Biography

Dr Deborah Gater has two Master’s degrees, in Chemistry and in Protein and Membrane Chemical Biology, and a PhD in Chemistry, all from Imperial College, London. Following her PhD studies, she worked as a journal editor for Current Opinion in Drug Discovery & Development at Thomson Reuters, and then as a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute of Pharmacology & Structural Biology (part of the CNRS in France). Since 2012 (with a short break for family reasons), she has been a faculty member, first at Khalifa University in the UAE and then at the Centre for Languages and International Education at UCL in London. Her research interests are in chemical education, solid-state NMR and membrane biophysics.

Research

Dr Gater’s research training focused in inter- and multi-disciplinary studies in membrane biophysics, and on building collaborations at the interface of the physical and biological sciences. Subsequently, she has studied the role of cholesterol and cholesterol derivatives in a variety of physical model systems – from simple bilayers and vesicles, to lipid cubic phases and living cells. Her main techniques of interest are solid-state NMR and x-ray diffraction. Dr Gater has also developed collaborations looking at the interface between biological systems and semiconductor-based surfaces, and examining the role of vitamin D in membrane properties.

In addition, Dr Gater is interested in evidence-based teaching and in educational research – particularly in efforts to improve access, attainment and inclusivity in chemistry education, and in the use of technology in teaching.

Selected publications

Kosinska A, Gater DL: Using Moodle Metrics to Analyze Student Navigation of Online Assessments with Mixed Question Types in Introductory Chemistry. J Chem Edu (2025) 10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c01249 Open Access

Ling SS, Saffre F, Gater DL, Halim L, Isakovic AF: Computer Quiz Games in General Chemistry for Engineering Majors in an English as a Second Language Environment. J Chem Edu (2024) 10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00479 Open Access

Gater DL, Hughes KI, Stojanoff V, Isakovic AF: Phase Heterogeneity in Cholesterol-Containing Ternary Phospholipid Lamellar Phases. ACS Omega (2023) acsomega.2c04914 Open Access

Alkhidir T, Abi Jaoude M, Gater DL, Alpha C, Isakovic AF: Detection of Some Amino Acids with Modulation-Doped and Surface-Nanoengineered GaAs Schottky PIN Diodes. J Vacuum Sci Technol B (2020) 38(5). 10.1116/6.0000186

Rejinold NS, Kim HK, Isakovic AF, Gater DL, Kim YC: Therapeutic Vitamin Delivery: Chemical and Physical Methods with Future Directions. J Control Release (2018) 8:281. 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.01.038

Full Publication List on Orcid.