Rate My Professor Sheila Amici-Dargan

Professor Sheila Amici-Dargan is Professor of Life Sciences Education in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol, where she serves as Head of Pathway 3 and leads the Learning and Teaching Team. She holds a PhD in Biophysics, a BSc, a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE) awarded by the University of Bristol in 2012, and a Level 7 module in educational theory and research completed at Cardiff University in 2019. Recognized as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), she previously worked at Cardiff University from 2009 to 2019 in collaboration with Professor Stephen Rutherford on educational research interests and served as Education Theme Lead for The Physiological Society from 2016 to 2020. She teaches neuroscience and physiology to undergraduate biology students.

Amici-Dargan's research career began in physiology and neuroscience, investigating topics such as NMDA receptor roles in synaptic plasticity, IP3-mediated calcium signals, and kainate receptor antagonists, with highly cited publications including 'Differential roles of NR2A and NR2B-containing NMDA receptors in LTP and LTD in the CA1 region of two-week old rat hippocampus' (2007, Neuropharmacology) and 'Buffer Kinetics Shape the Spatiotemporal Patterns of IP3-Evoked Ca2+ Signals' (2003, The Journal of Physiology). Her current focus is on the scholarship of teaching and learning, particularly enhancing assessment literacy, feedback practices, and self-regulation using the EAT framework, alongside online learning communities and cross-institutional communities of practice. Notable pedagogic works include 'Learner-generated podcasts: an authentic and enjoyable assessment for students working in pairs' (2023, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education), 'Student and staff perspectives of open-book versus closed-book assessments' (2021), 'Shadow Modules and Student-Led Online Learning Communities' (2020), and 'Developing a scale to explore self-regulatory approaches to assessment and feedback' (2024). She has presented extensively at national and international education conferences, established educational research seminar series, and delivered workshops on innovations like flipped and blended learning. As Outreach, Education, and Diversity Trustee for the Society for Experimental Biology, she contributes to projects like EAT-Erasmus, promoting student agency and feedback engagement in higher education.