Rate My Professor Julie Bennett

Research Associate Professor Julie Bennett, based in the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago Wellington within the Health Sciences Division, holds a BSc, DPH, MPH, and PhD from the University of Otago, with her PhD completed between 2005 and 2008. As an epidemiologist, she specializes in public health research encompassing infectious diseases, indoor air quality, and housing and health. Her current work centers on group A streptococcal infections, acute rheumatic fever, and rheumatic heart disease, which are significant causes of morbidity in Aotearoa New Zealand, particularly among Māori and Pacific peoples. She leads the trans-Tasman SCIP RHD trial evaluating less painful, longer-lasting subcutaneous injections of benzathine penicillin for secondary prophylaxis in children and young people with rheumatic fever. Additionally, she manages the Rapua te mea ngaro ka tau project developing a vaccine against group A Streptococcus.

Bennett's key publications include 'Māori and Pacific people's perspectives on Group A Streptococcus vaccine development and delivery in Aotearoa, New Zealand' (PLOS Global Public Health, 2026), 'Prevention of rheumatic heart disease in New Zealand: High-dose subcutaneous benzathine penicillin is cost-saving compared with traditional intramuscular injections' (IJID Regions, 2025), and 'Subcutaneous injections of penicillin (SCIP): Convenient and effective treatment for Māori, Pacific peoples and their families in preventing rheumatic heart disease' (PLOS Global Public Health, 2025). She received a University of Otago Research Grant in 2020 to study COVID-19's impact on housing and health, and was part of the He Kāinga Oranga team awarded the 2021 Rutherford Medal, New Zealand's top research honor. Her influence extends through memberships in the World Health Organization's guideline development group for rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, WHO technical consultation group on airborne transmission of infectious pathogens, Pū Manawa rheumatic fever network, He Kāinga Oranga Housing and Health Research Programme, and as a founding member of the New Zealand Indoor Air Quality Research Centre. Her research informs national strategies to reduce rheumatic fever incidence and improve environmental health determinants.