Medical head next uni leader

The next University of Otago vice-chancellor, Dunedin-born Prof David Murdoch. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
The next University of Otago vice-chancellor, Dunedin-born Prof David Murdoch. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Dunedin-born Prof David Murdoch chaired the committee that selected Covid-19 vaccines for New Zealand.

And after helping steer New Zealand’s response to the global pandemic, he will now steer the University of Otago through its work on a proposed $1billion Dunedin health precinct.

Prof Murdoch was named the next vice-chancellor of the University of Otago yesterday, taking over the role vacated by Prof Harlene Hayne earlier this year.

While he said he was not familiar with the finer detail in the plans for Dunedin’s health precinct, fitting in with the new Dunedin Hospital and developing the health precinct was "critical".

And, he has relevant experience.

Prof Murdoch is the present dean and head of campus at University of Otago, Christchurch.

He was the head of pathology at the Christchurch campus during the Canterbury earthquakes.

He was involved in the planning of Te Papa Hauora, the Christchurch Health Precinct, which includes a $178million building, the biggest construction project the university has undertaken.

"I’m very familiar with what happened in Christchurch after the earthquakes there, the concepts of a precinct, what can and cannot be realistically achieved, what’s worth fighting for, what are the wonderful things that can happen from this sort of discussion and collaboration between institutions," he said.

"I think I can contribute there quite a lot."

Yesterday, he lauded the strength of the university in having a "real footprint" in Wellington and Christchurch to complement its Dunedin base.

He said diversity and trust were important in establishing a positive organisational culture at a senior level.

As a young doctor, Prof Murdoch worked in a remote Nepalese hospital and is now an honorary life member of the Himalayan Rescue Association.

He has had a leading role in a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded global study of childhood pneumonia that changed the way the disease is diagnosed, treated and prevented in developing countries.

He has done years of research that has rewritten the world view on Legionnaires’ disease.

He is the co-director of the One Health Aotearoa research alliance, a network of infectious disease experts.

And although he moved to Christchurch at the age of 6, Prof Murdoch has strong ties to Dunedin.

He started school at Opoho Primary. In 1985 he

graduated with bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery degrees from the University of Otago. He followed that with a doctorate in medicine at the university in 2003.

Prof Murdoch and his wife, Dr Lynley Cook, a public health physician, met in Dunedin and were in the same medical school class.

They have two adult daughters.

Prof Murdoch will begin as vice-chancellor early next year.

hamish.maclean@odt.co.nz


 

Comments

Can't think of anyone better than someone who has worked at Sir Edmund Hilary's hospital at Kunde, Nepal (1991-93)

 

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