Galaxies, corals, fossils: three Leverhulme grants
The Leverhulme Trust has recently awarded three research grants to Bristol academics.
News in 2008
Saving Gateway scheme welcomed
The Personal Finance Research Centre at the University of Bristol has welcomed the announcement in yesterday’s Budget that the Saving Gateway scheme will be rolled out nationally, with the first accounts available to savers in 2010.
Over a £million for heart research
Scientists in Bristol have been awarded more than a million pounds by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) as part of a £6 million boost for heart research in the UK.
Multimillion deal for natural cancer drug
The University of Bristol and biopharmaceutical company, PhiloGene Inc announced today a deal, which could help further the development of a pioneering anti-cancer drug, thanks to two researchers from the University’s Department of Physiology and Pharmacology.
Bristol universities get together for football showdown
Bristol University and the University of the West of England will battle it out for football honours in the Football Varsity match, which takes place tomorrow [Wednesday 12 March] at Manor Farm FC.
Asthma risk in children linked to household chemicals
Women who use a lot of household cleaning products when they are pregnant or shortly after the birth of their baby, may be increasing the risk of their child developing asthma, suggests research from the Children of the 90s study.
Bristol’s sporting best battle it out in national championships
Bristol will be represented in nine sports at the British Universitites Championships this weekend (14 to 16 March).
Queen's Counsel appointment for Emeritus Professor Partington
Martin Partington CBE, Emeritus Professor of Law, has been appointed an honorary Queen’s Counsel.
Maternal obesity not strongly linked to obesity in offspring
Greater maternal body mass index (BMI) during offspring development does not have a marked effect on offspring fat mass at ages nine to eleven years, according to a new study from the University of Bristol published today in PLoS Medicine.
Expand your mind with Explore-At-Bristol
We all know we have a brain, but do we really understand the incredible things it does? Delve into DNA and find out exactly how grey matter works during Brain Awareness Week (Tuesday 11 to Friday 14 March), when Explore-At-Bristol joins forces with the University’s Bristol Neuroscience (BN) team to get really brainy.
Be part of the equation
Bristol Science City launched today with support for a range of fun events, lectures and demonstrations celebrating the city’s world-class scientific research and innovation.
Bristol’s volcanoes and a Local Hero
The Earth Sciences Department at the University of Bristol is putting on many volcano-related events during ‘Science Week’ (10-16 March).
Mary Southcott 1921-2008
Emeritus Professor Peter Haggett remembers Mary Southcott, a 'warm, motherly, understanding' former member of the Department of Geography's secretarial team.
VISUALISE set to enhance the spectator experience
Spectators at many large-scale live events miss a lot of the action - until now. A team of engineers at Bristol University working closely with industrial partners have developed a way of providing spectators with near real-time access to events as they unfold via Smart mobile phones.
New senior appointments in CEAS
Two new senior members of staff are due to join the University’s Centre for East Asian Studies (CEAS) in the next three months.
Len Hall to become new Pro Vice-Chancellor
Len Hall, Professor of Molecular Genetics and Dean of Medical and Veterinary Sciences, is to become one of the University of Bristol’s four Pro Vice-Chancellors from 1 September.
New research aims to eliminate Streptococcus infections
Professor Howard Jenkinson in the Department of Oral & Dental Science (Dental School) has been awarded a grant of £285,000 from The Wellcome Trust to research ways to combat diseases caused by Streptococcus bacteria.
Bristol academic to open the BHF's Ashton Court “mud run”
A University of Bristol heart disease specialist will open the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) “mud run” at Ashton Court this Sunday [March 9]. Andrew Newby, British Heart Foundation Professor of Vascular Cell Biology, and a team of scientists and clinicians from the Bristol Heart Institute will be taking part in the run, to raise money for the BHF.
Bristol academic will ‘shape the future’
David May, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Bristol, as well as Chief Technology Officer at start-up XMOS Semiconductor Ltd, has been named as one of ‘35 people, places and things that will shape the future’.
Sky, skittles, theatre: Staff Club update
The Staff Club has been developing and increasing its activities since it opened in December. Here are a few updates.
E is for e-learning and Easter
Staff are invited to attend a student-centred, e-learning Easter workshop on 16-17 April.
Middle East wars, dictators and international relations
Robert Fisk, the Middle East correspondent for The Independent and known worldwide for his frank and honest reporting, will be speaking in April [Saturday, 5] about Iraq, the Middle East, its wars, dictators and international relations.
Were you affected by the 2007 Gloucestershire floods?
Bristol University is asking people who were caught up in the floods that hit Gloucestershire last year for their accounts of the event. A new initiative – The Gloucestershire Floods Project – aims to record and document their experiences and memories to build a lasting record of how the floods affected those living in the area.
Have a look, have a go, be amazed!
How do we make up names for things? Are you an apple or a pear? How does DNA work and what happens when it goes wrong? These questions will be tackled along with many others, when Bristol University moves out of the laboratory and into The Mall Galleries, Broadmead, for Science Alive! [March 7 and 8].
Engineering alumnus picks up Oscar
A Mechanical Engineering graduate scooped an Academy Award last month for his company’s digital effects work.
Vice-Chancellor on the fees controversy
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Eric Thomas, addressed the question 'Should we charge students higher fees?' in The Guardian yesterday (Tuesday 4 March), ahead of his debate next week with Labour MP John McDonnell.
Director appointed to lead National Public Engagement Centre
Paul Manners has been appointed Director of the new National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE), which is funded by HEFCE, Research Councils UK (RCUK) and the Wellcome Trust. The Centre is aimed at improving links and dialogue between universities and the public.
University promotes cultural awareness
The University is launching a new half-day training programme for staff on cultural awareness.
Link between alcohol and blood pressure may be greater than previous studies suggest
The relationship between heavy drinking and hypertension is more significant than previously thought according to a new analysis of recent studies by researchers at Bristol University, published today in PLoS Medicine.
Stem cell funding for Parkinson’s Disease
The Parkinson’s Disease Society (PD) has announced funding of £170k to the University of Bristol for research into how to make stem cells produce dopamine and live longer after they have been transplanted into animals.
Look who’s talking
Intute: Social Sciences, an online information service based at the Universities of Bristol and Birmingham, will be featuring a series of articles on blogs as part of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Festival of Social Science on 7-16 March.
More of the past needed for accurate climate predictions
In research published today in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, The Open University Professor of Earth Sciences Bob Spicer casts doubt on our ability to accurately predict future climate changes because we simply don’t know enough about the past. The paper was co-authored by Paul Valdes, Professor of Physical Geography at the University of Bristol and colleagues in Leeds, Sweden, Russia and Austria.
University gives voice to fairtrade producers
A coffee producer with the fairtrade Soppexxa Coffee Cooperative in Jinotega, Nicaragua, is to visit the University next week as part of national Fairtrade Fortnight.
Helping older people live safely and independently
Complex interventions such as preventive home visits and community-based care after hospital discharge can help improve physical function and maintain independent living in older people, according to a Bristol University study of more than 90,000 people published in this week’s edition of the Lancet.
Semana Cultural 2008
This year’s Semana Cultural (Cultural Week) begins on Monday 3 March.
RAG raises record amount for local charities
More than 100 people took part in the University’s annual RAG (raising and giving) procession last weekend, raising over £1,300 for local Bristol charities.
Staff give the disadvantaged a helping hand
The University’s Centre for Sport, Exercise and Health is holding a Wellness Day for disadvantaged jobseekers on Monday 25 February in conjunction with Business in the Community’s (BiTC) Business Action on Homelessness Programme.
Thanksgiving for medical science
A special thanksgiving event for friends and relatives of those who have donated their bodies to medical science will be held by the University of Bristol on Wednesday 27 February.
Bee orchids, Henry VIII, caving… in Subtext 5
The Spring 2008 issue of Subtext, the University’s magazine, is published tomorrow (Tuesday).
Nicholas (Nick) Swatton 1960-2007
Nick Swatton, formerly Theatres Technician in the Department of Physics, died on 27 December 2007. Steve Neck remembers a valued, cheerful and helpful colleague.