Staff Profile | School of Medicine
Sophia Aguilar
Published Apr 20, 2026
Background
Clare is Director of Education and Deputy Head at the School of Medicine, and Lead for Medicine Admissions. Originally from York, she graduated with a degree and PhD in neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh, then worked as a postdoctoral researcher in neuroscience/neuropharmacology at the University of Glasgow and University of Manchester. In 2011 Clare moved to the School of Medicine at Newcastle University, holding numerous roles, including MBBS Deputy Degree Programme Director, PARTNERS Widening Participation Summer School lead and co-lead for the Clinical Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Prescribing strand.
From January 2017- August 2020, Clare was seconded to the role of Dean of Academic Affairs at Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia, with overall responsibility for quality assurance, assessment, student progress and student support for the MBBS programme. She managed the delivery of the first two years of this programme, ensuring that the outcomes and standards were the same as those delivered in Newcastle UK. Clare was intimately involved in the design and development of Newcastle's new MBBS curriculum and led and managed the implementation of this curriculum in Malaysia, led in the development and delivery of NUMed's staff development programme, and oversaw the Student Association.
Clare's education research interests lie in curriculum development and innovations in teaching. She played a key role in developing and more recently updating the British Pharmacological Society’s (BPS) UK undergraduate pharmacology curriculum, working with the inclusive pharmacology steering group to develop principles for inclusive implementation of the curriculum.
Current external roles
Qualifications
- Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Education, Dundee University (2021)
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), Higher Education Academy (2014)
- Postgraduate Certificate of Advanced Studies in Academic Practice, Newcastle University (2014)
- ILM Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management, The University of Manchester (2011)
- Ph.D, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh (2004)
- BSc (Hons) Neuroscience, 1st class & Class Prize, The University of Edinburgh (2000)
