Zachary Munn has worked with the World Health Organisation, chaired the Guidelines International Network COVID-19 Taskforce and has been invited to speak around the world.

After working at the Spencer Gulf Rural Health School, Zachary became motivated by a desire to improve health equity around Australia.

Appointed as an associate professor in his late 20s and professor at 36, Zachary strives to improve research synthesis and guideline development in healthcare, enabling evidence-based decision-making.

In 2023 alone, Munn’s work was cited 13,860 times, 93 times more than the average academic.

When awarding Munn the Discovery Award, Jane Kelly, the CEO of CMAX Clinical Research, said that he focussed “on scientific evidence as a basis for health decision, policy and practice”.

“Driven by a passion for evidence-based healthcare, this person has led groundbreaking research, pioneering methodologies that ensure health decisions worldwide are rooted in science, not opinion,” she said.

“He has resisted the temptation of interstate offers, remaining loyal and passionate about the opportunities to mentor and lead a team based here in SA.”

Munn said he was committed to helping people work together to achieve the best outcomes.

“In a traditionally competitive market, my philosophy is that a ‘floating tide lifts all boats’, meaning that we can all achieve success together,” he said.

“You get more out of collaborating than competing.”