Professor P. G. (Gerry) McKenna

Curriculum Vitae

SHORT CURRICULUM VITAE (Professor Gerry McKenna)

Name: Prof Patrick Gerald (Gerry) McKenna DL, MRIA, BSc, PhD, CBiol, FRSB, CSci, FIBMS, FRSA, Hon. DSc, Hon. LLD
 

Senior Vice President, Royal Irish Academy; 

Vice Lord Lieutenant for County Londonderry;

President Emeritus and Hon. Executive Secretary, Heads of University Centres of Biomedical Sciences (HUCBMS);

Chair, Benburb Priory Ltd; Board Member and Chair of Finance Committee, Order of Mary Servite Trust;

Former President and Vice Chancellor, University of Ulster

   
Contact Details:
Telephone (Mobile/Cell):  +44 (0)7766745511
Email:  mckenna.gerry@rocketmail.com
   
Date of Birth:
10 December 1953
   
Marital Status: Married (2 sons)
   
Qualifications: BSc Biology (1st class Hons),Ulster 1976
PhD Genetics,Belfast 1979
Chartered Biologist (CBiol) 1982
Fellow of Institute of Biomedical Science (FIBMS) 1982
Fellow of Royal Society (formerly Institute) of Biology (FRSB) 1989
Chartered Scientist (CSci) 2006
   
Career History: Lecturer, Human Biology and Genetics, New University of Ulster, 1979-84; Senior Lecturer in Biology, University of Ulster, 1984-88; Director of Biomedical Sciences Research Centre, University of Ulster, 1985-88; Professor and Head of Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, 1988-94; Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Ulster, 1994-97; Pro Vice Chancellor (Research), University of Ulster, 1997-99; Vice Chancellor, University of Ulster, 1999-2005; President, University of Ulster, 2000-2006; President Emeritus and Hon. Executive Secretary, Heads of University Centres of Biomedical Science (HUCBMS), 2011-; Vice President, Royal Irish Academy, 2017-2020; Senior Vice President, Royal Irish Academy, 2020-.
   
Visiting Professorships: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 1992; University of Malaya, 1993; University of California at Berkeley, 1995.
   
Honours/Awards: Coleraine Business Person of the Year, 1999; Freedom of the Borough of Coleraine, 2001; Hon DSc, National University of Ireland, 2001; Hon LLD, Queen's University Belfast, 2002; Member of the Royal Irish Academy, 2001; Deputy Lieutenant for County Londonderry, 2002-; Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, 2000; Honoree, The Flax Trust, New York, 2003; Honoree, Friends of Harvard Celtic Studies, Cambridge Mass, 2002; Keys to City of Portland, Maine, 2003; President Emeritus, Heads of University Centres of Biomedical Sciences 2000-; Professor Emeritus, University of Ulster, 2006-; Vice Lord Lieutenant for County Londonderry, 2021-.
   
Representation on External Bodies: Previous Representation

Chair:
Higher Education Funding Councils Research Assessment Exercise, Other Studies and Professions Allied to Medicine Panel, 2001; Heads of University Centres of Biomedical Science (HUCBMS), 1995-97; Universities Ireland, 2002-04; Northern Ireland Branch of Institute of Biology, 1993-96; Northern Ireland Foresight, Life and Health Technologies Panel, 1996-2000; Audit Committee, Northern Ireland Regional Medical Physics Agency, 1994-2001; Research and Clinical Services Committee, Ulster Cancer Foundation, 1998-2000; Northern Ireland Liaison Committee, Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences, 1988-1994; Northern Ireland Sub-Committee, US-Ireland R&D Alliance, 2002-04; UK Council for Postgraduate Education, Research Training Group for Nursing and PAMS, 2002-03; UUTech Ltd, 2002-04; University of Ulster Science Research Parks Ltd, 2002-2004; Royal Irish Academy(RIA) International Affiliations Working Group, 2013-2014; British Journal of Biomedical Science Review Working Group, 2014; Coordinator, RIA Review of HE Funding in Northern Ireland (2016); RIA Brexit Northern Ireland Working Group (2016-18); Independent Advisory Group, Doctoral Training Alliance (University Alliance) (2015-2019); Co-chair RIA Brexit Taskforce (2016-18).

Vice Chair:
Ulster Cancer Foundation, 2000-04; Northern Ireland Branch of Institute of Biology, 1992-93; Heads of University Centres of Biomedical Science (HUCBMS), 1993-95.
Other Board Memberships:
e-Universities UK; UK Joint Medical Advisory Council; UK Health Education Partnership; Education Advisory Committee, Institute of Biomedical Science; Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (IUNA); Fellowship Committee, Institute of Biology; CNAA Life Sciences Board; Post-Service Education Working Group, College of Radiographers; Research Committee, Northern Ireland Leukaemia Research Fund; RIA All-island and International Task Force; Northern Ireland Science Park; University Challenge (NI) Ltd; Northern Ireland Regional Medical Physics Agency; Postgraduate Awards Committees (Studentships, CAST Awards, Distinction Awards), Department for Employment and Learning, NI; Clinical Research Awards Committee, Department for Health and Social Services, NI; University of Ulster Foundation etc; RIA Steering Group on Optimal Governmental Structure for HE and Research (2014); Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Benchmaking Review Group: Biosciences (2015); QAA Benchmarking Review Group: Biomedical Sciences (2015).

Current/Recent Representation

Chair:
Management Board, Benburb Priory Library and Museum (2011-); Order of Mary Servite Trust (2023-); Advisory Committee on Health Technology and Informatics, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2016-); RIA North-South Standing Committee (2018-); RIA Covid-19 Steering Group (2020-); RIA Higher Education Futures Taskforce (2020-); Board of Benburb Priory Ltd (2020-); Finance Committee, Order of Mary Servite Trust (2021-); Co-Chair, Celtic Academies Alliance (2019-).

Member:
RIA North-South Standing Committee (2012-); Stormont All-Party Group on Science and Technology (2012-); Heads of University Biosciences (HUBS) Executive Committee (2012-); University of Kufa International Advisory Board (2013-); NI Learned Societies and Professional Bodies Group (2012-); Royal Society of Biology Education Policy Advisory Committee (2014-); RIA Life and Medical Sciences Committee (2014-); RIA Standing Committee for Council-Nominated Members (2014-); International Advisory Board, JMD MARBLE (Masters' Programme in Biomedical Laboratory Sciences) (2015-); Seven Academies Group (2016-); Member of Council and Vice President, Royal Irish Academy (2017-); Member of Advisory Committee, RIA-Notre Dame ARINS (Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South) Project (2020-); Member of Advisory Committee, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
   
External Examining: PhD (7), DSc (1), Taught Programmes (BSc / MSc) (12)
   
Taught Programme Evaluation: In Ireland, Great Britain, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia.
   
Philanthropic Fundraising: Approximately £40million obtained from individuals and foundations in US, GB and Ireland.
   
Research Interests: DNA repair, mutagenesis, diet and health, higher education policy, research policy.
   
Personal Research Grants: Over £20m from MRC, Cancer Research Campaign, Leukaemia Research Fund, Department of Health, Wellcome Foundation, European Union etc.
   
Research Publications: Over 200 scientific publications
   
Doctoral Supervisions: 25
   

Overseas Collaborations:

In: research, research strategy, university planning, and taught programme development. (in: US, Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, China, Iraq, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka).

Club: Reform.