Policy, Ethics and Life Sciences Research Centre

Staff Profile

Dr Pauline McCormack

Senior Lecturer

Background

Roles and Responsibilities

I am a medical sociologist with a background in education, social policy and participatory methods. I am interested in the relationships between patients and families and medicine as an establishment, including medical research. My research  encompasses: patient experiences of medical technologies, translational research and clinical trials; patient participation; and bioethics, with particular interests in notions of power and the patient voice. Twitter @paulinemacco

I am a proponent of interdisciplinarity and have worked alongside patients, clinicians and bioinformaticians on several rare disease projects such as RD-CONNECT100,000 Genomes Project and TREAT-NMD. I worked with patients, engineers and surgeons on 'When technology fails patients', exploring the experiences of patients with failed metal-on-metal hip replacements.

Publications: e-prints service

Qualifications

EdD Education, Newcastle University 'Fortress Education: a study of widening participation at an elite UK university'
MSc Computing Science, Newcastle University
BA (Hons) Classical Studies, Newcastle University

Previous Posts

  • Senior Research Associate, PEALS, Newcastle University
  • Lecturer, Open University
  • Curriculum Development Officer, Newcastle University
  • Production Manager, Lily Hill Theatre Company, Galway
  • Research Associate, Institute of Education, London
  • SINE Project Director, Newcastle University
  • Learning Technology Co-ordinator, Newcastle University
  • Humanities Computing Project Manager, Glasgow University

Google scholar: Click here.

Research

Research Interests

Publications are available at from Newcastle University's e-prints service.

Pauline's research interests are in medical sociology particularly, social and ethical approaches to new technologies, patient activism, and how policy translates to individuals. She often works in the field of rare diseases, investigating patient/patient advocates' experiences of new drug developments and technologies, particularly genomics.

Esteem Indicators

European Commission Expert Reviewer on patient participation 2017-

Co-lead Genomics England Patient Involvement implementation group 2015-2020

Nuffield Council on Bioethics ‘Children and research’ working party 2013, London, UK

Chairperson Rare Disease Patient and Ethics Council 2012-

Submission/publication of evidence to UK Science and Technology Select Committee Inquiry on Medical Device Regulation, 2012, London, UK

Teaching

Module Leader and lecturer SOC2056 Sociology of Health and Ilness

Lecturer SOC1032 Politics and Sociology


Previous teaching:

MSc Genomic Medicine

MRes Neuromuscular Disorders

Investigating the Body

Bioethics for Bioengineering

Lecturer on MA Educational Enquiry - Open University

Module Leader Student Tutoring Masters level - Newcastle University

Publications