Caroline Bowsher

Caroline Bowsher is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at the University of Manchester, where she serves in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Function. She is also the Academic Lead for Digital Learning Environment in the Office of the President and Vice Chancellor. Dr. Bowsher belongs to the Plant Science research group at the University of Manchester.

Dr. Bowsher obtained a First Class Honours degree in Botany at Manchester University, followed by a PhD (SERC/CASE) investigating 'Nitrite reduction and Carbohydrate Oxidation in pea root plastids' under joint supervision of Mike Emes (Manchester University) and Derek Hucklesby (Long Ashton Research Station). Her academic journey continued with a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Guelph in Canada, a Research Associate position in the Department of Cell and Structural Biology at the University of Manchester, and a Royal Society Pickering Research Fellowship before her appointment as a lecturer.

Dr. Bowsher's research focuses on plant metabolism, particularly the regulation of and interrelationship between carbohydrate metabolism and nitrate assimilation in non-photosynthetic plastids and within whole plants. Her work encompasses several key areas including the isolation and analysis of distinct plastid populations using proteomics, the role of plastidic transporters in controlling substrate supply for carbohydrate oxidation and starch synthesis, protein import mechanisms into root plastids, protein phosphorylation as an integrative mechanism in amyloplasts, and transcriptional regulation of nitrate assimilation. Her research has significant implications for understanding plant productivity and developing strategies to help plants cope with environmental stresses such as drought and salinity.

Analysis of Dr. Bowsher's publication record reveals a consistent focus on plant biochemistry and metabolism, particularly concerning plastids, which are organelles unique to plants. Her research spans from fundamental biochemical mechanisms to broader implications for plant productivity and stress responses. The recurring themes in her work include Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system, wheat metabolism, and the intricate relationships between different metabolic pathways within plant cells.

• SEB Presidents Medal (1998)
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2015)
• Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2016)
• University of Manchester Teaching Excellence Award (2014-15)

Dr. Bowsher has been actively involved in pedagogical research and development, serving as Academic Lead for Digital Learning Environment. She completed a Developing Learning and Teaching PGCE in 2005 and has integrated educational frameworks such as the Technology, Content, Pedagogy Knowledge (TCPK) framework and Bruce's 7 faces of information literacy into her teaching practice. Her project "Pedagogic Activities in Molecular and Cellular Function" demonstrates her commitment to enhancing teaching methods within her division. Dr. Bowsher's educational philosophy emphasizes constructivist approaches, learner-centered environments, and the Ecology of Resources framework to support student learning.

Dr. Bowsher is an active member of the Plant Science research group at the University of Manchester (http://www.ls.manchester.ac.uk/research/themes/plantscience). Her research team investigates various aspects of plant metabolism with a particular focus on plastid function. Through collaborations with researchers like Goodacre, Lunn, and Johnson, her work spans biochemical, molecular, and systems-level approaches to understanding plant metabolism.