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Nigel Francis

Dr Nigel Francis

(he/him)

Senior Lecturer

School of Biosciences

Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

Understanding how our body defends against disease has been a passion ever since I spent a year working in the Nephrology Department at Heath Hospital in Cardiff during my undergraduate degree. This inspired me to undertake a PhD in immunology at the University of Birmingham, looking at rheumatoid arthritis before returning to Cardiff University as a postdoctoral researcher in complement biology.

More recently, my focus has shifted to enhancing immunology education. For my work in this area, I was awarded the British Society for Immunology’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2020, the Royal Society of Biology’s Higher Education Bioscience Teacher of the Year Award in 2021, and a National Teaching Fellowship from Advance HE in 2022. I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB) and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA).

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I helped found the #DryLabsRealScience network, which provides guidance and resources for bioscience academics looking to enhance laboratory-based teaching. Although established in the face of the pandemic, the innovative ideas shared will have a long-lasting impact on laboratory education. This network has now evolved to become Bioscience Education Scholarship and Teaching (BEST), helping to promote teaching excellence in the biosciences.

To facilitate the teaching of immunology and make it more accessible to a broader audience, I created Immunology Wars in collaboration with student partners, which explains immunology by aligning the components of the immune system to the characters of Star Wars. I have also helped create the Walles Immunology Teaching Toolkit, providing free resources, including simulations of immunological techniques and revision games.

More recently I have taken on the role of digital education lead withn the School and have developed a keen interest in the impact of Generative AI on Higher Education.

National Teaching Fellowship Badge

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2017

2015

2012

2011

2008

Cynadleddau

Erthyglau

Research

My main research is focused on enhancing immunology education through digital co-creation of learning and teaching resources. I firmly believe that students should be involved in creating resources to enhance their learning experience. I am particularly interested in the use of digital eLearning tools, including artificial intelligence, videos, and simulations.

These resources can be used for active learning in a flipped classroom, where content is provided before face-to-face teaching occurs. My research in this area looks at how students engage with the flipped learning approach and how to enhance the use of digital material.

Recently, I have started to explore the impact of Generative AI on assessment and feedback in biosciences.

I maintain an interest in immunology research, focusing on rheumatology and immunometabolism, which examines the role that different fuel sources play in immune cell function.

Teaching

Primary teaching focus

  • Immunology

Administrative Roles

  • Degree scheme lead for Biomedical Sciences
  • Deputy Lead for Assessment and Feedback
  • Lead for Digital Education
  • Week-long research experience coordinator
  • School of Biosciences AI Champion

Pedagogical Publications

Biography

I graduated from the University of Bath in 2004 with an MPharmacol (Masters in Pharmacology), having spent an intercalated research year in the Nephrology Department at Heath Hospital under the supervision of Professor Nick Topley. In 2008, I completed a PhD in immunology at the University of Birmingham in the lab of Professor Janet Lord, investigating the role of the iron-binding protein lactoferrin in neutrophil survival in rheumatic joints. I then returned to Heath Hospital, working for Professor Claire Harris in the Complement Biology Group, looking at the structure-function relationship of polymorphic variants of factor H.

In 2011, I moved to Swansea University Medical School, where I helped establish immunology teaching across all years of their undergraduate programmes. While at Swansea, I completed a PGCert in Teaching in Higher Education and acted in a wide range of administrative roles, including Deputy Programme Director for Biochemistry.

I re-joined Cardiff University in August 2021, where my teaching focuses on immunology provision.

I am an award-winning lecturer, having received Swansea University’s Excellence in Learning and Teaching Award and the British Society for Immunology’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2020. In 2021, I was honoured by the Royal Society of Biology for my work creating the #DryLabsRealScience network, winning their Higher Education Bioscience Teacher of the Year Award. In 2022, I was awarded my National Teaching Fellowship by Advance HE.

Honours and awards

  • 2024 - The National Teaching Repository for Global Reach and Impact.
  • 2023 - Nominated for a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE)
  • 2022 - National Teaching Fellowship
  • 2022 - Nominated for Biochemical Society Teaching Excellence Award
  • 2021 - Royal Society of Biology Higher Education Bioscience Teacher of the Year
  • 2020 - British Society for Immunology Teaching Excellence Award
  • 2020 - Swansea University Excellence in Learning and Teaching Award

Professional memberships

  • Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA)
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB)
  • Chartered Science Teacher (CSciTeach)
  • Member of the British Society for Immunology (BSI)

Academic positions

  • 2021 - present: Senior Lecturer, Cardiff University
  • 2011-2021: Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor, Swansea University
  • 2008-2011: Research Associate, Cardiff University

Speaking engagements

Selected recent speaking engagements:

  1. Francis, N.J. et al. (2024). Will Artificial Intelligence have transformed the curriculum of 2030? QAA Annual Conference 2024 (online). Invited plenary panel member.
  2. Francis, N.J. (2024). Addressing novel challenges to assessment for the Biosciences. Society for Experimental Biology Conference. Prague, Czech Republic. Invited speaker.
  3. Francis, N.J. (2024). Immunology Wars: Live – developing an educational mega game. JISC Connect More 2024 (online). Invited keynote.
  4. Francis, N.J. (2024). Assessments that encourage collaboration and not collusion - The importance of teamwork. International Connection Series. University of Waikato, New Zealand. Invited speaker.
  5. Francis, N.J. and Rutherford, S.R. (2024). How do we make group work assignments meaningful and engaging? FEBS Education and Training Conference. Antalya, Turkey. Invited workshop.
  6. Francis, N.J. and Rutherford, S.R. (2024). Assessment IS learning: Developing Student Self-Regulated Learning Through Assessment. FEBS Education and Training Conference. Antalya, Turkey. Invited plenary.
  7. Francis, N.J. and Smith, D.P. (2024). Process over product: Incorporating AI into assessment. Biochemistry Focus Webinar, The Biochemical Society (online). Invited speaker.
  8. Francis, N.J. (2023). Developing a community of practice during the pandemic. Education Conference, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia. Invited keynote.
  9. Ruckley, D., Wilkinson, T.S., and Francis, N.J. (2023). Developing and teaching with interactive virtual labs. Horizons in STEM 2023. Swansea
  10. Francis, N.J., Higgins, T., Dudley, E., Bodger, O. and Newton, P. (2023). Embedding retrieval practice in undergraduate Biochemistry teaching using PeerWise. Horizons in STEM 2023. Swansea.
  11. Francis, N.J., Smith, D.P. and Turner, I. (2023). Perfecting* Practical Pandemic Pedagogy (*Possibly). Improving University Teaching. Herriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
  12. Carss, W., Francis, N.J., Cook, S. and Cowie, B. (2023). Yeah-Nahh: Prioritising relationships or task content - student perspectives of group work. Assessment in Higher Education (AHE) International Conference. Manchester
  13. Francis, N.J., Ruckley, D., and Wilkinson, T.S. (2023). Simulations as an assessment for learning. Assessment in Higher Education (AHE) International Conference. Manchester
  14. Francis, N.J., Smith, D.P. and Turner, I. (2023). #DryLabsRealScience: Redefining Practical Pedagogy Post-Pandemic. International Society of Learning Sciences Annual Meeting. Montreal, Canada.
  15. Francis, N.J. (2023). Assessments that encourage collaboration and not collusion: The importance of group work. Interdisciplinary Network of Research-informed Assessment Practices (online). Invited speaker.
  16. Francis, N.J. (2023). Engaging students with the feedback process. International Federation of National Teaching Fellows 4th Global Seminar Series (online). Invited speaker.
  17. Francis, N.J. (2022). #DryLabsRealScience: lessons learnt teaching through a pandemic. Te Puna Aurei LearnFest. University of Waikato, New Zealand (online). Invited keynote.
  18. Francis, N.J., and Meddings, F. (2022). Student centred feedback practices. AHE Conference and Transforming Assessment Webinar. Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (online). Invited keynote and panel member.
  19. Francis, N.J., Smith, D.P., and Turner, I. (2022). Perfecting* Practical Pandemic Pedagogy (*Possibly). International Federation of National Teaching Fellows Symposathon (online). Invited keynote.
  20. Francis, N.J. et al. (2022). Introduction of 2022 National Teaching Fellows from the UK. International Federation of National Teaching Fellows Symposathon (online). Invited panel member.

Committees and reviewing

  • 2021 - present: British Society for Immunology Teaching Affinity Group - Chair
  • 2020 - present: Member of the RSB Biology Education Research Group (BERG)

Supervisions

I am available for supervision of self-funded students postgraduate interested in exploring:

  • Digital resources in Immunology/Biosciences
  • Use of videos and/or simulations in teaching

Current supervision

Constance Pritchard

Constance Pritchard

Teaching Associate

Engagement

British Society for Immunology Vaccine Ambassador