Geoff Argus

Associate Professor Geoff Argus is the inaugural Director of Southern Queensland Rural Health (SQRH), a Commonwealth-funded University Department of Rural Health established in 2017. Based in Toowoomba and Charleville, SQRH focuses on rural health workforce development, innovative service delivery, and improving Indigenous health. In 2022, SQRH secured $5M for training hubs in St George and Chinchilla. Argus holds roles with the Australian Rural Health Education Network and the National Rural Health Alliance.

Education: Bachelor of Science (Psychology) from University of Southern Queensland, Masters in Clinical Psychology, and Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health from UQ.

Research emphasizes rural health systems, interprofessional education, and pandemic impacts. Key interests include healthcare workforce sustainability, telehealth adaptation, and student clinical placement models. Recent work explores post-COVID clinical supervision practices and interprofessional collaboration in rural settings.

Grants include NHMRC funding for primary care workforce planning and dementia care initiatives. Supervises students in public health and rural health research. Active in policy advocacy through national rural health alliances.

Led the creation of the Rural Immersion Placement Program (RIPPAH) to address allied health workforce gaps. SQRH’s research spans five core areas: workforce development, rural training strategies, service delivery innovation, community health issues, and Indigenous health equity.