Meet the team

The teaching team consists of both senior academics and students from the University of East Anglia, with support from staff at the Biochemical Society, many of whom you will meet throughout the course especially in discussions.

Laura Bowater

Laura began her career by studying for a BSc in Biochemistry with Microbiology at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, UK. She then moved to the University of Dundee to continue her studies, undertaking an MSc and a PhD in Microbiology and Biochemistry. After a four year career break, Laura worked as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the John Innes Centre on the Norwich Research, UK. In 2007 Laura took up an academic post in the Norwich Medical School at the University of East Anglia, where she was promoted to Professor in 2016.

Richard Bowater

Richard began his career with a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Sheffield, before completing a PhD at the National Institute for Medical Research in Mill Hill, London, UK. He is now Professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia, where he teaches on a range of biochemistry modules in undergraduate degree courses. His research group studies DNA structure, assessing its links with DNA repair pathways. He is also the course director for Biochemistry with a Year in industry at UEA.

Jenny Hall

Jenny recently completed her integrated masters degree at the University of East Anglia. From 2012-16 Jenny studied for an MChem degree in Chemistry and has specific interests in linking this topic to biology. Since October 2016 Jenny has been undertaking studies for a PhD research degree in biophysical chemistry of medically relevant membrane transporters, also based at the University of East Anglia.

Fraser MacMillan

Fraser obtained a B.Sc. in Chemistry at the University of Sheffield, UK before completing a doctoral degree at the Free University in Berlin, Germany. Fraser is now a Reader in Chemistry at the University of East Anglia and specialises in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, a sophisticated technique for structural analysis of biomacromolecules and their complexes. He teaches undergraduate students about a range of methods used in macromolecular structure determination and function in various Biophysical Chemistry modules. He is also the course director for the integrated masters MSci Biochemistry with a Year Abroad at UEA.

Shona Hepworth

Shona is an undergraduate chemistry student at the University of East Anglia, and will finish her Master’s year in summer 2019. She has a keen interest in biological and biophysical chemistry. The wide diversity of proteins and their fundamental role in life has inspired her to research membrane proteins using specialised techniques for her Masters project.

Greg Bulmer

Greg is a PhD student in Biological Chemistry at the University of Manchester, UK. He is interested in how fungi break down plants and how we can harness this ability to make renewable fuels from agricultural waste. In addition to this he is also involved in using enzymes to build high-value sugar molecules from sustainable sources.

And a host of others!

During this course you will be introduced to a range of people from across the world who are biochemists or use biochemistry in their work.