
Lecturer
School of Biosciences
Recently appointed as a Lecturer in Molecular Microbiology, Dr Luke Alderwick is the youngest member of academic staff in the School of Biosciences. His many research interests revolve around understanding the biochemistry and molecular genetics of cell wall assembly in Mycobacterium tuberculosis,which is the causative bacterial agent of TB infections. In close collaboration with Prof Gurdyal ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45472
Email l.alderwick@bham.ac.uk

Senior Lecturer
School of Biosciences
My interests are focused on genome evolution and meiosis in both model plants and crops. In 1995 I setup a molecular cytogenetics laboratory with my colleague Paul Fransz (now at University of Amsterdam) and with advice from our colleague Gareth Jones. In the last 15 years we have trained many European colleagues and last year we were awarded a European collaborative project to investigate ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 46485
Email s.j.armstrong@bham.ac.uk

Professor of Environmental Biology
Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor Education
School of Biosciences
Professor Jeff Bale is one of the world’s leading experts in the field of invertebrate thermal biology. His work covers both fundamental aspects such as strategies for survival in polar environments as well as the applications of thermal tolerance including the establishment potential of non-native biological control agents. Jeff has over 200 publications and supervised 50 doctoral ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 414 5908/+44 (0)121 414 6608
Email j.s.bale@bham.ac.uk

Bardrick Professor of Physiology and Chemistry
School of Biosciences
Professor Besra heads a world-leading multidisciplinary team investigating key aspects of the microbial physiology of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell wall and the potential role of iNKT/CD1d therapeutics. He has been awarded and successfully managed over 35 research grants valued at over £11 million from The Wellcome Trust, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 58125
Email g.besra@bham.ac.uk

Medical Research Council CDA Fellow
Lecturer in Molecular Microbiology
School of Biosciences
Dr. Bhatt is a Lecturer in Molecular Microbiology in the School of Biosciences. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Career Development Award from the Medical Research Council; an independent fellowship that enabled him to set up his research group at the University of Birmingham. Dr.Bhatt’s research interests include studying pathogenic mycobacteria and how they cause disease, with a ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45893
Email a.bhatt@bham.ac.uk

Senior Lecturer in Animal Biology
School of Biosciences
Dr Brandstaetter is a Zoologist with specialisations in developmental biology, physiology, neurobiology, neuroendocrinology, and circadian biology. His research approach is holistic and considers mechanistic investigations at various levels of organismal organisation to study molecular and cell biology, neurobiology and endocrinology, chronobiology, behaviour, ecology, and evolution of complex ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45041
Email r.brandstaetter@bham.ac.uk

Principal Investigator
School of Biosciences
Dr Brogna is interested in eukaryotic gene expression and RNA processing. He has published some significant papers on these subjects. At present he is researching the Nonsense Mediated mRNA Decay (NMD) phenomenon and the mechanisms that connect pre-mRNA processing with translation.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45569
Email s.brogna@bham.ac.uk

Professor of Experimental Haematological Oncology
School of Biosciences
Professor Chris Bunce Directs a translational research group dedicated to the development of novel therapies for leukaemias and lymphomas. A particular focus is the exploitation of drug redeployment strategies using off- patent drugs to provide affordable therapies that can be exploited by all including the worlds poorer nations.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 43770
Email c.m.bunce@bham.ac.uk

Mason Professor of Botany
School of Biosciences
Professor Callow is a leading international authority on the study of marine algae, with a focus on bioadhesion (how algal cells interact with and adhere to surfaces). In recent years the emphasis has been on interdisciplinary, collaborative investigations into the interactions between algal cells and micro/nanostructured materials, including those with 'biomimetic' implications, an area ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45559
Email j.a.callow@bham.ac.uk

Senior Research Fellow
School of Biosciences
Maureen Callow is a leading expert in the area of biofouling (deterioration of artificial surfaces through the attachment of organisms), in particular fouling of ships’ hulls by algae. In recent years, research has focussed on understanding the processes of settlement and adhesion of algal cells to environmentally benign antifouling coatings, through collaborations with chemists and surface ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45579
Email m.e.callow@bham.ac.uk

Lecturer in Animal Behaviour
School of Biosciences
Dr Chappell is an expert in the field of animal cognition, and is involved in interdisciplinary research and teaching between the fields of biology, psychology and computer science.
Telephone +44 (0)121 414 3257
Email j.m.chappell@bham.ac.uk

Professor of Cell Toxicology
School of Biosciences
My main commitment at the University of Birmingham is as Head of School for the School of Biosciences, working with committed colleagues towards excellence with impact. We are moving ahead with new research initiatives such as “Systems Science for Health”, expanding on our research strengths within the three themes of Molecular Cell Biology, Molecular Microbiology and ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45422
Email j.k.chipman@bham.ac.uk

Lecturer in Plant Molecular Genetics
School of Biosciences
My research interest is in understanding development and evolution, particularly in plants. I run a small research group who work primarily with moss and Arabidopsis; we also grow liverworts, spikemoss, grasses and green seaweeds. We use molecular genetics, cell biology and ‘omics approaches to understand gene and protein function in these systems.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45478
Email j.c.coates@bham.ac.uk

Reader in Mass Spectrometry
School of Biosciences
Dr Helen J. Cooper is an expert in the gas-phase ion chemistry of peptides and proteins. She is a world-leader in the field of electron capture dissociation mass spectrometry and is responsible for establishing the University of Birmingham as a centre of excellence in mass spectrometry research. Dr Cooper has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and serves on a number of national and ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 47527
Email h.j.cooper@bham.ac.uk

Senior Lecturer
School of Biosciences
Dr Tim Dafforn has established himself as an expert in biophysical spectroscopy with a keen interest in synthetic biology. Dr Dafforn has developed a number of projects from inception through to commercial realization and is currently the director of knowledge transfer for the college of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham.
Telephone 0121 414 5881
Email t.r.dafforn@bham.ac.uk

Reader in Computational Biology
School of Biosciences
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45896
Email f.falciani@bham.ac.uk

Director of the University Graduate School,
Deputy Head of School of Biosciences
School of Biosciences
As Director of the University Graduate School my aim is to ensure that Doctoral Researchers throughout the University are provided with the opportunity, training and facilities to undertake internationally valued research that will lead into excellent careers in the UK and overseas. I draw from my experience of having successfully supervised over 40 doctoral researchers from the UK and many other ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45565
Email b.ford-lloyd@bham.ac.uk

Professor of Plant Molecular Biology;
Head of Research School of Biosciences
School of Biosciences
Chris Franklin is a leading expert on meiosis in plants. Work in his laboratory has made a major contribution to the understanding of how meiotic recombination is controlled in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. This knowledge is currently being transferred to crop species where the ability to modify genetic recombination will help plant breeders develop the new varieties that will be needed ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45910
Email f.c.h.franklin@bham.ac.uk

Professor of Plant Cell Biology
School of Biosciences
Noni Franklin-Tong’s research focuses on the cellular mechanisms involved in the model cell-cell recognition system of self-incompatibility (SI) in Papaver rhoeas(the Field Poppy). She is recognized at an international level for her work in the field of plant cell biology. Specifically she has made major contributions to the field of self-incompatibility, a field that has high ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 43702
Email v.e.franklin-tong@bham.ac.uk

Reader in Structural Biology
School of Biosciences
Dr Klaus Fütterer is a structural biologist whose research focuses on cell wall synthesis in the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Telephone 0121 414 5895
Email k.futterer@bham.ac.uk

Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellow
School of Biosciences
Dr Grainger is an expert in the field of bacterial chromosome biology. He relocated his laboratory to the University of Birmingham in March 2011 having previously established a successful research group at the University of Warwick. He is a life-long supporter of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and attributes this to his capacity to cope with the frequent disappointments that befall a research ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45437
Email d.grainger@bham.ac.uk

School of Biosciences
Dr Jon Green is the Director of Education in the College of Life and Environmental Sciences as well as being a member of the academic staff in the School of Biosciences. He has responsibility for managing all aspects of teaching across the College. He has interests in innovative methods of teaching, including interactive lectures and the uses of different types of assessment and feedback. ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45574
Email j.r.green@bham.ac.uk

Lecturer
School of Biosciences
Dr Hayward’s research group seeks to understand how organisms cope with variable and stressful environments. Temperate, polar and tropical terrestrial invertebrates (insects, mites and nematodes) are the primary focus of this endeavour. His lab uses state-of-the-art tools, and a systems biology approach, to investigate how these organisms detect, repair and stabilize the cellular and ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 47147
Email s.a.hayward@bham.ac.uk

Director of the Centre for Systems Biology
School of Biosciences
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 47533
Email j.k.heath@bham.ac.uk

Reader in Molecular Cell Biology
School of Biosciences
Dr Carina Hellberg is an expert on protein tyrosine phosphatase signalling. She is currently investigating how phosphatases regulate platelet-derived growth factor receptor signal transduction. In addition, she is investigating how oncogenes affect receptor signalling by altering the intracellular receptor sorting.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 42652
Email c.hellberg@bham.ac.uk

Reader in Developmental Neurobiology
School of Biosciences
Our lab aims to understand how the nervous system – including the brain – is formed and works.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45416
Email a.hidalgo@bham.ac.uk

Senior Lecturer in Molecular Cell Biology
School of Biosciences
Dr Hotchin is a cell biologist with an interest in normal epithelial cell function and in understanding the processes that contribute to diseases such as cancer. He has published a number of high impact papers on the role of small GTP-binding proteins in control of epithelial cell function. In addition to his research and teaching activities, Dr Hotchin is also currently Director of the ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45412
Email n.a.hotchin@bham.ac.uk

Senior lecturer, MSci programme co-ordinator, Module organiser for
School of Biosciences
Eva Hyde’s research interests are how proteins recognise their appropriate ligands; this includes the recognition of substrates by enzymes and the binding of proteins to their cognate operator DNA and to other proteins. She has extensive experience in NMR spectroscopy and complementary biophysical techniques, such as fluorescence and circular dichroism, and, more recently, in small angle ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45393
Email e.i.hyde@bham.ac.uk

Birmingham Fellow and EMBO Fellow
School of Biosciences
Anne-Marie Krachler joined the University of Birmingham as a Birmingham Fellow and EMBO Fellow in 2012 and is based at the Institute of Microbiology and Infection within the School of Biosciences. Her lab studies interactions between bacterial pathogens and their host and how this knowledge can be used to fight bacterial infections and gain novel insight into eukaryotic signaling mechanisms.
...
Telephone +44 (0)121 414 5418
Email a.krachler@bham.ac.uk

Lecturer in Computational Biology
School of Biosciences
Dr Jan-Ulrich Kreft is a microbiologist turned mathematical modeller.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 48851
Email j.kreft@bham.ac.uk

Birmingham Fellow
School of Biosciences
Dr Leach joined the University of Birmingham as a Birmingham Fellow in 2012 and is based in the Plant Genetics and Cell Biology group in the School of Biosciences. Her work involves using statistical genetics and bioinformatic approaches to dissecting the genetic architecture of quantitative trait variation.
Telephone +44 (0)121 414 5883
Email l.j.leach@bham.ac.uk

Reader in Biophysics
School of Biosciences
Molecular aspects of cardiac and vascular smooth muscle contractility are Barry Levine’s primary interests.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45396
Email b.a.levine@bham.ac.uk

Senior lecturer
School of Biosciences
Dr Julia Lodge is the First Year Tutor and is involved in teaching at all levels in the School of Biosciences. She is also the College of Life and environmental Sciences College enhancement Fellow.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45482
Email j.m.lodge@bham.ac.uk

Reader in Molecular Microbiology
School of Biosciences
Our research focusses on stress responses, using prokaryotes as model systems, and using a range of appropriate methods to understand both the mechanistic details and the adaptive significance of different aspects of organismal responses to stress.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45583/+44 (0)121 41 45925
Email lundpa@gmail.com

Professor of Statistical Genetics and International Student Tutor
School of Biosciences
Professor Zewei Luo is one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of Statistical Genetics. Research of his team has been focused on genetics of quantitative traits through theoretical and empirical approaches.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45404 (Office)/+44 (0)121 414 5460 (Lab)
Email z.luo@bham.ac.uk

Emeritus Professor, Avian Sensory Science
School of Biosciences
Professor Graham Martin is an Ornithologist with an international reputation built upon his research into the sensory worlds of birds. In recent years he has used his expertise to focus on problems concerned with the functions vision, especially binocular vision, in foraging behaviour, and in understanding why some bird species are particularly vulnerable to collisions with human artifacts such ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 414 5598
Email g.r.martin@bham.ac.uk

Senior Lecturer in Genetic Conservation
School of Biosciences
Nigel Maxted is a Senior Lecturer in Plant Genetic Conservation, with specific expertise in in situ and ex situ conservation techniques.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45571
Email n.maxted@bham.ac.uk

Senior Lecturer and Lister Fellow
School of Biosciences
I am Senior Lecturer and Lister Fellow in the School of Biosciences. My research centres on human infectious diseases, with a particular focus on the molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45418
Email r.c.may@bham.ac.uk

Senior Lecturer
Director of Quality Assurance and Enhancement
School of Biosciences
Dr Steve Minchin has an interest in transcriptional control at both the molecular and genomic level. He has a strong interest in research-led teaching, innovation and quality management. In 2009 he was awarded the Head of Schools’ Award for Excellence in Teaching and Supporting Student Learning.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45438
Email s.d.minchin@bham.ac.uk

Emeritus Professor of Microbial Chemistry
School of Biosciences
Professor David Minnikin is an expert on the chemistry of the lipids of mycobacteria, particularly those of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae. He was the originator of the definitive model of the mycobacterial cell envelope and showed that constituent long-chain mycolic acids fold specifically to form the basis of a characteristic outer membrane. He has shown that it is ...
Telephone 0121 415 8126
Email d.e.minnikin@bham.ac.uk

Professor of Microbial Genomics
School of Biosciences
Mark Pallen has been Professor of Microbial Genomics at the University of Birmingham since July 2001. Mark is dually qualified as a scientist (PhD) and as a medic/clinical bacteriologist (MBBS, MRCPath), and benefits from Research-Council funding for both bioinformatics and laboratory-based molecular bacteriology projects.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 47163
Email m.pallen@bham.ac.uk

MSc Toxicology Course Tutor
School of Biosciences
I have been interested and active in University teaching for many years and am now mainly involved in postgraduate education.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45409
Email a.e.pheasant@bham.ac.uk

Pro-Vice-Chancellor and
Head of College of Life and Environmental Sciences
Life and Environmental Sciences
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 48853
Email m.c.press@bham.ac.uk

Senior Lecturer
Head of Education, School of Biosciences
Birmingham University Teaching Fellow (BUTF)
School of Biosciences
I am a senior lecturer in Biology at the University of Birmingham. My research career started with roots in Wales and currently focuses on aphids in Birmingham with stops in the USA, New Zealand and Europe in between. My teaching spans field ecology through to plant functional genomics.
As a card-carrying Darwinist I am involved in teaching evolution at ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45570
Email j.pritchard@bham.ac.uk

Reader
School of Biosciences
Dr Steve Publicover is an internationally-recognised expert on sperm physiology and signalling events in sperm initiated by sperm-egg interaction.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45455
Email s.j.publicover@bham.ac.uk

Lecturer in Ornithology and Animal Conservation
School of Biosciences
Dr Jim Reynolds has worked on the reproductive biology and the nutritional ecology of birds from many different and diverse orders including passerines, geese, grouse, kingfishers and terns. He has worked in North America and in mainland Europe in investigating how human activity influences food availability and the resulting changes in avian reproductive investment and life histories. He employs ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 43639
Email j.reynolds.2@bham.ac.uk

School of Biosciences
My prime research interest is how the information encoded in chromosomes instructs building of the most complex organ, the brain, and allows an organism to perform elaborate tasks.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45905
Email m.soller@bham.ac.uk

Professor of Molecular Genetics
School of Biosciences
Professor Thomas joined the University of Birmingham in 1980 as a Lecturer in the Department of Genetics and has been Professor of Molecular Genetics since 1991. He is an internationally recognised authority on bacterial plasmid and mobile DNA and within the university has championed Biotechnology. He was also a founder of the successful Medici Programme that encourages development of ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45903
Email c.m.thomas@bham.ac.uk

Senior Lecturer
School of Biosciences
Dr Thorpe's expertise lies in the field of ecmorphology. Her research is about understanding how organisms get to be built the way they are built, and the consequences of their design for patterns of resource use, interactions with other species, and for patterns of evolution. Specific themes in her lab at present are the evolution of human bipedalism; how animals (including humans) ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 45040
Email s.k.thorpe@bham.ac.uk

Senior Research Fellow
School of Biosciences
Dr Mike Tomlinson has an international reputation in the two fields of platelets and cell surface biology, and has published in numerous edited books and scientific journals in these areas. He has been invited to speak at major international conferences, including Gordon Research and FASEB Summer Conferences in the United States, and organised the 4thEuropean Conference on Tetraspanins in ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 42507
Email m.g.tomlinson@bham.ac.uk

Professor of Metabolomics
School of Biosciences
Professor Mark Viant’s expertise lies in the field of metabolomics. His research spans from method development in analytical chemistry and bioinformatics through to the application of metabolomics to environmental toxicology and human disease
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 42219
Email m.viant@bham.ac.uk

Chair of Biochemical Pharmacology
Professor Mark Wheatley has an international reputation for his research into the structure and function of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). He has national and international collaborations with both academia and the pharmaceutical industry.
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 43981
Email m.wheatley@bham.ac.uk

Director, Biological Recording Programmes and Lecturer in Plant Ecology
Dr Sarah Whild is responsible for creating the University of Birmingham’s unique programmes in biological recording and species identification. She has specialized for the last fifteen years in professional development programmes for field ecologists and in developing the Field Skills Pyramid and the testing of field skills.
Telephone +44 (0) 1743 355137
Email s.j.whild@bham.ac.uk

Reader in Structural Biology
School of Biosciences
Dr Scott White is an experienced structural biologist speciallising in the application of x-ray crystallography to the structure and function of enzymes and their substrate, inhibitor or drug-bound complexes. He is also a Welfare Tutor and the Mitigations Officer for the School of Biosciences. He is the coordinator of the UK Midland's Block Allocation Group (BAG) for the European Synchrotron ...
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 47534
Email s.a.white@bham.ac.uk

Roberts RCUK Fellow
School of Biosciences
Telephone +44 (0)121 41 48852
Email p.j.winn@bham.ac.uk