Lecturer and Deputy Director of Social Responsibility, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science & Engineering

My background is in molecular biology, industrial biotechnology and sustainable chemistry. I’m currently a teaching-focused academic with interests in interdisciplinary curricula (teaching biology to chemists/chemistry to biologists), peer-assisted study and technology-enhanced learning.

As well as undergraduate teaching, I do a lot in the way of development and support of postgraduates and members of staff, particularly in terms of evidencing teaching excellence and engaging the public with science and research.

Outside of my day job, I maintain a commitment to student experience and wellbeing, as being both a long-serving coach to the University of Manchester Trampoline Club and a member of the Residential Life Team, providing pastoral care to residents in university accommodation.

Public engagement highlights

I coordinate the Programme of Public Engagement with Research and Researchers within the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, which has been developing since 2015 to provide diverse opportunities for as many researchers as possible to disseminate their work and experiences.

I have a particular interest in non-traditional outreach audiences, running events in places where people would not normally engage with science.

I’ve received awards from the Biochemical Society’s Diversity in Science Grant initiative and Royal Society of Chemistry’s Inclusion & Diversity Fund for my work on multilingual engagement partnering overseas researchers at the university and community language groups.

Aside from reducing barriers to engagement with science communication and enabling others, my own engagement portfolio includes composing musical pieces from DNA sequences, collaborations with spoken word artists and joint contributions with cultural and family historians to humanise biotechnology research, making it more personal and relevant to a wider variety of people.

Best public engagement advice

Evaluation needn’t be time-consuming and can be built into the activity if you are thinking of building and doing purposeful engagement that adds value to research or teaching, that you want to get funds in, or that you want to contribute to REF impact or publish some of your work.

Find out more

• Programme of Public Engagement with Research and Researchers
• Science outreach goes multilingual (Royal Society of Chemistry)
• SYNBIOCHEM Outreach and engagement activities