New Year's Honours

Professor Willie Hamilton has been awarded the CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours. Willie is managing over £15 million in research projects, all with the aim of getting the right cancer tests to the right patient at the right time. That means more accurate and potentially earlier and life-saving treatment for those who need it. Read more here!

Academics in the House of Commons

Professor Lora Fleming spoke in the House of Commons earlier this week presenting to the Environmental Audit Committee. You can watch Lora give evidence on the links between green spaces, blue spaces and human health here!

Associate Professor William Gaze will speak in the House of Commons next month, feeding into the UK’s Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) 5 year strategy which is being renewed. William will provide an overview of his own research progress against the challenge of AMR, ongoing research priorities not yet addressed, and how UK research can provide global solutions. He will then help address audience questions.

Celebrating Dementia Research

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Society, received the honorary title of Doctor of Science at the University of Exeter 2018 Winter Graduation ceremony for his contribution to dementia research and awareness. Read more about Jeremy’s contributions to Exeter and dementia research here!

Congratulations to...

Professor Vicki Goodwin MBE, Associate Professor of Ageing and Rehabilitation with NIHR PenCLAHRC at the University of Exeter, has also been appointed the Ageing Clinical Research Speciality Lead for NIHR Clinical Research Network South West Peninsula. As a clinical academic physiotherapist she is the first Allied Health Professional to be appointed as a lead in the speciality.

Professor G.J. Melendez-Torres is joining from DECIPHer at Cardiff University to lead the Peninsula Technology Assessment Group (PenTAG).  A registered nurse with a first degree in health economics and a doctorate in social epidemiology, G.J. joins the University as Professor of Clinical and Social Epidemiology.

Professor Andrew Hattersley, Professor Noel Morgan, Dr Sarah Richardson and Dr Beverley Shields were all named in Diabetes Times’ top 50 UK experts in type 1 diabetes. See the list in full here.

Severely overweight patients require a higher radiation dose during X-rays, seriously increasing their cancer risk, research led by PhD student Saeed Al-Qahtani found. Read more in Mail Online and MedicalXpress.

Research, co-led by Dr Anna Murray, which found a predisposed genetic link between type 2 diabetes and erectile dysfunction was featured in Mail Online and New Scientist this month.

New media coverage reports

The media coverage report for the final quarter of 2018 is now available via this link. This report gives an idea of our most widely read stories, our volume of coverage, and the number of countries in which we received press coverage.

The report includes metrics distilled by our media monitoring service Meltwater:

• Potential reach (online) is the number of IP addresses clicking in a given source per month, however does not show you exactly how many people clicked on the article.
• Potential reach (print) is the circulation of the newspapers.
• Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) gives an estimate of how much the coverage could cost as advertising space. It is calculated using a formula that includes the industry standard of advertising per unique visitor and the probability of readers seeing the article.

Staff profiles set-up: reminder

Managers are reminded that they are responsible for getting new staff set up with profile pages when they start work with the College, as part of their induction. Up-to-date forms and information on how to do so are available on the intranet, here.

Seminar with RCGP Chair

What is the role for continuity of care in a world that demands instant access to healthcare professionals?

The NHS is at a pivotal moment in its 70th year history as the RCGP prepares to launch its vision for the future of general practice. Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard will present the general practice implications from the NHS Long Term plan and encourage discussion about the future landscape of general practice.

More info is available here.

The Innovation, Impact and Business team

Start the new year thinking about how to boost your collaboration and business engagement activities. The Innovation, Impact and Business (IIB) team can help you to connect with partners, create new opportunities, develop the impact of your work and generate new income. We have revamped the IIB website which now includes a section of handy resources.

You can also find lots of useful information in the partnerships and contracts and impact sections of the Research Toolkit or call on 3456 if you want to talk with a real person.

Waking up to Planetary Health – follow up

You can now listen to the conference speakers’ presentations, download the presentations and access other resources on Planetary Health via this link! Artwork inspired by the event can be viewed on the ground floor of South Cloisters

The 'Waking Up to Planetary Health' conference launched on November 7 2018. If you would like to share your comments and ideas on how we can continue to improve planetary health, please do get in touch.

Equality & Diversity Group and Athena SWAN Update

The CMH Equality & Diversity Group has two co-chairs. Stepping down after three years as academic co-chair, Professor Sarah Dean has been replaced by Professor Rich Smith. Rich’s previous experience with equality and diversity work saw him lead his old faculty at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine to Athena SWAN Silver award success. Rich will lead the E&D Group alongside the Professional Services co-chair, Rachel Burn. Our Athena SWAN Silver submission is currently underway, due at the end of April. The Athena SWAN Charter’s aim is to support and encourage Universities to work towards gender equality.

As a College, we are committed to advancing equality for all staff and students and minimising barriers for excellent scientists, clinicians, and professional services staff, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, or disability.

The IDEAL cohort have identified key factors which enable people with dementia and their carers to live well, informing support services and guiding policy on where resources should be spent to support the 50 million people worldwide living with dementia. Read more about their findings here.

£8 million funding for a new mental health ward in Torbay Hospital was made possible thanks to Exeter researchers who specialise in optimising health services. Find out how here.

A PenCLAHRC team have published findings that suggest probiotics can help improve pain experienced by children with recurrent abdominal pain. Read more here.

Exeter-led research found that home-based cardiac rehabilitation for people with heart failure improves quality of life at 12 months compared with usual care. Read more here.

Today marks the deadline for all UCAS applications to our Nursing course, for which we’ve had over 140 applicants! Interviews with potential candidates will take place over the next month.

Undergraduate Students

7 years ago year, undergraduate Lily Taylor's father was diagnosed with a rare form of early-onset dementia. In support, and to raise awareness for frontotemporal dementia, her brother is running the London Marathon on behalf of Alzheimer’s Research UK. More information about Lily's family is available on their fundraising page.

Third year Medical Imaging student Steven Cox presented his research on peer assisted learning at the joint Heads of Radiography Education, College of Radiographers and Industry partners meeting on January 10.  The research was funded by a student CORIPS award.

PhD Students

Congratulations to PhD student Stanya Gardner who was awarded Masters by Research this month, with her thesis titled: ‘Identification of Known and New Candidate Molecular Causes of Inherited Neurodevelopmental Disorders’

‘A future vision for general practice’ with Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard
Tues 22 Jan, 13.00 – 14.00
G18 Medical School Building
More information is available here.

Clinical Trial Unit: Professor Alan Montgomery
Tues 5 Feb, 12.30 – 13.30
Smeall JS07
For further information please contact Joanne Jacob

‘Radiological and Microbiological Challenges of Human Spaceflight’ with Ben Johnson
Wed 27 Feb, 14.00
3.06 South Cloisters
For further information please contact Samantha Dick