Dr Lindi Masson

Life Sciences Discipline, Burnet Institute

Affiliations

  1. Associate Member, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
  2. Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director, Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health Program, Burnet Institute, Australia
  3. Honorary Research Associate, Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research, South Africa
  4. Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Monash University

Key Expertise

Biomarker Discovery, Female Genital Tract Infection, HIV Prevention, Microbiome, STI

Main Research Focus

Lindi Masson’s research group focuses on understanding risk factors for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and adverse birth outcomes in women and adolescent girls. Their work aims to use this knowledge to develop affordable and feasible tools to improve sexual and reproductive health, particularly in resource-limited settings.

The group is collaborating on a clinical study to identify biological and socio-behavioural factors to explain the high rates of HIV infection seen in adolescent girls and young women in South Africa. They are also working with Australian researchers to investigate the impact of the cervicovaginal metaproteome on birth outcomes in Australian women. Additionally, Lindi's group is characterising the effects of contraceptives on the cervicovaginal microbiome, metaproteome and immunity in women from South Africa, Brazil and the Dominican Republic.

The group also focuses on developing low-cost point-of-care tests to identify women with asymptomatic sexually transmitted infections and vaginal dysbiosis who are at high risk of HIV and preterm birth. Another aspect of their research is to characterise cervicovaginal commensal bacterial taxa to identify strains that inhibit HIV and could be utilised as bio preventatives to reduce HIV risk in women.

The work is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Research, Perpetual IMPACT Philanthropy and Western Australia Future Health Research and Innovation Fund.

Most Significant Paper Authored in 2024

Differences in HIV risk factors between South African adolescents and adult women and their association with sexually transmitted infections.

Mkhize, Pamela & Mehou-Loko, Celia & Maphumulo, Nokuthula & Radzey, Nina & Abrahams, Andrea & Sibeko, Sengeziwe & Harryparsad, Rushil & Manhanzva, Monalisa & Meyer, Bahiah & Liebenberg, Lenine & Ngcapu, Sinaye & Ahmed, Dr & Busakwe, Funeka & Mqaba, Noluthando & Archary, Derseree & Sivro, Aida & Samsunder, Natasha & Potloane, Disebo & Masson, Lindi. (2024).


This study enrolled a cohort of adolescent girls and adult women in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, with the aim of improving understanding of the high rates of HIV acquisition in adolescent girls and young women. Key differences in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), reported sexual risk behaviours and risk perception were identified between age groups, as well as risk factors associated with STI status. This study provides insights into the type of tailored messaging and programming needed for younger versus older women and highlights the need to integrate sexual health and HIV prevention programming in sub-Saharan Africa.