BU Research Blog

Final call: Applications remain open for M-level 20 credit CPD unit: Public Involvement in Research. Application deadline 10th May. This course is delivered online for 5 consecutive Tuesdays now starting on Tuesday 7th June. The unit is open to external applicants; PGRs (as part of the Doctoral programme) and BU staff.

This Master’s level unit is co-designed and delivered by the PIER (Public Involvement in Education and Research) Partnership and Dr Mel Hughes. As a participant you will explore and evaluate a range of models and approaches to public involvement in research from shaping your research idea and through each stage of the research cycle. You will identify a strategy for public involvement (what, why and how) that will best fit your research study allowing you to gain an appreciation of how collaborating with people with lived experience (public, patients, carers, service users and potential users) can enhance your research. Specific emphasis will be placed on strategies for engaging and collaborating with marginalised groups so as not to reinforce social and health inequalities and inequities. Sessions will be interactive and involve drawing on the expertise of people with lived experience, including members of the PIER partnership.

For further information and to apply, click here

Alternatively, PGRs can email FHSSresearch@bournemouth.ac.uk copying in Mel Hughes, unit lead mhughes@bournemouth.ac.uk asking to be added to the unit.

Trolling and online harassment on social media platforms is a uniquely ugly phenomenon of our time but one that targets some more than others; and where women in the public domain are likely to be subject to high levels of gratuitous abuse in an attempt to undermine them towards potential self-censorship. An overt form of misogyny, owing to these gendered characteristics, when women offer their opinions or demonstrate their expertise offensive and bullying comments can be greatly escalated in terms of harm, not only to individuals, but to society in general by suppressing ideas, intellectual knowledge and stifling public debate, as well, crucially, as silencing women’s voices.

This week the Women’s Academic Network at Bournemouth University are hosting a special webinar featuring three prestigious Independent Sage women scientists with personal experience of online harassment in the delivery of important public health messages across the media during this Covid-19 pandemic.  Our esteemed panellists are:

Professor Susan Michie, Professor Health Psychology, University College London. Independent Sage member

Dr Deepti Gurdasani, Senior Lecturer in Machine Learning, Queen Mary, University of London.

Professor Christina Page, Professor of Operational Learning, University College London. Independent Sage member.

The webinar will offer a reflective, exploratory and discursive session facilitated by Dr Emma Kavanagh, Senior Lecturer of Sports Psychology and Coaching Sciences at Bournemouth University.

The event will be opened by the Pro-Chancellor of Bournemouth University, Dr Sue Sutherland, OBE and chaired by Professor Sara Ashencaen Crabtree, WAN Convenor.

This is an open-to-all, free webinar, to which we warmly welcome all BU staff and students as well as the general public.

Please register at:

https://wan_female_scientists.eventbrite.co.uk

We look forward to seeing you there!

Phantom Touch in VR is a phenomenon where a person can experience interpersonal touch in virtual reality with no real-life contact. With the growth of VR technology and games, more users are coming across the phenomena, however current studies have not identified the scientific reasons why it occurs and what effect it has on users. This R&D project has done some preliminary study and experiment on a group of participants. If you have interest, have a look at the interview of Sasha on the national television of her country.