Biography
Dr Sharron Vass BSc (Hons) PhD SFHEA , Programme Leader MSc Biomedical Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland, UK.
Research Interests
My PhD studies were completed at the Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh (2005). My research involved investigating the stability of the cohesion complex, the molecular ‘glue’ that holds chromosomes together during the cell cycle. This work contributed to a rapidly expanding field and has been cited more than 200 times.
My post-doctoral research was undertaken at the Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, where I was investigating the role of metalloproteinase enzymes in cell migration processes. I developed novel microscopy techniques for visualising the formation of developing blood vessels in live zebrafish embryos and was invited to teach a 5-day course on these techniques at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.
In 2014, I was appointed as a lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at Edinburgh Napier University and established my own research interests initially focusing on the molecular pathways regulating cell migration in highly migratory melanoma cells. In collaboration with Dr Usama Ammar, a synthetic chemist, this work has been extended to investigate novel small molecule inhibitors in drug resistant melanoma. More recently, I have been instrumental in developing new application methodologies to investigate the toxicity of vaping fluids on human lung epithelial cells. The toxicology of vaping fluids is of primary public health concern, particularly as these products are targeted at young adolescents.
Academic Leadership
I attained Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in 2015, and Senior Fellowship in 2022. Widening participation and skills-development within the HE landscapes has been of my key areas of expertise, and I have led several projects to enhance student experience and improve graduate outcomes. I have been invited to present these findings at the UK Advising & Tutoring and Enhancement Themes conferences (2022).
In 2018 I was appointed Programme Leader for the MSc Biomedical Sciences in Hong Kong, which is offered in conjunction with our partner organisation HKU SPACE. This MSc programme is recognised by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority and is the leading international provider of MSc Biomedical Sciences provision in Hong Kong. I have extensive trans-national educational experience including external examining, validation panel membership, and delivered teaching and assessment materials in Sri Lanka, Singapore and Hong Kong
Skills- development and graduate employability is at the heart of what ENU does best, and I work closely with employers to ensure that future recruitment and skills needs are met through curriculum development and CPD provision.
Public engagement promoting science and STEM careers is something I am very passionate about, and I’ve been an invited speaker at a number of PE events including An Afternoon of Science, Soap Box Science (where I stood on a soap box in central Edinburgh and talked about placentas), and Monster Confidence – a event aimed to encourage young women into STEM careers.