Associate Professor Kirsty Foster

Associate Professor Kirsty Foster is a general practitioner (trained in Edinburgh, UK) who specialises in medical education and global health.

Following a two-decade career as a GP, including as Managing Partner of a large academic general practice in Edinburgh, she migrated to Australia and commenced a career in medical education completing a Masters degree in Education and a doctorate in Medical Education. As Head of the Office of Global Health at Sydney Medical School, she provides academic leadership and helps drive the internationalisation of the school’s health research, learning and teaching activities.

Associate Professor Foster has led major international initiatives in medical education, in Vietnam, Timor-Leste, China and Myanmar including aas a consultant to the World Health Organisation. She co-leads a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade funded project to build research capacity in Vietnam and serves on the Executive of the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre Executive as a regional engagement advisor.

Associate Professor Foster co-leads the Health Cluster of the Australia Indonesia Centre. She continues to champion education to improve healthcare as Chair of the Education Theme Committee of Sydney Health Partners, one of the founding four Advanced Health Research and Translational Centres in Australia. Additionally, she oversees clinical education at Northern Clinical School where she won the inaugural William Osler award for excellence in Medical Education in 2017. She was the recipient of the 2012 Australian National Teaching Award for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning.