[3] In 2010, Priest and collaborators Lianne Parkin and Sheila Williams were jointly awarded an Ig Nobel Prize, which is awarded by Annals of Improbable Research for bizarre scientific discoveries.
She identified that Legionella longbeachae, which is present in compost and potting soil, could contribute to infection with Legionnaires' disease.
[6] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Priest was appointed to the New Zealand Ministry of Health Technical Advisory Group, where she oversaw activity on epidemiology.
[8] Early in 2020, Priest recommended that people wear masks to limit transmission of the virus.
[10] In 2022 Priest was appointed as the acting Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Division of Health Sciences at the University of Otago.