Dr Jennifer Koenig FBPhS SFHEA

I am an Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham, School of Medicine and teach pharmacology, toxicology, mathematics, statistics and research methods for the Graduate Entry Medicine early years programme and the BSc in Medical Physiology and Therapeutics. My research interests include ethnicity in the medicine and medical sciences curriculum and in pharmacology education, particularly the quantitative aspects.

  • Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society (FBPhS)
  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).
  • Lord Dearing Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, 2025, University of Nottingham.
  • British Pharmacological Society Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Prize, 2025.
  • International Union of Pharmacologists’ 1st Receptor Mechanisms Research Award 1998
  • External Examiner in Pharmacology for the University of Strathclyde and University College London.
  • PhD and MPhil from the University of Cambridge in Pharmacology and Molecular Neurobiology
  • BSc (Hons I and University Medal) in Pharmacology from the University of Sydney.

Pharmacology Education.

I have taught pharmacology since 1997, first at the University of Cambridge Department of Pharmacology (until 2004) and then at St John’s College (2004-2007) then Lucy Cavendish College (2007-2015) at the University of Cambridge. I was honoured to receive the Student-Led Teaching Award in 2015 for my small group pharmacology teaching. An extract from the citation read:

“She [Jenny] has developed her own formula of teaching from several different angles to suit different students. We always feel that, with regards especially to the practical component of the course, she makes everything better. She has many tips and supports our learning by telling us perhaps the best ways of studying to get things into our head. In general her ability to summarise and draw together different related parts of the course is really refreshing and allows students to see the big picture. She is friendly and welcoming and she genuinely cares about supporting us through the course.” 

I am currently:

  • Member of the British Pharmacological Society Education and Training Committee and the Working Group reviewing the Clinical Pharmacology (MBBS) curriculum.
  • Member of the Core Concepts of Pharmacology Research Team
  • Councillor, IUPHAR Education section, co-chair of the Online Meetings Steering Group.

I have taught on the British Pharmacological Society’s General and Advanced Receptor Theory Diploma course and have taught both receptor theory and pharmacokinetics for a range of organisations including the European Federation for Medicinal Chemistry, Medical Research Council Translational Pharmacology Advanced Course, the Society of Veterinary Anaesthetists, McTimoney College of Chiropractic, Institute for Continuing Education Cambridge, International Summer School Pembroke-Kings Programme and GSK.

Mathematics in biology and medicine.

At the University of Cambridge in 2005 I introduced the first wholly online course to support students with mathematical skills in biology and medicine and this was the forerunner of other online skills support initiatives. 

Neurodiversity.

I am currently a Disability Liaison Officer in the School of Medicine, University of Nottingham. This role includes liaising between the central university’s Disability Support Services and the staff and students of the Graduate Entry Medicine early years and the BSc Medical Physiology and Therapeutics degree programmes. I also support students with disabilities, consulting with them and with module convenors and course leads. I have delivered training for teaching staff to help them understand some of the needs of students with learning differences.

From 2011-2020 I was a specialist study skills advisor for students with disabilities at the University of Cambridge Disability Resource Centre. My experience as a study skills tutor and as a teacher for students with disabilities has given me an in-depth insight into the impact of a range of disabilities on learning and student experience in science and maths subjects. I have worked one-to-one with students with Specific Learning Differences as well as those with ADHD, ASD and mental health issues and this has informed my teaching. I have developed what I have called “micro-inclusive approaches” which are small changes that I now instinctively make that improve learning for all students, but particularly for students with disabilities and learning differences

Secondary science and maths education.

I am a qualified (PGCE with Qualified Teacher Status) secondary school chemistry teacher and have taught chemistry, biology, physics and maths at secondary schools as well as for a charity teaching children who were not in mainstream school due to trauma or health issues (Red Balloon of the Air).

2013: member of the Advisory Council on Mathematics Education Expert Panel on Core Mathematics (2013) for the Department for Education, UK in the design of a new level 3 mathematics course. 

2014-2015: member of the Royal Society of Biology’s Curriculum Committee and was involved with the early stages of the 5-19 Biology Curriculum development.

2017-18: I worked for the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2017-18 on the development of the 11-19 Chemistry Curriculum. I have written a number of articles for the Royal Society of Chemistry’s magazine Education in Chemistry:

  • “Why you need A-level chemistry to study pharmacy”, October, 2019, available online.
  • “Why A level chemistry might not make doctors better” Education in Chemistry,  September 2019, available online.
  • “Why you need A-level chemistry to study dentistry”, Education in Chemistry, August 2019, available online.
  • “Should all students take combined science?” Education in Chemistry, June 2019. available online
  • “Why you need A-level chemistry to study medicine”, Education in Chemistry, March 2019, available online.

Gender Equality.

I was Chair (2003 – 2007) and Steering Group Member (2007 – 2015), Cambridge Association for Women in Science and Engineering. I re-established, with Dr Jenny Brookman and Dr Esther Haines, and developed the organisation to support and help retain women in science, engineering and technology. We organised an extensive series of meetings including personal development workshops and mentoring. Our first major meeting in 2004 was in memory of Dr Joan Mason, founding Chair of AWiSE and our inspiration:

‘Where positive attitudes towards gender diversity prevail, women can and do succeed’.

L Spokes; J Koenig; J West; J Mason; R Tobbell (2007) Girlfriends in high places: Mentoring for women in Science, Engineering and Technology. Biochem (Lond) (2007) 29 (3): 20–22. https://doi.org/10.1042/BIO02903020

J Koenig (2007) So what can we do about it then? Biochem (Lond) (2007) 29 (3): 40–41.
https://doi.org/10.1042/BIO02903040