Person

Professor Jo-Ann Passmore, PhD is Director of the Women’s Health Programme at the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and an internationally recognised leader in mucosal immunology and vaginal microbiome research. Her work focuses on how genital tract microbiomes, inflammation, and epithelial barrier function shape women’s susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections and adverse reproductive outcomes. She founded VMRC4Africa (Vaginal Microbiome Research Consortium for Africa) in 2021, a multi-country initiative generating African-led microbiome reference datasets to enable the development of regionally relevant live biotherapeutic products, particularly for bacterial vaginosis. Prof Passmore also co-developed the Genital Inflammation Test (GIFT), a low-cost point-of-care diagnostic to support personalised sexual and reproductive health care for women. She is a Calestous Juma Scientific Leadership Fellow (Gates Foundation; 2021–2026), has published >150 peer-reviewed papers, holds two patents, and is committed to advancing equitable, locally-manufactured microbiome-based solutions for women’s health in Africa.

Ethical design as a prerequisite for translational microbiome science.
Passmore J, Nieves Delgado A, Happel A, Microbiome (2026), 14:.

‘The not talking is actually what kills you’– young South African women’s communication barriers about sexual health.
Hartley F, Trappler J, Gill K, Bekker L, MacKenny V, Knight L, Passmore J, Culture, Health & Sexuality (2026), :1-12.

Differences in HIV risk factors between South African adolescents and adult women and their association with sexually transmitted infections.
Mkhize P, Mehou-Loko C, Maphumulo N, Radzey N, Abrahams A, Sibeko S, Harryparsad R, Manhanzva M, Meyer B, Radebe P, Liebenberg L, Ngcapu S, Ahmed N, Busakwe F, Mqaba N, Archary D, Sivro A, Samsunder N, Potloane D, Horsnell W, Jordan C, Abdool Karim Q, Bekker L, Passmore J, Jaspan H, Humphries H, Masson L, Sexually Transmitted Infections (2025), 101:174-182.

Circulating Short-Chain Fatty Acids: Association with Vaginal Microbiota, Genital Inflammation, and HIV Acquisition.
Shivakoti R, Letsoalo M, Lewis L, Mckinnon L, Passmore J, Karim S, Liebenberg L, AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses (2025), 41:559-566.

Randomized trial of multi-strain Lactobacillus crispatus vaginal live biotherapeutic products after antibiotic therapy for bacterial vaginosis: study protocol for VIBRANT (vaginal lIve biotherapeutic RANdomized trial).
Chetty C, Mafunda N, Happel A, Khan A, Cooley Demidkina B, Yende-Zuma N, Saidi Y, Mahabeer Polliah A, Lewis L, Osman F, Radebe P, Passmore J, Kwon D, Ravel J, Ngcapu S, Liebenberg L, Symul L, Holmes S, Mitchell C, Potloane D, Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications (2025), 48:101554.

Temporal Changes in Vaginal Microbiota and Genital Tract Cytokines Among South African Women Treated for Bacterial Vaginosis.
Mtshali A, San JE, Osman F, Garrett N, Balle C, Giandhari J, Onywera H, Mngomezulu K, Mzobe G, de Oliveira T, Rompalo A, Mindel A, Abdool Karim SS, Ravel J, Passmore JS, Abdool Karim Q, Jaspan HB, Liebenberg LJP, Ngcapu S, Front Immunol. (2021), 12:730986. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.730986.:.

Expression of the CCR5 HIV co-receptor in women with genital schistosomiasis.
Kleppa E, Ramsuran V, Zulu S, Karlsen GH, Bere A, Passmore JA, Ndhlovu P, Lillebo K, Holmen SD, Onsrud M, Gundersen SG, Taylor M, Kjetland EF, Ndung'u T, 16th ICID Abstracts / International Journal of Inf (2014), 21S:1-460.

Effect of female genital schistosomiasis and anti-schistosomal treatment on monocytes, CD4+ T-cells and CCR5 expression in the female genital tract.
Kleppa E, Ramsuran V, Zulu S, Karlsen GH, Bere A, Passmore JA, Ndhlovu P, Lillebo K, Holmen SD, Onsrud M, Gundersen SG, Taylor M, Kjetland EF, Ndung'u T, PLoS One (2014), 9(6):e98593.