The University of Warwick has announced that Professor John McCarthy has been appointed as Professor in the University’s new School of Life Sciences and as Head of that School. Professor McCarthy will join the University on 1 October 2010.

Professor McCarthy is currently BBSRC Professorial Research Fellow and Director of the Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre (MIB) at the University of Manchester. His group’s research focuses  primarily on  the cellular machinery responsible for protein synthesis using a wide range of methods drawn from biochemistry, biophysics, genetics, computer science and maths (systems biology), but he also has a project on single cell heterogeneity and gene expression stochasticity. This work has led to more than 110 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and has resulted in 5 patents. He has also edited three books and a journal issue (on biophysical techniques).

He started his research career studying the biochemistry and biophysics of electron transport–dependent ATP synthesis, but subsequently switched to applying a wide range of technologies to the study of molecular mechanisms underpinning posttranscriptional gene expression. He spent a number of years at Germany’s National Biotechnology Research Centre, becoming a Head of Department before moving back to the UK.

He chaired the Department of Biomolecular Sciences at UMIST (1998-2000). Since 1998, he has led a new initiative to promote research at the interface between bioscience and the physical sciences, engineering and mathematics: the Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre (MIB). He has been Director of the MIB since 2004.

He has also chaired the Chemical Biology Interface Forum of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2005-2008).  He currently chairs Royal Society Grants Panel F and the John Innes Centre Governing Council, and is a member of the Synthetic Biology Policy Group of the Royal Society as well as an Associate Editor of the journal Integrative Biology.

Professor McCarthy said “I am looking forward to taking up the role as the new school’s new head. I am certain that our new School will develop a high profile in multidisciplinary Life Science research and teaching. Major priorities will include building an institute that promotes research at the interfaces between biology, the physical sciences and engineering, and integration of all parts of the School.”

For further information please contact: 

Peter Dunn, Head of Communications
Communications Office, University House,
University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 8UW, United Kingdom   
email: p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk 
Tel: +44 (0)24 76 523708  Mobile/Cell:  +44 (0)7767 655860

PR66 16^th July 2010