1^st lesson free

Michael

Rate $69
Response 1h

$69/hr

1^st lesson free

Biology
Cellular biology
Genetics
Molecular biology
Biotechnology

Process scientist with 11 years in gene therapy gives IB Biology HL, A-Level and IGCSE science lessons online worldwide — real lab experience, exam-focused teaching

Biology
Cellular biology
Genetics
Molecular biology
Biotechnology

Lesson location

- online

About Michael

I'm a British scientist and educator with over eleven years of professional experience in the biologics and gene therapy industry, and a genuine passion for making complex science click.

My scientific career was built at Pharmaron Biologics in the UK, where I worked as a Development Scientist specializing in downstream bioprocessing — the science of purifying and manufacturing biological medicines. Over a decade I contributed to the development of treatments based on AAV viral vectors, plasmid DNA, and monoclonal antibodies, and played a leading role in scaling a gene therapy process to clinical manufacturing scale. I was also invited to speak at national industry forums, including a panel at the BIA Future Skills event and the UK Labour Party Conference, on the future of biomanufacturing education — an experience that deepened my commitment to science communication and mentorship.

In 2024 I made a deliberate move into full-time education, relocating to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where I now work as a senior bioscience tutor delivering IB Biology, A-Level Biology, IGCSE Science, and university-level biosciences to students across the world. I hold a BSc in Applied Bioscience from the University of Kent and a TEFL qualification, and I bring both academic rigor and real-world scientific perspective to every lesson.

I believe the best science teachers are the ones who have actually done science — who can tell you not just what the textbook says, but why it matters and how it works in practice. That is the standard I hold myself to, and it is what my students consistently tell me makes the difference.

About the lesson

I work with students studying IB Biology HL and SL, A-Level Biology (AQA, OCR, Edexcel, CIE), IGCSE and Cambridge Lower Secondary Science, and first-year university biosciences. My lessons are particularly well suited to students targeting top grades (6s and 7s at IB; A and A* at A-Level), those who find standard classroom teaching too slow or insufficiently rigorous, and students at international schools who are preparing for elite university applications. I also have extensive experience supporting English Language Learners — having developed science curricula for Vietnamese students in Ho Chi Minh City — and am comfortable adapting technical language without losing academic depth.

Most biology tutors have studied the subject. I have spent eleven years working in it. As a Senior Development Scientist at a leading UK biologics company, I led GMP-scale manufacture of gene therapy products — including the scale-up of an adeno-associated virus (AAV) process to 250 liters for clinical supply. I have run PCR, chromatography, cell culture, and viral vector production not as undergraduate practicals, but as part of regulated manufacturing processes for medicines that reached patients.

This means that when a student asks why something works — not just what the mark scheme says — I can answer from experience. That level of depth is what turns a 5 into a 7.

I plan every lesson around three things: what the syllabus requires, where the student currently is, and how the examiner marks. Before our first session I ask students to share their most recent paper or mock so I can identify exactly where marks are being lost — whether that's conceptual gaps, weak command of biological terminology, or poor exam technique.

Lessons combine direct explanation of concepts with worked examples from real science, followed by deliberate practice on past-paper questions under exam conditions. I use retrieval practice throughout — asking students to recall and explain material from previous lessons before introducing new content — because the evidence for its effect on long-term retention is overwhelming, and it directly mirrors what happens in an exam room.

A TYPICAL LESSON

A standard 60-minute session runs roughly as follows:

— 10 min: retrieval warm-up on the previous topic (no notes, just recall and discussion)
— 30 min: new content or problem area, explained with real-world examples and diagrams on a shared digital whiteboard
— 15 min: past-paper practice on the topic covered, marked together against the mark scheme
— 5 min: summary of what was covered and what to review before next time

For Internal Assessment students, sessions are structured differently — I work through the design, data analysis, or write-up with the same critical eye an IB examiner would apply, and give specific, actionable feedback at each stage.

Rates

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Pack prices

5h: $343
10h: $685

online

$69/h

free lessons

The first lesson with Michael will allow you to get to know each other and discuss your needs for future lessons.

Process scientist with 11 years in gene therapy gives IB Biology HL, A-Level and IGCSE science lessons online worldwide — real lab experience, exam-focused teaching

Lesson location

About Michael

About the lesson

Rates

Rate

Pack prices

online

free lessons

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Process scientist with 11 years in gene therapy gives IB Biology HL, A-Level and IGCSE science lessons online worldwide — real lab experience, exam-focused teaching

Lesson location

About Michael

About the lesson

Rates

Rate

Pack prices

online

free lessons

Similar Biology tutors in New York

Sophie

Kajana

Shawn

Kevin

Luka

Paul

Evan

Prisca

Tiffany

Margaret SU

Ammar

Rowan

Tony

Abu Shabib

Olivia

Nimesha

Oshadha

Juliette

Roger

Zara

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