Contact

• workRoom B90F Medical School Flloor B
  Queen's Medical Centre
  Nottingham
  NG7 2UH
  UK
• Wajeeha.Aziz@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

Professor of Science and Innovation, Nottingham Medical School

MBBS, PhD (Dist.), MSc (Dist.), SFHEA, FAcadMEd

Professor Wajeeha Aziz is the Professor of Science and Innovation at Nottingham Medical School, where she spearheads the strategic integration of biomedical advancement and evidence-based innovation into clinical practice across all years of the medical curriculum. A Fellow of the Academy of Medical Educators (FAcadMEd) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Professor Aziz is an influential academic leader specialising in the design of high-impact, integrated curricula that develop holistic, clinically-adept, and resilient practitioners. With a clinical background and a PhD in Neuroscience with distinction, she brings a formidable depth of expertise to academic management and a proven track record of pioneering inclusive learning environments. Professor Aziz previously served as Associate Professor and Interim Director of PGT Medical & Clinical Education at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) as well as Lead for Simulation in Clinical Practice.

Expertise Summary

Research Summary

Professor Aziz's research portfolio is uniquely interdisciplinary, bridging advanced laboratory neuroscience with transformative medical pedagogy. Her work is organised into three core pillars:

• Curriculum & Pedagogy: Professor Aziz focuses on "Science in Practice," developing longitudinal frameworks to ensure that the scientific foundations of medicine remain clinically relevant and applicable throughout medical training. She investigates innovative pedagogical tools, including simulation-based education and digital platforms like TikTok, to enhance student engagement and knowledge retention.
• Health Inequalities & EDI: As a leader in inclusive practice, Professor Aziz conducts research into diversifying and decolonising medical curricula. Her recent work investigates mental health inequalities for marginalised groups, the impact of socioeconomic status on medical school admissions, and the intersectional experiences of academics of colour.

• Basic and Clinical Neuroscience: Building on her doctoral research, Professor Aziz maintains an active interest in the cellular mechanisms of memory as well as significant research focus on the molecular and cellular foundations of neurodegenerative diseases.

• Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that medical education must transcend the traditional siloed approach that separates "basic science" from "clinical practice." I champion a curriculum where scientific principles are not merely subjects for rote memorisation, but are the living, breathing foundations of every clinical decision. By dismantling the artificial barrier between the laboratory and the bedside, I empower students to become holistic practitioners who understand the "why" behind the "what."

I am committed to fostering a global vision within my students, ensuring they appreciate the diverse social, scientific, and intersectional determinants of health. Central to my approach is the creation of an inclusive curriculum where equity is embedded by design. Through the integration of complex science with real-world application and simulation, I aim to cultivate resilience and critical thinking, preparing the next generation of doctors to be scientifically rigorous, culturally competent, and prepared for the evolving challenges of modern healthcare.

Key Highlights

• Current Role: Professor of Science and Innovation, Nottingham Medical School.

• Key Expertise: Dementia Research, Synaptic Plasticity, Integrated Curriculum Design, EDI Leadership.

• Awards: BSMS EDI Award (2024), Alzheimer's Society PhD Studentship (2018), Travel Fellowships (NIPS Japan).

Teaching Summary

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that medical education must transcend the traditional siloed approach that separates "basic science" from "clinical practice." I champion a curriculum where scientific principles are not merely subjects for rote memorisation, but are the living, breathing foundations of every clinical decision. By dismantling the artificial barrier between the laboratory and the bedside, I empower students to become holistic practitioners who understand the "why" behind the "what."

I am committed to fostering a global vision within my students, ensuring they appreciate the diverse social, scientific, and intersectional determinants of health. Central to my approach is the creation of an inclusive curriculum where equity is embedded by design. Through the integration of complex science with real-world application and simulation, I aim to cultivate resilience and critical thinking, preparing the next generation of doctors to be scientifically rigorous, culturally competent, and prepared for the evolving challenges of modern healthcare.

Teaching & Academic Leadership Roles

• Professor of Science and Innovation (Year 2 Lead) | Nottingham Medical School Leading the strategic integration of biomedical science and clinical innovation within the Year 1 and 2 curriculum to ensure scientific foundations are directly applicable to holistic clinical practice.

• Interim Director of PGT Medical and Clinical Education | Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) Oversaw the strategic direction, quality assurance, and delivery of the postgraduate taught portfolio in medical education.

• Inclusive Curriculum and EDI Lead | Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) pioneered the decolonisation of the medical curriculum and led initiatives to embed equality, diversity, and inclusion across all years of study to support a diverse student body.

• Course Lead: PGCert Simulation in Clinical Practice | Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) Designed and managed the postgraduate certification focusing on high-fidelity simulation and interprofessional learning to enhance clinical safety and critical thinking.

• Course Lead Diabetes in Primary Care | Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) Led specific primary care modules, facilitating high-level clinical debates and case-based learning to bridge the gap between theory and community-based practice.

• Academic Supervisor (PhD, MSc, and Undergraduate) Supervising research projects across neuroscience and medical education, focusing on student feedback, mental health inequalities, and synaptic plasticity.

Research Summary

• Publications

• Aziz, W. (First Author). Using student feedback for the evaluation of teaching: a cross-sectional study of postgraduate faculty at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. In Prep

• Shepherd, S., Butler, C., & Aziz, W. (2025). Does Socioeconomic Status Influence Medical School Applications and Success in Taking up a Place: A Retrospective Cohort Study in England from the 2022 Admission Cycle. DMEG 2025.

• Lacey, H., Donetto, S., Price, J., & Aziz, W. Beyond the Hype: A Scoping Review of TikTok's Potential and Pitfalls in Clinical Education. Clinical Teacher (Submitted).

• Aziz, W. What are the perceived challenges faced by black and minority ethnic communities in maintaining optimal mental health and wellbeing? A qualitative study in Southeast England. (In Prep - Corresponding Author).

• Aziz, W., Bascombe, K., Butler, C., et al. (2024). Decolonising the physician associate curriculum through interprofessional educational collaboration at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. MedEdPublish (Poster).

• Qi, Z., Aziz, W., and Butler, C. (2024). Medical educator's attitudes and experiences of teaching clinical skills online to undergraduate medical students: Learning from COVID 19 and future implications. MedEdPublish (Poster).

• O'Bryan, M., & Aziz, W. (2023). Intercultural Competence Education for Health Workers: A Tool for National and Global Health Equity. AMEE Glasgow.

• Aziz, W. (2023). "Finding the blind spots in EDI": Intersectionality is the only way to nurture academics of colour. Times Higher Education.

• Aziz, W. (2023). Intersectionality and nurturing people of colour. (Podcast).

Neuroscience, Dementia & Alzheimer's Research

• Winchester, G., Steele, O. G., Liu, S., Maia Chagas, A., Aziz, W., & Penn, A. C. (2024). Reproducible supervised learning-assisted classification of spontaneous synaptic waveforms with Eventer. Frontiers in Neuroinformatics.

• Elmasri, M., Hunter, D., Winchester, G., Aziz, W., et al. (2022). Common synaptic phenotypes arising from diverse mutations in the human NMDA receptor subunit GluN2A. Communications Biology.
• Elmasri, M., Lotti, J. S., Aziz, W., Steele, O. G., et al. (2022). Synaptic Dysfunction by Mutations in GRIN2B: Influence of Triheteromeric NMDA Receptors on Gain-of-Function and Loss-of-Function Mutant Classification. Brain Sciences.
• Aziz, W., et al. (2019). Multi-input Synapses, but Not LTP-Strengthened Synapses, Correlate with Hippocampal Memory Storage in Aged Mice. Current Biology.

• Fang, T., Kasbi, K., Rothe, S., Aziz, W., & Giese, K. P. (2017). Age-dependent changes in autophosphorylation of alpha calcium/calmodulin dependent kinase II in hippocampus and amygdala after contextual fear conditioning. Brain Research Bulletin.

• Tiwari, S. S., Mizuno, K., Ghosh, A., Aziz, W., et al. (2016). Alzheimer-related decrease in CYFIP2 links amyloid production to tau hyperphosphorylation and memory loss. Brain.

• Aziz, W., Kraev, I., Stewart, M. G., & Giese, K. P. (2015). Generation of multi-innervated dendritic spines as a novel mechanism of long-term memory formation. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.

• Wang, W., Nakadate, K., Masugi-Tokita, M., Shutoh, F., Aziz, W., et al. (2014). Distinct cerebellar engrams in short-term and long-term motor learning. PNAS.

• Aziz, W., Wang, W., Kesaf, S., Mohamed, A. A., Fukazawa, Y., & Shigemoto, R. (2013). Distinct kinetics of synaptic structural plasticity, memory formation and memory decay in massed and spaced learning. PNAS.