Dr. Dolores McKeen began her term as Vice Dean, Education and Faculty Affairs on September 1, 2021. She is also a professor in the Discipline of Anesthesia. 
 
Dr. McKeen received her Doctor of Medicine (MD) and completed an Anesthesia residency from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1997. She moved to Nova Scotia in 1999 where she completed a Dalhousie University Obstetric Anesthesia Research Fellowship at the IWK Health Centre 2000, and attained an MSc in Clinical Epidemiology, Memorial University Graduate Studies in 2004.
 
Dr. McKeen joined the staffs of the Nova Scotia Health Authority in 1999 and the IWK Health Centre in 2000. Her clinical practice is focused on Obstetric Anesthesia where she was the Chief of the IWK Women's & Obstetric Department of Anesthesia,
 
Dr. McKeen was a Professor in the Dalhousie University Department of Anesthesia, served as Associate Program Director and has won numerous postgraduate departmental teaching and advocacy awards. She is active with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada serving on the Fellowship Advisory Committee, the Anesthesiology Oral Exam Board, the Residency Accreditation Committee and is Chairwoman of the Awards Committee.
 
She has led a successful research program both as the Associate Medical Director of the IWK Women's & Obstetric Research Unit, as well as the Medical Director for the Dalhousie Anesthesia Resident Research program and is an Affiliated Scientist with the Maritime SPOR Support Unit. She is a Trustee of the Canadian Anesthesia Research Foundation.  She has conducted clinical trials and outcomes research in the areas of post-operative pain management, obstetric anesthesia, and translational research regarding implementation of evidence based clinical practice guidelines. She recently published the Top 10 Canadian Anesthesia Research Priorities, a CIHR funded James Lind Alliance patient priority setting partnership.
 
Dr. McKeen’s career path and accomplishments cross all academic pillars, with her current focus is on physician leadership.  She has served on the Dalhousie Senate, is the current President of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society, and is Chair of the Section of Physician Leaders, Doctors NS. She received a Canadian Certified Physician Executive designation in 2021 and was named one of Canada’s Top 10 Anesthesiologists to follow in 2020 on Twitter.