Dr M^cKay is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Sciences, with an expertise in molecular epidemiology specifically focused on the developmental origins of health and disease. After completing her first degree in Medical Microbiology at Newcastle University, Jill joined the Human Nutrition Research Centre at Newcastle to undertake a PhD in Molecular Nutrition under the supervision of Prof. John Mathers. Jill continued her career at Newcastle University as a post-doctoral researcher and subsequently Lecturer in Molecular Epidemiology before joining Northumbria University as Senior Lecturer in 2018, and subsequently promoting to Associate Professor in 2020.

In her >20 year career, Jill’s research interests have focused towards understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning the relationship between early life exposures and subsequent later life health outcomes. During her early career, she utilised animal models and human cohorts to investigate the associations between maternal folate intake during pregnancy and offspring health, using a range of molecular techniques including gene expression analysis (candidate specific and transcriptomic approaches), epigenetic analysis (DNA methylation assessment at the candidate and methylomic level) and genotyping.

In her academic role, Jill’s portfolio has expanded to include interests in a range of exposures which may influence health outcomes including childhood cancer, the late health effects of childhood cancer survivors, obesity and neurocognition. In particular, she has developed a unique, cutting-edge internationally recognized research portfolio investigating the influence of early life exposures on childhood leukaemia, with a focus on understanding how exposures may influence molecular events initiating disease. Her ongoing project supported by the World Cancer Research Fund is currently investigating how maternal folate levels may influence the molecular triggers (including chromosomal translocations and DNA methylation changes) involved in the initiation of childhood leukaemia development (The role of maternal folate in childhood leukaemia development - WCRF International). Meanwhile, she is also investigating the potential role exposure to microbial diversity through day care attendance may play in the development of non-communicable diseases (including leukaemia) in children.