Category / REF Subjects

Turning research into art

 

This sculpture tells the untold story of life with a feeding tube — a presence both vital and alien, a lifeline that nourishes while carving its own path through the body. Like ivy, it winds and clings, sometimes tender, sometimes sharp, always there. It does not ask permission. It heals, disrupts, and transforms” (Mahtab Grimshaw).

 

 

 

 


Local artist Mahtab Grimshaw created this striking and thought‑provoking sculpture after meeting with Sue Green and Carolyn Wheatley (Chair of PINNT) to discuss the findings from a recent national survey exploring what people living with home enteral nutrition (HEN), and their carers, really need to feel supported.

The survey

The number of people requiring home enteral nutrition (HEN) is increasing, creating a need for effective support services. This study explored what people with enteral tubes and their carers in the UK want from services to help them manage at home. A questionnaire survey with 243 respondents revealed inadequate pre-discharge training, inconsistent information, variable professional support, and significant impact on daily life. Key needs identified included comprehensive training, consistent advice, regular reviews, emergency support, and psychological care. Findings highlight the need for standardised pathways and quality indicators to ensure equitable, high-quality HEN support across the UK (Green et al., 2025).

Turning research into art

To share these findings we responded to an internal BU call for proposals to collaborate with a local artist through the BU-BEAF ART Co. initiative. Our aim was to transform data and lived experience into something that would resonate with healthcare professionals and those unfamiliar with the realities of enteral feeding.

The result is Graft, the Twining Linb —a powerful sculpture that has already travelled to Wales, appeared at the BAPEN Annual Conference, and even met the Welsh Minister. Later this year, she will be heading to an international conference in Scotland.

Thank-you to the BU organisers (Prof Mel Hughes and Dr Gladys Yinusa) for backing this project, and to Mahtab Grimshaw for bringing this research to life in such an original and impactful way.

Sue Green, School of Health and Care, Faculty of Health, Environmental and Medical Sciences.

A different way of external examining

Last month I had the honour of chairing a committee to review the first three years of the MSc in Midwifery in the Netherlands.  Since all Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in the Netherlands offer this joint degree there is only one in the country.  This national collaboration meant there were very few academics working in the field of midwifery who can claim to be independent.  All midwifery educators/academic midwives are employed by one of the HEIs participating in the joint Master’s degree. Hence, two of the four committee members, including myself came from abroad.

Today’s blog highlights that there is a different way to the UK version of external examining as a form of quality control in Higher Education.  In the UK each undergraduate programme, or year in a programme, or module has its own external examiner, who is appointed typically for three years to act as independent assessor.  External examiners typically reviews all education aspects of the programme/module and discuss their assessment examiners’ meetings held at the host university.  For more details on external examining in the UK, see also:”Acting as External Examiners in the UK: Going Beyond Quality Assurance[1].

The Netherlands and Flemish-speaking Belgium has a single cross-national organisation which is responsible for assessing the quality of higher education degrees.  This organisation, the NVAO [Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders], has an accreditation system that covers Associate Degree, Bachelor’s, and Master’s programmes in the Netherlands.   First, there is the need for initial accreditation of a new programme, valid for a period of six years.  Secondly, the accreditation of an existing programme, which, following a positive assessment, is valid indefinitely, as long as the programmes passes the six-yearly assessment by a panel of independent experts (peers engaged by the NVAO).  Between these periodic assessments there is no equivalent of the UK’s annual external examiners’ meeting.

Reference:

  1. Poobalan, A., Simkhada, P. & van Teijlingen, E. (2021), “Acting as External Examiners in the UK: Going Beyond Quality Assurance“, In: Sengupta, E., Blessinger, P., Ssemwanga, A. & Cozza, B. (Ed.) The Role of External Examining in Higher Education: Challenges and Best Practices (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Vol. 38), Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp. 13-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120210000038002

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

EVENT: Connecting Research and Practice for Age-Friendly Communities

BCP Age Friendly Communities, in partnership with Bournemouth University, are bringing together researchers, practitioners, and community organisations for an event focused on connecting research with real-world practice.

This event offers a valuable opportunity to share, learn, and collaborate around research involving older people.  It will be designed to spark conversation and attendees will have the chance to connect with community organisations and networks supporting older people across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, building relationships that can lead to meaningful collaborations, inclusive involvement opportunities, and future research partnerships.

If you are a researcher, or a practitioner keen to connect with research that reflects lived experience, this is an ideal opportunity to be part of the conversation.

Join us to exchange ideas, build connections, and help shape more age-friendly communities across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole!!

See you there!

Missing Persons Indicator Project Recruitment

As it is the start of 2026 we are now recruiting students to join the Missing Persons Indicator Project.

MPIP offers students the opportunity to engage in applied research in collaboration with International Commission on Missing Persons. Student researchers contribute to the collation, inputting and analysis of data that supports a deeper understanding of how States engage with, and seek to resolve, missing persons cases. This work informs policy and advocacy relevant insights and has practical value for those, such as the ICMP, involved in missing persons investigations and diplomacy.

The past year marked a significant phase for the development of the project. During 2025 the team focused on refining how MPIP data should be presented to external stakeholders and the wider public. Student researchers played a role in this work, and the final format of the public-facing website is due for release in 2026. The project also benefited from engagement with Maastricht University’s Data Governance Master’s programme, where two seminar-style discussions provided valuable perspectives on data governance considerations for public data access.

As with many research initiatives, 2025 also prompted reflection on the potential role of AI tools in supporting the project. Exploring and implementing these ideas will form part of the the next phase of work allowing the incoming cohort of student volunteers to develop and understand ethical use of AI in research projects.

While MPIP is grounded in legal research, students from a variety of disciplines could benefit from participating, including: business, through a data management, governance and AI lens; and sociology/criminology, through missing persons impact on society.

We would be grateful if colleagues could share this opportunity with students who may be interested, or who may benefit from engagement with such research.

Practical details: 

📍 In person at BU (Talbot Campus, Weymouth House, third floor)

⏱️ Approximately 8 hours a month

Snacks available as a thank-you.

👉 Students can register their interest by requesting an expression of interest (EOI) form via indicators@bournemouth.ac.uk

Key Dates: 

📅 Deadline for EOI: Monday 9th February at midday

📅 Interviews: Monday 16th February

More information on the project is available here: https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/projects/missing-persons-indicator-project

BU PhD student newly appointed journal editor

Congratulations to Joanne Rack, PhD student (Clinical Doctorate) in the Faculty of Health , Environment & Medical Sciences (HEMS) who has been appointed this month as the new Editor in Chief of The Practising MidwifeJoanne is doing her Clinical Doctorate in the Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH) specialising in personalised care for women of advanced maternal age (AMA).  This PhD study is matched-funded by University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) NHS Foundation Trust and Bournemouth University.  Her PhD is supervised and supported by Profs. Vanora Hundley and Edwin van Teijlingen at BU and former BU Professor Ann Luce (who has recently moved to the University of the West of Scotland) and Dr. Latha Vinayakarao in Bournemouth Maternity Hospital.

Well done!

Prof. Vanora Hundley & Edwin van Teijlingen

Nursing Research REF Impact in Nepal

The Nepal Nursing Council has made Continuing Professional Development (CPD) compulsory for all nurses and midwives wanting to re-enrol from tomorrow. Starting on 15th January 2025 all nurses and midwives who want to re-register will have to show evidence of having conducted recent training to maintain and enhance their knowledge, skills, and professional competence.  According to the new provision, licences will not be renewed unless applicants have completed a minimum of 60 hours of training within the preceding six years.  This change in regulation is largely driven by research driven by two UK universities, and BU is one of them.

As early as 2016 the research team called for a move to a system of post-registration with compulsory further learning and regular updating of skills, adding that “the introduction of CPD will be beneficial to all nurses in Nepal” [1].  The key argument was that If Nepal does not establish CPD requirements, only some staff will engage with training activities, it will be ad hoc driven by personal interests rather than service needs.  An even greater concern was that staff will seek only the free training made available by either the government and/or INGOs (International Non-Governmental Organisations) rather than CPD most relevant to their current practices.

To generate the evidence that CPD is vital in Nepal, the team led by Dr. Bibha Simkhada conducted interviews with nurse leader in the country to understand perspectives on existing on-the-job training and Continuous Professional Development more generally [2].  Bibha, currently Reader in Nursing at the University of Huddersfield, worked at Bournemouth University for several years during this research.  Next, the researchers conducted focus group discussions with other relevant stakeholders [3].  These research findings were disseminated to stakeholders in Kathmandu, including the NNC (Nepal Nursing Council), MIDSON (Midwifery Society of Nepal), NAN (Nursing Association of Nepal), and the Ministry of Health & Population as well as to a wider audience through a call under the heading ‘Nepal needs Continuing Professional Development for Re-registration in Nursing and Midwifery’ [4].

These papers all argue that promoting CPD benefits the quality of health care.  Indirectly, it builds confidence in the general population as it is guarantee to the individual patient in Nepal that the nurses and midwives, who are treating them, have up-to-date skills and knowledge. In addition, it strengthens the NNC as it supports to professionalise nursing and midwifery in Nepal and bring the standard of nursing and midwifery practices to a higher and internationally comparable level.

The research work at BU was supported by small amounts of QR funding through BU Centre for Excellence in Learning (CEL) in 2016, the Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health in 2018 and the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences in 2019.  This shows that well-designed research conducted by researchers who have insight into the political landscape of health services in Nepal can have a great impact with minimal resources.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen (BU REF lead UoA3)

&

Dr. Vikram Mohan (UoA3 REF Impact Champion)

 

 

References

  1. Simkhada, B, Mackay, S, Khatri, R., Sharma, C.K., Pokhrel, T, Marahatta, S, Angell, C, van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P (2016) Continual Professional Development (CPD): Improving Quality of Nursing Care in Nepal Health Prospect 15 (3):1-3
  2. Khatri R, van Teijlingen E, Marahatta SB, Simkhada P, Mackay S, Simkhada B (2021) Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities for Continuing Professional Development for Nurses: A Qualitative Study with Senior Nurse Leaders in Nepal Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences. 7(1), 15-29.
  3. Simkhada B, van Teijlingen E, Pandey A, Sharma CK, Simkhada P, Singh DR (2023) Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Continuing Professional Development among Nepalese Nurses: A Focus Group Study Nursing Open.10(5).
  4. Simkhada B, van Teijlingen E, Sharma C, Pandey A, Simkhada P. (2023) Nepal needs Continuing Professional Development for Re-registration in Nursing and Midwifery Journal of Nepal Health Research Council, 21(60):541-42.

STEPS Club For Young People to present at the Community Voices Webinar Wednesday 14th January, 12-1pm

We are excited to share that on January 14th we will be welcoming Tom Lane, a Principal Youth Worker at the charity STEPS Club For Young People in Weymouth, to the Community Voices Webinar.

STEPS provides a range of activities, opportunities, projects, awards and support for young people aged 13-19, many of whom are disadvantaged, excluded or vulnerable.

They undertake a significant amount of work supporting young people with a wide range of issues and problems. These include education, training and employment, relationships, bullying, bereavement, drug and alcohol use, crime and anti-social behaviour, self-harm and suicidal ideation, abuse, sexual health and mental health.

We would love to see you there!

Community Voices is a collaboration between BU PIER partnership and Centre for Seldom Heard Voices to provide a platform and a voice to local community activists.

Join the meeting to find out more

Meeting ID: 324 372 201 287 1

Passcode: ug6rJ3c7

Contact Stevie for more information.

Fourth INRC Symposium: From Clinical Applications to Neuro-Inspired Computation

We cordially invite you to the 4th Symposium of the BU Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Research Centre: From Clinical Applications to Neuro-Inspired Computation on Friday, the 16th of January 2026, 9:30-15:00 at the Lees Lecture Theatre (Talbot Campus, Poole House -outside).

This symposium encompasses a journey from clinical case studies to new, emerging experimental and computational methodologies that underpin future translational applications. It is an opportunity for informal discussions on grant proposals and to explore shared interests with our external guests from the NHS and collaborating EU universities.

The schedule is as follows:

9:30 Coffee

9:50 Opening and Welcome Address

10:00-10.50 Dr Michalis Doumas (Queen’s University Belfast): Sensory integration for postural control in healthy ageing and in people living with Parkinson’s.

10:50 Coffee break

11:00-11:50 Session I. Ageing and Neurodegenerative Disorders

Dr Ioanna Markostamou: Naming spatial relations in typical and atypical ageing: At the crossroads of language and perception.

Dr Catherine Talbot: Dementia in the digital age: exploring the promise and pitfalls of social technologies.

11:50-12.50 Lunch break (no lunch provided, but Talbot Campus facilities available)

12.50-13.40 Dr Andre Rupp (Online Talk): Auditory pitch perception and clinical applications.

13:40 Coffee break

14:00-14.50 Session II: Neuro-inspired computation

Dr Anna Metzger: Understanding haptic perception of objects’ shape and material via DNN modelling.

Dr Hongchuan Yu: Waa3D: an open-source platform to benchmark performance of algorithms for automated neuro tracing in light microscopy datasets.

Concluding Remarks + Invitation to everybody to become a member of the INRC network

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Ellen Seiss, eseiss@bournemouth.ac.uk or Emili Balaguer-Ballester, eb-ballester@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Thank you very much; we are looking forward to seeing you there.

Kind regards,

Ellen and Emili, on behalf of all of us.

On Christmas Day in the Morning…

On Christmas Day (25 December 2025) the Journal of Mixed Methods Studies published Dr. Orlanda Harvey’s latest paper ‘Using A Range Of Recruitment Strategies To Recruit Those Who Use Anabolic Androgenic Steroids[1]. The Journal of Mixed Methods Studies is an Open Access journal, hence this paper is freely available to anybody with internet access.

Dr. Harvey is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work in the Faculty of Health, Environment & Medical Sciences. This is the latest in a series of publications based on Orlanda’s Ph.D. work at Bournemouth University.  She has published a steady stream of papers over the past six years [2-7].

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

References:

  1. Harvey, O., van Teijlingen, E., Parrish, M. (2025). Using A Range Of Recruitment Strategies To Recruit Those Who Use Anabolic Androgenic Steroids. Journal of Mixed Methods Studies, 11: 43–60. https://doi.org/10.59455/jomes.42
  2. Harvey, O., van Teijlingen, E., Parrish, M. (2024) Using a range of communication tools to interview a hard-to-reach population, Sociological Research Online 29(1): 221–232 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/13607804221142212
  3. Harvey, O., Keen, S., Parrish, M., van Teijlingen, E. (2019) Support for people who use Anabolic Androgenic Steroids: A Systematic Literature Review into what they want and what they accessBMC Public Health 19: 1024
  4. Harvey, O., Parrish, M., van Teijlingen, E., Trenoweth, S. (2020) Support for non-prescribed Anabolic Androgenic Steroids users: A qualitative exploration of their needs Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy 27:5, 377-386. doi 10.1080/09687637.2019.1705763
  5.  Harvey, O., Parrish, M., van Teijlingen, E, Trenoweth, S. (2022) Libido as a reason to use non-prescribed Anabolic Androgenic Steroids, Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy 29(3):276-288.
  6. Harvey, O., van Teijlingen, E., Parrish, M. (2022) Mixed-methods research on androgen abuse – a review, Current Opinion in Endocrinology & Diabetes 29(6):586-593.
  7. Harvey, O., van Teijlingen, E. (2022) The case for ‘anabolics’ coaches: selflessness versus self-interest? Performance Enhancement & Health 10(3) August, 100230

New Nepal scoping review on maternal & neonatal health

Today, Discover Public Health, published our latest academic paper on maternity and neonatal care in Nepal [1].  Our latest paper ‘A scoping review of interventions to improve maternal and neonatal care in Nepal‘ is lead by Dr. Sharada Prasad Wasti at the University of Greenwich and co-authored by Bournemouth University’s Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen.

For this scoping review we found 418 studies, and twenty were included, which used various interventions that aimed to improve maternal and neonatal health. Five overarching interventions were identified: (1) community-based maternal health literacy; (2) health facility strengthening, including health staff training, (3) mobilisation of female community health volunteers (FCHV) for birth preparedness and identifying danger signs; (4) mobile health messaging, and (5) involving husbands in improving the uptake of maternal and neonatal care. Most interventions were a mixture of activities with a combination of interventions rather than a single intervention.

The authors note that no single intervention is sufficient on its own; indeed, a combination of approaches is needed to improve the uptake of maternal and neonatal care services.

This scientific paper in Discover Public Health is open access and, therefore, freely available worldwide to anybody with internet access.  Interestingly, the journal has added an AI generated summary, despite the fact that we as authors had provided a perfectly useful abstract.

 

Reference:

  1. Wasti, S.P., van Teijlingen, E., Adhikari, N. Morgan, J. (2025) A scoping review of interventions to improve maternal and neonatal care in Nepal. Discover Public Health 22, 855 . https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-01241-x

Bournemouth University Cyber Security Researcher Wins Best Poster Award at HISC 2025

Bournemouth University (BU) is proud to announce that PhD Cyber Security researcher Serdar Akar, has been awarded Best Poster Winner at this year’s High Integrity Software Conference (HISC) 2025, held in Newport, Wales.

HISC is a leading international forum that brings together software engineers and industry practitioners to exchange knowledge, address critical challenges, and strengthen the foundations of a trustworthy software ecosystem.

Serdar’s winning poster, titled Towards Productive Cyber Resilience and Safety Analysis in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), was showcased in the conference’s Future Zone, which highlights innovative research shaping the future of high-integrity software.

Serdar was also recently named the Winner of our BU’s ‘Business Idea Challenge’, organised by the Students’ Union (SUBU). This award recognises a student-led venture that is not only highly feasible but also carries a strong social impact, aligns with the university’s sustainability priorities, and demonstrates impressive potential for future growth.

Serdar said, “To have my work recognised in both academic and entrepreneurial spheres in such a short time is immensely encouraging. It is a great privilege to be able to contribute to the research and innovation environment here at Bournemouth University.

Dr Duncan Ki-Aries at Bournemouth University, commented, “These awards reflect the high calibre of research being undertaken at BU. Serdar’s work contributes to advancing cyber resilience and safety in complex systems, and we are delighted to see it recognised on an international stage.”

Prof Huseyin Dogan mentioned, “There are challenges centred on Model Based Systems Engineering in industry, and we are bridging theoretical benefits with practical applications. Serdar’s PhD will contribute to this domain by integrating cyber resilience and safety analysis through software tool support.”

The recognition underscores Bournemouth University’s commitment to pioneering research towards safer, secure, and more resilient digital infrastructures.

If you’re interested in learning more about these impactful projects, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with Prof. Huseyin Dogan and Dr. Duncan Ki-Aries, and others.

Writing policy briefs

This week saw the publication of ‘Bridging Research and Policy: Practical Tips for Writing Policy Briefs‘ co-authored by Bournemouth University’s (BU) Dr. Pramod Regmi and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen as well as former BU staff Dr. Nirmal Aryal.  An effective policy brief bridges the gap between research findings and policymaking, ensuring that evidence is presented succinctly and in a way that is accessible and usable for policymakers and relevant stakeholders. It is an important step in what is called knowledge mobilisation. However, many researchers find it hard to communicate the findings of their studies to relevant policymakers, whilst policymakers note that the evidence they need is not easily accessible and is often not presented in an accessible format. Producing policy briefs is one of the approaches which academics can use to get their research noticed by policymakers.

This practical paper outlines some of the trials and tribulations of producing policy briefs, based on real-world research. It offers several recommendations to help improve the writing and dissemination of policy briefs.  The paper is published in an Open Access journal hence freely available to anybody across the globe with internet access.

 

References:

  1. van Teijlingen, E., Balen, J., Regmi, P., Rushton, S., Simkhada, P., Aryal, N. (2025). Bridging Research and Policy: Practical Tips for Writing Policy Briefs. Journal of Health Promotion13(1),:89–96. https://doi.org/10.3126/jhp.v13i1.87170

 

Up2U: New BU academic publication

Congratulations to the interdisciplinary BU team on the publication of the paper ‘Up2U: designing and validating a new evidence-based programme for perpetrators of domestic abuse who want to change’ in Frontiers in Psychology [1].   The new paper is part of the series ‘The Dynamics of Emotion Regulation and Aggressiveness in Gender-Based Violence Contexts’, and it appeared in an Open Access journal and is therefore easily accessible.

Domestic abuse is a pervasive issue rooted in patterns of power and control, contributing to a significant number of high-harm offenses both in the UK and internationally. While programmes have been aiming to disrupt abusive cycles through the understanding and recognition of harm, there is widespread disagreement on what effective interventions should look like. This paper addresses this gap.

The authors of this paper include both psychologists and social workers, as well as a student co-author.  The lead author, Terri Cole, is a Principal Academic in Forensic Psychology.

 

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

 

Reference:

  1. Cole, T., Oliver, L., Harvey, O., Healy, J., Sperryn, A., Barbin, A. (2025) Up2U: designing and validating a new evidence-based programme for perpetrators of domestic abuse who want to change, Frontiers in Psychology, Volume 16 – 28 Nov.2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1676490