Yamni Nigam

Professor in Biomedical Science, Swansea University
Yamni is a Professor in Biomedical Sciences at Swansea University and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Here, she teaches anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology to a wide range of health professionals including nurses and paramedics. Yamni graduated from Kings College, London and then undertook a Masters’ degree in Applied Parasitology and Medical Entomology at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

After successful completion of her doctorate at Swansea University and a post doctorate position at Fundaco Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2001, Yamni established the Swansea University Maggot Research Group, focusing on the medicinal maggot, Lucilia sericata, and the molecules involved in larval therapy. Her team have published widely on the scientific findings on the antimicrobial activity of larval secretions, and on the wound healing properties of maggots and have identified a potent new antimicrobial factor, Seraticin®, from maggot secretions. Yamni is an author of over 75 peer reviewed articles, book chapters and papers and is an Elected Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society and the Royal Society of Biology.
She is also currently leading a project investigating public understanding and perception of the clinical use of maggots on wounds. As such, she has established the “Love a maggot!” campaign, a major public engagement movement, which aims to raise awareness and change perception of maggot therapy, for the public, wound practitioners and school children. Yamni has featured in numerous media, radio and TV reports and interviews. In 2019, she acted as a maggot consultant for the BBC Medical drama Casualty. In 2022, she has worked with BBC Doctors to incorporate maggot therapy into an upcoming episode to be aired in July 2023. She was interviewed and featured recently for BBC Countryfile (09/03/2023) about her work to change the negative perception of maggot therapy.
Yamni was selected to participate in the elite Welsh Crucible Programme, promoting the development of future Research Leaders in Wales. She is an Athena Swan Champion and a Diabetes Community Champion. She is a trained STEM Ambassador, delivering interactive sessions on microbiology and entomology to pupils at local schools.

In 2018, Yamni was awarded the National WISE Award for Innovation, presented by HRH The Princess Royal, and she was selected as one of the WISE20 women in 2020. She was also voted a finalist for her Women in STEM role for the Chwarae Teg Womenspire awards. In July 2021, Yamni was awarded a prestigious, student nominated, Swansea University Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award. More recently, she has been invited to work with Welsh Government on the Women in STEM Education sub-group, to better understand and promote gender and ethnic minority equality in STEM education and careers.