Dr Gemma Shearman
Faculties, departments and locations
- Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry
- Penrhyn Road
- Health, Education and Society
Senior Lecturer in Physical / Computational Chemistry
- Email:
- [email protected]
About
I am a Senior Lecturer in Physical / Computational Chemistry and am also the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry (LSPC) Sustainability Lead. I also have teaching responsibilities including a module leadership for CH4011 (Chemical Frontiers: Quantum, Inorganic and Environmental Chemistry, Level 4), having also previously led CH4011 (Foundation Organic and Physical Chemistry, Level 4), CH5003 (Physical Chemistry, Level 5) and CH6004 (the final year Project module, Level 6). I also acted previously as the Course Leader for the undergraduate Chemistry courses (BSc and MChem) at Kingston University until 2023.
I received an MChem (Master of Chemistry) degree from the University of Oxford (2000), during which time I was also awarded the Turbett Prize in Chemistry (practical organic chemistry). Following this, I gained a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Imperial College London. My research interests broadly revolve around soft condensed matter and molecular dynamics but I also have specific pedagogic research interests in sustainability, inclusivity (especially for student parents) and student project allocation.
Qualifications
- PGCert. (Postgraduate Certificate in Learning & Teaching in Higher Education), London Metropolitan University
- PhD., Imperial College London
- M.Chem., University of Oxford
Domains
Innovations and Initiatives in Learning, Teaching and Student Experience
- PI on SADRAS22-12 Student parents: Current and Future support (2022/23)
- Staff partner on SADRAS22-05 The identification of student carers and the burden of their caring responsibilities on academic engagement and student life (2022/23)
External Examiner and Validation Activities
- External Examiner for the undergraduate Chemistry courses (physical chemistry specifically) at the University of Bath (2023 - current)
- External Examiner for the Chemistry suite of programmes (‘Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry' and ‘Chemistry for Drug Discovery') at Canterbury Christ Church University (2018 – 2023)
- External Assessor for Middlesex University Science & Technology / Law Foundation Year Review (2021)
Learning and Teaching Awards
- KU People Awards 2025, Ambitious Team Award (won) as a member of the Sustainability Educators Collective (2025)
- Teaching Innovation award from Learning Science, together with Dr Neil Williams & Dr Richard Singer (2021)
- Nominated for the Kingston University Academic Impact Awards, Outstanding Contribution to Teaching & Learning category (2020)
- Shortlisted for a London Metropolitan University Student Union Award, which celebrates outstanding teaching and support (2014)
Qualifications
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
Courses taught
My research interests are varied but mainly fall within the broad umbrellas of soft condensed matter and biological physics. Key research areas include:
- Engineering principles in membrane biophysics, in particular related to asymmetric membranes
- Designer lipids and mesoscale materials for future drug delivery
- Tools and technologies for health-related applications
- The application of molecular dynamics to membrane biophysics, including drug translocation
Historically, these mostly stem from my final year undergraduate research project, which was on the Marangoni effect of dilute surfactant solutions with Professor Colin Bain (now based at Durham University). This in turn then led to a PhD funded by Unilever on the lyotropic phase behaviour of charged amphiphiles (in essence, surfactants comprising fabric softeners) in the Membrane Biophysics group at Imperial College. Post-doctoral research in a range of closely related areas such as drug-lipid membrane interactions consolidated my interests in biophysics.
Research External Examining Experience
- External Assessor for MRes Pharmaceutical Sciences, MRes Chemistry and MRes Stress, Ageing and Chronic Disease courses at the University of Brighton (2021 – current)
Research Grants and Awards
Grants:
- UKRI ‘Access to high performance computing facilities: Autumn 2025’ (compute resource) in 2025, £30,460 research income in-kind as PI (152300 CUs; with Dr’s Richard Singer and Francesca Mackenzie as co-I’s)
- ARCHER2 pump-priming access in 2025, £621.60 research income in-kind as PI (3108 CUs; project e923).
- Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Sustainable Laboratories Grant in 2025, £9,674 as PI (with Dr Baljit Thatti as co-I)
- STFC Facility Access (ISIS Neutron & Muon Source) in 2020 "Environmental effects on muonium adducts of lidocaine using avoided level crossing muon spin resonance" £40862 research income in-kind as PI (RB2010608)
- STFC Facility Access (ISIS Neutron & Muon Source) in 2019 "Partitioning of lidocaine into a model lipid system using avoided level crossing muon spin resonance" £130530 research income in-kind as PI (RB1910116)
- Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Undergraduate Summer Research Bursary in 2014, £1520 as PI
Awards:
- Won Imperial College ‘President's Award for Outstanding Research Team', as a member of the Membrane Biophysics Platform team (2015)
Scholarly affiliations
- Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC)
Kingston University Civic Reception: led activity on sustainability (identification and valorisation of waste plastics for recycling through infrared spectroscopy (2017).
Contributions to Cross Institution Groups
- Academic representative (for HSSCE) of the Environmental Management System (EMS) Steering Group (2025 – current)
- Member of the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) bootcamp team (organised by UNESCO IESALC) to co-develop a professional development module on ESD for staff (2023)
- Member of the Kingston University Design Thinking Community of Practice; previously known as the KU22 Portfolio Group on the Future of Blended Learning, then subsequently Reimagining Learning (2020 – 2023)
- Member of the Kingston University Microsoft Teams Teaching Stream Task and Finish Group (2020) (prior to this, also contributed to the ‘Lecture Capture' pilot)
- Member of the KU School (of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry) Strategy Working Group (2020)
Discipline Leadership
- Member of the RSC Directors of Undergraduate Teaching policy group (2018 – 2023)
Other
- KAPS (Kingston Academic Standards Framework) Panel Assessor (2020/21 – current)
- Regular KU academic misconduct panel membership (both as the Chair and as a panel member) (2019 – 2023)
Publications
Enhancing the aqueous solubility of hemin at physiological pH through encapsulation within polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibres
Anderson, Lewis R., Noureen, Erum, Collinson, Simon R., Taylor, Peter G., Shearman, Gemma C., Rietdorf, Katja, White, Kenneth N. and Chatterton, Nicholas P., 2026, International Journal of Pharmaceutics (687), Published
Promoting change through empathy and design thinking: reimagining a first-year bioscience curriculum
Page, Nigel, Mulrooney, Hilda and Shearman, Gemma, 2025, Educational Developments (26)pp 13-17, Published
The identification of student carers and the burden of their caring responsibilities on academic engagement and student life
James, Jewel, Bellaouane, Lydia, Ottley, Chyrell, Shearman, Gemma, Whiting, Karen, Elbediwy, Ahmed and Gould, Simon, 2024, New Directions in the Teaching of Natural Sciences (19), Published
The potential of selenium-based therapies for ocular oxidative stress
Al-Bassam, Lulwah, Shearman, Gemma C., Brocchini, Steve, Alany, Raid G. and Williams, Gareth R., 2024, Pharmaceutics (16), 5, Published
Sterol composition in plants is specific to pollen, leaf, pollination and pollinator
Furse, Samuel, Martel, Carlos, Yusuf, Abdikarim, Shearman, Gemma C., Koch, Hauke and Stevenson, Philip C., 2023, Phytochemistry, E-pub ahead of print
Do lipids shape the eukaryotic cell cycle?
Furse, Samuel and Shearman, Gemma C., 2018, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids (1863), 1pp 9-19, Published
Fast dissolving paracetamol / caffeine nanofibers prepared by electrospinning
Illangakoon, U. Eranka, Gill, Hardyal, Shearman, Gemma C., Parhizkar, Maryam, Mahalingam, Sunthar, Chatterton, Nicholas P. and Williams, Gareth R., 2014, International Journal of Pharmaceutics (477), 1-2pp 369-379, Published
Amorphous formulations of indomethacin and griseofulvin prepared by electrospinning
Lopez, Felipe L., Shearman, Gemma C., Gaisford, Simon and Williams, Gareth R., 2014, Molecular Pharmaceutics (11), 12pp 4327-4338, Published
A lyotropic inverse ribbon phase in a branched-chain polyoxyethylene surfactant: pressure effects
Shearman, Gemma C., Brooks, Nicholas J., Tiddy, Gordon J.T., Sztucki, Michael, Templer, Richard H., Law, Robert V., Ces, Oscar and Seddon, John M., 2011, Soft Matter (7), 9pp 4386-4390, Published
Hydrostatic pressure effects on a hydrated lipid inverse micellar Fd3m cubic phase
Tyler, A. I.I., Shearman, G. C., Brooks, N. J., Delacroix, H., Law, R. V., Templer, R. H., Ces, O. and Seddon, J. M., 2011, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (13), 8pp 3033-3038, Published
Ordered micellar and inverse micellar lyotropic phases
Shearman, G. C., Tyler, A. I.I., Brooks, N. J., Templer, R. H., Ces, O., Law, R. V. and Seddon, J. M., 2010, Liquid Crystals (37), 6-7pp 679-694, Published
Towards an understanding of phase transitions between inverse bicontinuous cubic lyotropic liquid crystalline phases
Shearman, Gemma C., Ces, Oscar and Templer, Richard H., 2010, Soft Matter (6)pp 256-262, Published
The lyotropic phase behaviour of ester quaternary surfactants
Shearman, Gemma C., Ugazio, Stephane, Soubiran, Laurent, Hubbard, John, Ces, Oscar, Seddon, John M. and Templer, Richard H., 2009, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (331), 2pp 463-469, Published
A 3-D hexagonal inverse micellar lyotropic phase
Shearman, Gemma C., Tyler, Arwen I.I., Brooks, Nicholas J., Templer, Richard H., Ces, Oscar, Law, Robert V. and Seddon, John M., 2009, Journal of the American Chemical Society (131), 5pp 1678-1679, Published
Factors controlling the stability of a kinetically hindered lamellar-lamellar transition
Shearman, Gemma C., Ugazio, Stephane, Soubiran, Laurent, Hubbard, John, Ces, Oscar, Seddon, John M. and Templer, Richard H., 2009, Soil Science Society of America Journal (113), 7pp 1948-1953, Published
Synthesis and phase behaviour of [beta]-octaalkyl porphyrins
Shearman, Gemma C., Yahioglu, Gokhan, Kirstein, Johanna, Milgrom, Lionel R. and Seddon, John M., 2009, Journal of Materials Chemistry (19), 5pp 598-604, Published
The synthesis and liquid crystalline behaviour of alkoxy-substituted derivatives of 1,4-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene
Lydon, Donocadh P., Albesa-Jové, David, Shearman, Gemma C., Seddon, John M., Howard, Judith A.K., Marder, Todd B. and Low, Paul J., 2009, Liquid Crystals (35), 2pp 119-132, Published
Formulation affects the rate of membrane degradation catalyzed by cationic amphiphilic drugs
Casey, Duncan R., Sebai, Sarra C., Shearman, Gemma C., Ces, Oscar, Law, Robert V., Templer, Richard H. and Gee, Antony D., 2008, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research (47), 3pp 650-655, Published
Calculations of and evidence for chain packing stress in inverse lyotropic bicontinuous cubic phases
Shearman, Gemma C., Khoo, Bee J., Motherwell, Mary Lynn, Brakke, Kenneth A., Ces, Oscar, Conn, Charlotte E., Seddon, John M. and Templer, Richard H., 2007, Langmuir (23), 13pp 7276-7285, Published
Using membrane stress to our advantage
Shearman, G. C., Attard, G. S., Hunt, A. N., Jackowski, S., Baciu, M., Sebai, S. C., Mulet, X., Clarke, J. A., Law, R. V., Plisson, C., Parker, C. A., Gee, A., Ces, O. and Templer, R. H., 2007, Biochemical Society Transactions (35), 3pp 498-501, Published
Degradative transport of cationic amphiphilic drugs across phospholipid bilayers
Baciu, Magdalena, Sebai, Sarra C., Oscar, C. E.S., Mulet, Xavier, Ciarke, James A., Shearman, Gemma C., Law, Robert V., Templer, Richard H., Plisson, Christophe, Parker, Christine A., Antony, G. E.E., Samulski, E. T., Kornyshev, A. A., Gleeson, H. F. and Roberts, N. W., 2006, CIN - Computers Informatics Nursing (364), 1847pp 2597-2614, Published
Inverse lyotropic phases of lipids and membrane curvature
Shearman, G. C., Ces, O., Templer, R. H. and Seddon, J. M., 2006, American Journal of Potato Research (18), 28, Published
Pressure-jump X-ray studies of liquid crystal transitions in lipids
Seddon, John M., Squires, Adam M., Conn, Charlotte E., Ces, Oscar, Heron, Andrew J., Mulet, Xavier, Shearman, Gemma C., Templer, Richard H., Gleeson, H. F., Percec, V., Lagerwall, S. T., Palffy-Muhoray, P. and Safinya, C. R., 2006, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences (364), 1847pp 2635-2655, Published
Adsorption of ionic surfactants at an expanding air-water interface
Valkovska, Dimitrina S., Shearman, Gemma C., Bain, Colin D., Darton, Richard C. and Eastoe, Julian, 2004, Langmuir (20), 11pp 4436-4445, Published
Determination of the dynamic surface excess of a homologous series of cationic surfactants by ellipsometry
Battal, Turgut, Shearman, Gemma C., Valkovska, Dimitrina, Bain, Colin D., Darton, Richard C. and Eastoe, Julian, 2003, Langmuir (19), 4pp 1244-1248, Published
Solid-like domains in mixed lipid bilayers: effect of membrane lamellarity and transition pathway
Gordon, Vernita D., Beales, Paul A., Shearman, Gemma C., Zhao, Zhijun, Seddon, John M., Poon, Wilson C.K. and Egelhaaf, Stefan U. (2014). In: Iglic, Ales, Kulkarni, Chandrashekhar V., (eds.), Amsterdam, Netherlands: Academic Presspp 137-154 [Published]
Using a design thinking approach to re-imagine provision of large first-year bioscience modules
Mulrooney, Hilda, Shearman, Gemma and Page, Nigel(2023). [Published]
A collaborative School and LTEC 'design thinking‘ approach to support staff and students in re-imagining learning
Page, Nigel, Mulrooney, Hilda, Shearman, Gemma, Wason, Hilary, Yilmaz, Aybige and O'Keefe, Nicola(2023). [Published]
Using a design thinking approach to support staff and students in re-imagining provision of large first-year bioscience modules
Page, Nigel, Shearman, Gemma, Wason, Hilary and Mulrooney, Hilda(2023). [Published]
Teaching and assessment of good laboratory technique: pre-lab activities and digital badging
Singer, Richard, Shearman, Gemma and Williams, Neil(2017). [Published]