RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS - UCLan
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World-leading research at UCLan Our research is divided into six themes: When you come to study at the University of Central Lancashire you’ll have the privilege of working alongside, and being taught by, academic staff who are leading experts in their fields. Many of our academic staff are active researchers whose work Arts, Culture and Heritage 4 is leading to new discoveries and making a positive impact on Citizenship, Society 6 people’s lives all over the world. UCLan research staff work collaboratively with major international and Justice organisations, from the United Nations and the World Health Organisation to the European Space Agency and NASA. As well as contributing to policy 8 and practice, they are often sought out by the world’s media for their expertise. Lifelong Health This brochure provides a snapshot of some of the most exciting, innovative and and Wellbeing life-changing research projects our academics have been engaged in recently. You’ll see that our University’s longstanding mission to transform lives now People, Place 10 extends to every corner of the globe - from educating deaf students in India to solving crime and improving maternity care worldwide. and Environment At UCLan we offer a wide range of postgraduate research-based degrees which are ideal if you are aspiring to pursue an academic career, contribute to the 12 advancement of human knowledge and make a positive difference to the world. Sustainability, Business Find out more about our life-changing research at and Enterprise uclan.ac.uk/research Cover image: Red Bird flight simulator, used by academics and students on our Aerospace Engineering courses. Transformative Sciences and Technology 14 2
UCLan professor in deep space discovery UCLan was recently involved in a remarkable worldwide collaboration which resulted in scientists capturing the first ever image of a black hole, located in the distant reaches of space. The supermassive black hole captured in the image resides 55 million light years from Earth in the distant galaxy Messier 87 and has a mass 6.5 billion times that of our Sun. Eight telescopes in remote locations around the world were synchronised to create one Earth-sized virtual telescope, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), enabling unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. One of these, the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, located near the summit of the dormant Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii, is partially financed by UCLan. Derek Ward-Thompson, Professor of Astrophysics and Head of the School of Physical Sciences and Computing, was involved in analysing data from the telescope to help confirm the ground-breaking astronomical breakthrough, which made headlines around the world. In September 2019, Derek and the other scientists involved in the international EHT collaboration were awarded the 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, regarded as the ‘Oscars of Science.’ Image credit: EHT Collaboration 800+ Annual total research income of 800+ 100+ research or readers and knowledge transfer- £6.9 research students currently professors currently active members of staff at UCLan million enrolled working at the University 3
ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE Celebrating black art and highlighting discrimination The Turner Prize winning artist Lubaina Himid CBE is Professor of Contemporary Art at UCLan. Acclaimed as a pioneer of the British black art movement of the 1980s, her works and research celebrate the contribution made to society by the black diaspora. Lubaina describes herself as “a political strategist who uses a visual language to encourage conversation, argument and change.” Her works give voice to the oppressed and highlight the trade in enslaved people. Lubaina co-leads the Making Histories Visible project at UCLan, working with major museums and cultural organisations to connect artists and communities with their local and international heritage through exhibitions, archive interventions and public art projects. Her Turner Prize win in 2017 followed her career-spanning exhibitions which brought together paintings, sculpture and ceramics. Her works have been exhibited at leading institutions including Tate Britain and Modern Art Oxford. She regularly works with museums and galleries to enhance the visibility and recognition of black artists. Professor Lubaina Himid CBE 4
Capturing rare sounds Documenting life in Britain through photography of the world Craig Atkinson, Lecturer in Fine Art, has masterminded the widespread Global Sound Movement is an award- publication of thousands of photographs depicting everyday life in post- winning arts project which sees war Britain. Before this, no accessible collection of British documentary researchers travelling to remote parts photography existed, and millions of images taken by photographers, of the world to capture the sounds celebrated and amateur, lingered in private collections, invisible to the public. of rare musical instruments which are He has since curated and made available over 500 bodies of work by more than 300 unique to a remote indigenous tribe, international photographers through the release of almost 500 titles via his publishing house, community or geographic location. Café Royal Books. Each one is a carefully curated selection of themed images. The recordings are then digitised and added Crucially, these books are inexpensive for collectors to acquire. As a result, more than to online sample libraries. These are made 100,000 of Craig’s books are now in circulation. Many have been purchased by major available for sale to musicians, producers and international galleries and libraries including Tate, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) artists worldwide, with proceeds generated USA, and Victoria & Albert London. His research has been used in leading universities, to the communities involved. Researchers including Oxford and Harvard. In collecting, archiving and curating these images, Café Royal have recently travelled to Uganda, Bali, China, Books has prevented these important time capsules documenting everyday Croatia, Morocco, Cyprus, Turkey and other British life from being lost forever. locations all over the globe. ‘Environmental sounds’ from all of these locations have also been recorded, preserving not just their instruments but also sounds from their acoustic environment. This unique project, led by Phil Holmes, Senior Lecturer in Music Production, and Paresh Parmar, Senior Lecturer in Brand Management, won the Excellence and Innovation in the Arts prize at the Times Higher Education Awards in 2016. 5
CITIZENSHIP, SOCIETY AND JUSTICE Fighting crime with digital technology Police forces worldwide are using advanced digital technology co-developed at UCLan to help in the fight against serious crime. The Police work with witnesses and victims of crime to construct computer-generated facial composites of offenders. These images can be crucial in helping to identify criminals and bring them to justice. Charlie Frowd, Professor of Forensic Psychology, has co- designed the pioneering EvoFIT software, a facial composite system which substantially outperforms previous ‘photofit’ methods used to construct the face. His collaborative work has led to the successful identification of many serious criminals, including murder suspects and rapists. EvoFIT has already been used by 26 police forces in the UK and overseas (from Israel to the USA) and has played a role in over 5,000 investigations worldwide. Professor Charlie Frowd 6
Using DNA to identify human remains following international conflict The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called on the expertise of Dr Will Goodwin, Reader in the School of Forensic and Applied Sciences, to improve the usage of forensic analysis to identify the remains of people killed in conflicts and disasters. Will helped to draft their current guidelines on the use of DNA analysis and these have since been applied all over the world, from Argentina to Egypt, Indonesia and Ukraine. In 2017 he was an expert adviser on an ICRC initiative which led to the identification of around 100 Argentine soldiers who were killed in the Falklands War in 1982 and buried in the island’s Darwin Cemetery. Will’s expertise in forensics has been sought out by other international agencies, including the United Nations, aiding their work in other former war zones. Reuniting families with the bodies of their loved ones can help ensure that the deceased receive a proper burial, as well as bringing a sense of closure to the bereaved. 7
LIFELONG HEALTH AND WELLBEING Stroke experts saving lives When someone is experiencing the symptoms of a stroke, it’s vital that they get immediate access to specialist treatment to save their life and prevent long-term disability. The Stroke Research Team at UCLan is delivering improvements in diagnosis and treatment, working with national and international partners including the NHS, Public Health England and the George Institute for Global Health in India. The team is the only nurse-led stroke research unit in the UK and is led by Professor Caroline Watkins, who was made a dame for her services to stroke and nursing care in 2017. Research carried out by members of the Stroke Research Team has helped to ensure that people with suspected stroke get the quickest ambulance response times possible, and that when they arrive at emergency departments they get rapid access to specialist stroke treatment and care. Key projects have included informing the content of the national stroke awareness FAST campaign, which helps people to identify the most common signs of a stroke (Face, Arm, Speech problems) and emphasises the need to call 999 immediately. Through the Emergency Stroke Calls: Obtaining Rapid Telephone Triage (ESCORTT) project, 999 call handlers undertook training which resulted in more patients with stroke being identified and rapidly transported to hospital. Members of the team also led the international HeadPost trial in the UK which explored whether the head position of stroke patients made a difference to their chances of survival. 8
Improving mental health care for people with cystic fibrosis Research by Janice Abbott, Professor of Health Psychology, has been instrumental in improving the care of people with cystic fibrosis, a genetic, life-limiting condition with an immense treatment burden. Improving global experiences of childbirth Janice co-led the UK arm of a large international study spanning nine European countries and the USA. The Research led by Soo Downe, Professor of Midwifery, is UK-based research, involving over 2,700 participants improving standards of maternity care worldwide, with from 39 UK Cystic Fibrosis Centres, revealed that a a view to ensuring that all pregnant women, babies and significant proportion of people living with cystic fibrosis families have a positive experience of childbirth. experience depression and anxiety. It highlighted the need to measure and treat mental health issues in patients, In 2013 the team published a world-leading study revealing that families and care givers, sparking an aspiration within the some women in low income settings globally don’t use antenatal cystic fibrosis community to improve mental health. care because it doesn’t fit with their cultural norms, or because they experience lack of respect and compassion from maternity care staff, The research recommended that screening and treatment which could possibly increase mortality and morbidity. Findings have for depression and anxiety should become a routine directly shaped recent World Health Organisation antenatal and aspect of cystic fibrosis care (in the same way that intrapartum guidelines for positive, respectful maternity care, and measuring lung function and weight already are). This has influenced global initiatives around appropriate use of caesarean been widely implemented. section, and a key global Lancet Series on stillbirth. The team’s Janice is a core member of an international committee studies have also been used for professional educational modules which has published guidelines for practitioners designed designed to improve practice around stillbirth and how parents can to improve the mental health of people with cystic best be helped through this traumatic experience, and their research fibrosis. Her research has sparked changes in international has provided input to government policy for personalisation of policy and clinical practice. maternity care as well as improved safety, through Soo’s membership of the NHS England Better Births Stakeholder Group. 9
PEOPLE, PLACE AND ENVIRONMENT Reconnecting Native Americans with their heritage Dr David Robinson, Reader in Archaeology, has been assisting Native American communities to reconnect with their heritage. Processes of colonialism, nation building and urbanisation have disconnected many Native Americans from the deep prehistory, especially for indigenous Californians. David has carried out research at two culturally important sites on the spectacular lands of the Wind Wolves Preserve: Pleito (one of the most elaborately painted rock-art sites in the world) and Cache Cave, which features elaborately hand-woven baskets and other objects created by their ancestors. Despite their cultural importance, these remote locations are difficult to access for tribal members and the objects inside them are fragile. David’s research has led to the development of innovative virtual reality technology. This has enabled tribal members to explore these culturally important sites and fragile basketry and other objects through an immersive virtual experience. Additionally, training events on film making (via UCLan led Storylab) and rock-art stewardship has helped to empower members of the Native community to experience these places and develop new skills to reconnect with their ancestry in creative ways. Dr David Robinson Image credit: Devlin Gandy and Josh Roth 10
Transforming the prospects of deaf students worldwide A project led by UCLan’s International Institute for Sign Languages and Deaf Studies (iSLanDS) is transforming the lives and future prospects of deaf young people aged 16-25 in India, Ghana and Uganda. Many of the youngsters had been marginalised since their school days, with institutions lacking the resources needed to teach children using sign language. By giving them the opportunity to learn through sign language as the language of communication in the classroom, they have been able to radically develop their reading, writing and other literacy skills. The project, led by Ulrike Zeshan OBE, Professor of Sign Language Linguistics, has changed people’s lives, improving their educational attainment, independence and self-confidence. Another facet of this work involves training and employing deaf research assistants and peer tutors for teaching and research roles. Between 2009 and 2015, 70 deaf individuals from 10 developing countries studied UCLan’s groundbreaking BA in Applied Sign Languages Studies in New Delhi, taught using Indian Sign Language. This has resulted in a substantial number of skilled deaf graduates who have gone on to teach language and literacy skills to deaf students in their home countries. Deaf graduates are now working to improve the lives of deaf people around the world, including in Mexico, China, Burundi, and Nepal. Professor Ulrike Zeshan OBE 11
SUSTAINABILITY, BUSINESS AND ENTERPRISE Game-changing recycling solution wins industry award An award-winning partnership between UCLan and result, Recycling Lives is on the verge of implementing a ‘closed loop Preston-based enterprise Recycling Lives has been recycling solution’, where 100% of waste gets processed into useful generating literally tonnes of benefits for the environment, materials with no detrimental impact on the environment. It has enabled the company to meet government and EU targets regarding the recycling local communities and the regional economy. of end-of-life vehicles. Recycling Lives has gone on to invest more than Recycling Lives are experts in total waste management – processing and £7 million in two new plants in order to commercialise the process, recycling industrial waste, including vehicles. They divert the profits from generating jobs in the region. The University and Recycling Lives have also their work into life-changing community projects. invested £750,000 in a joint research and demonstrator plant which will enable the exploitation of thermal recycling processes, further building Professor Karl Williams, Director for the Centre of Waste Management bridges between academia and industry. at UCLan, worked in partnership with Recycling Lives to develop an innovative new thermal process which converts the residue left over from The project won the Most Innovative Contribution to Business-University the shredding process into oil and gas which can be used to generate Collaboration Award at the Times Higher Education Awards in energy. This residue would otherwise have ended up as landfill. As a November 2018. Professor Karl Williams and Dr Ala Khodier of Recycling Lives 12
Transforming Preston’s economy Research led by Dr Julian Manley, Social Innovation Manager, has been instrumental in transforming the economic fortunes of Preston. Working alongside Preston City Council (PCC) and the Mondragón Co-operative Corporation in Spain, his research on communities and co-operative values has directly inspired the city-wide adoption of the ‘Preston Model’ as a catalyst for generating wealth and creating jobs. The Model involves local ‘anchor’ institutions (such as the University and the hospital trust) adapting their procurement policies in order to retain wealth within the city, as well as launching new enterprises which adhere to co-operative principles and operate ethically. Since adopting the Preston Model, the city has been named as the most rapidly improving urban area in the UK.* Its success has inspired political action nationally and internationally. At least 40 councils across the UK are developing socio-economic policies which emulate the Preston Model and it has attracted international media attention. *In research by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the think tank Demos, 2018. Outside the Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library in Preston 13
TRANSFORMATIVE SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY World-leading fire research ignites positive change The expertise of Richard Hull, Professor of Chemistry and Fire Science, and Anna Stec, Professor of Fire Chemistry and Toxicity, has been called on by architects, constructors and politicians in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which caused the deaths of 72 people in June 2017. The majority of fatalities in a fire are caused by people inhaling toxic fumes emitted by combustible materials. Surprisingly, the toxicity of this smoke is not regulated in the UK, meaning that building materials, such as insulation and cables, and furniture are often constructed out of materials which produce deadly smoke when they burn. Richard has worked with the European Commission (EC) and the UK’s Ministry of Housing to develop regulations in this area, and they are urging manufacturers to declare the smoke toxicity of their products. In 2016 Richard was the only academic appointed to the steering committee overseeing the EC Smoke Toxicity study. 14
After the Grenfell fire, which sent shockwaves around the world, Richard appeared on national TV and in the press to provide expert insight into the causes and rapid spread of the fire. In particular, combustible cladding materials used on the building were shown to be highly toxic when burning. Anna and Richard’s research on the fire behaviour of polythene-filled panels and insulation foams helped to bring about a major review of building fire safety and a government ban on the use of such materials on tall residential buildings. Anna was appointed as an Expert Witness to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry in June 2018. Anna has identified high levels of potentially cancer-causing residues that firefighters are regularly exposed to, in order to explain their higher incidence of many cancers. She also discovered high levels of contamination of the area surrounding Grenfell Tower which threaten the long-term health of local residents. Professor Anna Stec 15
Improving horse safety in elite sporting competitions Dr Sarah Hobbs, Reader in Equine and Human Biomechanics, worked on the world’s largest study into the effect of arena surfaces on the health of horses in sporting competitions. She was the lead author of The Equine Surfaces White Paper, published by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), which reviewed the effects of surfaces on horses’ welfare, performance and orthopaedic health. It outlined a framework for testing equestrian arena surfaces. Its recommendations were piloted at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the World Equestrian Games in 2018. Research at UCLan has built on the White Paper’s recommendations, leading to the development of a certification process which is expected to be a mandatory requirement for elite events from 2021. This will help to deliver enhanced horse and rider welfare, improve performance, reduce injury and extend their careers. 16
Improving emergency water rescues Potentially life-saving research led by Dr Loel Collins, Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Coaching and Performance, has improved the safety and effectiveness of equipment used in water-based emergency rescue operations. Working alongside Rescue 3 Europe (the largest trainer of technical rescue for water, air and land emergencies) and Palm Equipment International, the research has improved the performance of key buoyancy and rescue equipment, enabling rescuers to enter the water to perform rescues with greater security. Across a number of linked ongoing studies, the research has enhanced the training of rescuers, advanced the design and manufacture of rescuer equipment, and developed a greater understanding of the techniques in rescue operations. Loel’s recommendations have been adopted by British Canoeing and Rescue 3’s 2,000+ instructors in Europe who have trained a further 21,000 rescuers in the emergency services. Image credit: Karl Midlane, Plas y Brenin National Outdoor Centre 17
Life as a research student is out of this world Simon Ebo had always wanted to reach for the stars and pursue a dream career in Astrophysics. His prospects rocketed after he completed a Foundation Year at UCLan and now he is undertaking a PhD exploring planets beyond our solar system and looking ahead to a thriving career in research... He explains: “I was accepted onto the first ever intake of Foundation Year students at UCLan. After achieving a first-class grade, I progressed to the Astrophysics degree. I was enrolled on the MPhys course, achieving a 2:1, and graduated in summer 2018 before starting my PhD the following October. During my degree I completed two summer internships studying Asteroseismology with Professor Don Kurtz in the School of Physical Sciences and Computing. The first of these led to a publication in a notable scientific journal, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS), and I was sent to the University of North Carolina Asheville (UNCA) in the USA to present our work at an international conference of Physics and Astronomy students.” 18
After graduation, Simon spent a number of months doing research during a Our research degrees summer internship at Leiden University in The Netherlands and the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Research and Technology Centre. You can study the following postgraduate research degrees at UCLan: He is now undertaking a PhD in Astrophysics at UCLan’s Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, where the focus of his research is exoplanets – planets which are • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) orbiting stars other than the Sun. He explains: • Doctor of Medicine (MD [Res]) “I am currently writing a program that will study every star we observe with our own telescope, the Moses Holden Telescope (MHT) at Alston Observatory, before • Master of Philosophy (MPhil) applying it to observations made by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), the latest generation exoplanet space mission. I will hopefully detect, or • Master of Surgery (MCh) confirm, new exoplanets and describe their parameters and characteristics.“ • MA (by Research) • MSc (by Research) Simon has been impressed by the standard of • LLM (by Research) UCLan’s facilities. He says: “It even has its own observatory site in a dark sky area, with the largest • PhD (by Published Work) is available to graduates and staff working teaching telescope in the UK.” of the University • Professional Doctorates are Simon has ambitions to continue his career in academia after completing his PhD. available in a variety of fields He has the following advice for anyone who wants to follow in his footsteps and reach for the stars: “If you are passionate about something you will succeed.” Find out more at uclan.ac.uk/research/study 19
uclan.ac.uk/research 9/19 08228
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