Natalie Walker

Professor Natalie Walker joined Flinders in March 2025 as Director of the Flinders Clinical Trials Platform, which is physically located within the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI). The platform supports trial research across the entirety of Flinders University.  Prior to joining Flinders Natalie was based within the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Auckland University, New Zealand, where she was Co-Director of the Faculty Research Centre for Translational Health Research and Co-Director of the Faculty Research Centre for Addiction Research. 

Natalie started her 30-year research career in environmental epidemiology and infectious disease epidemiology, then moved into cardiovascular disease and modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (i.e. tobacco and alcohol). She is particularly interested in identifying affordable, practical and scalable interventions (appropriate to local conditions and populations) to improve health and wellbeing. Her work has spanned from preclinical research through to policy.  She has specific expertise in the design and conduct of clinical trials, especially pragmatic community-based trials that are designed to inform practice and policy.