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Dr Fiona Moorman

Profile summary

  • Regional Academic Staff
  • Senior Lecturer, Staff Tutor
  • Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
  • School of Life, Health & Chemical Sciences
  • fiona.moorman

Professional biography

I hold a BSc (hons) in Genetics and Biochemistry from Queen’s University, Belfast and followed this with an MSc in Molecular Biology from The University of Dundee. My PhD was undertaken at University College London and largely focused on characterisation of drug-induced apoptosis and associated gene expression changes in cell lines and samples from leukemic patients. I have also experience of working in industry, within the drug safety department of a Contract Research Organisation.

I started my OU journey on 2005 as an Associate Lecturer/ tutor teaching on interdisciplinary science and biological modules at all levels of undergraduate study and I still tutor on the Level 3 project module SXL390.  I hold a Senior Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy (now known as AdvanceHE). I have been working as a staff tutor in the school of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences (LHCS) since 2018, supporting over 30 ALs to deliver effective tuition to distance learners.

I am Module Chair on S317 Biological science: from genes to species and I am also the Lead Staff Tutor for LHCS. In this role I support and represent Staff Tutor colleagues, and contribute towards smooth running of the School through active membership of the School Management Team.

I am passionate about enhancing academic community and am also involved in initiatives such as producing the school newsletter and providing opportunities for development of student online confidence and skills via Online Journal Club (OJC).

Research interests

Scholarship projects:

Co-lead on project to evaluate use of zero grades in assessment:  An evaluation of use and impact of zero grades in assessment; are we being consistent, fair, and transparent?

Co-lead on a project introducing and evaluating a novel model of Online Journal Club: Online journal clubs in distance higher education: an opportunity to develop skills and community?

Co-lead on a project exploring usage and experience of Individual Student Support Sessions (ISSS): STEM ISSS - where are we now? Evaluating awareness, usage and effectiveness of individual student support sessions

Part of the project team on a project evaluating the experience of Credit Transfer students: Improving success and satisfaction of credit transfer students entering L3 modules in Science

Part of the project team on a project aiming to enhance support for students taking remote exams:  Can we reduce anxiety of students sitting remote exams? Sharing best practice between SPS and LHCS

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Lab-based Research Publications (maiden name Riordan)

Harrison CJ, Griffiths M, Moorman F, Schnittger S, Cayuela JM, Shurtleff S, Gottardi E, Mitterbauer G, Colomer D, Delabesse E, Castéras V: A multicenter evaluation of comprehensive analysis of MLL translocations and fusion gene partners in acute leukemia using the MLL FusionChip device. Cancer Genet Cytogenet. 173:17-22, 2007.

Mengubas K, Riordan FA, Bravery CA, Lewin J, Owens DL, Mehta AB, Hoffbrand AV, Wickremasinghe RG: Ceramide-induced killing of normal and malignant human lymphocytes is by a non-apoptotic mechanism.  Oncogene 18:2499, 1999

Riordan FA, Wickremasinghe RG: Signal transduction by the Philadelphia chromosome-encoded BCR/ABL Oncoproteins: Therapeutic Implications for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and Philadelphia-positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Hematology 3:387-396, 1998.

Riordan FA, Bravery CA, Mengubas K, Ray N, Borthwick NJ, Akbar AN, Hart SM, Hoffbrand AV, Mehta AB, Wickremasinghe RG: Herbimycin A accelerates the induction of apoptosis following etoposide treatment or gamma-irradiation of bcr/abl-positive leukaemia cells.  Oncogene 16:1533, 1998

Riordan FA, Foroni L, Hoffbrand AV, Mehta AB, Wickremasinghe RG: Okadaic acid-induced apoptosis of HL60 leukemia cells is preceded by destabilization of bcl-2 mRNA and downregulation of bcl-2 protein.  FEBS Letters 435:195, 1998

Mengubas K, Riordan FA, Hoffbrand AV, Wickremasinghe RG: Co-ordinated downregulation of bcl-2 and bax expression during granulocytic and macrophage-like differentiation of the HL60 promyelocytic leukaemia cell line.  FEBS Letters 394:356, 1996

Riordan FA, Bhattacharyya A, McAteer S, Lilley DMJ: Kinking of RNA helices by bulged bases, and the structure of the human-immunodeficiency-virus transactivator response element.  Journal of Molecular Biology 226:305, 1992

Publications

The development and evaluation of an online journal club: perspectives from student participants and practitioners (2024)
New, Karen; Fox, Kate; Church, Hazel and Moorman, Fiona
Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning ((early access))

Exploring the use of different styles of tutorial to enhance student engagement (2022-03-02)
Haresnape, Janet; Wallace, Janette and Moorman, Fiona
In : The 3rd Annual STEM Teaching Conference (2 Mar 2022, [Online])

Exploring different styles of online tuition to enhance student experience (2022)
Haresnape, Janet; Wallace, Janette and Moorman, Fiona
In : Horizons in STEM Higher Education Conference Making Connections, Innovating and Sharing Pedagogy (29-30 Jun 2022, London) (p 76)

Getting off to a good start: pre-module start events for science students – a model of collaborative, proactive support (2022)
Moorman, Fiona; Aiken, Fiona; Warriner, Gemma; Whitehead, Becca; Sibbett, Lorna; Porter, Amanda and Jepson, James
In : 3rd Annual STEM Teaching Conference (Mar 2022)