Dr Claire Tierney BSc (Hons), PhD, FHEA

Personal Statement

Claire is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Human Anatomy Resource Centre (HARC) at the University of Liverpool. Her main field of interest, both in teaching and research, is in Craniofacial Anatomy, of which she is the Lead for Anatomy in Dentistry, Module Lead for the Head and Neck Module at UoL and Programme Director for the developing PGCert in Head and Neck Anatomy in Health and Disease. Claire also contributes to teaching of medical, dental, science and health science students including postgraduate CPD courses such as surgical training in the craniofacial region. Previous to this, she worked in The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) as an anatomy lecturer/demonstrator and completed her PhD in Bone Tissue Engineering in 2009 in RCSI. Tissue engineering/regenerative medicine remains a source of interest combined with traditional anatomical sciences and is author and co-author on several papers in this field.

However, Claire’s main field of research is as a Principal Investigator (PI) and PhD Supervisor on an ERC grant – FACEDIFF, which is a multidisciplinary grant between University of Liverpool, Nottingham Trent University and the MRC Centre in Porton Down. FACEDIFF is a study that is investigating individual differences in facial expressivity in social function, facial anatomy and evolutionary origin, and this 5-year project will pioneer how these interactions occur and the resultant effect on benefits or costs in an individual’s social engagement. Claire is also very involved in the national Anatomical Society (AS) and is currently serving as a Council Member on the Anatomical Society’s Board. Additional roles include Deputy Meetings Officer for conferences, merchandising officer, data protection officer and the AS council representative to the Institute of Anatomical Sciences (IAS).