Dr. Pinero de Plaza is a scientist facilitating healthy living and better public health services through knowledge translation and health research. She strengthens researchers, clinicians, industry, and consumers' abilities to design, measure, and accomplish different health and social impacts. Her experience in qualitative mix-methods, experimental design, and evaluation helps her identify and demonstrate how interventions, healthcare services, and technology can provide better choice, inclusion, voice, justice, health, and wellbeing. Her Research Fellow role involves health consumers and other stakeholders as co-researchers in developing and implementing evidence-based methods and solutions addressing complex problems on continuity & integration of care.

In 2020-22, Dr Pinero de Plaza's investigations were accepted/published in these Q1 journals:

• The International Journal of Qualitative Methods
• Health Promotion International
• Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services
• The Journal of Clinical Nursing
• PLOS ONE
• BMJ Open
• Nursing Philosophy
• Telemedicine and e-Health

For two consecutive years (2021 and 2022), Dr. Pinero de Plaza won the Vice-President & Executive Dean's Awards "for a FEARLESS embodiment of the University values in Research"; and the 2021 Consumer Health Forum video competition: 'Big Ideas' to improve the Australian health care system. She has secured prestigious awards, attracting more than $1,246,851 worth of grant funding as Associate Investigator (AI) and Chief Investigator (CI):

• NHMRC Partnership Grant (AI),
• Caring Futures Institute COVID-19 grant (CI),
• Caring Futures Institute, Two Accelerator Schemes (CI and AI),
• The Hospital Research Foundation (AI),
• Flinders Foundation Health Seed Grant (CI)

Dr Pinero de Plaza brings a multidisciplinary background in health promotion, behaviour, and health. Her PhD investigated mapping healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns for global but targeted health interventions. She has also studied computerised methods of evaluating consumer behaviours and memory accuracy concerning brand recognition and product design in marketing science.

Currently, she is contributing to the end user's engagements and KT aspects of RAPIDX AI. As a Chief Investigator, she has been awarded 2 Grants: 1. Concerning the marginalisation of Frail, Homebound and Bedridden people in Australia; 2. About COVID-19 and using Digital Technologies within inpatient settings to improve the patient-clinician relationship. Recently, she has been co-creating a new Arts in Health certification and an Alliance across Colleges.

Qualifications

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Adelaide/ Flinders University (2019-2021); NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence.

Doctor of Philosophy, Field of Research 111712 –Health Promotion; SEO: 920401- Behaviour and Health. Funded: Australian Postgraduate Award. Deakin University (2013-2017).

Master of Marketing Science, upgraded to PhD, Funded: Australian Postgraduate Award. University of South Australia (2010-2013).

Postgraduate training: Social Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Religion and Ecology. Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC). Advanced Studies Centre (2004-2006).

Licentiate, a degree equivalent to a master's in Mass Communication (Social Communication, Journalism, Public Relations & Advertising) Andrés Bello Catholic University (1993-1998).

Honours, awards, and grants:

• The Vice-President & Executive Dean’s Awards 2022

• Vice-President & Executive Dean's Awards 2021, "For the FEARLESS embodiment of Flinders University values in Research."
• A winner of the Big Ideas video competition to improve the Australian health system. Consumer Health Forum of Australia, 2021.
• NHMRC Partnership Grant, AU. 2020-2024
• Caring Futures Institute's Collaborative Grant Scheme, Flinders University, AU. 2020
• Caring Futures Institute's Accelerator Grant Scheme, Flinders University, AU. 2019
• International & local government/tourism research conference bids / ISPCAN; AU 2018-2020
• Australian Postgraduate Award, Deakin University, AU. 2013-2014
• HDR Conference Grant, Deakin University, AU. 2013
• HDR Support Grant, Deakin University, AU. 2013
• MARS research top-up scholarship, University of South Australia. 2010-2012
• HDR Conference Grant, UniSA, AU. 2010
• Australian Postgraduate Award, University of South AU. 2010-2012
• Medal of Honour - Scientific Journalism / IVIC. Vzla. 2006
• Excellence Communications Award: Dr Humberto Fernandez Moran. Vzla. 2006
• Scientific popularisation recognition at a national level. QUIMBIOTEC, Vzla. 2005
• Scientific Journalism Award: ‘Aristides Bastidas’; IVIC, Vzla.2004
• Friskies advertising billboard campaign, McCann Erickson, Vzla. 2001

Other responsibilities

Dr Pinero has been exploring and impacting the consumer engagement processes with health research. E.g. nationally, co-creating the Consumer Engagement Framework and Consumer Register of SAHMRI, and being part of the Expert Reference Group of the NHMRC CRE APPRISE and others. She has reviewed MRFF Rapid Grants 2019, PLOS ONE, and the Journal of Public Health. She is:

• Working as a Member of the Health Analytic Research Collaborative (HARC), Consumer engagement working group.
• Working with COVID-19 registry & biobank proposal approved by HREC: Steering Committee Member – 'Health Data Science & Clinical Trials', Flinders University.
• Community & Consumer Engagement Advisor – Adelaide BioMed City Partners.
• Supporting the Australian Gov Digital Healthy Agency & My Health Record
• Working as part of the Expert Reference Group (member) – Australian Partnership for Preparedness Research on Infectious Diseases Emergencies - CRE NHMRC, and others, e.g.  Health Translation South Australia (HTSA).
• Co-creating an Arts in Health Alliance and training certificates
• Exploring methods and technologies (using complexity science) to continuously optimise the quality of the healthcare system from a person-centred perspective, considering the Fundamentals of Care Framework. This work has influenced policy-making, providing feedback to the Royal Commission into Aged Care and the public.
• Co-investigating (consumer-led) ways to prevent exclusion and marginalisation of frail, housebound and bedridden people. This project has obtained a CFI Accelerator Grant ($4,000.00) concerning a Socio-scientific and Artistic Exhibition about the invisibility of this population. It has received the endorsement and support of ME/CFS SA and ME/CFS Australia. It has had significant media coverage (e.g. The Advertiser, ABC Radio, Online publication, and 7,000 printed copies sent directly to South Australians via COTA SA - EVOLVE August 2020, and others).