Rate My Professor Brian Kelly

Emeritus Professor Brian Kelly AM is Professor of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He obtained his Bachelor of Medicine from the University of Newcastle and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Queensland. A Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP) and Fellow of the Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine (FAChPM), his distinguished career includes serving as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) in a recently completed two-year term, Dean of the Joint Medical Program until early 2021, and Head of the School of Medicine and Public Health for six years until 2021. Previously, he was Director of the NSW Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health from 2002 to 2004, Director of the Centre for Resources Health and Safety, and held clinical academic positions such as Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist at John Hunter Hospital since 2006, Director of Mental Health at St Vincent's and Mater Health Services from 1998 to 2002, and various psychiatry roles at hospitals in Queensland and New South Wales.

Professor Kelly's research specializations encompass mental health in rural and remote communities, psycho-oncology, psychosocial aspects of cancer and palliative care, psychiatric epidemiology, social determinants of mental health, suicide prevention, and interventions for high-risk populations including miners, farmers, and older adults. He led the Australian Rural Mental Health Study, a multi-site epidemiologic investigation, and has directed programs addressing drought-related mental health, mining industry well-being, and national suicide prevention strategies. His contributions include developing evidence-based interventions for comorbid depression and anxiety, evaluating service models, and advancing patient-centered communication in psychiatry. Key publications feature co-authorship of Therapeutic Guidelines in Palliative Care (third edition, 2010; 2005), the highly cited Solastalgia: The Distress Caused by Environmental Change (Australasian Psychiatry, 2007), Determinants of mental health and well-being within rural and remote communities (Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 2011), and Building effective service linkages in primary mental health care (BMC Health Services Research, 2011). Professor Kelly's impact is evidenced by awards including the Order of Australia (AM) in 2023 for service to medical education and professional organisations, Bernard Fox Award from the International Psycho-oncology Society in 2018, Hunter Medical Research Institute Researcher of the Year in 2014, and Award for Research Excellence from Suicide Prevention Australia in 2013. He has chaired the Australian Psychoncology Cooperative Research Group and fostered international collaborations, such as with the University of Calgary.