Photograph of the project team available from pt91@le.ac.uk
An innovative University of Leicester research project that enables health professionals to assess, prioritise and treat acutely ill children has been shortlisted for a Patient Safety Award.
The Paediatric Observation Priority Score (POPS) has been shortlisted in the in the Patient Safety in Paediatrics category. The Patient Safety Awards 2013 will recognise and reward work which has significantly improved the safety of patients.
Dr Damian Roland from the University of Leicester’s Department of Cardiovascular Sciences is leading the research on POPS – a checklist which saves time by immediately scoring (between 0-16) mildly ill children on a mixture of physiological, behavioural and risk identifiers, has already been awarded a Da Vinci Health Technology Award.
Using the POPS checklist helps to identify children’s illnesses and treatment options as quickly as possible, also resulting in fewer hospital treatment referrals and overall reducing unnecessary diagnoses.
Dr Roland works in the Children’s Emergency Department at Leicester Royal Infirmary as a paediatric specialist registrar along with his POPS project collaborator Dr Ffion Davies, consultant in Emergency Medicine and paediatric lead. The pair have previously been recognised by the Patient Safety Awards 2011 for their project ‘Spotting the Sick Child.’
Dr Roland said: "We are all very pleased to have been nominated for this award. It rewards the efforts that all of the clinical and research team members have put into the project.
“As we gather more data we will continue to refine POPS to enable it to educate staff, make efficiencies within emergency and urgent care departments and ultimately provide high quality safe care for all acutely ill children.”
POPS is now available in the form of an app downloadable from iTunes which allows the checklist to be utilised in a variety of handheld, tablet or computer based systems.
The winners of the Patient Safety Awards 2013 will be announced at a ceremony on 9 July 2013 at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London.
ENDS
Notes to editors
For more information on the categories and short listed entries for the Patient Safety Awards 2013, please visit http://www.patientsafetyawards.com/633816
Dr Damian Roland can be contacted on dr98@le.ac.uk
University Hospitals of Leicester media contact:
Laura Stannard, Communications Officer on 0116 258 8715 or email laura.stannard@uhl-tr.nhs.uk
]]>Photograph of Professor Hongbiao Dong available from pt91@le.ac.uk
Professor Hongbiao Dong, from the Department of Engineering, will give a free public lecture entitled ‘How Metal Works – Let me Compute the Ways’ at the University of Leicester on Tuesday 21 May.
The lecture will explain, through case studies, how to develop models for metal processing and how these can be used to simulate metal processing.
Processing of metals is a science, art and hobby and its history can be dated back to 5000BC when small pieces of copper were hammered and ground to make the first tools and weapons. Today, metal processing, through innovation, has been industrialised and is the most economic and effective way to make individual parts, assemblies or large scale structures.
Professor Hongbiao Dong has three main research interests that include the evolution of materials – such that materials are evolving faster than at any other time in history. The development of new materials has been regarded as an ‘underpinning technology’ – which can stimulate innovation in all branches of engineering, making possible new designs for structures, engines, electrical and electronic devices, energy conservation equipment and many more. Finally, the materials industry in the UK has traditionally supported a diverse set of industry across the power generation, transportation and construction sectors.
Professor Dong said: “Most important innovations in metal processing throughout history were made through trial and error experiments. However this has changed dramatically over the last 20 years as computational modelling becomes a more and more powerful tool in metal processing research.
“Simulations of the movement of iron atoms during steel solidification can reveal information that would not be available otherwise. Modelling how to grow a single crystal turbine blade that can operate at 1500C next to the combustion chamber of a modern jet engine is another example. These examples demonstrate that predictions based on modelling can provide an innovative and more rapid way to design and optimise new processes than by the trial and error methods.”
‘How Metal Works – Let Me Compute the Ways’ will be held at the Ken Edwards Building, Lecture Theatre 1, University of Leicester, University Road, on Tuesday 21 May at 5.30pm.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
Ends
Notes to editors:
Professor Hongbiao Dong can be contacted on 0116 252 2528 or at: h.dong@le.ac.uk
Biography of Professor Hongbiao Dong
Professor Hongbiao Dong received a First Class BSc degree and a Master degree from University of Science and Technology Beijing, obtained his PhD in Materials Science from the University of Oxford in 2000.
He joined the Department of Engineering in 2004 from Imperial College London, where he worked on modelling microstructure evolution in aero-engine turbine blades. He was awarded a Royal Society Industry Fellowship in September 2006 for him to conduct collaborative research at Rolls-Royce plc.
Professor Dong is a specialist in metal processing, in particular in the areas of solidification, the process in which a liquid turns into a solid as it cools; this has applications in welding and casting for example. He pioneered in solidification structure modelling and simulated the grain selection process during casting of single-crystal turbine blades. He is currently leading a major European research project to develop welding techniques for constructing deep sea gas and oil transport systems.
His work on computer modelling has led to an in-depth understanding of metal processing and originated patents for producing single crystal components with improved performance, techniques that have been taken forward by industry. He was presented with a DTI/CBI/NPL award in Metrology for World Class Manufacturing for the development of a novel Single-Pan Scanning Calorimeter. He is a member of the Steering Committee of EuMaT (European Technology Platform on Advanced Engineering Materials and Technologies), and a member of the Industrial Advisory Group for Processing Liquid Metals at the National Physical Laboratory.
]]>The consequences of strict isolation of prisoners in ‘supermax’ prisons in America will be examined in a lecture at the University of Leicester.
As part of the Scarman Lecture Series, hosted by the Department of Criminology, Dr Sharon Shalev will give her lecture, Solitary Confinement and Supermax Prisons: Lessons from America on Wednesday 22 May.
One of the most striking features of the American criminal justice system at the turn of the century was the mass proliferation of supermax prisons: large, high-tech prisons especially designed and specifically dedicated to the long term, strict isolation of hundreds of prisoners each.
It is estimated that, alongside older segregation units in general-population prisons across the US, supermax prisons hold as many as 100,000 prisoners in conditions of solitary confinement at any given time. But to what end, and at what cost?
The lecture will examine the supermax phenomenon and some of its consequences, and asks what we can- and should – learn from the American experience with large scale prolonged solitary confinement.
Dr Shaley, a human rights worker and a criminologist, is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford, and an Associate of the International Centre for Prison Studies. She is also a Fellow of the Mannheim Centre for Criminology, London School of Economics.
She has authored various publications on the subject of the supermax, including the Sourcebook on Solitary Confinement, a practitioner’s guide to the health effects of solitary confinement and to human rights and professional standards relating to its use.
Her book, Supermax: controlling risk through solitary confinement (Willan, 2009) was awarded the British Society of Criminology’s Book Prize for 2010. She is currently working on a pilot project entitled ‘Excluding the excluded: European practices of solitary confinement, past and present’ whilst continuing to manage the informational website www.solitaryconfinement.org/
Professor Yvonne Jewkes, from the Department of Criminology said: “The Department is delighted to welcome Dr Sharon Shalev. She has spent two decades researching the use of solitary confinement in American ‘supermax’ prisons, and is currently turning her attention to European practices of solitary confinement.
“At a time when 'Titan' prisons are once again being discussed and debated in this country, Dr Shalev's talk promises to be timely and of relevance to anyone with an interest in justice and human rights.”
Solitary Confinement and Supermax Prisons: Lessons from America will be held in Frank and Katherine May lecture theatre in the Henry Wellcome building at 5:00pm, followed by a wine reception.
The event is free and open to all but places must be booked in advance.
For more information and to book a place please contact Russell Knifton on 0116 252 5780 or email: rk191@le.ac.uk
Ends
Notes to editors:
For more information contact Russell Knifton on 0116 252 5780 or email: rk191@le.ac.uk
]]>Images available from University of Leicester Press Office: email er134@le.ac.uk
A University of Leicester academic is to feature in a new exhibition at the British Library focusing on the power of propaganda.
Dr Sarah Graham, of the School of English, has contributed to the exhibition Propaganda: Power and Persuasion which runs from 17 May - 17 September 2013.
Her views and comments are incorporated into a ‘video talking head’ feature, in the health section of the exhibition, based on her expertise on AIDS awareness campaigns in the 1980s.
Dr Graham will also be speaking about representations of AIDS at a study day for the general public at the British Library on 1 June.
Dr Graham said: “My involvement in 'Propaganda' has come about because of the exhibition of AIDS posters I curated at the New Walk Gallery and Museum in Leicester in 2011 and my on-going research interest in AIDS awareness campaigns and representations of the epidemic in literature and film.
“I think what’s interesting about including AIDS awareness material in an exhibition on propaganda is that it suggests that something that could be considered just simple healthcare information (that is, encouraging a certain kind of behaviour) might be influencing viewers to think a particular way (might reflect political ideology).
“In the case of the ‘80s UK campaign, the effect on many people was of fear: tombstones, icebergs, talk of deadly viruses with no cure and telling people not to ‘die of ignorance’, which isn’t the clearest of phrases.
“The campaign also shows the difficulties a government faces when it has to devise a campaign that will be seen by everyone in the country – all ages, all background – which discusses sex and has to be fairly explicit about sexual practices.”
Dr Graham said the UK government did act relatively quickly in its health campaigns - its model was followed by other European countries, and the UK was certainly ahead of the US, where the virus had first been identified. The campaigns did seem to have rapidly made the British public more aware of HIV/AIDS, even if not entirely sure about the facts.
But its work wasn’t sustained long-term, and most HIV/AIDS information since the ‘90s has come from charities rather than government. It has also been argued that the campaign rerouted valuable resources away from those who were most at risk of AIDS and already affected by it (gay men, drug users) into a costly campaign of reassuring the “worried well.”
Ian Cooke, curator of Propaganda: Power and Persuasion, said: “One of the most difficult things to talk about with regard to propaganda is how you can measure and describe the effectiveness of a particular campaign. The interview with Dr Sarah Graham tells an important story about both the intended and unintended consequences of the Don't Die of Ignorance films and leaflet, and how these were affected by the political and cultural environment in which they were formulated. It provides an engaging analysis of a very significant and effective campaign.”
Ends
Notes to editors:
More information:
Dr Sarah Graham
Lecturer in American Literature
School of English
University of Leicester
Email: shsg1@le.ac.uk
Telephone: 0116 252 2625
Webpage: http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/english/people/sarahgraham
For more information about Propaganda: Power and Persuasion at the British Library please email evie.jeffreys@bl.uk
Images of the New Walk exhibition can be found here: http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/english/research/AIDS
]]>A world-leading forensic pathologist at the University of Leicester has become the head of an international radiology and imaging group.
Professor Guy Rutty MBE, Chief Forensic Pathologist at the University’s East Midlands Forensic Pathology Unit and expert in non-invasive autopsies, will lead the International Society of Forensic Radiology and Imaging (ISFRI).
The organisation aims to strengthen and develop the field of forensic radiology and imaging worldwide, promoting best practice and developing international quality standards and guidelines.
Professor Rutty was appointed Vice Chair of the organisation on May 14 as part of a three year post which will see him become Chair (year 2) and finally Past-Chair (year 3).
Initially he will work with the Society board and current Chair/Past Chair and then lead (year 2) the group in its work promoting education, research programmes, regulations and guidelines in the field of radiology and imaging.
Professor Rutty has more than 25 years of experience of autopsy practice, and has become a world-leading expert in the field of non-invasive autopsy techniques – particularly post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT).
During his career he has assisted with war crime investigations in Bosnia and spearheaded the use of computed tomography for mass fatalities through work undertaken for the Home Office’s mass fatality working groups.
He was a founding member of the Department of Health’s National Imaging Board (NIB), which oversees all developments and advances in the application of cross-sectional imaging to autopsy practice.
His work introduced the use of PMCT images as evidence in criminal trials in the UK.
He was a member of the joint collegiate working group which issued the Royal College of Pathologists and Radiologists guidance on the use of cross-sectional imaging in autopsy practice. He also assisted the Chief Coroner in drawing up guidance on the same subject.
He recently chaired the Department of Health-commissioned sub-group of the NIB, which considered how a national cross-sectional imaging service could be introduced to the UK as an adjunct - if not replacement - to autopsy practice (http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/emfpu/national-documents-1).
He was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2010.
Professor Rutty said: “The International Society of Forensic Radiology and Imaging is the only international world organisation for everything to do with autopsy radiology imaging. This is the top post in the world, and one I am very proud to obtain.
“Radiology and imaging is a very important area for forensic pathology, as it allows autopsies to be much less invasive than traditional methods.
“There are important religious, cultural and humanitarian benefits offered by non-invasive autopsies and it is recognised that there is no longer the need to undertake invasive autopsy examinations in certain types of death.
“The current demand by the general public for a non-invasive autopsy service is expected to grow.
“As a result, I am very pleased to be able to work with, support and promote the work of the International Society of Forensic Radiology and Imaging in developing forensic radiology and imaging worldwide.”
Ends
Notes to media:
Professor Guy Rutty can be contacted on 0116 252 3221 or at: gnr3@le.ac.uk
More information about the International Society of Forensic Radiology and Imaging (ISFRI) can be found at www.isfri.org
Further information about the East Midlands Forensic Pathology Unit can be found at: http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/emfpu/staff
]]>The multitude of skills required by a researcher into the historic landscapes and gardens of England will be explored in the University of Leicester's Eighth Annual Lamport Lecture.
Tim Mowl, who has recently been appointed a Professional Research Fellow in the Institute of Humanities at the University of Buckingham, will deliver his lecture ‘From Cartography to Land Art: The Garden Historian as Polymath’ on Monday 20 May.
Formerly Professor of History of Architecture and Designed Landscapes and Director of the Institute for Landscape and Garden History at the University of Bristol, Mowl has published a number of works on landscape gardening and architecture.
Among his many books, Gentlemen and Players: Gardeners of the English Landscape (2000), charts the influence of aristocrats and professionals on the creation of landscape parks and gardens.
With major funding from the Leverhulme Trust, Mowl is researching and writing a nationwide series of the historic landscapes and gardens of England. This has produced 12 books to date with his study of Cambridgeshire & The Isle of Ely set to appear in May 2013.
Dr Phillip Lindley, Director of the Centre for the Study of the Country House and a Reader in Art History at the University of Leicester, said: “It’s a huge pleasure to announce that Tim Mowl will be delivering the Eighth Annual Lamport Lecture.
“Tim is the world’s foremost authority on the English Country House garden and it’s a privilege as well as a great pleasure to have him speak to us. He is a former External Examiner of the Leicester MA on the Country House and a great friend of our programme.
“Tim is also a lively and provocative lecturer and is guaranteed to engage the audience.”
‘From Cartography to Land Art: The Garden Historian as Polymath’ will be held at Lamport Hall, Northampton at 10:00am on Monday 20 May.
Places are strictly limited. Admission is by ticket only. Tickets cost £10 and can only be obtained from Lamport Hall on 01604 686272, www.lamporthall.co.uk
Ends
Notes to editors:
For more information contact Lamport Hall on 01604 686272, www.lamporthall.co.uk
For interviews contact Dr Phillip Lindley on pgl1@le.ac.uk
]]>The University of Leicester’s Richard III Open Day will bring fun for all the family – giving everyone the chance to hear from the experts who helped discover the King.
The public will also be able to visit two key departments behind the Search for Richard III - the Department of Genetics and School of Archaeology and Ancient History.
The Richard III Open Day, held on Saturday 29 June, includes an exciting programme of public events to celebrate the discovery of King Richard III by the University.
Visitors can hear from experts Professor Lin Foxhall, Head of the University’s School of Archaeology and Ancient History, geneticist Dr Turi King, forensic engineering expert Professor Sarah Hainsworth, Renaissance literature scholar Dr Sarah Knight, and Dr Tracey Elliott of the School of Law.
There will also be drop-in sessions to the Department of Genetics and School of Archaeology and Ancient History, where guests will be able to participate in workshops, displays and demos.
Dr Turi King, of the University’s Department of Genetics, said: “The Richard III Open Day will be a great chance to hear more about the investigations and research which have gone into our discovery of Richard III.
"The Search for Richard III was very much a team effort - with many different University of Leicester experts from a wide range of departments working together on this incredible project.”
Dr Sarah Knight, of the University’s School of English, said: “This discovery has already affected the way we can use historical, literary and archaeological evidence to explore Richard's reign and how he was represented.
“My talk will look in detail at the late fifteenth and sixteenth century historical accounts of Richard, how the emphasis shifted throughout different Tudors' reigns, and how historical sources helped to shape plays about Richard in the late sixteenth century, not just Shakespeare's famous history play but also less well-known theatrical Richards.”
The events are also part of this year’s Summer Reunion Open Day, held annually for graduates of the University both across the UK and worldwide.
The day features a range of dedicated events and activities organised especially for graduates, staff and friends of the University.
There will be celebrations of the 90th anniversary of the Department of Geography, the 50th anniversary of the Department of Engineering and the 90th anniversary of the Students’ Union.
There will also be a BBQ on the main campus, drinks in the 1923 Restaurant and children’s activities.
To book your place and for more information about the Richard III Open Day – which is open to the general public – go to: www.le.ac.uk/richardiii-openday
Any graduates of the University who would like to find out more about the Summer Reunion Open Day and book their places can call 0116 2231071 or email: alumni.relations@le.ac.uk
The Search for Richard III was led by the University of Leicester, working with Leicester City Council and in association with the Richard III Society.
Ends
Notes to media:
For more information, please contact Rosemary Faint, Alumni Relations Officer, on 0116 223 1071 or at: alumni.relations@le.ac.uk
]]>The University of Leicester has been shortlisted for a clutch of national awards, in part following worldwide attention for the Discovery of King Richard III.
The first awards nomination is in the 2013 Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards which celebrate the sector’s leadership, management, financial and business skills. They are designed to showcase the extraordinary innovation, teamwork and commercial acumen of UK higher education institutions.
The University of Leicester has been shortlisted in two categories:
The University’s work surrounding openness in communicating animal research, its work on the Search for Richard III and the development of the debating platform Leicester Exchanges led to it being shortlisted for Outstanding Marketing/Communications Team.
Fundraising for the University’s Cardiovascular Research Centre led to the nomination for Outstanding University Fundraising Initiative.
In the second awards competition, the University of Leicester has been shortlisted for six national 2013 Heist Awards for Education Marketing.
The University has been nominated in the following entries:
The PR/Advocacy campaign category focuses on the media strategy surrounding the announcement of the Discovery of King Richard III and is a major component of the bid for Marketing Department of the Year.
Richard Taylor, Deputy Registrar, said: “Leicester is the only university in the UK to have won six consecutive THE Awards. There’s a good chance now that we may add a seventh. It’s pleasing to see the University shortlisted for such a range of awards. Working closely with academic colleagues, my marketing colleagues have been able to deliver some excellent projects and publications this year”.
Winners of the Times Higher Awards will be announced on 20 June while the Heist Awards ceremony will take place in Manchester on 11 July.
Ends
]]>Photograph of Steve Pateman, Executive Director, Head of UK Banking speaking at the University of Leicester available from er134@le.ac.uk
Steve Pateman, Executive Director and Head of UK Banking at Santander UK plc, provided a candid insight into UK banking and the future of the industry at a talk in the University of Leicester.
The lecture, hosted by the University’s Development and Alumni Relations Office and Santander Universities, discussed how change in the banking industry can help provide economic recovery.
He said: “The UK is currently experiencing the longest recession in living memory and no single action will reverse the changes the world has seen. The banking industry has a great influence on the strength of the economy, however with the added pressure of increased regulation, market confidence and political influence, redefining what success looks like will be paramount in order to make it in the new world. At Santander we have recognised the need to change now and have decided to lead our own revolution and get back to the basics of relationship banking.”
Mr Pateman joined Santander in June 2008 and became Executive Director, Head of UK Banking in March 2012 with his appointment as a Member of the Santander UK Board confirmed in June 2011. His responsibility now covers Retail, Corporate, Commercial and Business Banking, incorporating all of Santander UK’s channels under his remit.
Previously with NatWest and RBS where he was CEO of Business Banking, Managing Director of Commercial Banking and Managing Director of Corporate Banking. He also worked on a variety of financings, restructurings, capital market and equity issues during his time in NatWest Markets where he specialised in the leisure and retail sectors.
Santander Universities Global Division announced a three-year funding programme worth £175,000 at the University of Leicester when it opened a new branch in the newly refurbished Percy Gee Students’ Union Building. The University is set to renew the agreement, which has been broadened to include Postgraduate Scholarships for students from Santander countries, Travel Awards, an annual Summer School, and the Annual Creative Writing Lecture.
Ends
Notes to editors:
For more information please contact Lisa Davies on +44 (0)116 252 2153 or ld109@le.ac.uk
]]>
Free public lecture at 8pm on Thursday 16 May at University of Leicester main campus Ken Edwards Building, Lecture Theatre 3
The medicinal properties of plants will form the backdrop to a public lecture at the University of Leicester.
Former clinical lecturer at the University Dr Peter Sheldon, Senior Consultant Rheumatologist to the University Hospitals of Leicester, will deliver the Botanic Garden Lecture on Thursday 16 May.
The lecture, entitled ‘Withering - the English Linnaeus and the Flowering of Pharmacology’, takes place at 8pm in Ken Edwards Lecture theatre 3 on the University of Leicester campus. It is free and open to the public.
Dr Richard Gornall, Director of the University of Leicester Botanic Garden, said: “Dr Sheldon’s topic focuses on William Withering, a physician and a learned botanist, who published a translation of Linnaeus' classification, translated into English. His pioneering work on the medicinal properties of the foxglove led to a more scientific approach towards its exploitation as a treatment for disease.
“William Withering was a member of the original Lunar Society, a group of intellectuals & scientists who met in the late 18th century to share their ideas.”
Dr Sheldon’s long-term interest in both Withering and medicinal plants, particularly foxglove, meadowsweet and wintergreen, led to the publication of two books: The life and times of William Withering, his work, his legacy and The fall and rise of aspirin: the wonder drug.
The University of Leicester Botanic Garden is also offering a part-time evening course: Medicinal herbs: a journey of modern, traditional & folklore uses of Herbs in medicine.
Each week, the course will explore a different system of the body and introduce people to the herbs that have a long history of use in that particular system. It will cover active constituents, properties & medicinal uses; looking at the similarities and differences between traditional and modern uses.
The course will also go into the extensive medicinal herb garden to look at the live plants and discuss their properties further.
Systems provisionally covered:
1) Cardiovascular system
2) Digestive System
3) Respiratory System
4) Musculoskeletal system
5) Skin
Cost £85.00 per person
Venue: Botanic Garden
Dates: Wednesday evenings 22 May-19th June, 7-9pm
For more information:
University of Leicester Botanic Garden
Stoughton Drive South
Oadby, Leics., LE2 2NE
Tel. 0116- 271-2933
Email: ubg@le.ac.uk
Ends
Notes to editors:
For more information contact Dr Richard Gornall, on 0116 271 2933 or 0116 252 3394, or email: rjg@le.ac.uk
]]>New research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and carried out by a psychologist at the University of Leicester reveals why some children are badly affected by negative family conflicts while other children survive without significant problems.
Researchers found that the way in which children understood the conflicts between their parents had different effects on their emotional and behavioural problems. Where children blamed themselves for the conflicts between their parents, they were more likely to have behavioural problems, such as anti-social behaviour.
But if their parents' fighting or arguing led to a child feeling threatened, or fearful that the family would split up, the child was more likely to experience emotional problems, such as depression.
The impact of everyday conflict between parents on their children's behaviour and mental health is driven by how the children understand the problems in the relationship as well as the nature of the conflict itself, the researchers found. These disagreements include; hostile relationships between parents, poor parenting practices, negative parent-child relationships and maternal depression.
Professor Gordon Harold of the School of Psychology at the University of Leicester said the research highlighted the importance of ensuring that intervention programmes focused on helping parents to resolve these day-to-day conflicts with their partner, while also reiterating the importance of promoting positive parenting strategies.
As the nature of the parents' relationship is so important, intervention programmes that focus solely on parenting skills and practices may miss out ways of helping children deal with emotional and behavioural problems especially when there are high levels of inter-parental conflict.
Professor Harold said: "Children exposed to everyday conflicts between their parents - conflicts that are non-violent, but frequent, intense and poorly resolved - are at elevated risk for mental health problems, even when we consider poor parenting practices or genetic susceptibility factors passed on from parents to children, in explaining the effects of hostile relationships on children.
"Importantly, children may not actually be responsible for their parents’ relationship problems. Rather, they simply need to feel or perceive that they are responsible in order to experience negative psychological outcomes."
Professor Anita Thapar, of the Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences at Cardiff University said "The research showed the pattern of family and genetic contributions varied for different types of child mental health problem as well as for boys and girls. This research looked at the relationship between genetic liability to child mental health problems and negative family experiences in the development of these problems and sought to take account of specific parental influences on children".
The research also found that girls may be a higher risk for depression when their parent’s relationship is hostile or there is a negative mother-child relationship. Depressive symptoms displayed by daughters resulted in increases in parent-to-child hostility from both mothers and fathers.
"By highlighting parents’ conflict management strategies as well as parenting practices, intervention programmes can be developed that target risk mechanisms specific to the types of problems experienced by children living in households with high levels of parental conflict, such as parental separation or divorce," said Professor Harold.
For further information contact:
ESRC Press Office:
Ends
Notes for editors:
Photograph of Professor Susan Page available from er134@le.ac.uk
Fascinating peatland ecosystems play a key role in the global cycle – however urgent action is required to protect them from human impact.
Professor Susan Page, from the Department of Geography will give her Inaugural public lecture, For Peat’s Sake: Understanding the Vulnerability of the Tropical Peat Carbon Pool at the University of Leicester on Tuesday 14 May.
The lecture will explore Southeast Asia, where the largest area of tropical peatland is located, and the particular role that tropical peatlands play in the global carbon cycle, with the focus on the impact of human activities that have increased the vulnerability of their carbon pools.
Peatland ecosystems develop where dead vegetation (carbon) accumulates as peat in water-saturated, anoxic conditions. This accumulation can continue over thousands of years, and they cover somewhere between 400 and 600 million hectares – about the same land area occupied by tropical rainforest, and collectively store around 500 to 600 billion tonnes of carbon, equivalent to the amount of carbon located in all of the world’s vegetation.
Professor Susan Page is an ecologist and a biologist by training but her key research interest is in wetland ecology and functioning and wildlife conservation. Professor Page’s research is focused on the tropical peatlands of Southeast Asia – the topic of her Inaugural lecture.
Professor Susan Page said: "Tropical peatlands, with their high water tables and low decomposition rates, form vast stores of organic carbon tens of metres thick. Most of it is found in Indonesia, where the natural peat swamp forests (also home to endangered animal species such as orangutans) are increasingly being destroyed by deforestation, drainage and fire, to make way for agriculture, in particular oil palm for biofuels and food.
“My research work has shown that the carbon debt associated with recent wildfires and the conversion of peatlands to agriculture, particularly for plantations, is enormous and that the scale of greenhouse gas emissions needs to be taken into account in any assessment of the impact of land use change.”
For Peat’s Sake: Understanding the Vulnerability of the Tropical Peat Carbon Pool will be held at the Ken Edwards Building, Lecture Theatre 1, University of Leicester, University Road, on Tuesday 14 May at 5.30pm. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Ends
Notes:
Professor Susan Page can be contacted on 0116 252 3318 or at: sep5@le.ac.uk
Biography of Professor Susan Page
Professor Susan Page has BSc and PhD degrees from the University of Nottingham. She has held lecturer, senior lecturer and reader positions at the University of Leicester, initially in the Department of Adult Education (now the Institute for Lifelong Learning) and subsequently in the Department of Geography, where she was promoted to a personal chair in 2012 and is the current Head of Department.
For the last 20 years her research has focused on the ecology and carbon dynamics of tropical peatlands and she is the 2013 recipient of the Busk Medal for research work towards the conservation of peatlands in Indonesia. She has been a partner in several European Union and UK research council funded research programmes investigating these under-studied ecosystems, involving collaborations with UK, European and Southeast Asian partners.
When Professor Page commenced her research studies, most tropical peatlands were still in a pristine, forested condition, but over the last two decades she has seen significant changes in land use, with vast areas of peat swamp forest deforested, drained and converted to large scale agricultural enterprises and extensively damaged by wildfires.
These events have provided Professor Page with a rapidly changing backdrop for her research activities that, in turn, have led to advisory roles to government bodies and NGOs, consultancy contracts and her appointment as a Lead Author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
She has authored more than 100 journal papers, books, book chapters and technical reports, and has supervised more than 20 PhD students.
]]>Photograph of Portrait Head of King Seuthes III available from er134@le.ac.uk
A book celebrating the use of bronze in art through the ages has received a prestigious national award.
The catalogue for the Royal Academy’s “Bronze” exhibition, which ran from September to December 2012, has won this year's Best New Publication Award from the Association for Cultural Enterprises, leading a strong field with 28 other contenders.
Professor David Ekserdjian, Head of the University’s Department of the History of Art and Film, had the initial idea and helped select the 150 bronze works spanning over 5,000 years of history which made up the exhibition, co-curated by Cecilia Treves, Exhibitions Curator at the Royal Academy.
Professor David Ekserdjian also edited the exhibition catalogue, which was described by the Wall Street Journal as “the most beautiful book published anywhere in the world this year”.
The 248-page book contains 260 illustrations, and charts the use of bronze in art from its beginnings in North Africa, the Middle East and China to the present day.
The book features stunning Ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan bronzes, through to rare survivals from the Medieval period.
The Renaissance is represented by the works of artists such as Ghiberti, Donatello, Cellini, and later Giambologna, De Vries and others.
Bronzes by Rodin, Boccioni, Picasso, Jasper Johns, Moore and Bourgeois are representative of the best from the 19th century to today.
It features essays and numerous catalogue entries from Professor Ekserdjian, who has also published books on Correggio, Parmigianino, and still-life painting in the Renaissance, and is a Trustee of the National Gallery, London and the Tate.
He was a member of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art from 2002 to 2012.
Professor Ekserdjian said: “I am thrilled that both the catalogue and indeed the exhibition have been so well received. The idea was to do something different and inspiring and it seems to have worked.
“It was a privilege to hold the exhibition and have such extraordinary support - not least in the form of spectacular loans from museums all over the world.”
Ends
Notes:
More information about the book can be found at: http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/bronze-154/bronze-exhibition-catalogue-1448/product.html?LproductId=1448
Please contact Professor David Ekserdjian on 0116 252 2905 or at: dpme1@le.ac.uk
For further information and images on Bronze at the Royal Academy of Arts please contact Johanna Bennett, Royal Academy Press Office:
T: 020 7300 5615
]]>A new University of Leicester awards ceremony will celebrate the achievements of students – and will honour a standout student whose achievements are a model and inspiration for others.
The first University of Leicester Student Awards will bring together all the separate awards offered to students each year into an Oscars-style awards evening.
The evening will include awards for students who have excelled at graduate internships, volunteering, student representation and the Leicester Award.
There will also be awards for best student group, best course representative, best students’ union parliament officer and best student ambassador.
The on-going ‘Superstars Award’ programme, voted for by students across the University, will also culminate at this prestigious event with awards presented to the overall winners.
To top it all off, the Vice-Chancellor’s Student of the Year Award will be given to the “best of the best” from all of the individual categories.
The awards have been jointly organised by the University of Leicester Students' Union and the University’s Career Development Service.
Dan Flatt, Academic Affairs Officer at the University of Leicester Students' Union, said: “In the past, there have been a number of different award programmes operating across the University and the Union and we felt that some of them didn’t get as much funding and recognition as they deserved. Also there were some areas of exceptional student endeavour that were just not getting recognised at all.
“The idea was to bring all the programmes together to form a more credible, visible and sustainable platform. The Student Awards event will be jointly funded by the Students’ Union and the University’s Career Development Service. The awards evening will be a chance for a bit of glamour and celebration.
“The Vice-Chancellor’s Student of the Year Award will celebrate the most rounded award-winner across each of the specialist categories.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Robert Burgess said: “This is a great opportunity to recognise the achievements of some of our outstanding students. It is by participating in activities like these that individuals will develop the skills they need to become highly employable to top graduate recruiters.”
The University of Leicester Student Awards Dinner will be held on Monday, June 17 in the Percy Gee Building (Students’ Union) from 6.30-10.30pm. For more information visit: http://bit.ly/10mUqp4
Ends
Notes to editors:
For more information, please contact Helen Senior on 0116 223 1143 or at: helensenior@leicester.ac.uk
]]>Photograph of Professor Shaw available from er134@le.ac.uk
National charity Pancreatic Cancer UK has today announced the award of a £72,000 grant to Professor Jacqui Shaw and colleagues at the University of Leicester as part of the first round of its Research Innovation Fund. Six other grants, amounting to nearly £0.5 million, have also been awarded as part of this fund.
Professor Shaw, with colleagues Professor Margaret Manson, Dr Chris Neal and Dr Miguel Martins (MRC), is investigating whether multiplex deep sequencing of circulating free DNA can detect pancreatic cancer at an early stage.
The intention of the Research Innovation Fund is to spur creative and cutting edge ideas and approaches, including those successful in other areas of cancer, that have justifiable promise for the biology, treatment and diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
It is envisioned the fund will make a real difference in an area where little has been made in the last forty years. Pancreatic cancer is the 5th most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK yet receives only 1% of the total research spend[1]. The disease has one of the worst survival rates of any cancer in the UK, with only under 4% of patients surviving five years or more.
Professor Shaw said: “All cancers carry mutations in the tumour cells and some of these occur at a very early stage, even before the primary tumour is fully developed. DNA from these transformed cells is shed into the bloodstream and can be purified from a small blood sample. The detection of circulating cancer markers in blood could provide a simple approach to earlier detection of pancreatic cancer, an idea we wish to test in this project.
“We will analyse blood samples from pancreatic cancer patients, patients with chronic pancreatitis, a known risk factor for pancreatic cancers, and healthy controls for mutations, which are known to be present in cancer-causing genes in pancreatic cancer. The results can provide a non-invasive “fingerprint” of what is happening in the target tissue, in this case the pancreas, and the hope is that such changes can be detected early enough to intervene to prevent progression of precancerous lesions, or allow the diagnosis and treatment of PDAC at a much earlier stage.”
Grants were approved by Pancreatic Cancer UK’s Scientific Advisory Board which has membership drawn from leading scientists from across the world. The six other grants of up £75,000 for one-year, were awarded to individuals hosted at institutions throughout the UK in Birmingham, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Cardiff. The grant recipients and their collaborators are experts in a wide variety of disciplines including molecular and cellular biology, immunology, molecular physics and surgical oncology.
Clara Mackay, acting chief executive officer of Pancreatic Cancer UK, comments, “We purposely launched our Research Innovation Fund to generate ideas for cutting-edge research into pancreatic cancer. We are delighted with the response from the research community and are confident that the seven new projects we are funding have potential to make an important contribution to the fight against this disease.”
Peter O’Hare, Chair of Pancreatic Cancer UK’s Scientific Advisory Board, comments, “We set out to stimulate interest within the research community and encourage researchers to look at the huge challenges presented by pancreatic cancer in new ways; drawing on the excellent work that has already been done in this area as well as other areas of cancer research. We received a large number of high quality applications which will only bode well for future rounds of this fund.”
The process behind this Pancreatic Cancer UK initiative and the research proposals received reflect strong collaborative working at many levels and provide a springboard for further expansion of pancreatic research in the future.
Pancreatic Cancer UK intend to launch the second round of the Research Innovation Fund in September/October 2013. To find out more about the fund, visit http://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/research/research-innovation-fund. The application process for this scheme is administered by Cancer Research UK.
Ends
[1] Research spend of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) - representing the majority of cancer research investment undertaken in the UK
For further information contact:
Professor Jacqui Shaw
Professor of Translational Cancer Genetics
Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine
University of Leicester
Tel: +44 (0) 116 252 3148
E-mail: js39@le.ac.uk
or
Louise Ellis, Communications Manager, Pancreatic Cancer UK
020 7820 6709
07584 293 039
Note to editors:
About Pancreatic Cancer UK
Pancreatic Cancer UK is the only national charity fighting pancreatic cancer on all fronts: support, information, campaigning and research. We are striving for a long and good life for everyone diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk