Professor Juliet Willetts leads applied research addressing social justice and supporting sustainable development. A recognised global expert in water and sanitation in Asia, the Pacific and other low-resource settings, making significant contributions to advancing these human rights, and to gender equality, climate resilience, governance and accountability. 

She is recipient of multiple professional awards for research excellence and impact, including the 2024 International Water Association Gender, Diversity in Water Award and is listed in the Australian FInancial Review's '100 Women of Influence'. She has co-led sectoral efforts to promote evidence-based development policy and programming and a global coalition on climate resilient sanitation, and plays advisory roles for International Water Association (IWA) and Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership. A long-term expert and partner to the Australian development program, bilateral and multilateral agencies and civil society organisations, including WHO, UNICEF and the World Bank. She is widely published with more than 160 peer-reviewed publications on inequalities and pro-poor service delivery, accountability, human rights and systems strengthening and public health, financing and climate change in relation to water and sanitation services.