Aileen Keel


Professor Aileen Margaret Keel CBE FRCPath FRCPG FRCPE FRCSE FRCGP is a Scottish medical doctor, academic and former Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Acting Chief Medical Officer for Scotland. She is the Director of the Innovative Healthcare Delivery Programme at the University of Edinburgh and an Honorary Professor.

Early life and education

Keel was born in Glasgow on 12 August 1952. Her parents were Everina and Walter Keel. She studied medicine at the University of Glasgow graduating with a MB ChB in 1976.

Career

After graduating from University, Keel trained and worked in general medicine and haematology in Glasgow Royal Infirmary, the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. From 1987 to 1989, she was Director of Pathology and Consultant Haemotologist at Cromwell Hospital in London. She was an honorary consultant haematologist and research fellow at Central Middlesex and Middlesex Hospital from 1988 to 1992. She returned to Scotland in 1992 to take up with position of Senior Medical Office at the Scottish Office, a post she held until her promotion in 1998 to Principal Medical Officer. She received a further promotion in 1999 to Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, and from 2014 to 2015 was Acting Chief Medical Officer for Scotland.
Since 2015, Keel has been seconded from the Scottish Government to the University of Edinburgh as the Director of the Innovative Healthcare Delivery Programme. She is Chair of the Scottish Cancer Task Force and Co-chair of COMQI.

Awards and honours