Sarah Strasser

Sarah Mirabella Strasser is an English general practitioner and academic, and is a professor emerita at the University of Waikato, and Dean of the medical school. She specialises in rural health, training of the rural medical workforce, and accreditation.

Academic career
Strasser describes herself as a third-generation rural GP. She began training as a GP in the UK, where she met her future husband Roger Strasser, an Australian doctor training in anaesthesia and surgery. Roger was offered a position in London, Ontario, so Strasser completed her training there at the University of Western Ontario, under Ian McWhinney. They returned to Australia together and were based at Monash University.

In 2001, both Strassers and their five children relocated to Canada again to set up the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. After five years Sarah Strasser was appointed back in Australia at Flinders University, to develop rural medical training for the Northern Territory, first as Director of the Rural Clinical School and then as Associate Dean Flinders Northern Territory. Strasser then moved to the University of Queensland, where she is head of the rural clinical school and an honorary professor.

In 2020 the Strassers were appointed to the University of Waikato, in the hopes that the government could be persuaded to set up a third New Zealand medical school. After a couple of years both Strassers moved to Simon Fraser University as interim vice-deans, to set up a new medical school.

Honours and awards
In 2019, Strasser was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. She was appointed professor emeritus at the University of Waikato in 2022, and is an honorary professor at the University of Queensland.