Professor Samar Aoun is Perron Institute research chair in palliative care at the University of Western Australia, Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, and adjunct professor at La Trobe University.
She has a public health approach and a focus on under-served groups such as people with Motor Neurone Disease, dementia, terminally ill people who live alone, and family caregivers before and after bereavement. She also advocates for a person-centred health and social care.
Prof Aoun co-founded Western Australia's South West Compassionate Communities Network in 2018, and undertook for WA Health a palliative care review from the consumer perspective that is underpinning the work of the department of health. She also established the WA Country Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee and chaired it for 23 years.
Prof Aoun received several awards including a national award in 2003 “the Centenary Medal”; a recipient of Paul Harris Fellow award from Rotary International in 2008; The Eleanor Mounsher Medal in 2016 in recognition of outstanding commitment, dedication and service to people living with Motor Neurone Disease and their families; the 2018 Senior Vice-Presidential Medal for Excellence in Person Centered Health Care; and 2023 WA Australian of the Year for her work in research and advocacy for end-of-life care, bereavement and grief support.
