2026 Winner: Outstanding Alumnus Award, Health
Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science, 2010; Master of Pharmacy, 2012
Hailie Uren is a public health leader, clinician and researcher whose career spans pandemic response, health system reform and humanitarian health. Based in Ukraine, she leads internationally recognised research to combat drug-resistant infections in war-wounded patients while strengthening healthcare systems in some of the world's most challenging environments.
How do you describe what you do in one sentence?
I work at the intersection of infectious diseases, disaster medicine, and implementation science to prevent infections and improve outcomes for war-wounded patients.
Tell us something that might surprise others to learn about you.
Most people are surprised to learn that I left Australia to study my Master's by Research in Disaster Medicine and was invited to Ukraine by a United Kingdom Emergency Medical Team (EMT) during my studies. I was supposed to be here for 6 months, and yet I have spent the past four years working in Ukraine, helping improve care for war-wounded patients. My work combines infectious diseases, disaster medicine, and implementation science, translating research into practical systems that help save limbs and lives.
What inspired you to pursue your current career path?
I worked for the Queensland Health Healthcare Improvement Unit (HIU) during COVID and was responsible for organising medicines for Queensland Health Intensive Care Units to prepare for the pandemic within two weeks. I was then responsible for rolling out the COVID vaccine to 1 million people in Metro South, and I found that the dynamic environment suits my personality, skills, and passion more than clinical work in the hospital. However, I am working with hospitals here in Ukraine, so I get to do both: disaster medicine and clinical pharmacy.
Is there a standout experience from your time at Griffith that helped you to get where you are now?
I was really confused about what pathway I wanted to take after graduating from Griffith. I thought my options were to become a community pharmacist, a hospital pharmacist or a researcher. Through further study, I learned that I could combine my pharmacology and pharmacy knowledge with implementation science, an area not traditionally taught in clinical degrees, to make meaningful system changes.
Why does your work matter?
It matters that patients have better outcomes. We are all human, and we all make mistakes, but how can we change the system (rather than the clinician) to reduce the likelihood of a clinician making a mistake?
Can you share a specific initiative or current project you are working on that excites you?
I am leading what is believed to be the largest prospective medical study ever conducted during an active war. The project focuses on reducing severe drug-resistant infections among wounded soldiers in Ukraine.
Many patients survive their injuries but later develop infections that are extremely difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat with existing antibiotics. Our research aims to understand where and how these infections occur and identify practical ways to prevent them.
Working closely with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, hospitals, scientists and international partners, we are tracking patients throughout their treatment journey, testing new infection-prevention approaches, and evaluating how they can be safely integrated into frontline and hospital care.
The project has attracted support from NATO and international collaborators and has the potential to improve outcomes for war-wounded patients while informing infection-control practices in future humanitarian crises and conflicts worldwide.
What impact are you most proud of having?
I am most proud of leading a team to develop a new approach to preventing infection in war-wounded casualties. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars showed that highly resistant bacteria could travel with casualties via medevac systems and across the world. Our initiative is a world-first innovation designed to sit alongside established combat casualty-care practices and interrupt this transmission before patients enter receiving hospitals. It has been made possible through collaboration with the Public Health Centre of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence, NATO Special Operations Forces, and, above all, the many Ukrainians willing to test new ideas during wartime to improve casualty outcomes.
How do you approach leadership in your work and community involvement?
One of the biggest lessons I've learned is the difference between being a manager and being a leader. A manager focuses on processes, tasks, and accountability, “ticking boxes” and maintaining, whereas a leader creates a shared vision, empowers others, and builds an environment where people feel trusted to contribute their expertise. The most effective teams I've worked with have had remarkably flat hierarchies, where ideas are judged on their merit rather than the seniority of the person speaking. In high-pressure environments, whether responding to mass casualty incidents or implementing healthcare reform during war, that culture can make the difference between success and failure. I strive to lead by listening first, removing barriers for others, and creating opportunities for people to grow. To me, leadership is not about authority or position; it is about service, enabling others to do their best work, and ensuring every member of the team feels empowered to speak up, innovate, and challenge ideas when it improves patient care.
What advice would you give to a current Griffith student or recent graduate?
If you're unhappy in your working environment, take the risk and make a change. Even if nobody in the world has done it before, it doesn’t mean you can’t be the first.
Is there anything else that you want to mention?
Truly, I’m grateful to receive the 2026 Griffith University Outstanding Alumnus Award for Griffith Health. Living in Ukraine during an active conflict, and spending winter with only four hours of electricity in minus 20-degree weather, I often ask myself if it is worth it.
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