Lorna Linch looking at the camera in outdoor gear in the mountains

Meet Dr Lorna Linch

Lorna Linch is course leader for Geography BSc(Hons), in this post we find out more about what she teaches, how she likes to teach and her research interests.

As well as being course leader for Geography BSc(Hons) I am involved in teaching several modules for the Geography and Environment courses from Foundation through to Masters level. My main teaching interests are in glacial and periglacial processes and geomorphology; palaeoglaciology and reconstructing Quaternary environments; glacial pollutants and contaminants; and sedimentology and micromorphology. Examples of some undergraduate modules I teach on are Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Earth Surface Processes, Ice Age Earth and The Frozen Planet.

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Urban model with building and roads

Fellowship for Senior Lecturer


Andrew Coleman, Senior Lecturer on the MSc Town Planning and Chartered Apprenticeship Degree, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Town Planning Institute.

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) is a leading membership organisation and a Chartered Institute responsible for maintaining professional standards and accrediting world class planning courses nationally and internationally. The organisation champions the power of planning in creating prosperous places and vibrant communities. Fellowship is one of the highest professional attainments available to a planner and Fellows must have made a major personal contribution to the planning profession for the benefit of the public.

Andrew Coleman headshot

Andrew Coleman’s research reflects a deep specialism in environmentalism and how to manage the risk of flooding through the planning system. He has contributed to government, government agency and research organisation projects and gained a wide range of experience, from working in private and public sectors, including in academia, as well as practising internationally, in Trinidad and Tobago. He is co-author of guidance on delivering better water management through the planning system and also a board member of the University of Brighton’s Centre for Earth Observation Science.

Speaking about the Fellowship Andrew Coleman said, “I am very honoured to be elected as Fellow of the RTPI. Ever since joining the RTPI, I have retained a profound belief that planning can deliver a better present and future for people and the environment.

“Pursuing this objective is becoming even more urgent given the climate and biodiversity crises facing the world. In my current teaching, research, RTPI and environmental activist roles, I am dedicated to equipping current and future planners with the tools to meet these challenges and my election as a Fellow demonstrates the importance that the RTPI places on addressing these issues.”

Dr Simon Jeffs close up outside looking at the camera to the side and smiling

Meet Dr Simon Jeffs

Dr Simon Jeffs is Admissions Tutor for our Pharmacy MPharm and Pharmacy MPharm with preparatory year courses.

My journey to teaching
I came to teaching by a very roundabout route via zoology, parasitology, a PhD on tapeworms and 20 years developing HIV vaccines! This has given me a comprehensive knowledge of all types of pathogens and how to control them.

I started teaching medical and postgraduate virology students at Imperial College London then transferred to Brighton.

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Bhavik Patel in lab

Brighton professor voted among top 100 science leaders and influencers of the last decade

An award-winning Brighton professor who has inspired thousands of students has been recognized as one of the top 100 leaders and influencers in analytical science over the past decade.

Bhavik Patel, Professor of Clinical and Bioanalytical Chemistry in the School of Applied Sciences at University of Brighton, has been included in The Analytical Scientist’s 2023 Power List

Nominated by readers of The Analytical Scientist and then selected by an expert panel of judges, this year’s list celebrates “Ten Years of Excellence and Impact in Analytical Science” and coincides with the publication’s 10-year anniversary. Bhavik has been specifically recognised as one of the top 25 mentors and educators over the last ten years.

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Illustration of man with speech bubble saying 'can I tell you something'

Brighton research reveals hidden sexual abuse of men and barriers to seeking support

University of Brighton researchers have investigated what prevents men reporting incidents of unwanted sexual contact and seeking support in new report.

Exploring this overlooked area of sexual abuse, the MUSE (Men’s Unwanted Sexual Experiences) project uncovered not just the extent of the problem but the reluctance of many victims to report incidents through formal routes – such as the police or a GP – as well as the challenges of seeking informal support from family and friends. Research revealed that a key barrier was the perception held by many that unwanted sexual experiences happen to and impact women, and not men.

Dr Carl Bonner-Thompson, senior lecturer at the University of Brighton’s School of Applied Sciences, is one of the researchers behind the project in collaboration with the Male Survivors Partnership and Mankind UK. Alongside University of Brighton colleagues Dr Kirsty McGregor and Dr Jason Preston, Dr Bonner-Thompson interviewed a number of men in both the south-east and north-east of England as part of the project.

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People taking part in water sampling training on the quay at Chichester Harbour

Research into marine littering from abandoned fibreglass boats

Steady progress is being made on a collaborative community project steered by the University of Brighton. The research – titled Protecting inland coastal waters through innovative citizen science: participatory action-research on end-of-life fibreglass boats – is evidencing end of life and abandoned boats in and around the Chichester Harbour environs.  Led by aquatic ecotoxicologist Dr Corina Ciocan and community water resources practitioner Dr Mary Gearey the aim of the research is to document marine littering from fibreglass boats in poor repair.

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Dr Lorna Linch up a snowy mountain

Winter Skills in the Scottish Highlands

Dr Lorna Linch, Principal Lecturer in Earth Science and expert in all things icy at the University of Brighton, has taken part in a 5-day Winter Skills training course in the Scottish Highlands. The aim of the course is to learn and develop core winter skills required for mountain walking under winter conditions whilst undertaking ascents of the mountains in and around the Cairngorms.

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Group of scientific researchers in genomics lab

New research centre puts Brighton at cutting edge of the fight against disease

A new UK hub for the development of new and innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease has opened its doors at the University of Brighton.

The Centre for Precision Health and Translational Medicine brings together experts from a range of fields including biomedicine, engineering, mathematics, computer science and social science to develop new approaches to healthcare. Using the latest technology and techniques such as genome editing and stem cell modification, the centre aims to advance the delivery of personalised, proactive and predictive healthcare, tailored to the needs of individual patients.  

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Dr Louise MacKenzie

Dr Louise MacKenzie is course leader for Biomedical Science  BSc(Hons), Biomedical Science MSci and Biomedical Science BSc(Hons) (with integrated foundation year).

Louise Mackenzie head shotTell us about the subject areas you teach at undergraduate level?
I teach on the Biomedical Science course, which covers human biology, pathophysiology and diagnostics used to help guide NHS hospitals to treat patients. The areas that I teach on are mostly the biochemistry and pharmacology aspects that help towards your understanding of Biochemistry and Blood Sciences.

What are some examples of activities that students in your subject area participate in during their studies?
A great deal of time is spent learning laboratory skills. The practical’s cover a great deal of topics, and its an opportunity to put theory into practice, and get to experience what it is like to work in a laboratory environment.
We have great contacts at the local hospital, and you will have guest speakers come and talk about Biomedicine from a range of backgrounds. Continue reading “Dr Louise MacKenzie”