Alison Harvey

Alison is a Teaching and Scholarship (T&S) lecturer in the Department of Materials where her teaching is mainly focused on Biomedical Materials Science.

After completing her PhD in the area of fluorescent peptide-based biosensors at the University of Manchester in 2010, Alison worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in various research groups which included investigating surface topography for biocompatibility and 3-dimensional composite scaffolds for stem cell differentiation.

In 2019, following a career break, Alison joined the Department of Materials as a fixed-term (part-time) T&S lecturer associated with the EPSRC funded Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Advanced Biomedical Materials. Within the CDT Alison was responsible for creating and developing two bespoke units: Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), and Imaging, Characterisation and Key Manufacturing Techniques, as well as leading the student outreach team and more recently, leading the EDI committee and supporting the CDT students EDI projects.

In 2023 Alison became a permanent (full-time) T&S Lecturer in the Department of Materials, teaching on the Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Alison is currently the Year 2 Programme Manager, and Teaching and Learning Enhancement Lead for MSE, within which Alison is leading the development of a CPD series on Inclusive Teaching practice for the Faculty of Science and Engineering. In addition, Alison is a has a Fellowship with the Institute of Teaching and Learning to explore the use of Reflective Practice in STEM disciplines for building students feedback literacy, and has recently taken on the role of Academic Lead for the New Academics Programme (NAP) in the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Alison currently teaches in the Department of Materials at both undergraduate and postgraduate level:

Undergraduate teaching:

MATS16402 Materials Shaping the World (Biomaterials component)

MATS32302 Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering 

Postgraduate teaching:

MATS65502 Lab-to-Clinic

MIMMM

MRSC

Member of SEDA

Member of ISSOTL

Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA)

Alison’s key interests in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning include:

• The challenges of interdisciplinary teaching and learning, and the use of active learning approaches in this. As such Alison has contributed to the Active Learning Network ebook: 100 Ideas for Active Learning and is currently setting up a Manchester Satellite Group for the Network.

• Embedding aspects of RRI and EDI in the curriculum for STEM students. For example, through the embedding of ‘reflective practice’ in the STEM curriculum, and through the development of training in inclusive teaching approaches for other academic staff. In relation to this, Alison is currently an Institute of Teaching and Learning Fellow working on a project related to reflective practice in STEM Higher Education.

RRI

As part of her involvement in the Advanced Biomedical Materials CDT, Alison has created and developed a unit on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). RRI is a scientific governance framework that is being promoted by funding bodies throughout Europe and specifically by the UKRI in the UK, which focusses on the interface between science and society and societal implications of research and innovation.

Alison developed a 12-week, 15-credit unit for CDT students exploring this topic. The unit takes the approach of the EPSRC AREA (RRI) framework (Anticipate, Reflect, Engage, Act) and uses the key themes from the Horizon 2020 RRI framework as topics for consideration (Open Access, Gender Equality, Research Integrity and Ethics, Public and Stakeholder engagement, Science Education, Sustainability, Social Justice, and Governance of science).

In 2023, Alison condensed the content from this 12-week block into a 1-day workshop for the iCAT CDT. With funding bodies continuing to ask for an RRI component in funding bids, she is keen to find ways of supporting academic staff in developing their understanding of the frameworks and is open to suggestions on how best to do this.

 Outreach and Public Engagement

Within her role as Outreach Lead for the Advanced Biomedical Materials CDT, Alison has developed (and supported students in developing) a range of outreach/public engagement activities. These include:

• Week long (widening participation) primary school Science and Art workshop in collaboration with the Whitworth Art Gallery.
• Outreach activity exploring the topic of tissue engineering. Delivered at UoM Community Festival and Bluedot Festival in 2023.
• Outreach activity exploring how we engineer materials for medicine. Delivered at Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, 2024.