Dean of the College of Health and Medicine
Australian National University

Professor Russell L. Gruen MBBS PhD FRACS

Dean of the College of Health and Medicine
Australian National University

Professor Russell Gruen is Dean of the College of Health and Medicine at The Australian National University. He is a specialist trauma surgeon, and has a PhD in health services research, and postdoctorate qualifications in health policy, medical ethics and business management.

He was previously Professor of Surgery and Public Health at The Alfred and Monash University, and Director of the Australian National Trauma Research Institute, after which he moved to Singapore to be founding Professor of Surgery and Vice-Dean in the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, and Director of the Institute for Health Technologies at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Much of Russell’s work has been at the interface of surgery and health systems, especially in resource-poor settings. His doctoral thesis examined access to specialist services for remote Aboriginal communities. He has over 20 years’ experience working with the WHO, the Indian Government, Australian Government programs and international professional societies, to solve big problems through partnerships and intersectoral collaboration, advanced technologies, and creative business models. He is a Lancet Commissioner in Global Surgery, a Fellow of the International Surgical Society, and is currently President of the Alliance for Surgery and Anaesthesia Presence, developing career paths for students and trainees interested in global surgery careers.