Magdalena Simonis AM
Associate Professor Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is a nationally recognised health leader, primary care physician and strategic advisor with a distinguished record of driving policy reform, service innovation and system improvement across Australia’s health sector.
Magdalena’s expertise spans disease prevention, digital health transformation, aged care, gender equity, research translation and climate and health. She is widely recognised for her ability to connect policy, clinical practice and community insight to shape sustainable health reform.
She currently serves on multiple national and state governance bodies where she contributes strategic oversight and policy leadership. These include Board Director of the University of Melbourne Teaching Health Clinics, Board Director of the Melbourne Academic Centre for Health (MACH), co-Chair of the University of Melbourne Primary Care Council, and Board Director of the Climate and Health Alliance Australia. Magdalena is Clinical Director of the inaugural Victorian Mobile Women’s Health Service.
Her national advisory appointments include the Australian Digital Health Agency Electronic Health Record Clinical Governance Advisory Group, BreastScreen Australia Clinical Advisory Group, the National Action Plan for Endometriosis Expert Advisory Group and the Multicultural Victoria Health Advisory Committee.
She has held prominent leadership roles including President of the Australian Federation of Medical Women, Chair of Women in General Practice for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), and the elected General Practice representative to the Federal Council of the Australian Medical Association. Through these roles she has championed gender equity in medicine, expanded access to care for underserved women, and influenced national conversations on workforce participation and health system design.
Magdalena is also a respected public voice in health policy and a regular media commentator, serving as a health columnist for Australia’s leading national newspaper.
Her work consistently focuses on improving health equity for culturally and linguistically diverse communities, addressing the social determinants of health, and strengthening community-informed approaches to prevention and care.
In recognition of her service to medicine and the community, Magdalena was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours and also received the President’s Award from the Australian Medical Association.