Dr. McKeen received a Doctor of Medicine in 1992MD and Anesthesia residency in 1997 both from Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN). She completed a Dalhousie University Obstetric Anesthesia Research Fellowship at the IWK Health Centre 2000 and attained an MSc in Clinical Epidemiology, MUN Graduate Studies in 2004. She became a Canadian Certified Physician Executive in 2021. She worked in Nova Scotia for 22 years where she was the Chief of the IWK Women's & Obstetric Department of Anesthesia 2018-2021.
 
In September 2021, Dr. McKeen returned back to her home province of Newfoundland and alma mater where she is currently the Vice Dean, Education and Faculty Affairs and Professor of Anesthesia at Memorial University. 
 
Dr. McKeen’s career path and accomplishments cross all academic pillars.  She has led a successful research program, chaired the CAS and ACUDA Research Committees, sat on the Steering Committee of the Perioperative Anesthesia Clinical Trials, 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.
 
Her current academic focus is on medical education and physician leadership. She is the Past Chair of the Section of Physician Leaders, DoctorsNS, sits on the AFMC Senior Dean’s Council, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Fellowship Advisory Committee, the Anesthesiology Oral Exam Board, the Residency Accreditation Committee and is Chairwoman of the Awards Committee.  She was named one of Canada’s Top 10 Anesthesiologists to follow in 2020 on Twitter.