Dr Sabeel Valappil
MBChB Assessment Lead
Biography
Sabeel is MBChB Assessment Lead and oversees the planning, resourcing, delivery, and evaluation of all assessments of student performance in the MBChB programme. He provides expertise and strategic input while working closely with the academic and operational teams, including counterparts at Warwick Medical School which is the contingency Medical School for CMS, to ensure the smooth and efficient development and delivery of assessments. Sabeel is a microbiologist with several years of teaching, assessment and research experience in academia. His current research broadly falls into pedagogic research and basic science (microbiology and biomedical science) research. He is especially interested in complex network patterns of the human microbiome and antibacterial-controlled delivery systems to treat biofilm infections.
Teaching and Supervision
Sabeel is the assessment lead for MBChB and Module leader for MD6028 - Virology. He teaches on various programmes within the Chester Medical School. MD4008 - Introduction to Microbiology MD5401 - Foundations of Science and Medicine MD5016 - Pathophysiology MD6028 - Virology MD7006 - Clinical Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis MD7025 - Infectious Disease
Research and Knowledge Exchange
Sabeel has attracted research grants worth over £1.5 million and concentrates his research on the following areas: Pedagogic research: This research focuses on the use of digital platforms for specific teaching and authentic assessment in clinical education, particularly the role of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in assessments. Development of antibacterial materials: Antibiotic-resistance is increasingly becoming a key public health risk and threatening decades of advances in the treatment of infections. His research focus in biomaterials that can be tailor-made to promote a specific biological response. Currently he is leading research on the controlled delivery of antibacterial ions from Nanocomposites and Phosphate-based glasses e.g., silver, copper, zinc, gallium and scandium. Production of nanocomposites includes the development of biocompatible and biodegradable materials such as carboxy methyl cellulose, lactoferrin and Polyhydroxyalkanoates (an emerging class of bio polymeric material derived from bacteria). In vitro modelling of the biofilm ecosystem: This research involves developing, validating and utilising a diverse range of biologically relevant laboratory models of biofilm environments, such as the constant-depth film fermenter, to develop treatments and inform patient care. As part of a joint BBSRC/Unilever research project, Sabeel’s group work on utilising next-generation sequencing such as microbiome 16S rRNA, metagenomics of DNA and RNA to gain functional insights into biofilm communities. Non-invasive early detection of shifts in microbial community structure: To facilitate research in this area, bioinformatics tools and data analyses of complex network patterns of human microbiomes are utilised. Imaging systems, such as Quantitative Light-Induced Fluorescence (QLF), have also been used to analyse in situ biofilm community structure to establish its link with an individual’s health status. People living with systemic conditions often report disordered eating behaviours, which has implications for diet and health outcomes. As part of a joint BBSRC/GSK research project, Sabeel and his collaborators work to measure non-pathological eating traits to explore associations between the incidence of systemic conditions, body satisfaction, and oral health in a UK population sample. Sabeel has published 43 peer reviewed journal articles, 80 national/international conference abstracts and 2 invited book chapters.