Biography:Joanna Verran

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Short description: British microbiologist
Joanna Verran

FRSB
Alma materUniversity of Manchester (BSc, MSc, PhD)
AwardsAAAS Award for Public Engagement with Science (2019)
National Teaching Fellowship (2011)
Scientific career
InstitutionsManchester Metropolitan University
ThesisEffect of two potential sucrose-substitutes upon adherence and sucrose metabolism of Streptoccus mutans (1981)
Websitewww2.mmu.ac.uk/athena-swan/women-in-science-at-mmu/joanna-verran/

Joanna Verran FRSB is an Emeritus Professor of Microbiology and Head of Science Communication at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). She studies the interaction of microorganisms with inert surfaces. She was awarded the 2019 AAAS Award for Public Engagement with Science.

Early life and education

Verran studied maths, biology and chemistry at A-level.[1] She studied bacteriology and virology and the University of Manchester and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1977.[citation needed] She went on to earn a Master of Science (MSc) degree in 1978[2] followed by a PhD in 1981.[3][4] Her postgraduate research was based on Streptococcus mutans.[3]

Career and research

Verran works on the interactions of microorganisms with surfaces including food preparation surfaces, water pipes and dentures at Manchester Metropolitan University.[4] She has looked at the pathogenicity of Candida albicans and how it relates to stomatitis.[4] She recognised that the properties of surfaces affected the retention of cells, and began to investigated the topography and chemistry of surfaces.[5] She was the academic lead for a Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) LINK project that worked with Unilever, AstraZeneca, studying the impact of wear on the ability to clean food surfaces.[5] She developed atomic force microscopy to evaluate the attachment of microorganisms to work surfaces.[5] The project informed European Commission funded PathogenCombat, which informed small and medium-sized enterprises about food hygienic preparation.[5] She served as President of the International Biodeterioration Biodegradation Society between 2006 and 2009.[6]

Verran was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2011 and is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).[7][8] She was involved in the creation of the National Subject Profile in Microbiology.[9] She published An Atlas of Biodeterioration in 2013.[10] She contributed to Effective Learning in the Life Sciences: How Students Can Achieve Their Full Potential.[11]

Verran became interested in the intersection of science and the arts; supporting students to engage with different disciplines.[12][13][14][15] In 2009 Verran launched the Bad Bugs Book Club which looks to engage people with microbiology and infectious diseases.[16][17] The book club is open to the scientists and non-scientists.[16] She held a Bad Bugs Book Club at the British Science Association Science Communication Conference in 2015.[18] The book club was a case study in Science Communication: A Practical Guide for Scientists.[19] Verran has used zombies and vampires that can act as models of infectious diseases, and demonstrated the exhibit at Cheltenham Science Festival.[12][20] She has researched effective means of evaluating science communication.[4][21] She launched the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) science communication Master's program in 2016.[22] Verran has been involved with the Bradford Literature Festival and Manchester Children's Book Festival.[22] She has written for The Conversation.[23] She has explored how educational interventions can impact adolescent opinions of vaccinations.[24]

Awards and honours

Her awards and honours include:

  • 2019 AAAS Award for Public Engagement with Science[25]
  • 2011 National Teaching Fellowship from the HEA[12]
  • 2011 Society for Applied Microbiology Communications Award[26]
  • 2006 Society for General Microbiology Award for Innovation in Microbiology Education[4]

Personal life

Verran is married with two children.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Joanna Verran, Manchester Metropolitan University". https://www2.mmu.ac.uk/athena-swan/women-in-science-at-mmu/joanna-verran/. 
  2. ↑ Verran, Joanna (1978). In vitro studies on the potentially cariogenic properties of certain carbohydrates when incubated with Streptococcus mutans (MSc thesis). University of Manchester. OCLC 643390463. Copac 36391070.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Verran, Joanna (1981). Effect of two potential sucrose-substitutes upon adherence and sucrose metabolism of Streptoccus mutans (PhD thesis). University of Manchester. OCLC 643388314. Copac 36560129.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Profile, Manchester Metropolitan University". https://www2.mmu.ac.uk/shs/staff/profile/index.php?id=1986. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "REF Case study search". https://impact.ref.ac.uk/casestudies/CaseStudy.aspx?Id=39339. 
  6. ↑ "IBBS » Our History". http://ibbsonline.org/history/. 
  7. ↑ Bilham, Tim (2013-11-11). For the Love of Learning: Innovations from Outstanding University Teachers. Macmillan International Higher Education. ISBN 9781137334312. 
  8. ↑ Joanna Verran; Baker, Neil (2004). "The future of microbiology laboratory classes — wet, dry or in combination?". Nature Reviews Microbiology 2 (4): 338–342. doi:10.1038/nrmicro868. ISSN 1740-1534. PMID 15031732. 
  9. ↑ "National Subject Profile for higher education programmes in: Microbiology". https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/microbiologyfinal.pdf. 
  10. ↑ "IBBS » Atlas of Biodeterioration – Contents". http://ibbsonline.org/atlas-contents/. 
  11. ↑ Adams, David (2011-10-17). Effective Learning in the Life Sciences: How Students Can Achieve Their Full Potential. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780470661567. https://books.google.com/books?id=xsGnkYQ2gOAC&q=%22Joanna+Verran%22&pg=PA213. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 CELT MMU (2018-05-21), Joanna Verran talks about her experience of being a National Teaching Fellow, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auwe2xUhCSE, retrieved 2019-02-14 
  13. ↑ London LASER (2015-01-20), LL06 Joanna Verran, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fMRegy7qNc, retrieved 2019-02-14 
  14. ↑ "Mixed Cultures: Microbiology, art and design". http://gladhe.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Joanna-Verron.pdf. 
  15. ↑ "Learning the art of science". https://thebiologist.rsb.org.uk/biologist-opinion/159-biologist/opinion/1216-learning-the-art-of-science. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Bad bugs bookclub, Manchester Metropolitan University". https://www2.mmu.ac.uk/engage/what-we-do/bad-bugs-bookclub/. 
  17. ↑ Verran, Joanna (2013). "The bad bugs book club: science, literacy, and engagement". Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education 14 (1): 110–112. doi:10.1128/jmbe.v14i1.507. ISSN 1935-7877. PMID 23858362. 
  18. ↑ "Bad Bugs Book Club at the Science Communication Conference". https://www.britishscienceassociation.org/blog/bad-bugs-book-club. 
  19. ↑ Laura., Bowater (2012). Science communication : a practical guide for scientists. Yeoman, Kay.. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 9781118406663. OCLC 794973798. 
  20. ↑ "How to stop a zombie apocalypse – with science". https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/how-to-stop-a-zombie-apocalypse-with-science. 
  21. ↑ Redfern, James; Illingworth, Sam; Verran, Joanna (2016-06-07). "What does the UK public want from academic science communication?". F1000Research 5: 1261. doi:10.12688/f1000research.8815.1. ISSN 2046-1402. PMID 27347384. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Joanna Verran receives 2019 AAAS Award for Public Engagement with Science". https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/aaft-jvr012919.php. 
  23. ↑ "Joanna Verran". 30 March 2016. https://theconversation.com/profiles/joanna-verran-247377. 
  24. ↑ Amos, Martyn; Whitton, Nicola; Redfern, James; Crossley, Matthew; Verran, Joanna; Carolan, Kate (2018). "Impact of educational interventions on adolescent attitudes and knowledge regarding vaccination: A pilot study". PLOS ONE 13 (1): e0190984. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0190984. ISSN 1932-6203. PMID 29351325. Bibcode: 2018PLoSO..1390984C. 
  25. ↑ "Prolific Science Communicator Joanna Verran Receives 2019 AAAS Award for Public Engagement with Science". https://www.aaas.org/news/prolific-science-communicator-joanna-verran-receives-2019-aaas-award-public-engagement-science. 
  26. ↑ "Manchester Scientist wins Communications Award Labmate Online". https://www.labmate-online.com/news/news-and-views/5/manchester-metropolitan-university/manchester-scientist-wins-communications-award/17373. 



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