We are
priviledged and excited to be welcoming 2 new members of staff to our school
who will take an active part in all aspects of physiology in the context of
both teaching and research. So who
are they and what do they do?
Dr Nicola
King – Lecturer in Cardiac Physiology
Just prior
to joining Plymouth University I worked for five years at the University of New
England in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. I led and taught in a number
of modules including 2nd year physiology for nurses, biomedical
sciences, and BSc students and human nutrition for 2nd and 3rd
year students. I also gave lectures and facilitated problem based learning
tutorials for medical students. Before that I worked at the University of
Brunei Darussalam teaching mainly medical students and leading the team that
introduced a new degree in biomedical sciences. In contrast to this mix of
different subjects and courses, at Plymouth I will largely be teaching
cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology on the BSc Healthcare Science
(physiological sciences) course.
In addition
to teaching I carry out research investigating the role of amino acids and
small peptides in the heart and student attitudes to inquiry-oriented learning.
When the blood flow to the heart is stopped (ischaemia) and then restarted
(reperfusion) this can damage the cardiac muscle. Vulnerability to ischaemia
reperfusion injury increases as the heart ages and in the presence of
comorbidities. My most recent work has been studying how amino acids could help
to reduce ischaemia reperfusion injury in ageing hypertrophic (abnormally
enlarged hearts due to chronic hypertension) and normal hearts.
In my spare
time I like to play hockey as a goalkeeper. The photo below shows me lying down
on the job as per usual!
Dr Feisal Subhan – Lecturer in Biomedical Science
(Physiology)
After
spending 18 years in Hong Kong, I travelled to Newcastle upon Tyne to complete
my BSc (Hons) in Physiological Sciences and my PhD, in the Respiration and
Exercise Laboratory. I spent the next 17 years working in Pakistan, Saudi
Arabia and lastly Bahrain. I am happily married with three children, two of
them teenagers.
My main
area of research is on respiration and human physiology. I have worked on lung
function, lung inflammation (using exhaled nitric oxide), occupational lung
disease, dyspnoea measurement and reproducibility and recently heart rate
variability as a marker of autonomic function. The photo below was taken in
June 2014 when I had three A level students from the British School of Bahrain,
doing a work placement with me. I showed them some of the research we were
doing, and made them subjects, with their permission, of course.
I love
teaching physiology and science, and have been doing this for many years. I
have taught undergraduate and postgraduate students on various degrees and
courses. I have an interest in education and have been a workshop facilitator
and organizer during many International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS)
teaching workshops. From 2010 to 2013, I was an education committee member of
the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS).
I regularly
play squash and swim. I am an amateur gemmologist and I love spending time with
my family. We love to travel and we hope to enjoy this lovely part of the
country.
Welcome
Nicola and Feisal to the School of Biomedical & Healthcare Sciences; I am
sure that our students will make you very welcome and will be enthused by your
teaching and research that will enrich their study environment!
