Associate Professor

Email:

Phone: 024 765 22773

Office: D135

Twitter: @AKWallis1

SLS Clusters

Cells & Development

Pedagogical Research

Teaching Interests

I am a fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I am particularly interested in the transition into higher education and helping students achieving the foundation knowledge that is necessary before accessing higher order learning. I also have an interest in how students learn critical thinking skills such as data analysis and experimental design. I believe that practical skills such as labs are an essential part of achieving this.

Research Interests and Other Activities

My research interests lie in protein structure and function. I worked for many years on protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and retain an interest in this area and in understanding the quality control steps necessary for the cell to ensure that its ER is functioning correctly. This is achieved by a complex interplay between chaperones, redox state and degradation to ensure homeostasis. When this process goes wrong it triggers a stress response in the cell which, if not resolved, ultimately leads to apoptosis. ER stress is now a recognised factor in a range of diseases ranging from neurodegenerative disorders to diabetes and metabolic syndrome.