The Biological and Medicinal Chemistry degree programme at the University of Exeter is a multidisciplinary degree programme that requires students to have skills in chemistry, biochemistry, mathematics, and molecular and cellular biology. Applied biocatalysis requires knowledge and skills in all of these areas. We have pioneered novel ways to support our students in their learning including the use of smart worksheets to upskill data processing, and the use of personalised assessments to deter collusion. We also use gamification to increase student engagement and learning in a fun way.
Alison Hill did her undergraduate degree at the Australian National University and then moved to the University of Cambridge for her PhD, supervised by Prof James Staunton FRS on polyketide biosynthesis. She completed an 18 month postdoc with Prof David Cane at Brown University, where she cloned, overexpressed, purified and characterised casbene synthase. Alison joined Kings' College London in 1995 and started her own lab investigating the biosynthesis of soraphen. She moved to the University of Exeter in 2001, moving across to the teaching track in 2005. Alison's pedagogical research studies focuses on integration of maths into the curriculum and addressing the mathematics gap in biosciences, chemistry and beyond for those without A-level maths. This led to the development of bespoke resources embedded into the curriculum to improve confidence and competence in mathematics skills/data processing. Alison has pioneered the use of personalised data sets for online assessments and was the recipient of the RSC Excellence in Higher Education Prize 2022, and LearnSci Teaching Innovation Awards in 2022 and 2023.
