Brian Kelly
Positions
Daniel Family Leadership Chair
Psychosocial Oncology
Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Oncology
Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
Member
Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute
Contact information
Web presence
Location
Preferred method of communication
Administrative Assistant
Jessica Todd
Email: jessica.todd@albertahealthservices.ca
Tel: 403.521.3701
Background
Biography
Prof Kelly has recently (October 2025) appointed Academic Head of Division and Daniel Family Leadership Chair in Psychosocial Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine Department of Oncology and Psychiatry University of Calgary, and Medical Lead of Provincial Psychosocial Oncology, Cancer Care Alberta based at the Arthur C Child Comprehensive Cancer, Calgary, Canada. Previous leadership roles include Head of the Discipline of Psychiatry within the University of Newcastle Australia, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research) (2021-2023); Head of School of Medicine and Public Health, and Dean of the Joint Medical Program (a collaboration between the University of Newcastle and University of New England) (2016-2021). He holds a PhD in Psychiatry, Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and Fellow of the Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine (a Chapter of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians), and has been an active clinician in consultation-liaison psychiatry. He was Director of the NSW Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health (CRRMH) (2004-2009) in which he oversaw development and implementation of state-wide strategic vision for research, education and service development in rural mental health.
Research
Areas of Research
- Psychosocial Oncology
- Rural health
- Health services research
Over his career Prof Kelly has conducted research in the psychosocial aspects of cancer, palliative care, public health aspects of mental health and health service research, built on leadership and collaboration with interdisciplinary research teams. His early doctoral research investigated the biopsychosocial impact of life-threatening illness of HIV/AIDS and addressing unique psychosocial and neuropsychiatric characteristics within a multicentre study, building on theoretical frameworks derived from cancer research and traumatic impact of illness; along with early studies investigating the trauma of cancer diagnosis among patients with melanoma. Other themes across his research include studies of bereavement, such as comparison of cancer and AIDS related bereavement, studies of the predictors of bereavement outcome among family carers in palliative care and the rural arm of a study of a caregiver intervention on bereavement outcomes in palliative care. He has led interdisciplinary clinical research using quantitative and qualitative methods examining the psychosocial needs among patients with cancer receiving palliative care, and aspects of medical ethics in this setting including clinical factors associated with the wish to hasten death. Further recent research has examined the implementation of integrated psychosocial care in cancer services and palliative care, using capacity building among front-line oncology nursing and allied health staff, multicomponent system level interventions to enhance health service response to psychosocial needs for people with cancer, along with a focus on the needs of rural and First Nations people, and multimorbidity among people with cancer. Career research achievements include raising over $45m in grants and funding (including centre/program funds), with 329 published papers in peer reviewed scientific literature and 23 book chapters.
Publications
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