Professor Fiona Coulson is the Interim Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Darwin University, a role to which she was appointed in February 2026. She provides strategic and operational leadership across the University, with a strong focus on the quality of learning and teaching and the overall student experience. Professor Coulson joined Charles Darwin University in 2022 as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Educational Strategy). She subsequently served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Provost before assuming her current position.
Prior to joining Charles Darwin University, Professor Coulson held senior leadership roles at CQUniversity, including Deputy Vice-President (Education Strategy and Innovation), Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Development), and Foundation Dean of the School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences. She has also held positions at The University of Queensland, Griffith University, and Johns Hopkins University. With over three decades of experience in tertiary education, academic leadership, and management, Professor Coulson has a background in biomedical research spanning pharmacology, physiology, immunology, and biochemistry. She completed post-doctoral research at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. Professor Coulson is passionate about the transformative effect of education and the innovative use of technology to deliver high-quality learning experiences.