Lecturers behind the scenes - Dr Manal Mohammed: My highlight was supporting a Clearing student in publishing her research

Throughout the courses Dr Mohammed delves into Microbiology, Medical Microbiology and Microbial Genomics across a wide range of undergraduate modules including Infection & Immunity, Medical Microbiology in the Genomics Era and Applied Pathobiology.

Dr Mohammed was inspired to pursue academia by her late uncle, who was a very successful University professor. Throughout secondary school he always told her about his research and exciting laboratory findings, giving her copies of his newly published research articles and books. With him being a professor of plants and crop sciences, she had the opportunity to join him on trips to gardens and fields to see the harmful effect of microbes on plants and crops damage, leading to her fascination with microbiology. She was keen to understand how microbes such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites can cause illness specially in humans and animals so went on to study veterinary medicine for her undergraduate degree.

After graduating with a First Class Honours, she was offered a job at a world-leading pharmaceutical company but could not give up her dream of joining the world of academia. With encouragement from her uncle, she successfully applied for a PhD scholarship to study a virus called Japanese Encephalitis, which she completed in just three years.

With academia in her sights, she joined a Teaching for Researchers course at the University of Liverpool and eventually applied for an Associate Fellowship at the Higher Education Academy in the UK.

She said: “I was over the moon, I had all the requirements to join academia including a PhD, teaching experience and qualification. I am very thankful for my uncle, for his support - he was always there to guide me.”

As she started her academic career, she developed an interest in studying superbugs and found that only Westminster offered her the chance to establish her independent research career and her own laboratory and research group. Her research has spread far and wide, not dissimilar to the superbugs she studies, as she has been interviewed by Eddie Nestor on BBC Radio London, featured on the BBC News podcast Victoria Derbyshire, published in The Conversation and The Independent and was invited to present her work to members of Parliament.

Each course Dr Mohammed teaches on offers hands on experience which holds teamwork, research and employability at its core. As well as working on their own projects, students get the opportunity to contribute to research projects of their peers, PhD students and academics, gaining vital skills and building their network. 

The courses also offer innovative and interactive teaching and learning methods. Instead of traditional closed-book assessments, the course now offers so called authentic assessments such as practical assessment, group presentations and case studies, which help build knowledge and skills that employers are looking for.

One of Dr Mohammed’s favourite moments during her time at Westminster was when she supported a Biomedical Science student on the Sandwich course who joined through Clearing to write a book chapter on her literature review. On the experience Dr Mohammed said: “I supported her to get the results of her final year project published at a peer-reviewed journal where she was a co-author. It is great to see her now working as a biomedical scientist at The UK Health Security Agency (formerly known as Public Health England). I’m very proud of her.”

While studying for a Biomedical Science BSc Honours degree, students will investigate the human body, both in health and disease, with emphasis on the diagnosis and understanding of disease states and the mechanisms involved. For those not feeling prepared for advanced study, the University also offers a foundation year to help students progress onto a full Honours degree at Westminster.

Medical Sciences BSc Honours follows a similar path, covering the same modules, but also fully equips students for transfer directly to the third year of the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MD) programme at the University’s overseas partner, the University of Malta. Students enrolled on these courses can also undertake a professional placement year in the industry or a study abroad year at one of Westminster’s partner institutions.

Dr Mohammed adds: “I am very grateful for the Westminster support. The teams at the University of Westminster have a well-established international reputation in scientific research and my colleagues here include world-leading scholars. Furthermore, the University has top-class facilities for Microbiology research and I have my own research laboratory that includes all laboratory equipment required for my research work.”

Explore all Westminster courses in Clearing.