Ministers announce appointment of Chief Scientific and Technology Adviser

First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly have announced the appointment of the Executive’s first Chief Scientific and Technology Adviser.

Professor Helen McCarthy

Professor Helen McCarthy took up the post earlier this month. Her key responsibilities include co-ordinating a regional strategy on science and technology. She will also chair the newly formed NI Science & Technology Advisory Network.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill said:

“We have world-leading technology businesses here in key sectors. The appointment of Professor McCarthy is an important step to assist the Executive in maximising opportunities. We want to ensure we grow the sector we have, and provide possibilities for emerging sectors which will lead to the creation of higher value jobs, real economic growth and positive social development.”

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said:

“This appointment will help us capitalise on our science and technology capabilities, driving forward our vision for growing our economy in key areas such as cyber security, artificial intelligence, diagnostics, advanced engineering and low carbon technologies, among others. It will help ensure government, academia and business work together to further economic prosperity and sustainable growth.”

Professor McCarthy is currently Chair of Nanomedicine in the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s University. After 10 years of research on novel delivery systems for vaccines Helen spun out her technology into pHion Therapeutics. She was CEO for 6 years and secured almost £10million in funding from Innovate UK. During this time, she won INVENT NI and the All-Ireland Seedcorn Awards.

Welcoming the appointment, QUB President and Vice Chancellor Sir Ian Greer said:

“We are delighted that Professor McCarthy has been offered such a prestigious position. 

“Professor McCarthy has been a huge asset to Queen's in her role as Associate Dean of the Graduate School, as well as leading the Postgraduate Research Solutions Centre. More recently, Helen has been the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Academic Business Development working on a range of special projects at a leadership level. I have no doubt that her wealth of experience in both industry and research will be invaluable to her role as Chief Scientific and Technology Adviser to the Northern Ireland Executive while continuing her role as a Professor here at Queen's on a part-time basis.”

This is the first time Northern Ireland has had an Executive Chief Scientific and Technology Adviser. The role will focus on advising on matters relating to the extensive science and technology network across government and the wider public sector.

Notes to editors: 

1. Professor Helen McCarthy took up the post of Chief Scientific and Technology Adviser earlier this month. Her key responsibilities will be co-ordinating a regional strategy to put science and technology at the heart of policy development. She will also chair the newly formed NI Science & Technology Advisory Network and represent NI’s economic policy development on a national and international stage.
2. The CSTA will report directly to the Head of the NI Civil Service and will advise on policy development across government departments, agencies and with universities, colleges and the wider business community.
3. The appointment is based on an average of 2.5 days a week per annum for three years with a review after one year.  The salary is £64k.
4. Biography: Professor Helen McCarthy is Chair of Nanomedicine in the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s University and, until taking up the role of CSTA, was Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic Business Development. She is also a graduate of Ulster University, gaining her DPhil in 2001. Between 2020 and 2023, she held a 0.2FTE Professorship in Dublin City University’s School of Chemical Sciences. Helen sits on the Research Advisory Committee for Prostate Cancer UK and has collaborated with many global pharmaceutical companies to progress her technology. Helen has also worked closely with Invest NI, Medicines Discovery Catapult, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and the Centre for Process Innovation. She is a member of Biodesign Europe and the European Society of Biomaterials.

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