PhD Applied Linguistics (Macquarie University), MA (Universität Konstanz, Germany)

Dr Maria R Dahm is driven by her commitment to conducting innovative, translational research at the nexus of applied linguistics and health services research. Her goals are to improve diagnosis and patient safety through research in health communication and consumer engagement.

Maria is a Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research at the Australian Institute of Health Innovation at Macquarie University. She is the project lead for an NHMRC-funded partnership project on improving test result management run in collaboration with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, NSW Pathology and Health Consumers NSW. 

Maria has previously worked as an Early Career Research Fellow in the Department of Linguistics at Macquarie University. She has a background in applied linguistics and combines her passion for patient-centred health research with her expertise in qualitative and mixed methods approaches in health communication and health services research.  Her research focuses on person-centred healthcare delivery, health communication, health information infrastructure for vulnerable patient groups, and ways clinicians interact with health information technology in the diagnostic process. She is particularly interested in diagnostic error, the impact of health communication on patient safety, and improving consumer engagement in health informatics.