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Doctor Lindi Masson

Senior Research Fellow
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Background

Lindi has been involved in HIV and genital microbiome and immunology research for over 10 years. She completed her Ph.D. in Medical Virology at UCT in South Africa in 2012, followed by a two-year postdoctoral fellowship, also at UCT. Since then, she has received multiple research grants from local and international funding agencies, including an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator award, two National Institutes of Health RO1 awards, a European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) grant, and a Carnegie Emerging Academic Leaders award. Lindi's key collaborators include researchers at the University of Cape Town (South Africa), FHI 360 (US), Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (South Africa), Seattle Children's Hospital (US), Virginia Commonwealth University (US), and the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa. She is currently leading or co-leading two clinical cohort studies and a translational research study in South Africa. The primary focus of this research is to understand the socio-behavioural and biological factors associated with HIV acquisition risk in South African women and to develop tools to reduce this risk. An exciting and emerging area of her work aims to address non-optimal microbiota and resultant adverse maternal, sexual and reproductive outcomes in Australian women.

Qualifications
  • 2012: Ph.D. in Medical Virology, University of Cape Town (UCT); 2007: M.Sc. (Med) in Pharmacology, UCT;
  • 2004: B.Sc. (Med)(Hons) in Pharmacology with Distinction, UCT;
  • 2003: B.Sc. in Microbiology and Genetics with Distinction in Microbiology and Genetics, UCT
Appointments
  • 2019-present: Honorary Research Associate, University of Cape Town;
  • 2019-present: Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Monash University;
  • 2015-present: Honorary Scientist of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA)
Awards
  • 2017-2020: Carnegie Corporation Developing Emerging Academic Leaders Award;
  • 2016: Colin Kaplan Award for the young researcher with the highest impact research in Medical Virology at UCT;
  • 2016: UCT Faculty of Health Sciences Early Career Best Paper in Basic Sciences 2015;
  • 2014-2019: South African National Research Foundation Research Career Advancement Award;
  • 2014-2016: Clinical Infectious Diseases Research Initiative (Wellcome Trust) Fellowship;
  • 2008-2013: Poliomyelitis Research Foundation Scholarships;
  • 2011: Carnegie Corporation Research Award; CROI Young Investigator Award; Second place for oral presentation given at the UCT Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences Annual Research Day;
  • 2010: XVIII International AIDS Conference Travel Award; Third place for oral presentation given at The World IUSTI Conference;
  • 2009: South African AIDS Vaccine Conference Travel Award;
  • 2008-2009: Benfara Bursary; KW Johnston Bursary; Harry Crossley Scholarship;
  • 2008: HIV Pathogenesis Keystone Symposium Travel Award; University of Columbia – South African Fogarty AIDS Short-Term Training Scholarship;
  • 2006: Marion Beatrice Waddell Scholarship;
  • 2005-2010: South African Medical Research Council Scholarships;
  • 2004: Benfara Scholarship;
  • 2003: Dean’s Merit List; Class Medal for Molecular Microbial Genetics; Class Medal for Molecular Virology and Advanced Microbial Genetics; UCT Merit Scholarship;
  • 2002: Dean’s Merit List; 2001: UCT Entrance Merit Scholarship;
  • 1999: Merit award for academic achievement with distinctions in Art and Biology; Academic Colours (Diocesan School for Girls)