Biography/Research interests
I’m interested in understanding how to scaffold scientific skill development in higher education. My current research projects focus on the impact of lecture breaks on engagement with and enjoyment of material in lectures, and on the development of experimental design skills in laboratory practicals.
I support the continued development of teaching material across Part IA and IB Natural Sciences, and deliver lectures and practicals in IA Physiology of Organisms and IB Plant and Microbial Sciences.
Positions
2023-present Associate Teaching Professor (Teaching and Scholarship), University of Cambridge
2020-2023 Teaching Associate, University of Cambridge
2016-2020 Teaching Assistant, University of Cambridge
Qualifications
2019 - 2022 PGCTLHE, University of Cambridge
2012 - 2016 PhD in protein-protein interactions, University of Cambridge
2010 - 2011 MRes in Biochemical Research, Imperial College London
2007 - 2010 MA Honours Degree in Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge
Key publications
- How do readers at different career stages approach reading a scientific research paper? A case study in the biological sciences (2022), International Journal of Science Education, Part B. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2022.2078010
- Perceptions of scientific research literature and strategies for reading papers depend on academic career stage (2017), PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189753
All publications
Awards and Fellowships
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2023
- Pilkington Prize for Teaching Excellence, University of Cambridge, 2019
- Fellow and College Lecturer, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, 2018
- Teaching By-Fellow, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, 2016
- Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2016
Committees
- Biological Natural Sciences Curriculum Review working groups, 2021-present
- Inspera pilot operational board, 2021-22
- Plant Sciences Teaching Committee, 2018-present
- IA and IB course committees, 2014-present
Online teaching resources
- Helping students tackle terminology barriers, Times Higher Education (THE) Campus, 2022 https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/helping-students-tackle-terminology-barriers
- Dealing with arsenic – an investigation with undergraduates, American Society of Plant Biologists blog, 2015 https://blog.aspb.org/dealing-with-arsenic-an-investigation-with-undergraduates/
- Agriculture vs conservation – developing a discussion with undergraduates, American Society of Plant Biologists blog, 2016 https://blog.aspb.org/agriculture-vs-conservation-developing-a-discussion-with-undergraduates/