Alison Harvey

Alison is a Senior Lecturer in Materials Science (Teaching and Scholarship (T&S)) in the Department of Materials, where her teaching is mainly focussed on Advanced Biomedical Materials Science.

Alison completed her PhD in the area of fluorescent peptide-based biosensors, at the University of Manchester in 2010, and subsequently worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate investigating surface topography for biocompatibility and 3-dimensional composite scaffolds for stem cell differentiation.

In 2019, following a career break, Alison joined the Department of Materials as a T&S lecturer associated with the EPSRC funded Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Advanced Biomedical Materials. Within the CDT Alison was responsible for creating and developing two bespoke units: Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and Imaging, Characterisation and Key Manufacturing Techniques, as well as leading the student outreach team and the EDI committee.

Within the Department of Materials Alison teaches across all levels of the Materials Science and Engineering programme, acts as Year 2 Programme Manager, and is the Teaching and Learning Enhancement Lead for Materials Science and Engineering.

External to the Department of Materials, Alison is the Academic Lead for the New Academics Programme (NAP) in FSE.

External to the University of Manchester, Alison is on the organising committee for the International Materials Education Symposium (IMES) 2026.

Alisons development of the RRI unit within the CDT led to multiple publications and conference presentations on the topic of teaching approaches for RRI in relation to STEM PhD students, as well as the development of a 1-day RRI workshop suitable for STEM PhD students more generally. In relation to this work, Alison has developed a keen interest in inclusive teaching practices, reflective practice and active learning approaches.

In 2024/25 Alison led the development and delivery of the Peer Action Learning (PAL): Inclusive Teaching Initiative in the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), working alongside 5 colleagues from the faculty as well as student partners from the Library Team. 

Alison currently teaches in the Department of Materials at both undergraduate and postgraduate level:

Undergraduate teaching:

MATS16402 Materials Shaping the World (Biomaterials component)

MATS23801 Biomaterials and Biological Interactions (Unit Lead)

MATS32302 Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering 

Postgraduate teaching:

MATS65502 Lab-to-Clinic

MATS65301 Clinical Applications of Biomaterials

Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (MIMMM)

Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC)

Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA)

Member of Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA)

Member of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL)

Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA)

Alison’s main interests in relation to EDIA focus on inclusive teaching approaches. However, she is also the EDI lead for the Advanced Biomedical Materials CDT programme. Within this role Alison supports the CDT students’ EDI projects and coordinates student-supervisor workshops around aspects of EDIA.

 Outreach and Public Engagement

Within her role as Outreach Lead for the Advanced Biomedical Materials CDT, Alison has developed (and supported students in developing) a range of outreach/public engagement activities. These include:

• Creation and delivery of week long (widening participation) primary school Science and Art workshop in collaboration with the Whitworth Art Gallery.
• Supporting students in the creation of you tube channel focussed on ‘Why Study’ videos for high school students from diverse backgrounds
• Creation and delivery of outreach activities exploring the topic of tissue engineering. Delivered at UoM Community Festival, Bluedot Festival, and Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.