What do you do at Manchester Met? 

I am a Principal Lecturer in Medical Microbiology within the Department of Life Sciences. My specific roles in addition to teaching and general academic duties include being the Programme Leader for the Biomedical Science Taught Masters Network, and Employability Lead for the Department of Life Sciences. I have over ten years of experience as a placement tutor and this is an invaluable experience for supporting both staff and students. 

My other responsibilities include being an ethical reviewer and a member of the Faculty Research Ethics and Governance Committee where I work with professional and statutory regulatory bodies linked to our degree programmes. I am also a Microbiology External Examiner for other universities’ degree programmes.  

What were your first jobs after University? 

After graduating, I completed a paid summer laboratory research project in microbiology to gain more technical experience. During my PhD, I helped supervise undergraduate project students and had the opportunity to do some teaching. I then worked as a Post-Doctoral Researcher and Associate Lecturer before getting my first lectureship.  

How did your studies help prepare you for your current role? 

During my degree, I completed a placement in a hospital clinical diagnostic microbiology laboratory alongside my academic studies. This experience was enjoyable and invaluable in guiding me to my current career.  

I enjoyed all aspects of biological sciences, but diagnostic microbiology fascinated me and led me to pursue a PhD in this area. The opportunity to develop both subject-specific and transferrable employability skills enabled me to develop the combination of key skills that graduate employers are looking for, while the flexibility of my degree allowed me to tailor my studies to my interests and career aspirations.  

What do you enjoy about your current role?  

I chose an academic career because of my passion for teaching microbiology. I enjoy the challenges, variety, flexibility, opportunities, and autonomy for research and specialist interests offered by an academic career. I also enjoy working with peers and students, teaching my subject specialism, and supporting students throughout their degree journey. I particularly enjoy being able to make changes that I can see have a positive impact on teaching and the students learning experience.  

We have a great team of staff across a diverse range of teaching and research specialisms within the Department of Life Sciences. I enjoy the opportunity to work collaboratively on teaching and research projects, both within the Department and externally. 

What advice would you give to students who aspire to a career in Life Sciences? 

Life Sciences offers many different exciting and rewarding career opportunities. Research your career options and seek guidance from tutors, careers advisors and graduates about your chosen path. 

Start developing your professional networks and graduate contacts during your degree. Make use of the University services available to support you. Gain as much experience as you can and embrace opportunities that will support your personal and professional development and career goals.

What does diversity in Life Sciences mean for you? 

To me, diversity means offering and embracing experiences and opportunities in a fair and transparent manner for everyone. We all have our different skill sets and talents, and all have something valuable to offer. Life Sciences is a very varied field of science and we need to work collaboratively together, using our knowledge and skills. 

Discover how you can gain careers experience.