Funding boost for Alzheimer's research in Bristol
Researchers at the University of Bristol are about to start work on new projects investigating the causes of Alzheimer's disease.
News in 2008
Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio wins Nobel Prize
The French writer Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, who studied English at the University of Bristol in 1958-59, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2008.
The Creative Brain - Conversations between Art and Science
Sixteen eminent scientists, artists, musicians and filmmakers come to Bristol this autumn to explore the parallel creative landscapes of science and art in an exciting series of talks hosted by Bristol University. The speakers include A.S. Byatt, Jonathan Miller, Robert Winston and Colin Blakemore.
Professor Gordon elected an FRSA
Professor David Gordon, Director of the Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce.
University events for World Mental Health Day
The University’s Equality and Diversity team has developed a series of events to mark World Mental Health Day, Friday 10 October.
Grants and fellowships for new arrivals in Engineering
Two academics recently arrived in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering have been awarded new grants and fellowships from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Professor Welch to appear on BBC’s In Our Time
Philip Welch, Professor of Mathematical Logic in the Department of Mathematics, is one of the participants in this week’s edition of In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg on BBC Radio 4.
New vaccines may not reduce TB incidence
New research shows that the removal of one strain of TB can allow a previously suppressed strain to succeed. Consequently, a vaccination program could result in the proliferation of strains more likely to be, or become, drug resistant, and could even result in an increased prevalence of the disease.
Bristol archaeologists delve into secrets of Ice Age cave art
Remarkable prehistoric paintings hidden away in the caves of northern Spain could be dated accurately for the first time by experts from the University of Bristol.
Insurance company funds climate change research
In a novel move to encourage research into the risks and challenges that affect our rapidly changing world, the Axa insurance group has awarded funding for research into climate change to the University of Bristol.
Bristol students win SET Awards
Two Bristol students are winners of the prestigious 2008 Science, Engineering and Technology Student of the Year Awards.
University director recognised as a leading figure in research
Dr David Langley, Director of Research and Enterprise Development, has been appointed a Distinguished Faculty Member of the Society of Research Administrators International.
An ‘electric’ future for Formula 1 gearboxes?
Bristol University student, Niall Oswald, has won the e2v Award for the Best Electronic Engineering Student at the 2008 Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) Awards for his final-year research project, ‘A “More-Electric” Formula 1 Gearbox.’
School science lessons given 21st-century boost
A new software resource is set to transform the way A-level science is taught in schools. The LabSkills Dynamic Lab Manual brings together expertise in virtual learning and practical science teaching in a format that has the potential to change radically the way scientific skills are developed.
Raised risk of prostate cancer in Black men
Black men living in England are three times more likely to get prostate cancer than white men and tend to be diagnosed five years younger, researchers have found.
Alexander Technique and back pain: advice for staff
The University is hosting a short series of free advice sessions introducing the Alexander Technique to mark International Alexander Awareness Week and Back Care Awareness Week, which both run from 6-12 October.
Mass extinctions and the slow rise of dinosaurs
Dinosaurs survived two mass extinctions and 50 million years before taking over the world and dominating ecosystems, according to new research published this week.
Brenda Fowler 1933-2008
Dr David Yates remembers Brenda Fowler, whose contributions to the Department of Biochemistry 'live on in a bright and committed office, a caring environment and memories of laughter'.
STERN rocket firing completed
A team of engineers from Bristol University has completed the test programme of the STERN rocket motor.
Innovative NHS communications company announces new appointments
A Bristol based company that designs and implements advanced communication and management solutions for the NHS has announced significant new appointments to strengthen its growing team.
Bristol University Milestone for Deaf People
This week the University of Bristol celebrates 30 years of work with Deaf people.
Listening to student voices
The University's Vice Chancellor, Professor Eric Thomas, on the results of the fourth annual National Student Survey and what they mean for Bristol.
A study in failure? The development of comprehensive education in Bristol
The current state of Bristol’s secondary schools is notoriously poor, with exam results in the city’s maintained schools continuing to be amongst the worst in the UK. Katherine Rich, an M.A. student in the Department of Historical Studies, suggests a historical explanation for this current malaise.
Improving mental health from Bristol to Santiago
Psychiatrists at the University of Bristol are taking an ambitious programme of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) into schools from Bristol to Santiago, Chile in a bid to improve the mental health of teenagers.
Wildfires reduced by human activity
For the last 2,000 years the climate has been the major cause of wildfires, but during the late 19th and early 20th century, human activity has dramatically reduced burning in many parts of the world, according to new research published in Nature Geoscience this week.
Major BBSRC training grants for Medical and Veterinary postgrads
The Faculty of Medical and Veterinary Sciences has been awarded a total of £1.52 million in Doctoral Training Grants by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
Being too clean may cause Type 1 diabetes
‘Friendly’ bacteria help to stop the development of Type 1 diabetes, according to new research published online this week in Nature.
Bristol University to welcome Fulbright scholars
At a ceremony at the House of Commons on 22 September to mark the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Fulbright Treaty, the Fulbright Commission announced the first wave of new awards that will increase by 30 per cent the number of scholarships it gives by 2010. The University of Bristol is among the institutions that are supporting the new awards and will be welcoming American postgraduates under the scheme.
UCL awards Honorary degree to Professor Haggett
Peter Haggett CBE, Emeritus Professor of Urban and Regional Geography, has been awarded the Honorary degree of Doctor of Science by University College London.
Open day attracts 11,000 students
Over 11,000 students and their families from all over the country are expected at the University of Bristol today [Tuesday 23 September] for its twice yearly open day.
National testing obstructs science teaching
National testing at Key Stage 2 (7-11 years) interferes with teachers’ ability to teach science in English schools, but science must remain a core subject in primary schools, say two independent reports published today by the Wellcome Trust.
Rosemary Booth 1946–2008
Dr Deborah Johnson remembers the former Director of the Student Counselling Service as 'witty, utterly honest' and with 'remarkable gifts of intuition, perception and compassion'.
New research could lead to a vaccine for pneumococcus disease
New research has shown how the immune system detects and destroys the bug, pneumococcus, which could help in the development of a new vaccine against the disease.
Bristol and Glastonbury in High Resolution
Remarkable images of Bristol, Glastonbury, Venice and Yosemite National Park shot by Terry Flaxton, a cinematographer and Creative Research Fellow at Bristol University, will be exhibited in Bristol and Glastonbury this month.
Working together to map out the weather
A new weather information resource to explore how environmental data could help towards the effects of climate change and how it could be used in other weather modelling disciplines is being developed in Bristol.
Exploring the enigma of Bristol Cathedral
The unresolved questions, architectural and historical enigmas of Bristol Cathedral will be explored by experts in medieval art and architecture at Bristol University this week.
International award for research on parents with learning difficulties
Beth Tarleton, a research fellow at the Norah Fry Research Centre, has received an Early Career Research Award from the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities (IASSID) for her work with parents with learning disabilities.
What’s in a dinosaur name?
In a study published today in Biology Letters, Professor Michael Benton of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol looked at the original descriptions of all 1,047 species of dinosaurs ever named, from 1824 to the present day, and assessed the quality of the specimens on which the names were founded – the type specimens.
Mike Ashfold elected President of RSC Faraday Division
Professor Mike Ashfold of the School of Chemistry has been elected as the next President of the Faraday Division of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
A very special year
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Eric Thomas, looks forward to the University’s centenary.