Kerry completed her BSc in Biomedical Sciences at Ulster University (2003) where she received first class honours and the Institute of Biomedical Sciences President’s Prize. She completed her PhD in 2007 (School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast), in which she conducted candidate gene association studies to identify genetic variants conferring susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetes.

Since then, her postdoctoral research has encompassed genetic epidemiology of a range of diseases and traits, whole genome sequencing for analysis of microbial disease transmission and antimicrobial resistance, and secondary data analysis to quantify national performance in aspects of health, climate, and justice. This research has been conducted at several UK universities including University of St Andrews, as well as Erasmus University Rotterdam.

As Lecturer in Biomedical Science at Teesside, Kerry seeks to consolidate these three areas of expertise under the banner of ‘patterns and populations’, using quantitative data to answer key questions at the population level. She is currently funded by the Association of Commonwealth Universities to build a transdisciplinary research network for investigating the broader impacts of saline intrusion on freshwater supplies in coastal South Asia, on various aspects of human health and wellbeing.

• Analysis of genetic variants, using microbial whole genome sequencing and genetic epidemiology methods
• Analysis of secondary data, using population cohorts, disease cohorts and open access global data
• Health inequalities, climate change and just transition

• Module leader
  • Genomics and Bioinformatics (SCI4007-N)
  • Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics (SCI2008-N)
• Teaching contributions
  • Data analysis seminars in Life Sciences Research Project (SCI4013-N)
  • Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology (DTC2002-N)
• Course development
  • Epidemiology and Public Health module on new BSc Pharmacology course
• Supervision
  • Life Sciences Research Project (SCI4013-N) (MSc Advanced Biomedical Sciences and MSc Bioinformatics)
  • Advanced Practice in Health and Life Sciences (SCI4039-N) (MSc Bioinformatics)
  • Science Research Project (SCI3051-N) (BSc Biomedical Science)