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Prof Jo-Ann Passmore
CERI Team

Prof Jo-Ann
Passmore

Professor of Medical Virology and Microbiome Research
passmore@sun.ac.za LinkedIn
// Affiliations
Primary
CERI - Stellenbosch University
Also at
University of Cape Town
// Education
PhD in Clinical Immunology
UCT, 1999
BSc Honours in Biochemistry
UKZN, 1994
BSc in Biochemistry and Microbiology
UKZN, 1986

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.

// Research Output

Publications

2026
‘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
1-12
2026
VIBRANT: A phase 1 randomized trial of multi-strain vaginal L. crispatus live biotherapeutic products in people with bacterial vaginosis

Potloane D, Symul L, Ngcapu S, Lewis L, France M, Vermeren L, Elsherbini J, Chetty C, Mafunda N, Polliah A, Mtshali A, Kama A, Magini N, Mitchev N, Mzobe G, Khan A, Demidkina B, Goldenberg M, Xu J, Rutt L, Shirtliff B, Cook S, Murthy M, Hussain F, Passmore J, Jaspan H, Kullin B, Happel A, Liebenberg L, Relman D, Holmes S, Kwon D, Ravel J, Mitchell C

Cell Host & Microbe
2025
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
101:174-182
2025
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
41:559-566
2025
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
48:101554
2021
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.
12:730986. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.730986.
2014
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
21S:1-460
2014
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
9(6):e98593
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