Mairéad McNamara initially graduated with a BSc in Biochemistry and a PhD in Pharmacology from the National University of Ireland, Galway. 

Her PhD included a six month research placement in the University of Mississippi Medical Centre, USA. 

After a period of time lecturing at the National University of Ireland, Galway, she then commenced her studies in Medicine in University College Cork, Ireland and obtained a B Med Sci while completing her MB BCh BAO. 

She obtained her Certificate of satisfactory completion of specialist training in Medical Oncology from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, and did a three year clinical research fellowship in Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada (2011-2014) in Gastrointestinal tract cancers and Central Nervous System tumours.

She was appointed on July 1^st 2014 as a Senior Lecturer / Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology at the University of Manchester / The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, and specialises in the treatment of patients with a diagnosis of Hepatopancreaticobiliary and Neuroendocrine tumours, and is involved in clinical research in these subject areas.