The Teaching Academy represents a collaboration between the eLearning team and academic staff from across FBMH. Some of the main contributors are introduced below.
Richard Baker is a Reader in Audiology with extensive experience in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, curriculum design and programme leadership. He has led and contributed to a wide range of teaching activities across audiology and related disciplines, with a strong focus on enhancing student learning and experience. He has served in various Faculty roles related to Teaching Quality Assurance over the last 13 years. In his current role as Associate Dean for Quality, Standards and Accreditation within the Faculty, he provides strategic oversight of quality assurance processes across all taught programmes, supporting continuous monitoring, review and development. This includes working closely with programme teams, committees and external bodies to ensure high academic standards and alignment with regulatory frameworks.
Dianne Burns (she/her/hers) is a Senior Lecturer in SHS and SMS with a specific interest in healthcare education, leadership and staff development. She is a qualified coach and mentor. She has a robust track record of innovation in staff development and enhancing the student experience activities across the University and leads the Inspirational Teaching pathway within the FBMH Academic Development Programme (ADP). She is also Director of the PG Cert in Medical and Health Education and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Rachel L. Cowen (she/her/hers) is Professor of Inclusive Researcher and Academic Development, Faculty Associate Dean for Strategy, People and Research Environment and University Academic Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (Gender and Sexual Orientation). She is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Advance HE and has 30 years’ experience as a cancer researcher, organisational developer and equalities champion leading on strategy, policy and practice developments that work towards a culture in which all can thrive.
Adam Danquah is Professor of Clinical Psychology and Associate Dean for Inclusive Education and Engagement. He provides strategic oversight for embedding inclusive education across our diverse portfolio of programmes and is the Faculty lead for the Access and Participation Plan (APP) – the University’s commitment to producing equality of opportunity for underrepresented and disadvantaged groups to access, succeed in, and progress from higher education.
Adam is committed to co-creating solutions with students and colleagues and has led University- and Faculty-wide pedagogic and staff-development initiatives. His scholarship and teaching centre on the emotional and relational challenges of professional practice – including attachment theory, intercultural dynamics, and anti-racism. Adam’s National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) and Principal Fellowship of AdvanceHE reflect his recognised impact on student outcomes and teaching practice in higher education. He is also a practicing psychologist and psychotherapist, supporting the development of reflective scientist-practitioners and educators.
Adrian Emerson is an eLearning Manager for the faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at the University of Manchester. He has lecturing experience in computing spanning over 30 years in addition to being an established digital learning and quality manager across further and higher education. He leads a dynamic and proactive eLearning team dedicated to delivering innovative and creative digital solutions, with a specific focus on Canvas as a teaching and learning tool, accessibility, assessment and pedagogically driven digital platforms to fully enhance student experience and attainment.
Alexandra Nutter is an experienced eLearning professional and former Lecturer, now serving as eLearning Manager for the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at the University of Manchester. She leads a large, multidisciplinary team in delivering innovative digital learning solutions at scale, specialising in driving strategic educational transformation through technology with a strong focus on pedagogical quality, accessibility, and enhancing the student experience.
Harsha Parmar is Interim Associate Dean for Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes within the Faculty. She works collaboratively with colleagues to champion teaching excellence, support educational innovation, and enhance the student learning experience across the Faculty. With a background in pharmacy education and clinical practice, Harsha is passionate about creating inclusive, engaging, and high-quality learning environments that help both students and staff thrive.
Paul Shore is Associate Dean for Flexible and Digital Education within the Faculty, where he leads work to strengthen active, inclusive and digitally enabled learning. With an academic background in biochemistry, he leads initiatives in technology-enhanced education, Team-Based Learning and curriculum development, to support high-quality teaching and innovation. Paul works closely with colleagues across the Faculty to enhance the student learning experience and support staff in developing forward-looking approaches to teaching.