Freda Jen is a researcher at the Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics, Griffith University, Australia. Her research centres on Gram-negative bacterial pathogens such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis and explores host–pathogen interactions, bacterial virulence factors, bacterial metal homeostasis, and antimicrobial resistance. Her focus is on developing vaccines and exploring drug repurposing strategies as potential therapies for resistant infections.
Freda is the inventor of two gonococcal vaccine candidates currently moving toward clinical trials and continues to assist and collaborate on their development. Her work bridges basic biological research and translational applications, contributing to efforts to prevent and treat bacterial infections, particularly those caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.