Dr Valeria Wrigglesworth
School of Education
University Teacher
Lifelong Learning Programme Lead
+44 114 227007
Full contact details
School of Education
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
Sheffield
S10 2AH
- Profile
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I completed an undergraduate degree in Ecology before continuing my studies with a PhD in Radiobiology at the internationally recognised Medical Radiological Research Centre in Russia, a research institute specialising in cancer research and treatment. My particular area of interest was modelling the effects of high-ionising radiation for its potential use in cancer treatment.
Since moving to the UK in 2001, I have completed a PGCE in Post-Compulsory Education and an MA in Learning and Teaching at the University of Portsmouth.
I have extensive experience of teaching and leadership in both the Higher and Further Education sectors and am particularly passionate about widening participation programmes and supporting mature learners returning to education. I believe in importance of providing clear pedagogical explanations and making scientific concepts accessible to all students, however inherently complex they may be. Over the years, I have received the Outstanding Lecturer of the Year and Best Tutor awards. Currently, I am the Programme Lead for the Lifelong Learning Foundation Year for mature learners at the University of Sheffield.
- Research interests
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My PhD focused on investigating the response of eukaryotic cells to high-ionising radiation to improve understanding of how radiotherapy can be optimised for the treatment of cancer.
The focus on my education research was exploring the key features of teacher-led explanations in Biology aimed at mature learners who have been out of education for some time. My MA Learning and Teaching dissertation received the award for the best dissertation on the course.
More recently, my research has focused on comparing Foundation Year students' experiences at both national and international levels to identify examples of best practice and inform the development of Foundation Year provision
- Teaching activities
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I teach on a range of modules within the Lifelong Learning Foundation Year programme, including Core Biology, Organisms and Environment, Academic Literacy and Communication Skills, and the Extended Project.
- Publications
*Note that all publications use Valeria’s maiden name (Shvedenko)
Shvedenko, V. (1998). ‘Radiobiological aspects of application of low- and high-ionizing radiation’. International congress ‘Energetics-3000’. Obninsk, Russia, 12-16 October.
Shvedenko V., Kabakova N., Petin V. (1999). ‘Biophysical interpretation of the role of cell recovery in relative biological efficiency (RBE) of high-ionizing radiation’. Second symposium of Russian Biophysics. Moscow.
Shvedenko V., Kabakova N. (2000). ‘Various criteria of cell death and relative biological efficiency (RBE) of high-ionizing radiation’. Conference ‘Biosphere and humanity’ dedicated to the centenary of Timofeev-Ressovsky. Obninsk, Russia.
Shvedenko V., Kabakova N., Petin V. (2000). The new data on the manifestation mechanisms of RBE of high-ionizing radiation. International conference Modern issues of nuclear medicine and radio-pharmacology. Obninsk, Russia.
Shvedenko V., Petin V. (2000). Evaluation of the role of potentially lethal and sublethal damage recovery in RBE of densely ionizing radiation. Journal of Radiation Biology and Radioecology, 40 (4), pp. 416-419.
Shvedenko V., Petin V. (2001). A comparative study of RBE of densely ionizing radiation for various criteria of yeast cell death. Journal of Radiation Biology and Radioecology, 41 (4), pp. 361-365.