Education and Science Policy Committee
This Principal Committee reports directly to Council and is responsible for advising and supporting:
• Proactive development of a framework of strategic priorities across education policy, science policy and public affairs activity, in line with the Society’s business plan.
• Proactive and reactive development of evidence base and recommendations to underpin policy-relevant activity and positions, including in response to consultations.
• Delivery of agreed outputs in line with the strategic priorities, including accessible communication of these outputs to the diverse audiences they are designed for.
• Evaluation of the impact of outputs delivered, and implications of lessons learned for future strategy.
Members of the Education and Science Policy (ESP) Committee:
Professor Jon Scott FRSB, Committee Chair
Jon is Emeritus Professor of Bioscience Education at the University of Leicester where he was Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience. Jon’s research interests have included assessment and feedback, academic integrity and belonging and retention. He also strongly advocates for reward and recognition for teaching. He is a Principal Fellow of AdvanceHE, was the UK Bioscience Teacher of the Year in 2011 and won a National Teaching Fellowship in 2012. He is currently working as a higher education consultant and is a longstanding QAA Reviewer and Accreditor for AdvanceHE.
Professor Patricia Kuwabara FRSB
Patricia is currently Professor of Genomics at the University of Bristol, and is serving as Graduate Dean in the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences. Patricia has co-organised international training courses for postgraduates under the sponsorship of EMBO and the Wellcome Trust. She has served as an external reviewer of bioscience programmes across the UK, and she is a strong supporter of diversity and equality and student voice in education. Patricia is also a member of the Council of the RSB, providing an important link with this Committee.
Dr Jamie McFadzean MRSB
Jamie completed undergraduate and masters studies at University of Glasgow, specialising in veterinary public health, before a PhD at Rothamsted Research & University of Exeter, on zoonotic disease transfer in global agriculture. Jamie has worked across government as a senior policy advisor on EU-Exit impacts, Avian Influenza outbreak, UK zoonosis strategy and is currently the R&D programme manager for zoonotic diseases at Defra.
Professor Sara Rankin FRSB
Sara has a first class hons degree and PhD in Pharmacology from Kings College London. She joined Imperial College London in 1995 where she is now Professor of Leukocyte and Stem Cell Biology. In addition to her research she is NHLI lead for both EDI and public engagement.
Professor Philip Young FRSB
Philip is a Professor at the University of Warwick, where he is the Director of Educational Analytics for the School of Life Sciences. Pedagogically, Philip's main interests are assessment strategies and constructive alignment in tertiary education.
Dr Sana Zakaria MRSB
Sana is currently leading RAND Europe's Biotechnology policy research focusing on synthetic biology, advances in machine learning and genome editing, food systems and brain computer interfacing. Before joining RAND, she was the Head of Impact at NIHR and she also headed up the Strategic Performance and Impact function at the British Heart Foundation (BHF). Zakaria has a PhD in developmental neurobiology from King's College London, where she also carried out post-doctoral work.
Dr Chris Graham MRSB
Chris, @DrCGraham on Twitter, has been a teacher for nearly 20 years. He is currently Head of Biology and the Sustainability Lead at Hills Road Sixth Form College, in Cambridge. Through Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS), he works to support and promote the inclusion of plant-based contexts throughout biology teaching. He also co-authored the ‘Evolution’ chapter in the 3rd Edition of Teaching Secondary Biology. Chris studied Biological sciences at Oxford University and obtained a PhD in insect neuroanatomy at Cambridge University.
Dr Sandeep Sandhu FRSB
Sandeep has worked within the Research & Innovation (R&I) sector for almost two decades. She has successfully built high level partnerships with government, industry and public sector bodies in the U.K and internationally. She previously directed and led the delivery of Innovate UK international programmes. Sandeep also worked as a Senior International Policy Manager at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and at the Medical Research Council, managing their infections and immunity portfolio.
Alastair Wanklyn MRSB
Alastair is a secondary school biology teacher with a focus on entry to tertiary education. His interests include immunology and parasitology. As a member of Chatham House, he is also interested in international aspects of science and education policies.
Angela Beattie MRSB
Angela has worked as a Science teacher in both state and independent schools. She currently works at the Abbey school in Reading, teaching Biology. She previously worked as a Clinical Research Associate for a large multinational pharmaceutical company. She also worked in the influenza department at the Health Protection Agency. Her particular interest lies in ensuring that all students have a chance to reach their potential.
Emma Cozzi MRSB
Emma has worked as a science teacher for 16 years, primarily in secondary and further education. She currently works as a tutor within the Technical Education and Apprenticeship hub at the University of Brighton. Emma holds a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences and is working towards an MSc in Infectious Diseases, which is also her area of particular interest. Additionally, she is a high standard A-Level examiner for Oxford, Cambridge and RSA (ORC), a UK awarding body.
Professor Lisa Wallace FRSB
Lisa is Associate Dean (International) for the Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Life Science and a Professor of Pharmacology and Medical Sciences at Swansea University. Originally from the United States, she earned a BSc in Biology and a PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Outside of her international and leadership activities, Lisa’s publication record reflects her interest in the basic science of addiction. Her current laboratory work focuses on developing invertebrate models to investigate the intracellular signalling mechanisms of psychoactive drugs. Lisa is also a member of the RSB Accreditation Committee.
Dr Laura McCaughey MRSB
Laura is currently a lecturer in Microbiology at the University of Glasgow. Laura’s scholarship focusses on embedding entrepreneurship and skills development into the curriculum, along with creating more real-world assessments and opportunities. The student experience is at the forefront of Laura’s research. In addition to her teaching Laura is actively involved in public outreach activities for both schools and the community.
Dr Susan Burr FRSB
Susan has a PhD in science education from Glasgow University and previously worked as a Principal teacher of science/biology for many years, before becoming a lecturer in science education at Strathclyde University and the University of West of Scotland. She currently mentors primary schools to help them achieve a Primary Science Quality Mark and also run science events in schools and CPD for teachers. Susan is a trustee and honorary treasurer for the Association for Science Education (ASE) and is the Chair of ASE Scotland. She is also a member of the LSG (Learned Societies Group) in Scotland, which responds to consultations and other matters relevant to STEM education.
Mathew Jones
Mathew is a lecturer in Medical & Health Sciences at Bangor University, where he contributes to various programmes within the North Wales Medical School and the School of Environmental & Natural Sciences. Before joining Bangor, he spent over seven years teaching science, specializing in biology and chemistry, at multiple high schools. Mathew holds a BSc (Hons) in Physiology, a PGCE, and has recently submitted a pedagogical paper for his PGCertTHE. In addition to his teaching, Mathew serves as the Marketing Lead for the North Wales Medical School, focusing on recruitment and promoting participation in STEM fields, while strengthening the connection between secondary and higher education. He is also actively engaged in public outreach across schools throughout Wales.
Alistair Moore MRSB
Alistair is a Research Fellow in Science Education at the University of York Science Education Group. He has worked in school biology education since 2006 and has extensive experience in the development of research-informed curricula, assessments, teaching resources and training for the teaching and learning of biology in schools. He is curriculum development lead for the Oak National Academy science curriculum, Co-Director of the Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST) project at York, and led the development and implementation of new A levels and GCSEs in biology in 2008, 2012 and 2016. He has served as a consultant for the Department for Education (DfE), the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), the Standards and Testing Agency, and Cambridge Assessment, and is a Chief Examiner for GCSE Biology. He served on the RSB Curriculum Committee for 7 years from its creation in 2014, and was a lead author of the RSB’s ‘Evolving 5-19 Biology’ curriculum framework and recommendations.
Additional representatives:
Representatives from our Strategic Partner Member Organisations.
A representative from RSB Scotland Branch Committee.
RSB staff team including:
Secretariat: Sabrina Fleurimé MRSB, Science Policy Officer (Research Landscape)
Dr Mark Downs CSci FRSB, Chief Executive
Dr Arianne Matlin MRSB, Associate Director of Policy
Lauren McLeod MRSB, Head of Education Policy
Dr Laura Marshall MRCVS MRSB, Head of Science Policy