Wed, 3 September 2025 16:00 - 17:00, WE Talk with WONCA President-Elect Candidates

Dr María Pilar Astier-Peña is a passionate family doctor from Zaragoza, Spain, where she has been working full-time in both urban and rural settings since 2005. She brings a unique blend of clinical, academic, and leadership experience, always grounded in a deep commitment to quality, equity, and patient safety.

She is a dual specialist in Family and Community Medicine and Preventive Medicine and Public Health, and holds master’s degrees in Public Health, Health Economics, Health Management, and Clinical Research. Her earlier career included 10 years as a public hospital manager in Spain, and she recently served as a Quality and Safety Advisor for Primary Care in Catalonia (2022–2023).

A firm believer in the power of teaching and mentorship, Pilar is an Associate Professor at the University of Zaragoza, where she supports and inspires future generations of family doctors.

At the national level, she chairs the Patient Safety Working Groups of both semFYC (Spanish Society for Family and Community Medicine) and SECA (Spanish Society for Healthcare Quality), helping to drive safer, more person-centred care across Spain.

Internationally, Pilar is an active and trusted leader within WONCA. She is:

• Vice-chair of WONCA Europe’s Policy Advocacy Working Party
• Member of EQuiP (WONCA Europe’s Quality and Safety network) and chair of its Patient Safety Working Group
• Former Chair of the WONCA World Working Party on Quality and Safety
• Executive Board Member-at-Large (2023–2025), former Chair of the Membership Committee (2021–2023), and current WHO Liaison Officer for WONCA World
• She has authored over 50 publications in international journals, often focusing on safety culture, deprescribing, second victims, and system design in primary care.
  ORCID: 0000-0002-3192-7672

Outside of work, Pilar is married and the proud mother of three children. She recharges through mountain hikes, music, travel, and reading — and always with a strong sense of curiosity and community spirit.