Sonia works as a panel tutor in Chemistry at the Institute of Continuing Education at the University of Cambridge and as a AS/A level Chemistry and Maths teacher at a private 6th form College.
She holds a BSc in Chemistry from University Jaume I in Spain, and a MSc in Chemistry through an Erasmus award and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Bath. She has worked on oncology research combining Organic Chemistry and Molecular Biology, and in the Pharmaceutical and Dye industries as a patent technician. Sonia is a qualified teacher in pedagogical aptitude having taught Maths, Chemistry, and Science at multiple levels.
Through her teaching career she has gained experience teaching maths, physical, inorganic, and organic chemistry to groups of students, including many pursuing medicine or biomedicine related degrees. Her passion is to keep students motivated and inspired so they can develop interest in the subjects she teaches, how they relate to one another and in further careers associated with them. She likes to develop essential understanding and knowledge of the subjects with well-prepared, dynamic, contextualised lessons and with valuable practical experience, incorporating the use of digital and e-learning ICT tools to assess, present, analyse and interpret data.
At ICE Sonia is contributing to develop and deliver the Summer Chemistry bootcamp and the course for CertHR in Pre-medical studies using pre-recorded lectures and synchronous (live) teaching sessions both on-line and in person alongside lab-based sessions. She teaches foundations and intermediate chemistry and biochemistry of key biological molecules and essential for biochemical processes in the human body.
Her primary goal is to successfully engage pupils in their independent study and small group discussion to gain competence and confidence in developing scientific explanations, communicate accurately, define scientific problems and present solutions. Altogether eventually will lead her students to develop a learning mindset and strategies of similar style and intensity to those they will encounter in the medical schools and apply the fundamental physical and chemical principles to body function on health and disease.