Dr Rajendra Gyawali, an optometrist and health service researcher, joined the Centre for Health System and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 2022. He is currently involved in several projects including the Medication Safety and Electronic Decision Support research and national aged care medication roundtable.

Rajendra’s research focuses on developing, evaluating, and implementing evidence-based tools and programs to improve healthcare delivery across a range of settings. His interests also include optimising the use of routinely collected data to drive healthcare improvements.

Rajendra holds a PhD (UNSW Sydney) and Masters in Optometry Research (UKZN Durban), and a Bachelor of Optometry (IOM, Nepal). He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

He practiced as an optometrist in private, hospital, and community settings in Nepal and Maldives. He also led the development of several new optometry schools in Malawi, Eritrea, and Vietnam prior to moving to Australia for his PhD. For his PhD research, he utilised implementation science methods in understanding the gaps in evidence-based eye care in Australia. Working with key stakeholders in the Australian eye health system, he co-designed a novel online support tool for eyecare professionals to optimise appropriate eye care for people with diabetes.