Kingston University academic wins prestigious British Pharmacological Society award for decades of teaching excellence

A distinguished academic from Kingston University has been awarded a prestigious accolade from the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) for more than two decades of outstanding teaching achievements.

Dr Nick Freestone, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology, has been recognised by BPS with its annual Rang Prize. This prize is awarded to an academic who has made a significant contribution or impact in pharmacology teaching and education, improved educational practice, student outcomes or contributions to pedagogy and supported others in education by sharing knowledge and skills.

The award for Dr Freestone recognises his sustained excellence and significant contributions to academic practice for more than 20 years. It celebrates his long-term positive impact on generations of students and influential role in shaping educational initiatives nationally.

Dr Freestone's career has been marked by a consistent record of high-level achievement. This has included national accolades such as the Royal Society of Biology’s (RSB) Higher Education Bioscience Teacher of the Year in 2014 and being made a National Teaching Fellow in 2021 for his work on removing awarding gaps in diverse cohorts of students at Kingston University.

A key aspect of Dr Freestone’s work has been his commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). As Chair of judges for the Higher Education Bioscience Teacher of the Year prize, he has implemented changes that have demonstrably increased the diversity of applicants and winners. His efforts were also recognised by the Times Higher Education Awards when he was in Kingston’s Network of Equality Champions which was shortlisted in 2022 for their outstanding contribution to EDI. 

Dr Freestone also serves on Kingston University’s EDI committee and mentors colleagues from underrepresented communities. He has recently been appointed to an All-Party Parliamentary Group focused on diversity and inclusivity in science. He is also a member of The Physiological Society’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee and the British Pharmacological Society’s Inclusive Pharmacology group. For the Society of Experimental Biology, Nick is on the Awards Taskforce which seeks to diversify the pool of applicants for that society’s prestigious prizes. One of Nick’s nominees, Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, won the SEB’s Cell Section Prize in 2024.

Dr Freestone has also pioneered significant innovations that have had a direct and positive impact on Kingston students. As course leader for pharmaceutical sciences, his innovations led to a Guardian Education Award shortlisting for the programme in its Course Design, Retention and Student Outcomes category in 2020 and The Organisation of Professional Regulatory Affairs (TOPRA) Regulatory Excellence Awards in the Education category in both 2020 and 2023.

His engagement with TOPRA resulted in Kingston’s BSc pharmaceutical science degree becoming the first undergraduate programme in the UK to be accredited by the organisation, which in turn improved graduate employability in pharmaceutical-related fields and saw higher attainment, student retention and better results in the National Student Survey.

Furthermore, Dr Freestone has created initiatives to improve student outcomes across the board, including a support programme featuring ethnically diverse alumni as mentors which helped bridge the awarding gap and improve progression for all student groups. Another academic peer-mentoring scheme he championed improved student marks by 23 per cent. As a result, he has been acknowledged with numerous teaching and learning awards at Kingston, including the University’s Most Engaging Lecturer and Faculty Teacher of the Year, following nominations from his students.

Dr Freestone’s project to diversify the curriculum won a grant from BPS in 2021 and the SEB in 2025. Further funding has since been granted to develop this into a national resource for colleagues. Dr Freestone's expertise and leadership in educational development has been sought after nationally and internationally. He chairs the RSB’s Bridging the Awarding Gap in the Biosciences Network and has been invited to organise international EDI workshops by the Society of Experimental Biology, most recently in Prague and Antwerp.

Revealing his thoughts on winning the Rang Prize, Dr Freestone said he values the recognition he receives from his students above all else but hoped it would encourage his colleagues at Kingston to do that little bit extra to help their own students. “I love knowing my students trust that I have their best interests at heart and will let me try innovative things for them that might not always work. It gives me a lovely feeling because I came into this line of work to make a difference – which we can all do if you have a good heart,” he said.

Head of Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kingston University, Dr Baljit Thatti, praised Dr Freestone’s long history of innovative teaching achievements. “Nick’s impact on our students is both lasting and deeply personal. He brings a rare combination of dedication, compassion and vision to everything he does,” she said. 

“As a tireless advocate for inclusivity, he creates spaces for both staff and students where everyone can thrive. His pursuit of academic excellence isn’t just about results – it’s about people and the belief that every individual deserves the chance to succeed. That’s what makes Nick not only an inspiring leader, but a truly deserving recipient of this prestigious award,” she added.

• Find out more about studying pharmaceutical sciences at Kingston University.