Dr Rogelio M. Levardo Jr. MD, SFHEA

Dr Rogelio M. Levardo Jr.

Dubai Campus
Associate Professor
Head of Subject Group, Health and Life Sciences (HLS)
Founding Programme Director, Biomedical Sciences Programme (Dubai)

Contact details

Address
University of Birmingham Dubai
Dubai International Academic City
PO Box 341799
Dubai

As the founding Programme Director of the BSc and Integrated Master’s in Biomedical Sciences—a role he held for four years—he developed a deep appreciation for building rigorous, student-centred curricula from the ground up. In their current role as Head of the Health and Life Sciences cluster, they oversee a diverse portfolio of eight programmes spanning undergraduate to postgraduate levels. These range from foundational bioscience degrees (Biomedical Sciences) to specialised Master’s in Bioinformatics, Health Data Science, Public Health, and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy. The cluster also includes advanced professional pathways in Sport and Exercise Medicine, Microbiology and Infection, and Global Health Leadership. Their focus is on fostering interdisciplinary learning, ensuring programmes respond to evolving healthcare and research landscapes. They work closely with academic leads to maintain high standards of teaching, assessment, and student support across both taught and research-informed components. A key priority is enhancing employability and research impact, equipping graduates to address complex health challenges nationally and globally. Ultimately, they strive to create a cohesive, innovative cluster where clinical, data, and population health sciences converge effectively.

Qualifications

  • Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), 2018
  • Doctor of Medicine (MD), Saint Louis University, Philippines, 1993
  • Bachelor of Science in Biology, Saint Louis University, Philippines, 1987

Biography

I have been in the academic and educational training arena specifically at the tertiary level for 28 years now. I am currently the Co-Programme Director for Biomedical Sciences at the Dubai campus of the University of Birmingham where I manage the programme and teach across varied modules within it. Prior to this role I was with the Academic Development Directorate of the Bahrain Polytechnic in the Kingdom of Bahrain where I managed the Teaching and Learning Department. I also was a Senior Curriculum Advisor in-charge of the Problem, Team and Project-based Learning pedagogies across all of the programmes in the institution. I held these posts from 2015 - 2022. Within the same period I also held an adjunct Associate Professor teaching post at the College of Health and Sports Sciences of the University of Bahrain.

I currently hold adjunct Associate Professor roles at the Institute of Applied Health Sciences of the Chandigarh University in Punjab, India, as well as the Taylor’s University School of Medicine in Selangor, Malaysia.

Rogelio graduated and obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Saint Louis University College of Medicine in Baguio City, the Philippines in 1993. His Bachelor of Science in Biology degree was obtained from the same university in 1987. He holds a Senior Fellowship with Advance Higher Education (AHE), based in the United Kingdom. He is currently a Doctoral student doing his PhD in Education, major in Educational Management from Angeles University in the Philippines.

As an educator, Rogelio has taught medical and pre-medical biological sciences throughout his 28 years of higher academic experience. His experience is not only in classroom teaching but in curriculum development, research, assessment and moderation, and educational quality assurance. Rogelio's higher academic experiences have brought him across medical faculties in universities in several countries. He taught in the Philippines (Saint Louis University College of Natural Sciences & University of the Cordilleras, College of Arts and Sciences), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (King Faisal University Faculty of Medicine), Singapore (Ngee Ann Polytechnic School of Health Sciences), and the Kingdom of Bahrain (AMA International University School of Medicine, Ministry of Health College of Health Sciences).

Teaching

  • Advanced Study Skills in Biological Sciences
  • Molecular and Cell Biology
  • Cellular Biology and Biochemistry
  • Fundamentals of Life Science
  • Foundations of Neuroscience
  • Digestion and Renal Sciences
  • Cardiovascular and Respiratory Sciences
  • Foundations of Pharmacology

Research

Research interests

  • enhancement of learning via active student-learning pedagogies;
  • the integration of employability and enhancement of 21st-century soft skills into curricular and programme development,
  • role of student self-efficacy development and/or enhancement in higher education
  • equity, equality, diversity and inclusion in higher education

 Current projects

  • EDI preparation among higher education academics

Publications

Levardo, R.M. (2020). Enhancing Learning through Integration of Student-centred Learning Methods. 5th International Higher Education Conference, Yükseköğretim Çalışmaları Derneği (Association for Higher Education Studies). [online].Retrieved from http://yocad.org.tr/conferences/the-5th-international-higher-education-studies-conference-ihec-2021/. Accessed on 18 February 2023

Levardo, R.M. (2019). Addressing the Demands of 21st Century Thinking through the Bahrain Polytechnic Learning and Teaching Model: 2019 Training Summit: Enhancing Education, Training and Lifelong Learning Proceedings. p.13

Levardo, R. M. (2018). Evaluating PBL Practice: the Bahrain Polytechnic Journey towards Excellence. 2018 IRSPBL Proceedings: Innovation, PBL, and Competence. pp. 279-290

Levardo, R. M., & AlAnsari, S. (2017). e-Learning Augmented Problem-based Learning. 2017 eLearnit Conference Proceedings.  [online]. Retrieved from http://ppjbl.polytechnic.bh/proceedings_2/eLearning Augmented Problem Based Learning_The Bahrain Polytechnic Journey_John.pdf