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Health Service methods could assist police in tackling Anti Social Behaviour

Methods used to promote new knowledge across large, complex, health service organisations could also be applied to help police forces tackle anti-social behaviour.

Professor Jo Rycroft-Malone and Dr Christopher Burton, of Bangor University’s School of Healthcare Sciences are working with the North Wales Police and the National Police Improvement Agency on developing effective policing solutions to anti-social behaviour.

The collaboration is applying a method used effectively in the health service so that new information and evidence regarding what is effective can be adopted across large and compex organisations. The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) framework, developed by Professor Rycroft-Malone for the health service, is widely used nationally and internationally. It ensures that evidence regarding what is effective and efficient is used in health service planning and delivery.  This collaboration will test how readily the PARIHS framework can be applied to a policing context. It will also ensure that appropriate means of implementation are designed to promote the use of effective solutions to anti-social behaviour.

Professor Rycroft-Malone, Director of the School of Healthcare Sciences IMPLEMENT@BU research programme says ‘My Co-Director, Dr Burton and I are delighted to be working with the North Wales Police and the National Police Improvement Agency on issues of regional and national importance. The collaboration provides an excellent opportunity to share experience and expertise in tackling the challenges of implementing evidence of ‘what works’ across different public services.’

‘Reducing and resolving crime and anti social behaviour is a key priority for North Wales Police,’ said Ian Shannon, Deputy Chief Constable, ‘and I am grateful for the support that both Bangor University and the National Policing Improvement Agency are providing. This collaborative approach demonstrates our joint commitment to evidence led approaches, which are vital in order to protect the service we provide to the public, particularly when resources are restricted’.

Visiting Professor in Child Health and Children’s Nursing

Professor Jane Noyes, Professor of Nursing and Health Services Research at Bangor University, has been appointed Visiting Professor at the School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems, University College Dublin, Ireland.

Professor Noyes is a health services researcher specialising in children's health and social services research and cost consequences. She is also interested in qualitative and mixed method systematic review methodology, and is Lead Convenor of the UK� �s Cochrane Qualitative Research Methods Group. Jane is also an Editor of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

The Visiting Chair has been awarded to foster and develop joint interests in Child Health Research between Bangor University and University College Dublin.

“The appointment comes at a very exciting time with planning of the new children's hospital in Dublin and an eagerness to build capacity and capability in child health research.  I look forward to developing joint research projects to build the evidence-base for child health and children’s nursing, and to welcoming colleagues from University College Dublin to Bangor in north Wales,” said Professor Noyes

The Collaboration with University College Dublin with Maria Brenner Head of Children's Nursing and Prof Philip Larkin Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing [Palliative Care] has already enabled Professor Noyes to present a workshop in Dublin, with her colleague Sally Rees, last year. She also visited the Our Lady’s Children's Hospital and met key staff, and Trustees of the Medical Research Foundation at the hospital.

Jane Noyes leads the research within the School of Healthcare Sciences at Bangor University, which is based at the School’s Centre for Health-Related Research. The School contributes to a major programme of health-related research at Bangor, which spreads over several Colleges and offers the opportunity for students to study with internationally recognised academics.

Help on the way for children and young people with epilepsy

 A research project aimed at improving self-management for children and young people with epilepsy is to be launched by Mary Burrows, Chief Executive, BCUHB recently (Friday 20th, 1.00 Oriel Country Hotel, St Asaph).

  The CHYME- CHildren and Young people Managing Epilepsy research project aims to improve how children and young people with epilepsy are able to live with and manage their epilepsy and treatment at home. This will involve getting to the heart of what the children and young people themselves see as the challenges they face and how healthcare professionals can teach them or provide them with the means to resolve these problems for themselves. The project will develop the evidence-base for using behavioural interventions in routine clinical practice.

 Sheila Lewis, Epilepsy Nurse Specialist, from The Walton Centre was awarded an Academic Health Science Collaboration (AHSC) fellowship 2010/11 to conduct the CHYME research project. She was the only nurse to receive this award in north Wales, and one of two nurses among 25 Welsh healthcare professionals who received this prestigious award. Over 80 applicants applied for the Award which provides access to clinical research time.

Mary Burrows, Chief Executive of Betsy Cadwaladr University Health Board said “The Health Board is proud to be part of the CHYME project.  We are always keen to develop ways to help people manage their own conditions at home.  I would like to congratulate Sheila on receiving the Award and look forward to the research contributing to modernising the way we deliver care in this area.”

Rhodri, who has epilepsy, said: "Without the help and intervention of both the epilepsy nurse and consultant, my life would not be as positive as it is today."

His mother, Sandra said "My son's health has improved greatly since our involvement with the epilepsy medical team. Their support has been invaluable for my son and to us as a
family."

This research project will be supervised by Professors Jane Noyes and Professor Richard Hastings at Bangor University.   Prof Hastings said: ‘CHYME is an excellent example of collaboration between health organisations, NHS professionals, and Bangor University to develop research for the benefit of patients; in this case children and young people with epilepsy and their families’.

 The background to this research project is that children and young people (age 6-18 years) with epilepsy are at risk for poor health outcomes, which includes reduced quality of life and psychosocial problems. Better self-management of their epilepsy supports improved quality of life and mental health outcomes. Therefore, support to enhance self-management of epilepsy is a priority.

 The launch will bringing together key people from BCUHB, the Walton Centre for Neurology, education, universities, and local epilepsy and children’s charities who will be either participating or supporting the research.

How sports science research feeds into medical care

Three articles by researchers at Bangor University’s School of Sport, Health & Exercise Sciences appear in the latest issue of Arthritis Care and Research, an international journal published by the American College of Rheumatology. The latest edition is a special issue containing 18 articles focussing on state-of-the-art research on muscle and bone in the rheumatic diseases.

“The research that we conduct here at Bangor University often falls at the interface between Sports Science and Medicine, in that we are able to apply sports science principals in a clinical setting. To do this we work in close association with the local NHS and are very grateful for the collaborative relationship that we share with them,” said Tim Woodman, Head of the School of Sport, Health & Exercise Sciences.

The articles illustrate how, with the advent of better treatments for the diseases, the focus on research is shifting towards improving quality of life for people with these conditions. The research also highlights how expertise in Sports Science and a detailed understanding of  muscle, tendon and bone function, and how they affect one another, can lead to improvements in the treatment programmes that support people with rheumatoid arthritis and other bone conditions.

Dr Jamie Macdonald the author of one of the papers explains: “The focus of research and clinical care used to be on managing the disease alone. Now that treatment of the disease is improving and patients are living longer, the focus is also on providing exercise and other programmes to enable people with these conditions to maintain or improve their current health and mobility.”

One article, for example follows up groundbreaking research conducted at Bangor University which, established for the first time that exercise was beneficial to rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. “The traditional advice had been to be careful and to rest- alongside which, many with rheumatoid arthritis felt wary of undertaking exercise. We established that intense exercise is beneficial to people with the condition,” explains Dr Andrew Lemmey of the School.

Latest research by Dr Lemmey and colleagues, described in the Journal, found lasting benefits from having participated in the exercise programme six years previously. The people involved in the exercise programme had not gained as much weight and were more mobile than others in the research. However the research also established that exercise needs to be maintained for maximum benefit to the muscle.

An article on an individual case illustrates the University’s close working relationship with the local NHS. A case referred to the University by the NHS enabled Drs Jeanette Thom and Andrew Lemmey to apply sport science knowledge to improve an arthritic knee. Transferring the benefits of that knowledge to the local health system and highlighting the findings in the article ensures that such knowledge feeds into the local and wider community, so that others can further the work.

The third article focuses on the little understood condition of osteoporosis in men and on the interplay between muscle and bone.  It provides strong evidence of a relationship between muscle mass and bone strength and identifies muscle as a new target to indirectly treat low bone strength.

Giving the community an opportunity to hear about the latest research on Managing Long-Term Conditions

A lecture focusing on Managing Long-Term Conditions, takes place at Venue Cymru  at 6pm on 17th January. The lecture series is free to attend, open to the public and includes refreshments, networking opportunities and a certificate of attendance.  

Dr Val Morrison, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of the School of Psychology at Bangor University, and Dr Simon Neal, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Deputy Head of Health Psychology for BCUHB, will be delivering two short presentations during the evening. They will be discussing the impact of chronic disease on patients and carers and there will be an opportunity to ask the presenters questions and receive feedback.

This is the third lecture of the second Health and Wellbeing Lecture Series, which runs until May 2012.  The lectures present cutting-edge research on health and wellbeing topics in a friendly and accessible format. They are organised by the Aber-Bangor Skills Centre, a partnership between Aberystwyth and Bangor universities and supported by Coleg Llandrillo Cymru and the National Leadership & Innovation Agency for Healthcare (NLIAH).

Although the events are free, registration is essential to book your place. Please register by contacting the Aber-Bangor Skills Centre at Bangor University on 01248 365918 or absc@bangor.ac.uk or for further information on the lecture series and the Aber-Bangor Skills Centre, please visit the website: http://absc.bangor.ac.uk

‘Food Dudes’ Professor Appointed European Expert

Professor Fergus Lowe, who leads the successful Food Dudes healthy eating programme at Bangor University, has been appointed a permanent member of the European Commission Group of Experts who provide technical advice on the Commission’s School Fruit Scheme.

This EU-wide voluntary scheme provides school children with fruit and vegetables, and aims to encourage good eating habits in young people. Besides providing fruit and vegetables, the scheme also requires participating Member States to set up strategies including educational and awareness-raising initiatives.

At its launch in 2008, the European Commission Scheme recognised the success of the Bangor Food Dudes programme and recommended it as a model that European countries could adopt.

The highly successful Food Dudes programme encourages healthy eating choices in young children and their families. Research has shown that the improvements in children's food choices that it brings about are very substantial and long-term.

The Food Dudes programme is internationally used. It is currently, for example, being rolled out to every primary school in Ireland. It has won numerous awards including, among others, the World Health Organisation Award for its application in Ireland, and the UK Chief Medical Officer’s Gold Medal Award for its use by Wolverhampton Primary Care Trust. 

Most recently, researchers Professors Fergus Lowe and Pauline Horne of the University’s School of Psychology were given the Scientific Translation Award from the Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Analysis at the latter's Annual Convention in the USA.

 “One of the main factors responsible for the obesity epidemic is the change in children's diets, particularly their declining consumption of fruit and vegetables. For their health's sake, it is crucial they eat more fruit and vegetables and less energy dense foods, high in sugar and fat. That’s why I’m delighted to be able to contribute to this European Commission Group of Experts,” commented Professor Lowe.

“Applying behavioural principles is key to improving children’s eating habits and to providing a model of healthy eating for them to follow through their lifetime,” he added.

The Food Dudes scheme, which is designed for primary schools, uses four healthy eating cartoon characters - the Food Dudes -  and a range of other behaviour change procedures, to help children develop a liking for fruit and vegetables and be proud that they are healthy eaters.

Cancer experts gather for Bangor Conference

On Wednesday and Thursday this week (23/24/11/11), delegates from across the UK will be gathering at Bangor University for the second conference exploring how services for patients with cancer can be provided in a rural environment.

The Conference is a joint venture between Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Bangor University, and the North Wales Clinical School. The organisers have brought together a line up of notable speakers, including:

Matt Makin who is Visiting Professor and Chief of Staff for Cancer at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board explained: “Trying to deliver effective care for cancer patients across a rural area like north Wales, with a relatively sparse population and a large area to cover, is a very different challenge from running services in a big city. The themes of the conference this year are how we meet the challenge of diagnosing cancer early and how we support and follow up patients after cancer treatment. The other issue we will be discussing is how we meet the challenge of providing modern cancer care in difficult financial times.

 “We are very proud of what has been achieved in Cancer Services across North Wales and we hope that the Conference will be the catalyst for further developments, both here and for our colleagues from other parts of Britain.”

Professor Nick Stuart, who is Professor of Cancer Studies at Bangor University said:
“The University is pleased to welcome this conference which illustrates the increasingly close working between the University and the Health Board. The conference highlights a number of key challenges that are faced by the Health Service in Wales and which will only be solved by researchers and health specialists working jointly together.”

Speakers at the Conference include:

Professor Willie Hamilton, Professor of Primary Care Diagnostics, Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, will be talking about “The mistakes we make in cancer diagnosis”.

Dr. Richard Neal, Clinical Senior Lecturer at the North Wales Centre for Primary Care Research, Bangor University, will be asking; “How much does early diagnosis matter?”

Professor Eila Watson, HRH Prince Sultan Professor in Supportive Cancer Care, Department of Clinical Health Care, Oxford Brookes University will be putting the question; “Where next for the cancer survivor?”

Dr. Geoffrey Carroll, Medical Director, Welsh Health Specialised Services Team will be considering   “Access to higher cost cancer care … is possible within a shrinking NHS?”

Bowel, oesophageal and pancreatic cancers show biggest improvement in diagnosis time

National Cancer Research Institute Press Release

NEW research shows that bowel, oesophageal and pancreatic cancers have seen the greatest improvement in the time it takes from when a patient first visits their GP with symptoms to when they are diagnosed with the disease.

The data – being presented at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference in Liverpool this week – was collected for breast, bowel, lung, pancreatic, oesophageal and stomach cancers for 2001-2 and for 2007-8.

Information was collected from the General Practice Research Database on more than 14,400 patients aged 40 or over who had been diagnosed with any of the six different cancers and who had previously shown potential cancer symptoms. These symptoms were predetermined by an expert group. An example of symptoms for bowel cancer included things such as constipation, diarrhoea or rectal bleeding.*

In 2001-2 bowel (colon and rectal) cancer was on average diagnosed 96 days after patients first reported a symptom to a GP to when they were diagnosed. This dropped significantly to 75 days in 2007-8.

For oesophageal cancer in 2001-2 the average time to diagnosis after first GP visit was 59 days. This fell to 48 days in 2007-8. For pancreatic cancer in 2001-2 the average time to diagnosis after first GP visit was 63 days. This fell to 52 days in 2007-8.

Breast, stomach and lung cancers did show a drop, though not a significant one.

Breast cancer times to diagnosis fell from 27 days in 2001-2 to 25 days in 2007-8. Stomach cancer diagnosis times reduced from 88 days in 2001-2 to 77 days in 2007-8, and for lung cancer from 106 days in 2001-2 to 102 days in 2007-8.

Midway between these two time periods was the release of the 2005 NICE referral guidance for suspected cancer cases. These guidelines provide GPs with details of symptoms that should prompt them to send a patient for further tests.

Dr Richard Neal, lead researcher based at the North Wales Centre for Primary Care Research, Bangor University, said: “We found that diagnostic intervals can and do change over time. The reduction between 2001-2 and 2007-8 may in part be due to the roll out of the 2005 NICE referral guidance for suspected cancer. This gives clear guidance on which symptoms should prompt a doctor to refer a patient for further investigation. But there is considerable variation between cancers, with diagnostic intervals highest in those cancers which are more difficult to diagnose.

“Diagnostic intervals were longer for patients with harder to diagnose cancers and for those presenting with symptoms that did not qualify for an urgent referral. But diagnostic intervals remain long in most cancers, with considerable potential for further reduction. In particular, the diagnostic intervals for the 10 per cent of patients who are diagnosed most slowly remain very long for most cancers. And we do not fully know the effect of the reduction of diagnostic intervals on improvements in stage at diagnosis and long term survival.”

Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK’s director of information, said: “It’s very encouraging to see that patients are, on average, being diagnosed more quickly for some cancers, offering a better chance of successful outcome. It’s clearly vital for GPs to have access to good quality information to make the best decisions for their patients. There is still room for considerable improvement though, and reducing the time to diagnose and treat is a critical part of improving outcomes for people with cancer.”

Helping local company who have developed and won the market for outdoor survival products

Around a decade ago, mountaineers, expeditions to cold climates, or indeed anyone involved in outdoor activities took a polythene bivvy bag or a ‘space blanket’ with them for emergency use. These, at best, provided an extra water and windproof layer.

Now, thanks to the development of Reflexcell™, Bethesda- based Blizzard Protection Systems Ltd, are market leaders in the field of out-door thermal survival products. The award-winning company exports around the globe. Among their customers are the US, Australian, Finnish, German, Dutch and Norwegian armed forces, the Norwegian Police RAF Mountain Rescue, Swiss Air Ambulance and disaster relief agencies as well as the outdoor recreation market.

The firm has grown from a ‘cottage industry’ to become the world leader in its field. The company’s headquarters at Bethesda now employs 23 people and their turnover this year is £2.5 million.

Blizzard’s Managing Director, entrepreneur and inventor Derek Ryden knew that he had a good product. However, working with experts at Bangor University’s School of Sport, Health & Exercise Sciences has enabled him to appreciate exactly how efficient his products really are, and has armed Blizzard with information to help them market their products more effectively.

Working with Dr Sam Oliver and PhD student Jenny Brierley of the University’s Extremes Research Group, Derek has been able to commission tailored research that measures exactly how good the products are. The University has been researching how effective the innovative material is in directing escaping body heat back into the body, preventing or delaying the onset of hypothermia in extreme conditions.

“Our products have to work in unpredictable conditions. Anecdotally, we’ve had reports of how well they’ve worked in extreme conditions, but these don’t give us accurate data. Working closely with the University scientists we’ve been able to design experiments to provide scientific data to validate the effectiveness of our products,” explains Derek Ryden.

“The University are able to design things far more scientifically- and the results, once published, are available for others to see, and compare their own products against,” he added.

Postgraduate student Jenny Brierley has been appointed to a special PhD project, where she conducts research designed by the company and the University. A major piece of recently completed research has shown that Blizzards Protection Survival products have advantages over traditional polythene bags.  

“As far as we’re concerned, this research was long overdue. People had been asking us for it- and it has really helped with our marketing and sales. Without access to the University expertise through the KESS programme, we wouldn’t have been able to afford the full costs of such research,” said Derek Ryden.

The research with Bangor University has been conducted under the KESS (Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships) programme. The aim of KESS is to provide the support that knowledge based industries need to enable them to grow.  The programme provides access to expertise within universities while also providing research training and post graduate education in a specialist area to a student, who then has valuable skills and knowledge.

Bangor University on your mobile...

Bangor University is one of the first universities in the UK to launch a ‘mobile web’ site aimed at attracting new students and providing the basis for a range of exciting new mobile web-based services for current staff and students.

It is certainly the first multilingual mobile website supporting English, Welsh and Chinese speaking visitors and one of the first in the UK aimed specifically at potential students.

The new website, designed for use on internet enabled smart-phones, has been developed to add to the already well-developed online information on the University’s website. It is aimed at students considering studying at Bangor University and available in the palm of their hand.

Smartphone users visiting the full site of www.bangor.ac.uk are automatically taken to the mobile site, but can opt to visit the full site if they wish.

“It’s a bit like building Dr Who’s tardis –it’s is an awful lot bigger on the inside than it first appears on the outside!“ says Sam Foster, Web Team Manager at Bangor University.

“We hope visitors will find it a useful addition to their decision-making process.”

Visitors to the mobile site are provided with key information about Bangor University, the courses, student support, studying as an international student, BangorTV videos, an image gallery, news and events, information, tools to contact Bangor and maps of the campus- which vary according to their current location if on campus.

To make it easy for users of the mobile site to make contact with the University a number of features are included. These include ‘Get in touch’ forms with an option to order a prospectus, and Contact links - including ‘live’ telephone numbers dialled when you click on them, Facebook and Twitter presences, and listings of the University’s academic schools and service departments.

US Award for expert in ageing

An internationally recognised expert on ageing and dementia, Professor Bob Woods of Bangor University, is to be the first international recipient of an American Award on Thursday 13 October 2011.

Professor Bob Woods, who is Director of Dementia Services Development Centre and Professor of Clinical Psychology of Older People at Bangor University is the first international Honouree and speaker at the 10th Annual Reisberg Award and Lecture.

The Award is sponsored by the "I'm Still Here" Foundation, which supports the care and treatment of the five million people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States and is named after Dr. Barry Reisberg, Clinical Director of New York University's Aging and Dementia Research Center.

The award recognises people who have made distinguished contributions in the area of non-pharmacologic treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Prof Woods will be addressing professionals and care partners meeting in New York on the topic: Finding hope in dementia care: What difference can we make?

Prof Woods said: 'This award shows that Bangor research is seen as world-leading in making for a better life for people with dementia and their families. I am delighted to be part of this. This is a team effort and there are excellent collaborations with colleagues in Bangor, the NHS and elsewhere in the UK.'

Bob Woods is a clinical psychologist who has been involved in developing and evaluating psychological interventions for people with dementia and their supporters for 35 years. He pioneered an evidence-based approach, notably in relation to cognitive stimulation and reminiscence work. He continues to work clinically and leads an active dissemination programme, including staff training and service development. He has received previous awards from the British Psychological Society and the Alzheimer’s Society.

A first for Gwynedd

The first Age Well Centre in Gwynedd will be officially opened on Wednesday, 12 October, with an Open Day offering special taster sessions and information stalls.

The Centre is situated at Nefyn, on the Llŷn peninsula, which is a joint project, run by Age Cymru Gwynedd a Môn and Bangor University. The Centre is open to anyone aged 50 and over, and offers a variety of activities such as Tai Chi, Arts and Crafts and Environmental projects.

The Centre will be open three days a week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday – from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

“We’re very pleased to be opening this invaluable Age Well Centre, which is located within the brand new Community Centre in Nefyn,” says Age Cymru Gwynedd a Môn Chief Executive, John Clifford Jones. “We hope that it will develop into a vibrant meeting place for the over 50s of the area. We’ll be offering a variety of courses and activities at the Centre, there will be something there for everyone.

“I would also like to thank our partners in this project, Bangor University, for their support. It’s exciting that we can work together to enrich the lives of the over 50s of Gwynedd. The research that the University will be carrying out at the Centre will also provide invaluable information which will, it is hoped, in time, further help the older members of our communities.”

“I'm very excited about this innovative partnership with Age Cymru Gwynedd a
Môn,” says Professor Linda Care, of Bangor University’s School of Psychology. “By working together to help older people maintain their well-being and
quality of life, we will be able to gather firm evidence about the benefits
the AgeWell Centre brings for the over 50s of Gwynedd, which should support
further initiatives in the future.”

Five members of staff will be employed at the Centre, but owing to its range of activities, Age Cymru Gwynedd a Môn are always on the look out for volunteers.

Says Volunteer Co-ordinator Terry Jones, “We’d love to hear from anyone who has some free time to spare. We couldn’t offer the range of services we do without the help of our volunteers. We appreciate every hour of your time. If you’d like to help, please contact us at our base in Caernarfon, tel: 01286 677711 or by e-mail: elaine@acgm.co.uk. Volunteer work is extremely satisfying, and it’s fun! You get to meet so many interesting people.”

Bangor team places second in national business competition

A team of six Bangor students competed in, excelled at – and very nearly won – the largest business enterprise competition in UK higher education.

Held in Bristol over two days and attended by teams from more than 40 universities, the sixth annual FLUX Competition, held earlier this year, challenged students to create, develop, and present business ideas to panels of entrepreneurial experts and investors. Bangor’s team, which was selected from more than 100 participants in its recent “Enterprise by Design” (EbD) course, wowed the judges. It placed first in the networking competition and first in the formal business presentation event. Only in the very final event, voted on all by all competitors, did Bangor place second.

“The competition was really intense,” said Gareth Harvey, Bangor PhD student in Psychology. “Through this process, we came up with our idea, which was to create the world’s first ‘demand-analyser’. This is a tool that would enable banks to estimate the likelihood that a new business venture would succeed. It works by comparing the demographic profile for an area where a similar business ventures has been successful and seeing how alike the demographic profile of the two areas are.   The actual pitching of the idea was really tough, and we had to make compelling case for it. But thanks to the experience we gained though EbD we were prepared for it. By the end of the competition I got a lot from it, including a few job offers.”

The team also included one masters student (Rob Laing: Psychology) and four undergraduate students (Jessica Davies: Psychology, Robin Boyd: Engineering; George Ullrich:  Design; Angela Connolly: Creative Studies).  Dr. James Intriligator (Psychology) served as the team’s supporter/coach.  “I’m really proud of our team,” commented Intriligator. “They were so professional in their demeanor and presentation, and the corporate folks were itching to hire them. I’m sure it’s all because of fantastic preparation they got from Enterprise By Design.”

Bangor’s unique “Enterprise by Design” programme takes students from a range of academic schools and puts them in multi-disciplinary teams to design a new product or service.  This year the programme included twenty-two students (twenty undergrad and two post-grad facilitators) from each of five schools (business, psychology, engineering, design, and creative studies).  Over the course of eight weeks, the students work to develop a business concept and all the required supporting materials to “sell it on” to a panel of expert judges (dragons'-den style).  The programme, which has been running for several years now, will eventually be associated with the university’s new Pontio Arts and Innovation centre.

Senior CoHaBs Administrator 'Down Under' for Research

Dr Louise Shelley, CoHaBS, was invited in her capacity as a Director of the UK Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA), to talk at the Australasian Research Managers Society (ARMS) Conference in Sydney, Australia, 2011.  She spoke about her research into the changing roles and career experiences of research managers.  Louise said “ I was delighted to be able to strengthen links with ARMS, ARMA’s sister organisation and engage in the conference’s theme ‘Imagine the Transformation … Transform your Imagination’.  It was a great opportunity to be talk to international colleagues about the shared challenges we all face supporting research and securing research funding in the current global climate.  It was also a great networking event and I was able to talk to people about all the exciting research that is being conducted in CoHaBS and make contact with people who may one day be our research partners.”

International recognition for Food Dudes

The Bangor University academics behind the highly successful Food Dudes programme, which encourages healthy eating choices in young children and their families, are to receive an award for the way that they have adapted their scientific knowledge for a very practical purpose.

Professor Fergus Lowe and Dr Pauline Horne of Bangor University’s School of Psychology are to receive the Scientific Translation Award (Technology Transfer) from the Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Analysis at their Annual Convention in Seattle in the USA in May 2012.

The Award recognises the development and dissemination of the Food Dudes programme. It is awarded to an individual or individuals in the public or private sector who address socially significant problems using methods directly linked to behavioural analysis or that effectively incorporate behavioural principles.

“At a time when obesity rates around the world are trending upwards and children are deprived of important nutrients found in fruit and vegetables, SABA is proud to recognise the achievements of the Food Dudes programme in improving the diets of children in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sicily, and the US. Your integration of behavioural principles through the many components of Food Dudes interventions is a model for others wishing to impact societally important behaviour,” said Maria Malott Secretary of the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis.

“The Food Dudes project is gaining global recognition for the very successful way that it can improve eating habits.  As well as winning a World Health Organisation Award for its application in Ireland and winning the UK Chief Medical Officer’s Gold Medal Award, the Food Dudes has been adopted by the European Commission to illustrate how governments in Europe can tackle obesity.  This is a project from Bangor University that can make a real impact on the health of people in those societies worldwide that are now faced with such a major obesity challenge. I’m very pleased that the academics involved are receiving the recognition of their professional peers for their contribution,” said Prof John G Hughes, Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University.

Professor Fergus Lowe and Dr Pauline Horne, Directors of Bangor University’s Food and Activity Research Unit, have recently won another prestigious international award.
Along with colleagues from the Irish Government and the Irish Fresh Produce industry, they were invited to Istanbul to attend a World Health Organisation European Ministerial Meeting on counteracting obesity at which the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Dr Marcos Kyprianou, presented the award.

The award was given in recognition of the success of the Food Dudes programme which the Irish Government, in a major project, is now running in primary schools across Ireland.
The Food Dudes scheme, which is designed for primary schools, uses four healthy eating cartoon characters - the Food Dudes - and a range of other behaviour change procedures to help children develop a liking for fruit and vegetables, encourage them to eat them at home and be proud that they are healthy eaters. 

PsyPAG Conference 2011

The 26th Annual Conference of the Psychology Postgraduate Affairs Group (PsyPAG), held in the School of Psychology, Bangor last week. This conference was organised by a team of Psychology PhD students lead by Kat Burnett as the Conference chair and its success is a credit to their efforts. Over 200 PhD and MSc students attended the Conference, which ran from Wednesday 6th July to Friday 8th July 2011.

Overall, 47 UK universities were represented. Delegates attended over 100 talks, as well as taking part in poster sessions and workshops ranging from qualitative analysis and post-doctoral advice, to fMRI and TMS methods. There were three excellent keynote speakers, Dr Paul Mullins and Dr John Parkinson from Bangor, and Dr Lauren Stewart from Goldsmiths whose talks stimulated considerable debate. The main goal of the Conference was to bring together postgraduate psychology students from across the UK to an event at which they could disseminate their research in a relaxed and friendly environment. This was also an opportunity for networking, and for early career researchers to attend training that might not be available to them within their own departments. The atmosphere was one of support and respect, and the Conference was fun, successful and most importantly valuable for all who attended.For more information on PsyPAG please visit their website.

OBE for Bangor Psychology Professor

Professor Judy Hutchings of the School of Psychology and the Incredible Years Wales centre is to receive an OBE for her services to children and families. Prof Hutchings has been instrumental in introducing Incredible Years programmes which support children and families into Wales as well as measuring their effectiveness.

The Incredible Years Centre at the University researches the effectiveness of the programmes, provides training and also has a charitable arm, IY Cymru Charity, which fundraises for research and dissemination activity and support to services that are using the programmes. Prof Hutchings also heads a newly opened Centre for Evidence Based Early Intervention, which builds on 20 years of research conducted by Prof Hutchings both at the local NHS Trust and the University.

“There is no doubt as to the powerful effect that universities, their teaching, research and activities can have on people’s lives and I am delighted that Professor Hutchings has received such deserving recognition,” said Vice- Chancellor, Professor John G. Hughes."

Over consumption of sugary drinks dull our taste buds and our enjoyment

If your children are thirsty, encourage them to drink water- that would be the clear health message from research into taste preferences at Bangor University.

The new research has shown for the first time that overweight and obese people have a dulled sensitivity to soft drinks but enhanced subconscious liking of sweet as a taste. What’s more, the evidence is that even if you are not overweight, drinking two sugary drinks a day for just four weeks is sufficient to dull your sensitivity to the taste sensation and reduce your enjoyment of that, but increase preference for it.

While this news is depressing to those who have a sweet tooth, there are also far more worrying and serious health implications from these findings.

As the sweet ‘treat’ becomes less rewarding, so we tend to look for more sweet food or drink and a vicious circle of eating sweet and calorie laden food is established.

The worrying information when discussing soft drinks, is that we’re not considering the worst examples of sugar-laden carbonated drinks, but levels of sugar found in fruit cordial or ‘squash’ and natural fruit juice as well as carbonated drinks- there are no ‘bad guys’ it seems- they’re all too high in sugar and too sweet.

 “This has serious implications for public health. This research shows how little sweet food stuffs are required to actually change your taste perceptions and how powerful sweet tasting products are,” explains Dr Hans-Peter Kubis of the University’s School of Sport, Health & Exercise Sciences.

“We are headed for a multi-level health disaster with rising obesity levels and the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes. From our research it’s clear to see how this situation may have created a cycle of sweet food and drink consumption. As taste satisfaction levels drop; the more sweet foods are consumed, contributing to these problems.

“Sugar is far more freely available today than was in our diets previously.”

 Kubis’ opinion is that this problem needs addressing at a national level:

“My reaction would be to encourage the government to consider taxing sugar that is added to foodstuffs- and have that tax ring fenced for the health budget. I’d also question the wisdom of including fruit juice in the 5 a day message. Fruit juice is higher in sugars than people realise. For example, if you removed the sharp citrus taste from of orange juice you wouldn’t like drinking it as it would be too sweet- in the same way as you wouldn’t consider eating all the oranges that make up a bottle of juice,” he says.

The results were based on experiments carried out at the University’s School of Sport, Health and Exercise Science in collaboration with Bristol University.

In the trial, lean and obese people were asked to rate their perception of and enjoyment of sweet and salty tastes. The initial trial showed that overweight and obese participants actually rated identical drinks as being less sweet in their perception, than that of the lean participants. In further experiments they tested the subconscious preference for sweet food with a computer based test finding that overweight and obese participants had a stronger preference for sweet than lean. The conclusion was that overweight and obese participants had a reduced sensitivity to sweetness but an enhanced subconscious preference for sweet food.

 “Our subconscious drive plays a huge role in what food choices we make, and as overweight people feel hungrier they are more affected by their subconscious drive for sweet high calorie foods,” explains Hans-Peter Kubis.

To test whether sweet food consumption may be responsible for these finding and to see if it was possible to recreate the taste perception of obese people in normal weight people, people who don’t usually consume sugary drinks were recruited for a second experiment. They found that in as little as four weeks it was possible to replicate the dulling of the ‘sweetness’ of sugary drinks and  lessen the enjoyment just by repeated consumption.

Dr Lucy Donaldson at the University of Bristol School of Physiology and Pharmacology, said: “We have known for some time that the way that we perceive different tastes can change under different circumstances. This finding, that a couple of sweet drinks a day over a short time can dramatically change taste, was a real surprise.”

Improving dementia care in Wales

Efforts to improve care for people with dementia in Wales are being led by Professor Bob Woods, director of IMSCaR's Dementia Services Development Centre, who recently became the faculty lead for the dementia care domain of the Welsh NHS 1000 Lives plus campaign.

“The 1000 Lives Plus work on dementia is trying to make improvements across the dementia journey,” said Bob. “Across Wales, NHS staff are responding enthusiastically to the challenge. We are aiming for more timely assessment and diagnosis, improved support for carers and better quality of care in general hospital wards and mental health wards for people with dementia".

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Researchers measure the value of a smile

Researchers at Bangor University have placed an economic value on a smile, demonstrating scientifically the effect that a genuine smile can have on our decision-making. The psychologists call this ‘social information’ and say that it has more of an effect than you may imagine.

Danielle Shore, a PhD student at the School of Psychology and the lead author of the research explains:

“Imagine you need a new car. What factors influence your choice? You might intend to base your decision on purely practical matters such as running costs and reliability, however new research shows that social factors, such as the salesperson’s behaviour, play a bigger role than you think.”

“If the salesperson gives you a genuine smile of pleasure, you will have a positive experience and be likely to buy a nicer car or more add-ons than you originally intended. Indeed, genuine smiles appear to act as a form of social currency, a valuable reward that people will pay to receive,” she explains.

The researchers examined people’s responses to two types of smiles: genuine and polite. The feature that distinguishes these smiles is the presence of “laugh lines”, the tiny wrinkles that appear at the corners of the eyes during genuine but not polite smiles. The authors designed an experiment in which students played a game against computerized ‘opponents’ with either higher or lower chances of winning money and who smiled either genuinely or politely. In the later stages of the ‘game’, the researchers measured people’s preferences by asking them to choose their opponents. The results allowed the researchers to determine how valuable participants found each type of smile.

“The important finding in this experiment,” explains Shore, “is that people preferred genuinely smiling opponents, even when they were associated with a lower chance of winning. We found this interesting because our participants, who were all university students, are usually highly motivated to earn money. We expected them to prefer genuinely smiling opponents only when the odds of winning were equal. The fact that they chose opponents who were less likely to pay out was a big surprise.”

Indeed, the researchers calculated the value of a genuine smile in the experiment at just over a third of a penny.

“This is a small amount, but imagine that you exchange 10 to 20 of these smiles in a short interaction. That value would add up quickly and influence your social judgment. So, the new car might seem a better bargain if a genuinely smiling salesperson sells it to you,” suggests Dr Erin Heerey, the study’s co-author.

According to Shore, this research has implications for how people make a range of important social decisions.

“Genuine smiles might help people see eye-to-eye during interactions. People who often make genuine smiles may have an easier time convincing others to adopt their goals. Because positive interactions help people build relationships, smiles might cement the social ties we share with our friends and colleagues.”

Their research has been published in the journal Emotion. Danielle’s PhD studentship was supported by the Economic & Social Research Council.

Major five year survey to report on positives and negatives of ageing

We have an ageing population. Older people are living longer and form a greater proportion of the population than ever before. By 2025, for the first time in history, 20% of our population will be over 65 and 5.5% over 80. Statistics suggest that dementia rates in the UK will increase by 38% over the next 15 years and 154% over the next 45 years.

 A major survey being conducted in several areas across Wales is to assess how we age and to look at factors that could contribute to healthy ageing.

Each generation of older people differs from those that went before. They have different life experiences, expectations and views of the world. Their approaches to retirement, leisure, health, activity, nutrition and exercise differ from those of their parents' generation, as do their ideas regarding how needs for care and support should be met, influenced perhaps by changes in families and in society.

As the population ages we need to be able to ensure that as many people as possible enjoy their later years, and that those who become ill, receive diagnosis of dementia or other age related mental impairment, their family and carers, are supported in the best, most cost-effective means.

With this in mind, Bangor University is launching the detailed five-year research survey looking at health and well-being and changes in memory   in later life and factors which could promote 'healthy ageing'.

Five thousand people aged over 65 in Anglesey and South Gwynedd, Neath and Port Talbot are to be recruited to take part in the survey. The £3.3 million research project is funded by the Economic & Social Research Council and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.

Gwenda Thomas, the Welsh Assembly Government's Deputy Minister for Social Services said:

"This is a significant and important project at local, national and international levels. The likely impact on health and social care services, and on society in general, of the changes relating to an ageing population are much discussed and debated. The study will add greatly to our understanding of ageing in rural and bilingual communities, and will have additional significance for Wales, and indeed the localities involved, whilst contributing to the overall UK and international picture."

"How we age is not just governed by our health or our genes" explains Prof Bob Woods, who will lead the research at Bangor University’s Dementia Services Development Centre.

"There is a growing recognition within governments, those who provide care and the research community of the importance of factors such as people's social situation, the place they live, their resilience in the face of illness, even whether or not they are bilingual. There is also evidence of the importance of Vitamin B12."

"An important aspect of the project is the ability to compare the results with those of the survey conducted in the mid 90s to see how older people's networks of social relationships have changed in the face of the major changes in families and society over this time period. We will also be able to see whether the extent of changes in memory and thinking ability at a given age have reduced with general improvements in health, exercise and activity. There is some evidence that having a higher level of education, remaining active, physically and mentally, having a more active social life and being bilingual can be protective in later life.

"We are also interested in what makes some older people better able to negotiate difficult life circumstances than others, to be resilient. We will examine whether being resilient helps the person have greater well-being if changes in memory and thinking are experienced, and test the extent to which resilience reduces the impact of cognitive impairment.

"We're not just focussing on the negative aspects of ageing, such as changes in health status, memory and thinking. Many people cope well with what life throws at them."

For the first time, we're bringing all these factors together as part of a large survey and are evaluating their function at individual, community and societal levels which should tell us the extent to which they reduce the risk of changes in memory and thinking, and perhaps dementia, in later life."

The research is also linked in with the cognitive function and ageing studies, led by Professor Carol Brayne of Cambridge University in England. The data produced from this research by will also be available for other researchers across the UK.

Partners at Swansea University will be looking at the importance of social networks and relationships for older people, while partners at Liverpool will be looking at nutrition and the role of vitamin b12, which is linked to cognitive functioning.

Those wishing find out more information are asked to contact

Dr. Gill Windle, project manager.

g.windle@bangor.ac.uk

(01248) 383968

The project team would be delighted to come and talk about the project to groups in the areas involved.

ECB enlists Bangor University scientists to help with cricket talent testing

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has turned to sports scientists at Bangor University to assist them in creating a talent forecasting model to help identify future generations of world-class cricketers. 

The aim of the research project between the ECB and the University’s School of Sport, Health & Exercise Sciences is to validate a model for predicting cricket talent. This will be used to help selectors and coaches assess and identify promising young players and increase their conversion rate into successful international cricketers.

The move is part of ECBs’ wider strategy to study best practice in talent identification and selection across different sports over the past three years. No stone has been left unturned in the establishment of the ECB’s new talent recruitment strategy for the England Cricket Pathway. The aim is to ensure cricketers selected for the England Development and Performance programmes are confirmed as having the potential to become world class players.

The benefits of mass talent testing have been examined through the NFL Combine and UK Sport’s Pitch to Podium programme. Major League Baseball Teams, Premier League football clubs, NFL and NBA franchises and have all been visited to explore talent recruitment processes, A relationship has been established with the Baltimore Ravens, an NFL franchise,  to learn about talent prediction models including scouting systems and psychological profiling.

As a result of its findings, ECB is now implementing an innovative talent recruitment strategy which includes the Cricket Talent Test, a standardised scouting system and, cutting-edge talent prediction research.

ECB’s Head of Science and Medicine, Simon Timson, said:

“Professional and Olympic sports are all competing to attract the most gifted children from a relatively small talent pool. The ECB is bringing together the best minds in cricket coaching and talent science to establish the most precise talent identification and selection system possible. The partnership with Bangor University to produce a talent prediction model should identify attributes which differentiate young players with the potential for senior international success. Bangor University is providing the specific expertise required to handle huge data sets of young cricketers’ test results, practice histories and performance statistics required to produce the model. Hopefully, the outcome will help our national network of junior coaches select and focus their energy on the players with the greatest likelihood of making it.”

The research generates £44,000 in grant capture over 4 years from the ECB for annual cricket talent testing and a Ph.D. studentship.  The research is led by Professor Michael Khan, who specialises in reaction time and skill acquisition. 

“Cricketers at the highest level are required to make rapid decisions and execute superior error free skills in extremely high pressure situations,” said Professor Khan. 

“Understanding the requirements to meet these challenges as well as creating development pathways of cricketers will be key to developing a talent prediction model that can identify players who have the potential to be the world’s best,” he added.

Professor Lew Hardy of the School, who has worked with the British Army as well as the ECB, will supervise the psychological component of the talent testing and the statistical analyses.  Also collaborating on the project is Australian Professor Bruce Abernethy from the University of Hong Kong.  Professor Abernethy has pioneered research in the area of anticipation and expertise. 

Ed Barney is the Ph.D. funded student on the research project that will take four years in the first instance.  Ed Barney (28) completed his undergraduate degree in Sports Science at Exeter University before recently graduating from Loughborough University with an MS.c. in Sports Science.  Ed will split his time between the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough and Bangor University.

“Under 13, 16 and 19 players from England and Wales will be ‘talent’ tested over the next three years. The combination of this data with performance statistics and scouting reports will feed into a model for early prediction of potential future world’s best players. In addition to identifying talent, this model will be used to inform coaching practice for those players who could potentially be England and Wales’ stars of the future. ”explained Prof Khan.

Food Dudes to rescue children from General Junk

At The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers’ Annual Livery Banquet held at the Mansion House in London on Thursday 17th February 2011, Professor Fergus Lowe, co-director of Bangor University’s successful Food Dudes Programme, addressed a distinguished array of guests who included the Lord Mayor of the City of London and the Sheriffs, the New Zealand High Commissioner, the Dean of Canterbury, four Commanders-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Commissioner of the City of London Police, senior representatives of the legal profession, Masters of four other livery companies as well as leaders of the fruit industry.

In his address as Guest of Honour, Professor Lowe discussed obesity — the biggest health problem of our times, and how techniques developed by behavioural psychologists can be used to change people’s behaviour in a positive and beneficial way.

The Programme, which is run in primary schools, uses four healthy eating cartoon characters - the Food Dudes – and rewards to encourage children to develop a liking for fruit and vegetables, to encourage them to eat these foods at school and at home, and to be proud that they are healthy eaters. Not only is the Programme enjoyable for children, parents, and teachers, it also brings about major and long lasting increases in children’s consumption of fruit and vegetables, and improvements in the eating habits of parents themselves.

Fergus Lowe told the gathered audience that; “This really is a hugely effective programme that has a major impact on health and well-being. It has the capacity to save huge costs for the NHS and to avoid misery for children and their families. It is
the only intervention we know of in this area that works, despite huge sums of government money having been expended over the years on a whole slew of other initiatives that have proved ineffective in denting the obesity epidemic.”

Professor Lowe concluded his speech by thanking the Fruiterers' Company for providing three years’ funding for a national co-ordinator to roll out the programme in the UK and, in particular, Past Master Sibley and Renter Warden Professor Price for their time and expertise.To date, the Programme has been taken up in all Irish primary schools and has won a World Health Organisation award for its success in overcoming obesity. The scheme has also been rolled out to all schools in Wolverhampton and last year won the Chief Medical Officer’s Gold Medal Award. The team hope that the Food Dudes will be rolled out further across England and Wales and in other countries over coming years.

There are programmes running in schools in Italy and the United States.

Pictured above right is Professor Fergus Lowe making his address.

Post-graduate qualification leads to satisfying work for Pam

Pam Martin says of her job that: “It doesn’t feel like working- that’s how much I enjoy it”’

Since gaining her postgraduate qualification from Bangor University, Pam is employed as a Research Officer and Trials Coordinator at the University. She’s currently visiting people across north Wales who have recently been given a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease and recruiting them to take part in research trials.  For the current trials, people are asked to carry out various mental tasks. These form the basis of the research results, and the people taking part often even enjoy them! She also visits people who have not had a diagnosis and almost everyone is seen in their own home, though some choose to attend the university.  Pam, originally from Holyhead, now living outside Beaumaris, needs her PhD qualification to do this job- a qualification she gained from Bangor University in January 2010.

Pam says “I think I’ve been lucky to find a subject and work that really interests me. I enjoy travelling around the region and visiting people, hearing about their lives so far; it’s fascinating. I also feel that the research we’re doing is worthwhile as it helps to understand a little more about Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”

Having left school at 16, Pam, who is now 41, originally worked as an auxiliary nurse- but at the time nurse training was changing to became degree based. Pam didn’t have the qualifications or want to follow a degree at that time. In the intervening years, Pam has been a welder, a coastguard, and part owner of a fishing boat, among a variety of careers.

Pam came to Bangor University as a mature student having followed an access course. After graduating in Psychology she worked at the School of Psychology as a research assistant for a number of years and had not necessarily considered following a higher degree.

“The opportunity arose to follow a combined MSc and PhD course and I saw it as a chance to learn more about subjects that interested me and also as a further four years of work” she says.

A postgraduate qualification can enhance your CV, can open doors to new career opportunities or help you to move forward or change direction in your current career.

Bangor University’s next Postgraduate Courses Fair takes place on Friday 18 February 2011 between 12.30 – 2.30. Anybody interested in postgraduate study at Bangor is most welcome to attend, and take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the many different postgraduate programmes that are currently available. Pre-register for the event online via the University’s website at: http://www.bangor.ac.uk/pgfair/contactus.php.en

PsyPAG Annual Conference will be hosted by Bangor University 6-8 July 2011

PsyPAG is a national organisation for all psychology postgraduates based at UK Institutions. Funded by the Research Board of the British Psychological Society, PsyPAG is run on a voluntary basis by postgraduates for postgraduates.

The annual conference will be held over three days, and is a chance to meet other psychology postgrads from around the country, swap ideas, network, and have some fun while presenting in an unpressured atmosphere. Delegates will have the opportunity to present through talks or posters if they wish, or they may choose to attend simply to learn about other research taking place in the UK and to meet new people going through similar experiences.

Registration and abstract submission are now open, and we look forward to seeing you there.

More information

To contact the conference team, email:
conference2011@psypag.co.uk

Experts of the future brought to Wales 

Wales’ leading universities have won a multi-million pound award to train top-level social scientists on a range of issues affecting society today.

The establishment of a Doctoral Training Centre will allow 33 new postgraduate studentships to be offered every year in Wales for the next five years.

The postgraduates will be trained in a range of important disciplines, including social policy, psychology, economics, environmental planning and linguistics.

Cardiff University will lead a Wales consortium with Bangor, Aberystwyth and Swansea in creating the Doctoral Training Centre, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

Bangor will lead on three subject areas across the DTC: Psychology, Bilingualism and Economics and Finance, although all social science doctoral students in Wales will benefit from the closer collaboration across the four institutions.

In addition to those listed above, subject areas which will attract the fully funded studentships across the DTC include education, human geography, management and business studies, political science and international studies, science and technology studies, social work and social care, criminology, sociology, language based area studies and empirical studies in law.  

Full details of the studentships and how to apply will be available soon via the websites of the collaborating universities.

The Wales consortium forms part of a national network of 21 accredited Doctoral Training Centres across the UK judged by the ESRC to deliver truly excellent postgraduate training provision.

Dr David Grant, Vice-Chancellor Cardiff University said: “This successful collaboration furthers Wales’ international reputation for excellence in the social sciences. 

“In gaining accreditation, the Wales Doctoral Training Centre has demonstrated excellence in the breadth of its social science postgraduate training, which is integrated into the highest quality research environment”   

Bangor University Director of Research, Professor Jo Rycroft-Malone said: ‘The DTC arrangements will add valuable new dimensions to the experience of postgraduate students by providing more varied pathways, more advanced training, and enhanced support.  Training will be delivered in an interdisciplinary research environment across the four institutions, and Bangor is delighted to be involved.’

The studentships will start at the Wales Doctoral Training Centre in October 2011.  For further information, email ESRCWalesDTC@cardiff.ac.uk 

Keep a stiff upper lip when facing ill-health

People who can put on a brave face during adversity are better able to bounce back from illness, according to research conducted at Bangor University.

A positive outlook on life that fosters a sense of resilience could help you bounce back from the challenges of ill-health. 

Research examining how people respond to the various challenges of the ageing
process, found that psychological resilience is the key for maintaining mental well-being when dealing with serious complaints such as arthritis, diabetes and heart conditions in later life.

The study of Britons aged 50 to 90 found that those with resilient personalities felt better despite their various aches and pains.

Unfortunately, this inner strength takes years to develop and cannot be turned on overnight, according to Dr Gill Windle who led the research at Bangor University’s Institute for Medical and Social Care Research, where she is a research fellow at the Dementia Services Development Centre Wales.

She said: “Resilience is the key but it’s probably something which builds up over a lifetime – in some cases because of experiences in childhood.”

Older people are more likely to suffer poor health but tended not to grumble about it.

Other research has established that, with positive thinking, the body works faster and the healing processes become much more effective by easing the symptoms via placebos.

Dr Windle added: “Even though they may be suffering, older people are likely to say ‘Oh, I’m all right’.”

The research was reported in a paper: Living with ill-health in     older age:     the role of a resilient personality. Windle, G., Woods, B., & Markland, D.A.  in the Journal of Happiness Studies, 11,763–777 (2010).

Nutrition in Children- Health & Wellbeing Lecture Series

A great opportunity for individuals wishing to learn about how to change children’s eating habits and encourage healthier eating patterns, is being delivered by a member of the award-winning Food Dudes team at Bangor University.

The University have teamed up with Coleg Llandrillo Cymru to deliver a series of monthly Health and Wellbeing lectures at Venue Cymru in Llandudno. The third lecture in this popular lecture series is entitled ‘Nutrition in Children’ and will begin at 6pm on Tuesday, 7th December at Venue Cymru, Llandudno. The first lecture of the evening is delivered by Dr Sally Pears from Bangor University, entitled ‘The Food Dudes Healthy Eating Programme’ and focuses on changing children's eating habits for life. Sally has extensive experience conducting research in the field of cognitive neuroscience as well as experience researching the cognitive and emotional processes operating during episodes of food craving. Dr Pears is currently working in the Bangor Food and Activity Research Unit where she is involved in the development, implementation and evaluation of a school-based healthy eating intervention based on psychological principles of behaviour change.

The lectures are free to attend and open to all, with the series appealing to a broad audience, from health sector employees to expert patients, students and members of the public. Supported by the Aber-Bangor Skills Centre and the National Leadership & Innovation Agency for Healthcare (NLIAH), the lecture series will present cutting-edge research on health and wellbeing topics in a friendly and accessible format.

This lecture is followed by refreshments and an opportunity for networking. The evening will then conclude with an interactive session lead by Coleg Llandrillo Cymru with a special guest lecturer. There will also be opportunities to find out more about health and wellbeing courses at Bangor University and Coleg Llandrillo Cymru.

Dr Keith Griffiths, Executive Director of Therapies & Health Science at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board commented: "this series of lectures are extremely relevant to people working in healthcare, providing education to healthcare workers and to citizens in general. The subject headings should be of interest to the population as a whole in advising them about some high profile heath and wellbeing issues”.

Although the events are free, registration is essential to book your place. Please register by contacting the Aber-Bangor Skills Centre on 01248 365918 or absc@bangor.ac.uk or for further information on the lecture series and the Aber-Bangor Skills Centre, please visit our website: http://absc.bangor.ac.uk

More European Recognition for Bangor's Psychology Department

The 2010 CHE European Excellence Ranking placed 59 European Universities in the "Excellence Group" for Psychology. Of these Bangor's Psychology department was placed in joint third overall (second in UK) in terms of the number of stars it achieved based on the institutional survey and was also placed in the top ten based on the CHE preselection criteria index. Stars are awarded to departments who do particularly well in certain areas and the fact that Bangor has scored so highly in terms of stars awarded is a clear demonstration of the department's overall quality and the international esteem in which its staff and students are held.

The CHE -- Centre for Higher Education Development is an independent institution that is committed to reform of higher education. The CHE Excellence Ranking is intended to help inform students who wish to study beyond undergraduate degree level about the quality of a departments postgraduate teaching and research, as well as academics and non-academic staff interested in finding out the European standing of a particular department. The ranking includes evaluations by students and information about study programmes and teaching, computer and laboratory equipment, research performance and aspects on internationality.
"I am delighted that Bangor Psychology has performed so well in this ranking of elite Psychology departments. The fact that we have achieved 6 stars for the institutional survey section, placing us in joint third overall, is an excellent indication of the quality of the postgraduate and faculty research environment we have to offer. When that is combined with the fantastic natural environment surrounding the university I believe there is no better department in the UK to work for or study in." Prof. Oliver Turnbull, Head of Psychology

Bangor Psychology also has one of the largest student cohorts in the UK and offers UK and International students alike a combination of quality and quantity, in a fantastic natural environment and lively student focused city, simply not available elsewhere.

Nursing at Bangor University - 17th in UK, 2nd in Wales in Independent newspaper poll.

Select Nursing from drop down menu - The Complete University Guide More information...

Enabling Alzheimer's Disease patients and families to cope

Providing people with early-stage Alzheimer's Disease with rehabilitation directed towards helping them with everyday activities is an effective means of enabling them and their families to manage the effects of the condition, research at Bangor University has shown.

With increasing numbers among an ageing population expected to develop Alzheimer's and age related dementia and the consequent increased pressure on caring and health related services, it's vital that research establishes the most effective and cost effective methods of providing support to these individuals and their carers.

This particular three year trial at Bangor University's School of Psychology, funded by the Alzheimer's Society, compared a treatment called cognitive rehabilitation against relaxation therapy and no treatment. In the cognitive rehabilitation treatment, participants identified and worked towards goals that they wanted to achieve, with the support of a therapist, so as to manage their everyday activities better.

The results showed that participants rated their performance of activities significantly better after the course of rehabilitation and were significantly more satisfied with how they performed activities. Almost all the selected goals were either fully or partially achieved.  Goals were tailored to specific individual needs and preferences, and included things like remembering details of jobs to be done around the house, learning to use a mobile phone, maintaining concentration when cooking, or remembering the names of people at a ‘keep fit’ class. The focus was always on things that were important to the individual.

“Improving performance of everyday activities can help the person to gain enjoyment and satisfaction, and to feel more in control or more independent. This is good for family carers too, and carers also seemed to benefit from the therapist’s visits, rating their quality of life more highly,” explained Professor Linda Clare, who led the research.

"We also used fMRI imaging technology to investigate whether the changes observed in the participants who received cognitive rehabilitation were reflected in changes in how the brain responds to a memory task.  We found that the brains of participants who received cognitive rehabilitation did show different responses after the intervention. This suggests that the treatment stimulated greater activity in certain brain areas and networks, reactivating some areas that were under-functioning due to the effects of the disease.”

Staff in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board attended a one-day training course to learn about the cognitive rehabilitation approach.

"It is vital that we find more effective ways of supporting people with Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases, and their families. The results of this study show for the first time that cognitive rehabilitation addressing individually-tailored goals can help to maintain or improve aspects of everyday functioning, and may have an effect on how the brain is working too. This is a promising new approach that offers some help to people living with early-stage dementia and their families," commented Dr Bobby Kurian, Consultant Psychiatrist in Old Age Mental at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

A LEAP forward in addiction awareness and control

A study by a team of researchers at Bangor University has designed and tested two programmes that help problem drinkers curb their alcohol abuse. The study shows positive results after drinkers have followed either the Alcohol Attention-Control Training Programme (AACTP) or the Life Enhancement and Advancement Programme (LEAP).

Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) the study designed the two programmes and examined their effectiveness in helping excessive drinkers reduce their drinking. The AACTP and LEAP programmes address the challenges faced by excessive drinkers, including a preoccupation with drinking made worse by alcohol-related stimuli around them. The study also addressed excessive drinkers’ difficulties with motivation which prevent them focusing on and achieving goals which provide alternative healthy activities to drinking alcohol.

The principal researcher, Professor Miles Cox, said: “We are very encouraged by the results.  They show that excessive drinkers can reduce their drinking with the aid of the simple training procedures that we developed.”

The main findings from the two programmes were:

• the drinkers’ weekly alcohol consumption decreased significantly;
  
• a reduction in alcohol-related problems greatly reduced, and there was an increase in the drinkers’ confidence in their ability to resist a drink in situations previously thought of as high-risk;
  
• drinkers’ motivation to reduce their consumption increased.
  
  

Findings from AACTP

• a reduction in overall alcohol consumption;
• increased confidence in the drinkers’ ability to resist drinking in high-risk situations, such as when feeling socially uneasy or in physical discomfort.

Findings from LEAP

• increased motivation of participants to change their drinking habits and reduce alcohol intake.
• drinkers were helped to improve their lives and general functioning by breaking the chain of drink-related behaviours.
  

The impact of this research on how practitioners treat alcohol problems could be wide-ranging with tried-and-tested training programmes used to treat alcohol-related problems much more effectively.

Is altitude a factor in the World Cup?

Will the England team's altitude training pay off in their World Cup performance? And did altitude affect goalkeeper Robert Green's dropped ball which led to England's score draw in the first game against the USA?

Sports Scientist Dr Jamie Macdonald, whose research group at Bangor University's School of Sport, Health & Exercise Sciences looks at improving performance in extreme environments,, says that altitude is indeed a factor for England.

He believes that England Football Manager, Fabio Capello has been setting the right course in getting his players acclimatised to the higher altitudes that they will experience should they succeed to the final rounds of the World Cup.

Jamie explains: "You may think that their camp, at 1,200 metres is only a little higher than Snowdon or England's Scafell Pike. But this level of altitude will have an effect on the performance of elite athletes. Being based at this altitude and having already partly acclimatised in the Austrian Alps will be making a difference.

"Elite athletes' hearts pump more blood- which flows through the lungs more quickly- giving that blood less opportunity to pick up the depleted oxygen found at higher altitudes. What acclimatisation does is give the body opportunity to adapt. It does this by producing more red blood cells which can then carry more oxygen around the body.

"Football is an explosive sport with repeated high intensity sprinting. We've calculated that a midfielder would run around 15 km in a 90 minute game- in short sprint bursts. At altitude that footballer can expect his performance to decline by as much as 10%- a significant amount in a World Cup game.

"What Capello seems to be doing, which I think is commendable, is trying to balance an acclimatisation programme, with not worrying the players unduly. So he's not, for example, using high altitude tents over players' beds- something a lot of athletes use. I think he's worried that if he does that, he'll induce anxiety in his players. He's trying to get them to acclimatise, almost without them realising that they're doing it.

"And what of Rob Green's goal keeping gaffe? Fabio Capello put it down to the ball, others to pitch or the ball design and the press, to Green's mistake. It might actually have been down to the altitude," Jamie explains.

"Green will have been playing at low altitude for most of his career and will have learnt how the ball behaves and what will happen to the ball, how it dips, swerves and moves. At 1,700 metres, the ball will move 5% quicker and have less swerve. So his instinctive reactions to how he anticipated the ball will move may not be correct "Perhaps Capello could have provided a little more time for his goalies to practice in a high altitude environment".

See Jamie Macdonald talking about this subject here on BangorTV

Gold medal win for Bangor Student

Sarah Bayliss, a first year Sport Science student at Bangor University has claimed a gold medal at the Mountain Bike Orienteering World Masters, held in Poland.

A qualified doctor and keen runner, Sarah first took up orienteering as a student at the University of Wales College of Medicine. She was selected for the Welsh senior team in 2002 and has since competed for Wales in the Senior or Veterans teams.

Sarah, who is originally from Devon but now lives in Denbigh, has a training regime which she fits around her degree studies. She explains, “Up to last year my training was about 90% cycling fitness, but this year I have spent more time on navigation. Most weekends I have been orienteering, usually running, as there are very few Mountain Bike Orienteering (MTBO) events in the UK.

“I have always ridden a bike, but was unaware that MTBO existed until 2006, which is also when I won my first event in the UK.

“I was selected for the GB team in 2007, to race at an elite level in the World and European championships. In 2008 I won the European Masters Cup in Lithuania and I raced for the elite team again in 2009.

“This year I raced in the first World Cup in Hungary in April, and then at the first World Masters in Poland, where I won my gold medal.”

The World Masters championships, the World Cup and the youth and junior European Cups were all held in Gdansk at the same time, meaning that the best Mountain Bike Orienteers in the world, ranging in age from 16 to 80, converged on the Polish town to compete in a variety of events.

Sarah rode in the W40 category, which was held in large forests around Gdansk. The riders took part in three races according to their age class, with the World Champion titles being determined by the total time taken in all three races.

Describing her gold medal finish, Sarah said, “I came home from the Championships with medals for each individual day, and the overall Gold medal from the IOF (International Orienteering Federation), which is my most guarded possession at the moment.

“I am still grinning at the thought of winning. It was a rare experience to stand on the podium and see the Union Jack, and hear the national anthem being played, and to know that they were being played for me! It was a moment when I felt very proud and privileged to be standing there.”

Sarah hopes to retain her title at next year’s World Masters and may also try to race in the elite GB team. Her long-term goal is to continue racing MTBO and to coach cycling to an elite level.

 

PILSen partnership scoops Welsh Language in Healthcare Award

An innovative partnership which includes four Bangor University centres of excellence is celebrating winning a Welsh Language in Healthcare Award.

The PILSen: Practice Interventions for Language Sensitivity: a Pilot Study to Inform the Delivery of Pharmaceutical Services in Wales, research collaboration, is a partnership between the NHS and LLAIS, the language awareness research group of the Centre for Health- Related Research, the ESRC Centre for Research on Bilingualism in Theory and Practice, NWORTH, the North Wales Organisation for Randomised Trials in Health and CEPhI, the University's health economics group.

PILSen has been undertaking an in-depth study examining the link between the language of consultation between patients and community pharmacists and the way people subsequently use their medication.

The Welsh Language in Healthcare Awards are a platform for sharing and celebrating best practice in strengthening the Welsh Language to ensure that Welsh speakers receive health and social services effortlessly in their mother tongue. The PILSen project scooped the award for 'Innovative practice in primary care which responds to patients' needs for service'.

Gwerfyl Roberts from LLAIS said, "LLAIS, which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, is already making important advances in enhancing language awareness in healthcare, but this is the first study of its kind to bring together such a broad range of expertise within the community and university to study links between language and health.

"This paves the way towards understanding how language planning can be used to improve the way in which services are provided for the local community and in a wider sense on a national and international level.

"Winning this award will allow us to continue moving forward in planning a wider research programme and will provide a sound foundation for developing policies and providing services in the future."

The adjudicators claimed that "The strength of this research project is that it looks further than just the academic research and addresses the consequences of implementation. It has the potential to have an effect on patients by providing the right tools to show pharmacy users that the patient's language of choice is important. Further steps must be taken to see the exact effect of this but it's clear that the work paves the way towards conducting further research with the aim of widening the provision of bilingual services.

L-R: Marc Phillps, the Welsh Language Board, Gwerfyl Roberts and Heledd Owen from LLAIS with their award.

Gwynedd’s use of innovative teaching method for autism reported internationally

The introduction of an innovative teaching method for children with autism to Gwynedd LEA’s bilingual education system is to be discussed at an international conference in Texas, USA.

Dr Elin Walker Jones and her colleagues at Bangor University’s School of Psychology have been developing and researching the use of Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) as the specialist teaching method is called, in Welsh. The introduction of ABA in languages other than English is not well researched. Most of the studies to date have been conducted through English.

The children who participate in ABA programs show improvements in their communication skills and social behaviours. Being able to deliver this specialist teaching method locally using both Welsh and English as appropriate, enables children who need this additional input to stay within their communities.

The project team will be discussing the issues arising from their project translating and adapting ABA into Welsh at an international conference in San Antonio, Texas. They fly to San Antonio on 27 May.

“ABA is proven to be successful with children with autism. It is used widely in the USA and has growing support internationally. This has led to an interest in how it is affected by cultural and linguistic diversity- other papers at the Conference will discuss the use of Spanish in the US,” explained Dr Elin Walker Jones, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Honorary Lecturer at Bangor University.

“This may well be the first time that the Welsh language will have ever been subject to a discussion at this conference, and it is very exciting that the Welsh language is contributing to the wider, international debate regarding cultural and linguistic diversity in ABA,” added project colleague and Bangor Psychology lecturer Dr Maggie Hoerger, BCBA-D.

Bangor University is one of the few Universities in the UK where it is possible to study a Master’s Degree in Applied behavioural Analysis.

Student takes ‘Short Cut’ to stardom!

A professional mountain bike display rider and Bangor University PhD student has a starring role in an award winning film set in North Wales.

Matt Barlow, 27, features in a film called ‘Short Cut’ which follows him riding home from the university. However, instead of taking his usual route along the road, Matt gets distracted and follows a number of exciting riding trails, ending with him taking a short cut off the end of Bangor Pier and emerging the other side of the Menai Straits!

Originally from West Yorkshire, Matt now lives in North Wales with his wife Vicki. He is in his final year of a PhD course in sports psychology, studying the motives for participation in high risk sport. 

Explaining his involvement in the film, Matt said, “I came up with the initial idea to ride my bike off the end of the pier and suggested it to Bamboo Chicken TV, a production company based in North Wales. They liked the idea, so together we set about working it into a storyline for a film.

“The main problem with the whole production was that we had to film it in a very short time frame. This meant we ended up shooting the scene where I jump off the end of the pier in February when there was still quite a lot of snow on the ground in the mountains. The water was absolutely freezing!

“There were two kayakers in the water; one filming and one in place to rescue the bike. They both had to help me get out of the Straits because my body began to shut down after only a few minutes in the freezing water.”

‘Short Cut’ won the prestigious ‘People’s Choice Award’ at this year’s Llanberis Mountain Film Festival (LLAMFF) and therefore is now touring the world. It has already been shown throughout Eastern Europe and is currently being shown in Australia. Matt hopes that the next stop for the film is the BANFF world tour – the most prestigious adventure sports film festival in the world.

Matt added, “By visiting www.slowprogress.co.uk people will be able to see the film once it has finished being featured in world–wide film festivals. I’m also going to be teaming up with Bamboo Chicken TV again for future projects.”

 

'FOOD DUDES’ Scoops Chief Medical Officers Gold Medal

A healthy eating programme established by Bangor University’s School of Psychology has been awarded the top gold medal award at the Chief Medical Officer’s Public Health Awards. The award ceremony held at the Royal College of Physicians recently, acknowledges the efforts of all those working to improve the health of the nation and celebrates innovative and successful public health initiatives.

Professor Fergus Lowe, Head of the Food Dudes team and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Bangor University commented “We are delighted that the Food Dudes project has received this very prestigious award.  It should help pave the way for the introduction of the Programme into primary schools across the UK and internationally.”

The Food Dudes programme changes children’s eating habits for life and is designed for children aged 4-11, and involves a simple set of steps revolving around a reward system. The programme works with parents, children teachers and catering staff.

Professor Lowe added: “All projects have to demonstrate three key criteria: evidence of impact, sustainability of the initiative, and how the work is replicable to other settings or areas. The Food Dudes programme continues to gather momentum and is now running overseas in all schools in Ireland and is being introduced to a number of other countries”

The Award was for a particular project promoted by Wolverhampton Primary Care Trust, as part of their strategy to tackle the higher than average level of childhood obesity in the region.

As part of the strategy, the Food Dudes project will be rolled out to all the region’s primary schools. It has already reached 5,000 children, who are already eating more fruit and vegetables.  Initial research in six participating schools found that children increase their fruit consumption by 54 per cent and vegetable consumption by 48 per cent.

Gloria Rye, health improvement specialist for Wolverhampton PCT, said: “This project is a life changing experience for all involved. It is absolutely amazing when you can take a child’s perception of ‘yucky’ food and change their views so it becomes ‘cool’ to eat fruit and vegetables.

Group photo left-right:

Ms Charlotte Cameron, Wolverhampton PCT, Prof. Fergus Lowe, Bangor University, Ms Gloria Rye, Wolverhapmpton PCT, Sir Liam Donaldson (Chief Medical Officer), Dr. Louise Massey & Ms Jane Morris , Wolverhampton PCT

Charlotte Cameron, Food Dudes Wolverhampton project manager, with kids (and Gold Medal) at St.Pauls Primary school Wolverhampton.

 

‘Creative Voices’ exhibition

'Creative Voices' is an exhibition at the Gwynedd Museum and Art Gallery, Bangor that shows how images can be used to help people who have difficulties with memory.

For the past two years there have been two artists in residence at Ysbyty Gwynedd, and the exhibition shows some of the work completed during the residency. One of them, Karen Brett, is a photographer and film-maker with an interest in mental health and ageing. She and Professor Linda Clare, School of Psychology, Bangor University have collaborated in a project based around memory research using SenseCam (a small wearable digital camera that captures images automatically, providing a visual record that can be used to address difficulties with autobiographical memory). Participants who had completed the study agreed to her using the images that had been collected. Karen also completed a project with people who had attended the Memory Clinic. The aim of these collaborative projects, which form part of the exhibition, is to increase public awareness of dementia and memory impairment. 

The exhibition, called Creative Voices, runs until 12th June 2010. The gallery is open Tuesday to Friday, 12.30 - 4.30pm, and Saturday, 10.30 to 4.30pm

Psychology Teaching Associate wins New Investigator Award

A member of the School of Psychology’s teaching team has been awarded a prestigious prize by the American Psychological Association (APA) in recognition of her work in the field of human perception and performance.

The New Investigator awards are presented annually by five neuroscience related journals, published by the APA, to honour outstanding new investigators.
Dr Fay Short’s paper on "Virtual limbs and body space: Critical features for the distinction between body space and near-body space", which was co-authored by fellow Bangor psychologist Dr Robert Ward, has been awarded the Division of Experimental Psychology 2009 New Investigator Award in Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance.
Describing the award win, Fay said, “It is a great honour for me to receive this prize early in my career as a psychologist, and I am hopeful that it will inspire me to continue conducting research to this high standard.”

Fay first came to Bangor in 1999 after studying at Prestatyn High School and Yale College, Wrexham. She graduated with a First Class Honours Degree (BSc) in Psychology in 2002, completed a Masters in 2003 and received her doctorate in Cognitive Neuropsychology in 2008.

Explaining the findings she presented in her paper, Fay said. “Previous research has found that you are naturally faster at responding to things on your body rather than near your body. Imagine how quickly you would respond to a spider crawling near your hand then imagine how much quicker you would respond to a spider crawling on your hand!

“Our research investigates whether it is possible to ‘trick’ your brain into incorporating external objects into the internal representation of your body.”
Describing her research methods she added, “We used virtual reality techniques to determine whether we can encourage our natural bias towards our real body to extend to a virtual body.

“We found that the brain can indeed accept virtual hands as though they are real limbs, even to the extent that responses to targets located on the virtual hands are quicker than responses to targets located near the virtual hands. This has important implications as our findings reveal that this extension of ‘body representation’ is only possible when you have good control over the virtual body.”

In addition to her research interests in body representation, Fay has a strong interest in the field of counselling, is dedicated to the art of teaching and has extensive training in this area. Her current role at Bangor University allows her to focus all of her energy on guiding students towards academic success.

Clear framework for services supporting children with the most severe conditions

Children and young people in England affected by severe disability, injury or illness will be better supported thanks to a new national framework to help local services make clinical assessments, published by Care Services Minister Phil Hope. More...

Our brains have amazing abilities to function, even after the most severe head injuries…

Prof. Bob Rafal, Professor of Clinical Neuroscience and Neuropsychology at Bangor University's School of Psychology and Honorary Consultant Neurologist: North Wales Brain Injury Service describes our brains' amazing abilities to function, even after the most severe head injuries an a free public lecture: "A Tale of Two Head Injuries: The story of Phineas Gage and Eeadweard Muybridge" on Thursday, 3 December 2009, 6.30pm at the Main Arts Lecture Theatre (MALT), Bangor University. More...

Evaluating CLAHRCs in action: process, impact and theory development

Do partnerships between researchers and practitioners increase the likelihood of knowledge translation?

Professor Jo Rycroft-Malone from the School of Healthcare Sciences (with Dr Chris Burton in the School of Healthcare Sciences, and, Prof Brendan McCormack at University of Ulster, Dr Gill Harvey at University of Manchester, Prof Sue Dopson at University of Oxford, Dr Sophie Staniszweska at University of Warwick, Prof Richard Baker at University of Leicester, Prof Carl Thompson at University of York, and Prof Ian Graham from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research) have been awarded £599,000 by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Service Delivery & Organisation (SDO) Programme to evaluate the NIHR Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRCs).

9 CLAHRCs in NHS England have been established with a clear mandate on the production and implementation of research evidence in the context of academic and clinical partnerships through sustained interactivity. The CLAHRCs have an explicit remit for closing the gap between what we know works and its routine use in practice. However the evidence base about what makes knowledge flow and what makes it stick is underdeveloped. Therefore this study provides a timely opportunity and natural laboratory to find out what works, and what does not work in the translation of evidence into practice.

The overarching research question is: Implementation research through CLAHRCs: What works, for whom, why and in what circumstances? We are conducting a longitudinal (54 month) 3 phase, multi-method study using a realistic evaluation methodology, which deliberately aims to explore the boundaries between research and knowledge use in practice. We will be exploring implementation processes and impacts, communities of practice, contextual influences, and the theory of boundary objects. In addition, embedded within the project are specific questions to enable us to increase our understanding about the role and impact of service user involvement in the implementation of research.

The anticipated contribution to knowledge of this project includes the advancement of:
• knowledge about effectiveness of collaborative research approaches in increasing use of research in practice and policy
• theory about the processes of knowledge translation
• methodology and methods for evaluating complex KT processes.
For more information contact Jo – j.rycroft-malone@bangor.ac.uk, 01286 870293

'Embedding end of life care in generalist services: The case of Stroke'

Friday 11th December between 12.45 and 2pm in room 15, Fron Heulog, School of Healthcare Sciences.

More information...

If you would like to attend please e-mail Nyree Hulme on hss605@bangor.ac.uk to reserve a place.

Olympic Coach lectures in Bangor

David Brailsford, CBE, Performance Director of British Cycling, the sport's governing body in the UK also responsible for the recent successes of its sportsmen and women, speaks at a public Lecture at Bangor University on Monday 9 November. All are welcome to attend the Public Lecture, which is at 6.30 in the University's Main Arts Lecture Theatre, no tickets are necessary and there is no charge.

David Brailsford was responsible for the performance of the British Cycling team who won 18 Olympic Medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, representing 30% of all Team GB’s 2008 medals. David will give his vision on developing “Elite Performance” in British Cycling.

David won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award in 2008 for contributions to British Cycling. He also received an Honorary Fellowship of Bangor University during this year's Graduation Ceremonies.

David's father was former Head of Outdoor Activities at Coleg Normal between the 1960s and 1980s and he grew up in Clwt y Bont, Deiniolen.

23.10.09

PhD Srudentship Vacany

Applications are invited for a three year full time PhD Studentship in Enhancing the motor skills of individuals with a learning disability. More details....

MRC backed Addiction Research Cluster

Prof Miles Cox has gained approval to form an MRC Addiction Research Cluster, entitled ‘Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Cluster: Developing Innovative Cognitive-Motivational and Neuroscientific Interventions for Alcohol Abuse’. The MRC’s aim is that the addiction research clusters will deliver new knowledge and outcomes relevant to public health implementation that will be part of the front-line of a cross-Government drive to reduce the harm caused by illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco and gambling. These clusters will have exclusive access to funding.

Co-investigators include Prof David Linden, Dr Javad Fadardi, and 12 other co-investigators from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Netherlands.

Bilingualism may help delay the onset of Alzheimer's Disease

Professor Linda Clare (with Prof Virginia Gathercole, Dr Enlli Thomas, Mr Christopher Whitaker, Dr John Hindle at Bangor University, and Prof ellen Bialystok at York University, Canada and Professor Fergus Craik at Rotman Research Institute) have been awarded a £488,000 ESRC grant to research into bilingualism as a protective factor in age-related neurodegenerative disorders.

Recent studies of people with Alzheimer's Disease suggest that people who are bilingual - who have grown up speaking two languages, and have used two languages for much of their life - develop symptoms several years later than people who are monolingual. If confirmed, this could be a very significant finding. However, previous studies have left open the possibility that this effect may be due to other differences between the two groups, for example differences in immigration status. The researchers aim to establish whether this delayed onset effect is robust by comparing bilinguals and monolinguals in North Wales, a population which is otherwise similar in social and cultural terms.  It is also important to understand why this delayed onset effect arises. In general, people who are bilingual tend to outperform monolinguals in capacities such as planning or switching between different tasks. Bilinguals do better in these areas because they are used to switching between their two languages and using each language in the correct context only. These capacities are called 'executive functions' because they are involved in organising or controlling behaviour. Executive functions are affected by ageing, but even in later life bilinguals still show the typical advantage over monolinguals. They aim to find out if people who are bilingual are more resilient in the face of impairments in executive functions when they develop these disorders. Understanding more about this could assist in developing strategies for reducing disability in the older population as a whole.

Understanding three dimensional (3D) shape recognition has many knowledge transfer uses

Research by Dr Charles Leek, School of Psychology, with colleagues will increase our understanding on how our visual systems achieve object recognition and help in the development of machine vision systems in computers.   Read on ....

The ESRC/EPSRC have awarded Dr Leek and Dr Johnston, Psychology with Dr Ik Soo Lim, Informatics, a £528,000 grant to investigate the fixational eye movement patterns during three dimensional object recognition.  How we recognise the shapes of three-dimensional (3D) objects is a basic skill that underlies many of our everyday activities. Despite the importance of object recognition to everyday life, researchers still do not fully understand how our visual system achieves this task. The goal of this research programme is to better understand object recognition. More specifically, we will study how the visual system perceives the shapes of objects, and we will attempt to determine what kinds of information about object shape it uses to achieve recognition. The work will contribute to our understanding of shape recognition in human vision, but will also help us to apply that knowledge to the development of machine vision systems in computers that can be used in many different contexts, including the scanning of images of objects in industrial environments (e.g., for quality control), airport security and surveillance systems, as well as robotics. To achieve these goals the project draws on an interdisciplinary team of researchers in both psychology and computer vision.

MRes Research Studentship: Human Physiology - Thermoregulation

Efficacy of Reflexcell™ survival products for protection of humans in extreme environments.

Dr Samuel Oliver, Dr Neil Walsh and Blizzard Protection Ltd

Applications are invited for a one year full time MRes Research Studentship.  The aim of the research is to investigate the efficacy of Reflexcell™ survival products for protection of humans in extreme environments.  The successful candidate will be supervised academically by Dr. Samuel Oliver and Dr. Neil Walsh. The student will also work alongside Derek Ryden managing director of Blizzard Protection and inventor of the Reflexcell™ material. Read on...

Choices for children with ongoing healthcare needs in north Wales

Publication date: 11/08/2009

A new study led by Bangor University with a team of experts from across the UK seeks to ask children and their families about their preferences when it comes to their healthcare in north Wales.

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ESPACOMP

Publication date: 13/07/2009

IMSCaR's Deputy Director for the Centre for Economics and Policy in Health, Dr Dyfrig Hughes, is to be the President of the inaugural meeting of the European Society for Patient Adherence, COMpliance, and Persistence (ESPACOMP) which will be held on 10-11th September, 2009 at Bangor University.

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Welsh Assembly Government support for developing health economics infrastructure in Bangor

Publication date: 17/04/2009

Health economics is an increasingly important subject in terms of generating evidence of the relative cost effectiveness of health and social care services and in providing policy support to government. It is anticipated that these studentships will lead to the offer of post doctoral  research posts by their recipient universities, adding to the critical mass of health economists in Wales.

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Double Success at the Medical Research Council

Publication date: 19/03/2009

Dr. Gill Windle of the Institute of Medical and Social Care Research (IMSCaR), Bangor University has been awarded a grant by the Medical Research Council for a network examining healthy ageing, focusing on the role of resilience across the life course.

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Bangor scientists show that language shapes perception

Publication date: 02/03/2009

Advances in cognitive neuroscience (the science of how the brain works when we think) have shown that what our eyes see and what our brain interprets are two different things. Professor Guillaume Thierry, Dr Panos Athanasopoulos and colleagues report in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA that our language causes our brains to perceive colours differently.

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Mental fatigue can affect physical endurance

Findings could become research model to help those with chronic fatigue

Publication date: 25/02/2009

Mentally tired individuals will reach exhaustion quicker that those who are not mentally fatigued according to findings of a study by Bangor University.

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New discoveries about happy faces to assist people with rare genetic condition

Publication date: 04/02/2009

New discoveries about how the brain processes facial expressions could lead to improved ways of educating and training for people with a rare genetic neurodevelopmental condition called Williams Syndrome.

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Excellent results for COHABS in 2008 RAE

The College of Health and Behavioual Sciences is happy to report an excellent set of results from the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. Over 70 members of staff from the College were submitted to the Exercise. The panels noted internationally excellent and indeed world-leading research activity in the three units of assessment in which entries were made (Health Services Research, Psychology, and Sports-Related Studies).

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