Dr Sandy MacQuarrie

Research interests

My research interests and expertise centre on paramedic health and performance, simulation-based education, and the application of wearable biometric technologies to improve safety, learning, and decision-making in emergency care and other contexts.

Research interests

My primary research interest is understanding the physiological and cognitive demands of paramedic work and their implications for fitness for duty, performance, and patient safety, including the effects of fatigue, shiftwork, and high-intensity tasks on operational readiness. This program of work has included large observational cohorts, randomised trials and mixed-methods studies examining health status, physical capacity, and occupational risk among ambulance personnel.​

A second major focus is healthcare education research, with particular attention to high-fidelity simulation, interprofessional learning, and cognitive load in paramedicine. This includes designing and evaluating simulation-based curricula, exploring situational awareness and visual scanning in simulated emergencies, and investigating how educational design influences stress, performance, and skill retention in learners.​

I am also actively engaged in research using wearable biometric and physiologic monitoring to characterise stress responses, workload, and wellbeing in paramedicine and other safety-critical professions. This encompasses the validation of wearable sensor platforms, the development of novel analytical approaches to physiologic data, and the application of these technologies in both simulation and real-world operational environments.​

Research expertise

My research expertise lies in occupational health and wellness within emergency medical services, including the design and evaluation of workplace interventions to enhance paramedic physical fitness, resilience, and long-term health outcomes. This has involved collaborations with ambulance services, defence partners and international paramedic organisations to examine links between physical capacity, job demands, and clinical performance.​ I have applied these methodologies to the wider context – studying Early Childhood Educators and Pharmacist in applied settings.

In health professions education, I have expertise in curriculum design, program evaluation, and scholarship of learning and teaching in paramedicine. My work has explored interprofessional education, community-engaged learning models, and project-based approaches to building student research capability and professional identity.​

Methodologically, my work spans quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs, including randomised controlled trials, simulation trials, occupational fitness testing, and survey-based research. I have experience leading and collaborating on funded projects at institutional and external levels, with a track record of publications in paramedic education, occupational medicine, healthcare simulation, and extreme environment medicine.​

Current and recent projects

Current and recent projects include investigations of cognitive load and anticipatory decision-making during emergency driving, as well as treatment planning among paramedicine students. Related work examines visual scanning behaviour and situational awareness on arrival at simulated emergency scenes, and how these factors relate to performance and safety outcomes.​

Ongoing studies also focus on validating biometric garments and wearable technologies for monitoring the physiology of first responders in both simulated and field environments. Parallel projects examine stress, wellbeing and resilience in healthcare providers and early childhood educators, extending paramedic-focused methodologies into broader caring professions.​

Collaboration and impact

My research program is highly collaborative, involving multidisciplinary teams across paramedicine, exercise science, psychology, education, and occupational health, as well as partnerships with ambulance services and government agencies nationally and internationally. These collaborations have supported the development of evidence-informed educational interventions, fitness and wellness programs, and policy discussions around paramedic workforce sustainability.​

Through conference presentations, invited keynotes, professional magazines, and engagement with peak bodies, the work aims to translate research insights into practical strategies for educators, services, and frontline clinicians. This integrated approach supports a coherent agenda focused on keeping paramedics “fit for duty” and optimising learning and performance in high-risk, high-consequence environments.