James Coverdale

After completing a PhD in Chemistry, Dr Coverdale gained multi-sector experience in academia (postdoctoral fellow), chemical industry (technical manager) and the National Health Service (senior healthcare scientist) before joining the University of Birmingham as a Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Biology in 2021.

"I grew up in a small town in Hampshire and attended the local state school, where I was encouraged to pursue a career in STEM by a fantastic GCSE chemistry teacher. I was the second to go to university in my family; my mum is a primary school teacher and went to the University of Warwick, where I also went to study chemistry 27 years later. I am the first STEM graduate in my family, and the first to continue my education at postgraduate level, achieving my PhD in Chemistry at the age of 25.

As a lecturer working at the interface of the chemical and life sciences within the School of Pharmacy, my interests involve the development of redox-targeting anticancer drugs and the role of metals in pathophysiology, from cancer to cardiovascular diseases. As an LGBTQIA+ member of staff, promoting inclusivity and equality is an essential component of my teaching and scientific research.

My team and students at the University of Birmingham are welcomed from around the globe, from China to South America, where we can listen to, and learn from, everyone’s unique experiences and perspectives. Your sexuality, gender, race, or religion should never hold you back from an academic career."