Rate My Professor Gillian MacKay

Dr Gillian MacKay serves as Senior Teaching Fellow in the Genetics Mātai Ira Teaching Programme within the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Otago. The Genetics programme enables students to major or minor in Genetics as part of a Bachelor of Science degree or pursue a strong genetics component in the Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences, particularly through the Reproduction, Genetics and Development major. It unites expertise from contributing departments across the university, including Anatomy, Biochemistry, Botany, Mathematics and Statistics, Microbiology and Immunology, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women's Health, Paediatrics and Child Health, Pathology, Physiology, Surgical Sciences, and Zoology, delivering comprehensive coverage of modern genetics via a multi-disciplinary approach informed by university-wide research. Dr MacKay is a central figure in the programme's teaching staff, co-convening key undergraduate papers such as GENE221 Molecular and Microbial Genetics, GENE222 Genes, Chromosomes and Populations, GENE223 Developmental and Applied Genetics, GENE313 Medical Genetics, and GENE314 Developmental Genetics. Students encounter her in most GENE 200-level laboratories, and she oversees the Genetics Laboratory.

In 2024, Dr MacKay received the University of Otago Excellence in Teaching Award, recognizing her impactful contributions to genetics education. She supports Māori and Pacific students as a kaiāwhina in the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and as a Pacific Island liaison for Genetics in the Division of Sciences. Dr MacKay engages school students through outreach efforts, including providing resources for genetics education, guiding biochemistry and genetics experiments for Pacific Island students, and leading the genetics course at HandsOn at Otago featuring hands-on DNA sample collection from crime scene evidence in a murder mystery activity. She also contributes to the Otago University Advanced School Sciences Academy Science Academy for Year 13 students passionate about science. These initiatives highlight her dedication to fostering the next generation of scientists at the University of Otago.