Lucy Furfaro

Dr. Lucy Furfaro is a Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia (UWA) in the UWA Medical School's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She holds NHMRC Emerging Leadership status and leads research on bacterial pathogens, particularly Group B Streptococcus, focusing on infection during pregnancy and bacteriophage-based therapies to combat neonatal sepsis and antimicrobial resistance. She heads the WIRF/UWA Crawley Campus Perinatal Research Laboratories (2021–2022) and has received prestigious awards including the 2024 Jim Pittard Early Career Award.

• Education: PhD (Microbiology, UWA, 2015–2019), Bachelor of Medical Science (First Class Honours, UWA, 2014), Bachelor of Science (Microbiology and Pharmacology, UWA, 2011–2013).

Her research integrates bacteriophage therapy, microbial genomics, and translational medicine to address perinatal infections. Key projects include 'Sewers to Cures' targeting Group B Streptococcal infections and exploring phage exposure in pregnancy. Over 35 publications span microbiology, infectious diseases, and obstetrics. Awards highlight her contributions to microbiology and women's health research.

Key grants include NHMRC funding for phage therapy (2023–2027) and a Department of Health (WA) project (2021–2022). Her work aligns with UN SDGs for health and innovation.