AAAPC Distinguished Paper for SAPC 2026

In partnership with

Ruby Strauss is a Senior Research Officer with The University of Queensland-Mater Research Institute’s Centre for Health System Reform and Integration. The Centre’s projects, co-designed with providers, patients and service organisations, offer real-world solutions to complex problems and strive for the translation of evidence into policy.

With a background in both clinical sciences and translational research, Ruby is passionate about utilising innovations in health service delivery and implementation science to improve access to sustainable, high-value primary care in rural communities.

Presentation title: Implementation of the Virtual Integrated Practice (VIP) Partnership Program: Supporting access to primary care in rural Queensland

SAPC Distinguished Paper Prize (SAPC)

David is a Glasgow GP and Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Glasgow. His qualifications include a BSc in International health from UCL (2003), MBChB from the University of Dundee (2005), MPH (2012) and PhD (2018) from the University of Glasgow.

He has been involved in teaching, research and advocacy related to the social determinants of health since 2010, and is Academic Lead for the “Scottish Deep End Project”, a collaboration between academic and frontline practitioners working in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in Scotland, which began in 2009. There are now 20 Deep End groups spanning 9 countries and 4 continents. His research explores the delivery and use of health care and the role of primary care in mitigating health inequalities. He received the RCGP John Fry Award in 2024.

Presentation title: Remotely-delivered weight management for people with Long Covid and overweight (ReDIRECT): a wait-list controlled randomised trial

AAAPC Early Career Researcher Best Paper

Adele Kincses is a research assistant for GP Training Research at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. She graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Biomedical Science (First Class Honours) in 2022. She is currently undertaking her Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine through James Cook University. Her research interest is in ensuring health equity for disadvantaged populations.

Presentation title: How GPs identify and prioritise clinical problems: a systematic review

AAAPC Distinguished Paper for 2025 North American Primary Care Research Group Prize

In partnership with

University of Southampton, UK

Dr Danielle Schoenaker is a Senior Research Fellow in the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre at the University of Southampton in the UK. Her research aims to inform, develop and evaluate strategies that improve and narrow inequalities in preconception health - to benefit the health of current and future generations. Danielle was awarded a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Advanced Fellowship in 2023 to lead a programme of research to inform preconception care in primary care. She uses analysis of linked routine health data to strengthen the case for preconception care, and co-development studies to produce practical guidance and resources. Danielle co-leads the Preconception and interpregnancy health theme in the NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium with the aim to tackle inequalities in preconception, maternal and child health through co-developed, integrated community-based approaches.

Presentation title: Priority topics for preconception care in general practice in the UK: a consensus study

North American Primary Care Research Group Distinguished Paper Prize (NAPCRG)

In partnership with

Aleksandra Zgierska

Pennsylvania State University, USA

Aleksandra Zgierska, MD, PhD, DFASAM is a family and addiction medicine physician and tenured Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, and Public Health Sciences at Penn State College of Medicine. She serves as Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and Co-Lead of the Community-Engaged Research Core at the Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute. She is also Associate Director of the Penn State Addiction Center for Translation and the NRSA/HRSA-funded T32 Primary Care Research Fellowship. Nationally, she has served in leadership roles with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), including as Vice President and Board of Directors member.

Dr. Zgierska’s work focuses on improving outcomes for individuals affected by addiction, chronic pain, and mental health conditions. Her clinical research spans behavioral, pharmacologic, and procedural approaches, with a strong focus on real-world, patient-centered care in primary care settings. She is particularly passionate about reducing stigma and bias, enhancing science communication, and building trust between communities and the medical and research systems—all essential for meaningful community engagement in both research and evidence-based care.

Presentation title: Psychological treatments improve outcomes in opioid-treated chronic low back pain: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial