Eureka Prize-winning discovery affects one in four women worldwide

This year’s Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases Research went to the Women’s Microbiome Innovation Group for their discovery that bacterial vaginosis (BV), which affects one in four women worldwide, is sexually transmitted. The award is one of several categories in the Australian Museum’s 2026 Eureka Prizes, an annual recognition of excellence across research and innovation, leadership, science engagement and school science.

The StepUp trial by Monash University and The Alfred showed treating male partners reduces BV recurrence in women by more than 60%, a finding that, Monash said, has reshaped international thinking on the condition. Partner treatment is transforming clinical practice for BV, an infection associated with serious reproductive complications such as preterm birth and miscarriage, Monash added.

L–R: Dr Erica Plummer, Professor Catriona Bradshaw and Dr Lenka Vodstrcil. Credit: Monash University

The trial was completed in 2025 by Professor Catriona Bradshaw, Dr Lenka Vodstrcil and Dr Erica Plummer and published in The New England Journal of Medicine (doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2405404), with Bradshaw saying that her team are now focused on the next steps.

“We are now looking at the male genital microbiome to figure out how we can prevent women from acquiring BV in the first place,” Bradshaw said. “We’re also studying the small group of women who weren’t cured by partner treatment, aiming to develop more targeted and effective treatment options for them.”

Believing that a better understanding of the vaginal and penile microbiomes could reshape future sexual and reproductive health, Plummer said: “Our findings have already demonstrated that male partners play a critical role in recurrence, fundamentally changing how clinicians approach treatment.”

While Vodstrcil noted that the team’s work has shown that male partner treatment is highly acceptable and cost-effective in the Australian healthcare setting, supporting changes to national guidelines. “Our trial proved that male partners are key to improving BV cure, and this strategy is transforming global practice and policy.”

L–R: Dr Lenka Vodstrcil, Dr Erica Plummer and Professor Catriona Bradshaw. Credit: Monash University

You can learn more about the StepUp trial at www.mshc.org.au/research/research-studies/stepup-study.

Top image: L–R: Dr Erica Plummer, Dr Lenka Vodstrcil and Professor Catriona Bradshaw. Credit: Monash University