RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has announced the appointment of Professor Tracy Robson as Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (DVCAA).

Professor Robson follows Professor Hannah McGee, who was foundation DVCAA at RCSI. She will lead RCSI’s academic community in delivering a transformative and innovative education that prepares its students to make a difference for patients worldwide. 

She will have a particular focus on addressing healthcare workforce demands through the development of a highly skilled workforce that can meet the evolving needs of a growing and ageing population.

A cancer biologist, Professor Robson joined RCSI in 2016 as Head of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics. She became the foundation Head of the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences following its establishment in 2019. She has previously held academic appointments at Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast, where she was appointed Professor in Experimental Therapeutics in 2010.

Professor Robson is a highly successful researcher, with over €15 million in competitive research grant awards and a sustained track record of high-quality publications in leading journals. Her research is focused on the development of biotherapeutics, based on a novel protein, which have been patented and licensed. Under her leadership, the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences secured €11.3 million in educational funding, including a €7.8 million award from the Higher Education Authority under the Human Capital Initiative, Pillar 3. 

Esteemed academic

Professor Cathal Kelly, Vice Chancellor, RCSI, said: “I am delighted to congratulate Professor Tracy Robson on her appointment as Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at RCSI. Professor Robson is an esteemed academic with an excellent track record of transformation and impact across education and research. She will play a critical role in progressing our strategic priorities which are focused on responding to increasingly complex healthcare challenges through education, research and engagement. I wish Professor Robson every success in her new role.” 

Professor Robson said: “I feel immensely privileged to take on the role of Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at RCSI, following in the footsteps of Professor Hannah McGee whose legacy at RCSI is immense. I share our community’s deep commitment to promoting better health and wellbeing and to ensuring our students emerge as healthcare professionals and scientists with the skills and attributes to thrive in complex clinical and research settings around the world. I look forward to progressing our ambitious agenda which is wholly focused on driving improvements in health in Ireland and around the world.”

RCSI is Ireland’s only dedicated health sciences university and is ranked fifth in the world for impact on the third UN Sustainable Development Goal, ‘Good Health and Well-being’, in the 2024 Times Higher Education impact rankings. Its 2023-2027 strategy, Innovating for a Healthier Future, sets out the university’s commitment to enhancing human health through education, research and societal engagement.