Biography
Sarah Aitken is an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney; Head of the Specialty of Surgery in the Sydney Medical School; and a vascular surgeon at Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney Local Health District. She has a broad range of research interests including health outcomes of patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), equity in surgical care, perioperative medicine, and medical education. She is also a Clinical Lead of HRI’s Centre for PAD, that was established in 2024.
Qualifying with her medical degree (MBBS Hons) in 2006, she completed vascular surgical training (FRACS Vascular) in 2014 and was awarded her PhD in February 2021. She has extensive experience in research methodologies including analysis of routinely collected health data, prognostic factor research and synthesis, qualitative evaluation of patient and trainee experiences, health outcome measurement using patient surveys and risk tools, and disparities research.
Associate Professor Aitken’s current leadership roles include Chair of the Sydney Health Partners Clinical Academic Group in Perioperative Medicine and Surgery, Co-Chair of the Concord Institute of Academic Surgery, Founder and Consultant Lead for the Australian and New Zealand Vascular Trials network, and deputy Chair of the Board of Vascular Training, providing a strong network for clinical and educational research support. As a clinically active vascular surgeon and academic, Associate Professor Aitken has combined clinical training and practice with a strong research focus and development. Her clinical role allows her to incorporate emerging evidence into new models of care. She was awarded Australia’s Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellowship in 2024 to research surgical training and health equity, based at the University of California San Francisco.