Michael Falster

Associate Professor Michael Falster is an Associate Professor and Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow at the School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney. He leads the Cardiometabolic Medicines Research Stream within the Medicines Intelligence Research Program and serves as Deputy Director of Research at the School. His work focuses on using population-level data and advanced analytics to evaluate healthcare quality, medication use, and outcomes, particularly in cardiovascular and metabolic conditions. Falster holds a PhD in Medicine from UNSW (2017), a Master of Biostatistics from the University of Sydney (2011), and a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) from UNSW (2005).

His research interests include optimizing treatment for cardiovascular and renal conditions, evaluating disparities in care, and improving chronic disease management. He has led numerous nationally funded grants, including NHMRC and Heart Foundation projects, focusing on big data analytics and evidence-based policy translation. Falster has been recognized with awards such as the Internal Medicine Journal’s Top Cited Article (2023) and the UNSW Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (2017).

Falster’s grants include Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowships (2021), NHMRC Ideas Grants (2021–2018), and an Early Career Fellowship (2017). His research has shaped national health performance indicators and informed primary care models. He actively supervises graduate students in health data science, biostatistics, and public health, emphasizing real-world evidence and observational studies.

Teaching roles include instructing in the Context of Health Data Science program at UNSW. His research teams collaborate with clinicians, policymakers, and international partners to address systemic inequities and improve patient outcomes through evidence-based practices.