Christmas party booking now open!

Booking for this year’s College of Medicine and Health Christmas Party is now open! By popular demand, we’ve returned to an evening format of dinner and dancing.

Tickets cost £25, including a three course meal, a welcome drink and a glass of wine with dinner, a disco and live entertainment from The Embezzlers! The College is subsidising the cost per head and a cash bar will be available on the night.

Party night is Wednesday December 12, at Reed Hall, from 7pm until midnight. Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. At this point we’re not opening the invitation to guests but we’ll follow up if we have space. Please visit the online store to order tickets  – bookings close at 11pm on December 4.

Please direct any queries to James Hacker.

£2.7 million study to focus on dementia support workers

A new £2.7m study is investigating how to introduce dementia support workers into GP surgeries, with the ultimate aim of improving the quality of life for dementia patients and their carers.

The study will be led by the University of Plymouth, in collaboration with the University of Exeter, and is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). It will develop a person-centred package of care in GP surgeries, focused on the introduction of one dementia expert (support worker) to link to the rest of the patient’s clinical team. Read more here.

Employee Engagement Survey – 1 week remains!

The Employee Engagement Survey is open until November 26.

Confidentiality is assured: it is run by an independent provider, you will not be asked to enter your name at any point, and results will only be reported in groups of at least 10.

We’re hoping to raise more than £3000 for charity. So far the college has achieved a response rate of 88% over 2016’s 80%, and £2600 has been raised. Complete the survey here.

Helen Quinn, for her appointment as Director of the new NHS/University Joint Office for Clinical Research. The Joint Office is being developed to increase excellent research in Exeter by working with local, national and international companies, charities and individuals.

Pauline McGlone, who has been appointed to the interim Chief Operating Officer role for the Clinical Research Network South West Peninsula to cover Helen’s absence.

Dr Claire Eatock, who took part in the ‘UK Surf Kayaking Championship in Thurso, Scotland last month. She was selected for the England team which went on to win the Home internationals, narrowly beating Scotland. She also came 3rd in the Women’s High performance Masters event and received a bronze medal.

Our new starters

• Dr Jason Weetch, Clinical Training Fellow, Dementia Research
• Dr Nicholas Luscombe, Clinical Training Fellow, Dementia Research
• Dr Catherine Alexander, Clinical Training Fellow, Dementia Research
• Dr Petar Nikiforov, Postdoctoral Research Associate (LSI), Institute of Biomedical & Clinical Science Research
• Professor Sarah Dean, Clinical Fellow (E&S), UEMS Education
• Dr Ralphy Kenchington, Graduate Research Assistant, Child Health
• Mr Simon Benham-Clarke, Graduate Research Assistant, Child Health
• Miss Susan Martin, Graduate Research Assistant, Institute of Biomedical & Clinical Science Research
• Mrs Nicola Jeffery, Postdoctoral Research Associate, RNA – Mediated Mechanisms of Disease
• Dr Christine Heales, Senior Lecturer (E&S), Medical imaging (Radiography)

Clinical Trials Unit to undergo structural change

The Exeter Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) will undergo a change in revised leadership structure. Professor Sarah Dean and Professor Rod Taylor will share the Directorship of the unit as Co-Directors. 

The unit will continue to be expertly managed by Lynne Quinn the CTU manager who has used her wealth of experience in clinical trials to ensure the growing unit is fit for purpose, since she started in April 2018.

Dr Fiona Warren has taken over the role of lead for statistics and Professor of Health Economics Claire Hulme, who has recently joined the College of Medicine and Health, will manage a new Health Economics post which we will advertise shortly.

If you are designing a study which will need the CTU, please do let the unit know as soon as possible by logging your study via the support tool on the website

Research which found a link between obesity and depression, was covered in The Guardian.

The BMJ covered the recent WHELD study assessing cost-effectiveness of person-centred care in care homes.

Research involving Professors Jon Mill and Katie Lunnon was featured in Science Magazine, MedicalXpress and Technology Networks.

How schools can optimise support for children with ADHD, Science Daily reports.

Both MedicalXpress and British Geriatrics Society featured a study which arose from the IDEAL cohort, determining health services must address multiple conditions in dementia care.

Rachel Burn, Sarah Dean and Tim Rushforth have all attended Stonewall training and are now Stonewall Allies.

Professor Karen Mattick will be acting as the point of contact for anyone returning to work after maternity or paternity leave. Her role will include general support and help managing workload.

The new ePDR form has a section about well-being which is hoped to encourage discussion. Two Lunch & Learn events for PS staff who work for the College were also held, one of which covered mental health awareness.

The University has joined the One Step Beyond STEM mentoring scheme.

The PVC’s fund has covered the costs for a writing retreat, action learning sets and coaching for a range of staff.

The University has run an ‘inclusivity in teaching’ training course.

The University has just launched a new induction process to help on-board staff in a better and more structured way.

Following your feedback, we have influenced the University to re-programme its IT systems so that automatic emails are no longer sent to staff about their Accelerate teaching feedback at a weekend.

Sensing Nature

The Sensing Nature project launched a new guidance Wednesday 21 November, designed to support and enable people with visual impairments to take part in group-walking activities.

Dr Sarah Bell, lead researcher on Sensing Nature, has teamed up with Walking for Health, British Blind Sport, and Dr Karis Petty to produce the advice, which features a series of ‘top tips’ for welcoming, supporting and sharing walking experiences with sight impaired walkers.

Read more here.

Links in Latin America and Africa?

Global Partnerships are looking to develop further links in Latin America and Africa as these are currently underrepresented.

The first step is to understand what research and education links we already have so, if you have any links in Latin America, Africa (or anywhere around the globe), and could provide a brief outline, or would like to know more about support Global Partnerships can provide, please contact Rachel Jones.

Branded gifts for international partners

To those who are travelling internationally or hosting international academics that will help to build collaborative links with colleagues at other universities:

Global Partnerships in College of Medicine and Health have a variety of branded merchandise for use as gifts.

For more information please contact Rachel Jones.

Engaged Research Exploratory Awards: Call for Applications

The third round of the Engaged Research Exploratory Awards is now open. Applications of up to £3,000 are welcome from Early Career Researchers wishing to develop partnerships with non-academic, non-commercial partners. The closing date for applications is 5pm on November 28.

If you have any enquiries, contact Grace Williams, Engaged Research Manager.

Alzheimer’s Society to fund Exeter research into brain inflammation

The University of Exeter has received a £361,000 grant from the Alzheimer’s Society for a three year project to investigate the role that infections have in driving inflammation in the brain of someone with Alzheimer’s disease.

Systemic infections, like pneumonia or a urinary tract infection, are associated with the onset of dementia, a faster rate of cognitive decline, and the increased risk of death in those living with dementia.

Professor Katie Lunnon, Associate Professor of Epigenetics, will lead the group. Read more here.

Write for 'The Conversation'

Michael Parker from The Conversation – an outlet via which academics write on emerging research topical issues, supported by journalists – will be visiting St Luke’s on December 18. The date has been changed from November 26.

This is a good opportunity to hone writing for news with journalistic support. Your profile also includes readership metrics so you can see how widely the story has been picked up.

One particularly exceptional result saw an editorial written by Lorna Harries and Matt Whiteman receive a full page in the Independent, news items in the Mail and Express, and 170,000 reads on The Conversation (80% of which were in the US).
 

The Conversation focuses on three priority areas:

• timely, evidence-based analysis of issues making the news, such as new research
• timeless, plain English ‘explainers’ of complex issues
• in-depth series or specials or our regular hard evidence stories.

If you’d be interesting in meeting with him, please contact Louise Vennells (l.vennells@exeter.ac.uk) with an idea, a pitch and an angle. Or if you’re keen but not sure, that can be discussed!

MRS Skills Development Fellowships at Exeter

Two further MRC Skills Development Fellowships are now open for application. These fellowships are for early career researchers looking to develop the quantitative skills necessary to work towards full research independence.

Beginning prior to June 2019, successful applicants will be housed at the Living Systems Institute, co-located with 10 other MRC Fellowship holders. They will receive 3 years funding with substantial budgets for travel and consumables, the opportunity to spend a year in an internationally leading second research centre, and a £5000 career development budget.

Full details are available online and in video format. the application form can be found here, and should be completed by Wednesday December 19. Please contact Chrissie Walker with any queries.

Student awards

PhD student Laura Hollands, starting in January with Dr Mark Tarrant, has been awarded a QUEX studentship which will involve collaboration with colleagues at UQ. Her project is titled “Harnessing the potential of community groups to prevent loneliness in older people”.

Postgraduate Research Awards

• Isabel Fitzgerald, MByRes, Testing Of A Valsalva Assist Device (Vad) To Assess Effects On Heart Rate And Strain Pressures Achieved Compared To A Standard Manometer In Healthy Volunteers Performing Standard And Modified Valsalva Manoeuvres
• Tiffany Morcom, MByRes, The Role Of Seaweed Antimicrobials In Selection For Antibiotic Resistance
• Seun Olubodun, MByRes, Investigation Of The Molecular Basis Of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia And Situs Inversus Amongst The Amish
• Ealaff Shakweh, MByRes, Developing A Stratified Approach To Treatment In Type 2 Diabetes
• Naomi Fuller, MByRes, Older Patients With Odontoid Process And Cervical Spine Fractures: Evaluating Clinical Risk Factors, Clinical Pathways And Treatment To Prevent Further Fracture
• Shannon Marren, MByRes, Clinical Implications Of Persistent Beta Cell Function In Long Duration Type 1 Diabetes
• Henry Oldershaw, MByRes, The Effect Of Diet And Physical Activity On Quality Of Life, Wellbeing And Treatment Satisfaction, In Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes
• Conor Jones, MByRes, Dna Methylation In Rectal Cancer: Validating Findings Of An Epigenome-Wide Association Study
• Saz Snidvongs, MD, Lumbar Facet Joint Injections For The Management Of Chronic Low Back Pain
• Christin Hoffman, PhD, Attitudes And Attitude Change In Personal Travel
• Sam Van Beurden, PhD, Designing, Delivering, And Evaluating And Novel Interventions To Support Dietary Change For Weight Management
• Terrence Chan, MByRes, The Clinical Utility Zinc Transporter 8 Autoantibody Measurement In Diabetes
• Ese Ifie, PhD, An Investigation Of Coxsackie And Adenovirus Receptor In The Human Pancreatic Beta Cells

Social Mobility and Its Enemies, hosted by Provost, Professor Janice Kay CBE

Fri 23 Nov, 18.00-19.30

Living Systems Institute, Streatham Campus

Book here.