Dr Sawsan Khuri (she/her)

About me:

Sawsan’s non-linear career path spans academia and entrepreneurship. She started her scientific journey at the lab bench working on plant physiology and biochemistry (PhD, University of London), then moved to computational analysis of protein evolution (Postdoc, University of Reading) and from there into functional genomics in the context of medical sciences (Staff, University of Miami, FL, USA).

Sawsan developed and delivered the first full-credit undergraduate and postgraduate taught modules in bioinformatics at universities in three countries:

• American University of Beirut, Lebanon (2002),
• University of Miami, FL, USA (2003-2016) where she also established their bioinformatics analysis core facility, and
• United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi (2010-2011, UAE).

She became the Director of Engagement for the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing at UM in 2012, where she worked across the whole university breaking down disciplinary barriers, reaching out to business, and launching initiatives to encourage girls and women into STEM. Sawsan established Team Science education and training provisions at UM, and won a Leadership Award in 2014. Her most favourite accomplishment is being featured in the Super Cool Scientists Coloring Book (Sara MacSorely, 2017).

Here at the University of Exeter, Sawsan is a part-time Education and Scholarship Lecturer in Medical Sciences, where she co-leads the Medical Genetics module, is the Academic Lead for the Medical Sciences Study Abroad programme, delivers Team Science curricular interventions for several modules, and plays an active role in Academic Tutoring. She is a Senior Fellow of the HEA and a PRP mentor and assessor with the Academic Development team. Sawsan is Lead co-Chair of the Education and Training Special Interest Group of the US-based International Network for the Science of Team Science.

See below for how Sawsan keeps busy when not at the university. 

For more, please find and follow her on LinkedIn.

Qualifications:

• BSc (Hons) University of Reading
• PhD University of London
• Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA)
• Design Thinking certification, IDEO-U
• Psychological First Aid certification, Johns Hopkins via Coursera
• Science Communication Masterclass certification, UWE (Bristol)