Dr Poonam Singh Nigam holds a PhD in Industrial Microbiology (1985) with the award of Research Fellowship from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research of India.She was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Germany (1985-1988) before joining as senior research officer at Ulster University in 1990. She became a full time Lecturer in Biotechnology in 1996 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2001. Poonam became a Chartered Biologist in 1992 and received her Postgraduate Certificate in university teaching in 1998.She is a Senior Fellow in the The Higher Education Academy, and a Fellow for Centre of Higher Education Research & Practice, Fellow of Royal Society of Biology, International Forum on Industrial Bioprocesses, and the Biotechnology Research Society.Her research interests include industrial and applied microbiology and fermentation technology in the area of Environmental, Food, and pharmaceutical.Poona has one EU Patent, four biotechnology reference books, more than 300 peer reviewed papers, chapters and review articles, with CitationsTeaching InterestsIndustrial and applied microbiology and biotechnology.Administrative RolesCourse Director Biotechnology Postgraduate program (2000-present)Food Biotechnology Postgraduate program (2000-2013)module coordinator various modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level (1996-present).