President-elect

Dr Joanna Hicks is a senior academic at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, with an established research profile in biochemistry, microbial pathogenesis, and molecular microbiology. Her research focuses on bacterial pathogens, with a sustained emphasis on Neisseria gonorrhoeae since 2018, particularly host–pathogen interactions, antimicrobial resistance, and translational infectious disease research integrating clinical and community perspectives.

Dr Hicks holds key leadership roles within Aotearoa New Zealand’s research sector, contributing to national antimicrobial resistance initiatives and government-funded infectious disease platforms such as Te Niwha. She is the Infectious Diseases Theme Coordinator within the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, where she leads cross-institutional, multidisciplinary programmes. Her work is supported by a strong record of competitive funding from national agencies and centres of research excellence. She serves internationally on the Australian Synchrotron Scattering Programme Advisory Committee and in journal editorial roles.