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Associate Professor Matthew McGrail
Associate Professor

Matthew McGrail

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 493 12941

Overview

Background

Associate Professor Matthew McGrail is the Head of Regional Training Hubs research at UQ’s Rural Clinical School. Joining UQ in Nov 2017, he is based at the Rockhampton Clinical Unit, and he is chair of the research and evaluation working group of UQ’s Regional Medical Pathway as well as chair of UQ RCS’s medical graduate cohort longitudinal tracking study (UQ MediCoS).

Matthew has worked in the university sector for over 20 years, working mostly as a researcher in rural health. He was originally trained as a statistician, expanding his skills across GIS and software development, completing his PhD in 2008. He has been lead biostatistician on 3 large NHMRC-funded RCTs that are published in the world-leading general medical journal, the Lancet. Matthew’s research is mostly underpinned by the overall objective of improved access to health care for rural populations, mainly focused in the medical sector. He has a unique blend of ‘generalist’ research skills and experience across the disciplines of statistics, geography, rural health, econometrics, public health and clinical research.

Matthew has a particular interest in the ongoing concerns with medical workforce distribution, connecting that through his research and evaluation to health policies, training pathways and healthcare systems. To date he has been a chief investigator on two separate Centres of Research Excellence, one on medical workforce dynamics and the other on rural and remote primary health care access. He has also co-researched with various GP training organisations, specialty colleges, rural workforce agencies, as well as state and commonwealth health departments

Availability

Associate Professor Matthew McGrail is:
Available for supervision

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science, University of Melbourne
  • Graduate Diploma in Information Technology (Software Development), Swinburne University of Technology
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University

Research interests

  • Rural medical workforce training

  • Workforce distribution

  • Access to health care

  • Rural health workforce policy

  • Health services research

  • GIS methodologies in health

Research impacts

Matthew has over 130 peer reviewed journal publications. He is globally recognised for his research of medical workforce training and distributional outcomes, which directly impacts healthcare access for rural populations. He was a lead investigator on the completed Centre of Research Excellence in Rural and Remote Primary Health Care, under which he developed improved measures of healthcare access, notably producing the national Index of Access.

He was also a chief investigator of the NHMRC-funded Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL) longitudinal study of doctors (data collected 2008-18), under which he led the rural supply and distribution research theme. These data are still used as key source of national evidence of the medical workforce. In 2018, the MABEL project was awarded the Best Impact Prize from the Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand, primarily due to the body of work from the rural theme. A key outcome of MABEL was the Modified Monash Model (MMM) classification, which he co-developed with Emeritus Prof John Humphreys. From 2015, the MMM has been adopted to underpin most Commonwealth Department of Health policies in rural health.

Works

Search Professor Matthew McGrail’s works on UQ eSpace

212 works between 2000 and 2025

1 - 20 of 212 works

2025

Journal Article

The Economic Value of Virtual Primary Healthcare Services for Rural Populations: A Systematic Review

Simpson, Digby, Ahmad, Kabir, Mosharaf, Md Parvez, Nasir, Bushra Farah, Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas, McGrail, Matthew, Wallis, Katharine A and Alam, Khorshed (2025). The Economic Value of Virtual Primary Healthcare Services for Rural Populations: A Systematic Review. Health Policy and Technology, 14 (5) 101067, 101067. doi: 10.1016/j.hlpt.2025.101067

The Economic Value of Virtual Primary Healthcare Services for Rural Populations: A Systematic Review

2025

Journal Article

Building a rural medical workforce: the foundations of a place-based approach to program evaluation

Fuller, Lara, Beattie, Jessica, Versace, Vincent L., Rogers, Gary D. and McGrail, Matthew Richard (2025). Building a rural medical workforce: the foundations of a place-based approach to program evaluation. Frontiers in Medicine, 12, 12. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1582793

Building a rural medical workforce: the foundations of a place-based approach to program evaluation

2025

Journal Article

Fostering the growth and development of the female rural generalist workforce: a mixed methods study

Anderson, Emily, O’Sullivan, Belinda, Gurney, Tiana, Young, Louise, Broadfield, Kirstie, McGrail, Matthew and McArthur, Lawrie (2025). Fostering the growth and development of the female rural generalist workforce: a mixed methods study. International Journal for Equity in Health, 24 (1) 182, 1. doi: 10.1186/s12939-025-02558-4

Fostering the growth and development of the female rural generalist workforce: a mixed methods study

2025

Journal Article

Identifying the experience of geographical narcissism during medical education and training

Partanen, Riitta, Eley, Diann, Ostini, Remo and McGrail, Matthew (2025). Identifying the experience of geographical narcissism during medical education and training. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 1-19. doi: 10.1007/s10459-025-10440-9

Identifying the experience of geographical narcissism during medical education and training

2025

Journal Article

Retention of doctors in remote, rural and First Nations communities using distributed general practice education: a scalable solution

Giddings, Patrick, O’Sullivan, Belinda and McGrail, Matthew (2025). Retention of doctors in remote, rural and First Nations communities using distributed general practice education: a scalable solution. Frontiers in Medicine, 12 1584501, 1584501-12. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1584501

Retention of doctors in remote, rural and First Nations communities using distributed general practice education: a scalable solution

2025

Journal Article

Medical school admission processes to target rural applicants: an international scoping review and mapping of Australian practices

Fox, Jordan, Beattie, Jessica, McGrail, Janelle, Eley, Diann, Fuller, Lara, Hu, Wendy, Keniry, Catherine, Chennakesavan, Srinivas Kondalsamy, Parker-Newlyn, Lyndal, Reid, Katharine, Walters, Lucie and McGrail, Matthew (2025). Medical school admission processes to target rural applicants: an international scoping review and mapping of Australian practices. BMC Medical Education, 25 (1) 659, 1. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-07234-3

Medical school admission processes to target rural applicants: an international scoping review and mapping of Australian practices

2025

Journal Article

Medical Students' and Supervisors' Experiences of Extracurricular Research at a Rural Clinical School: A Mixed‐Methods Study

Fox, Jordan L., MacAskill, William, McGrail, Matthew, Eley, Diann, Kondalsamy‐Chennakesavan, Srinivas and Martin, Priya (2025). Medical Students' and Supervisors' Experiences of Extracurricular Research at a Rural Clinical School: A Mixed‐Methods Study. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 33 (2) e70044, e70044. doi: 10.1111/ajr.70044

Medical Students' and Supervisors' Experiences of Extracurricular Research at a Rural Clinical School: A Mixed‐Methods Study

2025

Journal Article

Risk Stratification for CKD Progression in Primary Care

Mutatiri, Clyson, Ratsch, Angela, McGrail, Matthew, Venuthurupalli, Sree Krishna and Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas (2025). Risk Stratification for CKD Progression in Primary Care. Kidney International Reports, 10 (5), 1559-1561. doi: 10.1016/j.ekir.2025.02.037

Risk Stratification for CKD Progression in Primary Care

2025

Journal Article

General practice specialty decision-making: a system-level Australian qualitative study

Yong, Faith R., Martin, Priya, Wallis, Katharine A., Fox, Jordan, Kirubakaran, Sneha, Partanen, Riitta L., Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas and McGrail, Matthew R. (2025). General practice specialty decision-making: a system-level Australian qualitative study. BJGP Open bjgpo.2024.0218. doi: 10.3399/bjgpo.2024.0218

General practice specialty decision-making: a system-level Australian qualitative study

2025

Journal Article

Depression and comorbid chronic physical health diseases in the Australian population: A scoping review

Srinivasan, Gouri, Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas, McGrail, Matthew, Garg, Vikas and Nasir, Bushra (2025). Depression and comorbid chronic physical health diseases in the Australian population: A scoping review. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 59 (4), 48674251317336-338. doi: 10.1177/00048674251317336

Depression and comorbid chronic physical health diseases in the Australian population: A scoping review

2025

Journal Article

You cannot be what you cannot see: a retrospective natural longitudinal cohort study exploring the impact of face-to-face rural immersion on student medical training satisfaction and intention to practice rurally

Nasir, Bushra F., Chater, Alan Bruce, Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas and Mcgrail, Matthew R. (2025). You cannot be what you cannot see: a retrospective natural longitudinal cohort study exploring the impact of face-to-face rural immersion on student medical training satisfaction and intention to practice rurally. BMJ Open, 15 (1) e087383, e087383. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087383

You cannot be what you cannot see: a retrospective natural longitudinal cohort study exploring the impact of face-to-face rural immersion on student medical training satisfaction and intention to practice rurally

2025

Journal Article

Interprofessional education and collaborative practice with practicing radiographers: a mixed methods scoping review

Johnson, K., Martin, P., McDonald, D. and McGrail, M. (2025). Interprofessional education and collaborative practice with practicing radiographers: a mixed methods scoping review. Radiography, 31 (1), 434-441. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2025.01.001

Interprofessional education and collaborative practice with practicing radiographers: a mixed methods scoping review

2024

Journal Article

Challenges and strategies for international medical graduates in registration and integration into the Australian healthcare system: Protocol for a systematic scoping review

Li, Wen, Nisar, Mehwish, Gillies, Robyn, McGrail, Matthew and Khan, Asaduzzaman (2024). Challenges and strategies for international medical graduates in registration and integration into the Australian healthcare system: Protocol for a systematic scoping review. Figshare. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.27896436.v1

Challenges and strategies for international medical graduates in registration and integration into the Australian healthcare system: Protocol for a systematic scoping review

2024

Journal Article

Rural and metropolitan applicants' experiences of the admissions process for a provisional entry regional medical training pathway

Fox, Jordan, Saluja, Sonia, Batacan, Romeo, Pullen, Candice, Yong, Faith and McGrail, Matthew (2024). Rural and metropolitan applicants' experiences of the admissions process for a provisional entry regional medical training pathway. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 33 (1) e13211, e13211. doi: 10.1111/ajr.13211

Rural and metropolitan applicants' experiences of the admissions process for a provisional entry regional medical training pathway

2024

Journal Article

Co‐creating an Indigenous‐led virtual health services model for Indigenous Australians living with chronic disease

Nasir, Bushra Farah, MacAskill, William, Leedie, Floyd, Martin, Priya, Alam, Khorshed, Wallis, Katharine, McGrail, Matthew and Kondalsamy‐Chennakesavan, Srinivas (2024). Co‐creating an Indigenous‐led virtual health services model for Indigenous Australians living with chronic disease. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 33 (1) e13206, e13206. doi: 10.1111/ajr.13206

Co‐creating an Indigenous‐led virtual health services model for Indigenous Australians living with chronic disease

2024

Journal Article

Primary and specialist care interaction and referral patterns for individuals with chronic kidney disease: a narrative review

Mutatiri, Clyson, Ratsch, Angela, McGrail, Matthew, Venuthurupalli, Sree Krishna and Chennakesavan, Srinivas Kondalsamy (2024). Primary and specialist care interaction and referral patterns for individuals with chronic kidney disease: a narrative review. BMC Nephrology, 25 (1) 149, 1-17. doi: 10.1186/s12882-024-03585-z

Primary and specialist care interaction and referral patterns for individuals with chronic kidney disease: a narrative review

2024

Journal Article

Exploring learning characteristics and progression of GP trainees based in regional, rural and remote settings: A qualitative study

Anderson, Emily, Gurney, Tiana, Young, Louise, O'Sullivan, Belinda, McArthur, Lawrie, McGrail, Matthew and Hollins, Aaron (2024). Exploring learning characteristics and progression of GP trainees based in regional, rural and remote settings: A qualitative study. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 32 (6), 1150-1158. doi: 10.1111/ajr.13182

Exploring learning characteristics and progression of GP trainees based in regional, rural and remote settings: A qualitative study

2024

Journal Article

Sustained impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical student learning and well-being in rural Australia: findings from a repeated national multicentre survey

Martin, Priya, McGrail, Matthew R., Fox, Jordan, Doyle, Zelda, Ostini, Remo, Beattie, Jessica, Fuller, Lara, Allen, Penny and Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas (2024). Sustained impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical student learning and well-being in rural Australia: findings from a repeated national multicentre survey. BMJ Open, 14 (11) e086359, 1-8. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086359

Sustained impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical student learning and well-being in rural Australia: findings from a repeated national multicentre survey

2024

Conference Publication

Applicant experiences of the admissions process for a regional medical pathway

Fox, Jordan, Saluja, Sonia, McGrail, Matthew, Batacan, Romeo, Pullen, Candice and Young, Faith (2024). Applicant experiences of the admissions process for a regional medical pathway. Rural Medicine Australia 2024, Darwin, NT Australia, 23 - 26 October 2024.

Applicant experiences of the admissions process for a regional medical pathway

2024

Journal Article

Perceived stakeholder benefits of continuously training general practitioners in the same rural or remote practice: interviews exploring the Remote Vocational Training Scheme

O'Sullivan, Belinda G., Giddings, Patrick and McGrail, Matthew R. (2024). Perceived stakeholder benefits of continuously training general practitioners in the same rural or remote practice: interviews exploring the Remote Vocational Training Scheme. Medical Journal of Australia, 221 (S7), S29-S34. doi: 10.5694/mja2.52446

Perceived stakeholder benefits of continuously training general practitioners in the same rural or remote practice: interviews exploring the Remote Vocational Training Scheme

Funding

Current funding

  • 2025 - 2027
    A Culturally Informed Chronic Disease Prevention Model Using Technology and Indigenous Virtual Experience: The THRIVE Project
    NHMRC MRFF Survivorship Care and Collaborative Research Prioritisation (Stream 2)
    Open grant
  • 2025 - 2026
    Thriving as a rural generalist - the selection, training and retention outcomes of the ACRRM pathways.
    Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine
    Open grant
  • 2025
    Improving transparency in medical school admission and selection processes
    GEMPASS Education Grants Program
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2027
    Digital Health Transformation of Rural Primary Health Care Through an Innovative Digital Indigenous Primary Health Care Delivery Model: ID-INSPIRED
    NHMRC MRFF PHCR - Primary Health Care Digital Innovations
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2023 - 2024
    Differences in UCAT ANZ performance between rural and metropolitan medical school applicants: A national investigation
    Monash University
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2024
    Informing stronger integration across all sectors of the GP education and training pipeline
    RACGP Education Research Grant
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2023
    Barriers and enablers of training and employment models for female rural doctors working at generalist scope (Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine grant administered by JCU)
    James Cook University
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2022
    Learning in remote general practice settings - a comparative evaluation of quality and performance (Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine project led by James Cook University)
    James Cook University
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    Evaluation of the Rural Junior Doctor Training Innovation Fund (RJDTIF)
    James Cook University
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Associate Professor Matthew McGrail is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Effectiveness of the Implementation of the Vision 2030 Healthcare Strategy in Improving Health Services in Rural Saudi Arabia

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Bruce Chater, Dr Bushra Nasir

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Growing the Rural Medical Workforce Pipeline

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    What factors influence the use and satisfaction with hospital services of residents in Queensland's regions?

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The association of major depressive disorders with chronic disease among Indigenous Australians

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Srinivas Kondalsamy Chennakesavan, Dr Bushra Nasir

  • Doctor Philosophy

    EPoC-CARE - Effectiveness of Point of Care CRP Assays in Rural Environments

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Bruce Chater, Associate Professor Srinivas Kondalsamy Chennakesavan, Dr Bushra Nasir

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Referral patterns, disease progression and impact of the Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE) in a Queensland chronic kidney disease Registry (CKD.QLD) cohort

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Srinivas Kondalsamy Chennakesavan

  • Master Philosophy

    Interprofessional collaboration in Radiography: Do we need to re-invent the wheel?

    Associate Advisor

Media

Enquiries

For media enquiries about Associate Professor Matthew McGrail's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au