Dianne Stephens

Prof Dianne Stephens OAM is the Foundation Dean of the CDU Menzies School of Medicine and a Professor at Charles Darwin University's Faculty of Health. She previously served as Director of the Royal Darwin Hospital Intensive Care Unit from 1998-2016, pioneering clinical care and organ donation initiatives in the Northern Territory. Her leadership extended to roles in disaster medicine, including responding to the Bali Bombings, Iraq deployments, and Cyclone Winston in Fiji. Currently, she leads academic partnerships at the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (NCCTRC), focusing on aeromedical retrieval and health emergency preparedness.

Education: Graduated from the University of Melbourne Medical School (1988), with fellowships in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine. Research interests include sepsis, melioidosis, Indigenous health outcomes, and pandemic response strategies. Notable contributions include developing quarantine models during the COVID-19 pandemic and advancing resident-centered care for displaced populations.

Scientific Awards: Recipient of the Order of Australia Medal (OAM).

Grants & Projects: Principal Investigator for the MRFF-funded 'COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Model of Care' (2022–2026), focusing on isolation protocols and healthcare system resilience. Advising involves mentoring future healthcare leaders through CDU's medical education programs.

Labs/Teams: Oversees NCCTRC's research portfolio and academic collaborations in disaster medicine and critical care innovation.