Research Fellow
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Dr Maria Alejandra Pinero de Plaza, PhD, is a scientist who facilitates healthy living and better public health services. Dr. Pinero de Plaza strengthens researchers, clinicians, industry, and consumers' abilities to design, measure, and accomplish different health and social impacts. Her experience in mixed-methods, experimental design, and evaluation helps her identify and demonstrate how interventions, healthcare services, and technology can provide better choice, inclusion, voice, justice, health, and wellbeing.
She is passionate about care and social networks, technology, and methods influencing behavioural change. Dr Pinero is an advocate for evidence-based research as a member of the JBI Evidence Implementation Network and a member of two JBI expert reference groups (Cardiovascular and Aged Care).
Dr Pinero de Plaza involves stakeholders as co-researchers, recognising their essential role in creating and executing transdisciplinary, evidence-based solutions for complex and adaptive health and care research challenges, such as A, B, and C. This approach involves synthesizing insights from multiple disciplines and embracing the inherent complexity of these issues, leading to comprehensive transdisciplinary strategies.
She has achieved significant recognition nationally and internationally through her diverse contributions to research. Her portfolio includes publishing research book chapters, abstracts, posters, commissioned reports, review articles, comments/debates, videos, data management plans, and various dissemination pieces. This extensive activity has earned her several distinctions, prizes, and awards, exemplified by her receipt of the Vice-President & Executive Dean's Awards in 2021 and 2022, recognizing her embodiment of university values in research and others:
Investigate Fundamental Care across the Life Course
Contribute to knowledge (81+)
Research and implementation science
External positions:
JBI Global Aged Care Expert Reference Group, JBI Global
25 Aug 2023 → …
Member and researcher, International Learning Collaborative
4 Apr 2023 → …
Affiliate participant of The Australian Network for Social Network Analysis (ANSNA)
2023 → …
JBI Global Cardiovascular Expert Reference Group, JBI Global
5 Apr 2022 → …
Member as Early Career Researcher, Australian Association of Gerontology Ltd
2021 → 2022
JBI Adjunct Staff, Centre for Remote Health. Global reach - collaborator | Joanna Briggs Institute
2021 → …
JBI Global Cardiovascular Expert Reference Group, JBI Global
2021 → …
Knowledge Translation and Research Advisor to the Board, ME Group Australia
2021 → 2025
Adjunct Staff, Mparntwe Centre for Evidence in Health, Flinders University: A JBI Centre of Excellence
2021 → …
Member, Patient Reported Measures Research Collaborative - The Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health (CEIH) and Health Translation SA (HTSA)
2021 → 2025
Member of the JBI Evidence Implementation Network, JBI EVIDENCE IMPLEMENTATION
2019 → …
Member of The Health Consumer Advocacy Network of South Australia, Health CAN SA - the Network
2019 → …
Research Fellow, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence: Frailty and Healthy Ageing
2019 → …
Community & Consumer Engagement Advisor -Community & Consumer Engagement Committee, Adelaide BioMed City Partner
2018 → 2021
Community & Consumer Engagement Advisor -Expert Reference Group, NHMRC CRE APPRISE
2018 → 2023
She focuses on: