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Dr Wajeeha Aziz

Dr Wajeeha Aziz

Dr Wajeeha Aziz (MBBS, MSc (Clin Ed), PhD, PGCertHE, PGDip Med Ed, SFHEA, MAcadMEd)

Senior Lecturer in Medical Education
E: w.aziz@bsms.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)1273 644125
Location: Watson Building, Room 344b, University of Brighton Falmer Campus, BN1 9PH

Area of expertise: Medical education and pedagogy, Research methods, Memory mechanisms in health and disease, Synaptopathies, neurodegenerative diseases, dementia, Human genetic mutations in glutamate receptors, Decolonising and diversifying medical curriculum, Inclusive pedagogies,
EDI Award 2023 winner.

Research areas: Pedagogy of Learning and teaching in Medical Education, Neuroscience 

Other roles: Dissertation Supervisor MSc Clinical and Medical Education, Inclusive Practice and Curriculum lead (PGt), Department Rep for Research Governance and Ethics Committee, School rep Equality Diversity and Staff Development Committee, External examiner, Anglia Ruskin University

Preferred gender pronouns: She/her

Biography

  • Senior Lecturer in Medical Education, Brighton and Sussex Medical School
  • Senior Research Fellow, Sussex Neuroscience, University of Sussex
  • Research Fellow, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London
  • Research Associate, National Institute of Physiological Sciences, Japan

Education and Scholarship

  • MSc in Clinical Education, Brighton and Sussex Medical School (Distinction)
  • PhD Neuroscience National Institute of Physiological Sciences, Japan
  • MSc Physiology, National Institute of Physiological Sciences, Japan
  • MBBS Punjab University, Pakistan.

Research

Dr Aziz has vast experience of research in life sciences with enhanced skills in electron microscopy, high-resolution imaging and electrophysiology. Dr Aziz's research has been published in several peer-reviewed journals. Her current research interest as a medical educator focuses on developing inclusive curriculum strategies through staff/student partnership and developing best practices in utilising student feedback.

Research focus:

  • Medical and Clinical Education
  • Inclusive Curriculum
  • Synaptic structural plasticity
  • Short and long-term motor learning
  • Novel mechanisms of long-term Hippocampal memory
  • Molecular mechanisms of Aging
  • Human Genetic mutations in glutamate receptors

Research methods:

  • Quantitative and Qualitative medical research
  • High resolution Electron microscopy
  • Molecular biology
  • Organotypic slice electrophysiology
  • Behavioural Neuroscience

Current research interest:

  • Student feedback and evaluation of teaching in Postgraduate medical education
  • Blended inclusive curriculum in medical education
  • Intercultural competence

Teaching

Dr Aziz is the course lead for PGCert Simulation in Clinical Practice and an academic supervisor in clinical education. She has been a supervisor for both PhD and master’s students, as well as a tutor to undergraduate students on several courses. She is very passionate about teaching and enhancing student experience through active engagement. In 2018, she did a post-graduation certification in higher education and became very interested in reflective teaching practices and blended learning. Dr Aziz is also a Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and a member of Academy of Medical Educators. Wajeeha is the winner of BSMS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award 2022.

Selected publications

Qi Z, Aziz W and Butler C. Medical educator’s attitudes and experiences of teaching clinical skills online to undergraduate medical students: Learning from COVID 19 and future implications , MedEdPublish 2024, 14:107 (poster) (https://doi.org/10.21955/mep.1115527.1)

Reproducible supervised learning-assisted classification of spontaneous synaptic waveforms with Eventer. Winchester Giles , Steele Oliver G. , Liu Samuel , Maia Chagas Andre , Aziz Wajeeha , Penn Andrew C.
Frontiers in Neuroinformatics vol 18 .2024

Decolonising the Physician Associate curriculum through interprofessional educational collaboration at Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Aziz W, Bascombe K, Butler C et al. MedEd publish 2024 (Under review)

Medical Educator’s Attitudes and Experiences of Teaching Clinical Skills Online to Undergraduate Medical Students:  Learning from COVID-19 and Future Implications.  Ziqiao Qi, Wajeeha Aziz, Ceri Butler AMEE 2024, Basel   

De-Colonising Physician Associate curriculum through interprofessional educational collaboration. Khawla Ahmed, Kate Bascombe, Ceri Butler, Wajeeha Aziz. Antiracism in Healthcare Conference. Brighton and Sussex Medical School, 2024

Intersectionality and nurturing people of colour. 2023 Podcast. Listen here >

Intercultural Competence Education for Health Workers: A Tool for National and Global Health Equity. Matthew O'Bryan, Wajeeha Aziz. AMEE 2023 Glasgow

Intersectionality is the only way to nurture academics of colour. 2023. timeshighereducation.com/campus/intersectionality-only-way-nurture-academics-colour. 

Synaptic Dysfunction by Mutations in GRIN2B:Influence of Triheteromeric NMDA Receptors on Gain-of-Function and Loss-of-Function Mutant Classification. Brain Sci. 2022, 12, 789. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12060789. Elmasri, M.; Lotti, J.S.; Aziz, W.; Steele, O.G.; Karachaliou, E.; Sakimura, K.; Hansen, K.B.; Penn, A.C.

Common synaptic phenotypes arising from diverse mutations in the human NMDA receptor subunit GluN2A. M. Elmasri, D. Hunter, G. Winchester, W. Aziz, E. Bates, D. Moolenaar Van Der Does, E. Karachaliou, K. Sakimura, A.C. Penn bioRxiv 2020.08.06.240010; doi:https://doi.org/10.1101/2020. 08.06.240010.

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