Adrienne Janet Torda

Professor Adrienne Janet Torda currently serves as the Interim Dean of UNSW Faculty of Medicine & Health, where she has held various senior academic and leadership positions including Associate Dean Education and Innovation and Vice Dean and Head of School of Clinical Medicine. As a distinguished academic leader, medical educator, and clinician specializing in Infectious Diseases, she has made significant contributions to medical education and clinical practice.

Her educational background includes MBBS (Hons), PhD, FRACP, SFHEA, FANZAPHE, FHERDSA, GradDip Bioethics, and GradCert University Learning & Teaching. Her professional memberships encompass FRACP, Australian Society of Infectious Diseases, Infectious Diseases Society of America, ANZAPHE, HERDSA, and ASM.

Professor Torda's research interests span two main areas: clinical infectious diseases (focusing on immunisation of patients with special needs, surgical infections, and influenza immunisation) and medical education research (with emphasis on clinical assessment, simulation-based learning, and professional development of clinical educators). Her educational philosophy centers on developing forward-looking curricula that integrate problem-solving, analytical thinking, reflective practice, communication skills, and teamwork alongside traditional medical content.

She has received multiple prestigious awards recognizing her excellence in teaching and educational innovation, including the UNSW Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching and the national AAUT Citation for Excellence in Teaching. Her scholarly output includes 52 journal articles, 23 conference posters, and 24 conference presentations, demonstrating her prolific contribution to academic discourse.

• 2017 - Faculty of Medicine Excellence in Teaching Award
• 2019 - UNSW Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching
• 2021 - AAUT Citation for Excellence in Teaching (National award)
• 2022 - Education Innovation Award (UNSW)

Professor Torda actively champions equity and inclusive leadership, having served as Gender Champion at UNSW between 2018-2020. She currently serves on the steering committee of the Women's Wellbeing Academy and the Athena Swan Self assessment team. Professionally, she represents UNSW on the Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand, serves on the TGA Australian Vaccine Committee, and acts as a WHO consultant for vaccine registrations since 2022.