About

Dr Samantha Pillay OAM is a urological surgeon in Adelaide. Her patients already arrive having asked AI about their symptoms, and much of her writing, speaking and filmmaking is now about what AI can and can't do for people, including for their health, and how to use it well. In 2026 she made submissions to the federal Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, the Senate Select Committee on Women's Health and the Commonwealth's consultation on AI infrastructure. She sits on the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons' Advisory Group on AI in Surgery.

Samantha finished school at sixteen and began studying medicine at the University of Adelaide. Driven to take on challenges, she became the first woman in South Australia to complete the adult urological surgical training program, despite physical limitations from congenital hip dysplasia.

While training in urology, Samantha saw a need for a greater focus on incontinence treatment for women and for specialised care. Her vision was a sub-specialty practice bringing the best available treatments to the women of South Australia. She became the first urologist in Australia to specialise entirely in female and functional urology, establishing Continence Matters in 2002 and building her single-surgeon practice into a centre of excellence, the SA winner and national finalist in the 2025 Telstra Best of Business Awards, Accelerating Women.

Dr Pillay has served on numerous national and state boards and committees, including as Chair of the Female Urology Special Advisory Group for the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand from 2007 to 2013. She has devoted her career to treating incontinence, reducing its stigma, and educating doctors, health professionals and the community. Read her full bio.

Samantha received the 2026 AMA Women's Health Award, was the 2024 Women in Innovation Social Impact Award winner, a nominee for SA Australian of the Year 2022, and a Telstra Best of Business Awards finalist in 2023 and 2025. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to urology on Australia Day 2025 and received the 2025 University of Adelaide Distinguished Alumni Award.

She is the founder of AIFilm4Good, the world's first AI film studio for social impact, making short films and music for health awareness and social change. View the films and listen on Spotify.

She is the author of thirteen books, including the Inspirational Careers for Kids picture book series and The No Recipe Cookbook, six of them Amazon No. 1 bestsellers.

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