Member Spotlight: Claire Garden
With over two decades of teaching experience and a strong commitment to student engagement, Prof Claire Garden has established herself as a key figure in active student engagement research and skills development. As a Professor of Life Science Education and Associate Dean of Learning and Teaching at Edinburgh Napier University, her expertise spans neuroscience and pedagogical research. Prof Garden has also played a significant role in shaping strategic initiatives within her school, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and retention and progression, always focusing on empowering and including students.
Recently, in recognition of the strategic impact of her leadership and the integrated nature of her student engagement research and leadership, she was awarded the Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA), underscoring her commitment to excellence in teaching and supporting learning in higher education.
Claire is active on several advisory panels and expert committees, including the Researching, Advancing & Inspiring Student Engagement (RAISE) network, where she is developing a new funding stream for student engagement research. Alongside Conor Naughton and Nicola Watchman, she co-edited the RAISE Student Belonging Good Practice Guide, published at the beginning of 2024. This guide offers key definitions and debates in the field of student belonging. Claire’s contributions include a case study on student partnership, a pedagogy she has been developing with colleagues at Edinburgh Napier University. She is also involved in ongoing projects on student voice and research student reasonable adjustments. Additionally, she explores innovative teaching methods, such as gamification, Lego Serious Play, and Virtual Reality, to enhance student engagement.
Claire’s work also focuses on upskilling initiatives and addressing barriers to incorporating industry-relevant skills into life science curricula. She collaborates with organisations such as Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, and the Scottish Universities Lifesciences Alliance (SULSA), and is chair of the SULSA Skills Committee. Last September, she organised and hosted the first-ever Scottish Life and Chemical Sciences Sector Skills Summit, which resulted in a co-authored report that is now influencing Life Science Skills actions and priority setting with Skills Development Scotland and SULSA.
Her work extends to scientific societies such as the SEB, the Royal Society of Biology, and the British Educational Research Association. Claire is part of the Outreach, Education and Diversity working group at SEB and organised the session “Collaborating with Industry: Meeting Life Sciences Sector Skills Needs” at the SEB Annual Conference in Prague this year, which proved very popular. She has also contributed as a reviewer for the first SEB Educational Research Grant evaluation, assisting in shaping this grant's aims and criteria.
Claire’s inclusive approach to pedagogy and leadership in the sector has had a significant impact, leading to awards, reference guides, and reports that advance student engagement and industry-relevant skills in life sciences. SEB is very proud that Claire is a valuable member of our society. Her work aims to improve diversity and inclusion in education and research while fostering discussions and new trends in the academic community.
