Rate My Professor Nina McCarthy

Dr. Nina McCarthy is a Lecturer in Genetics in the School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science, at the University of Western Australia. She holds a BSc in Genetics from University College Cork, Ireland (2002-2006), and a PhD in Genetics of Cardiovascular Disease from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (2007-2012). Relocating to Perth in 2012, she began a postdoctoral fellowship at the UWA Centre for Genetic Origins of Health and Disease, developing expertise in epidemiological and statistical genetics. Her research centers on leveraging large-scale biological datasets—including genomic, transcriptomic, methylomic, and proteomic data—to elucidate genetic factors underlying common complex human diseases. She employs endophenotypes to dissect heterogeneous phenotypes, with key applications in mental health disorders and cardiovascular disease. McCarthy regularly collaborates with Meeting for Minds to ensure mental health research incorporates perspectives from those with lived experience.

McCarthy's scholarly output includes significant publications such as 'Comprehensive genetic analysis of the human lipidome identifies loci associated with lipid homeostasis with links to coronary artery disease' (Nature Communications, 2022), 'Is mammographic breast density an endophenotype for breast cancer?' (Cancers, 2021), and 'Assessment of cognition and personality as potential endophenotypes in schizophrenia' (Schizophrenia Bulletin, 2018). Her work has attracted funding from the NHMRC, NIH, and a postdoctoral fellowship. Beyond research, she contributes to science communication by offering expert commentary to the Australian Science Media Centre and media outlets, coordinates the 'Write Smarter Feel Better' peer mentoring program for higher degree by research students at UWA to promote wellbeing, and has emceed the Pub Yarns public lecture series. These activities highlight her commitment to bridging academia and public engagement in genetics and health research.