17 June 2019
MAJ (Ret.) Mary McCarthy is Geneva’s 2018 Researcher of the Year
The Geneva Foundation (Geneva) is honored to announce the 2018 Researcher of the Year award recipient. Senior Nurse Scientist MAJ (Ret.) Mary McCarthy, PhD was selected as Geneva’s 2018 Researcher of the Year in recognition of her longstanding commitment to and excellence in military nursing research, with notable contributions in research quality and research mentorship.
“On behalf of the Scientific Advisory Board, I would like to extend our appreciation to Dr. McCarthy and her impressive body of research focusing on the health of the service member. The Scientific Advisory Board found it fitting that we honor Dr. McCarthy for Geneva’s 25th anniversary year, as she was awarded Geneva’s first TriService Nursing Research Program grant more than 20 years ago.” said Dr. Neil Vining, Chair of Geneva’s Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr. McCarthy has partnered with Geneva since 1996 and has been instrumental to the sustainment of Geneva’s mission since that time. Dr. McCarthy’s research is conducted at Madigan Army Medical Center and focuses primarily on the vital role that nutrition plays in the overall health of service members. Her skills and expertise as a clinical nurse for over 15 years, as a research nurse for 10 years, and as a nurse scientist for the past 12 years, have enabled her to contribute significantly to the development and implementation of impactful and translational nursing research efforts.
With support from Geneva, Dr. McCarthy is currently conducting intervention research with service member populations at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Joint Base San Antonio focusing on health promotion, nutrition, and genomics related to mitigating risk for metabolic syndrome and vitamin D deficiency. This timely and military-relevant research promotes the overall wellness, optimized performance, and readiness of service members, addressing critical gaps in the understanding of links between key nutrients (vitamin D, calcium, iron, folate), harmful dietary substrates (sugar, saturated fat), and the impact on disease risk.
Dr. McCarthy continues to develop her research portfolio while serving as a mentor to novice nurse researchers and other team members at military treatment facilities nationwide. Barb Szekely, a long-time team member of Dr. McCarthy’s, remarked that “Dr. McCarthy has established an environment of teamwork, inclusiveness, and adaptability. Her extensive knowledge, positive attitude, and generosity with her time and expertise make her an exemplary role model. As a previous Army Nurse, she is uniquely qualified in understanding the need for military medicine/nursing research to generate innovative, evidence-based recommendations for soldier’s health.”
About The Geneva Foundation
Geneva is proud to have 25 years of experience in delivering full-spectrum scientific, technical, and program management expertise in the areas of federal grants, federal contracts, industry-sponsored clinical trials, and educational services. www.genevaUSA.org
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