Melissa Penny

Melissa Penny has transformed infectious disease research and public health policy through innovative mathematical modeling approaches. After earning her Ph.D. and building a distinguished career at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, she was appointed in 2023 as the inaugural Fiona Stanley Chair of Child Health Research at the University of Western Australia and The Kids Research Institute Australia. Her groundbreaking work includes developing the OpenMalaria platform, providing critical evidence for the world's first malaria vaccine (RTS,S/AS01), and contributing to COVID-19 response as part of Switzerland's National Task Force. With over 18 years of experience, she leads international consortiums that inform WHO and global stakeholders on intervention strategies, combining sophisticated mathematical models with machine learning to evaluate disease dynamics and treatment effectiveness. Her research unit has grown to over 24 staff and students, while her publications have garnered nearly 6,000 citations. Through her new role in Australia, she continues to advance child health research while developing novel approaches to disease modeling that shape global health policy and intervention strategies