9 October, 2025
St James’s Hospital is proud to announce the appointment of Prof. Michael E. Kelly as its new Professor of Surgery, signifying a transformative step forward for cancer services nationwide. In addition to his role at St James’s Hospital, Professor Kelly will join the Department of Surgery at the Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute (TSJCI), where he will lead strategic initiatives in pelvic cancer, colorectal surgery, and general surgery.
Professor Kelly’s appointment constitutes a pivotal development in the advancement of cancer services at TSJCI, Ireland’s only OECI accredited Comprehensive Cancer Centre. His vision is to establish a collaborative surgical oncology unit that integrates multidisciplinary expertise to deliver holistic, patient-centred care across the entire treatment pathway, with a particular emphasis on restoring quality of life.
A central objective of Professor Kelly’s work is to expand the scope of surgical oncology in Ireland, especially in the management of complex cases involving advanced rectal, gynaecological, and pelvic malignancies. Historically, many such patients were referred to international centres for treatment. This initiative reflects TSJCI’s enduring commitment to cultivating national expertise and reducing the need for patients to seek care abroad.
Speaking about his appointment Prof. Kelly said, “In the Department of Surgery, everything comes down to teamwork. I’m honoured to work alongside such dedicated specialists across Colorectal, Gynae Oncology, Urology, Plastics, and Radiology, in addition to the vital teams in ICU, Critical Care, Histopathology, Nursing, Stoma Care, Pain Management, Physiotherapy, and Vascular Surgery. I’m deeply grateful for their support and for the trust they’ve placed in me. I look forward to building on our work together and making a real impact in the lives of people across Ireland.”
Welcoming Prof Kelly’s appointment Prof John Kennedy, Medical Director, TSJCI said, “We are delighted with Prof Kelly’s appointment to the Chair of Surgery in SJH and TCD. He brings great academic and clinical credentials and an impressive commitment to collaboration both nationally and internationally. His focus on developing networks of care and research for patients with complex pelvic malignancies is the kind of challenging work that TSJCI will prioritize to the benefit of Irish patients over the next 5 to 10 years.”
Prof. Kelly has represented Ireland on the European Society of Surgical Oncology and serves on committees with the European Society of Coloproctology. With over 300 peer-reviewed publications, he has played a pivotal role in establishing Ireland’s presence in international surgical research. In addition, he co-founded the PelvEx Collaborative, a global initiative studying outcomes in advanced pelvic cancer treatment, now involving nearly 200 centres across 53 countries.
For more information, please see:
https://www.stjames.ie/consultants/kellyemichael/
https://www.stjames.ie/cancer/research/researchersa-z/michaelekelly/