Joanne Hewitt
Dr Joanne Hewitt is a Science Leader in the Enteric, Environmental and Food Virology Laboratory
Qualifications
BSc Hons (Biology & Chemistry), MSc (Biomedical Science: Virology), PhD (Environmental and Food Virology, University of Auckland)
About
Dr Joanne Hewitt is a Science Leader at PHF Science (formerly ESR), specialising in enteric, environmental and food virology. She has worked at the Institute since 1997, and has extensive expertise in all aspects of enteric viruses, including norovirus, and hepatitis A virus. Joanne leads the norovirus, rotavirus, and hepatitis A virus reference laboratories at PHF Science, which provide expert support crucial for surveillance, outbreak investigations, and public health disease control. In 2024, she was appointed Director of New Zealand’s WHO-accredited Poliovirus Reference Laboratory. A key achievement in her career was establishing laboratory testing for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater for COVID-19 surveillance in 2020. This national surveillance system enabled early detection of community transmission, informed government public health decisions, and helped shape New Zealand’s pandemic response strategies. It became an indispensable real-time tracking tool (www.poops.nz). Joanne continues to lead the national COVID-19 and polio wastewater surveillance programme. Joanne’s research interests include food safety, with a focus on understanding and managing the risks posed by enteric virus contamination, particularly in shellfish and berries. Her team’s work has contributed directly to improving food safety knowledge, reducing the risk of foodborne outbreaks, and supporting both public health and the seafood industry. Recognised internationally as an expert in foodborne viruses, Joanne has served on global advisory panels, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) expert group on foodborne viruses. She actively fosters collaboration with national agencies such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry for Primary Industries, as well as with international organisations including the World Health Organization. Through these partnerships, she contributes to global efforts in virus surveillance, outbreak response, and public health preparedness. She has published extensively (over 80 peer-reviewed publications) on public health risks associated with enteric viruses, including molecular epidemiology of norovirus, viral contamination in shellfish, hepatitis E virus transmission routes, environmental and food virology, and the application of wastewater-based epidemiology for disease surveillance. In 2023, she was a finalist in the Wellingtonian of the Year Awards (Science and Technology category), recognising her work in public health.