Dr Ian Brewis

I am a Senior Lecturer and my main responsibilities are in my roles as Central Biotechnology Services (CBS) Operational Director and the MSc Medical Research and Innovation Programme Director.

Since 2011 I have been CBS Operational Director (0.7FTE). CBS (http://medicine.cf.ac.uk/cbs) is an ISO 9001:2015 certified Cardiff University Technology Facility based in the College of Biomedical and Life Sciences with a remit across the entire College. We provide genomics and bioinformatics, proteins and diagnostics and cell analysis/imaging platforms, services, training and expertise to local researchers and external organisations. Externally we also offer opportunities for hosting companies and provide laboratory facilities, technological support, academic consultancy and access to other university resources. Options for contract research and managed services are backed up by our proven track record of working with not-for-profit organisations, start-ups, SMEs and corporates. Please contact us at cbsadmin@cardiff.ac.uk and you can follow us on Twitter @CentralBioServ.

Since Oct 2016 I have been the MSc Medical Research and Innovation Programme Director (0.2FTE) with a further remit to co-ordinate the delivery of short courses in Clinical Innovation internally and to external organisations. I have a wide-ranging teaching portfolio (0.1FTE) and I am the School of Medicine C21 Divisional Teaching Lead for Clinical Innovation and the Postgraduate Research (PGR) Representative for Clinical Innovation. 

I have experience as an External Examiner for five Masters Programmes at three Russell Group universities: University of Liverpool MRes and MSc in Advanced BIological Sciences (since 2017); Queen Mary University of London MSc Bioinformatics Programme (since 2014); University of York MSc Bioscience Technology Programme (2012-2015) and MSc Post Genomic Biology Programme (2014-2015). I am also an External Examiner at Nottingham Trent University for the MBiol Biochemistry, BSc Biochemistry and BSc Biological Sciences (Biochemistry and Microbiology) Programmes (since 2017). From a research perspective I have served as an External Examiner for 9 PhD theses and 1 MSc thesis at research intensive universities. Formerly in my spare time I was also an Associate Lecturer at the Open University (2010-2017).

From 2010-Dec 2016 I was the MSc Bioinformatics Programme Director (0.3FTE) and my involvement goes back to 2004 when I was closely involved with the establishment of the Programme. Formerly I was the Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Committee Teaching and Training Lead (to Dec 2016). I was recruited to Cardiff in 2003 as part of a large Welsh Assembly Government funded initiative to set up the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Unit (BBU). I was also tasked to achieve funding, establish and lead a new Proteomics Facility.

This was successful and, as CBS Proteomics Facility Academic Lead, I was responsible for a wide portfolio of projects in extended collaborations with many Cardiff researchers and external clients. Our biggest external contract was with Ovasort Ltd and formerly I was also Scientific Director for the company. They were interested in sperm-based sex-selection in livestock (and to a lesser extent cancer biomarker discovery) and embedded in our laboratories from 2005-2009. CBS Proteomics services officially discontinued in 2014 and this work is now outsourced (primarily to the University of Bristol). Please continue to contact me for proteomics advice and to co-ordinate outsourcing services.

My main research interests are the proteomic and functional characterisation of mammalian sperm cells at fertilization which was conducted in close collaboration with Dr Bart Gadella at Utrecht University, The Netherlands for many years. My preferred career direction has resulted in my own research being a minor activity during my time in Cardiff and I am no longer independently research active. My main association with the field is now as an Editorial Board Member for the journal Reproduction (Impact Factor 3.184; since 2013) and formerly I was also an Editorial Board Member (Associate Editor) for Molecular Human Reproduction (Impact Factor 3.943; 2012-2015). 

Before Cardiff I was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham and Birmingham NHS Assisted Conception Unit (2000-2003) and a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Sheffield (1993-2000) and primarily focused on molecular aspects of sperm function. These varied roles also included a wide range of other research projects in reproduction and several years working on commercial projects (and in particular a male fertility test and a study using human stem cell technologies).

My PhD (1994) on the biochemistry of mammalian glycolipid anchors was conducted as a Research Assistant at the University of Leeds and also involved spending extended time with collaborators at the University of Dundee. Prior to this I was a Research Assistant at the University of York (1989-1990) where I investigated the biochemistry of the Fallopian tube. Lastly I also studied for my first degree at the University of York and graduated in 1989 with a BSc (Hons) in Biology (Cell Biology and Biochemistry).