The Dean of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences leads a diverse faculty comprising six schools and numerous departments and centres. Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences is renowned for global leadership in health research, policy and practice.
Professor Jane Gunn is a distinguished academic, inaugural Chair of Primary Care Research and the first female Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. Born and raised in regional Victoria, Jane realises the importance of a healthcare system founded on principles of access and equity with strong primary care at its centre.
Jane is a general practitioner and led the Department of General Practice at the University of Melbourne for ten years. She has been a visiting Professor to Scottish School of Primary Care, University of Glasgow, Hong Kong University, Chinese University Hong Kong and Oxford University.
Her 15-year National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funded cohort study – the Diagnosis, Management and Outcomes of Depression in Primary Care (diamond) study – aimed to develop models of care to transform primary mental health care. This study has twice been included in the NHMRC ‘Ten of the Best’ collection, and an intervention tool developed from it forms a component of the Australian government’s Head to Health initiative which provides free online mental health information and support. She has been awarded more than $74m in research funding and published more than 260 scholarly works.
A Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences since 2016 and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Jane’s Directorships have covered primary care, hospital and medical research. She has served two terms on the NHMRC Research Committee and is a current member of NHMRC Council.
In her position as Dean, Jane currently serves on several boards including the Children’s Campus Council, Doherty Council, Florey, Melbourne Academic Centre for Health, Melbourne Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, and Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, which helps the University maintain effective relationships across the health and medical research sector.
As Dean of the largest Faculty in the University, Jane provides leadership and strategic vision while fostering a collaborative environment for approximately 6,000 staff and 11,000 students.
In her spare time, Jane enjoys hiking, bushwalking and scouring shorelines for the elusive cowrie shell.