Personal Statement
Professor Lesley Howell is the Founding Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Liverpool and Chair of Medicinal Chemistry and Education. She holds a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and began her academic career in the School of Pharmacy at the University of East Anglia, before moving to Queen Mary University of London as a Lecturer. Over her time at QMUL, she progressed through a series of leadership roles, ultimately becoming Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Education and Director of Education in the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences. She is also a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA).

Lesley's career is defined by her educational leadership and innovation, with particular strengths in curriculum design, authentic assessment, and student partnership. She pioneered the use of Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) in the UK, work recognised with a prestigious AdvanceHE Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE). Central to her teaching philosophy is building student confidence through experiential learning, practical laboratory skill development, and the integration of immersive technologies to enhance science education.

Her work focuses on the development of future-facing educational practices — including the use of AI in education, experiential and immersive learning, and authentic skills training — that prepare graduates for impactful careers in science and healthcare.

Research Overview
My research focuses on curriculum innovation in higher education, with a particular emphasis on building student confidence. I pursue this through two main approaches:

Group work, Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL), and peer learning – investigating how collaborative and student-led approaches can foster confidence, deepen subject mastery, and promote inclusive participation. This work was nationally recognised with a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) for PLTL in 2025.

Immersive technologies for learning – designing and evaluating the use of Microsoft HoloLens 2 and other mixed reality tools to create authentic and engaging learning environments. These approaches empower students to apply their knowledge with confidence and have been recognised through the Pearson HE Innovate Award and the LearnSci Teaching Innovation Award.

In addition, I have wider interests in programme-level curriculum design, authentic assessment, and embedding AI literacy across disciplines. My work is underpinned by a strong commitment to student–staff partnership, ensuring that innovation in teaching and learning directly enhances student confidence and graduate readiness.