Maria is a Manchester-based GP with a portfolio of expertise in research, medical education and quality improvement. Beyond her clinical role as Principal GP and Research Lead, she is a Non Executive Director at North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, GP Research Champion at NIHR Clinical Research Network Greater Manchester, Specialist Advisor with the Care Quality Commission, founding cohort member of the Health Foundation's Q initiative, and Clinical Lecturer (Teaching-focused) at The University of Manchester.

Maria holds degrees in Medicine and Public Health from the University of Manchester and is currently undertaking the NHS Leadership Academy's Elizabeth Garrett Anderson programme, which will lead to a Masters in Healthcare Leadership and Senior Healthcare Leadership Award. Her PhD 'Embedding Patient Safety into Postgraduate Medical Education' involved leading the development, delivery and evaluation of an innovative patient safety training programme for 1000+ trainees, engaging 500+ senior doctors as faculty across the North West. Her work has been recognised with a number of prestigious awards and she has disseminated her research widely through peer-reviewed publications and presentations.

Maria's previous roles include Education Associate at the General Medical Council, Trustee of the Clinical Human Factors Group, Clinical Advisor to BUPA and World Health Organization Patient Safety as part of the Chief Medical Officer’s scheme, Strategic Advisory Board member at BMJ Quality and member of NHS England's Primary Care Patient Safety Expert Group.