Role
Dr Leanne Timpson is a Lecturer in Microbiology in the Department of Biosciences at Nottingham Trent University. She is module leader for the Foundation Biology module. She teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate modules and supervises research projects. Leanne is Teaching and
Scholarship focused and explores specific pedagogical themes as part of her research.
Career overview
Leanne attained her PhD in Microbial Biotechnology from University College Dublin in 2011. During her PhD, Leanne focused on the production of novel enzymes from haloarchaeal microorganisms for biocatalytic applications. She published her findings in the journals Extremophiles and Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.
Leanne subsequently spent 5 years (2012-2017) working as a Fermentation Research Scientist for the Danish Biotech company, Novozymes. She then shifted her attention to Education. She held Associate Lecturer positions at the University of Lincoln and the University of Leicester (2015-2017) and was a Lecturer for 6 years in Further Education and Higher Education at Nottingham College (2017-2023). Leanne holds a Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training and QTLS status.
Research areas
Leanne’s position is Teaching and Scholarship focused. Her pedagogical research includes themes that have been inspired by her own experiences and professional interests.
These include:
- Methods for approaching work-like experience and enhancing student employability skills.
- Student transitions from Further Education to Higher Education.
- Interdisciplinary collaborative work between bioscience and creative
disciplines.
Leanne also supervises undergraduate and postgraduate scientific research projects. Her undergraduate projects focus on the antimicrobial effects of natural products. Her postgraduate projects have been inspired by her experience and interest in extremophilic microorganisms and are centred around bioplastic production from halophilic microorganisms.
External activity
Leanne is a member of the Microbiology Society, Advance HE and the Society for Education and Training. She is a STEM ambassador and participates in outreach activities at local schools and STEM events.