About
Dr. Erica Plummer is a Research Fellow at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Monash University, within the School of Translational Medicine. She is a bioinformatician with a strong national and international reputation in sexual health and genital microbiome research. Her work bridges genomics, clinical data, and public health to improve STI management and antimicrobial stewardship.
- PhD in Translational Research, Monash University (2021)
- MSc in Bioinformatics, University of Melbourne (2014)
- Bachelor of Medical Science and Biotechnology, Charles Sturt University (2008)
Dr. Plummer's research centers on the genital microbiome, particularly its role in bacterial vaginosis and urethritis. She uses advanced bioinformatics and next-generation sequencing to explore how sexual behavior, interventions, and treatments affect microbial composition. Her work has contributed to global STI treatment guidelines, including the CDC 2021 STI Treatment Guidelines. She is especially interested in Mycoplasma genitalium, antimicrobial resistance, and microbiota stability.
Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on antimicrobial resistance, point-of-care testing, and epidemiological trends in sexual health. Articles in high-impact journals like The Lancet Microbe and The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific highlight her leadership in systematic reviews, clinical cohort studies, and economic evaluations of STI diagnostics.
- ASRHA Young Leader Award (2023)
- Best Oral Presentation, STI & HIV 2021 World Congress
- First Prize Poster, STI & HIV 2019 World Congress
Dr. Plummer has received over $346,740 in competitive grant funding and serves as Primary Chief Investigator on an active project to identify novel causes of urethritis. She contributes to academic service as Social Media Editor and Editorial Fellow for Sexually Transmitted Infections (BMJ) and is a member of the Sexual Health Society of Victoria. She has also guest-lectured in Clinical and Translational Bioinformatics at Monash. Her work supports UN Sustainable Development Goals in health and well-being.
She is actively involved in research leadership, public engagement, and scientific communication, with media coverage of her work on bacterial vaginosis reaching broad audiences through news outlets, social media, and expert commentary platforms.
