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Professor S. Bruce Dowton

Chairman & Nominee Director – Macquarie University

Professor Bruce Dowton is the Vice Chancellor of Macquarie University and was appointed to the position in 2012. He is a paediatrician, clinical geneticist, molecular biologist, researcher and academic, and has served as a senior medical executive at a range of universities, healthcare institutions and consulting organisations.

Professor Dowton was awarded the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (with Honours) in 1980 from the University of Sydney. He completed his postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Medical Centre, Boston, where he held clinical and research fellowships in paediatrics and cell biology. He also holds a doctorate of medicine for his work in cell biology from the University of Sydney.

Between 1985 and 1998, he held a number of positions at the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Missouri USA. In 1993 he was appointed Associate Dean for Medical Education and in 1996 he became Associate Vice Chancellor and led many significant developments in educational programs for medical students, graduate medical education and continuing medical education programs.

From 1998 to 2005 Professor Dowton served as Dean of the University of New South Wales Medical School in Sydney where he implemented new educational programs, strengthened graduate student education and developed strong ties with the health system.

In 2001 Professor Dowton, at the invitation of the NSW Health Minister, established and chaired the Medical Education and Training Council. From 2002 to 2004 he was chair of the Committee of Deans of Australian Medical Schools (CDAMS) and led a major organisational repositioning to ensure CDAMS emerged as the peak body representing medical schools in Australia.

Returning to Boston in 2007, Professor Dowton held a variety of leadership roles at Harvard Medical International and Partners Harvard Medical International between 2007 and 2012, most notably as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

He has published articles on a wide range of topics in peer-reviewed academic publications, and has held Visiting Professorial and External Examiner appointments at several universities including the University of Edinburgh, Columbia University in New York, the University of TromsØ in Norway, Hong Kong University, as well as institutions in the People's Republic of China.