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Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 556 5589
Email
cushla.mckinney@otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position
Senior Research Fellow
Department
Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine (Dunedin)
Qualifications
PhD MBHL MGen Counsel
Research summary
The role of immunoproteasome in gastric cancer
Teaching
Although not currently teaching, I have previously been involved in teaching and tutoring into the ELM and BioMedScience courses in a range of disciplines, including biochemistry, genetics, ethics and pathology.
Memberships
NZAS, AWIS, HGSA, Morris Wilkins Centre affiliate researcher, CRISPR Hub co-convenor
Clinical
In addition to a PhD in Biochemistry, I hold a Master of Bioethics and Health Law, and a Master of Genetic Counselling, and am interested in helping people understand and make meaning of their genetic information through research and/or clinical practice.

Research

I have over twenty years of experience in research and teaching, with a background in molecular biology and genetics. My initial research involved the genetics of complex disease with a focus on RA and gout, and have also worked on the role of oncogenic informs of p53 in the development of drug resistance in cancer.

I am currently a member of the Neumann / Pattison Lab group, where I am using CRISPR/Cas9 and Nanopore technology to study how the immunoproteasome contributes to the development of gastric cancer. I am also the co-convenor of the CRISPR Hub under the umbrella of Genetics Otago.

Additional details

Outside of my professional roles I am a member of the Council of the Friends of the Otago Museum, and a book reviewer for the ODT and Landfall online.

Publications

Sarkar, D., Gyanwali, G. C., Patel, J., Shevchuk, P., Jeffs, A., Woolley, A. G., Wang, S., Sardari, M., Bhandarkar, A., Siddiqui, H., Ratajska, M., Sarwar, M., … Drummond, C. J., McKinney, C., Antony, J., McCormick, S. P., Braithwaite, A., & Mehta, S. (2026). TP53 mutation at codon 179 metabolically reprograms cancer cells to promote invasion. Cancer Gene Therapy. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1038/s41417-026-01045-4 Journal - Research Article

Sarkar, D., Gyanwali, G. C., Patel, J., Shevchuk, P., Woolley, A., Siddiqui, H., Ratajska, M., Sarwar, M., Drummond, C. J., McKinney, C., Antony, J., McCormick, S. P., Braithwaite, A., & Mehta, S. (2024, August-September). Role of H179 p53 mutation in driving aggressive tumours in patients. Verbal presentation at the Queenstown Research Week (QRW) Cancer Meeting, Queenstown, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

McKinney, C. (2021). Mental capacity in anorexia nervosa. In P. Westmorland (Ed.), Tipping the scales: Ethical and legal dilemmas in managing severe eating disorders. (pp. 55-74). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. Chapter in Book - Research

Mehta, S., Algie, M., Al-Jabry, T., McKinney, C., Kannan, S., Verma, C. S., … Parker, K., Henderson, L., Gould, M. L., Bhatia, P., Harfoot, R., … Kleffmann, T., … Woolley, A. G., … Braithwaite, A. (2020). Critical role for cold shock protein YB-1 in cytokinesis. Cancers, 12, 2473. doi: 10.3390/cancers12092473 Journal - Research Article

Eiholzer, R. A., Mehta, S., Kazantseva, M., Drummond, C. J., McKinney, C., Young, K., … Fleming, N., Morrin, H. R., Reader, K., Royds, J. A., Landmann, M., Petrich, S., … Taha, A., Hung, N. A., Slatter, T. L., & Braithwaite, A. W. (2020). Intronic TP53 polymorphisms are associated with increased Δ133TP53 transcript, immune infiltration and cancer risk. Cancers, 12(9), 2472. doi: 10.3390/cancers12092472 Journal - Research Article

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