Teaching

Core Parasitology (3122) – term 1

  • ‘Human African trypanosomiasis’ – An overview of the biology of Trypanosoma brucei and the disease it causes.

Molecular Biology (3333) – term 1

  • ‘Gene Cloning’ – An introductory lecture looking at basic plasmid assembly, transfection and selection techniques.
  • ‘Transfection’ – A laboratory demonstration introducing transfection by electroporation, as well as the classical chemical approach; this session also covers ‘blue-white’ screening.

Recombinant DNA Techniques (3131) – term 2

  • ‘Gene Structure & Expression’ – A lecture introducing gene organisation in various organisms and some of the techniques used to explore gene organisation and expression.

Advanced Training in Molecular Biology (3158) – term 2
Deputy module organiser (since academic year 2022/23; MO 2013/14-2021/22).

  • ‘Chromosome Structure & Organisation’ – A lecture looking at how DNA is organised and compacted in the nucleus, and how this influences gene expression.
  • ‘Epigenetics’ – the role of DNA methylation and histone modification in regulating gene expression in eukaryotes.

Molecular and Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases (3260) – term 2

  • ‘Trypanosoma brucei immune evasion strategies’ – The African trypanosome evades the adaptive immune system via antigenic variation of its surface coat, while the human infective sub-species employ additional strategies to circumvent the trypanolytic factors found in human serum. This lecture addresses the latest advances in these two areas.

Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (3169) – term 3

  • ‘Anti-Protozoal Drug Resistance: Trypanosomatids’ – In this lecture I present our current understanding of the mechanisms of drug resistance in Leishmania and Trypanosoma, including details of some of the approaches used in this area of research.
  • ‘Drug sensitivity assays’ – A laboratory practical covering EC50 determination in protozoal parasites (Crithidia) and human cells.

Research Degree Management

Since 2021 Joint Head of Doctoral College (LSHTM)

2020-2021 Faculty Research Degree Director (Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases)

2014-2020 Departmental Research Degree Coordinator (Department of Infection Biology)