Dr Margaret Collins

Dr Margaret Collins
home page Workshops offered by Training for Universities 1 to 1 coaching with Training for Universities
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About Dr Margaret Collins

Getting the right people

Margaret Collins' Photograph, professional coach, graduate of CoachU.

Dr Margaret Collins, Senior Lecturer, Professional Coach, Director of Training For Universities

When you hire a coach or trainer, how do you know their style or content will be relevant to your staff or students?

I have over 20 years experience working at research institutes and in UK universities. I know the system. I’ve managed teams of postdoc researchers, I’ve trained PhD students I’ve juggled the complex mixture of teaching, research and administrative responsibilities . That’s not to say “I know it all” but I’ve been there, lived through it and know what has worked. I’ve also trained as a professional coach.

When it comes to delivery of training or coaching, you will share that level of experience from me and from my associate trainers.

You know yourself how important relevance and credibility is – get it wrong and word of mouth spreads the bad news like wildfire. Get it right and you have a waiting list for the next course.

Which outcome would you prefer?

I have the right experience, I make sure our trainers have the experience. You can trust us to do the job.

Below I’ll share two key types of information : testimonials from participants on past courses and a brief biography. I hope they help your decision-making.

Please do contact me to discuss any questions. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Testimonials

Presentation skills

* Thank you once again for the fantastic presentation session, it was very very helpful.
* I just wanted to say thank you so much for the presentations workshop yesterday, it was a really useful day.
* I came to the workshop with a deep fear of public speaking but left wanting to conquer that fear and perhaps even enjoy the experience in the future!

Effective planning

* I liked the way Margaret presented her topic. It was very impressive and interesting. Thank you for such valuable time and content.
* Impressive, interesting, incredibly valuable!
* Lecturing style of the tutor is very attractive. Fantastic two way communication and active
learning.
* It’s important – don’t miss it!
* Very well presented and thought provoking. A must for all new PhD students!!

Managing Your Research Project

* The best session on the course so far!
* The small group size meant there was a real interactive exchange between tutor and colleagues
* Great group participation. The Post-It notes exercise was lots of fun and very useful!
* I can really take control of my project and it’s management. I have a better idea of what is involved and am inspired to think harder about the risks, tasks etc.

 

Time management

* Some really interesting concepts about positive mental attitude.
* I really enjoyed the delivery and enthusiasm of the presenter.
* Interaction with others was good – we have the same challenges but respond very differently.
* Lots of different time management tools.

Personal development courses

* Interesting, thought provoking, life-changing!
* I think the best feedback I could give you is the fact I recommended friends to come to your course. The course itself was value for money and a valuable experience. In a short time I was able to reuse what I gained from the exercises in my personal and working life.
* Margaret creates an atmosphere so relaxed and friendly that it is very easy to become involved and really achieve better understanding of yourself and how to improve your life. Many thanks for your advice and support.
* Margaret has an innate knack of creating a confidential, and yet relaxed, atmosphere, thus
enabling invaluable group discussions

 

Curriculum Vitae: Dr Margaret Collins

Years Institution Position
2008 onwards The Royal Veterinary College Research Consultant.
1995 to 2008 The Royal Veterinary College Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biology.
1991-95 BBSRC Inst. for Animal Health Senior Scientific Officer.
1987-91 Protein Engineering Dept.,BBSRC Inst. of Food Research Section Head, Molecular Biology.
1986-87 Department of Microbiology, University of
Surrey		 Postdoctoral Research Fellow.
1985 Centre de Génétique Moléculaire,C.N.R.S., France European Fellow of the Royal Society.
1981-84 University College of Wales, Aberystwyth PhD in Microbial Genetics.
1978-81 University College of Wales, Aberystwyth First Class Honours Degree in Cell and Immuno
Biology.

In addition I am a professionally trained Coach (CoachU graduate), a Professional Behavioural Styles and Values Analyst, Master Practitioner of NLP and a full member of the Higher Education Academy.

 

Recent publications:

Anstaett OL, Brownlie J, COLLINS ME, Thomas CJ. (2010) Validation of endogenous reference genes for RT-qPCR normalisation in bovine lymphoid cells (BL-3) infected with Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV). Vet Immunol Immunopathol 15;137(3-4):201-207.

COLLINS ME, Heaney J, Thomas CJ, Brownlie J. (2009) Infectivity of pestivirus following persistence of acute infection. Vet Microbiol. 2009 138(3-4):289-296.

Thomas C, Young NJ, Heaney J, COLLINS ME, Brownlie J. (2009) Evaluation of efficacy of mammalian and baculovirus expressed E2 subunit vaccine candidates to bovine viral diarrhoea virus. Vaccine. 27:2387-2393.

Young NJ, Thomas CJ, COLLINS ME, Brownlie J. Real-time RT-PCR detection of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea virus in whole blood using an external RNA reference. J Virol Methods. (2006) 138:218-222.

Young NJ, Thomas CJ, Thompson I, COLLINSME, Brownlie J. Immune responses to non-structural protein 3 (NS3) of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) in NS3 DNA vaccinated and naturally infected cattle. Prev Vet Med. (2005) 15;72:115-20

Kempster S, COLLINS ME, Aronow BJ, Simmons M, Green RB, Edington N. Clusterin shortens the incubation and alters the histopathology of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in mice. Neuroreport. (2004) 15:1735-8.

Stokstad M, COLLINS M, Sørby R, Barboni P, Meyers G, Løken T, Brownlie J. The role of the defective interfering particle DI9c in mucosal disease in cattle. Arch Virol. (2004) 149:571-82

Stokstad M, Brownlie J, COLLINSME. Analysis of variation of bovine viral diarrhoea virus E2 sequence following transplacental infection of cattle. Vet Microbiol. (2004) 102:141-5

Kempster S, COLLINSME, Deacon R, Edington N. Impaired motor coordination on static rods in BSE-infected mice. Behav Brain Res. (2004) 154(1):291-5.

Kempster S, Collins ME, Edington N. Time of transforming growth factor beta 1 inoculation alters the incubation of BSE in mice. Neuroreport (2004) 15:2233-6.

Stokstad, M., Collins M. E., Knobloch P., Soerby R., Løken T. and Brownlie, J. (2004) The role of a defective interfering particle, DI9, in mucosal disease in cattle. Arch Virol 149: 571–582.

Nobiron, I, Thompson, I, Brownlie, J and COLLINS, ME. (2003) DNA vaccination against bovine viral diarrhoea virus induces humoral and cellular responses in cattle with evidence for protection against viral challenge. Vaccine 21:2091-2101

Becher, P., Thiel, H.J., COLLINS, M., Brownlie, J. and Orlich, M. (2002) Cellular sequences in pestivirus genomes encoding gamma-aminobutyric acid (A) receptor-associated protein and Golgi-associated ATPase enhancer of 16 kilodaltons. J Virol 76:13069-13076.

Garside, L.H., COLLINS, M., Langford, P.R. and Rycroft, A.N. (2002) Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 carrying the defined aroA mutation is fully avirulent in the pig. Res Vet Sci. 72:163-167.

Kempster, S., COLLINS, M.E. and Brownlie J. (2002) Tat protein expression in MDBK cells does not confer susceptibility to Bovine Immunodeficiency Virus. Arch Virol 147:643-649.

Benarafa, C., COLLINS, M.E., Hamblin, A.S. and Cunningham, F.M. (2002) Role of the chemokine eotaxin in the pathogenesis of equine sweet itch. Vet Rec. 151:691-693.

Benarafa, C., COLLINS, M.E., Hamblin, A.S., Sabroe, I. and Cunningham, F,M. (2002) Characterisation of the biological activity of recombinant equine eotaxin in vitro. Cytokine 19:27-30.