Professor Jonathan Ross MBChB MD FRCP

Professor Jonathan Ross

Institute of Microbiology and Infection
Professor of Sexual Health and HIV

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 237 5721
Email
j.d.ross@bham.ac.uk
Address
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Jonathan Ross is Professor of Sexual Health and HIV and a Consultant Physician at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

His research interests relate to gonorrhoea, Mycoplasma genitalium, HIV, bacterial vaginosis and sexual health care service delivery.

Qualifications

  • Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
  • Doctorate in Medicine
  • MBChB

Biography

Professor Ross’s research is focused on improving the delivery of high quality sexual and reproductive health care through:

  • a program of health care services research
  • increasing research capacity within the field of sexual health and HIV
  • supporting the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network

His research partners include Birmingham City University, Aston University, Warwick University, University of Nottingham, Glasgow Caledonian University, Public Health England and the Sanger Institute.

The sexual health and HIV research team is based within the Umbrella Sexual Health Partnership and comprises:

  • 15 NHS consultant medical staff
  •   6 Medical Trainees
  •   1 Research Manager
  •   2 Clinical Research Fellows
  •   1 Academic Research Fellow
  •   2 Research Nurses
  •   1 Research Assistant
  •   7 PhD Students

The major research themes of the unit are focused on:

  • sexual health service delivery
  • diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections
  • human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Teaching

  • Medicine and Surgery MBChB

Postgraduate supervision


Supervisor for 7 PhD projects at University of Birmingham, University of Warwick, Birmingham City University and Aston University:
 2016 - 2019 Evaluation of the impact on individuals and wider society of remote testing for sexually transmitted infections.
 2017 - 2020 Evaluating Pharmacy delivered sexual health services.
 2017 - 2020 Immune responses to N gonorrhoeae.
 2018 - 2021 Identifying and developing approaches for the economic evaluation of sexually transmitted infection screening 
and testing interventions: a case study of the Umbrella sexual health system in Birmingham and Solihull.
 2018 - 2021 Measuring and assessing patient experience and satisfaction with Umbrella services.
 2018 - 2021 Identifying, measuring and valuing intersectoral costs and benefits: a case study of sexual health 
services.
 2018 - 2021 Teens' experiences of sexual assault

Research

Current and Recent Research Funding

2019-2023

  • Dequalinium versus usual care antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis (DEVA): a multicentre randomised, open  label, non-inferiority trial
  • NIHR Health Technology Assessment -  £1.1million (Chief Investigator)

2017-2021

  • A randomised controlled trial to assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of topical lactic acid gel for treating second and subsequent episodes of bacterial vaginosis
  • NIHR Health Technology Assessment -  £1.5million (Chief Investigator)

2016-20

  • Assessing the impact on individuals and wider society of remote testing for STI
  • ESRC Studentship - £30,000 (PhD Supervisor)

2016-18

  • Measuring patient experience and outcome in health care settings on receiving care after sexual violence: a systematic review
  • Sexually Transmitted Infections Research Foundation - £11,200 (Co-Investigator)

2015-22

  • Evaluating and improving sexual healthcare delivery in Birmingham
  • Birmingham City Council - £840, 000 (R&D Lead Applicant)

2014-2017

  • A randomised controlled trial to compare the clinical effectiveness and safety of gentamicin and ceftriaxone in the treatment of gonorrhoea
  • NIHR Health Technology Assessment -  £1.3million (Chief Investigator)

2015-2016

  • Understanding young people’s perceptions of the value of STI testing and exploring preferences for STI testing in different settings
  • Sexually Transmitted Infections Research Foundation - £49,986 (Co-Investigator)

 Professor Ross' recent Sexual Health and HIV Academic Unit Summary Report can be found here

Other activities

Professor Ross is Vice-President of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, Editor of the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment Journal and Treasurer of the International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections. He is an Associate Editor of the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, a member of the Editorial Board for the European Sexually Transmitted Diseases Guidelines and sits on the NIHR Health Technology Assessment Commissioning Board.

He is the author of UK and European Guidelines on Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, and has written a number of chapters on pelvic infection for medical textbooks. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Cochrane Collaboration Sexually Transmitted Diseases Collaborative Review Group and the International Journal of STD and AIDS Journal.

Publications

Ison CA, Fifer H, Gwynn S, Horner P, Muir P, Nicholls J, Radcliffe K, Ross JDC, Taylor-Robinson D and White J. Highlighting the clinical need for diagnosing Mycoplasma genitalium infection. International Journal of STD & AIDS 2018;29:680-6. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956462417753527.

Ross JDC, Harding J and Duley L et al, on behalf of the G-TOG Collaborative Group. A randomised controlled trial to compare the clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and safety of gentamicin and ceftriaxone in the treatment of gonorrhoea (The G-TOG Trial). NIHR Health Technology Assessment Journal (in press).

Thorley N and Ross JDC. Intravaginal boric acid – is it an alternative therapeutic option for vaginal trichomoniasis? Sexually Transmitted Infections 2018 DOI: 10.1136/sextrans-2017-053343.

Hayward RS, Harding J, Molloy R, Land L, Longcroft-Neal K, Moore D and Ross JDC. Adverse Effects of a Single Dose of Gentamicin in Adults: A Systematic Review.  British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology  2017 DOI:10.1111/bcp.13439

Savaris RF, Fuhrich DG, Duarte RV, Franik S and Ross J. Antibiotic therapy for pelvic inflammatory disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2017, Issue 4. Art. No: CD010285. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010285.pub2.

Achhra A, Mocroft A, Ross M, Ryom-Nielson L, Avihingsanon A, Bakowska E, Belloso W, Clarke A, Furre H,  Lucas GM, Ristola M, Rassool M, Ross J, Somboonwit C and Wyatt C. Impact of early versus deferred antiretroviral therapy on estimated glomerular filtration rate in HIV-positive individuals in the START randomised study. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents 2017;50(3):453-460.

Ng A and Ross J. Trichomonas vaginalis infection:  how significant is it in men presenting with recurrent or persistent symptoms of urethritis?  International Journal of STD & AIDS 2016;27:63-65.

Town K, Obi C, Quaye N, Chisholm S, Hughes G , Livermore DM, Bignell C, Eastick K, Johnson A, Paul J, Robinson A and Ross J et al. Drifting towards ceftriaxone treatment failure in gonorrhoea: risk factor analysis of data from the Gonococcal Resistance to Antimicrobials Surveillance Programme in England and Wales.  Sexually Transmitted Infections 2016  doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2016-052583.

Hathorn E, Ng A, Page M, Hodson J, Quinn N, Gaydos C and Ross JDC. A service evaluation of the Gen Probe APTIMA nucleic acid amplification test for Trichomonas Vaginalis: should it change whom we screen for infection?  Sexually Transmitted Infections 2015;91(2):81-86.

Fernando KA, Flew SJ, Fowle T, Caley M, Phattey J, Harding J and Ross JDC. Detecting re-infection in patients after an initial diagnosis of gonorrhoea: is routine recall for re-screening useful?  International Journal of STD & AIDS 2015;26:640-647.