Rate My Professor Alan Goddard

Professor Alan Goddard serves as Professor in Biotechnology and Head of the School of Biosciences at Aston University, part of the College of Health and Life Sciences. He obtained his BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences with Molecular Genetics from the University of Warwick in 2002, followed by a PhD in Biological Sciences from the same university in 2006. Additionally, he earned a PGCE in Higher Education from the University of Lincoln in 2016. Goddard's career trajectory includes postdoctoral positions at the University of Oxford from 2006 to 2012, where he researched membrane proteins, followed by a role as Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry at the University of Lincoln from 2012 to 2016. He joined Aston University in 2016 as a Lecturer in Biochemistry, advancing through the ranks to his current professorial position.

His research centers on membrane proteins and lipid membranes, encompassing G protein-coupled receptors, transporters, and biogenesis systems. Goddard utilizes model lipid membranes to examine protein functionality in environments mimicking native conditions and to evaluate the effects of compounds like antimicrobials and solvents on membrane stability. This expertise informs the development of bioinspired membranes for biotechnological purposes. As a founding member and Training and Industry Lead of the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME), he drives collaborative projects bridging academia and industry. A Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Goddard contributes to editorial boards of Antibiotics, Membranes, and Microbiology Research, and serves as Local Ambassador for the Biochemical Society. Notable publications include "Overcoming divalent cation sensitivity is not the only challenge for functional study of ABC transporters within polymer lipid particles" (Bioscience Reports, 2026), "Engineered extracellular vesicles demonstrate altered endocytosis and biodistribution and have superior oral siRNA delivery efficiency compared to lipid nanoparticles" (International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X, 2025), and "Regulation of G protein-coupled receptors by palmitoylation and cholesterol" (2012). He actively teaches life sciences modules and supervises PhD research in biological membranes, biotechnology, and microbial strain engineering.