School of Medicine
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Gwen Hughes

Associate Professor (Physiology) and Course Lead for BSc (Hons) Medical Physiology & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

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Biography

Dr Gwen Hughes is an Associate Professor in Physiology within the School of Medicine, and the Course Lead for BSc (Hons) Medical Physiology and Therapeutics.

Gwen completed a BSc (Hons) in Physiology at Queen's University Belfast and PhD studies in the physiology and pharmacology focusing on the inherent smooth muscle activity and pharmacology of the lymphatic system, within the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences at the University of Ulster. She then undertook post-doctoral research in Breast Cancer before working as a Teaching Fellow in the School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Dundee where she taught, assessed and developed curricula for pre-clinical MBChB, BDS students and Physiology students, whilst continuing research interests.

Five years later she accepted post as Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer (Teaching) at the University of Abertay Dundee to continue applied physiological education approaches that could be diversified into primarily allied health related programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level. She set-up and led a cross Faculty degree, BSc (Hons) Health Sciences, and with the Tayside Institute of Health Studies extended health CPD study portfolio.

In 2004 she moved to Nottingham as a University Teacher in the School of Medicine tasked with creating active learning educational resources promoting contextualised, applied medical physiology and pathology understanding for the first cohort of Graduate Entry Medicine pre-clinical students. In 2010 she developed the BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science curriculum leading the course from first intake prior to its subsequent transformation into the current BSc (Hons) Medical Physiology & Therapeutics course.

Whilst holding responsibility in various leadership positions focused on enhancing student and educational experience, Gwen has been committed to helping others reach their potential and has been involved in internal and external outreach and widening participation initiatives for school pupils.

Expertise Summary

Her previous wet lab research research expertise has included techniques such isolated tissue wire and pressure myography, organ baths methods, microelectrode electrophysiological recordings in lymphatic smooth muscle, cell culture, immunohistochemistry and microscopy.

Current pedagogical interests include physiological science education in health and medical sciences, active and self- learning strategies towards academic and career skill development and authentic assessment.

Gwen has Fellowship status of The Physiology Society (2018), Institute of Biomedical Science (2013), and of Advance Higher Education (2002).

Teaching Summary

Gwen is a professional, enthusiastic Higher Education (HE) lecturer in physiological sciences across diverse scientific and medical disciplines. Committed to providing an excellent educational… read more

Selected Publications

Gwen is a professional, enthusiastic Higher Education (HE) lecturer in physiological sciences across diverse scientific and medical disciplines. Committed to providing an excellent educational experience, she was awarded a Lord Dearing Award in 2021 and acts as assessor for Teaching and Learning Observational College and provides longstanding Faculty and Physiology Society Staff Mentorship. She is University Representative for the Physiology Society also involved in Society Education and Teaching developments.

Since 2002, she has held External Examining duties for UK and overseas programmes including Medicine BMBS and MBChB programmes with and without Foundation Gateway Pathways, allied health professional and STEM courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Leadership positions

Course Lead for BSc (Hons) Medical Physiology and Therapeutics (2014 -)

Course Lead for BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science with and without a Foundation Year (2010-2014)

Quality Assurance Lead for Graduate Entry Medicine (2007-2011)

Examination officer (2016); Admissions Lead for BSc (Hons) Medical Physiology and Therapeutics (2016). Extenuating Circumstances Panel Chair (2018); Senior Tutor at the Royal Derby Hospital site (2006). Medical Physiology and Therapeutics alumni lead (2014-); School link for central University Primary and Partnership Widening Participation and Outreach events leading School Discovery Day Body and Health initiatives and public-facing events.

Personal Tutor for Graduate Entry Medicine and Medical Physiology and Therapeutics students, at all phases.

Module convening, teaching, learning and assessment

Module convenor for 4 x 20 credit modules on Graduate Entry Medicine and BSc (Hons) Medical Physiology and Therapeutics programmes. Physiological disciplines topics taught include haematology, cardiovascular, renal, endocrine and respiratory subject matter, in addition to academic and study skills.

Teaching, learning and assessment across 13 diverse Medicine and biomedical modules in the School (all study levels)

Respiratory Physiology Lead for pre-clinical Graduate Entry Medicine

Provision of undergraduate non-bench Hons research projects.

  • JOHNSON M, DANVERS E, HINTON-SMITH T, ATKINSON K, BOWDEN G, FOSTER J, GARNER K, GARRUD P, GREAVES S, HARRIS P, HEJMADI M, HILL D, HUGHES G, JACKSON L, O'SULLIVAN A, O'TUAMA S, BROWN PP, PHILIPSON P, RAVENSCROFT S, RHYS M, RITCHIE T, TALBOT J, WALKER D, WATSON J, WILLIAMS M and WILLIAMS S, 2019. Higher Education Outreach: examining key challenges for academics British Journal of Educational Studies. 67(4), 469-491
  • WHITE, BJO, WILKINSON, DJ and HUGHES, G, 2019. The benefits of a press release coursework for undergraduates Higher Education Pedagogies. 4(1), 244-255
  • GARRUD, P, HUGHES, G, GREAVES, S, MCCRACKEN S and DOYLE, J, 2018. ‘I’m a Medic’ – a web-based, social capital approach to health careers MedEdPublish. 7(4),
  • HUGHES GA, 2016. Friendly pharmacodynamics: a simple introduction Nurse Prescribing. 14(1), 34-43
  • HUGHES GA, 2014. A simple introduction to pharmacokinetics: Part II Nurse Prescribing. 12(11), 552-556
  • HUGHES GA, 2014. A simple introduction to pharmacokinetics: Part I Nurse Prescribing. 12(10), 497-503
  • ROBERTSON DAF, HUGHES GA and LYLES GA, 2004. Expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in cultured smooth muscle cells from rat mesenteric lymphatic vessels Microcirculation. 11, 503-515
  • COOK MJ, THOMPSON HSE, ADAMS CSG, ANGUS CS, HUGHES G and CARSON G, 2004. Situation Awareness: Human Factors and Situational Awareness in Fratricidal Air-to-Ground Attacks. In: VINCENZI DA, MOULOUA M and HANCOCK PA, eds., Human Performance, Situation Awareness and Automation Volume I, ed 1. Psychology Press (Taylor & Francis Group). 166-171
  • HUGHES GA and HARPER AA, 1999. The basis of the resting membrane potential in rat lymphatic smooth muscle in vitro J Physiol. 520P, 99P-100P
  • HUGHES GA, MCKERR G, ALLEN JM and BARNETT YA, 1996. Are retroviruses involved in the aetiology of human breast cancer? Cancer Letters. 103, 219-225
  • HUGHES GA, BARNETT YA and ALLEN JM, 1995. Detection of reverse-transcriptase in culture-medium for mammary-tumor cell-lines - a comparison of an established radio-labelling technique and a contemporary non-isotopic technique Br J Biomed Sci. 52, 2-8
  • HUGHES GA and ALLEN JM, 1993. Neural modulation of bovine lymph node contraction Journal of Experimental Physiology. 78, 663-674
  • THORNBURY KD, MCHALE NG, ALLEN JM and HUGHES GA, 1990. Nerve-mediated contractions of sheep mesenteric lymph node capsules J Physiol. 422, 513-522
  • THORNBURY KD, MCHALE NG, ALLEN JM and HUGHES GA, 1990. A comparison of the effects of field stimulation on the capsular smooth muscle of bovine and ovine lymph nodes Irish Journal of Medical Science. 159, 155-156
  • ALLEN JM, MCKILLOP JM, HUGHES GA, FOY WL and BUCHANAN KD, 1989. Neuropeptide Y in bovine mesenteric lymphatic vessels Regulatory Peptides. 26, 59

School of Medicine

University of Nottingham
Medical School
Nottingham, NG7 2UH

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