Janine McCarthy, MPH

Janine McCarthy, MPH, is the science policy program manager for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nationwide organization of physicians and laypersons that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research and medical training.  

Ms. McCarthy leads the Physician Committee’s work to improve research integrity to build trust among researchers and within the scientific literature. In this role, she works with journals, reviewers, ethics committees, sponsors, and scientists to facilitate research that is conducted in an open, honest, and responsible manner and encourage stringent ethical policies to prevent research misconduct. 

Ms. McCarthy launched the Early-Career Researchers Advancing 21^st Century Science, or ERA21 program, which engages the next generation of scientists and connects them to the benefits of human-relevant research. In this role, she presents at relevant scientific conferences, develops specialized resources for researchers, organizes workshops, educational symposia, and trainings for scientists, and engages government agencies to increase the funding of nonanimal research methods to support early-career researchers. 

In addition, Ms. McCarthy works to increase the availability and quality of human tissues to save human and animal lives by shifting basic research from the use of animals to modern technologies that use human tissues and cells. She collaborates with a group of stakeholders—including federal agencies, tissue providers, industry companies, academics, and research and health organizations—in their work to improve the regulatory environment and standards governing human tissue research. 

Ms. McCarthy received her master’s in public health from the University of Albany, SUNY, and her bachelor’s degree in human development and nutrition from the University of Rhode Island. Prior to joining the Physicians Committee, Ms. McCarthy worked at the New York State Department of Health in the Center for Community Health and the Center for Environmental Health. 

Read more about Ms. McCarthy’s latest work:

McCarthy J, Herrmann K, Sullivan K, Haugabrooks E. Summer school on innovative approaches in science. ALTEX. 2021;38(1):158-162. https://doi.org/10.14573/altex.2012153

McCarthy J, LeCluyse E, Presnell S, Dunne Smith G, Pruett TL, Lam A, et al. Increasing the availability of quality human tissue for research. ALTEX. 2020;37(4):674-681. https://doi.org/10.14573/altex.2007141

Pistollato F, Bernasconi C, McCarthy J, Campia I, Desaintes C, Wittwehr C, et al. Alzheimer’s disease, and breast and prostate cancer research: Translational failures and the importance to monitor outputs and impact of funded research. Animals. 2020;10(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10071194

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