School Hosts 'Mullany Prize for Excellence'

The Mullany Fund - set up in memory of Swansea-born Cath and Ben Mullany - will present the £1000 'Mullany Prize for Excellence' Award at the ILS on the evening of Wednesday 8th September. For the second year running, the prize will be awarded to a Graduate Entry Medicine student who has gone 'above and beyond the call of duty' to help others - be they fellow students, colleagues or patients - within the field of medicine. For further information on the Mullany Prize, please contact Sian Newman.
Additionally, Head of School, Professor Gareth Morgan will officially welcome students to the School of Medicine's 2011/2012 academic year. The evening will be an informal affair with wine and canapes, and all staff and students are welcome. To reserve your place, please contact Emma Turner.

ILS Opens it's Doors To Swansea Residents For 'Swansea Open House' Event

Sunday 12th September sees the ILS take part in the free 'Swansea Open House' event, which provides local residents a once a year chance to see inside buildings not normally open to the public in Swansea. With the ever-growing public interest in ILS Phase 2, the School is inviting the local population to take a tour of the building - including guided lab tours. The ILS building will be open between 10.00 - 14.00 on Sunday 12th September and all volunteers are warmly welcomed to join Professor Morgan in the hosting of guided laboratory tours. If you can spare a couple of hours on Sunday to help us promote your work, then we would love to hear from you! To show our appreciation, we will provide you with a free sandwich lunch and refreshments. Please contact Emma Turner, for further information. 

2011 Health Innovation Challenge Fund (HICF) - Call For Research Proposals

The HICF is a £1 million, five-year parallel funding partnership between the Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health, aiming to stimulate the creation of innovative healthcare products, technologies and interventions, and facilitate their development for the benefit of patients in the NHS and beyond. The Wellcome Trust has just announced a new call for 2011 proposals, looking for quality applications from UK-based researchers, from both academia and companies, on the theme of Monitoring Chronic Illness in the Home and Remote Settings. The deadline for preliminary applications is 1 October 2010 and further information can be found on the Wellcome Trust website or by emailing the Business Development Manager, Dr Tim Knott. The School's contact for this initiative is Professor John White.

2011 Lister Institute Research Prizes- Invite For Applications

In 2011, the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine is offering three Research Prizes of £200,000 per recipient to support research work over a five-year period. These prestigious awards provide outstanding scientists with the opportunity to develop their reserch careers by awarding them a lump sum for their sole use. The research topic is of the applicants' own choosing and can be in any of the biological, medical or clinical disciplines, as well as in related areas like chemistry. As expected, the Prizes are highly competitive and awards will be made following rigorous assessment of both the applicants' achievements and the quality and originality of their research proposals. To be eligible, applicants must have at least three and less than ten years' post-doctoral research experience (post MD or PhD, whichever is the earlier), with clear evidence of successful, independent research. Deadline for applications is Friday 3rd December 2010 and further information on applying can be found on the Lister Institute website.

New School of Medicine Working Groups

Two new Working Groups have been created to improve workings within the School of Medicine. The Policy Review Working Group has been set up to develop and review all School educational policy, and is currently reviewing the School's Learning, Teaching & Assessment Policy, whilst the Learning & Teaching Strategy Working Group has been set up with the specific responsibility of developing a coherent learning and teaching strategy for the School. For further information, please contact Dr Clive Weston.

Swansea University and ABM  University Health Board extend health links into Sierra Leone

A large shipment of laboratory furniture and equipment is currently making its way from the School of Medicine's Grove Building to Freetown in Sierra Leone, as part of the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board’s (ABM UHB) Africa Health Link Group activities. The equipment, which includes laboratory grade benches, shelving and other furniture, as well as an incubator, centrifuge, glassware, computers and basic hospital supplies, will be used to help improve the clinical laboratories at the Ola During Children's and Princess Christian Maternity Hospitals in Freetown. Angela Allen, Project Lead and Research Scientist at the ILS said:

“This shipment was made possible following the recent refurbishment of a research laboratory at the School, many hours of volunteers’ time and efforts and the funding support secured by Win Griffiths, Chairman of the ABM UHB. We are also incredibly grateful for the efforts by Martin Thomas in organising the logistics of shipping the container which was paid for by UNISON and securing additional equipment on site.”

The programme is part of a range of activities run by the Wales for Africa Health Links Network and also coincides with another four week project currently underway in The Gambia, West Africa, which sees 10 Swansea students, representing a number of academic schools and disciplines, currently working alongside students from Gambia University and Medical School to develop a partnership of knowledge with a specific focus on the global issue of malnutrition. This 4 week international health and development placement in The Gambia, between 23 July and 20 August 2010, has been developed by the Swansea-Gambia Link and you can find out more about the work being carried out by our students in The Gambia by visiting the Swansea-Gambia Link website or following the live student blog.

Visiting Scholarship Encourages Joint Collaborations Between Swansea & Texas Universities

Professor Frances Rapport, Professor of Qualitative Health Research and Head of the Qualitative Research Unit in CHIRAL will be taking up a Visiting Scholarship at the Institute of Medical Humanities, Texas University, Galveston, during September and October this year.  The Scholarship will encourage joint collaborations between the two Universities and workshop provision to teach Summative Analysis to American students. We wish Frances all the best with her up and coming endeavour. For further information, please email Professor Frances Rapport.

St David's Medical Foundation Receives Local Donation From Swansea Resident

Local Swansea resident Victoria Dean and her Family were today welcomed to the ILS by Professor Julian Hopkin to unveil a 'Gold Leaf' on the Foundation's 'Tree of Life', in recognition of her generous donation to the School's registered charity. The £1000 donation was the combined total of entrance fees and public donations raised at the 'Butterfly Garden' in Mumbles, which Victoria set up and ran during August 2009.

It had been a dream of Victoria's to set up a 'Butterfly Garden' during her retirement and, with the help of a friend from the Stratford upon Avon Butterfly Farm, exhibited a total of 150 butterflies, including some 30 different species, during August of last year. The attraction was a huge hit with locals, with over 1000 people visiting throughout the month. The School is extremely grateful to Victoria for her kind donation and further information on the work of the St David's Medical Foundation's can be found by contacting Mary Cratchley or by visiting the website.

School of Medicine Graduation Celebrations

Wednesday 21st July saw the School of Medicine celebrate its third successive graduation year with the best ever results recorded for the School. All of our Graduates achieved an impressive 100% pass rate, with over 50% gaining honours and commendations and three of our Graduate Entry Medicine students winning the Wales prizes. Degrees were awarded in Genetics, Medical Genetics and Medicine, as well as higher degrees being awarded in Trauma Surgery and PhD's .

The event kicked off in style with 'Afternoon Tea' served at the Institute of Life Science, followed by an informal 'Prize Giving' for the Genetics students with Professor David Skibinski and a quick rehearsal of the 'Reading of the Oath' by the 'Graduate Entry Medicine' students with Professor Rhys Williams. Both Professors are pictured with Genetics Graduates John Wills - Winner of the 'Roger Gilbert Prize in Genetics'; Hamidreza Saghari - Winner of the 'J A Beardmore Prize in Genetics'; and Rhiannon French - Winner of the 'Graduates Prize in Genetics'.

Following the formal ceremonial proceedings at the Brangwyn Hall, some 220 Graduates, their guests, teaching staff, the Vice Chancellor, plus invited external guests proceeded to the National Waterfront Museum for the informal Graduation celebrations. Presided over by Head of School, Professor Gareth Morgan, the evening began with a traditional 'taste of Wales' in the form of a hearty performance by the 'Dunvant Male Voice Choir'

Congratulationary speeches were also given by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Richard B Davies; Dean of Medicine, Professor Rhys Williams and Trustee of the St David's Medical Foundation, Dr Sian Lewis, in recognition of the School's exceptional results. It concluded with a note of thanks and surprise presentation to Professor Rhys Williams for his upcoming Retirement from the School.

School of Medicine Graduation Success

This Wednesday 21st July will see students of the School of Medicine graduate at the Brangwyn Hall.   This has been an exceptional year for the School’s examination results and it is testament to the sheer dedication and effort of all our Graduates. 

Graduation is a very special occasion and the School is proud to mark the achievements of its Graduates with a special evening celebration in the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.  Those Graduates in attendance will be those from the 'Graduate Entry Medicine' programme, BSc. Genetics & Medical Genetics degree schemes, as well Graduates from the 'Trauma Surgery' scheme and various PhD studies.

This year's cohort have done the School immensely proud and we congratulate all staff, students and their families on another fantastic year's results.

Watch the School of Medicine ceremony live at 17.00 on Wednesday 21st July on the University's live webcam.

Prizes for the DNA Damage Research Group at the UKEMS 2010 Conference

The annual UK Environment & Mutagen Society Conference 2010, held in Buxton this year, saw several members of the DNA Damage Research Group invited to take key roles in the program. Prof. Gareth Jenkins co-chaired the “Cytogenetics & Mitotic Spindle” session, Dr. Shareen Doak co-chaired the “Nanogenotoxicology” session and Dr. Bella Manshian was invited to present a talk on her carbon nanotube research. The group was also awarded a number of accolades during the conference with Dr. Neenu Singh winning n a prize for her poster presentation, as well as the Young Scientists Oral Presentation prize going to Benjamin Rees - a BSc. Genetics student currently on a year's work placement with GlaxoSmithKlein. The society has also invited Swansea to host the UKEMS conference in 2012. For further information, please contact Dr Shareen Doak.

Publications

Biomarkers, Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry:

Recent articles by the mass spectrometry group highlight the application of mass spectrometry in metabolomics and biomarker discovery.

Griffiths WJ, Koal T, Wang Y, Kohl M, Enot DP, Deigner H-P. Targeted Metabolomics for Biomarker Discovery . Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Early View. 

Griffiths WJ, Sjövall J.Analytical strategies for characterization of bile acid and oxysterol metabolomes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010 May 21;396(1):80-4.

Pharmacology & Pharmacy

Supported by the trans-European EU FP6 project EURESFUN studying antifungal drug resistance, a new publication on how leading antifungal drugs bind to their cellular target has appeared in AAC, the top ranked journal on Pharmacology and Pharmacy by Eigenfactor. The work involved collaboration with TTU in Lubbock, Texas. 

Warrilow AG, Martel CM, Parker JE, Melo N, Lamb DC, Nes WD, Kelly DE, Kelly SL. Azole Binding Properties of Candida albicans Sterol 14-{alpha} Demethylase (CaCYP51). Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2010 Jul 12.

ILS client organisation, Calon Cardio Ltd, benefits from new 'High Performance Computing'

Calon Cardio Ltd, based in the ILS building, are one of a number of Welsh SME's to benefit from the biggest and most ambitious 'High Performance Computing' (HPC) initiative in Europe. Launched today, the £40 Million initiative will enable researchers, students and businesses alike to have access to state-of-the-art high performance computing, meaning that tasks that usually take months using normal computers can be done in days or even minutes. These include such diverse tasks as facial reconstruction modelling, animated graphics, nuclear energy research, petroleum exploration, car crash simulations and airflows over aircraft wings. Commenting on the benefits to Calon, Managing Director, Kevin Fernquest said "We are carrying out very innovative work here in Swansea and make extensive use of computer modelling and simulation in our research and development and access to the very best technology that high performance computing can offer is a major boost for a business like ours. We have assembled an exceptional team at the ILS and already have the benefits of close academic contact and first-rate facilities that the ILS offers". He continued "The HPC project will be another huge helping hand as we seek to deliver world-leading technology to tackle one of the biggest health issues facing us today." For further information, please contact Managing Director, Kevin Fernquest or visit the University website. Additionally, watch the ITV Wales interview with Calon's Technical Director, Graham Foster.

Publications

Kumar RA, Pilz DT, Babatz TD, Cushion TD, Harvey K, Topf M, Yates L, Robb S, Uyanik G, Mancini GM, Rees MI, Harvey RJ, Dobyns WB. TUBA1A mutations cause wide spectrum lissencephaly (smooth brain) and suggest that multiple neuronal migration pathways converge on alpha tubulins. Hum Mol Genet. 2010 Jul 15;19(14):2817-27. Epub 2010 May 12.PMID: 20466733

Davies JS, Chung SK, Thomas RH, Robinson A, Hammond CL, Mullins JG, Carta E, Pearce BR, Harvey K, Harvey RJ, Rees MI. The glycinergic system in human startle disease: a genetic screening approach. Front Mol Neurosci. 2010 Mar 23;3:8.PMID: 20407582

'Graduate Entry Medicine' students achieve 100% pass rate

Once again, the Dean of Medicine, Professor Rhys Williams has great pleasure in announcing this year's 'GEM' final examination results. Having progressed to Cardiff for the last two years of their course, the 2010 cohort, containing 60 students, produced the School's highest results ever, with over half of them achieving either honours (22 students) or commendation (11). Commenting, Professor Williams said that "This is a tribute, not only to the students, but also to the selection process which recruited them to our programme in 2006, and to the staff who provided them with a rock-solid foundation of knowledge and skills in the first two years of the course spent in Swansea" The success of of Swansea students was also evident in the Cardiff School of Medicine’s prize giving, which included the award of the prestigious Dean’s Prize to Swansea's Michael Sorensen. Congratulations to him and to all his colleagues on a spectacular year's results. For further information, please contact Professor Rhys Williams.

ILS Affiliate Membership Scheme commended at 'Washington80 Trade Mission'

International Business Wales (IBW) has recognised the ILS Affiliate Membership scheme, launched at BioWales in 2010, as a key driver toward increasing the amount of life science collaborations within South West Wales. As the original aim of the Washington80 Trade Mission was to foster synergistic collaborations between Welsh companies, the fortuitous meeting between ILS representatives and the specialist drug delivery technology company, Kuecept Ltd, has been hailed by IBW as the start of things to come. Kuecept's Executive Chairman and CEO, Bryn Williams, said "The Affiliate Scheme is ideal for Kuecept. It gives us a 'home' at the ILS and access to expertise and facilities across the University campus, including specialists in Swansea University's new Centre for Nanohealth. We're now working on joint research collaborations with leading academics. Just being in the building gives us an idea of what's on offer". For further information on the ILS Affiliate Membership scheme, please contact Commercial Manager, Mike Day

Prosiect Sir Gâr 'Highly Commended' at NHS Wales Awards 2010

Prosiect Sir Gâr, a collaboration between Swansea's School of Medicine, NHS Wales, National Public Health Service for Wales and Corus, offers employees aged 40 and over from two of Carmarthenshire's largest employers - Hywel Dda Health Board and Corus - the unique opportunity to take part in a free cardiovascular disease health check at their workplace in a bid to reduce morbidity and mortality rates in Carmarthenshire. In recognition of the work done so far, the 10 year programme - the first of its kind in Wales - was given the 'Highly Commended' status in the category of 'Promoting Better Health and Avoiding Disease'. Additionally, the ABM University Health Board was also awarded first prizes in the categories of 'Developing a flexible and sustainable workforce' and 'Promoting better health and avoiding disease'. The NHS Wales Awards, sponsored by NHS Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government and NLIA (National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Healthcare), are held annually. For further information, please contact Professor Rhys Williams.

IVF study by ILS's 'London Women's Clinic' reveals increase in treatment sought overseas

A collaborative study carried out by IVF researchers at the London Women's Clinic (Institute of Life Science), De Montefort University and Sheffield Hallam University, revealed that more couples than ever are travelling abroad for IVF treatment. The study, which follows a change in the UK law in 2005, abolishing the right of sperm donors to remain anonymous, highlighted price and the severe shortage of donor eggs and sperm in the UK, as key factors in the decision to seek alternative treatment abroad. Frances Rapport, Professor of Qualitative Health Research at CHIRAL and a member of the research team, said: "The initial research suggests that the decision to travel abroad for fertility treatment is based on complex issues including the price of the treatment in this country and the difficulties associated with acquiring donated gametes. Whilst this study was conducted in the Midlands, the population group was varied and the same issues could well apply to Wales". For further information, please contact Professor Frances Rapport.

New NIHR Portfolio grant won by School of Medicine: Predictive risk stratification (PRISM): impact on care for people with or at risk of chronic conditions

A multidisciplinary team led from the School of Medicine by Professor Helen Snooks and Dr Hayley Hutchings, and brought together through the Thematic Research Network for Emergency, UnScheduled and Trauma Care (TRUST), has won a prestigious National Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and Organisation (NIHR SDO) grant worth £515,000. The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has commissioned the development of a predictive risk stratification model (PRISM) for Wales that places people into one of four risk categories based on their risk of having an emergency hospital admission in the following year and allows the targeting of appropriate services to patients at each level of risk. PRISM is currently being implemented in three Chronic Conditions Management demonstrator sites across Wales. The aim of this 3 year quasi-experimental evaluation, beginning in September, is to describe the processes and impact on the delivery of care to patients of introducing PRISM in Wales. For further information, please contact Dr Hayley Hutchings

Publications

Lewis KE, Annandale JA, Warm DL, Hurlin C, Lewis MJ, Lewis L. Home telemonitoring and quality of life in stable, optimised chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Telemed Telecare. 18 May 2010. [Epub ahead of print]

Hutchings HA, Rapport FL, Wright S, Doel MA, Wainwright P. Obtaining consensus regarding patient-centred professionalism in community pharmacy: nominal group work activity with professionals, stakeholders and members of the public. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2010, 18: 149-158

Product Launch for ILS Affiliate Member, Synidor

The Synidor System - an intelligent mattress cover that prevents patients developing pressure ulcers or bed sores - was launched at the School of Medicine last week. Created by entrepreneur Frank Edwards from company premises at the ILS, the mattress was developed using funding from the Welsh Assembly Government, along with academic support from experts at the ILS and the Welsh Wound Network. The system, consisting of a unique sensor linked to a visual and audio alarm unit, detects lack of movement in patients and alerts Nursing staff before any pressure wounds have time to develop. Currently, 'Bed Sores' cost the NHS more than £1 billion a year, with more than 20% of patients suffering from them. Synidor will continue to use the world-class facilities and expertise at the ILS to develop the next generation of applications, including a system for chairs and wheelchairs. Further information can be found at the Synidor website, or by contacting Frank Edwards.  Further information on the ILS Affiliate Scheme can be found on the ILS website.

UK Consul General of Houston; HRM Paul Lynch to visit the ILS on 1st July

HRM Paul Lynch, the UK consul General in Houston, which covers 6 states, will visit the ILS on Thursday 1st July. As a major supporter of the Texas/UK collaborative and keen to increase the economic development relationships between Wales and Houston, Paul is an admirer of the work being carried out at the ILS and was particularly eager to visit the facility during his UK visit. He will meet with Professors' Gareth Morgan and John White on Thursday to gain a further insight into the current collaborative projects being worked on at the ILS, have a tour of the Centre for Nanohealth with Dr Steve Conlan, as well as meet with many other colleagues from across campus. For further information, please contact Emma Turner.

Publications

Thorne K, Hutchings HA, Elwyn G. An independent evaluation of the modernization of NHS endoscopy services in England: data poverty and no improvement. J Eval Clin Pract. 2010 Jun 10. [Epub ahead of print]

Cools HJ, Parker JE, Kelly DE, Lucas JA, Fraaije BA, Kelly SL.Heterologous expression of mutated eburicol 14alpha-demethylase (CYP51) proteins of Mycosphaerella graminicola to assess effects on azole fungicide sensitivity and intrinsic protein function. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2010 76(9):2866-72.

Swansea Researchers contribute to national 'Childhood Heights & Weights' Study

Recent findings of a national study carried out by the Public Health Wales Observatory has recommended the implementation of a standardised measurement programme of children’s heights and weights in Wales. Carried out in 2009, the study tested the best way of running a national measurement programme and involved the input of researchers from the School of Medicine and the ‘Centre for Child Research’ at the School of Human and Health Sciences, who helped collect and analyse the views of over 14,000 school children, their parents and staff from some of the 457 Welsh schools included in the seven different local authority areas. Commenting, Professor Rhys Williams said that “the study’s recommendations are an important step toward helping to reduce the extent of childhood obesity and overweight in Wales”. For further information, visit the University’s website or contact Professor Rhys Williams.

Institute of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics - Wales; Annual 2010 G Maitland Lecture II

Professor Geoff C Maitland, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London will present on the topic of Our future energy landscape - going with the flow. The seminar will take place on Thursday 24th June, 15.00 at the Nanotechnology Seminar Room, Talbot Building. Tea available from 14.30. For further information, please contact Viv Jenkins

New Appointment for Swansea Professor

Professor of Psychiatry, Johannes Thome, has recently been elected Honorary Fellow of the Romanian Academy of Medical Sciences - in the field of Neurology. We wish him all the best with this new endeavour. For further information, please contact Johannes Thome

Post Graduate Research Day at the ILS; 10th & 11th June.

Some 62 post graduates spoke at this well-attended event, hosted by Professor Gareth Morgan. Scored over the two days by the various academic staff and post doctorates who attended, the two Travel Bursary prizes of £500 were finally awarded to Stephanie Hinder and Phil Jones by Dr Gareth Jenkins, for the best oral presentations. There were also two Travel Bursary prizes of £300 for the best posters, displayed in the ILS Reception area. These were presented by Dr Jonathan Mullins and went to Michael Ogundare and Matthew Turner. Keynote speaker, Dr Stephen Siebert, also gave a talk on: A personal overview of how the discovery of cytokines and the resultant biologic therapies transformed an established clinical specialty. The effect on clinical practice and research is explored, as well as how responses in the clinic are helping to shape our understanding of these diseases and direct future research. We would like to congratulate all the students and staff who worked so hard to contribute to the success of event. Contact Viv Jenkins for further information.

Technology Strategy Board (TSB) & Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) Briefing Workshop; 21st June, Cardiff

The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) & Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) will be holding a briefing workshop on 21st June from 11.30-15.00 in the All Nations Centre, Cardiff. The event aims to bring together consortia of academics, industry, policy makers, health and social care professionals, third sector and service-users to carry out research with a high potential for impact in the areas of economic and business models, as well as social and behavioural studies of emerging assisted living technologies and services. Speakers will include Graham Worsley, Lead Technologist for the Assisted Living Innovation Platform (ALIP), David Calder from the ALIP KT programme, and Joy Todd from ESRC.Graham will discuss the latest competition from the Technology Strategy Board regarding funding innovation in the area of assisted living; David will introduce the ALIP programme; and Joy will be talking about academic involvement. Registration is via online only and is limited to 30 places and full details of the competition, which closes on 29th July 2010, can be accessed via the website.

ILS hosts the Secretary of State, Cheryl Gillan

Yesterday, Monday 7th June, the School of Medicine was pleased to host a visit from the new Secretary of State for Wales, Mrs Cheryl Gillan. The purpose of this visit, led by the Vice Chancellor and Gareth Morgan, was to highlight the School’s activities across the board with a particular focus on multi-disciplinary research and its economic impact. The Centre for Nanohealth also featured strongly during the visit. Mrs Gillan had a tour of the facilities and met some of the ILS client organisations. The visit was a great success and is reported in Tuesday's Evening Post (p20). For more information please contact Sian Newman

Funding approved from the BBSRC

The BBSRC has just announced funding for Professor Paul Dyson and Dr Edward Dudley to develop an empirical technology to activate the biosynthesis of new antibiotics. More than 70% of antibiotics used in medicine are derived from natural products sourced from Streptomyces, filamentous soil bacteria. New antibiotic discovery programmes led by industry have been pretty unfruitful in the past 30 years, so that just as multiple resistant ‘superbugs’ in the clinic are becoming more prevalent, our means to combat them have been compromised. The genome sequences of a handful of Streptomyces species have recently revealed that they have the genetic potential to produce a far greater diversity of natural products than previously realised. The EU FP6 ActinoGen project, coordinated here in Swansea, has successfully realised this potential by genetic intervention in two species, obtaining two new patented antibiotics.. The technology builds on a current focus of the Streptomyces group, investigating epigenetic regulation of gene expression. For more information, contact Professor Paul Dyson

Publication

Zhou SM, John RI, Chiclana F, Garibaldi JM, “On Aggregating Uncertain Information by Type-2 OWA Operators for Soft Decision Making,” International Journal Of Intelligent Systems, Vol. 25, pp. 540.558,  2010
For more information please contact Dr Shang-Ming Zhou

New appointment for ILS's Professor Keith Lloyd

Professor Keith Lloyd, current Director of the Institute of Life Science and Professor of Psychological Medicine at the School of Medicine has been newly appointed as Head of the National Institute for Social Care and Health Research (NISCHR). Professor Lloyd, who has been active within health research in Wales, Chairing the Mental Health Research Network and WORD Research Funding Scheme Grants Committee, will step down from his current roles in June to take up his new position. We wish him all the very best in his new endeavour.

ILS to establish new E-Health Industries Innovation (EHi2) Centre

A new grant of nearly half a million pounds, recently awarded by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Academic Expertise for Business (A4B) programme and supported by the European Regional Development Funding (ERDF), will see an E-Health Industries Innovation (EHi2) Centre established at the ILS. The new EHi2 Centre, led by David Ford, will focus on supporting at least seventy Welsh E-Health small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) to develop and validate innovative, market-leading products and services to take to the global marketplace. EHi2 will provide SMEs regular seminars and networking events, supported by an e-communication programme. The EHi2 Centre will also bring effective means of accessing Swansea’s unique informatics facilities such as the Health Informatics Research Laboratories, and the Centre's expert staffing, to help companies develop, test and evaluate their technologies in a safe and reliable way. The Centre will also support a wider network including twenty-two academic research groups across Wales, together with NHS organisations and their staff. For more information, please contact Stephanie Lee.

Interdisciplinary Brain Imaging Research Group formed at Swansea University

In advance of the completion of phase 2 of the ILS, an interdisciplinary group of researchers interested in neuroimaging research has started to emerge within the University. Consisting of staff from the Schools of Medicine and Health and Human Sciences, the aim of the Swansea Brain Imaging Research Group is to explore areas of collaborative overlap and to develop proposals for external funding on all aspects of basic and clinical neuroimaging. Members have expertise in MEG and EEG and also share an interest in MRI and fMRI based research. For more information on joining the Group, please contact Dr Simon Dymond.

Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) Conference: 'Building the Welsh Health Economy', 28th June 2010, Cardiff

Professor Ceri Phillips from the University's School of Human and Health Sciences will be a keynote speaker at this forthcoming IWA conference in June. The aim of the conference is to explore the relationship between the public and private sectors in Welsh healthcare provision. The Institute of Life Science has been identified by WAG as one of the key contributors to economic development in Wales. This conference will profile the sector and assess the policy implications of its relationship both to science policy in Wales and to Welsh health needs. Further information can be found on the ‘IWA’ website.

British Association for Lung Research (BALR): 'Annual Summer Meeting', Swansea, 7-9th July

Swansea has been chosen as the first ever city in Wales to host the BALR Summer Meeting. The line up includes international speakers on the theme of Asthma: Genes, Environment and Cellular Mechanisms and will take place at the Dylan Thomas Centre between 7th-9th July. The meeting has been accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and will provide 9 CPD credits towards Continuing Professional Development, as well as offering the traditional Young Investigator award, poster competition and selected free communications. For further information, please visit the BALR website or contact Dr Gwyneth Davies.

MedSin 'National Conference 2010': Swansea University, 6-7th November

The MedSin National Conference 2010 will be held in Swansea University between 6-7th November. The conference will be attended by over 350 students with an interest in health and development from across the UK, who are largely acknowledged to be the 'future leaders of world health. Big names will also be present; speakers of past conferences have included Lord Nigel Crisp (former Chief Executive of the NHS), Sir Michael Rawlins (Chairman of NICE), Martin Wolf (Economics Editor, Financial Times) and Clare Short (former Secretary of State for International Development). The annually held conference is one of the largest student-led conferences in the UK, and its coming to Swansea is a major coup for the University and its newly-formed hosts, Swansea University Society for Health & Development (SwUSHD). For more information, visit the MedSin website.

International Association of Gerontology & Geriatrics (IAGG) European Social Research Conference (ESR): Swansea University, 1st-2nd July

Swansea University will be holding this prestigious international conference on 1st-2nd July, attracting delegates from Europe, USA, Canada and Australia. The primary keynote address will be done by Dr Ad van Berlo from the Netherlands, along with a variety of other eminent international speakers throughout the two day period. Registration for this conference can be done by visiting the conference website. Please not the deadline to register for this event is: Friday 4th June. For further information, please contact Paul Nash.

Grant Success for UK’s first E-Health Industries Innovation Centre

A new grant of nearly half a million pounds has just been awarded by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Academic Expertise for Business (A4B) programme, supported by the European Regional Development Funding (ERDF), to establish an E-Health Industries Innovation (EHi²) Centre at the School of Medicine’s Institute of Life Science.

The new EHi² Centre, led by David Ford, will focus on supporting at least seventy Welsh E-Health small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) to develop and validate innovative, market-leading products and services to take to the global marketplace. EHi² will provide SMEs with regular seminars and networking events, supported by an e-communication programme.  The EHi² Centre will also bring effective means of accessing Swansea’s unique informatics facilities such as the Health Informatics Research Laboratories, and the Centres’ expert staffing, to help companies develop, test and evaluate their technologies in a safe and reliable way. The Centre will also support a wider network including twenty-two academic research groups across Wales, together with NHS organisations and their staff.  For more information, please contact Stephanie Lee

Partners4Life Networking Event

Wednesday 12 May 2010, saw the Institute of Life Science's landmark facilities play host to an inaugural networking event involving over 100 delegates. The aim of the event was to facilitate ongoing partnerships between external companies and a range of representatives from academia, the public sector and the NHS. Demand for 'face-to-face' meetings brokered at the event was high, totalling 150. The event was opened by Professor Gareth Morgan with the first of 12 short presentations, which are now available to download. For further information, please contact Emma Turner.

Building the Welsh Health Economy Conference, Institute of Welsh Affairs - Monday 28th June 2010, Cardiff

Professor Ceri Phillips from the University's School of Human and Health Sciences will be a keynote speaker at this forthcoming IWA conference in June. The aim of the conference is to explore the relationship between the public and private sectors in Welsh healthcare provision. The Institute of Life Science has been identified by the Welsh Assembly Government as one of the key contributors to economic development in Wales. This conference will profile the sector and assess the policy implications of its relationship both to science policy in Wales and to Welsh health needs. For further information, please visit the IWA website.

Partners 4 Life Science Networking Event hailed success

Last Wednesday 12th May, saw the ILS's landmark facilities play host to an inaugral networking event involving over 100 delegates. The aim of the event was to partner up as many external companies as possible with a range of representatives from academia, the public sector and the NHS and demand for face-to-face meetings brokered at the event totalled 150. The event was opened by Head of School Professor Gareth Morgan with the first of 12 short presentations - click here to download the speaker presentations.  For more information, contact Emma Turner.   

New Horizons Conference: Tuesday 25th May 2010, London

The School of Human and Health Sciences is participating in the New Horizons conference, aimed at implementing the recommendations from the national strategy A Shared Vision for Mental Health. Professor of Social Work and Social Care, Peter Huxley will present a talk on Measuring and monitoring clinical and social outcomes in mental health as part of the event. For more information, visit the School of Human and Health Sciences website.

Building the Welsh Health Economy - Institute of Welsh Affairs Conference: Monday 28th June 2010, Cardiff

Professor Ceri Phillips from the University's School of Human and Health Sciences will be a keynote speaker at this forthcoming Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) conference in June. The aim of the conference is to explore the relationship between the public and private sectors in Welsh healthcare provision. The Institute of Life Science has been identified by the Welsh Assembly Government as one of the key contributors to economic development in Wales. This conference will profile the sector and assess the policy implications of its relationship both to science policy in Wales and to Welsh health needs. For more information, visit the IWA website.

New editorial appointment

Dr Rossen Donev, Lecturer in Neuroscience at the School of Medicine, has recently been appointed Serial Editor of Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology - a serial published by Elsevier.  For more information, contact Dr Rossen Donev. 

ILS neuroscience work published

Kolev MV, Ruseva MM, Morgan BP, Donev RM Targeting neural-restrictive silencer factor sensitizes tumor cells to antibody-based cancer immunotherapy in vitro via multiple mechanisms. (2010) J Immunol 184 (11), doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1000045

Tediose T, Kolev MV, Sivasankar B, Brennan P, Morgan BP, Donev RM Interplay between REST and nucleoin transcription factors: a key mechanism in the over-expression of genes upon increased phosphorylation. (2010) Nucleic Acids Res, doi:10.1093/nar/gkq013

Kolev MV, Tediose T, Sivasankar B, Harris CL, Thome J, Morgan BP, Donev RM Upregulating CD59: a new strategy for protection of neurons from complement-mediated degeneration. (2010) Pharmacogenomics J 10 (1), 12-19. 

Partners 4 Life Science Brokerage Event, 12th May 2010 at the ILS

On Wednesday 12th May, the ILS in partnership with MediWales, will host a structured networking event to bring together industry, academics and the NHS to encourage greater collaboration. The event is fast approaching so we would encourage all interested attendees to book a place as soon as possible, as numbers are restricted. You may register for this event on the dedicated website: http://www.partners4lifescience.co.uk/. For more information, contact Emma Turner 

Christopher H. Evans to present at Joint CHIRAL and Biomed Seminar at the ILS

ILS is pleased to announce a presentation from Christopher H. Evans from Harvard Medical School on Wednesday 28th April, at 12:30pm in the ILS Seminar Room. The title of the presentation is "Orthopaedic Applications of Gene Therapy." Please contact Dr. Jo Bishop for more information. 
 

RNA Cardiff 2010, Wednesday 28th April 2010 at Cardiff University

Final call for RNA Cardiff 2010, a free joint meeting with the Bristol RNA Club, the Cardiff Institute of Tissue Engineering and Repair (CITER), and the Wales Gene Park. The conference will take place in room UG16 of the Henry Wellcome Building at the Cardiff University. A buffet lunch will be provided at 12.30 before invited speaker Dr Mark Ashe, from the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Manchester, presents "Rationalisation of mRNA content via localisation to functionally distinct cytoplasmic bodies" at 13:00.
There is also an opportunity for two PhD students to present a talk in the afternoon. A prize of £150 will be awarded for the best presentation. Please contact meeting organiser Angela Burgess for full details of the conference.

Thoracic Seminars, 19th - 23rd April, ILS Seminar Room

This week the ILS is pleased to be hosting a week long series of Thoracic Seminars.  Expert speakers from across Wales and the UK will cover a wide variety of respiratory diseases including lung cancer and infections. For the full schedule of the week's seminars, please contact Dr Keir Lewis or on 01792 295505 for more information. 

New Horizons Conference, Tuesday 25th May 2010, London

The School of Human and Health Sciences is participating in the New Horizons conference, aimed at implementing the recommendations from the national strategy ‘A Shared Vision for Mental Health’.  Professor of Social Work and Social Care, Peter Huxley will present a talk on 'Measuring and monitoring clinical and social outcomes in mental health' as part of the event. For further information please visit the School of Human and Health Sciences website. 
 

CHIRAL Seminars update

The 31st March saw the official handover of the CHIRAL seminars from Dr Kym Thorne to Clare Clement.  Clare will be taking responsibility for organising all forthcoming CHIRAL seminars.  If you you would like to present your work at a CHIRAL seminar or nominate someone else, please contact Clare on CHIRALseminars@swansea.ac.uk

Publications

Newton PM, Messing RO. The substrates and binding partners of protein kinase Cepsilon. Biochem J. 2010 Mar 29;427(2):189-96.
For more information please contact Dr. Phil Newton


 

Partners 4 Life Science Brokerage Event, 12th May 2010 at the ILS

The ILS in conjunction with MediWales are hosting a structured networking event to bring together industry, academics and the NHS to encourage greater collaboration. To book your place, register on the dedicated website: www.partners4lifescience.co.uk. For more information, contact Sian Newman

Baby Riley is world-first for Swansea doctor

A pioneering technique has been developed by Dr John Dingley, Consultant Anaesthetist and Reader in Anaesthetics at the School of Medicine along with Marianne Thoresen, Professor of Neonatal Neuroscience at the University of Bristol. Dr Dingley has been developing equipment in Swansea for xenon anaesthesia in adults for over 10 years and has invented a machine to successfully deliver the gas to babies. On Sunday 28th March, a baby named Riley Joyce was born by emergency Caesarean, who had no pulse and was not breathing.  He was transferred to St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol and on arrival his parents were told there was still a 50:50 chance of permanent injury or disability. After Riley’s parents agreed for him to be the first baby ever to inhale xenon gas as an experimental treatment, he was connected to the xenon delivery system for three hours. Riley was kept cool for 72 hours, then slowly re-warmed and was able to breathe without the machine on day five. After seven days, Riley was alert, able to look at his mother’s face, hold up his head and begin to take milk. Dr Dingley, says: “A key design feature of this machine is that it is very efficient, using less than 200ml of xenon per hour – less than the volume of a soft drinks can. Xenon is a precious and finite resource and difficult to extract so it can cost up to £30 per litre. As ventilated newborns breathe many litres of air per minute, any xenon based treatment would be impossibly expensive without an economical delivery method.”  For the full press release please see below section Friday 9th April.
 

NICE announces members of new Diagnostics Advisory Committee

On April 1st the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) announced the appointment of the members of its independent Diagnostics Advisory Committee. Professor Dietrich Mack, Professor of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the ILS has been appointed to a committee of experts that has been set up to evaluate diagnostic technologies and make recommendations for their use within the NHS in England.  Professor Dietrich Mack added; “I am delighted to be appointed to the NICE Diagnostics Advisory Committee. It will be a privilege to contribute my expertise in clinical laboratory diagnostics to this high-profile UK-wide body, to help improve patient management in the NHS, which is in line with the efforts of my research group at Swansea University.” Please visit the NICE website for the full press release, or contact Professor Dietrich Mack for more information.
 

Prosiect Sir Gâr short-listed for NHS Wales Award

Prosiect Sir Gâr (the Carmarthenshire Project) has been short-listed for the prestigious NHS Wales Awards 2010.  The project is a partnership between the School of Medicine, Hywel Dda LHB, Public Health Wales, Carmarthenshire County Council, Corus and the voluntary sector.  It has established a workplace-based risk-assessment and risk-reduction programme relating to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.  Two other projects have been short-listed alongside Prosiect Sir Gâr in the ‘Promoting better health and avoiding disease’ category.  A panel of judges will visit the project on 15th April and the results will be announced on Friday 2nd July.  Professor Rhys Williams, chair of the Project’s Board says “Just to be short-listed for this award is a considerable achievement.  It shows the strength of this partnership, recognises the hard work that has already gone into establishing the workplace-based programme and also acknowledges that this can be a test-bed for an all-Wales initiative which will use the workplace as a setting in which to improve employees’ health and productivity.” Please contact Professor Rhys Williams for more information.
 

Diabetes Research Group at UK's largest healthcare conferences

The Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference (APC) 2010 took place in Liverpool between 3rd and 5th March. Danielle Jones, a PhD student for the Diabetes Research Group at the ILS, delivered an excellent presentation entitled, “Association between the rs4880 superoxide dismutase 2 (C>T) gene variant with coronary heart disease in diabetes mellitus”, which was then followed by a poster presentation. The conference is the only event of its kind run exclusively for healthcare professionals and scientists working in the field of diabetes, whilst also being one of the largest healthcare conferences in the UK. For more information on the conference please visit the APC website or contact Dr Sarah Prior on 01792 295073.
 

Weekly seminar series hosted by Cardiff University’s School of Medicine

This Thursday 15th April, part of the weekly seminar series organised by Cardiff University’s School of Medicine, Professor Doug Fearon from University of Cambridge will be delivering a seminar entitled "A Stromal Cell Accounting for Tumoral Immune Suppression" The seminar starts at 1pm in the Henry Wellcome Research Institute, with a buffet lunch available from 12.40pm. Please contact Dr James Matthews on 029 20687021 to book your place. 
 

Thoracic Seminars, 19th - 23rd April, ILS Seminar Room

The ILS is pleased to be hosting a week long series of Thoracic Seminars, to be held between the 19th and 23rd April.  Expert speakers from across Wales and the UK will cover a wide variety of respiratory diseases including lung cancer and infections. Although aimed at respiratory doctors, nurses and researchers, all members of the School of Medicine are welcome and all those involved in any respiratory related research may find these daily sessions from 9:30 till 4:30 extremely useful. For the full schedule of the week's seminars, please contact Dr Keir Lewis or on 01792 295505 for more information. 
 

New Horizons Conference, Tuesday 25th May 2010, London

The School of Human and Health Sciences is participating in the New Horizons conference, aimed at implementing the recommendations from the national strategy ‘A Shared Vision for Mental Health’.  Professor of Social Work and Social Care, Peter Huxley will present a talk on 'Measuring and monitoring clinical and social outcomes in mental health' as part of the event. For further information please visit the School of Human and Health Sciences website. 
 

CHIRAL Seminars update

The 31st March saw the official handover of the CHIRAL seminars from Dr Kym Thorne to Clare Clement.  Clare will be taking responsibility for organising all forthcoming CHIRAL seminars.  We would like to thank Kym for all her hard work in the last 18 months and wish Clare good luck in her new role as CHIRAL Seminars Organiser.  If you you would like to present your work at a CHIRAL seminar or nominate someone else, please contact Clare on CHIRALseminars@swansea.ac.uk
 

Prior SL, Tang TS, Gill GV, Bain SC, Stephens JW. Adiponectin, total antioxidant status, and urine albumin excretion in the low-risk “Golden Years” type 1 diabetes mellitus cohort. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2009.12.008
For more information please contact Dr Sarah Prior
 
Lewis KE, Annandale JA, Warm DM, Blyth H, Syed Y, Hurlin C, Lewis L. Does home telemonitoring after pulmonary rehabilitation reduce healthcare use in COPD? A pilot randomized trial. COPD 2010; 7:44-50.
For more information please contact Dr Keir Lewis

 

Baby Riley is world-first for Swansea doctor

First newborn in the world to receive xenon gas in a bid to prevent brain injury
St Michael’s Hospital, part of University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, has become the first hospital in the world to successfully deliver xenon gas to a newborn baby in a bid to prevent brain injury following a lack of oxygen at birth.

This pioneering technique has been developed by Marianne Thoresen, Professor of Neonatal Neuroscience at the University of Bristol and Dr John Dingley, consultant anaesthetist and Reader in Anaesthetics at Swansea University’s School of Medicine. This study is being funded by Sparks, the children’s medical research charity.
In the UK, every year, more than 1,000 otherwise healthy babies born at full term die or suffer brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen and/or blood supply at birth. This can lead to lifelong problems such as cerebral palsy.

St Michael’s Hospital and the University of Bristol has pioneered new treatments for brain injury in babies since Marianne Thoresen first started cooling babies in 1998, showing that cooling babies after a lack of oxygen could reduce damage in the newborn brain. After her original laboratory work from 1995 showing that cooling after lack of oxygen reduced brain injury in animal models, clinical trials of cooling have now proven that mild cooling by only a few degrees for 72 hours is a safe and beneficial treatment. However, cooling only partially reduces disability and does not prevent it in all babies. The search has been to find a second treatment that could be added to cooling to further reduce disability.

Professor Marianne Thoresen, says: “Xenon is a very rare and chemically inert anaesthetic gas found in tiny quantities in the air that we breathe. In 2002 John Dingley and I realised the potential xenon and cooling might have in combination to further reduce disability. Over the past eight years, we have shown in the laboratory that xenon doubles the protective effect of cooling on the brain; however we faced the challenge of how to safely and effectively deliver this rare and extremely expensive gas to newborn babies.”

Dr Dingley has been developing equipment in Swansea for xenon anaesthesia in adults for over 10 years and has invented a machine to successfully deliver the gas to babies. His machine takes the exhaled gas, removes any waste products from it and re-circulates it to be breathed again without any loss at all to the outside air. Some types of specialist military diving equipment work in this way but it is very unusual to build a system small enough to work reliably in newborn babies.
Dr Dingley, says: “A key design feature of this machine is that it is very efficient, using less than 200ml of xenon per hour – less than the volume of a soft drinks can. Xenon is a precious and finite resource and difficult to extract so it can cost up to £30 per litre. As ventilated newborns breathe many litres of air per minute, any xenon based treatment would be impossibly expensive without an economical delivery method.” 

He continued: “Despite these challenges, the lack of side-effects and brain protecting properties of xenon make it uniquely attractive as a potential treatment to apply alongside cooling in these babies. We are very grateful to Sparks, the children’s medical research charity, for supporting us in making this happen.”
Following rigorous Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority approvals and other regulatory challenges, the device is now authorised for clinical trials and will be used on a minimum of 12 babies over the coming months. Successful completion of this feasibility trial is the first required step before larger trials on the effectiveness of the treatment can be done in baby units on a larger scale.Many of the parts for Dr Dingley’s machine are specially built for the purpose by companies within Wales while other items are sourced from as far away as St. Petersburg in Russia.

‘The engineering heritage within South Wales has meant that I have been spoiled for choice whenever I have needed anything unusual constructed,’ Dr Dingley said,
‘Many local companies and individuals have helped me over the years, particularly PDR in Cardiff and I&G Engineering near Swansea. I designed equipment suitable for adults several years ago, however the challenges of developing a new design that works reliably and safely in babies is much greater. I have had to apply all the experience I have gained since 2000 to achieve this.

Professor Thoresen and Dr Dingley’s previously successful research work into cooling and the increased survival chances offered by xenon have been funded through the children’s medical research charity  Sparks, which has committed almost £800,000 to the team’s pioneering work. The charity has, over recent years, committed almost £1.5m to cooling research, including the ‘CoolCap’ now being widely used in the NHS.  Professor Thoresen was also heavily involved in the pioneering ‘CoolCap’ work.

The charity’s president, England World Cup winning hero, Sir Geoff Hurst, MBE, recently visited the Bristol project and yesterday commented:
‘Congratulations to Professor Thoresen, Dr Dingley and the rest of their dedicated team on this fantastic success. Breakthroughs such as this world-first graphically underscore the important role a charity like Sparks plays in funding pioneering research that really does make a difference. To me, a result like this is even more important than scoring the winning goal in a world cup final. I’m delighted that baby Riley hasn’t just survived a life or death situation, but can now look forward to a healthy future. That makes every penny Sparks has committed to this research work so worthwhile.’

For more information please contact:

Swansea University
Sian Newman – ILS Communications Manager on 01792 602362  or at s.y.newman@swansea.ac.uk. Alternatively, contact Bethan Evans, Swansea University Press Office on +44 (0)1792 295050 or at b.w.evans@swansea.ac.uk.

Monday 29th March 2010

Partners 4 Life Science Brokerage Event, 12th May 2010 at the ILS

The ILS in conjunction with MediWales are hosting a structured networking event to bring together industry, academics and the NHS to encourage greater collaboration. To book your place, register on the dedicated website: www.partners4lifescience.co.uk. For more information, contact Sian Newman

Confederation for British Industry (CBI) film features the ILS

The UK's CBI is producing a film on British innovation success stories, entitled 'A Quest for Success'. It will be distributed to over 30,000 CBI members during May 2010. The ILS, together with the Prince of Wales Innovation Scholarships, features in an eight minute section. To get a sneak preview, click here. You'll need to 'open' or 'save' the link in order to view.

Equipment arrives at the ILS as part of the Centre for NanoHealth project

As part of the Centre for NanoHealth project, the School of Medicine has recently been one of the first in the UK to have an IN Cell Analyzer 2000 from GE Healthcare installed. The IN Cell Analyzer 2000 is an automated, high-throughput cellular and molecular imaging system for high speed, multi-wavelength analysis of both live and fixed cells. It is amenable to a range of high-resolution fluorescence and bright-field test systems, capable of supporting multi-disciplinary applications from fixed end-point assays to extended live-cell studies where individual cells can be tracked.  Its impressive capacity for image capture and analysis is therefore a very exciting prospect.  For further information contact Dr Shareen Doak.

Also as part of the Centre for NanoHealth project an Amnis ImageStream imaging flow cytometer has been installed in the flow cytometry facility on the 2nd floor of the ILS building. The ImageStream imaging flow cytometer combines the visual power of microscopy with the speed and sensitivity of flow cytometry by digitally imaging cells directly in flow. Many biological phenomena can be studied  using the brightness and location of fluorescence on, in, and between cells - even within rare sub-populations. Examples of applications include nuclear translocation, phagocytosis, shape change, spot counting, cell cycle and mitosis, and DNA damage and repair. For further information contact Dr Cathy Thornton.

Wales E-Health Industries Networking Event in High Demand

The one-day roundtable E-Health Wales Business-to-Business (B2B) Networking Event held last Tuesday 23 March at the Health Informatics Research Laboratories in Swansea University has received excellent feedback from delegates. Over twenty Welsh E-Health Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) attended the event following the success of E-Health Wales Industries Workshop in autumn 2009, commenting that the B2B networking event was very beneficial to their companies. All of the Welsh SMEs attended the networking event have made new useful business contacts and generated potential business/research collaborations with the E-Health Industries Innovation (EHi2) Centre led by David Ford. Once again, the organising team thank all EHi2’s Welsh SME Network members who have made this event a continued success and for their positive feedbacks:

“Surprisingly useful in generating synergy/alliance ideas.” - Hytec Limited, OLM Group

“The event had very good attendees with lots of interest - looking forward to liaison with some of these companies.” - CAL2CAL Europe

“I didn’t expect to make so many useful contacts in this networking event - 6 companies out of 11 companies presented - I consider it a very good ratio! I will continue to explore business opportunities with these companies after this event.” - Ocuco Limited

“Thought the spirit within the meeting was just what was needed - Many Congratulations - the facilitation was spot on. The meeting was very good and it was clear that most of those that attended felt they got a lot out of it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.” - Peak Performance

For more information, visit the event website or contact Stephanie Lee.


 

BioWales 2010 a resounding success

The combined presence of the ILS and CNH at this year's BioWales proved to be a real draw for companies with over fifty one-to-one meetings taking place over the two days. Professor Julian Hopkin, Rector of Medicine and Health, and Graham Foster, Technical Director at Calon Cardio-Technology, both spoke at the conference and were very well received. Many of the links established will be followed up at a brokerage event to be held at the ILS on 12th May this year. For more information, contact Sian Newman or visit the event's dedicated website www.partners4lifescience.co.uk

E-Health Wales Business-to-Business Networking Event at ILS

Tuesday 23rd March 2010 at the Institute of Life Science: E-Health Wales Business-to-Business Networking Event. Organised by the Health Informatics Research Labs’ team from the Centre for Health Information, Research and evALuation (CHIRAL), this one-day roundtable business-to-business networking event, which has reached full capacity, will provide an opportunity for delegates from Welsh SMEs active in the E-Health sector in Wales’ convergence area, to formally introduce their companies, systems and services to other network members to establish a better understanding of the business-to-business opportunities and potential for collaboration. The day will comprise an overview of the development of the E-Health Industries Innovation (EHi2) Centre by David Ford followed by SME presentations by Welsh EHi2 Centre’s network members for discussion to create new business opportunities and stimulate project ideas. For more information about the event, contact Stephanie Lee.

PhD researcher presents at Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference

Danielle Jones, PhD student within the Diabetes Research Group at the ILS, gave an excellent oral presentation at the international diabetes conference Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference (APC) 2010 in Liverpool on 5th March. She also held a poster presentation at the event, which focused on the effect of Diabetes at all stages of life, from pregnancy to older age. For more information, contact Dr Sarah Prior.

ILS neurology research making an impact in medicine and health journals

Neurology research at the ILS, led by Professor Mark Rees, is making a real impact in the field with four papers published across a range of journals in recent months. The papers detail research on conditions ranging from Huntington's Desease to Heperekplexia, Epilepsy and Long QT Syndrome. For more information, contact Professor Mark Rees.

Jacobssen JC, Bawden SC, Rudiger SR, McLaughlan CJ, Reid SJ, Waldvogel HJ, MacDonald ME, Gusella JF, Walker SK, Kelly JM, Webb GC, Faull RLM, Rees MI, Snell RG. An Ovine transgenic Huntington’s Disease model.Human Molecular Genetics. 2010 Mar 1. {E-pub ahead of print].
 
Thomas RH, Stephenson JBP, Harvey RJ, Rees MI.  Hyperekplexia: Stiffness, startle and syncope.  Journal of Paediatric Neurology. 2010 Feb 17. 8 (1): 11-14.
 
Gladding P,  Evans C-A, Crawford J, Chung SK, Vaughan A, Webster D, Neas K,  Love DR, Rees MI, Shelling AN, Skinner JR.  Posthumous diagnosis of long QT syndrome from neonatal screening cards.  Heart Rhythm. 2010 Jan 4 [E-pub ahead of print].
 
Thomas RH, Hammond CL, Bodger OG, Rees MI, Smith PEM, on behalf of WERN and James Lind Alliance. Identifying and Prioritising Epilepsy Treatment Uncertainties.  Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 2010 [E-pub ahead of print].

Diabetes Research Group publishes paper in Metabolism - Clinical and Experimental

The Diabetes Research Group at the ILS has had a paper accepted by Metabolism - Clinical and Experimental Journal. Published in collaboration with the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology at the University of Liverpool, the paper details a study which examined adiponectin in relation to urinary albumin excretion and plasma total antioxidant status (TAOS) in subjects with long-standing T1DM. Serum adiponectin and plasma TAOS were measured in 338 samples from the Golden Years cohort, whose subjects have had T1DM for at least 50 years and are at low risk of complications. For more information, contact Dr Sarah Prior.

Prior SL, Tang TS, Gill GV, Bain SC and Stephens JW. Adiponectin, total antioxidant status, and urine albumin excretion in the low-risk “Golden Years” type 1 diabetes mellitus cohort. J Metabol.. 2009 Dec 7.  
 

Collaborative research cited by UNICEF

Collaborative research between the School of Medicine and the School of Health Science has been cited by UNICEF. Focused on the effect of drugs administered during the third stage of labour on the success of breastfeeding at 48 hours, the paper, entitled Associations of drugs routinely given in labour with breastfeeding at 48 hours: analysis of the Cardiff Births Survey, was originally published in the BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. For more information, view the paper or the UNICEF citation or contact Dr Sue Jordan.

School Communications Manager wins HEFCW scholarship

Communications Manager for the School of Medicine, Sian Newman, has won a scholarship from HEFCW, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, to attend the Spring Institute in Communications and Educational Fundraising organised by CASE Europe. Sian hopes that this opportunity will provide valuable information and insight for the School's future plans. For more information, contact Sian Newman.

School colleagues encouraged to undertake online Health and Safety training

School of Medicine colleagues are encouraged to follow the lead of Professors Gareth Morgan, Professor Rhys Williams and Paul Roberts - all of whom have already completed the University's online Health and Safety training. Head of School Professor Gareth Morgan is keen to keep up the high standard of training within the School and retain the lead that the School has set across the University, with an additional forty training units recently added for the School in response to demand. To undertake your training online, visit the Swansea University Safety Learning Portal and log in using the first part of your University email address as your user name and the password 1234 (you are encouraged to change this password immediately after entering the site). For more information, contact Dr Jo Bishop.

Cardiff Medical School to host British Society for Immunology seminar this week

Wednesday 17th March, 1.00pm in Seminar Room UG16, Henry Wellcome Research Institute: Professor Peter Lane, MRC Centre for Immune Regulation, University of Birmingham – Lymphoid tissue inducer cells and CD4 memory again! Hosted by South Wales Immunology Group. For more information, contact Dr Matthias Eberl or, if you wish to meet Professor Lane before or after his talk, contact Eddie Wang.

ILS novel protein used in collaboration with Aberystwyth University

Research into microbial enzymes from good bacteria that enable the growth of probiotic organisms on the prebiotic carbon source fructan, a poly-fructose, has been published in Bioresource Technology (IF4.5). By bioinformatics, molecular modelling and protein engineering, a Lactobacillus fructanase was produced as an active soluble core without peptidoglycan binding or other protein motifs. Besides producing greater insight into the growth of probiotic bacteria on a substrate-type not digested by human enzymes, industrial and commercial applications exist for these enzymes and the prebiotics themselves. One proof of principle was using the novel polypeptide to enable yeast, that lacks fructanase, to grow on grass juice and produce bioethanol. For more information, contact Professor Steven Kelly.

Martel CM, Warrilow AG, Jackson CJ, Mullins JG, Togawa RC, Parker JE, Morris MS, Donnison IS, Kelly DE, Kelly SL. Expression, purification and use of the soluble domain of Lactobacillus paracasei beta-fructosidase to optimise production of bioethanol from grass fructans. Bioresour Technol. 2010 Feb 11. [Epub ahead of print].

7/60: the 60-second news bulletin from the UK BioPharmaMarket

Click here to read the summary of the last 7days' news from the British biotech and pharma industry, all listed by category to make it easy to scan in just 60 seconds. 

Council for Science and Technology publishes A Vision for UK Research

Sponsored by the Science and Innovation Minister to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, Lord Drayson of Kensington, the Council for Science and Technology (CST) has published A Vision for UK Research. The report makes recommendations to Government that focus on the value of research to the UK, making people the focus and translating research into economic and social value. This is recommended reading for all colleagues. For more information, view the report. 

E-procurement and E-business support for the Health Technology Sector event announced

Friday 26th March 9.30 – 2.30pm in Cardiff (venue TBC) –E-procurement and E-business support for the Health Technology Sector. Hosted by MediWales, this event will profile the new e-procurement process for NHS and Welsh Assembly Government contracts with the latest tools and technologies in website design. Welsh Assembly e-business programmes are designed to help companies identify, procure and implement new ICTs to better enable businesses to be more efficient, cost effective and ultimately profitable through improved use of technology and better management information processes. The event will include a presentation and workshop on the 'Digitally Networked Business' project and give attendees an opportunity to discuss and shape e-business support for the health technology sector. To register, download a MediWales registration form or, for more information, contact Debbie Laubach. 

CHIRAL workshop for injury research taking registrations

Tuesday 20th April 10am – 1pm in the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea – Developing Trauma Outcome Research: A Workshop. Hosted by the Collaboration for Accident Prevention and Injury Control (CAPIC), Thematic Research network for emergency and UnScheduled Treatment (TRUST) and the West Wales Organisation for Rigorous Trials in Health (WWORTH) based at the School of Medicine, this Workshop aims to stimulate forward thinking in the planning of a programme of work to develop injuries research in Wales. It will be led by Professor Ronan Lyons and Mr Ian Pallister and, supported by TRUST and WWORTH, it is FREE TO ATTEND. For more information, view the Flyer for Developing Trauma Outcome Research: A Workshop or download the  Workshop Registration Form .  Alternatively, contact Sherry Jenkins. 

BioWales 2010

Being held on 17th and 18th March in the Vale Hotel, near Cardiff, BioWales 2010 is fast approaching.  The Institute of Life Science will be exhibiting and has registered a group booking. If you are planning to attend and require any materials for one-to-one meetings, please contact the ILS Team to discuss. For more information, contact Emma Turner

Swansea-Cardiff research named as Editor's Choice in Journal of Injury Prevention

Together with a colleague at Cardiff University, Sarah Rodgers, Steven Macey and Ronan Lyons have used high resolution Ordnance Survey data to assess the distribution of traffic calming features across several regions in Wales and England. The authors found that there is substantially more traffic calming in deprived areas, but on the whole there are very few roads with traffic calming. Since traffic calming measures have been found to decrease child pedestrian injuries by up to 70% in some areas, there is scope for more and the data should be released to the public to see if this helps to increase calming provision. They are delighted that the editor, Brian D Johnston has picked this article to be editor’s choice in the current edition of Journal of Injury Prevention. For more information, contact Dr Sarah Rodgers.

Rodgers SE, Jones SJ, Macey SM, Lyons RA.Using geographical information systems to assess the equitable distribution of traffic-calming measures: translational research.  Injury Prevention 2010;16:7e11. doi:10.1136/ip.2009.022426.   

7/60: the 60-second news bulletin from the UK BioPharmaMarket

Click here to read the summary of the last 7days' news from the British biotech and pharma industry, all listed by category to make it easy to scan in just 60 seconds. 

Kuecept Ltd becomes ILS’s first Affiliate

Kuecept Ltd, a specialist drug delivery technology company, has been announced as the first company to sign up as an Affiliate of the ILS. The ILS Affiliate Scheme is specifically designed to encourage life science and healthcare companies to access the expertise and state-of-the-art facilities and is set to significantly increase the company cluster that is growing up in the region. Open to all companies working in the life science and healthcare sectors, with a particular emphasis on potential high-growth organisations wishing to establish a foothold in the south west Wales region, its benefits include a hot-desk facility in the ILS plus access to laboratories, specialist facilities, equipment, academic and business expertise and the use of meeting and conference amenities. For more information, read the full news release or contact Sian Newman. 

ILS welcomes Professor Sir Nicholas Wright

The School of Medicine is delighted to welcome Professor Sir Nicholas Wright to the ILS this Thursday, 4th March. The Warden of Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, his research interests include cancer; pathology and histopathology; histological misdiagnoses in any area; medical negligence where a histopathological report is needed ie reconstruction of the prognosis of undiagnosed or misdiagnosed tumours; and intestinal stem cells. As part of his visit, he will be holding this week's Biomed Seminar at 12.30pm in the ILS Seminar Room. For more information, contact Dr Gareth Jenkins.

CHIRAL workshop for injury research announced

Tuesday 20th April 10am – 1pm in the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea – Developing Trauma Outcome Research: A Workshop. Hosted by the Collaboration for Accident Prevention and Injury Control (CAPIC), Thematic Research network for emergency and UnScheduled Treatment (TRUST) and the West Wales Organisation for Rigorous Trials in Health (WWORTH) based at the School of Medicine, this Workshop aims to stimulate forward thinking in the planning of a programme of work to develop injuries research in Wales. It will be led by Professor Ronan Lyons and Mr Ian Pallister and, supported by TRUST and WWORTH, it is FREE TO ATTEND. For more information, view the Flyer for Developing Trauma Outcome Research: A Workshop or download the  Workshop Registration Form .  Alternatively, contact Sherry Jenkins. 

Materials and medicine seminar announced

Thursday 4th March 12.30 – 4.30pm in Technium Springboard, Cwmbran –The Interface between Materials and Medicine Seminar. For those wanting to learn more about the interface between medicine and materials as well as European opportunities for technology transfer in this and many other fields. Speakers include Dr Cathy Holt of Cardiff University - Motion analysis applications: From objective classification of global human movements to analysis of the micro- movements of teeth and skin; Dr Owen Guy of CNH at Swansea University - Nanomaterials: Technology  and applications in healthcare; and Steve Patterson, Performance Engineering Specialist at Enterprise Europe Network Wales - Technology Transfer - Opportunities in Europe. For more information, visit BIC Innovation or, to register, visit www.mnw.org.uk and select Diary of Events.

Cardiff Medical School seminars announced for March

Thursday 4th March, 1.00pm in Lecture Theatre 2, New Lecture Theatre Building: Professor Simon Jones, Department of Infection, Immunity & Biochemistry, Cardiff School of Medicine – Inflammation and the cytokine network. For more information, contact Dr James Matthews.

Wednesday 10th February, 1.00pm in Seminar Room, Henry Wellcome Research Institute: Dr Menna Clatworthy, Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute of Medical Research, University of Cambridge – Immune inhibition: infection versus autoimmunity.  Hosted by Nephrology. For more information, contact Dr James Matthews.

Thursday 11th February, 1.00pm in Seminar Room, Henry Wellcome Research Institute: Professor Alicia El-Haj, Institute for Science & Technology in Medicine, Keele University – Engineering cells for clinical therapies.  For more information, contact Dr James Matthews.

BioWales 2010

Being held on 17th and 18th March in the Vale Hotel, near Cardiff, BioWales 2010 is fast approaching.  The Institute of Life Science will be exhibiting and has registered a group booking. If you are planning to attend and require any materials for one-to-one meetings, please contact the ILS Team to discuss. For more information, contact Emma Turner.   

7/60: the 60-second news bulletin from the UK BioPharmaMarket

Click here to read the summary of the last 7days' news from the British biotech and pharma industry, all listed by category to make it easy to scan in just 60 seconds.  

Presentation and Book Signing at ILS

Tuesday 23rd Feb 2010 at 5pm in the ILS Seminar Room - Presentation and Book Signing.  Max Pemberton, author of “Trust me I’m a Junior Doctor” and “Where Does it Hurt?”, will give a presentation on his books, which provide a humorous but thought provoking insight into early years of clinical practice and the ups and downs of being a junior doctor.  A book signing will follow.  Everyone welcome.

TSB New Funding Opportunities announced for Regenerative Medicine

The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) has announced that £6 million will be invested in further regenerative medicine research and development through forthcoming funding calls.  In response, the HealthTech and Medicines KTN will be hosting workshops to support the funding calls, which will take place on Thursday 4 March, in Manchester, and Wednesday 24 March, in London.  The KTN would like to invite its members who are interested in Regenerative Medicine to attend the workshops, joining  experts from industry, health and leading KTN groups and find out more about the latest opportunities for regenerative medicine based healthcare. These workshops are open to any UK industrialist, academic or clinician working in the area of regenerative medicine and there is NO CHARGE to attend.  For further information, visit the HealthTech and Medicines KTN website or to register contact Narpal Sihra.

Health and Medical Library Team drop-in session at ILS

Tuesday 23rd February 11am – 2pm in the ILS Foyer – Health and Medical Library Team drop-in session.  The University’s Health and Medical Library Team will be on hand to discuss and advise on library related queries, such as Literature Searching, which can assist the preparation of a literature review whether as part of a research bid, as part of a project report, or even a systematic review;  Impact Factors, which can identify high impact journals to target for publication using ISI Journal Citation Reports; Search Skills Development, including workshops on PubMed, Cinahl, Zetoc, EndNote, and Web of Knowledge from introductory to Advanced level; and Current Awareness, a service which can help to develop current awareness services for research groups or individuals or set up journal alerts notifying you of contents of the latest issues of specific journals.  For more information, or if you cannot attend the session, contact the Health and Medical Library Team. 

School of Medicine Staff versus Student Sports Day

Saturday 27th February from 9am in the Swansea University Sports Centre – Staff versus Student Sports Day.  Staff and students alike are invited to take part a trio of events –The Medical Netball Championship Cup, Staff vs Student Basketball and the MDU Charity Shield.  Entry costs £5 with spectators charged £2 and the Swansea-Gambia Link will be selling refreshments at the Astro turf pitches. All proceeds go to charity.  To sign up, contact the Team Captains: Phil Maull for The Staff; Lynzi Owen for Swansea team genetics; Chris Marshall for The Medics 1st Year; Dave Davies for The Medics 2nd Year; and Maz Page for The Cardiff based Swansea Medics.  For more information, view the Sports Day Poster or contact Phil Maull. 

School of Law seminar

Tuesday 22nd February at 11am in Room G41, School of Law – Law and Neuroscience seminar.  Professor Dennis Patterson of Swansea University, European University Institute and Rutgers University will present Law and Neuroscience.  For more information, or to request a copy of the paper, contact Dr Bebhinn Donnelly. 

7/60: the 60-second news bulletin from the UK BioPharmaMarket

Click here to read the summary of the last 7days' news from the British biotech and pharma industry, all listed by category to make it easy to scan in just 60 seconds. 

BioWales 2010

Being held on 17th and 18th March in the Vale Hotel, near Cardiff, BioWales 2010 is fast approaching.  The Institute of Life Science will be exhibiting and has registered a group booking.  For more information, contact Emma Turner. 

DNA Damage group awarded Unilever funds

The DNA Damage group at the ILS has been awarded £199,000 from Unilever to extend its current research programme, which is looking at mechanisms involved in DNA damage induction. Received as a result of the excellent progress made by the group in its previous project, the award will provide an additional two years funding for Dr Anna Seager, to further investigate aspects of chemical mutagenesis and protective mechanisms against DNA damage, as well as for a three-year PhD studentship for the group, to expand some of the work into new areas. For more information, contact Dr Gareth Jenkins. 

Combined academic staff assembly and School forum well received

The new combined academic staff assembly and School forum, held last Wednesday 10th February was well received by those who attended from across the School. In place of the two separate sessions, the aim of the combined session is to encourage collaboration across all levels, as well as across disciplines and bring all of the School’s staff together on an equal footing. An update was provided on ILS Phase Two, teaching activity, research grants, campus expansion and School budget as well as the new facilities at Pennard, which are due to open very soon. With thanks to Conference Services not only for the cakes and refreshments but also a very informative Presentation to the School of Medicine for which feedback would be very much appreciated (download the Presentation feedback form ). For more information, contact Sian Newman.

Hot Topics in Psychiatry conference announced

Friday 23rd April 2010 at The Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea - Hot Topics in Psychiatry. Hosted by the Welsh Psychiatric Society (WPS), in collaboration with the Royal College of Psychiatrists, this conference will welcome a range of presentations including: Mental capacity and human rights by Professor Phil Fennell of Cardiff University; Personality disorder services by Professor Nicola Gray of Pastoral Cymru Ltd; Non-pharmacological therapies for people with dementia by Professor Bob Woods of Bangor University and a title to be confirmed by Professor Sonia Johnson of University College London. As part of the conference, research poster abstracts may be submitted by Friday 19th March 2010. Deadline for registrations is Friday 16th April 2010. For more information, contact Anne-Marie Hutton or, to register online, visit the WPS website.

Cardiff Medical School seminars announced for February

Thursday 18th February, 1.00pm in Seminar Room, Henry Wellcome Research Institute: Dr Silvia Deaglio, Lymphocyte Signaling Unit, University of Torino Medical School & Research Center for Experimental Medicine (CeRMS) in Torino, Italy – Nucleotide metabolizing (ecto)-enzymes in the maintenance and progression of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Hosted by Haematology. For more information, contact Dr James Matthews.

Thursday 25th February, 1.00pm in Seminar Room, Henry Wellcome Research Institute: Professor Jannie Borst, Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, The Netherlands –T cell costimulation by TNF receptor family members, molecular basis and potential for clinical application. Hosted by Immunology. For more information, contact Dr James Matthews.

BioWales 2010

Being held on 17th and 18th March in the Vale Hotel, near Cardiff, BioWales 2010 is fast approaching. The Institute of Life Science will be exhibiting and has registered a group booking. If you are planning to attend and require any materials for one-to-one meetings, please contact the ILS Team to discuss. For more information, contact Emma Turner

Reproductive immuno-biology group discovers endometrial pathogenic E. coli

Led by Professor Martin Sheldon as part of a BBSRC Research Development Fellowship, the reproductive immuno-biology group has discovered endometrial pathogenic E. coli (EnPEC). These EnPEC cause pelvic inflammatory disease in cattle but also establish disease in model organisms. A paper on the work has been published in PLoS ONE. For more information, contact Professor Matin Sheldon.

Sheldon IM, Rycroft AN, Dogan B, Craven M, Bromfield JJ, Chandler A, Roberts MH, Price SB, Gilbert RO and Simpson KW. Specific Strains of Escherichia coli Are Pathogenic for the Endometrium of Cattle and Cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in Cattle and Mice. PLoS ONE 5(2): e9192. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0009192. 2010 Feb 12.

Combined academic staff assembly and School forum this week

Wednesday 10th February 2010, 3pm, at the ILS Seminar Room - Combined academic staff assembly and School forum.  As part of a fresh start to the new year for the School of Medicine, Professor Gareth Morgan would like to propose a new forum for sharing information across the School.  The new combined academic staff assembly and School forum, to be held termly, will replace the two separate sessions with a view to encouraging collaboration across all levels, as well as across disciplines.  Gareth hopes that the combined academic staff assembly and School forum will bring all of the School’s staff together on an equal footing and that all will gain more from the feedback and discussion that arise. With thanks to Conference Services, tea, coffee, juice, fruit and cakes will be provided from 2.45pm in the ILS Atrium.  An agenda is attached but, for more information, contact Sian Newman.

Collaborative research gains International Health Links Funding

An application for funding from the International Health Links Funding Scheme (IHLFS), part of the British Council, has been successful. The collaborative two-year project between Ola During Children's and Princess Christian Maternity Hospitals, Freetown and the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Local Health Board aims to build on an existing link between the two organisations. As laboratory services are essential to providing good medical care, the team will be working to improve the accuracy, reliability and impact of routine laboratory diagnostic procedures in biochemistry, haematology and parasitology. Activities will include short exchange training visits for laboratory staff between the institutions and the provision of some essential equipment suited to the environment in Freetown. In the longer term, it is hoped to extend the programme to other UK-Africa Health Links. For more information, contact Dr Angela Allen. 

UKTI/Office of Life Sciences Regional Roadshow Event taking place this week

Tuesday 9th February, 9.00am - 1.30pm at Novotel Hotel Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff – UKTI/Office of Life Sciences Roadshow Event.  UKTI has teamed up with Office for Life Sciences (OLS) to tour around the UK, promoting the UK Life Sciences Sector.  In collaboration with MediWales and International Business Wales, a Welsh leg of this tour has been organised and Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Jewell, will give the welcome address.  The event will give attendees the chance to find out how the Office of Life Sciences, a new ministerial department set up to support the life sciences and health technology sector, is bringing industry, academia and the NHS together and providing support for the sector in an increasingly competitive global market.  Opportunities on the day will include workshops, information on accessing business funding during the downturn, access to one-to-one support from International trade advisors from IBW, a Q&A session with national influencers and decision makers, exhibition and event training sessions and a networking lunch.  There will be representation at the event from members of the School of Medicine and ILS and limited places may still be available. For more information, visit the Roadshow website.  

ILS hopes for UK wide life sciences super cluster featured in local press

Following the UK government's announcement of plans for a new UK Life Sciences Super Cluster last week, the opinions of the ILS on the pioneering initiative have been featured in the South Wales Evening Post. Supported by £1 million of investment, the super cluster aims to bring together industry, academia and the NHS to help deliver the next generation of medicines and technologies needed to support people suffering from chronic diseases. This proposal aligns well with the vision and mission at the ILS, in particular with the development of ILS Phase Two, which promises to further the School of Medicine's close collaboration with both industry and the NHS. More detailed information should become available from the Office of Life Sciences (OLS), which, in collaboration with UK Trade and Invest (UKTI), will be hosting a roadshow event in Cardiff next week (see above). For more information in the meantime, contact Sian Newman.  

Mental Health Research Network Cymru announces fourth annual conference

Friday 26th February at The Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea – Celebrations and New Directions.  This is the fourth annual conference hosted by the Mental Health Research Network Cymru (MHRNC). As part of the conference, there will be a research poster competition with prizes for best in category. Applications to display organisational, promotional, or project information are welcome. For more information, visit the MHRNC website or contact Zoe Abbott. 

TRUST announces conference and call for abstracts

Wednesday 18th March, 10am-4pm, at Mercure Holland House Hotel, Cardiff – Improving Quality and Safety in Emergency and Unscheduled Healthcare: Raising the Stakes.  Hosted by the Thematic Research network for emergency and UnScheduled Treatment (TRUST), based at the School of Medicine and led by Professor Helen Snooks, this conference aims to stimulate forward thinking, collaboration and discussion through presentations and workshops. Through presenting the latest research findings and policy developments surrounding quality and safety in emergency and unscheduled care, this conference will promote and enhance awareness and address the challenges of implementing new approaches. There is also a call for abstracts on research, audit and service/policy evaluation in the field of emergency and unscheduled care for poster presentation. All abstracts will be peer-reviewed anonymously and prizes awarded for excellence. The deadline for submission is Monday 22nd February. For more information, visit the TRUST website or contact Moira Morgan. 

Applications open for 2010 Women In Science fellowships

L’Oréal UK and Ireland, the UK National Commission for UNESCO, the Royal Institution of Great Britain, and the Irish National Commission for UNESCO, have partnered together to provide a dedicated UK and Ireland For Women In Science Fellowship Programme for women scientists at postdoctoral level to enable and/or facilitate promising scientific research in the life or physical sciences. Four Fellowships will be awarded in 2010 to outstanding female postdoctoral scientists to assist them with their research. The Fellowships, each worth £15,000 (equivalent € for candidates in Ireland), are tenable at any UK or Irish university or research institute to support a 12-month period of research. The fellowship money can be spent in any number of innovative ways to enable women scientists to further their careers and facilitate world class research - such as buying equipment, paying for childcare or funding travel costs to an overseas conference. Deadline for application is midnight on Wednesday 6th April. For more information, or to apply, visit the Women in Science fellowship website. 

BioWales 2010

Being held on 17th and 18th March in the Vale Hotel, near Cardiff, BioWales 2010 is fast approaching.  The Institute of Life Science will be exhibiting and has registered a group booking. If you are planning to attend and require any materials for one-to-one meetings, please contact the ILS Team to discuss. For more information, contact Emma Turner. 

Combined academic staff assembly and School forum

Wednesday 10th February 2010, 3pm, at the ILS Seminar Room - Combined academic staff assembly and School forum.  As part of a fresh start to the new year for the School of Medicine, Professor Gareth Morgan would like to propose a new forum for sharing information across the School.  The new combined academic staff assembly and School forum, to be held termly, will replace the two separate sessions with a view to encouraging collaboration across all levels, as well as across disciplines.  Gareth hopes that the combined academic staff assembly and School forum will bring all of the School’s staff together on an equal footing and that all will gain more from the feedback and discussion that arise.  More details and an agenda will be posted in next week's News Bulletin. For more information in the meantime, contact Sian Newman.

ILS welcomes announcement of UK wide life sciences super cluster

Last week, the UK government announced plans for a new UK Life Sciences Super Cluster, supported by £1 million of Government investment. Bringing together industry, academia and the NHS, it will help deliver the next generation of medicines and technologies needed to support people suffering from chronic diseases. This proposal aligns well with the vision and mission at the ILS, in particular with the development of ILS Phase Two which promises to further the School of Medicine's close collaboration with both industry and the NHS. The initiative will be pushed forward through the Office of Life Sciences (OLS), which was established by Prime Minister Gordon Brown in January 2009 to support a thriving UK environment for the life sciences. The OLS, in collaboration with UK Trade and Invest (UKTI), will be hosting a roadshow event in Cardiff next week (see below) where more detailed information should become available. For more information in the meantime, contact Sian Newman. 

UKTI/Office of Life Sciences Regional Roadshow Event taking place next week

Tuesday 9th February, 9.00am - 1.30pm at Novotel Hotel Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff – UKTI/Office of Life Sciences Roadshow Event.  UKTI has teamed up with Office for Life Sciences (OLS) to tour around the UK, promoting the UK Life Sciences Sector.  In collaboration with MediWales and International Business Wales, a Welsh leg of this tour has been organised and Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Jewell, will give the welcome address.  The event will give attendees the chance to find out how the Office of Life Sciences, a new ministerial department set up to support the life sciences and health technology sector, is bringing industry, academia and the NHS together and providing support for the sector in an increasingly competitive global market.  Opportunities on the day will include workshops, information on accessing business funding during the downturn, access to one-to-one support from International trade advisors from IBW, a Q&A session with national influencers and decision makers, exhibition and event training sessions and a networking lunch.  There will be representation at the event from members of the School of Medicine and ILS and limited places mat still be available. For more information, visit the Roadshow website. 

Institute of Health Research to host controversies in contemporary mental health seminar

Wednesday 10th February, 1-3.30pm, at Room 126, Glyndwr Building, Swansea University – Controversies in Mental Health.  Hosted by the School of Health Science's Institute of Health Research, this seminar will welcome two speakers – Dr Liam Clarke, Reader in Mental Health at the University of Brighton, who will present Educating Tracy: A Psychiatric Solution to ‘Nursing Angst,  followed by Professor Peter Beresford, Director of the Centre for Citizen Participation in Brunel University, who will present Models of mental health: from the regressive to the progressive. For more information, view the  Controversies in Contemporary Mental Health flyer or contact Sue Hughes. 

BioWales 2010

Being held on 17th and 18th March in the Vale Hotel, near Cardiff, BioWales 2010 is fast approaching.  The Institute of Life Science will be exhibiting and has registered a group booking. If you are planning to attend and require any materials for one-to-one meetings, please contact the ILS Team to discuss. For more information, contact Emma Turner. 

ILS researchers publish metabolomic paper in Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Streptomycete bacteria produce many important antibiotics used in medicine and cytochromes P450 have pivotal roles in their biosynthesis and efficacy.  In a National Institutes of Health (USA) funded, multi-centre collaboration – including the Centre for Cytochrome P450 Diversity and the Streptomyces Group in the ILS and the Medical School and Centre of Mass Spectrometry, Vanderbilt University, USA – researchers have identified and characterised a novel P450 of unknown function.  Approaches to probe its role included in vitro metabolism of fatty acids coupled to lipidomic profiles of wild-type and mutant knock out strains.  The work is published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society of Microbiology ranked number one in Microbiology by Eigenfactor. For more information, contact Professor Steven Kelly or Professor David Lamb.

Lamb DC, Lei L, Zhao B, Yuan H, Jackson CJ, Warrilow AG, Skaug T, Dyson PJ, Dawson ES, Kelly SL, Hachey DL, Waterman MR.  CYP102 from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2): a novel fatty acid hydroxylase encoded as a heme domain without a N-terminal redox partner. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2010 Jan 22. [Epub ahead of print] 

The School of Medicine and POWIS

Wednesday 27th January 2010, 2.30pm at the ILS Seminar Room: The School of Medicine and POWIS - the Prince of Wales Innovation Scholarship scheme.  All School of Medicine staff and ILS Client Organisations are warmly invited to attend this seminar.  Presented by Professor Marc Clement, School of Medicine, it will offer an opportunity to find out more about POWIS, an exciting and very promising new way for industry and academia to work together for exceptional mutual benefit. POWIS is a recent development from the University of Wales, designed to give outstanding graduates the best opportunities by linking their doctoral research with companies and higher education institutions in Wales.  Marc will present for approximately 30 minutes before taking questions. For more information, contact Sian Newman.

Combined academic staff assembly and School forum

Wednesday 10th February 2010, 3pm, at the ILS Seminar Room: Combined academic staff assembly and School forum.  As part of a fresh start to the new year for the School of Medicine, Professor Gareth Morgan would like to propose a new forum for sharing information across the School.  The new combined academic staff assembly and School forum, to be held termly, will replace the two separate sessions with a view to encouraging collaboration across all levels, as well as across disciplines.  Gareth hopes that the combined academic staff assembly and School forum will bring all of the School’s staff together on an equal footing and that all will gain more from the feedback and discussion that arise.  More details and an agenda will be posted in the News Bulletin in the weeks leading up to the forum. For more information in the meantime, contact Sian Newman. 

Applications now open for 2010 DECIPHer Studentships

DECIPHer (Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement) is now accepting applications for studentships on a wide range of topics in the fields of: social sciences, dentistry, medicine, law, economics, health information, public health, geography, statistics, qualitative and quantitative health services research, psychology and sociology. DECIPHer is a UKCRC Public Health Research Centre of Excellence made possible through a strategic partnership between Cardiff, Bristol and Swansea Universities in collaboration with other key organisations.  It leads and facilitates research of international excellence, placing emphasis on involving young people and the public, tackling health inequalities, creating new research capacity and maximising impact on, and engagement with, policy and practice in the UK and beyond.  Of nine studentships available, one is to be allocated in Swansea University under the supervision of either Dr Sarah Rodgers or Professor Keith Lloyd on any topic in which they specialise – view the studentship fact sheet for more information on these topics as well as details about funding, eligibility and the application process.  Closing date for applications is this Friday, 29th January 2010.  For more information, contact Dr Sarah Rodgers by email or on 01792 602308 (extension 2308).  

Registration open for UKTI/Office of Life Sciences Regional Roadshow Event

Tuesday 9th February, 9.00am - 1.30pm at Novotel Hotel Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff – UKTI/Office of Life Sciences Roadshow Event.  UKTI has teamed up with Office for Life Sciences (OLS) to tour around the UK, promoting the UK Life Sciences Sector.  In collaboration with MediWales and International Business Wales, a Welsh leg of this tour has been organised and Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Jewell, will give the welcome address.  The event will give attendees the chance to find out how the Office of Life Sciences, a new ministerial department set up to support the life sciences and health technology sector, is bringing industry, academia and the NHS together and providing support for the sector in an increasingly competitive global market.  Opportunities on the day will include workshops, information on accessing business funding during the downturn, access to one-to-one support from International trade advisors from IBW, a Q&A session with national influencers and decision makers, exhibition and event training sessions and a networking lunch.  For more information and to register for this event, visit the Roadshow website.  

Participation needed in Welsh skills survey

As part of the University’s commitment to the Welsh language, a University-wide audit of the Welsh language skills of staff is being conducted this week whereby each member of staff will receive an online questionnaire to complete.  It is hoped that the survey will provide an accurate picture of the University’s Welsh language skills and will highlight both areas that are already doing well and those that need to be strengthened.  In particular, it is likely to affect future training available to staff.  The closing date for responses is Friday 29th January and Head of School, Professor Gareth Morgan, would like to encourage everyone to take part.  For more information, contact Welsh Language Policy Officer, Rwth Williams.

BioWales 2010 – Registration extended

Being held on 17th and 18th March in the Vale Hotel, near Cardiff, BioWales 2010 is fast approaching.  The Institute of Life Science will be exhibiting and is registering a group booking so if you are interested in participating/attending please contact the ILS Team by no later than Friday 29th January. For more information, contact Emma Turner. 

IBW trade mission to China

6th – 13th March 2010 in Chongqing, China: International Business Wales Trade Mission to China.  Organised by International Business Wales (IBW), this mission is travelling to Chongqing, one of China’s most rapidly developing cities whose municipality has a population of approximately 32 million people.  The mission will coincide with the annual ‘Wales Week’ comprising of a series of showcase events to promote Wales in China, giving a good opportunity for Welsh businesses to raise their profile in South West China.  Wales has a special relationship with Chongqing - click here to find out more - and applications to attend are now being welcomed, with a deadline of Friday 19th February.  For more information, or to submit an application, contact Jonathan Walters. 

Anatomy lecturer elected to UK Anatomical Society council

Dr Jo Bishop has been elected Councillor of the Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland and Trustee of the Society.  This prestigious election required the support of three ASGBI Members and took place at the society’s winter meeting in Oxford on 5th January 2010.  The Council is the governing body of the Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland and plays a key role in promoting the profession, its position in the world of biosciences and its relationships with cognate disciplines. Its membership comes from throughout the area covered by the Society and also includes members from Europe and overseas, which confirms its international dimension.  Of her new position, Dr Bishop said: “I’m delighted to have been elected to such a renowned organisation in the anatomy profession.  I hope to use my new position to highlight the modern and novel ways we teach anatomy at Swansea with the support of our NHS colleagues in ABM Health Board”.  For more information, contact Dr Jo Bishop. 

ILS exhibiting at BioWales 2010

Being held on 17th and 18th March in the Vale Hotel, near Cardiff, BioWales 2010 is fast approaching.  The Institute of Life Science will be exhibiting and is registering a group booking so if you are interested in participating/attending please contact the ILS Team by Friday 22nd January.  For more information, contact Emma Turner. 

Registration open for Summative Analysis: An Introductory Workshop

QUARU, the Qualitative Research Unit at the School of Medicine, is hosting a series of half-day workshops dedicated to summative analysis, a new qualitative analytic technique designed to help researchers analyse health, social care and social scientific, textual data.  Summative Analysis is a new method designed by Professor Frances Rapport, Professor of Qualitative Health Research at the School, and is well validated across a range of research topics.  These introductory workshops will introduce the background to the method, consider its various uses and enable users to try out some of its early stages using qualitative data from survivor testimonials. Frances Rapport has already run an extensive programme of these workshops in America, teaching wide-ranging audiences of academics, researchers, students and healthcare professionals about its uses within a health research context. The workshops, entitled Summative Analysis: An Introductory Workshop, are open to all interested parties, irrespective of qualitative expertise or disciplinary background.  They are being heldon Tuesday 9th February 2010, Friday 26th February 2010 and Friday 12th March 2010, in Room 104, Technium Digital, Swansea University from 9.45am until 12pm.  Registration costs £35 (£30 for students) including light refreshments.  For more information, contact Professor Frances Rapport or, to register, contact Vicky Davies by email or on 01792 513407.

Swansea-Gambia Team to host presentation evening on findings from latest exchange trip

On Wednesday 20th January at 7pm, the School of Medicine’s second-year Swansea-Gambia Team is hosting a presentation evening in the ILS Seminar Room.  Entitled Holey Feet and a Whole Lot More!, the evening will showcase some of the many interesting points, ranging from tropical medicine to African politics, that were raised during the Swansea-Gambia Exchange Trip 2009, which saw a group of 8 second year students travel to The Gambia as part of the Swansea-Gambia student exchange.  Everyone is welcome and there will be some light refreshments.  For more information, contact Alex Clark. 

Registration open for Introductory Analysis of Linked Health Data 2010

Monday 12th – Friday 16th April 2010 at Swansea University - Introductory Analysis of Linked Health Data 2010.  The Health Information Research Unit (HIRU) for Wales, an initiative developed by Swansea University to realise the potential of anonymised routinely-collected data for health research and evaluation, is hosting a prestigious 5-day training course on the analysis of linked health data.  The course will be led by Professor D’Arcy Holman (from the University of Western Australia) who is a leading figure in the field of linked health data. He will be assisted by two associate professors: Rachael Moorin and David Preen.  This course is ideal for health and social care researchers, social scientists, clinical practitioners and health care managers who wish to improve their understanding of working with health-related routine data, and to gain the theory and skills needed to analyse linked health and social data.  For more information, contact Steph Lee or, to register online, visit the training course website. 

MedSoc to host staff-student curryoke night

To begin the new year, Swansea MedSoc has organised a staff-student curryoke night. To be held on Thursday 21st January 2010, at Pitcher and Piano on Wind Street, the aim is to see who has the most talent. Tickets, costing £10, are available from Wednesday 13th January either from the Grove Reception or directly from the MedSoc President, Katie Hurst. The price includes a curry buffet and the evening's entertainment and MedSoc drinks offers at the venue will also apply. The event is open to all staff and students as well as friends and family. For more information, contact Katie Hurst.

Mass Spectrometry group uncovers new metabolic pathway in brain

The mass spectrometry group has discovered a new pathway for cholesterol metabolism in brain. As disturbed cholesterol metabolism is closely linked to Alzheimer’s disease, discovery of this new pathway may open a new route to early diagnosis of the disease. As well as in the most recent publication in the Journal of Biological Chemistry detailed below, further details about the group’s work can be found in recent reviews and papers in both the Journal of Chromatography B and the Journal of Lipid Research. For more information, contact Professor Bill Griffiths.

Ogundare M, Theofilopoulos S, Lockhart A, Hall LJ, Arenas E, Sjovall J, Brenton AG, Wang Y, Griffiths WJ. Cerebrospinal fluid steroidomics: Are bioactive bile acids present in brain?.  J Biol Chem. 2009 Dec 7. [Epub ahead of print].  

School study cited in Wales Audit Office report

A School of Medicine study, entitled Understanding how the public chooses to make use of unscheduled care services (UPCUUCS) and led by Dr Alison Porter, was heavily cited in the recent Wales Audit Office report Unscheduled care: developing a whole systems approach, which has also been featured in the Welsh press. UPCUUCS was commissioned by the Wales Office of R&D (WORD) to be undertaken by the Mid and West Wales section of the All Wales Alliance for R&D (AWARD) and was supported also through the  Swansea led Thematic Research network for emergency and UnScheduled Treatment (TRUST). Findings from the UPCUUCS report were heavily cited throughout the WAO report, with numerous quotations and excerpts.   It is particularly pleasing to see that data derived from both the quantitative (general population survey) and qualitative (semi structured interviews and focus groups) have been quoted in the WAO report and the team behind the study is delighted that this WORD-commissioned work has been so useful such an influential document in this increasingly important policy area. For more information, contact Dr Alison Porter. 

School researchers hosting Special Session at World Congress on Computational Intelligence

18th-20th July 2010 at the Barcelona International Convention Centre in Barcelona, Spain - 2010 IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence. The 2010 IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence (IEEE WCCI 2010) is the largest technical event in the field of computational intelligence, providing a stimulating forum for scientists, engineers, educators and students from all over the world to discuss and present their research findings on computational intelligence. As part of this international event, a group of researchers from the School of Medicine, including Professor Ronan Lyons, Dr Mike Gravenor, Dr Sinead Brophy and Dr Shangming Zhou, is organising a conference Special Session entitled Computational Intelligence and Cyberinfrastructure for Complex System Modelling and Knowledge Discovery in Medical Informatics and e-Health. In advance of this session, the group welcomes submission of papers, the deadline for which is 31st January 2010. For more information, contact Dr Shamgming Zhou or download the Call for Papers (IEEE WCCI 2010 Special Session)

MedSoc to host staff-student curryoke night

To begin the new year, Swansea MedSoc has organised a staff-student curryoke night. To be held on Thursday 21st January 2010, at Pitcher and Piano on Wind Street, the aim is to see who has the most talent. Tickets, costing £10, are available from Wednesday 13th January either from the Grove Reception or directly from the MedSoc President, Katie Hurst. The price includes a curry buffet and the evening's entertainment and MedSoc drinks offers at the venue will also apply. The event is open to all staff and students as well as friends and family. For more information, contact Katie Hurst

International Swine Flu Conference announced

10th-12th March 2010 at a venue in London to be announced - International Swine Flu Conference and Workshop. Over the first two days, this inaugural conference will bring together top leaders and key decision-makers of major companies representing a broad range of industries together with distinguished scientists, public health officials, law enforcers, first responders and other experts to discuss pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Attendees will be able to draw on first-hand best practices to create the solid business continuity plans that their companies and organisations need in order to prepare for, respond to, and survive a pandemic. Thethird day will see a series of workshops dedicated to learning how to plan, protecting your community, knowing how to respond and planning to continue. For more information, visit the Conference website. 

ILS Reader awarded £90,000 for studentship

Dr Gareth Jenkins, Reader in Gastrointestinal Cancer at the ILS, has been awarded a new grant from the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of animals in Research (NC3Rs). The award of £90,000 will fund one of just five PhD studentships given throughout the whole year. Entitled The validation of defined genotoxic thresholds, leading to better in vitro risk assessments of carcinogenic potential, the PhD will investigate ways of reducing the use of animals in toxicological testing. For more information, visit the NC3Rs website or contact Dr Gareth Jenkins. 

School researcher gains PhD

Professor Frances Rapport would like to send heartfelt congratulations to Anne Seagrove, who has just achieved her Doctorate after what turned out to be an excellent PhD viva.  The two external examiners, Professor Ian Carpenter from Kent and Professor Sue Frost from Huddersfield, were extremely complimentary about Anne’s work and the defence of her thesis on innovation and modernisation in endoscopy units. For more information, contact Professor Frances Rapport.

School of Medicine Christmas Ball a roaring success

The School of Medicine Ball 2009, which took place at the Brangwyn Hall on Friday 4th December, was once again a spectacular event. More than 300 staff and students from the School attended, being treated to a Hawaiian themed extravaganza, complete with flower garlands, a surf simulator and a feast of tropical-fruit inspired food and cocktails, and the surprise entertainment went down particularly well. Photographs from the evening are now available to view and purchase at www.urpics.co.uk. For more information, contact Emma Turner. 

Two manuscripts published on neuroinhibitory systems

Professor Mark Rees and Dr Kristin Baer have recently published two manuscripts on neuroinhibitory systems. For more information, contact Dr Kristin Baer.

Waldvogel HJ, Baer K, Eady E, Allen KL, Gilbert RT, Mohler H, Rees MI, Nicholson LF, Faull RL. Differential localization of gamma-aminobutyric acid type a and glycine receptor subunits and gephyrin in the human pons, medulla oblongata and uppermost cervical segment of the spinal cord: An immunohistochemical study. J Comp Neurol. 2009 Sep 16;518(3):305-328. [Epub ahead of print]. 

Baer K, Waldvogel HJ, Faull RL, Rees MI. Localization of glycine receptors in the human forebrain, brainstem, and cervical spinal cord: an immunohistochemical review. Front Mol Neurosci. 2009;2:25. Epub 2009 Nov 4.

School lecturer scoops Welsh Deanery Best Educational Supervisor and Trainer Award

The School of Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education has honoured Mr Euan Kevelighan, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Singleton Hospital, for his excellence in training the next generation of medical professionals across Wales. He has been named Educational Supervisor and Trainer of the year in the BEST Awards 2009. These Awards, by the Wales Deanery, are part of a new initiative recently launched by the Deanery ‘Supervising the Route to Excellence’ programme.  The programme aims to ensure excellence in medical training through the development and support of high quality Educational and Clinical Supervisors throughout Wales. All Welsh doctors in training were able to nominate the consultant or GP who they believed performed outstandingly.

Of his award, Mr Kevelighan said: “I am privileged and very honoured to have been awarded the inaugural Welsh Deanery Best Educational Supervisor and Trainer Award.  I would like to thank the Deanery for highlighting the importance of excellence in educational supervision by awarding a uniquely-crafted Welsh trophy and an educational bursary”. The School os also very proud of this achievement, with Dr Aiden Byrne adding "Euan is a very worthy winner and I hope this award goes some way to recognising his excellence as a teacher, his long term commitment to the work of the School of Medicine and his passion for making a real difference to trainees and students". For more information, contact Dr Aiden Byrne. 

School of Medicine Christmas Ball a roaring success

The School of Medicine Ball 2009, which took place at the Brangwyn Hall on Friday 4th December, was once again a spectacular event. More than 300 staff and students from the School attended, being treated to a Hawaiian themed extravaganza, complete with flower garlands, a surf simulator and a feast of tropical-fruit inspired food and cocktails, and the surprise entertainment went down particularly well. Photographs from the evening will be available to view and purchase later today at www.urpics.co.uk. For more information, contact Emma Turner.

Gates Foundation seeking new diagnostics for developing world

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is now accepting letters of inquiry for a new grant programme to develop point-of-care diagnostics for the developing world. $30 million in new grants will be available through Grand Challenges Diagnostics, a part of the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative. The program will develop components and technologies that allow assessment of multiple conditions and pathogens at the point-of-care in a variety of settings. The Foundation is looking to fund the development and optimization of novel, accurate, feasible technologies that are low cost, easy to use, functional at high temperatures and humidity, and do not require refrigeration, reagents, water or lab equipment. Details and application instructions are available on the Grand Challenges website and letters of inquiry are being accepted online until February 16, 2010. For more information, contact Dr Vivienne Jenkins. 

Registration for International Scientific Conference on Probiotics and Prebiotics now open

Registration and abstract submission for the International Scientific Conference on Probiotics and Prebiotics - IPC2010 is now open. You can reach on-line registration and abstract submission for the conference and the satellite symposia by visiting the conference website and the the scientific programme of the conference and the pre-conference symposia on bacteriocins, gastro-intestinal models and B. subtilis can also be found online. For more information, contact Emma Turner. 

Papers published on community pharmacy practice and patient-centred professionalism

Professor Frances Rapport and colleagues have published two papers on community pharmacy practice and patient-centred professionalism. The first presents a novel, bio-photographic study highlighting the relationship between community pharmacy workspace and practice with findings disclosing workspace unfit for purpose and a workforce ill at ease with their new professional identity of undertaking complex tasks in health provision and supporting retail sales, while the second presents data from five consultation workshops with 29 community pharmacists, stakeholders and patients to examine the notion “patient-centred professionalism” in terms of pharmacists’ working day and environment, with findings indicating the phrase is being mobilised by a whole set of different interests and agendas to reshape practice, the effect of which remains both uncertain and contested. For more information, contact Professor Frances Rapport. 

Rapport F, Doel MA, Jerzembek GS. Challenges to UK community pharmacy: A bio-photographic study of workspace in relation to professional pharmacy practice. Medical Humanities. 35(2), 110-117. Doi: 10.1136/jmh.2009.002105. 

Rapport F, Doel MA, Hutchings HA, Jerzembek GS, John DN, Wainwright P, Dobbs C, Newbury S, and Trower CS. Through the looking glass: public and professional perspectives on patient-centred professionalism in modern-day community pharmacy.  Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research (FQS) 11(1), Art 7. 

Systematic literature review published in The Open Colorectal Cancer Journal

Dr Kym Thorne and Dr Hayley Hutchings have published a systematic literature review on the impact of the two-week rule in the NHS in increasing the pick-up rate of upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.  They report that for colorectal cancers (CRCs), only 9.5% of patients referred by the two-week rule were eventually diagnosed with CRC whilst for patients with Upper GI cancers (UGCs) only 5.5% of patients referred by the two-week rule were eventually diagnosed with a UGC. This review builds on a review published by the same authors in 2006 in the BMC Health Services Research journal.  For more information, contact Dr Kym Thorne.   

Thorne K, Hutchings HA, Elwyn G. The Two-Week Rule for NHS Gastrointestinal Cancer Referrals: A Systematic Review of Diagnostic Effectiveness. The Open Colorectal Cancer Journal 2:27-33

Grant Success for UK’s first E-Health Industries Innovation Centre

A new grant of nearly half a million pounds has just been awarded by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Academic Expertise for Business (A4B) programme, supported by the European Regional Development Funding (ERDF), to establish an E-Health Industries Innovation (EHi²) Centre at the School of Medicine’s Institute of Life Science.

The new EHi² Centre, led by David Ford, will focus on supporting at least seventy Welsh E-Health small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) to develop and validate innovative, market-leading products and services to take to the global marketplace. EHi² will provide SMEs with regular seminars and networking events, supported by an e-communication programme.  The EHi² Centre will also bring effective means of accessing Swansea’s unique informatics facilities such as the Health Informatics Research Laboratories, and the Centres’ expert staffing, to help companies develop, test and evaluate their technologies in a safe and reliable way. The Centre will also support a wider network including twenty-two academic research groups across Wales, together with NHS organisations and their staff.  For more information, please contact Stephanie Lee

New appointment for ILS's Professor Keith Lloyd

Professor Keith Lloyd, current Director of the Institute of Life Science and Professor of Psychological Medicine at the School of Medicine has been newly appointed as Head of the National Institute for Social Care and Health Research (NISCHR). Professor Lloyd, who has been active within health research in Wales, Chairing the Mental Health Research Network and WORD Research Funding Scheme Grants Committee, will step down from his current roles in June to take up his new position. We wish him all the very best in his new endeavour.

Interdisciplinary Brain Imaging Research Group formed at Swansea University

In advance of the completion of phase two of the ILS, an interdisciplinary group of researchers interested in neuroimaging research has started to emerge within the University. Consisting of staff from the Schools of Medicine and Health and Human Sciences, the aim of the Swansea Brain Imaging Research Group is to explore areas of collaborative overlap and to develop proposals for external funding on all aspects of basic and clinical neuroimaging. Members have expertise in MEG and EEG and also share an interest in MRI and fMRI based research. For more information on joining the Group, please contact Dr Simon Dymond.

Building the Welsh Health Economy Conference, Institute of Welsh Affairs - Monday 28th June 2010, Cardiff

Professor Ceri Phillips from the University's School of Human and Health Sciences will be a keynote speaker at this forthcoming IWA conference in June. The aim of the conference is to explore the relationship between the public and private sectors in Welsh healthcare provision. The Institute of Life Science has been identified by the Welsh Assembly Government as one of the key contributors to economic development in Wales. This conference will profile the sector and assess the policy implications of its relationship both to science policy in Wales and to Welsh health needs. For further information, please visit the IWA website.

British Association for Lung Research (BALR): 'Annual Summer Meeting', Swansea, 7-9th July

Swansea has been chosen as the first ever city in Wales to host the BALR Summer Meeting. The line up includes international speakers on the theme of Asthma: Genes, Environment and Cellular Mechanisms and will take place at the Dylan Thomas Centre between 7th-9th July. The meeting has been accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and will provide 9 CPD credits towards Continuing Professional Development, as well as offering the traditional Young Investigator award, poster competition and selected free communicationss. For further information, please visit the BALR website or contact Dr Gwyneth Davies.

MedSin 'National Conference 2010': Swansea University, 6-7th November

The MedSin National Conference 2010 will be held in Swansea University between 6-7th November. The conference will be attended by over 350 students with an interest in health and develoopment from across the UK, who are largely acknowledged to be the 'future leaders of world health. Big names will also be present; speakers of past conferences have included Lord Nigel Crisp (former Chief Executive of the NHS), Sir Michael Rawlins (Chairman of NICE), Martin Wolf (Economics Editor, Financial Times) and Clare Short (former Secretary of State for International Development). The annyally held conference is one of the largest student-led conferences in the UK, and its coming to Swansea is a major coup for the University and its newly-formed hosts, Swansea University Society for Health & Development (SwUSHD). For more information, visit the MedSin website.

International Association of Gerontology & Geriatrics (IAGG) European Social Research Conference (ESR): Swansea University, 1st-2nd July

Swansea University will be holding this prestigious international conference on 1st-2nd July, attracting delegates from Europe, USA, Canada and Australia. The primary keynote address will be done by Dr Ad van Berlo from the Netherlands, along with a variety of other eminent international speakers throughout the two day period. Registration for this conference can be done by visiting the conference website. Please not the deadline to register for this event is: Friday 4th June. For further information, please contact Paul Nash.