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Meet Dr Bahar Sahin

What course do you teach on and what is your role?

I am a teaching fellow on the MSc Human Molecular Genetics. I lead two modules, “Molecular Genetics” and “Genomics at the Laboratory” and co-lead a third module, organising the “6-month Research Project”. Topics I teach include cell biology, molecular biology and genetic content of the programme. In addition, I have the roles of a personal tutor and project supervisor, and function as the Department Disability Officer.

How has your career led you to teach?

I have a PhD in neural development at cellular and molecular level and I taught many topics at many different programmes. Although my official teaching experience began in 2013, I had volunteered to teach science to secondary school ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ in underprivileged regions for years before that. In different forms, teaching has always been always part of my life.  
Being involved in research is exciting and I equally enjoy teaching. Thus, I joined Imperial College in 2021, where research-led teaching is my main role. I enjoy participating in the sense of enthusiasm and curiosity of my ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ as they develop as young scientists. 

What aspect of the course do you enjoy teaching the most?

In the MSc programme, I teach molecular biology and genetics through lectures, study groups and hands-on practicals. I enjoy contributing to the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’ development from an understanding of textbook facts to a more research-oriented level. I try to teach how a research question and corresponding experimental design can be formed and how these methods can be applied using wet lab and computational approaches. The ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ combine their practical and article reading skills during the 6-month research period to help answer a real-life scientific problem.    

What do you hope your ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ will go on to achieve on completion of this course?

Students come to our MSc programme with a wide range of plans, all of which are underpinned by an interest in science. At the end of the MSc level, the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ reach an intellectual maturity and are in a better position to develop their career plan, such as a PhD in genetics, research-related jobs, or to continue in industry. Education at Imperial prepares the student for the next step.  I try to teach my ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ how to keep up with recent scientific developments and take account of new information and methods.   

What is your favourite part about teaching at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½?

At ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, there is a strong team of teaching staff, but also bright ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, inspiring and motivating each other. During my teaching at Imperial, we have access to high quality infrastructure, and lectures by professors specialised in their research topics, which contributes to our research-led teaching for PG ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½.   

In my role as Department Disability Officer, I’m the immediate contact of the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ who need support and special arrangements for their condition, to remove any caveat before their education and assessment. The ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ can contact me before they start their MSc or MRes programme in the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, or while their studies are ongoing. For any disease, disorder, neurodiversity etc. I’m the liaison between the student, the programme organisers and the Disability Advisory Service, helping ensure the student reaches the professional support given by the college and the required arrangements provided for the teaching and assessment.