Catriona A. McLean

Key facts

• She is Professor and Head of the Department of Anatomical Pathology at Alfred Health and also heads its Solid Cancer Molecular Pathology Unit.
• She has been Director of Anatomical Pathology at Alfred Health since 2005.
• She is Director and diagnostic neuropathologist of the Victorian Brain Bank at The Florey, with over 25 years in brain banking, and directed the Australian Brain Bank Network from 2003 to 2014.
• She serves as honorary neuropathologist for the national CJD registry, which The Florey describes as the ANZ CJD Registry housed at the institute and servicing New Zealand.
• She is a co-author of the ANCJDR surveillance update to 31 December 2024 (Communicable Diseases Intelligence vol 49, published 22 October 2025), listed with The Florey and The Alfred Hospital Department of Anatomical Pathology.
• The 2024 update reports 88 suspected cases added, 760 CSF specimens referred, 3 cases excluded by neuropathological examination, and 72 percent of suspected prion-disease deaths examined neuropathologically.
• She is a co-author of the update to 31 December 2025 (vol 50, published 21 July 2026), alongside Stehmann, Klug, Masters and Collins; that report gives a 56 percent neuropathological examination rate for suspected prion-disease deaths in 2025.
• She was a co-author on the earlier update to 31 December 2023, listed under the Alfred Hospital.
• She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2019 for distinguished service to academic and clinical neuropathology and as a mentor.
• She received the Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation medal in August 2023 for voluntary contribution to neuropathology, including diagnosis of rare dementias such as CJD.
• She was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2024; the profile states her neuropathology work is largely voluntary because Victoria has no paid neuropathology positions.

Timeline

1. 2003Began as Director of the Australian Brain Bank Network (to 2014).
2. 2005Became Director of Anatomical Pathology at Alfred Health.
3. 2019Appointed Officer of the Order of Australia.
4. 2023Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation medal announced by The Florey.
5. 2024Inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.
6. 2025Co-author of the ANCJDR surveillance update to 31 December 2024 published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence.
7. 2026Co-author of the ANCJDR surveillance update to 31 December 2025 published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence.