• APVC Education Systems and Technologies
• Former Director of Admissions, Director of Engagement and also Disability Liaison Officer in School of Biological Sciences.
• Member of Senate

• Principal Fellow of Advance HE (2024-)
• APVC Education Systems and Technologies (2023-)
• APVC Learning and Teaching Enhancement (2018-2023)
• Professor of Science Communication (2014-)

• Senior Lecturer (2009-2014)

  Lecturer, University of East Anglia (2006-2009)

• Teaching Fellow, University of East Anglia (2003-2006)
• BBSRC Postdoctoral Fellow, University of East Anglia (1997-2003)
• Institute of Food Research Postdoctoral Fellow (1996)
• BBSRC Postdoctoral Fellow, University of East Anglia (1992-1996)
• Ph.D. - University of Liverpool (1992)
• BSc Applied Biology, John Moores University (1989)

My academic background is as a molecular microbiologist and I published papers on iron acquisition in the Rhizobium:Legume symbiosis. I conduct pedagogical research in areas including research-led teaching, transition from school to university, assessment and feedback and skills acquisition. I have been successful in obtaining grants for pedagogical research and teaching initiatives from e.g. Higher Education Academy (now Advance-HE).  I am especially interested in research-led teaching and I led a research project investigating pupils’ perceptions of research funded by a UKRI grant ‘School-University Partnerships Initiative’, this led to several publications and conference presentations. 

Former Research Projects

• RCUK funded project on School:University Partnerships
• Assessing the impact of student feedback
• Assessing the impact of science communication projects on skill acquisition

PhD Positions 

Please email me to discuss PhD opportunities and projects within the School of Biological Sciences.

Experienced senior leader within a UK Higher Education Institute with skills and experience around policy development, digital change, blended learning development, crisis management stakeholder engagement and relationship building. I am a Principal Fellow of Advance HE. 

Creating links between research and teaching; co-ordinating outreach activities into local schools; dissemination of science to the general public.

Teaching Activities

• Fundamentals of Molecular Biology and Genetic
• Biodiversity
• Microbiology
• Microbial Biotechnology
• Infection and Immunity
• Science Communication
• I also teach science communication to postgraduate research students.