News: October 2017

Research Skills Course (Welsh)

Publication date: 31 October 2017

Putting poverty under the spotlight

Bangor University’s School of Social Sciences is combining discussion and drama to put the spotlight on poverty at a public event on Wednesday 8 November. ‘ Poverty: Local, National and International’ will showcase pioneering research from academics and students at the School, which shows how poverty affects people's identities and shapes their lives. The event forms part of a week of the UK’s Economic & Social Research Council Festival of Social Sciences public engagement activities.

Publication date: 30 October 2017

Can we stop fake news in the next 10 years?

Vian Bakir (Prof. in Political Communication and Journalism at Bangor University's School of Creative Studies & Media ) is pessimistic, but urges us not to give up. Andrew McStay (Prof in Digital Life at Bangor University) is more optimistic. Speaking recently at the CommsCymru conference on trust, Bakir gave an overview of the various solutions to fake news found in the 79 submissions to the UK Parliament’s ongoing Fake News Inquiry . (This overview of proposed solutions was written with Bangor University’s Professor of Digital Life, Andrew McStay.)

Publication date: 30 October 2017

What causes marathon-runners and other extreme sport enthusiasts to catch colds?

Participants in this year’s Snowdon Marathon (28 October), described as one of Europe’s toughest, have been invited to help with research at Bangor University’s School of Sport Health & Exercise Sciences . Exercise physiologists at the School want to identify why some runners appear to be more susceptible to falling ill or feeling poorly after running a marathon or taking part in other endurance activities, while others remain well.

Publication date: 28 October 2017

Research to further increase resilience and sustainability of the UK food system

Bangor University is to receive and manage a portion of the UK’s Global Food Security programme- funding of £4.9 million for interdisciplinary research to increase the resilience and sustainability of the UK food system. Over 1.5 million has been awarded to Bangor University’s School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography . Under the lead of Professor Paul Withers, a world-leading interdisciplinary team of biophysical and socio-economic scientists, together with a wide range of UK stakeholders, will investigate how to make the best sustainable use of phosphorus, a finite global resource, in the UK food system.

Publication date: 25 October 2017

Invitation to join Bangor University Doctoral Society "Doc Soc"

Publication date: 25 October 2017

Bangor University’s Dr Yue shortlisted for prestigious Newton Prize

Dr Liyang Yue of Bangor University’s School of Electronic Engineering has been shortlisted for the 2 017 Newton Prize for his project building a super-resolution metamaterial 3D printing system. The Prize is an annual £1 million fund awarded for the best research or innovation that supports the economic development and social welfare of developing countries. Dr Yue is in with the chance of winning up to £200,000 from the Prize to be used to advance or develop the work further.

Publication date: 24 October 2017

Solving how a complex disease threatens our iconic oak

Latest scientific methods reveal multi-bacterial cause of stem bleeding in acute oak decline and pioneer novel methods for analysing the causes of complex plant diseases Team work between Forest Research, Bangor University and others has for the first time, tracked down the cause of the stem bleeding symptoms of this newly identified threat to the native oak.

Publication date: 24 October 2017

Significant Composition appears on CD

A major orchestral piece composed by Guto Pryderi Puw is included on the latest CD by celebrated violinist, Madeleine Mitchell. Acclaimed as one of the foremost Welsh composers, Guto Pryderi Puw is also Head of Composition and Senior Lecturer at Bangor University’s School of Music and was commissioned by Madeleine Mitchell to write a concerto to be premiered at the Bangor Music Festival in 2014. The work, Violin Concerto - Soft Stillness was inspired by quotes taken from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice to mark the author’s 450th anniversary year .

Publication date: 23 October 2017

Bangor University to lead a Science and Innovation Audit

Bangor University has been chosen by the UK Government to lead a Science and Innovation Audit of the North West Nuclear Arc Consortium, and to participate as partners in two other audits. Twelve Science and Innovation Audits will map local research, innovation, and infrastructure strengths. Bangor University will lead an audit into the North West Nuclear Arc Consortium, together with support from Welsh Government, North West England LEPs, the University of Manchester’s Dalton Institute, and the National Nuclear Laboratory.

Publication date: 20 October 2017

UK Gov’s Environment Minister visits Bangor University

Bangor University’s School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography hosted a visit by Dr Thérèse Coffey MP recently, who took part in roundtable discussions with staff and students involved in the school’s forestry programmes.

Publication date: 20 October 2017

Can psychology help football academy players to maximise their potential?

Sports psychologists from Bangor University have teamed up with Manchester City Football Club to identify and understand the psychological characteristics that help young academy players to fulfil their potential. Over the next four years, Manchester City’s academy players will be tracked as part of this unique research project. City’s coaches have already identified the psychological characteristics that they believe are key to talent development, and these will be monitored and regularly assessed. The extent to which they predict improvements in performance levels during this time will be evaluated.

Publication date: 20 October 2017

PhD Opportunities

PhD candidates are sought for the following projects in the School of Biological Sciences.

Publication date: 19 October 2017

MSc Tropical Forestry students publish findings from their research in Ghana

A group of MSc Tropical Forestry (distance learning) students from Bangor University have had their research published in a leading scientific publication, the International Forestry Review , the journal of the Commonwealth Forestry Association .

Publication date: 11 October 2017

Monumental arts project changing perceptions in Welsh care homes

An arts participatory project involving 122 care homes across Wales (nearly 20% of the total) has brought fundamental changes to the way staff view some of their most vulnerable residents. This was one of the key findings of an evaluation of Age Cymru’s cARTrefu project and presented to ministers and AMs at a special celebration in the Senedd today (Tuesday 10 October 2017).

Publication date: 10 October 2017

A popularity contest in the robotic petting zoo - ESRC Impact Acceleration Award

Merel Bekking, a designer and artist, started her artist-in-residency in the Social Brain in Action lab this week. This residency is funded by an ESRC Impact Acceleration Award to Emily Cross and Ruud Hortensius.

Publication date: 10 October 2017

Five-country survey of carers highlights continuing delays in dementia diagnosis across countries

Today, at the 27th Alzheimer Europe Conference in Berlin, Prof. Bob Woods ( Bangor University , Wales, United Kingdom) presented the top line results of a five-country survey on the experience of 1,409 carers of a diagnosis of dementia.

Publication date: 3 October 2017