Summary
Dr Elita Jauneikaite's research focuses on evolution, transmission and antimicrobial resistance of vaccine preventable and healthcare associated bacterial infections. As her major research programme, Elita is investigating the disease-causing Group B Streptococcus (GBS), where she is using whole genome sequencing, bioinformatic analyses and molecular biology techniques to inform on evolution, mother-to-baby transmission and antimicrobial resistance patterns of this pathogen. Elita also leads genomics work investigating outbreaks and pathogenicity of other bacterial pathogens including E. coli, K. pneumoniae, methicillin-susceptible S. aureus, S. argenteus, S. pyogenes, S. pneumoniae and C. difficile.
Elita is an Imperial College Research Fellow in Bacterial Genomics and Epidemiology at the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research Lead for Priority Pathogens theme in the National Institute of Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance. The HPRU is a partnership between Imperial College London, Public Health England, Cambridge University, Warwick University and Imperial College Health Partners. The Unit was funded, along with 14 others in priority areas from immunisation to radiation hazards, to bring Universities to work in partnership with Public Health England to support excellent health protection research relevant to the needs of Public Health England. It commenced 01 April 2020 for a 5 year period and builds on the legacy of the previous HPRU which ran from 01 April 2014 -31 March 2020.
Elita completed her PhD in 2014 investigating the prevalence of serotypes and genotypes of disease-causing Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates in Singapore over the last 15 years. Elita used 1760 pneumococcal whole genome sequences to investigate the structure of this pneumococcal population in relation to the epidemiological data available and pneumococcal vaccine implementation in Singapore. This was achieved with a collaboration between four major hospitals in Singapore, Genome Institute of Singapore and University of Southampton.
Publications
Journals
Wan Y, Myall AC, Boonyasiri A, et al., 2024, Integrated analysis of patient networks and plasmid genomes reveals a regional, multi-species outbreak of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales carrying both blaIMP and mcr-9 genes., J Infect Dis
Baker KS, Jauneikaite E, Hopkins KL, et al., 2023, Genomics for public health and international surveillance of antimicrobial resistance., Lancet Microbe, Vol:4, Pages:e1047-e1055
Wheeler NE, Price V, Cunningham-Oakes E, et al., 2023, Innovations in genomic antimicrobial resistance surveillance., Lancet Microbe, Vol:4, Pages:e1063-e1070
Muloi DM, Jauneikaite E, Anjum MF, et al., 2023, Exploiting genomics for antimicrobial resistance surveillance at One Health interfaces., Lancet Microbe, Vol:4, Pages:e1056-e1062
Jauneikaite E, Baker KS, Nunn JG, et al., 2023, Genomics for antimicrobial resistance surveillance to support infection prevention and control in health-care facilities., Lancet Microbe, Vol:4, Pages:e1040-e1046