Sally Tracy

Sally Tracy is Professor Emerita in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, where she held the position of Professor of Midwifery from 2009 until her retirement in 2021. Affiliated with the Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, she also served as Conjoint Professor in the School of Women's and Children's Health, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of New South Wales. Tracy led the Midwifery and Women’s Health Research Unit at the Royal Hospital for Women and the University of Sydney, directing several large-scale NHMRC-funded studies on maternity care. Prior roles include Director of Midwifery Practice Development for the Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service and Postdoctoral Fellow at UNSW's National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit from 2005 to 2011. With over 30 years of experience as a midwife in clinical and academic settings in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, she was educated in New Zealand, holding qualifications including a Doctor of Midwifery (DMid) from the University of Technology Sydney, a Master of Arts in midwifery practice from Thames Valley University, a Bachelor of Nursing, an Advanced Diploma in Midwifery, and postgraduate studies in epidemiology from Victoria University of Wellington.

Her research specializations encompass clinical practice, midwifery research, education, evidence-based practice, epidemiology, primary care, and innovative models of maternity care, particularly Birthing on Country services for First Nations Australians. Key publications include "Caseload midwifery care versus standard maternity care for women of any risk: M@NGO, a randomised controlled trial" (The Lancet, 2013), "Birthing on country service compared to standard care for First Nations Australians: a cost-effectiveness analysis from a health system perspective" (2023), "Potential impact of midwives in preventing and reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and stillbirths: a Lives Saved Tool modelling study" (2020), "Developing and evaluating Birthing on Country services for First Nations Australians: the Building On Our Strengths (BOOSt) prospective mixed methods birth cohort study protocol" (2023), and "An exploration of potential output measures to assess efficiency and productivity for labour and birth in Australia" (2021). With 167 publications and 4,532 citations, her work has advanced midwifery policy and practice. In 2023, she received the Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for significant service to tertiary education and to midwifery.

Professional Email: sally.tracy@sydney.edu.au