Dr Beatriz Lagunas

Assistant Professor

Email:

Phone: 024 24 761 24541

Office: B005

SLS Clusters

Cells & Development

Environment & Ecology

Plant & Agricultural Biosciences

Pedagogical Research

Warwick Centres and GRPs

Warwick Crop Centre

I believe that Higher Education’s role in society is a transition between the tasks related to study/practice and real-world application, extending beyond the traditionally considered working environment to the holistic activities of individuals in community/society. In addition, HE student cohorts are becoming more diverse: our institutions seem slow to adapt curricular changes to accommodate students with diverse backgrounds, or disabled students. This belief in proactively creating meaningful connections between Higher Education and the wider context, and privileging inclusivity, informs my teaching practice.

Multiple studies across the globe have detailed the barriers to access and success in HE. I believe that universities are evolving – and should continue to do so – from their traditional knowledge-based – elitist foundation; where various levels of privilege dictate access and success in HE, to more inclusive spaces where (i) knowledge is accessible to all, (ii) the learning process is continuous and is student-centred and (iii) diversity in representation is sought to maximise creative and inclusive problem-solving.

The promotion of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is at the core of my identity as an educator, aligning with the University’s strategic goals of fostering a culture of innovation, and facilitating a more inclusive environment for staff and students. My leadership in this area aligns with the Dean of Students Inclusive Education Model; Wellbeing Strategy and all three of the Social Inclusion Strategy objectives. My work is underpinned by the notion that knowledge and skills should be accessible to all independently of their background, and diversity in representation enriches workplaces. By addressing the representation gaps in HE, we provide students with more diverse role models to identify with and challenge their own biases. I believe that in diversifying our educational provision to students, we can shift the composition of the educational and UK workforce, nurturing individuals equipped to collaborate in society for the common good.

I am an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Full Member of the Royal Society of Biology and a Full Member of the Society of Experimental Biology.

Research Interests and Other Activities

I co-lead the SLS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee Link opens in a new windowwith Prof. Johannes Boltze, and I work hard to foster an environment that promotes inclusivity and values everyone. I also sit in the FoSEM EDI committee, and regularly attend EDI conferences to learn from other departments and institutions.
In teaching, I consider that communicating using language that is clear and open is crucial, so students feel encouraged to participate and discuss with their peers, and I have supported the creation of the Student NetworksLink opens in a new window, aligned with the EDI committee task forces. I have participated in the re-structure of the SLS EDI committee, co-led the last successful Silver Renewal departmental Athena Swan submission, and I work towards the achievement of our 2024-2029 Athena Swan action plan and support the other task force leads on drafting and moving forwards their own action plans. My goal is to lead the department into the successful submission of a Gold Athena Swan Award by 2029. As part of our duty to communicate with our community, I now also put together the SLS EDIC termly newsletter.

On the research side, I am fascinated by plant science, and particularly, plant-microbe interactions. I studied Biochemistry at the University of Zaragoza, Spain, where I did a summer undergraduate research project to test the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa in heterotrophic conditions to evaluate toxin release. After that, I did my Master and PhD on plant lipid biosynthesis where I worked with different plant species (mostly focussed on Arabidopsis and Soybean, but I also worked with other legumes such as beans and cowpea). During my PhD, I studied the localisation and regulation of a membrane-bound lipid-modification enzyme that introduces double bonds in the fatty acid chains (fatty acid desaturase). I then moved to the UK to study legume interaction with soil microbes with a particular focus on nitrogen fixation.