Dr Hilary Carswell

Personal statement

I am a Reader at University of Strathclyde with particular interests in brain damage and repair. After registering as a Pharmacist then obtaining my PhD at University of Glasgow, I pursued my academic career in preclinical stroke research as a postdoctoral researcher. I acquired an independant research fellowship from Research into Agening at the Wellcome Surgical Institute, University of Glasgow before joining SIPBS in 2007, where I am joined as a John Anderson Research Lecturer in in vivo Biology. 

My research focuses on understanding mechanisms of brain damage and repair using two strategies namely inflammation and stem cells. I have particular interest in in vivo and in vitro models of brain damage and current research programmes include understanding how to promote success of stem cells for brain repair as well as targetting inflammation and the blood brain barrier in stroke. We maintain strong national and international collaborative links with stroke clinicians and researchers, immunologists and Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industry. My research group currently has 3 PhD students and 1 PDRA, funded an International Collaborative Grant from Saudi Arabia and by Joint Tenovus Scotland & Neurosciences Foundation and Thai Government.  

I aim to generate student engagement and research aspirations in Pharmacy and Biomedical Science students and to promote opportunities in science in interdisciplinary areas. In 2018 I was Winner of Best Teacher in Faculty of Science Strathclyde Teaching Excellence Awards, which is evidence of success of my innovative teaching approaches. An example of a student’s quote ‘Her thoroughness, combined with her approachability, enthusiasm and expertise mark Hilary out as an exceptional teacher, who is devoted to her students’.