Jo-Ann Passmore PhD

Jo-Ann Passmore obtained her PhD from the University of Cape Town in 1999 in Clinical Immunology. She has been mentored through the MRC (South Africa) Career Development Program (2003-2006), Fogarty AITRP (2004) and the Wellcome Trust with an Intermediate Fellowship in Infectious Diseases (2006-2008). Jo-Ann Passmore's research has focused on studying genital tract adaptive and innate immune responses associated with protection from or susceptibility to sexually transmitted viral diseases including HPV and HIV. She has published 31 papers in international peer reviewed journals on immunity to HIV and HP; has graduated 3 PhD and 3 MSc students from her laboratory; and been principal investigator on numerous grants. Jo-Ann Passmore presently leads a team of 3 Post-Doctoral Fellows, 2 PhD, 1 MMed and 3 MSc students at UCT focusing on HIV and HPV immunity at the female genital tract; and is project leader for the CAPRISA Mucosal Immunology Laboratory at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (2011-) heading a group of 3 Post-Doctoral Fellows and 1 PhD student on studies focusing on development and testing of microbicides to prevent HIV infection.