Dr. Karen Smith

Karen Smith is the National Director of Research and Evidence at Silverchain Group, a large Australian, not for Profit, Community Aged and Health care organisation. She oversees the Future Care area of Silverchain, which leads Silverchain’s ambition to be global leaders in research and innovation in community care. Prior to this, Prof Smith was the Director of the Centre for Research and Evaluation at Ambulance Victoria and received an Order of Australia Medal for her work in pre-hospital research in 2022. In 2020, she was awarded a Top 50 Public Sector Women Award by the Institute of Public Administration Australia. This award recognises individual excellence and achievement of exceptional female leaders and their significant work. Prof Smith holds Adjunct Professorial positions with Monash University, Curtin University, and the Queensland University of Technology.

An experienced health leader and health services researcher, Professor Smith has collaboratively attracted over 35 million dollars (AUD) in competitive grants and tenders and has published peer reviewed journal articles (>380), book chapters and reports to government.  She has held several non-executive board director roles, including being on the board of Refuge Victoria - Victoria’s largest provider of specialist crisis accommodation and support services for people escaping family violence.