I am an award winning STEM educator with an international CV.

I have 35 years experience of biomedical science laboratory teaching and practice in diverse disciplines, including Cancer Research, Cardiovascular research, parasitology, Genetics and genomics and drug discovery, equiping me with practical experience in cell and molecular biology, protein biochemistry and drug discovery. This has resulted in excess of 40 publications in peer reviewed papers, text book materials, conference abstracts, On line materials, including submissions to EBI/Gen Bank (#L33779), & more than 700 citations.

I have also presented Scientific data as conference abstracts & posters at International Conferences in diverse disciplines, including drug discovery and parasitology and Cardiovascular science. In addition, I have presented talks at Industrial road shows  & academic technical Conferences in my capacity as an Applicant Support Mentor and Professional Registration mentor for different scientific charitable outfits. 

By virtue of practice in a plethora of life sciences disciplines, I was formerly an elected member of the Genetics Society, Biochemical Society & Institute of Biomedical Sciences (in addition to the RSB and IST).

In 2016, I was invited to become a "Review Editor" for "Frontiers in Microbiology & Infectious Diseases".

The Scientific projects I have been part of have, on occasions, engendered international social media spot lighting including coverage of a seminal paper on a gene discovery pertaining African Sleeping sickness (for example) on the BBC World service and African news outlets like News 24 and the New Humanitarian.

I have the standard panoply of molecular techniques in terms of DNA (i.e. cloning, purification, PCR, expression and Southern blot identification); RNA (Purification, identification by RT PCR, Northern blotting, In situ hybridisation) and proteins (Western blotting). 

By way of example, see my first two publications, circa 1988-1995:

1. EBV.
2. Cell Junction studies. 

To emphasise the Cell junction studies in particular, not only did this work culminate in the aforementioned publication, but an archetypal description of a cell junction isoform was integral to this publication and resulted in the deposition of primary sequence, and citations thereof in Genbank and concomitant referencing in MGI Jackson database and Ensembl as well. Furthermore, this seminal paper describing the cell junction isoform included spatial IHC expression studies, which were featured on the front cover on that edition of the journal. 

In addition I have skills pertaining to gene expression work, including protein expression & purification (for drug discovery assays), IHC P (including tissue microarrays), immuno fluorescence, ELISA, (35S) in situ hybridisation, RNA CISH (RNAScope®), RT PCR, real time qRT PCR including Taq Man, high throughput Affymetrix Microarray biochips & Automated DNA Sequencing.

By way of example, see:

1. Micro array gene expression.
2. Automated DNA Sequencing.
3. Protein Expression.

I also have applied/high through put molecular skills such antibody panel screening using tissue microarrays, (BAC clone derived) shot gun sequencing; Genome scans; & biochemistry skills: in particular, development & optimisation of a high throughput (FRET) drug discovery assay; Drug screening, efficacy testing & enzyme kinetics (e.g. Michaelis Menten kinetics and computing substrate Km);& enzyme expression & purification (for drug discovery assays).

By way of example:

1. Drug Discovery.
2. Drug discovery #2.

I possess the standard panoply of TC skills, i.e. in vitro culture, growth curves & transfections (for example). I have also generated primary cell lines from human tissue explants (thymus), derived and cultured macrophages from whole blood and buffy coat extracts, as well as worked in specialist TC (Cat #3) facilities (for example) and maintained a Cat #2 TC facility, including cell line testing for Mycoplasma. I have practiced and developed both viability assays & cytotoxic assays (to implement high through put in vitro screens).

By way of example:

1. Primary culture and gene expression (qRT-PCR).
2. Primary culture and gene expression #2.

I have participated in projects with media coverage e.g. BBC world service; both BBC & Channel 4 television & US/international media.

See my Technique pages on my Weebly ancillary web site

In 1995, I set up a DNA sequencing core facility at the University of Manchester, based on ABI 377 Sanger sequencing technology. On the strength of that experience, in 2000, I was invited to participate in production sequencing, in a bespoke position, in a public consortium laboratory associated with the Human Genome project, at AECOM, Yeshiva University: Specifically, the Harvard partners health care  Center for Genetics & Genomics, linked to Mass General Brigham and the Department of Genetics . At that time, I was the first person to be hired from abroad without a PhD into the Molecular Genetics Department at AECOM.

By way of example and regarding my time in the sequencing facility at Manchester:

1. Automated DNA Sequencing.
2. Targeted genomic Sequencing in in vitro models of hypertension
3. Targeted genomic sequencing of MHC allotyes and connection to  in vitro models of auto immunity.
4. Examples of genomic sequencing data from projects linked to the ABI 377, ABI 3100 and Amersham Megabace platforms.  

During my time in the US, I was an active participant in the Association of Biomolecular Resourse Facilities (ABRF),   including presenting posters, conference abstracts and speaking at their Annual Conference in San Diego in 2001: 

Specifically, I served as a member of the ABRF DNA Sequencing Forum and played an active role in studies which evaluated (then) current DNA technologies and how they performed in the field. Some of these studies were presented as abstracts and posters @ ABRF 2001 and published in Journal of Biomolecular Techniques. 

Examples of my DNA sequencing work, in addition to ABRF Poster publications are provided in my Weebly profile.

Between 2005 and 2012, I engaged in wet bench work pertaining to genomic studies of gene expression underpinning  Bovine African sleeping sickness or "Nagana" in the field in Kenya, Africa and in laboratory based engineered mouse models. The purpose of these field based and in vivo studies was to elucidate snap shots of gene expression in different animal genotypes and attempt to identify genes seminal to the pathology of sleeping sickness in the wild.  

By way of example, and regarding temporal snap shots of gene expression in animal models:

1. Field studies on candidate gene expression in the wild, putatively linked to African sleeping sickness.
2. Conference posters on studies elucidating gene expression profiles in different pathogenic states of Nagana.
3. A seminal paper in PNAS describing key genes in African Sleeping sickness in cattle.

Between 2008 and 2012, I engaged in wet lab work attempting to identify small compounds that, based on in vitro assays, inhibit a key metabolic enzyme in Trypansome parasites responsible Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) and, as such, could constitute a putative therapeutic target for HAT. 

The work comprised Four stages:

1. Developing a luminescent assay that would place the recombinant enzyme target front and centre in an in vitro assay, enabling screening of small molecule(s). Preceeding the assay, work was put in to expressing and purifying active recombinant target. A poster succintly describes key stages in this development and optimisation. 
2. Validation of the assay using compounds with tried and tested efficacy against the protein target. This is illustrated in another conference poster.
3. Optimisation of the assay to improve specificity and sensitivity.
4. Screening caches of compounds that had been predicted to bind to the target protein by in silico modelling. A series of conference posters were used to present this story, including this one. 

The over all procedural pipeline from de novo assay to compound screen is tracked in working portfolios linked to my weebly web site. Beyond this empirical bench work, two publications came to press, describing the two  stages of this project, namely:

1. Initial validation of the assay using known inhibitors of the recombinant enzyme target. 
2. Subsequent assay optimisation to improve sensitivity and specificity.

For the vast majority of my career, I have been engaged in mulifarious research projects.

From 2010, I have more actively engaged in post gradute teaching, including my current remit, linked to the MSc in "Cancer Molecular Biology & Therapeutics".

I was an Applicant support mentor for the Science Council, having stepped down in January 2026 and formerly the IST and NTDC as well, running workshops in person, lecturing at conferences and producing webinars and on line learning tools. In particular, I have mentored more than 3000 STEM technicians in about 100 on line workshops and in person events; the latter including HE technical conferences, industrial trade shows,e.g., SLS, MI TALENT and Lab Innovations and private research Institutes like the Sanger Centre, Cambridge, MRC Molecular Biology Laboratories Cambridge and the Francis Crick Institute in London. Consequently, I have spoken in person on Professional Registration at a plethora of locations throughout the UK, including London, Belfast, Oxford, Cambridge, York, Nottingham, Leicester, Manchester, Leeds Newcastle, Durham, Glasgow and Edinburgh. I have also been interviewed for pod casts and invited to publish on this topic, including by the RSB, RSC and Lab Innovations. 

See "Applicant Support Mentor" home page.

I am a Chartered Scientist (CSci), and a Chartered Biologist (CBiol), circa 2017.

By virtue of this work, I was elected a Fellow of the IST (FIScT) in 2017; a Finalist for the Papin prize, cf. "Outreach & Community work", HETS 2021; a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB) in 2022; Winner of the Citizens award for “Technician of the year” at the University of Leicester, 2022; and have been shortlisted for a Lab innovations award (2023/24), cf. “Commitment to Skills and training” in two consecutive years. See my detailed awards page on my adjunct weebly website.

In 2024, I won the "Outstanding (Lifetime) achievement" prize from Lab Innovations, which is given to an individual of "Extra ordinary" calibre, who has made a significant impact within their chosen field.

In November of 2024, I was elected to the advisory board of Lab Innovations and in that same month co-authored a report to Government in association with Advanced Engineering: My vignette was entitled, "Upskilling a Nation".

In 2024, I also helped pioneer the shortened route to registration (R2R) for the Science Council in association with the EPAO, Marshall Assessment and ultimately this led to the current iteration of the "Short R2R", which I  helped promote for the Science Council. My position at Marshall assessment, linked to this work, was based on a direct invite.

In 2025, I was invited to participate on the judging panel for the 2025 "Lab Innovation awards" and, in addition, was an invited speaker at this years conference, where I will be speaking about the aforementioned Fast route to Professional Registration (R2R) for qualified STEM apprentices.

Formerly, I also assessed for the RSB Chartered Biologist award and also in 2025, I designed and delivered a training course, covering all aspects of the vocational award of Chartered Biologist (CBiol), which is archived within the "Mylearning" materials of the Royal Society of Biology website and available for streaming. See RSB Page for more details.

In addition, I developed training resources for NTDC to facilitate applying for Professional Registration.