Board of Governors
Prof. Laura Viani (MSc, FRCSI) is President of RCSI, a Consultant Otolaryngologist/Neuro-otologist at Beaumont Hospital and Director of the National Hearing Implant and Research Centre (NHIRC) at Beaumont.
Prof. Viani is also an Honorary Associate Professor of Surgery in RCSI and an Honorary Adjunct Professor in the School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin.
Prof. Deborah McNamara (MB, BAO, BCh (Hons), FRCSI, MD, Intercollegiate FRCSI (Gen Surg)) is Vice President of RCSI and a Consultant General/Colorectal Surgeon at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin.
Professor Cathal Kelly is Vice Chancellor and CEO/Registrar at RCSI. A Graduate and Fellow of RCSI, Prof. Kelly was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences from 2006-2009 and took up the position of Registrar in December 2009.
Prior to his appointment, he was a consultant general and vascular surgeon with a special interest in endovascular surgery in Beaumont Hospital. In addition to completing his basic and higher surgical training in Dublin, Prof. Kelly pursued a research fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, USA.
Professor Hannah McGee is Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at RCSI. As RCSI’s chief academic officer, she is responsible for degree awarding activities in RCSI campuses from Dublin to Bahrain, Dubai, Malaysia and an upcoming partnership in China (Soochow). Her focus is ensuring the delivery of quality international medical and health sciences curricula.
A graduate of Trinity College Dublin (BA (Mod); PhD), she was awarded a Doctorate of Science (DSc) for published research by the National University of Ireland (NUI). A health psychologist, she has over 230 peer-reviewed publications focused on quality of life assessment, and population health aspects of ageing, cardiovascular disease and sexual health. In 2022, she was admitted as a Member of the Royal Irish Academy (MRIA).
Prof. K. Simon Cross (MD, M.Med.Sci., FRCSI(Gen)., FRCS(Ed)) is a Consultant General and Vascular Surgeon at Waterford University Hospital.
Brigadier (Prof) Fahad Khalifa Al-Khalifa is the Commander and Chief of Medical Staff of the Royal Medical Services - Bahrain Defence Force. Professor Fahad Al Khalifa is also the Head of the COVID Intensive Care units under the National Taskforce, the Chairman of Bahrain’s overseas treatment committee, the Chairman of the AO Foundation for Bahrain, and an Associate professor at RCSI Medical University of Bahrain.
Professor Fahad Al Khalifa (MB.BCh.BAO, LRCP&SI, FRCS Ortho (Canada), MSc Health Care) is a highly experienced surgeon specialised in sports and complex trauma, upper and lower extremity surgery, joint arthroplasty, degenerative joint disease and deformity correction.
Dr Shaikha May is the Executive Chairperson of the Board of Directors Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at Bahrain Bayan School. Dr May has been holding several leading positions across various sectors, including Vice Chairman of the Bahrain Institute for Political Development, Chairperson of a Business Incubator for Bahraini Artisanat and the Chief Executive Officer of Mayasem Communications W.L.L.
She has received numerous awards and recognition for her efforts, including the Efficiency Award in 2011 from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and recently the Arab Women of the Year Award 2023 for her contributions to the advancement of education.
Mr Mahmood Al Kooheji is the Chairman of Bahrain’s Social Insurance Organisation. Previously Mr Al Kooehji was the Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company.
Professor Sameer Otoom (M.D., MS., PH.D., CCPT., FRCPI.) is the President of RCSI Medical University of Bahrain. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in London.
Professor Otoom is an advisor to several Education and Health Councils in the region and has wide experience in managing higher education and internationalisation. He serves on different strategic committees locally and internationally. He was a member of the Supreme Council of Health in Bahrain, Chairman of the Working Group on Stem Cells Clinical Trials Regulations at the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA), member of the Advisory Board of the National Qualification Framework at the Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA), Chair of the Advisory Committee on Human Medicine, NHRA, a member of the Executive Council of the Association of Arab Universities, member of the Board of Directors of the Irish Charity Operation Childlife, member of the Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa Award for Bahraini Doctor Selection Committee and a consultant for the China-Arab States Technology and Culture Transfer Center.
Mr Stephen Harrison-Mirfield was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2013 and has been nominated Managing Director since 2022. He is responsible for the running of the University from a business and operational perspective, driving the continuous development and implementation of strategy, policy and structure of RCSI Medical University of Bahrain.
Mr Harrison-Mirfield continued his education graduating from Saïd Business School (University of Oxford) in 2019 with a Postgraduate qualification in Organisational Leadership. Currently, he is undertaking his doctorate with Glasgow Caledonian University, where he is focussing on Leadership within Transnational Education.