Rate My Professor Brian Kelly

Emeritus Professor Brian Kelly is a Professor of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine and Public Health within the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He earned a Bachelor of Medicine from the University of Newcastle and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Queensland. A Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP) and the Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine (FAChPM), he received the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2023 for significant service to medical education and professional organisations. Over his 35-year career, Professor Kelly has held key leadership roles, including Dean of the Joint Medical Program and Head of the School of Medicine and Public Health until early 2021, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), Director of the Centre for Resources Health and Safety, and former Director of the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health. He also serves as a Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist at John Hunter Hospital and holds adjunct professorships at the University of Calgary and the University of New England.

Professor Kelly's research focuses on psychiatric epidemiology, rural and remote mental health, psycho-oncology, palliative care, and workplace mental health interventions in industries such as mining. He led the Australian Rural Mental Health Study, a multi-site epidemiologic investigation of psychological distress in rural communities, and developed initiatives like the Working Well Program and Mates in Mining. His extensive publication record exceeds 400 works, including the book Therapeutic Guidelines in Palliative Care (Version 3, 2024) co-authored with P. Ravenscroft and others, and contributions to journals on topics such as depression in cancer patients, suicide prevention, and climate impacts on mental health. Notable awards include the Bernard Fox Award from the International Psycho-oncology Society (2018), Hunter Medical Research Institute Researcher of the Year (2014), and Suicide Prevention Australia Award for Research Excellence (2013). His contributions have shaped mental health policy, service delivery in rural Australia, and interdisciplinary approaches to health and safety in resource sectors.