Dr Samantha Spanos is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science (CHRIS) at the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University. Her research integrates complex systems theories, implementation science, and rigorous mixed-methods approaches to enhance healthcare system performance across all levels—from direct clinical care to high-level policy. A core focus of her work lies in the design of robust implementation and evaluation strategies for novel interventions and models of care, particularly those focused on enhancing care access and integration for populations with chronic and complex conditions. Dr. Spanos has also produced an extensive body of work applying Learning Health Systems principles to develop novel, practical solutions for implementing new innovations and enabling systems change, including tools and frameworks for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Dr Spanos’s other research projects include, evaluating the effectiveness of large-scale health reforms across the world, investigating optimal approaches to assessing health system performance, and examining the mental wellbeing of aged care workers. She has previously been involved in research programs focused on healthcare leadership in complex systems, the assessment of adverse incidents in primary care, and the development of international indicators for integrated care.

Dr Spanos has successfully supervised Master of Research and PhD students on projects focused on the value of general practice nurses and shared decision making in junior doctors. She supervises a range of Medical Doctorate students on projects examining quality measurement in primary care skin cancer management, the role of digital health technologies in consumer health behaviours, and evaluating the efficacy and outcomes of novel patient treatments.