Ph.D. Graduate McCague Named Eagleton Fellow by Rutgers University

Allison McCague, a 2019 Berman Institute Ph.D. graduate, has been named an inaugural Eagleton Science and Politics Fellow by Rutgers University. The fellowship, led by Rutgers–New Brunswick’s Eagleton Institute of Politics, has appointed four scientists to positions in the New Jersey departments of health, human services, transportation and the Legislature. During their yearlong appointment they will serve as full-time science advisors to agency leaders and legislators.

McCague’s fellowship is at the New Jersey Department of Health, where she will work on the newborn screening program in the legislative affairs division.

“I am excited to give back to the state where I was born and raised. I am also eager to work in an environment where I am reaching across disciplines and am exposed to people with a variety of different backgrounds and expertise,” said McCague. “I have always been interested in the intersection of science and society. Science is not done in a vacuum. It is done within the context of societal structures and political systems. Scientific advancements that lead to improvements in human health can only move forward by understanding those systems, operating within them, and doing my part to bridge the gap between scientists and policymakers. I hope to not only gain a deeper understanding of the political process, but also essential communication skills and strategies that I will take with me as I build my career.”

As a Berman Institute Ph.D. student, McCague studied Human Genetics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her research interests include the molecular genetics of Mendelian disease and ELSI issues surrounding genetic testing. Her thesis work at the Institute of Genetic Medicine involved the functional characterization of CFTR variants and testing small molecule therapies for these mutations.