New Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Dean appointed
Professor Christina Mitchell
Internationally renowned researcher and clinician, Professor Christina Mitchell has been appointed as the new Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.
Professor Mitchell will take up the role in September, 2011, succeeding Professor Steve Wesselingh, who is moving to Adelaide to take up appointment as the Foundation Executive Director of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.
Professor Mitchell brings international experience and extensive success as a researcher and clinician to her role in leading one of Australia’s pre-eminent Medical and Health Sciences faculties.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Ed Byrne said the appointment recognises the leading role Professor Mitchell has played in the transformation of biomedical research at Monash, first as the Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which quadrupled its size and research budget under her leadership, and as the Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences.
“Professor Mitchell has been a leading light in medical research and education here at Monash for over a decade and we’re delighted she’s agreed to take up the Dean’s role.”
“Professor Mitchell has all the qualities we demand of leaders here at Monash – she has been a highly successful manager and mentor, while continuing her pursuit of medical research outcomes,” Professor Byrne said.
Professor Christina Mitchell trained as a physician scientist specialising in clinical haematology. She received her medical training from Melbourne University and consultant training in haematology at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne. Her advanced clinical training in haematology included a PhD characterising the natural anticoagulants protein C and protein S. Her post-doctoral studies were undertaken in the field of intracellular signalling at Washington University Medical School, St Louis, USA.
In 1990 she returned to Australia and became an independent investigator at the Department of Medicine, Box Hill Hospital. In 1999 she was appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University and in 2006 was appointed Head of School of Biomedical Sciences at Monash Clayton.
Professor Mitchell was a member of the scientific committee for the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria (2001-2010), served on several NHMRC review panels for both project grants and Fellowship applications and has been a member of the board of VESKI (Victorian Endowment for Science, Knowledge and Innovation).
Professor Mitchell and her research team are the recipients of several National Health and Medical Research grants, an ARC grant and a Muscular Dystrophy Association of the USA grant. Her research laboratory comprises seven post-doctoral fellows, a research assistant, seven PhD students and three honours students.