Alun is the Head of the Education Division for the School of Medicine in St Andrews. Via this role, Alun has responsibility for developing the research strategy of the division and to support the development of education-focussed staff within the School. He is also the School's lead on the General Medical Council required Recognition of Trainer process within the School. He is also a member of the School's dedicated Medical Support Team. 

Alun joined the University of St Andrews in 2011, and since then has held a variety of teaching management roles within the School: Prior to being Head of the Education Division, he held the role of Director of Teaching and worked extensively with colleagues as the University of Dundee on the curricular and regulatory development of Scotland's first Graduate Entry Medical programe (ScotGEM). He also led on the School's teaching response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also been the first-year, first-semester Module Controller for the BSc (Hons) Medicine programme, through which he supported over a decade's worth of students transition to University and welcomed them to medicine.

At his previous institute in Aberdeen, Alun was a researcher in pharmacology and predominately worked on "new tricks for old drugs", such as the chempreventative effects of aspirin or the anabolic effects of statins on bone. He was extensively involved in public engagement, including supporting the local Young Person's Group for the Medicine for Childrens Research Network by delivering interactive workshops on the development and testing of medicines in children.

Since joining the School of Medicine, Alun has transitioned his research interests from benchside to education. His reasearch interests are around the use of technology to adapt teaching both reactively (e.g. in response to the COVID pandemic) and pro-actively (e.g. the use of technology-enhanced learning to augment student learning). He has also interested in the management of risk in educational environments associated with technology use (e.g. incidental findings during practical sessions using ultrasound).

Alun is one of the principal investigators on the Community Orientated Simulation (ComSIM) research programme, which focusses on the enhancement of community based education via the use of extended reality (XR) and artificial intelligence (AI).

As Head of the Education Division, Alun leads on the School's education-related research strategy and priorities.

Teaching in physiology and pharmacology

Synchronous and asynchronous lecture delivery

Small group teaching / workshops / practical teaching

Dissertation supervision (critical reviews)

Personal tutor

Portfolio reviewer

Pastoral support / academic and regulatory guidance

Curriculum management / development

Recognition of Trainers (GMC)

PhD (University of Aberdeen), BSc (Hons) Pharmacology (University of Aberdeen).