Mark Magas

Mark Magas is a Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology at the University of Cumbria, Programme Leader for Biomedical Science within the Institute of Science and Environment, and Subject Development Lead for Pharmacology and Prescribing at Pears Cumbria School of Medicine. He is also a member of the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine School Board.

Mark is a registered pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council and a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science, a member of the British Pharmacological Society, and a Senior Fellow of Advance HE. His professional background spans hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy, pharmacist development, secondary science teaching and higher education. This varied experience informs his approach to teaching, curriculum design and assessment, particularly in pharmacology, prescribing, therapeutics, clinical biochemistry, toxicology, anatomy and physiology, and biomedical science education.

Since joining the University of Cumbria in 2006, Mark has led and contributed to a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules across science, healthcare and prescribing-related areas. His teaching focuses on helping students connect scientific principles with clinical and professional practice, with particular emphasis on making complex pharmacological and biomedical concepts accessible, clinically relevant and applicable to real-world decision-making.

Mark’s current academic interests include pharmacology and prescribing education, authentic assessment, biomedical science curriculum development, learning technologies, simulation, digital skills, and the educational use of large language models and agentic AI. He has played a leading role in the development of the University of Cumbria’s Biomedical Science programme, including the achievement of Institute of Biomedical Science accreditation in 2024. He also leads the development of pharmacology and prescribing within Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, contributing to curriculum design, assessment development and clinically authentic prescribing education. Mark is also a question writer and peer reviewer for the Prescribing Safety Assessment, supporting the development of assessment materials for safe and effective prescribing.

Mark has contributed to professional and educational outputs in pharmacology, therapeutics, prescribing, digital learning and assessment. He is a co-author of Essentials of Pharmacology for Nursing Practice, published by SAGE, and has previously written for The Pharmaceutical Journal. He has also contributed to educational resources and professional development materials in non-medical prescribing and therapeutics.

Alongside his teaching and curriculum leadership, Mark has held a range of quality assurance, academic governance and external examining roles. He is an External Examiner for Biomedical Science programmes and has also undertaken external examining work in non-medical prescribing, pharmacology, biomedical sciences, and biomedical and pharmaceutical science. His internal responsibilities have included validation, academic conduct, complaints, assessment processes and professional standards.