Gabriella

I am a PhD student at the University of Oxford where my research is funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). I am currently investigating whether premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is the manifestation of environmentally-induced inflammation. The findings will have implications for rethinking the discourse surrounding PMS and pave the way for novel therapeutic perspectives.

I was also part of a research team for the BBC and PBS documentary “Neanderthals”. I am listed as a BBC expert woman (https://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/en/collections/expert-women), where I am called upon to comment on news pieces surrounding evolution and biological sciences. I hold an MSc in Human Evolution from University College London, where I researched paternity certainty in hunter-gatherer populations. My MSc was funded by a full scholarship by University College London, I was put on the Dean’s list for academic excellence and graduated with distinction. I also hold a BSc in Zoology from the University of Leeds, where I researched how male competition affects female life-history trade-offs in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and graduated with first-class honours.

Tutoring Experience

I worked for two years as a science educator at the Natural History Museum in London, making scientific research accessible to school children. I was responsible for developing and running educational activities for all ages, from 6 to university level. I have tutored GCSE Biology and Chemistry and A-Level Biology for 4 years.

Tutoring Approach

I am friendly but firm, I deeply believe that students must understand what they're learning, instead of simply memorising the facts. Not only will this put them in a more flexible position for their exams, but will stand them in good stead for future schooling. I am very patient, and well versed in different pedagogical styles. I am adaptive to my students learning styles and needs. I spend time preparing for lessons to ensure that their particular strengths and weaknesses in the subject are catered for, and for this reason, I will only take a few students at a time.