Brendan Murphy (doctor)


Brendan Murphy is an Australian public servant and nephrologist who served as the Chief Medical Officer of Australia from 4 October 2016 before beginning as the Secretary of the Department of Health on 13 July 2020. He became "the public face of Australia's fight against COVID-19" during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.

Biography

Murphy was born in 1955 and educated at Melbourne Grammar School and the University of Melbourne. He married lawyer and university administrator Sally Walker in 1979 and has two sons.
Murphy is a nephrologist by profession and was formerly president of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology; CMO and director of nephrology at St Vincent's Health; CEO of Austin Health; and a board member of Health Workforce Australia, the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre. Murphy is the first medical doctor to be nominated as Secretary of the Department of Health.

Chief Medical Officer

Murphy was appointed CMO of Australia on 4 October 2016, when he replaced Chris Baggoley. He became "the public face of Australia's fight against COVID-19" during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, giving regular press conferences with the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, and Health Minister Greg Hunt, as well as the media.
Murphy was also head of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee and in that role an adviser to the National Cabinet of Australia created to respond to the pandemic.
He vacated the role of CMO on 29 June 2020, and will become the Secretary of the Department of Health on 13 July 2020, an appointment initially announced in January 2020, but delayed due to his central role in the response to the Coronavirus pandemic. His deputy, Paul Kelly, will act in the role of CMO until a new appointment is made.