Dr Bing Wang

Research Focus and Academic Background
 
My research has primarily focused on projects evaluating the impact, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of various vaccine programs. My journey began with a medical degree in China, following which I gained valuable industry experience, holding positions in both pharmaceutical and clinical research organizations. This practical exposure equipped me with in-depth knowledge of population health and clinical research. After completing a Master's degree in Public Health, I continued the research journey as a PhD student, specialising in the fields of vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccinology, and health economics. My Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) stands at 2.32 over the past five years (2020-2025), highlighting that my research performance exceeds the global average by 132%. My research has a broader impact beyond academia, positively contributing to the health and well-being of individuals and communities.
 
 
Impact on Policy and Government Decision-Making
 
My research has played a vital role in supporting government policy-making at the state, national, and global levels. The outcomes of my research have been instrumental in various instances, cited in the government work report (SA meningococcal serogroup B vaccine program public report), as well as utilised in published and unpublished cost-effectiveness evaluations in Australia and other countries. The results were provided to influential bodies such as the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) to inform government funding decisions.
 
4CMenB Vaccine Program Evaluations
 
I was involved in study design, managed collaborations, and performed analysis, contributing significantly to the meningococcal serogroup B vaccine (4CMenB) program evaluation projects. In October 2018, South Australia launched a world first meningococcal B vaccine program, which is the first long-term program to provide free 4CMenB vaccine to infants, children, adolescents, and young people. The collaboration on evaluation of the state 4CMenB vaccination programs offered a unique opportunity to assess the vaccine effectiveness and impact of 4CMenB vaccine against invasive meningococcal B disease and gonorrhoea in these high-risk age groups. These findings were published in The The Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal and other high impact journals, and informed meningococcal B immunisation guidelines in the USA, Europe, the UK, and Australia. The program's effectiveness was marked by the prevention of approximately 48 cases in children and the averting of 3-5 deaths within the first two years. This success led to the indefinite extension of the meningococcal B vaccination program in South Australia and its introduction in Queensland (2024) and the Northern Territory (2025), informing national programs in other countries (e.g. Czechia, New Zealand). This work is acknowledged by the WHO as a novel opportunity for gonorrhoea prevention. This research received international recognition and led to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending the initiation of a targeted 4CMenB program to combat gonorrhoea among those at highest risk in the UK on 10 Nov 2023. Our research was recognised as a finalist for the 2025 Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases Research, highlighting the national significance and excellence of our work in this field. In recognition of my contribution, I received the Healthy Development Adelaide Early Career Researcher Publication Award (University of Adelaide) in 2022, the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation 2022 Early Career Research Publication Award, and the University of Adelaide Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Executive Dean’s Award for Research Excellence in 2023.
 
Collaborative Research and Community Impact
 
The collaboration with Communicable Disease Control Branch at SA Health and Prevention & Population Health at Wellbeing SA has played a crucial role in enhancing our understanding of the diseases impact on communities and informing evidence-based strategies for public health response. The access to valuable data, specialised expertise, and diverse perspectives offered by the Communicable Disease Control Branch at SA Health and Prevention & Population Health at Wellbeing SA has expanded the scope of my research activities, enabling me to undertake more comprehensive and impactful studies. Our collaborative efforts have been marked by a shared commitment to excellence, scientific rigor, and the pursuit of positive health outcomes for the South Australian community. Through the exchange of knowledge, resources, and expertise, we have been able to address pressing research questions and produce high-quality publications. Six papers have emerged from our collaboration reflect the depth and breadth of our joint accomplishments. I have established strong collaborative relationships with external researchers in Australia and the UK. The collective efforts have yielded substantial research outcomes.
 
Professional Engagement and Leadership Roles
 
I am currently a member of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID), the European Meningococcal and Haemophilus Disease Society (EMGM), and the Healthy Development Adelaide (HDA). In February 2025, I was invited to be a member of Healthy Development Adelaide (HDA) Scientific Review Committee (3 members) in recognition of my leadership and expertise across the broad research areas of vaccine evaluation, population health, and health economics. In July 2024, I was invited to join the Conference Advisory Committee for the National Communicable Disease and Immunisation Conference. I have served as an invited reviewer for the NHMRC e-Asia Joint Research Program in both 2024 and 2025. I was a member of the Early and Mid-Career Research Council at the Robinson Research Institute (RRI), The University of Adelaide, from 2019 to 2020. I provided input on key decisions and advice to the RRI Executive Committee. In 2022, I was appointed as Lead, Health Economics, for the Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Group, led by Prof Marshall. I have overseen the health economic component of research projects such as study design and collaboration with external health economic researchers. Since 2023, our Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Group has been contracted by Commonwealth Government to undertake evaluations (annually) of vaccines submitted for potential inclusion in the National Immunisation Program for the ATAGI. As Lead of Health Economics, I contribute to both pre-submission and post-submission ATAGI advice provided to the PBAC to inform its consideration of National Immunisation Program listing applications across multiple vaccines. My contributions have informed 2 Commonwealth funding decisions to date.