Donate today to support women in science at Burnet and their work to unlock the vaginal microbiome and reduce risk of HIV infection and preterm birth for women around the world.
Improving the health of vulnerable communities and changing lives is at the heart of what we do and who we are.
Globally, 48% of the 1.8 million new HIV infections in 2016 were among women where the virus mainly establishes infection by entry through the lower female reproductive tract (FRT). In Eastern and South Africa young women (aged 15-24 years) accounted for 26% of new HIV infections in 2016.
Studies have shown that women colonised with non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota (such as women with bacterial vaginosis, BV) are at increased risk of acquiring HIV compared to women colonised with optimal cervicovaginal microbiota, typically dominated by Lactobacillus spp.
In this study we are investigating how a factor produced by optimal microbiota augments the cervicovaginal mucosal barrier to prevent HIV acquisition
2019 – 2021
Dr Anna Hearps Professor Jacques Ravel Professor Deborah Anderson Professor Adam Burgener Dr Joshua Hayward Associate Professor Catriona Bradshaw Dr Raffi Gugasyan Dr Pantelis Poumbourios
NHMRC
For any general enquiries relating to this project, please contact:
Head of Life Sciences; Head of Tachedjian Laboratory (Retroviral Biology and Antivirals)
To create and translate knowledge into better health, so no-one is left behind.
85 Commercial Road, Melbourne
VIC, 3004, Australia
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