Dr Jauneikaite is Assistant Professor and Group Leader for Microbiome and Pathogen Genomics Research Group at Imperial College London. She leads a research programme in bacteria-microbiome dynamics, bacterial pathogenesis, global trends in vaccine preventable infections and antibiotic resistance using bacterial genomics, bioinformatics and molecular biology techniques. 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, Staphylococcal spp, Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales (CPE), S. pyogenes, S. pneumoniae and C. difficile. 

Previously (2020-2025), Elita was a Research Lead for Priority Pathogens Theme in the National Institute of Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance (HPRU). The HPRU was 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 UK Health Security Agency.  

Elita co-led the genomic surveillance of AMR working group commissioned by the Surveillance and Epidemiology of Drug-Resistant Infections (SEDRIC) in 2022. Additionally, Elita was recognised as an Emerging Leader in International Infectious Diseases by International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID) in 2022, and has been co-chair/chair for the Emerging Leaders (2022-2026) cohort.