Rebecca Barnes

University Teacher - Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Profile

Dr Rebecca Barnes has always had an enormous love of science and imparting knowledge to others. She applied for a variety of PhDs before ending up in Glasgow to study the molecular biology of parasites, where she realised a passion for the academic environment. She was invited to help set up a lab as a postdoc by a young academic from the USA and so moved to the States, but the expectation and pressure made it a very stressful time.

She transitioned to a project in a different lab and got some good data but the failures of lab work and lack of publications began to get to her. Following suggestions from her PI, she began to teach and demonstrate at a nearby community college, which cemented a desire to find a teaching-focused university role going forward. She applied for a number of jobs in the USA and the UK, ending up at Sheffield.

Here, she relishes spending time with the students, supporting other academic colleagues and moving things forward in the department, having the time to direct her creative energies into more innovative teaching methods.

University of Sheffield staff profile

Even if you're having a tough time, there is bound to be something you can learn from that and bring it forward to a place where you’re really doing your best work and enjoying it.

Career timeline

2002

BSc(Hons) in Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Nottingham, UK.

2006

2006-2007

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University, USA.

2007

2007-2012

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Infectious Diseases, Yale University, USA.

2009

Speaker at Kinetoplastid Molecular Cell Biology Meeting, April 2009, Woods Hole, MA, USA.

2011

2011-2013

New Haven City Science Fair volunteer, New Haven, CT, USA.

2012

2012-2013

2013

2013 to present

2014

2015

Other author paper
Rodenko, B., Wanner, M.J., Alkhaldi, A.A.M., Ebiloma, G.U., Barnes, R.L., Kaiser, M., Brun, R., McCulloch, R., Koomen, G-J. and de Koning, H.P. (2015) Targeting the Parasite’s DNA with Methyltriazenyl Purine Analogs Is a Safe, Selective, and Efficacious Antitrypanosomal Strategy. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 59(11), 6708-6716.

2015 to present

MBB Teaching Executive Group.

2016

Senior Fellow of the HEA.

2016-2019

MEd Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.

2017

2017-2018

Science rep for University Task and Finish Group on the Virtual Learning Environment.

2018

2019

Talk at HEA STEM Conference 2019.