Dr. Kirsty McIntyre has joined the UBC Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the new role of Science Education Specialist! She is excited to meet and collaborate with faculty and staff to co-develop the curriculum in response to increasing student numbers and a renewed focus on data science in the program. 

In November 2023, Kirsty moved to Vancouver from Scotland, where she was a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the University of Glasgow for five years. While at the University of Glasgow, Kirsty designed and implemented novel teaching and learning approaches and published educational research on topics such as the use of Virtual Reality and open educational resources to support student learning. She also held several educational leadership positions, including Program Lead for the Women’s and Children’s Health Intercalated Bachelor of Science, and Deputy Director of Year 1 of Undergraduate Medicine. Kirsty has received several awards in recognition of her educational leadership, public engagement and contributions to student learning. 

In addition to traditional teaching, Kirsty is an advocate for widening access to higher education and increasing the accessibility of science to members of the public. She is a co-founder of the award-winning public engagement project “Have You Heard?” (est. 2017), which aims to tackle the haze around science stories in the news through connecting with local under-served community groups. Kirsty has received several awards in recognition of her educational leadership, public engagement and contributions to student learning.

With a PhD in placental physiology and a postgraduate diploma in academic practice, also studied and worked at universities in the UK, Australia and the USA. We are excited to have her at the University of British Columbia as an essential addition to the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. 

Read more about Kirsty and her research: https://www.mbim.ubc.ca/people/staff/kirstymcintyre