I joined the School of Life & Health Sciences in October 2016 as a Lecturer in Biochemistry, having spent the previous four years as a Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry at the University of Lincoln.  Prior to that I spent nearly seven years as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford.  I completed both my BSc and PhD at the University of Warwick.

My research interests focus around membrane proteins and the lipid membranes in which they reside.  I have experience of working with a range of membrane protein systems including receptors such as GPCRs, transporters and biogenesis systems.  I use model lipid membranes to study proteins in their native environments and also to probe the effects of various compounds on the integrity of the membrane itself.  For example, I have investigated the lipid-specific effects of antimicrobials and solvent on biological membranes. I have an ongoing collaboration with Green Biologics Ltd.
I am keen to collaborate on industrially-focussed projects as well as academic ones.  Please get in touch if you would like to know more.

Current Lab Members:

• Dr Sarah Routledge – MeMBrane.
• Dr Joyce Bennett - Project Manager (MeMBrane)
• Debbie Toomeoks - Programme Manager (MemTrain)
• Dr Megan Cox - KTP associate with Meritics.
• Dr David Hardy - ICURe-funded researcher.
• Ravneet Kaur - Aston GCRF Postdoctoral Researcher.
• Daniel Wiseman - PhD/GTA.  Interactions of GPCRs and RAMPs.
• John Linney - PhD - Engineering Clostridia for production of high-value chemicals.
• Monse Roman Lara - PhD - Improved Clostridia strains for production of high-value chemicals.
• Peer Depping - H2020 MSCA COFUND MemTrain student with Iontas.
• Annaïg Rozo - H2020 MSCA COFUND MemTrain student with uFraction8.
• Naomi Wilkinson - Placement student.
• Olivia Hawkins - MBiol student.

Lab Alumni:

• Sophia Ijaz - Placement student. Now at Aston University
• Georgia Stevens - Placement student.  Now at Aston University
• Dr Peter Sanderson - Postdoctoral Researcher.  Solventogenic stress in bacteria.  Now at University of Lincoln.
• Samantha Penrice - Postdoctoral Researcher.  Geometric morphometric analysis of GPCR structures.
• Joanna Bird - MSc student.  Peptide-guided drug delivery.  Now at University of Kent

BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences with Molecular Genetics, University of Warwick, 2002.

PhD Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, 2006.

PGCE HE, University of Lincoln, 2016.

2016 – date: Lecturer in Biochemistry, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University.
2012 – 2016: Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln.
2009 – 2012: PDRA, University of Oxford with Prof. Anthony Watts and Dr Mark Wallace.
2006 – 2009: PDRA, University of Oxford with Prof. Stuart Ferguson, Prof. David Richardson (UEA) and Dr James Moir (York).

• Member of Biochemical Society (Local Ambassador and Member of Training Theme Panel).
• Member of Microbiology Society.
• Member of British Biophysical Society.
• Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy.

I am a member of the editorial board for Molecular Membrane Biology

I teach across the breadth of life sciences at undergraduate and postgraduate but my main focus in within the area of biochemistry.  I also supervise final year project students and provide academic and pastoral care to tutees.  I am very involved in public engagement and outreach – please get in touch if you would like to know more.

I am module leader for BC1006 - Metabolism and BY2BC1 - Metabolism.

I am Programme Director for the BSc Biochemistry.

Current:

• March 2019   BBSRC 18ALERT (£637,476)
  A mass spectrometry centre for the analysis of glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids, and their lipid oxidation products. PI: Prof. Andy Pitt, Co-I with Prof. Roslyn Bill, Prof. Corinne Spickett and Prof. Andrew Devitt.
• May 2019-April 2024  H2020-MSCA-COFUND (€1,952,640; EU contribution €976,320)
  MemTrain - Cell Membrane Training to Advance Industrial Processes. PI with Co-Is Prof. Roslyn Bill, Prof. David Poyner, Prof. Corinne Spickett. Prof. Andy Pitt, Prof. Brian Tighe and Dr Alice Rothnie.
• July 2019-June 2021  KTP with Meritics Ltd. (£126,670 + £62,389 company contribution)
  Characterisation of biological nanoparticles. Co-PI with Dr Alice Rothnie.
• July 2018-October 2021   CONACyT PhD Studentship with Maria Monserrat Roman Lara (£59,083) + Aston University International Scholarship (£21,000) Improved Clostridia strains for production of high-value chemicals.
• May 2018-May 2021 ERA CoBioTech (PI €2,400,000; Aston share £790,993 BBSRC-funded)
  MeMBrane - MEmbrane Modulation for BiopRocess enhANcEment.
• April 2018-December 2018   BBSRC Follow on Fund Pathfinder (£13,577) Setting up a core facility for the production and purification of recombinant membrane proteins as a service to research institutions and industry.  PI: Prof. Roslyn Bill; Co-I with Prof. David Poyner and Dr Alice Rothnie.
• March 2018-March 2019   Royal Society Research Grant (£14,636) Characterising protective lipid changes in solventogenic Clostridia.
• October 2017-September 2020    School of Life and Health Sciences PhD Studentship (£54,888). Engineering bacteria for enhanced production of high-value chemicals.

Completed:

• October 2017-February 2018   IB Catalyst Seeding Award - BioProNet (£24,968).  Improved microfluidic devices for downstream bioprocess separation of sub-micron targets with uFraction8 Ltd.
• October 2017-January 2018  BBSRC UK-Taiwan Exchange (£1,200). Exchange with Dr Yu-Chu Chang, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University.
• September 2017-December 2017   Biochemical Society Event Sponsorshop (£350) Labtathlon.
• August 2017-February 2018     IB Catalyst Seeding Award - CBMNet Flagship Project (£100,000). Consolidation, Integration and Critical Mass Building- Optimizing membrane function in the Clostridial ABE process with Dr Gavin Thomas. Dr Rob Fagan, Dr Peter Chivers and Green Biologics Ltd. 
• October 2016    BBSRC CBMNet Industrial-Academic Exchange Grant (£850). Examination of n-butanol membrane interactions by nanoplasmonic sensing.
• March 2016-November 2016    BBSRC CBMNet Proof of Concept (£30,753.20).Identifying and characterising protective lipid changes under solventogenic stress with Dr Ian Graham and Dr Tony Larson (University of York) and Green Biologics Ltd.
• June-July 2016    BBSRC CBMNet Vacation Scholarship (£1,467). Modelling of multifactorial solvent stress on membranes.
• June 2016    BBSRC CBMNet Public Engagement Grant (£460).School debate: how should we use our resources?
• March 2016-August 2016    BBSRC CBMNet Business Interaction Voucher (£9,820.15 + £10,000 in kind)In vitro and in silico models of n-butanol-membrane interactions with Dr Manuela Mura (School of Maths and Physics) and Green Biologics Ltd.
• January 2016-December 2016    School of Life Sciences Pump Priming Scheme (£10,000). Characterising peptide-guided drugs.  With Driton Vllasaliu (School of Pharmacy, University of Lincoln).
• June-August 2015    University of Lincoln UROS Scheme (£1,000).Support for an undergraduate student identifying novel cell-surface receptors.
• November 2014 - April 2015    BBSRC CBMNet Business Interaction Voucher (£4,895 + £5,000 in kind). n-butanol Interactions with Biological Membranes with Green Biologics Ltd.
• October 2014 -June 2015    Fund for Educational Development (£1,400).To develop a new training programme for PGR students focussed on employability.
• June 2014 – August 2015    Eric Reid Fund for Methodology - Biochemical Society (£1,837).To develop a collaboration with Dr Nicola Crewe to use Polarising Light Microscopy to study biological lipid membranes.
• June 2014-July2014    University of Lincoln UROS Scheme (£1,000).With Dr Anna Wilkinson and Dr Charles Deeming.  Summer studentship support for two students to study the biochemistry of bird eggs.
• November 2013 - April 2014    University of Lincoln RIF (£12,700).With Dr Driton Vllasaliu and Dr David Waugh.  Pump prime funding to develop an in vitro model of the human gut using laser-processing techniques.
• July 2013    Biochemical Society Sponsored Event Grant (£350). School of Life Sciences Postgraduate Symposium
• June – August 2013    SGM Harry Smith Vacation Studentship (£1,766).Purification of Paracoccus nitrogen oxyanion transporters.