Emma Yhnell is a multi-award-wining scientist, committed change-maker and innovative educator based at Cardiff University. Emma’s unique approach to teaching uses her international experience in science communication to communicate complex topics effectively, actively engaging, enthusing and entertaining her learners.
Emma advocates for inclusive teaching approaches, providing exceptional and equitable teaching opportunities which promote and encourage diversity among staff and students. Her teaching is known for its passion, enthusiasm and creative approaches, from the elaborate use of demonstrations and props, to mini-discos and wellbeing polls. Emma is not afraid to push educational boundaries with her novel and sometimes eccentric approaches. She can often be found with inflatable brains, giant cuddly brain cells and videoing her cats Peter and Peggy to bring teaching to life.
Through passion and determination, Emma develops kinder, more welcoming learning communities by ensuring students are at the heart of the learning experience. Listening to feedback, Emma dynamically adapts her teaching resources and delivery to provide authentic, relevant and accessible content for learners. Since beginning her lectureship in 2019, Emma has had an exceptionally rapid career trajectory.
Committed to improving, as equity, diversity and inclusion representative to the British Neuroscience Association (BNA), she has led work to make neuroscience more inclusive across the UK and she is now applying this learning globally. Emma provides outstanding pastoral support to learners in higher education, as personal tutor and Mental Health First Aider. As a first-generation academic she is passionate about widening participation in higher education and she works as a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Ambassador with schools and colleges to raise science capital.
Emma wants to ensure that academic careers in teaching are viewed with parity to more traditional research careers. She is proud to be a Senior Fellow of Advance HE and in 2022 she was elected as the youngest ever Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales (FLSW). Emma delivers teaching with unrivalled energy, enthusiasm and compassion and, as someone who is continually challenging norms, she is an inspiring role model to her students, colleagues and the wider public.
