Rebecca Shepherd

I am a Senior Lecturer in Anatomy at Bristol School of Anatomy, Bristol University. My PhD research focussed on the role of bone marrow adipocytes on bone health, and my current research continues on this theme to examine and understand the extracellular matrix of bone tissue in health and disease.

The second theme of my research, in collaboration with the Worldwide Wildlife Fund Hong-Kong, is developing the technique of Raman spectroscopy as a non-destructive tool for identifying ivory species at customs to aid with enforcement of elephant ivory trade bans. This project aims to use small differences in the biochemistry of the tusks of different species to enable rapid identification of the species.

I previously worked as a Lecturer in Anatomy at Lancaster Medical School, where I was responsible for delivering anatomy and histology teaching to undergraduate medical students. I initially studied Biomedical Science at Lancaster University, before working as a Health and Care Professions Council registered Biomedical Scientist in the NHS. I returned to university to complete my PhD, funded by an Anatomical Society Studentship. I enjoy science communication and public engagement, and I have performed ‘academic’ stand up comedy on a number of occasions!