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.

Bindu Patel is a Senior Research Fellow in the Health Systems Science division at the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, Australia, and Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine at University of New South Wales.

Bindu leads programs evaluating implementation of health innovations to improve non-communicable disease (NCD) outcomes that include team-based models of primary care, institutionalisation of multisectoral collaboration and evidence based, cost-effective NCD interventions (WHO PEN). The evidence generated will be used to inform decision makers on strategies for long term adoption and scale up. Bindu has an interest in multisectoral approach to implementation of health innovations that address combination of social, physical, and behavioural determinants of health.  Her ultimate aim is to improve population health outcomes by eliminating disparities through achieving equity, efficiency and effectiveness of services, interventions, governance and policies.

Bindu has over 20 years of experience in epidemiological, health systems and clinical research in primary health care settings worldwide. She has a unique combination of theoretical knowledge, quantitative and qualitative methodological skills, quality improvement and implementation science expertise, complemented with extensive practical experience implementing interventional studies particularly complex health information technology.

Bindu’s educational background include a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health from University of Sydney, a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from Columbia University (NYC) and Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign.  

Stephen Jan is Head of the Health Economics and Process Evaluation Program and Co-Director, Health System Science at the George Institute for Global Health and Conjoint Professor at the University of New South Wales.

He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Sydney, a Director of the Sax Institute and an Associate at both the Menzies Centre for Health Policy and the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health. He is a current NHMRC Principal Research Fellow and has previously held posts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE) in Sydney. Stephen has over 20 years of experience in health economics, has published over 200 scientific articles and authored two textbooks in health economics.

He has worked closely with various governments of different levels, both in Australia (Commonwealth and State) and overseas, with international agencies such as the WHO and industry. His areas of expertise are economic evaluation, health financing, health sector priority setting, Indigenous and global health issues and the economics of chronic disease. 

Dr Julieann Coombes identifies as a Gumbaynggir woman and highly skilled career professional with over 27 years nursing experience working in Aboriginal Community Health. She now focuses on improving health inequalities and outcomes for First Nations people and communities through research using Indigenous Knowledges (knowing, being and doing) and methodologies which empowers First Nations people’s voices in all her work. She has extensive experience in social and cultural determinants of health research, Indigenous methodologies and applies decolonising methods to all her research projects. Julieann has a commitment to ensure that all research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is conducted in an ethical correct way and research integrity should be underpinned by equity, transparency, and self-determination.

Her work in Indigenous research methods, public health knowledge and qualitative research, work which is published, has been cited in policy, media, and academic publications.

Julieann received her PhD at University of Technology, Sydney and is a Senior Research Fellow for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program at The George Institute for Global Health.

Dr Kate Hunter, PhD, MPH is a senior research fellow with Guunu-maana (Heal), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health program at The George Institute and conjoint senior lecturer at the University of NSW. She is elected chair of Kidsafe NSW (2018-current) and an elected Executive member of the Australasian Injury Prevention Network (2019-current). Working at the knowledge interface – bringing together Indigenous and western knowledges - Dr Hunter’s expertise is in applying an equity lens across the injury prevention spectrum through the conduct and evaluation of complex community and hospital-based programs, ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are central to her work.

Dr Hunter prioritises translational research. She has a track record in scale-up of successful programs, with her research being cited in policy and national guidelines. Dr Hunter is committed to supporting the next generation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal researchers working in partnership with Aboriginal communities and organisations. She has supervised four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD candidates to completion.