Elisabeth A. Seetharaman

Liz is an experienced Physiology teacher and researcher with an extensive background in Higher and Secondary Education. She has a significant track record in curriculum enhancement and pedagogical innovation, particularly for new schools and physiology in HE.

Background

Liz has a background in both higher education and fundamental physiology research. She made important contributions to the understanding to bone density as a Research Assistant for the Medical Research Council, based at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge.

Her background in HE includes leading and developing Human and Comparative Physiology programmes. Liz was Head of Biology at a secondary school for several years, and a regular visiting speaker for a local museum hosting schools. Student engagement and active learning are at the forefront of her approach.

Research interests

• Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC’s) and their impact on various (mainly calcified) tissues.
• Internalisation of plastic nanoparticles into cells, how this occurs and what impact this may have on various cell types.
• EDC toxicology and the impact on bone cells (current doctoral studies).

Teaching

• Introductory Human Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology for Nurses BSc and Foundation (Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine and Social Care).
• Human Anatomy and Physiology for BSc Biomedical Science (Faculty of Science and Engineering).
• Osteology, the systematic examination of animal museum specimens and models (Faculty of Science and Engineering).

Qualifications

• BSc Hons Biological Sciences (Environmental Toxicology & Biomedical Science) 1996 Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)
• PGCE 1998 (ARU)
• MPhil (intended) – 2007 Medical Research Council and ARU: A pilot study - Dietary fatty acid ratios (PUFA) and bone mineral content.
• Doctoral Student – Current: Plastic derived EDC toxicology and impact on bone cells in culture.

Memberships, editorial boards

• Member of the Royal Society of Biology
• Member of the Bioscience in Nurse Education (BiNE) development forum

Selected recent publications

Parsons, T. J., Prentice, A., Smith, E. A., Cole, T. J., Compston, J. E., 1996. Predictors of Bone Mass and Bone Mineral Consolidation in Young British Adults. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 11(2). A three year longitudinal study to monitor the effects of diet, physical activity and other lifestyle variable on bone density and total body composition in 80 young healthy adults.

Compston, J. E., Smith, E. A., Matthews, C., Schofield, P., 1994. -Whole Body Composition and Regional Bone Mass in Women with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus. Clinical Endocrinology, 41(3), pp. 289-93. A cross sectional study of 50 insulin dependent diabetic women aged between 40 and 65 to establish the effects of this chronic condition on the density of bone.