Red X iconGreen tick iconYellow tick icon

Dr Julie Bennett 2019 thumbnail

BSc, DPH, MPH, PhD
Senior Research Fellow; HEIRU

Contact details  

Email julie.bennett@otago.ac.nz

Research interests and activities  

Dr Julie Bennett is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Public Health in Wellington. She has a wide range of public health research interests, with a particular focus on infectious diseases, indoor air quality, housing and health. Her research activities currently have a strong focus on group A streptococcal infections, acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.

Julie is the lead researcher of SCIP RHD, a Trans-Tasman collaboration trialling subcutaneous infusions of benzathine penicillin for prevention of rheumatic heart disease. Julie also leads the “Isolate study” which aims to establish if group A streptococcal isolates detected prior to rheumatic fever differ from those collected on hospital admission. Julie project manages the “Endgame” project, led by Professor Michael Baker, which aims to develop an optimal strategy for ending rheumatic fever in New Zealand and the “START” study, led by Dr Nikki Moreland that aims to develop and validate biomarkers that may form the basis for a rheumatic fever blood test. Julie is a member of Pū Manawa (Rheumatic fever network Aotearoa New Zealand) and the World Health Organization ARF and RHD guideline development group.

Julie is a member of He Kainga Oranga (Housing and Health Research Programme), which was awarded the Rutherford Medal in 2021 and is a founding member of the New Zealand Indoor Air Quality Research Centre.

Publications

Ammar, S., Anglemyer, A., Bennett, J., Lees, J., Addidle, M., Morgan, J., DuBray, K., … Duff, P. (2024). Post-pandemic increase in invasive group A strep infections in New Zealand. Journal of Infection & Public Health, 17, 102545. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102545 Journal - Research Article

Vesty, A., Ren, X., Sharma, P., Lorenz, N., Proft, T., Hardaker, A., … Bennett, J., … Moreland, N. J. (2024). The emergence and impact of the M1UK lineage on invasive group A streptococcus disease in Aotearoa New Zealand. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofae457 Journal - Research Article

Cooper, J., Enkel, S. L., Moodley, D., Dobinson, H., Andersen, E., Kado, J. H., … Baker, M. G., … Anderson, A., & Bennett, J. (2024). “Hurts less, lasts longer”: A qualitative study on experiences of young people receiving high-dose subcutaneous injections of benzathine penicillin G to prevent rheumatic heart disease in New Zealand. PLoS ONE, 19(5), e0302493. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302493 Journal - Research Article

Kvalsvig, A., Brooks, A. E. S., Potter, J. D., Jeffreys, M., Bennett, J., Davies-Payne, D., Kennedy, J., Sika-Paotonu, D., Timu-Parata, C., … Hume, C., … Lorgelly, P., & Baker, M. (2024). Long Covid in Aotearoa NZ: Risk assessment and preventive action urgently needed. The Briefing, (26 March). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/long-covid-aotearoa-nz-risk-assessment-and-preventive-action-urgently-needed Journal - Research Other

Summers, J., Harwood, M., Bennett, J., Baker, M., & Wilson, N. (2024). Comparing two pandemics: A century apart. The Briefing, (15 March). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/comparing-two-pandemics-century-apart Journal - Research Other

Back to top