Role
Dr Ishwinder is a Module Leader for the Level 4 Practical Techniques in Biosciences module, a core module supporting students from across multiple degree pathways. Her teaching responsibilities include delivering hands-on laboratory techniques in biosciences. As a Placement Tutor and Personal Tutor, Dr Kaur provides academic and pastoral support to students from across the Biosciences. Ishwinder is also Theme Lead for Authentic and Engaging Teaching and Learning where she supports colleagues in developing their scholarship of teaching and learning. Dr Kaur also serves as Induction Lead for Biosciences, where she oversees Welcome Week planning and student transition initiatives.
Career overview
Dr Ishwinder Kaur joined NTU as a Senior Lecturer in Biosciences in 2019. She holds a Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, and completed her PhD and postdoctoral research at the University of Nottingham, contributing to several multidisciplinary health and life sciences projects.
Prior to academia, Ishwinder gained industry experience in regulatory affairs as a Drug Regulatory Affairs Scientist and Innovation Skin Scientist at Boots UK. This blend of academic and industrial expertise informs her interdisciplinary approach to teaching, curriculum design, and employability.
Ishwinder is also a certified coach (Quantum Success Coaching Academy, Institute for Integrative Nutrition) and actively seeks to embed coaching practices into higher education. Her work centres on fostering self-awareness, confidence, and emotional intelligence in students and staff.
Research areas
Dr Kaur’s previous doctoral and postdoctoral work at the University of Nottingham focused on understanding molecular mechanisms underpinning inflammation, immune modulation, and development of biochemical assays. Her projects involved:
- IPSE Protein (Schistosoma mansoni): Investigated the immunomodulatory effects of the IL-4-inducing protein IPSE, contributing to insights on host–parasite interactions and immune regulation. Investigated its structural properties and cellular uptake pathways, providing foundational insights for its use as a novel intracellular delivery system for RNA/DNA-based therapeutics.
- CNOT7 Deadenylase Inhibition: Designed and evaluated small-molecule inhibitors targeting deadenylase enzymes (e.g., CNOT7) as potential therapeutics for osteoporosis, bone regeneration.
- Von Willebrand Factor (vWF): Undertook the development of new single-molecule force spectroscopy techniques to investigate the unfolding mechanics of von Willebrand factor (vWF), elucidating how domain instability and mutations contribute to bleeding disorders and impaired clot formation.
Complementing her academic career, Dr Kaur also held applied research roles in industry. At Boots UK, she worked as an Innovation Skin Scientist, where she developed novel in vitro cell-based and biochemical assays to screen and validate the efficacy of anti-ageing active ingredients in skincare formulations.
Dr Kaur’s Current Scholarship and Research Interests involve
- Coaching and Resilience in Higher Education Developing coaching frameworks for building confidence and self-awareness in students and staff in HE.
- Embedding Coaching and Wellbeing in curriculum Designing assessments and learning environments that support emotional intelligence, belonging, and mental health—particularly through resilience toolkits, growth mindset, and employability integration.
- Authentic Assessment and Portfolio Scaffolding Investigating skills portfolio design and feedback practices across all academic levels to enhance students skills development, graduate attributes and critical reflection.
- Student–Staff Partnership and Co-Creation Involving students as collaborators in skills portfolio curriculum enhancement, coaching model development, and wellbeing interventions.
COIL project between Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and New Mansoura University (NMU), Egypt, funded by the British Council.
External activity
Beyond the classroom, Dr Kaur plays an active role in external engagement and collaborates with employers and industry partners to align biosciences teaching with real-world expectations. Dr Kaur works in close partnership with employers to co-design employer-led assessments that enhance the relevance and impact of students’ Skills Portfolio work.
Internally, Dr Kaur contributes actively to the TILT community, leading coaching-informed practice, inclusive pedagogy, and cross-disciplinary scholarship.
Publications
Ishwinder Kaur. 2025. Tackling mental health and building resilience in higher education.
Ishwinder Kaur, Gopal P. Jadhav, Peter M. Fischer, and Gerlof Sebastiaan Winkler. 2024. "Discovery of Substituted 5-(2-Hydroxybenzoyl)-2-Pyridone Analogues as Inhibitors of the Human Caf1/CNOT7 Ribonuclease" Molecules 29, no. 18: 4351. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29184351
Rayment, Sarah, Karin Garrie, Ishwinder Kaur, Gareth McVicker, Emma Storey, Jody Winter, Luigi A. De Girolamo et al. "Investigating student engagement and making science real during a pandemic: Bioskills at home, a case study." Education Sciences 12, no. 2 (2022): 106.
Gopal P. Jadhav, Ishwinder Kaur, Maryati Maryati, Blessing Airhihen, Peter M. Fischer, G. Sebastiaan Winkler. Discovery, synthesis and biochemical profiling of purine-2,6-dione derivatives as inhibitors of the human poly(A)-selective ribonuclease Caf1.
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters,Volume 25, Issue 19, 2015. Pages 4219-4224, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.07.095.
Maryati Maryati, Ishwinder Kaur, Gopal P. Jadhav, Loyin Olotu-Umoren, Blessing Oveh, Lubna Hashmi, Peter M. Fischer, G. Sebastiaan Winkler, A fluorescence-based assay suitable for quantitative analysis of deadenylase enzyme activity, Nucleic Acids Research, Volume 42, Issue 5, 1 March 2014, Page e30, https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkt972
Kaur I, Schramm G, Everts B, Scholzen T, Kindle KB, Beetz C, Montiel-Duarte C, Blindow S, Jones AT, Haas H, Stolnik S, Heery DM, Falcone FH. 2011.Interleukin-4-Inducing Principle from Schistosoma mansoni Eggs Contains a Functional C-Terminal Nuclear Localization Signal Necessary for Nuclear Translocation in Mammalian Cells but Not for Its Uptake . Infect Immun79: https://doi.org/10.1128/iai.01048-10
Course(s) I teach on
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Undergraduate | Full-time / SandwichCOURSE
Biochemistry - BSc (Hons)
https://www.ntu.ac.uk/course/science-and-technology/ug/bsc-hons-biochemistry
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Undergraduate | Full-time / Sandwichhttps://www.ntu.ac.uk/course/science-and-technology/ug/bsc-hons-biomedical-science