Mah Laka

Ms Mah Laka

Grant-Funded Researcher (A)

School of Public Health

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Dr Mah Laka is an early career researcher in the field of public health. She is a clinical epidemiologist with specific interests in health technology assessment and digital health. Mah Laka has a background in Health Science (Bioinformatics) with First Class Honours and recently a PhD within the School of Public Health at the University of Adelaide.

Her PhD project titled "The Role of Computer based Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) in Improving Antibiotic Management" focused on the assessment of the feasibility and sustainability of electronic decision support tools for evidence-based decision making.

Her research interests include health technology assessment (HTA), clinical epidemiology, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, digital health and developing methodologies for evaluating medical services or health interventions.

Currently, she is employed as a Research Associate in Adelaide Health Technology Assessment (AHTA) and involved in evaluating medical services, devices, programs or pharmaceuticals to help policy-makers decide whether they should be publicly funded.

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2022 - ongoing Research Associate University of Adelaide
    2019 - 2021 Part-time teaching lecturer University of Adelaide
    2017 - 2018 Research Associate National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Islamabad

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2021 Award Best Oral Presentation Health Technology Assessment International United Kingdom -
    2019 Award School of Public Health Prize School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide Australia -
    2019 Award Florey Medical Research Foundation Prize Florey Medical Research Foundation Australia -
    2019 Award Northern Communities Health Foundation Prize Northern Communities Health Foundation Australia -
    2019 Scholarship Research Travel Scholarship University of Adelaide Australia 1500
    2019 Scholarship Walter Dorothy & Duncan Trust Grant Walter Dorothy & Duncan Trust Australia -

  • Language Competencies
    Language Competency
    English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
    Urdu Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2018 - 2022 University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia Doctor of Philosophy
    2012 - 2016 COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad Pakistan Bachelor of Science

  • Research Interests
    Translational Health Outcomes Health Informatics Health Information Systems Public Health Public Health and Health Services

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2024 Laka, M., Carter, D., & Merlin, T. (2024). Evaluating clinical decision support software (CDSS): Challenges for robust evidence generation. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 40(1), 7 pages.
    DOI
    2023 Gao, Y., Laka, M., & Merlin, T. (2023). Is the quality of evidence in health technology assessment deteriorating over time? A case study on cancer drugs in Australia. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 39(1), 9 pages.
    DOI
    2023 Huyan, J., Ramkissoon, C., Laka, M., & Gaskin, S. (2023). Assessing the Usefulness of Mobile Apps for Noise Management in Occupational Health and Safety: Quantitative Measurement and Expert Elicitation Study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 11(1), 9 pages.
    DOI
    2022 Gao, Y., Laka, M., & Merlin, T. (2022). OP20 Is The Quality Of Evidence In Health Technology Assessment Deteriorating Over Time?: A Case Study On Cancer Drugs In Australia. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 38(S1), S9.
    DOI
    2022 Laka, M., Carter, D., & Merlin, T. (2022). OP70 Gaps In The Evaluation Of Clinical Decision Support Software (CDSS): Interviews With Australian Policymakers. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 38(S1), S26.
    DOI
    2022 Laka, M., Carter, D., Milazzo, A., & Merlin, T. (2022). Challenges and opportunities in implementing clinical decision support systems (CDSS) at scale: interviews with Australian policymakers. Health Policy and Technology, 11(3), 7 pages.
    DOI Scopus3 WoS1
    2021 Laka, M., Milazzo, A., & Merlin, T. (2021). Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing: understanding clinicians. Australian Health Review, 46(1), 21-27.
    DOI Scopus4 WoS1 Europe PMC1
    2021 Laka, M., Milazzo, A., & Merlin, T. (2021). Factors That Impact the Adoption of Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) for Antibiotic Management. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 1-14.
    DOI Scopus30 WoS11 Europe PMC15
    2020 Laka, M., Milazzo, A., & Merlin, T. (2020). Can evidence-based decision support tools transform antibiotic management? A systematic review and meta-analyses. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 75(5), 1099-1111.
    DOI Scopus23 WoS18 Europe PMC13
    2020 LAKA, M. A. H., MILAZZO, A., & MERLIN, T. (2020). Factors that impact the adoption of clinical decision support systems (CDSS) in healthcare settings for evidence-based decision making.
    DOI
    2014 Azam, S. S., Abbasi, S. W., Akhtar, A. S., & Mirza, M. L. (2014). Comparative modeling and molecular docking studies of d-Alanine:d-alanine ligase: A target of antibacterial drugs. Medicinal Chemistry Research, 23(9), 4108-4137.
    DOI Scopus5

  • Conference Papers
    Year Citation
    2022 Laka, M., Carter, D., & Merlin, T. (2022). Gaps in the Evaluation of Clinical Decision Support Software (CDSS): Interviews with Australian Policymakers. In Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) Annual Meeting. Utrecht, The Netherlands.
    DOI
    2021 Laka, M., Milazzo, A., & Merlin, T. (2021). Challenges and opportunities to appropriate antibiotic prescribing: a survey of clinicians' perceptions in Australia. In INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY Vol. 50 (pp. 2 pages). OXFORD UNIV PRESS.
    2021 Laka, M., Milazzo, A., Carter, D., & Merlin, T. (2021). OP199 From Pilot Studies To System-Wide Innovation: Challenges And Opportunities For Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) Implementation In Australia. In International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care Vol. 37 (pp. 5-6). Cambridge University Press (CUP).
    DOI
    2019 Laka, M., Milazzo, A., & Merlin, T. (2019). Sustainable Implementation of Electronic Decision Support Tools for the Evidence-based Management of Antibiotics. In Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Digital Public Health (pp. 7-8). online: ACM.
    DOI

  • Conference Items
    Year Citation
    2023 Gao, Y., Laka, M., & Merlin, T. (2023). Is The Quality Of Evidence in HTA Deteriorating Over Time?: A Case Study on Cancer Drugs In Australia. Poster session presented at the meeting of Health Technology Assessment International.
    2020 Laka, M., Milazzo, A., & Merlin, T. (2020). Why provision of clinical decision support (CDS) is not enough? Factors influencing the CDS adoption. Poster session presented at the meeting of EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. OXFORD UNIV PRESS.
    DOI WoS1

  • Report for External Bodies
    Year Citation
    2023 Laka, M., Carter, D., Gao, Y., Choi, O., Tamblyn, D., & Merlin, T. (2023). International health technology market approval, funding and assessment pathways. Canberra: Australian Department of Health and Aged Care.
    2022 Morona, J., Mittal, R., Laka, M., Parsons, J., & Schubert, C. (2022). Whole Genome Sequencing for the diagnosis of mitochondrial disease. (MSAC APplication 1675). Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, ACT.

  • Memberships
    Date Role Membership Country
    2022 - 2022 Member Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) Australia
    2020 - ongoing Member International Epidemiological Association (IEA) United States
    2019 - ongoing Member Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) Australia
    2019 - ongoing Member Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) Australia
    2019 - ongoing Member Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) Australia
  • Position: Grant-Funded Researcher (A)
  • Phone: 83133538
  • Email: mah.laka@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: 44-60 Rundle Mall - Rundle Mall Plaza, floor Level Four
  • Org Unit: Adelaide Health Technology Assessment
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