Francis Amara

Biography

Dr. Francis Amara received his B.Sc. (Hons) and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, and his M.Ed. and FHEA (UK) (post-secondary) from the University of Manitoba. He completed his postdoctoral training in the laboratories of Dr. Lars Thelander at Umea University, Sweden, and Dr. Jim Wright at the University of Manitoba. As an independent investigator, he analyzed the role of signaling pathways in post-transcriptional regulation and neuronal apoptosis in Alzheimer's disease. His interest in post-secondary teaching and learning led him to obtain the M.Ed. degree in 2010. He is the departmental coordinator of medical and physician assistant teaching. His research focuses on curriculum development and models of educational development. He has served as tutor (2012-13) for the Postgraduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education at the Oxford Learning Institute, University of Oxford, England. He is currently a fellow of the Higher Education Academy of the United Kingdom, and leader of the International Network of Educational Development and Scholarship for Bioscience Researchers (INEDS-BioSci)

Research Interest

Application of educational research findings to guide curriculum development and teaching decisions. Effectiveness of Professional Development Models for Bioscience Researchers to build their knowledge and skills that will enhance their teaching styles in ways to improve student learning. Role of discipline-specific pedagogy in faculty development.