseases, 9(8), 512-519. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(09)70148-3
