Margaret McCartney

Dr. Margaret McCartney is a Senior Clinical Lecturer in General Practice at the University of St Andrews' School of Medicine, holding a part-time academic role (one day/week) since 2019. She combines her clinical work as a practicing general practitioner with research focused on evidence-based medicine, conflicts of interest in healthcare, and public communication about healthcare. She earned her PhD in 2024 and was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2023.

Her research emphasizes improving healthcare decision-making through critical appraisal of evidence, addressing issues like industry influence, biased guidelines, and overdiagnosis. She co-founded the Evidence Based Early Diagnosis conference and advocates for transparent conflict-of-interest declarations. Dr. McCartney has authored three books on healthcare evidence for the public and contributed columns to the Financial Times and BMJ.

Professional awards include the Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellowship. She advises medical students at St Andrews and serves as Director of Beira's Place, a sexual violence support organization. Her work spans clinical practice, academic research, and public engagement to promote ethical healthcare practices.

Key contributions include exposing flawed healthcare policies, critiquing industry-driven medical practices, and advancing methodologies for transparent evidence evaluation. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges clinical practice, public health advocacy, and medical education.