Dr Christine McCartney awarded OBE in New Year Honours
2 January 2007
Dr Christine McCartney, Executive Director of the Health Protection Agency's Regional Microbiology Network, has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List. Dr McCartney receives the honour in recognition of her services to Public Health Medicine.
Speaking about the honour, Dr McCartney said, "I am greatly touched that I have been awarded this tribute. I am honoured to have been recognised for my achievements not least because it very much reflects the work done by microbiologists generally.
Throughout my career, I have been committed to the science of microbiology. Our role in the establishment of a modern and first class laboratory service to prevent and control infectious disease and the strengthening of emergency planning is a major achievement and something I am extremely proud of."
Professor Pat Troop, Chief Executive of the Health Protection Agency said, "Dr McCartney's honour not only acknowledges the important and innovative work that she has undertaken over the years but also underlines the vital importance of public health and medical microbiology. Dr McCartney's commitment to the public understanding and advancement of microbiology is a shining example of the strength of the Agency and we are very lucky to have her as part of our team."
Dr McCartney is a graduate in microbiology of the University of Glasgow . She started her career in microbiology as a Lecturer in Medical Microbiology at Glasgow University Medical School , spending two years of her employment as a Wellcome Foundation Research Fellow. She then moved on to the role of Consultant Clinical Scientist at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. She joined what was then the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) in 1992 as an Assistant Director of the Central Public Health Laboratory and in 1998 progressed to the role of Director of the Communicable Disease Microbiology Scientific Services Division. She was then made Deputy Director of the Agency's Specialist and Reference Microbiology Division in 2002.
Her last role at the Agency before being promoted to her most recent post was that of Interim Centre Deputy Director and Head of Microbiology Services, where she had overall responsibility for ensuring the Agency's ability to provide high quality and cost effective reference and specialist microbiology services to the NHS, oversaw nine national reference laboratories at Colindale, three reference laboratories in Bristol, Manchester and London and managed ten departments on the Colindale site. At the Health Protection Agency Dr McCartney has also been involved in the promotion of information on topics of disease control such as H5N1 with partners such as the Veterinary Laboratory Agency as well as establishing a laboratory response capability for bioterrorism at the Centre for Infections.
Last reviewed: 13 December 2007