Richard Murray

Richard Murray has a career focussed on the healthcare needs of underserved populations, in rural medicine, Aboriginal health, tropical health and socially accountable health professional education. A medical practitioner with qualifications in rural general practice and public health, he is Dean of the College of Medicine and Dentistry at James Cook University (JCU) and formerly Deputy Vice Chancellor of the then Division of Tropical Heath and Medicine at JCU. Professor Murray has a national and international profile in medical education and in rural health and medicine and has held a range of senior leadership positions. He has a record of achievement in shaping Australian health and medical workforce policy.

Professor Murray is the immediate past President of Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand, the peak organisation for the 24 medical schools across the two countries. He is a Member of Council of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), a member of the Council of the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and the Chair of the board of JCU Health Pty Ltd. Professor Murray is also a member of the Medical Workforce Reform Advisory Committee that advises Commonwealth, state and territory health ministers on medical workforce reform priorities.

Past professional leadership roles include an extended term as President and Chair of the board of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and the Chair of the Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators (FRAME), the peak forum for Rural Clinical Schools.

Prior to joining JCU as Planning Director of the Rural Clinical School in 2005, Professor Murray spent 14 years in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia, including 12 years as the Medical Director of the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Council, a position in which he had broad clinical, population health, teaching, research and medical leadership and management roles.