MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY
Dr. Stuart Carney appointed dean of Medicine at Memorial

The search committee for the role of dean of the Faculty of Medicine has completed its work and recommended Dr. Stuart Carney for the position.

The Board of Regents approved the appointment at its meeting on July 8. Dr. Carney will begin a five-year term effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Dr. Stuart Carney // Photo: Submitted
 

Dr. Carney comes to Memorial from the University of Queensland (UQ) where he served as dean of the medical school in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, for the past nine years.

"Dr. Carney is an accomplished academic leader, researcher and educational innovator with a proven track record of advancing the priorities of the units he serves," said Dr. Jennifer Lokash, president and vice-chancellor pro tempore and chair of the search committee. "He is well-equipped to navigate the complexities of leading Memorial's Faculty of Medicine and I look forward to welcoming him to this key academic leadership role."

Background

As dean of UQ's medical school, Dr. Carney's responsibilities included clinical research and education for one of the largest medical programs in Australia.

Under his leadership, UQ medical students can now complete the entirety of their doctor of medicine program in three geographically dispersed regional communities. This is in addition to the programs offered in Brisbane, the state's capital city, and a transnational educational partnership with the Ochsner Health System in Louisiana, U.S.

Dr. Carney has also led cross-university programs, including co-creating the UQ Students as Partners Strategy, which has seen students play a more active role in school and faculty governance and educational quality improvement initiatives. Drawing upon his background as a psychiatrist, he led the development of UQ's Mental Health Strategy, which focuses on the mental health of the entire university community.

He is an experienced clinical teacher, examiner and curriculum developer and has a distinguished record of educational leadership across the entire medical training continuum. Prior to his role at UQ, he was dean of medical education at Guy's, King's and St. Thomas' School of Medical Education at King's College London in the U.K. He played a key role in facilitating the integrated academic training pathway in England, which is the main talent pipeline for clinical academics and has led a similar initiative in Australia.

Earlier this year, he was elected president of Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand. He is recognized as a thought leader in health-care workforce policy.

Dr. Carney obtained his primary medical qualification (bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery - MBChB) from Edinburgh University and holds a master of public health from Harvard University. He trained as a general adult and consult liaison psychiatrist in Oxford and is a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the U.K.

"I would like to extend my most sincere thanks to Dr. Dolores McKeen for leading the Faculty of Medicine as interim dean for nearly two years," Dr. Lokash said. "I would also like to thank all members of the search committee for giving of their time, expertise and energy throughout the search process."

Dr. McKeen will continue in the interim role until Dec. 31, 2025.