Internationally recognized innovative geneticist, Dr. Eva McGhee is the Vice President for Research at Martin Luther King Community Healthcare (MLKCH) in Los Angeles, California. In this position, she leads the growth of MLKCH’s research infrastructure and fosters cross-sector partnerships that advance health care through translation research, science, medicine, and innovation.

A pioneer in cancer genetics, HIV research, and HPV, Dr. McGhee has published several critically important manuscripts and has been the Principal Investigator on numerous funded research studies. As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Dr. McGhee discovered a candidate region for Coffin-Siris Syndrome. This groundbreaking research was published in the Journal of Medical Genetics, subsequently inviting international collaboration to her program of research. As a result of her diligence and work ethic, Dr. McGhee was invited to join the faculty at UCSF, where she held faculty appointments in the School of Nursing-Community Health Care Systems, School of Medicine-Infectious Diseases, and School of Pharmacy-Clinical Pharmacy. Through a very competitive process, Dr. McGhee was selected as an American Society of Cell Biology (ASCB) Fellow to become a Visiting Professor at Harvard Medical School.

While at Harvard, Dr. McGhee continued her pioneering work, focusing on cervical cancer-HPV E6/E7 oncoproteins and genomic instability. Her research team also published impactful studies on HPV vaccine uptake, which were featured in her interview with CNN on oral cancer. Currently, her research interests include big data, health policy, genomics and precision medicine, artificial intelligence, health disparities, health equity, infectious diseases, cancer genetics, and vaccine safety. Dr. McGhee is also leading initiatives to expand awareness and adoption of genomic precision medicine, and the HPV vaccine Gardasil 9, with the goal of eliminating cancer disparities associated with HPV.

In recognition of her contributions, USCF Chancellor Sam Hawgood honored Dr. McGhee during the university’s 150th Anniversary Celebration for receiving both the Chancellor Award for Innovation in Public and Community Service, and the Thomas N. Burbridge Award for Social Justice. These awards were presented by Nobel Laureate Dr. J. Michael Bishop, then-Chancellor at UCSF. In October 2019, Dr. McGhee had the great honor to receive the University of Kansas Mike and Shinn Leaders and Innovators Alumni Award. In January 2020, she was recognized by the state of Kansas with the Distinguished Kansan Award for her innovative research discoveries and patents. Over the course of her career, Dr. McGhee has mentored more than 100 students, postdoctoral fellows, resident trainees, research scholars, and early-career faculty members. 

Beyond her research accomplishments, Dr. McGhee has made a significant impact in faculty governance and national science policy. Her leadership roles include Chair of the Faculty Senate Community and Clinical Program Committee, a member of the Academic Senate, Chair of the Academic Senate Research Committee, Founding Director of the MLKCH Grand Rounds Educational Program, Chair of the Genetics and Genomics Precision Medicine Program, faculty advisor to the Stanford Data Ocean (SDO) Scholar Program, and a member of the SDO leadership executive committee. She also serves as an advisor to numerous university committees. Dr. McGhee has also contributed to national and international organizations such as the Federal Demonstration Partnership, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society, American Society of Cell Biology (ASCB), and the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG). She has served on numerous grant review panels for academic institutions and federal agencies.

Dr. McGhee earned both her Bachelor of Science in Biology/Chemistry and a Master of Science in Genetics/Physiology from Tennessee State University. She received her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Immunogenetics research from the University of Kansas. She completed a NIH NIEHS  Postdoctoral Fellowship in Molecular Cancer Genetics at UCSF in the Department of Radiation Oncology and a Clinical Fellowship in Medical Genetics at UCSF/Stanford University in the Department of Pediatrics.

She is a fellow in Iota Sigma Pi and a member of AACR and ASHG – two of the largest professional organizations in her field. Her extensive research and development experience also includes drug discovery and patented device technologies. While serving on the faculty at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU), Dr. McGhee also served as Director for the Patent Technology and Innovation Office. Under her leadership, over six patents were granted, and she successfully negotiated CDU’s first-ever licensing agreement for a potential cancer drug. Additionally, she developed CDU’s first Master of Science Degree Program/Curriculum in Genetic Counseling, which was approved by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. This program was part of an $11 million grant awarded from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, for which Dr. McGhee played a key role in securing funding.