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Dean

Professor Nalini Pather[[link]]
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Professor Nalini Pather is the Dean of the School of Health Sciences at Western Sydney University, bringing more than 30 years of leadership in health professions education across Australia and internationally. She has a strong record in driving educational innovation, curriculum transformation, and work that enhances equity, access and student success.

Professor Pather has contributed to the sector through leadership roles with professional education organisations and is a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE), a Fellow of the Scientia Education Academy, and Chair of the Federative International Programme for Anatomical Education (FIPAE) of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA). Most recently, she served as the Mayne Professor and Director of Medical Education at the University of Queensland, where she led the design and delivery of a transnational Doctor of Medicine program across Australia and the United States. Prior to this, she was Associate Dean Education Innovation at UNSW where she led the redesign of medicine and health professions programs, as well as university-wide programs on student success and welling, and immersive and blended learning.

As an internationally respected researcher and educator, Professor Pather has been recognised through numerous national and international awards, including an Australian Award for University Teaching (AAUT). She began her full-time academic career at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, where she helped implement the country’s first graduate-entry medical program. Working within a resource-constrained yet pioneering and mission-driven faculty shaped her commitment to equity and access, and her belief in the transformative role universities play in changing lives and communities. She completed a master’s in Clinical Anatomy, a PhD in Cell Biology, and has subsequently developed expertise in novel techniques medical imaging, 3D modelling, mixed reality, and AI. Her work has advanced the application of these technologies in both clinical practice and health professions education.

Professor Pather is passionate about creating inclusive, high-quality learning environments that empower students to thrive. An anatomist by training, her research has evolved from the bench to the system: from technology-enhanced medical education, clinical anatomy and imaging to the future of health professions education, equity and leadership, and now, increasingly, to the ethics of health data, AI and professional practice. She has led significant institution-wide programs that support diverse student cohorts and strengthen teaching excellence across higher education. As Dean, she is committed to shaping the future of health sciences education through innovation, collaboration and a focus on preparing graduates to address the evolving health needs of communities across Western Sydney and beyond.

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