Janessa Pickering

Janessa Pickering is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia. Her research focuses on bacterial pathogenesis, particularly Streptococcus pyogenes and Haemophilus species, with emphasis on infection transmission dynamics, vaccine development, and public health interventions. She has contributed to studies evaluating environmental health strategies to control streptococcal infections in remote communities, including the SToP trial for impetigo control.

Her expertise includes epidemiological surveillance of bacterial infections and the development of diagnostic tools for rapid detection in resource-limited settings. She collaborates on multi-institutional projects addressing antibiotic resistance mechanisms, molecular epidemiology, and community-based health interventions. Key areas of impact include improving understanding of Group A Streptococcus transmission in households and optimizing microbiome sampling methods for pediatric studies.

Dr. Pickering leads or co-investigates four active grants focusing on vaccine design, probiotic development for pneumonia prevention, and molecular testing frameworks to combat rheumatic heart disease. Her work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals targeting good health and well-being, particularly in Indigenous and remote populations.

• Key Projects:
  • Profiling immune responses to Strep A for vaccine design (2024–2026)
  • Probiotics for childhood pneumonia prevention (2024–2026)
  • Group A Streptococcus vaccine development (2023–2026)
• Labs/Teams: Collaborates with teams at the Department of Health (WA), The Kids Research Institute Australia, and international partners on streptococcal and Haemophilus research.

Her research outputs span 32 peer-reviewed articles and 4 grants, with a focus on translational microbiology and global health equity.