معرفی
Dr. Tess Phillips serves as Senior Lecturer and Programme Director for Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry at Keele University's School of Chemical and Physical Sciences within the Faculty of Natural Sciences. She additionally holds the strategic role of EDI Lead for the entire Faculty, driving institutional diversity initiatives while maintaining her part-time academic schedule.
Her academic foundation includes a Masters in Natural Sciences (Chemistry) and PhD from the University of Cambridge, where she researched palladium-catalyzed reactions in carbon dioxide under Prof. Andrew Holmes. Professional experience spans medicinal chemistry at Astex Technology (oncology drug discovery) and postdoctoral research at the University of Manchester prior to her 2013 appointment at Keele.
Research focuses on synthetic organic chemistry and fragment-based drug discovery for medicinal applications, complemented by innovative teaching methodologies. She pioneers authentic medicinal chemistry experiences through simulated drug-design scenarios and is a core member of the award-winning Keele TBL group that implements Team-Based Learning across curricula.
Publication analysis reveals dual scholarly trajectories: medicinal chemistry research (oral drug delivery systems, alkaloid synthesis) and education scholarship (active learning techniques, problem-solving pedagogy). This interdisciplinary output reflects her unique industry-to-academia transition and commitment to evidence-based teaching.
- Co-chaired School of Chemical and Physical Sciences EDI Committee (2017-2022)
- Created 'Faces of Science' diversity installation in Central Science Laboratories
- Led departmental Athena Swan submissions to Bronze (2018) and Silver (2024) awards
- Organized faculty promotion support events and writing retreats
As Programme Director, she supervises undergraduate and postgraduate research projects (BSc/MChem) in chemistry and medicinal chemistry while shaping degree pathways that integrate industrial drug discovery perspectives. Her current scholarship bridges synthetic chemistry innovation with educational technology to enhance student problem-solving capabilities.
