Rachel Clare Davies

After graduating with a BA in Biochemistry from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, I moved to London to do a PhD on human papillomavirus and cervical cancer. This stimulated my interest in cancer research which I further extended as a post-doctoral scientist. Initially, I worked on Wilms’ Tumour, a childhood kidney cancer, in Edinburgh and later on breast cancer in Cambridge. I then moved to the Institute of Human Genetics in Newcastle where I ran the MSc in Medical Genetics.

I teach molecular medicine throughout the curriculum, particularly focusing on genetics. I hope that my teaching will provide a secure foundation in molecular aspects of medicine for doctors as they progress through medical school and into practice, and inspire a subset of students to pursue these aspects further.

Director Teaching

Strand lead - Molecular Medicine MD4002

Academic lead for the Gateway to Medicine programme

Personal Tutor

Scientific research: I have a special interest in the molecular basis of cancer. In particular the relationship between the structure and function of tumour suppressor genes, and the consequences for inherited susceptibility to cancer. Additionally I am intrigued by the way viruses associated with cancer can interfere with the function of tumour suppressor genes.

Educational research: I am interested understanding the process of learning and ways to help students improve the effectiveness of their learning, whether knowledge or skills based. I am particularly interested in the relationship between formative and summative assessment. Can formative assessments help improve performance in a summative setting? I am also interested in the way feedback from formative or summative assessments can shape future performance.

Molecular Basis of Cancer; Assessment of Medical Students; Attainment Gap;