Samar Aoun is Professor of Palliative Care, Palliative Care Unit, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University. She has a Bachelor of Sciences with Honours from Leeds University, UK, a Master of Public Health from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon and a PhD in Medical Demography from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, UK. She has previously held the positions of Professor of Palliative Care, Director of the WA Centre for Cancer and Palliative Care and Associate Dean of Research at Curtin University.

Samar is a palliative care researcher with a public health approach and a focus on under-served population groups such as people with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), dementia, terminally ill people who live alone and family caregivers before and after bereavement. Samar advocates strongly for a person-centred health and social care. Her research programs on supporting family caregivers at end of life and the public health approach to bereavement care have informed policy and practice at the national and international levels. Samar has established and chaired the West Australian Country Health Services Ethics Committee for 23 years. She has served on two principal National Health and Medical Research Council committees (2012-15): the Australian Health Ethics Committee, and the Prevention and Community Health Committee. She is currently a member of the NHMRC National Statement Review working group, and the NHMRC Indigenous Research Ethics Guidelines Review working committee. She has chaired NHMRC grant review panels for the past four years. She is a member of the editorial advisory board of Palliative Medicine journal, and a member of an expert advisory group for the development of best practice guidelines in bereavement care in Europe.

Samar is currently the Vice-President of the MND Association in WA and Director on MND Australia Board and has previously served as the Chairman of the Neurological Council of WA. She was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2003 from the Prime Minister of Australia for her work in rural health and community development; the Paul Harris Fellow in 2008 from Rotary International; the Researcher of the Year in 2008 from Curtin University; and the Eleanor Mounsher Medal in 2016 in recognition of outstanding commitment, dedication and service to people living with MND and their families.