Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM

Dr Magdalena Simonis AM is a leader in advancing the visibility and leadership of women in medicine. She's a general practitioner, researcher, educator and trusted public voice.

Her work drives structural change. Her landmark research on female genital cosmetic surgery was among the first to examine how women go to GPs with concerns about genital appearance.

It was published in the British Medical Journal. It challenged stigma and misinformation and informed the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ clinical guidance. It also contributed to reforms to Medicare item numbers that strengthened patient protections.

Dr Simonis has played a significant role in national health policy and regulatory reform. She served as the only general practitioner on the national Cosmetic Surgery Review (2021–2023). She contributed to major reforms including tighter regulation of the title 'surgeon', stronger advertising standards and clearer, enforceable patient safeguards.

She has worked on national responses to transvaginal mesh complications. This includes the reclassification and withdrawal of certain devices.

Magdalena's policy influence extends to:

• the National Action Plan for Endometriosis
• cervical screening reforms
• menopause policy roundtables
• BreastScreen Australia’s Clinical Advisory Group
• TGA Breast Implant Expert Advisory Group.

She is past President of the Australian Federation of Medical Women and President of the Victorian Medical Women’s Society. She established national mentoring and leadership schemes, including

• yAFMW Leadership Program
• HERSTORY mentoring initiative
• Medical Women in Technology and Health and the Climate Health Advocacy Group
• and launched the Purple Bush Medicine Leaves Bursary project supporting Indigenous women doctors.

Her media work brings complex and often silenced women’s health issues into public conversation.

Magdalena's voice has helped shift public understanding, reduce stigma and improve health literacy. This particularly helps multicultural communities, enabling women and their families to better understand their health and navigate care.