Staff Profile

I am a lecturer in biomedical sciences with a

Qualifications:

Senior Fellow of HEA (2025)

Aurora Leadership programme (2024)

Fellow of the HEA (2019)

Newcastle Teaching Award (2019)

PhD (Newcastle University, 2016)  

MRes - Medical Microbiology (Newcastle University, 2012)

Introduction to teaching and learning qualification (Newcastle University, 2012)

BSc Applied Biology (Northumbria University, 2006)

Internal roles:

Degree Programme Director (2025 - present)

Placement Lead (2017 - present)

University Disciplinary Panel (2024 - present)

The British Conference for Undergraduate Research University Committee (2022 - present)

Deputy Degree Programme Director (2024-2025)

Phase 1 Curriculum Chair (different time points)

Academic Lead for Employability (2017-2018)

External roles:

Chair of the Early Career Lecturers in Biosciences (ECLBio) whch is an advisory group to HUBS / RSB

The Biologist - Editorial Team

Association Graduate Career Advisory Services (AGCAS) - Student and Graduate engagement Task Group member

ASET Associate

The British Conference for Undergraduate Research National Committee

External Examiner (Liverpool University - 2024 - present), London South Bank University (2020-2024)

Honours and Awards:

The Education Awards - Taught Supervisor of the Year (2025)

Jisc Luminate grant: Hooper, H (Lead), LAWRY, B.M. et al. Designing a research informed student inclusion guide and toolkit for employability practitioners (2024)

ESRC Festival of Social Science grant: Hooper, H., Cole, M. LAWRY, B.M. Could you teach someone how to boil an egg? A workshop to improve your communication skills (2024) 

Education Research Development Grants (several)

University Education Development Grants (several)

MRC CiC grant 'Further characterisation of Clostridium difficile specific antibodies for translational applications.' (2015)

Pride of Newcastle winner ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Student Experience’ (2015)

International Clostridium difficile Symposium, Young Investigator Grant (2015)

Patents

C. difficile biomarkers and antibodies PCT/GB2019/051240 (2019)

I am a biocsciences lecturer that teaches on:

• CMB3016 Science communication - module leader
• BGM3039 Medical Biotechnology - co-module leader
• CMB1003 Microbiology and immunology - module leader 
• BMS3030 Professional Placement Year - module leader 
• CMB1011 Practical skills in biomedical and biomolecular sciences
• CMB1004 Cell biology
• CMB2004 Cell and Molecular Biology of the Immune System
• CMB2000 Essential Biomedical Research Skills
• CMB3000 Research Projects

Previous modules:

• CMB1005 Practical skills in biomedical and biomolecular sciences - (module leader)
• CMB3005 Study abroad year - (module leader)
• BMS2012 Clinical Immunology and Viral Pathogens
• CMB1006 Practical Skills in Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences 2 
• BMS2002 Cell Biology and Disease
• CMB3001 Experimental Design and the Process of Research - Final year lab project

I am also the academic placement lead, providing support for year-long and summer placements.

My research involves the use of a novel bioinformatics system to identify unique biomarkers for pathogenic bacteria, along with laboratory methods to produce, characterise and optimise monoclonal antibodies to bind to these biomarkers. These in silico and laboratory systems could be used to identify biomarkers that are suitable for point of care diagnostics, vaccines, epidemiological studies and therapeutics. I work with pathogenic bacteria including C. difficile, MRSA, N. gonorrhoeae, P. aeruginosa and E.coli.

My computational research looks at UK vaccine data and demographic impact on vaccine uptake.

Pedagogical research

My pedagogical research is driven by a commitment to ensuring that students gain maximum value from their time at university and are well prepared for graduate employment. My key research interests include:

• Curriculum-embedded work-based learning
• Transferable skills development and assessment
• Careers education and employability
• Reducing student experience gaps
• Enhancing student belonging and engagement
• Promoting equity and inclusive practice in higher education

• Articles

  • Lawry B, Agwu C. More than just a scientist. The Biologist 2025. In Preparation.
  • Armstrong VA, Lawry BL, Stevenson-Cocks HJ. A science communication-focused summer project boosts first year bioscience students’ skill gains and supports placement year uptake. Current Research in Physiology 2025, 8, 100155.
  • Lawry B, Rothery K, Stevenson-Cocks HJ. The role of student employability ambassadors in enhancing placement support. Phoenix 2024, (171), 46-47.
  • Lawry B. The Lockdown Lectures. The Biologist 2020.
  • Wright G, Lawry B. Surviving your first few weeks as a lecturer. The Biologist 2020. In Preparation.
  • Lawry BM, Johnson CL, Flanagan K, Spoors JA, McNeil CJ, Wipat A, Keegan N. Species-specific detection of C. difficile using targeted antibody design. Analytical Chemistry 2018, 90(22), 13475-13482.
  • Flanagan K, Cockell S, Harwood C, Hallinan J, Nakjang S, Lawry B, Wipat A. A distributed computational search strategy for the identification of diagnostics targets: Application to finding aptamer targets for methicillin-resistant staphylococci. Journal of Integrative Bioinformatics 2014, 11(2), 242.

• Note

  • Lawry B, Agwu C. More than just a scientist: Early-career scientists should pause, reflect and log their transferable skills. The Biologist 2025, 72(4), 13-19.

• Online Publication

  • Lang P, Stevenson-Cocks H, Lawry B. Peer Mentoring for Placement Success: Collaborative Approaches from York and Newcastle. Sheffield: ASET, the Work Based and Placement Learning Association, 2025. Available at: https://www.asetonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/v2-PEERME1.pdf.