Samantha Robertson

Dr Samantha Robertson is a Research Fellow at the Queensland Digital Health Centre (QDHeC) at The University of Queensland and a Senior Accredited Practising Dietitian at Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service. She is also a Certified Health Informatician Australasia (CHIA), bringing together clinical expertise, informatics, and implementation science to improve healthcare delivery.

With 18 years of clinical experience, Dr Robertson’s research focuses on digital health workforce capability, education, and implementation of digital interventions in real-world healthcare settings. She has particular expertise in stroke nutrition, informed by her clinical background and research in stroke care and electronic medical record (EMR) optimisation. Her work also aims to ensure clinicians and health graduates are equipped to deliver safe, effective, and high-quality care in increasingly digital environments.

Dr Robertson leads and contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives spanning academia, government, and industry. She is the program manager and a research lead of the EMBRACE program, a collaborative initiative to build digital health capability across the Australian healthcare workforce, including conducting a statewide learning needs assessment and co-designed training programs for Queensland. She has also contributed to the national Embedding Digital Health Education (EDHE) project, which established nationally agreed learning outcomes and a Train-the-Trainer Toolkit piloted across multiple Australian universities to support curriculum transformation.

Her research is underpinned by strong methodological expertise in mixed methods and implementation science. She has authored 16 peer-reviewed publications and conference papers and has secured competitive research funding as Chief and Associate Investigator. She has been recognised through national collaborations and interdisciplinary projects spanning digital health education, artificial intelligence in healthcare, and workforce development.

Dr Robertson is actively involved in teaching and supervision at UQ, contributing to postgraduate education in clinical informatics and digital health, and developing short courses to support workforce upskilling. She also contributes to national committees and advisory groups shaping digital health education, workforce strategy, and clinical informatics pathways.

Through her combined clinical and academic roles, Dr. Robertson is committed to translating research into practice, strengthening workforce capability, and supporting health systems to adopt and use digital technologies safely and effectively.