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The Biosciences Educators' Network

The Biosciences Educators' Network (BEN), supported by the Heads of University Biosciences (HUBS), provides a UK-wide support network for bioscience educators from all career stages and a forum in which to discuss career progression, fellowship opportunities and pedagogical research. In addition, the network facilitates peer mentoring and mentoring relationships with more experienced colleagues to provide targeted support. The link with HUBS ensures information and initiatives are shared with the wider Biosciences community.

The ongoing aims of BEN are to:

  • Help attendees to identify career goals, and the means to gather evidence for applications.
  • Signpost individuals towards existing resources (e.g. RSB HE Teacher Career Progression Framework; Advance HE Fellowship Category Tool)
  • Establish a mentoring network to support career development in a sustainable way.

Members of the BEN Steering group

  • Dr Dominic Henri (University of Hull)
  • Dr Zoë Burke (University of Bath)
  • Prof David Tree (Brunel University London)
  • Dr Jo Stewart-Cox (University of Bath)
  • Dr Cressida Lyon (University of Bath)

If you are interested in joining the network, please contact: d.henri@hull.ac.uk, bsszdb@bath.ac.uk, david.tree@brunel.ac.uk, bssjea@bath.ac.uk, cl2255@bath.ac.uk

 

Dr Dominic Henri (University of Hull)

Dom Henri is a Senior Lecturer in the University of Hull bioscience subject area. He is a National Teaching Fellow (2021), Principal Fellow of the HEA, and a previous winner of the Royal Society of Biology’s Higher Education Teacher of the Year award (2018). As an ‘education-focused’ academic, his scholarship focuses on enhancing curriculum design in higher education, with a particular focus on building student confidence, maximising graduate employability and educational partnerships with charities and industry; e.g. see the Quality Assurance Agency funded Competence-Based Assessment project, which attempts to collaboratively build a framework of effective university assessment in the 21st Century with universities across the UK (www.qaa.ac.uk/en/membership/collaborative-enhancement-projects/assessment/a-competence-based-assessment-framework). Dom has been a keen advocate for the career development and wellbeing of bioscience academics as a founding member of ECLBio (a HUBS network supporting early-career bioscience lecturers) and is very pleased to be able to continue this work through the BEN steering group.

 


Dr Zoë Burke (University of Bath)

 Zoe Burke is Director of Teaching in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Bath. She graduated from Cardiff University with a degree in Physiology and Biochemistry (Joint Hons) and a PhD in Molecular Neuroendocrinology. After her PhD Zoe moved to Saint Jude Children’s research Hospital to investigate the role of Prox1 in liver development. On returning to the UK her research at the University of Bath has focussed on cellular reprogramming towards the hepatocyte lineage, with a view to using these in drug toxicity screening. Remaining in Bath she moved to a teaching focused role, obtaining her promotion to senior lecturer in 2022 and her SFHEA in 2023. Zoe teaches at all levels in the area of developmental biology, stem cell biology, medical biosciences and biotechnology. She has a passion for postgraduate education, inclusive and active learning through Team Based Learning (TBL) and the development of engaging and interactive learning materials. 

 

 

Prof David Tree (Brunel University, London)

 David Tree champions pedagogical innovations and promotes novel teaching and assessment methodologies through active learning pedagogies like Team-Based Learning (TBL) and authentic, synoptic assessments strategies, like Integrated Program Assessment (IPA). Beyond his contributions to curriculum design, David is a strong advocate for inclusive education. He has led initiatives to address cultural representation in science, belonging anxiety and awarding gaps, fostering a more equitable learning environment.  

 

 

Dr Jo Stewart-Cox (University of Bath)

 Jo Stewart-Cox is a Senior Lecturer and Senior Academic Advisor at University of Bath. Following a BSc Honours degree in Biological Sciences with Molecular Genetics, Jo specialised during her PhD and post-doctoral research in mammalian transgenic technologies to investigate the molecular mechanisms underpinning renal cancers. She is a dedicated and enthusiastic teaching-focused practitioner in the biosciences, with a keen interest in maximising student engagement through diverse modes of learning and authentic assessments. 

 

 

Dr Cressida Lyon (University of Bath)

Cressida Lyon is a Biomedical Scientist with a BSc in Biochemistry, and PhD in Cardiovascular Sciences. She has been teaching Biosciences at the University of Bath since 2019 and prior to that worked as a Senior Research Associate at the University of Bristol, researching the effects of a cell-cell adhesion molecule (N-cadherin) on vascular smooth muscle cell behaviour – the aim being to develop and validate a therapeutic for cardiovascular disease.  Cressida obtained Senior Fellowship (SFHEA) and promotion to Senior Lecturer in 2023-24, with the support and mentorship available through the Biosciences Educator’s Network (BEN). Cressida convenes a skills unit and is particularly interested in how active engagement with feedback can guide a student's skills development using ePortfolios. In addition, Cressida is interested in inclusivity in active learning techniques, including Team Based Learning.