Biography

A/Prof Nicole McCarthy obtained her medical degree through the University of Queensland in 1990. She underwent her internal medicine and medical oncology training in Brisbane and was awarded her Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 1998. To further advance her academic career, A/Prof McCarthy joined the National Cancer Institute (Bethesda, MD, USA) Medical Oncology Fellowship program from 1998 – 2001. During her fellowship her main interests included clinical trials and translational research investigating new drug treatments for breast cancer, in particular inflammatory breast cancer and anti-angiogenesis agents. She also completed a Masters in Health Sciences in Clinical Research through Duke University and her thesis focused on autologous stem cell transplant and immune reconstitution in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

A/Prof McCarthy spent two years in Auckland and was the recipient of the Breast Cancer Research Trust Fellowship Grant. A/Prof McCarthy returned to Brisbane in January 2006 and has remained focused on clinical trials research. A/Prof McCarthy is the Chair of the Breast Cancer Trials Medical Oncology Craft Group and is a member of their Scientific Advisory Committee. Her other clinical and research interests include management of gynaecological cancers and sarcomas. A/Prof McCarthy has recently been appointed to the Board of the Icon Cancer Foundation and is the Chair of the Group’s Research Advisory Committee. A/Prof McCarthy sits on a number of national advisory boards and guideline groups and has a close involvement with several breast cancer consumer groups including the Kim Walter’s Choices Program and the Breast Cancer Network of Australia.

A/Prof McCarthy’s work has been published in leading journals and she is an investigator on several grants including NHMRC and Queensland Cancer Council. Since September 2009, A/Prof McCarthy has held a position as Associate Professor in Medicine with the University of Queensland.