Dr Maddie Heenan is a public health researcher, program manager and policy expert. She is a Project Manager in the Health Systems Science division at The George Institute for Global Health and an Associate of the Australian Human Rights Institute at UNSW. Maddie brings extensive experience in health systems research, program management, strategy development, partnerships and stakeholder engagement, knowledge translation and strategic communication.

Her research interests include public health governance and regulation, policy development and implementation, research–policy partnerships, political economy, food and alcohol policy, and the commercial and social determinants of health. She also has expertise in qualitative evaluation and applied policy research.

Maddie has worked closely with government through policy dialogues, co design processes and commissioned research projects. She has served as an independent evaluator and provided advisory support across a range of public health and policy initiatives. An experienced facilitator, public speaker and negotiator, her career spans academia, policy, advocacy, government relations and program delivery.

Dr Anna Palagyi is a health systems scientist with expertise in co-design methodology and implementation studies with mixed-methods evaluation. She holds positions as Program Lead - Ageing & Health Systems in the Centre for Health Systems Science at The George Institute for Global Health and Conjoint Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney.

Anna's research centres on the co-design of effective implementation strategies to strengthen primary health care services in resource-constrained settings of the Asia-Pacific region. She has a particular interest in the development of appropriate health system responses to population ageing: Anna previously implemented a national longitudinal study on aspects of healthy ageing in older Australians with cataract, and currently collaborates with governments, civil society organisations and academic institutions across several Pacific Island countries to identify national healthy ageing policy, program and service priorities.

Anna is committed to evidence-informed health policy and practice. She has a strong track record of partnering with government stakeholders in the design and implementation of policy-relevant research, has co-authored commissioned reports for government bodies and advocacy groups, and has produced policy briefs for government departments.