Professor Bernadine Idowu

Professor of Biomedical Sciences

Course Leader for Biomedical Science, Bio-Sciences

Lead Personal Tutor

School of Medicine and Biosciences

Bernadine.idowu@uwl.ac.uk

Professor Bernadine Idowu is a graduate of King’s College London (KCL). She obtained her PhD from the IRC Queen Mary University of London. She has published in peer-reviewed journals with her most notable publication in the Histopathology Journal which won the Roger Cotton Prize of 10,000 euros for the best paper in the Journal that year, making her an award-winning scientist. She is a Visiting Senior Lecturer within the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at KCL and partners with other departments within the University.

An advocate for an inclusive culture, Bernadine had a part time role in the Diversity and Inclusion central team at KCL, courtesy of the former President, Sir Ed Byrne, which resulted in delivering on several projects addressing the action plans from the Race Equality Charter Mark. Interrogation of the data demonstrated a lack of representation in lecturership level and above which led her to develop the ‘Black Minority Ethnic (BME) Early Career Researcher (ECR) how to stay in academia conference’, now an international annual conference currently in its eighth year, and a network of over 1,000 people has been born out of it.

Professor Idowu is very passionate about improving diversity in Biomedical Science, recognising the need to engage students at a very early age and is the Founder of ‘Black in Biomedical Science undergraduate conference’, now in its second year.

She is the Founder of Youth Against Crime not Crime Against You (YACnCAY), a preventative charity that organises mentoring for young people to empower them to know follow their dreams. The charity has been active since September 2010.

Bernadine freelances for the Guardian newspaper, and invited to contribute to op-eds to key higher education publications including the Times Higher Education.

Professor Idowu is the Co-Chair of the Medical Research Council (MRC) – Black in Biomedical Research Advisory Group MRC ‘Black in Biomedical Research’ Advisory Group – UKRI. MRC committed £3.7 million over three years (2023-2025) to fund initiatives to address the underrepresentation of people from Black heritage backgrounds in Biomedical Sciences. She is also a Community Partner at the Medical Research Council – Laboratory of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London.

Professor Idowu has been recognised nationally and internationally in diversifying curricula and was headhunted to be an External Examiner. She is frequently invited to deliver keynote speeches.

Qualifications
- BSc (Hons) Biochemistry (King's College London)
- PhD (Queen Mary University of London)
- PGCAPHE (King's College London)
Memberships

Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Teaching

Professor Idowu is the Course Leader for Biomedical Science and Bio-Sciences.

In June 2019, she was recruited as a consultant to a develop curricula for Biomedical Science within UWL's School of Biomedical Science, founded in September 2020. She was made a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader. The course remains the popular course in the School of Medicine and Biosciences under her leadership. The 2024 National Student Survey saw the Biomedical Science course ranked 1^st in London and number 4 within the UK.

Research

Professor Idowu leads high quality contributions to pedagogical research to enhance teaching and learning. She demonstrates this through decolonising and diversifying the curriculum. She contributed a chapter, 'What is Good Development to Decolonising University Teaching and Learning', to the key publication Decolonising University Teaching and Learning: An Entry Model for Grappling with Complexities: D. Tran: Bloomsbury Academic. Since publication, she been an invited speaker, contributing to a number of higher education expert panels to enhance learning and teaching.

Her research also focuses on understanding the experiences of and supporting Early Career Researchers. This has led to her research being a recognisable feature of the higher education landscape in terms of development and retention of BME early career scholars. It has led to multiple networks of academics and institutions supporting one another.

Data collected from over the last seven years led to a publication in June 2023, in Frontiers of Sociology vol 8 – ‘A personal reflection upon navigating into a senior academic role’ has over 6,000 views to date – over half internationally viewed.

The annual conference has been used to provide key recommendations for funders, employers and policymakers within a ‘state of the nation’ report on research culture initiatives in the UK to improve culture across the research and innovation sector, commissioned by UKRI Careers Research and Advisory Centre, Vitae, Shift Learning and UK Reproducibility Network, published February 2024 (UKRI-180124-ResearchCultureInitiativesInTheUK.pdf).

Professor Idowu's annual conferences and workshops attract funding from various research councils and charities, companies and HEI, that she has built a relationship with since 2017 including the UKRI-MRC, Royal Society of Biology, Royal Society of Chemistry, Perrett Laver RISE, Wellcome, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Connecting Science, Academy of Medical Science, Centre for Research Staff Development KCL, UEL, The Open University, Imperial College London, University of Leeds and Greenwich University.

Research and publications

Idowu (2023) A personal reflection upon navigating into a senior academic role. Frontiers of Sociology 8: Volume 8 - 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2023.979691
The Association of Graduate Advisory Services – Mentoring – Researcher Matters April 2023
Idowu (2022) Opinion: In the academic world, hardly anyone looks like me. It’s time to close the gap. Big Issue The Dispatch 8 October
Idowu (2022) Times Higher Education As a black female student, I wish I’d had a peer mentoring scheme 30th September
Idowu-Onibokun. B (2021) “Focus Group Responses to Activity and Assessment Strategy among BAME Students in Various Disciplines,” In D. Tran (Ed) Decolonising University Teaching and Learning. An Entry Model for Grappling with Complexities (Bloomsbury Academic), pp35-42
Idowu-Onibokun, B (2018) “Who Can Save the Post-Brexit Economy? Black Professors”, The Guardian: Available at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/07/brexit-economy-black-professors-minority-ethnic
Idowu-Onibokun, B (2017) “Hidden Figures Is Just the Start – Here’s How to Inspire More Black Scientists?” The Guardian: Available at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/24/hidden-figures-tommorrow-black-scientists-education
Woodhead Publishing - Salih - Standardisation in cell and tissue engineering 2013
B. Idowu and L. Di Silvio, Chapter 7: Principles of good laboratory practice (GLP) for in vitro cell culture applications 127 King’s College London, Dental Institute, UK.
Shanghani-Kerai A., Coathup M., Samazideh S., Kalia P., Silvio LD, Idowu B., Blunn G. Osteoporosis and ageing effects the migration of stems cells and this is ameliorated by transfection with CXCR4. Bone Joint Research 2017 June 6:358-365.
Idowu B., Cama G., Deb S., Di Silvio L. In vitro osteoinductive potential of porous monetite for bone tissue engineering. J Tissue Eng. 2014 May 27;5:2041731414536572. doi: 10.1177/2041731414536572. eCollection 2014.
Moskovszky L., Idowu B. Taylor R., Mertens F., Athanasou N., Flanagan A. Analysis of giant cell tumour of bone cells for Noonan syndrome/cherubism-related mutations. J Oral Pathol Med 2013 Jan 42(1) 95-8.
Duhamel LA., Ye H., Halai D., Idowu BD., Presneau N., Tirabisco R., Flanagan AM. Frequency of Mouse Double Minute 2 (MDM2) and Mouse Double Minute 4 (MDM4) amplification in parosteal and conventional osteosarcoma subtypes. Histopathology 2012, Jan;60(2):357-9.
Shalaby A, Presneau N, Ye H, Halai D, Berisha F, Idowu B, Leithner A, Liegl B, Briggs TR, Bacsi K, Kindblom LG, Athanasou N, Amary MF, Hogendoorn PC, Tirabosco R, Flanagan AM. The role of epidermal growth factor receptor in chordoma pathogenesis: a potential therapeutic target.
J Pathol. 2011 Feb;223(3):336-46 Presneau N, Shalaby A, Ye H, Pillay N, Halai D, Idowu B, Tirabosco R, Whitwell D, Jacques TS, Kindblom LG, Brüderlein S, Möller P, Leithner A, Liegl B, Amary FM, Athanasou NN, Hogendoorn PC, Mertens F, Szuhai K, Flanagan AM. Role of the transcription factor T (brachyury) in the pathogenesis of sporadic chordoma: a genetic and functional-based study. J Pathol. 2011 Feb;223(3):327-35.
Egbuniwe O., Idowu BD., Funes JM., Grant AD., Renton T., Di Silvio L. P16/p53 expression and telomerase activity in immortalized human dental pulp cells. Cell Cycle 2011 Nov 15;10(22):3912-9
Feber A, Wilson GA, Zhang L, Presneau N, Idowu B, Down TA, Rakyan VK, Noon LA, Lloyd AC, Stupka E, Schiza V, Teschendorff AE, Schroth GP, Flanagan A, Beck S. Comparative methylome analysis of benign and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Genome Res. 2011 Apr;21(4):515-24.
Buranawat B., Palmer R., Deb S, Idowu B., Di Silvio L. Bioengineered vascularized bone graft. 24th European Conference on Biomaterials – Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials 2011.
Joseph L., Hing SN., Presneau N., O'Donnell P., Diss T., Idowu BD., Joseph S., Flanagan AM., Delaney D. Familial tumoral calcinosis and hyperostosis-hyperphosphataemia syndrome are different manifestations of the same disease: novel missense mutations in GALNT3. Skeletal Radiol. 2010 39(1):63-8.
Presneau N., Shalaby A., Idowu B., Thomson L., Gikas P., Henderson S., Cannon SR., Briggs TRW., Gout I., Tirabosco R., Diss T., Gale R., Flanagan AM. Potential Therapeutic Targets for Chordoma: PIK3/AKT/mTor pathway for protein kinase C-Theta. British Journal of Cancer 2009 5:100 (9):1406-14
Delaney D., Diss T. C., Presneau N., Hing S, Berisha F., Idowu B. D., O'Donnell P., Skinner J. A., Tirabosco R., Flanagan A. M., GNAS1 mutations occur more commonly than previously thought in intramuscular myxoma.
Mod Pathol. 2009 May;22(5):718-24 Shalaby AA, Presneau N, Idowu BD, Thompson L, Briggs TR, Tirabosco R, Diss TC, Flanagan AM. Analysis of the fibroblastic growth factor receptor-RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK-ETS2/brachyury signalling pathway in chordomas. Mod Pathol. 2009 Aug;22(8):996-1005.
Idowu B. D., Mangion J., Diss T., Frow R., Edkins S., Barfoot R., Hogeman PHG., Tranebjaerg L., Aldridge M., Townend J., O’Donnell P., Stratton MR., Gale RE., Flanagan AM. SH3BP2, PTPN11 and NF1 germline mutations in a cohort of 48 families with a cherubism phenotype. Submitted to the Journal of Medical Genetics, May 2008.
Idowu BD., Thomas G., Yeoman C., Frow R., Flanagan AM. ‘Mutations in SH3BP2, the Cherubism gene were not detected in central or peripheral giant cell tumours of the jaw’ Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2008 46(3):229-30.
Idowu BD., Al-Adnani M., O’Donnell P., Yu L., Odell E., Diss T., Gale., Flanagan AM. ‘A sensitive mutation-specific screening technique for GNAS1 mutations in cases of fibrous dysplasia: the first report of a codon 227 mutation in bone’.
Histopathology. 2007 May;50(6):691-704. Winner of Roger Cotton Prize (10,000 euros) for the best diagnostic paper in Histopathology Journal 2007.
VanCapelle CI., Hogeman PHG., VanderSijs-Bos CJM., Heggelan BGF., Idowu B., Slootweg PJ., Wittkampf ARM., Flanagan AM. ‘Neurofibromatosis presenting with a cherubism phenotype’ Eur J Pediatr. 2007 Sep;166(9):905-9.
Amary MFC., Pawels P., Roemen GM., Meulenmans E., Islam L., Idowu B., Bousdras K., Diss TC., O’Donnell P., Flanagan AM. ‘Detection of beta-catenin mutations in paraffin-embedded sporadic desmoid-type fibromatosis by mutation-specific restriction enzyme digestion (MSRED): an ancillary diagnostic tool.’Am J Surg Pathol. 2007, 31(9):1299-309.
Birchall M., Idowu B, Murison P., Jones A, Burt R., Ayling R., Stokes C., Pope L., Terenghi G. ‘Laryngeal abductor muscle reinnervation in a pig model. Acta Otolaryngology 2004, 124(7)839-846
Millevoi S., Geraghty F., Idowu B., Tam JL., Antoniou M., Vagner S. ‘A novel function for the U2AF 65 splicing factor in promoting pre-RNA 3’ end processing’ EMBO Rep, 2002, 3:869-874.
Lee DA., Knight MM., Idowu BD., Bader DL. ’Mechanical compression influences cytoskeletal organisation within chondrocytes seeded in agarose constructs’ Transaction of Orthopaedic Research, 2001, 26:262.
Knight MM., Idowu BD., Lee DA., Bader DL. ‘Temporal changes in cytoskeletal organisation within isolated chondrocyte novel image analysis technique’ Medical Biology Engineering and Computing, 2001, 39:397-404.
Idowu BD., Knight MM, Bader DL., Lee DA. ‘Confocal analysis of cytoskeletal organisation within isolated chondrocytes cultured in agarose’ Histochemical Journal, 2000, 32:165-74 Section of my PhD research.
Lee DA., Knight MM., Bolton JF., Idowu BD., Kayser MV., Bader DL. ‘Chondrocyte deformation within compressed agarose constructs at the cellular levels’ Journal of Biomechanics, 2000, 33:81-95.
Idowu B.D., Knight M.M., Bader D.L., Lee D.A. ‘The organisation of cytoskeletal components in isolated chondrocytes seeded in agarose’. Transactions of Orthopaedic Research, 1999.
Ahmed Z., Idowu B.D., Brown R.A. 'Stabilisation of fibronectin mats with micromolar concentration of copper'. Biomaterials; 1998, 20:201-209.
Ahmed Z, Idowu B.D., Brown R.A. 'Stability and cell-substrate properties of fibronectin mats using copper ions'. Wound Repair and Regeneration 1997:5: A266.
Idowu B.D., Ejim O.S., Blunn G.W., Brown R.A.'In vivo assessment of orientated mats of fibrillar fibronectin in dermal wounds.' Wound Repair and Regeneration 1994:2, 214.
Whitworth I.H., Brown R.A., Idowu B.D., Green C.J., Terenghi G. 'The development of fibronectin mats for use as a graft material in nerve repair.' Wound Repair and Regeneration 1994:2, 230.
Whitworth I.H., Anand P., Brown R.A., Idowu B.D., Green C.J. 'A study of fibronectin as a delivery system for nerve growth factor in an in vitro model.' Wound Repair and Regeneration 1994:2, 206.
Brown R.A., Porter R.A., Idowu B.D., Ejim O.S., Blunn G.W. 'Orientated mats of fibronectin as templates for collagen alignment by human dermal fibroblasts' Wound Repair and Regeneration 1994:2, 206.
Whitworth I.H., Brown R., Idowu B., Green C., Terenghi G. ‘The use of orientated fibronectin mats in the repair of peripheral nerve gaps.' European Journal of Neuroscience supp 1994:7;47.
Wassif W. S., Sherwood R.A., Amir A., Idowu B., Summers B., Leigh N., Peters T.J. ' Serum carnosinase activities in central nervous system disorders' Clinical Chim Acta 1994:225:57.
Conferences

Panellist on the 22^nd Higher Education Resource Services South Africa (HERS-SA) Conference Cape Town August 2024
Redefining Cultures of Excellence: Modelling Change in Research Agendas at Nottingham Trent University June 2023
13^th Applied Microbiology Early Career Scientist Research Symposium at Queens Belfast May 2023 Bernadine Idowu-Onibokun | Author | The Microbiologist (the-microbiologist.com)
Launch of Changing the Story of Black Biomedical Scientists University of West London, April 2023
Personal Tutor Colloquium Portsmouth University July 2022
Keynote lecture at the Annual Doctoral Students conference, UWL July 2021
14 September 2020; 4th BME Conference, held virtually.
29 October 2019; Belonging: At Salford – Launch Event – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Symposium. Manchester Salford (Panel member)
23 October 2019; Viva Blackademia: Black and Brilliant, Cardiff University (Panel member)
26 April 2019: ‘3rd BME Early Career Researcher – How to stay in academia’ Great Hall, University of East London (Chair)
October 2018: Arena & Convention Centre Liverpool – The need for over-representation of BME academics (Oral presentation and Panellist) – Advanced HE – Higher Education Academy
September 2018: Sheffield Hallam University – Supporting Student Diversity- Where are we now? (Guest Speaker)
12 June 2018: Oxford’s Women in Material Science: Career Pathways for Women in Science at Institute of Physics (Oral presentation)
3 April 2018: 2nd BME Early Career Researcher – How to stay in academia’ Great Hall, King’s College London (Chair)
24 February 2018: 7th Annual Oxford Female Engineering Science and Technology (OxFEST) conference – Keynote speaker – ‘Where are all the role models to inspire diversity in STEM?’
19th April 2017: 1st BME Early Career Researcher – How to stay in academia’ Great Hall, King’s College London (Chair)
12-13 September 2016: Vitae Researcher conference, Manchester (Networking)
21-23 June 2016: Student & Education Directorate conference, King’s College London (Oral Presentation)
22 June 2015: 9th Excellence in Teaching conference, King’s College London (Networking)
10-13 November 2013: Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) Atlanta, Georgia (Poster presentation)
3-4 September 2013: MEC annual networking meeting, Sunningdale Park, Ascot
12-14 Aug 2013 – ‘Life Beyond the PhD’ at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor (Oral presentation)
23-25 July 2013 – Tissue Cell and Engineering society, Cardiff (Oral Presentation)
24-25 June 2013 – UK Society for Biomaterials, Birmingham (Joint poster presentation)
17-19 June 2013 – TERMIS meeting Istanbul, Turkey (Networking)