Hai Luu (PhD student working with Prof Genoveva Esteban and Dr Iain Green in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, SciTech) travelled to her home country of Vietnam where she organised a seminar on microscopic life for 20 undergraduate students of the Aqua-Agriculture Faculty at Travinh University. Students collected samples from freshwater ponds, and observed the single-celled and other microscopic organisms that thrive in such habitats; they also studied their diversity in soil samples. Hai Luu gave a presentation about the diversity of organisms that constitute the unicellular protists, including micro-algae, protozoa, and slime molds. This event was a great opportunity for the students to recognise the biodiversity of micro-organisms in soils and fresh waters, and to understand the important role they play in food webs. The seminar was the first of its kind at Travinh University, and a unique opportunity to disseminate the research we do in this field at BU to a wider audience. Excellent feedback was received from the enthusiastic group of students.
Category / PG research
This part of the blog features news and information for postgraduate research students and supervisors
ADRC attend 4th EU Falls Festival, Manchester, UK
Dr Samuel Nyman and Yolanda Barrado-Martín from the Psychology Department and Ageing and Dementia Research Centre (ADRC) attended the 4th EU Falls Festival in Manchester on 2nd and 3rd July 2018.
International researchers met in Manchester to learn about current projects under the theme, “New Solutions to Old Problems: Ensuring sustainability of falls prevention interventions”. Yolanda Barrado-Martín presented a poster entitled: “How is Tai Chi received by people living with dementia and their informal carers?” Attendants showed interest in the poster over the two day conference and voted Yolanda´s as the second best poster of the conference!
This year’s conference included sessions around Cochrane Updates on falls preventions, the use of new technologies to prevent falls, epidemiology and the implementation of research into practice. This year there was also a space for specific conditions such as dementia and the use of “qigong” to improve balance and prevent falls amongst older adults, which made this conference particularly relevant for the TACIT Team.
You can learn more and keep updated about the TACIT Trial via the following links:
The TACIT Trial Facebook page.
The TACIT Trial YouTube video:
Successful Midwifery Education conference at BU
In the first week of July Bournemouth University ran its second international midwifery education conference in the Executive Business Centre. This year’s conference was called ‘What works in midwifery education? A conference run by midwifery educators for midwifery educators.’ CMMPH (Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health) brought together nearly 100 delegates on Thursday and Friday (July 5-6). There were presentations and posters from midwifery educators based in in all four countries of the UK, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Australia, resulting in lively stimulating debates.
The conference organisers has teamed up with the leading scientific journal in the field Midwifery (published by Elsevier). To coincide with BU’s conference Midwifery published this month its special issue on Midwifery Education. This special issue was introduced at the conference by Dutch midwife Dr. Ans Luyben, one of the special issue’s editors.
The conference awarded two prizes for the best poster. One prize was for the best academic poster and one voted by the conference audience. The former prize was won by a poster from NHS Education for Scotland. The public’s poster prize was won by a poster from the University of Bradford jointly produced by film students and student midwives.
The main conference organisers Dr. Catherine Angell and Dr. Sue Way from CMMPH said afterwards that the success of the conference means that CMMPH will organise a third midwifery education conference run for and by educators in three years’ time.
Working as a Student Research Assistant with the ADRC – some thoughts by Dorian Crudgington
After completing the second year of my Biological Sciences course I wished to gain some formal research experience so I applied to be a Student Research Assistant with the Ageing and Dementia Research Centre at Bournemouth University. Understanding the significance of dementia related problems, I was excited and proud to get involved with research on such a problematic and widespread condition, and to work alongside Professor Jane Murphy.
The project aim was to evaluate the impact and use of a learning resource and training video produced by the Ageing and Dementia Research Centre. I was provided with a well-structured plan for my 4-week project. Principally, this involved collating data from a questionnaire regarding the resource’s usefulness, analysing the results using qualitative methods, and producing a report of the results.
I got stuck in quickly and within hours I had already mastered aspects of Excel and Word I had never used previously. As the work began to develop momentum, data analysis became the next task to be executed. My course has always prioritised quantitative data analysis due to the nature of data usually obtained, and I had no prior experience working with qualitative data. By the end of the third week I had delved into various approaches in the field of qualitative research, and had conducted a thematic analysis of over 400 questionnaire answers.
Prior to this experience, the research process was alien to me. However now I have knowledge of the different stages involved and the fundamental organisational skills required, which has really helped me plan and develop ideas for the independent research project in my final year. I have really enjoyed the project and have developed incredibly useful skills as well as learning about nutritional care for people who have dementia.
Free Freshwater Advanced Training Course open for applications
Professor Genoveva Esteban (Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology) in collaboration with the Freshwater Biological Association, is running an Advanced Training Course on Freshwater Taxonomy and Field Identification Skills for PhD students, early-career researchers, and post-grads.
The course has been funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and has a maximum of 20 places available for UK-based applicants. Travel (up to £100) and accommodation are covered. The course will be based at the River Laboratory in Dorset, 24th-28th September 2018.
To find out more and to apply visit: https://www.fba.org.uk/courses
Deadline is now 31st July 2018.
If you require further information please contact Genoveva Esteban gesteban@bournemouth.ac.uk
BU Libraries are open all through the Summer
Both BU libraries (Bournemouth House Library at Lansdowne and The Sir Michael Cobham Library at Talbot) will be open over the summer break and library staff will be available for help and advice. Check the website for full details of the library opening hours over the holidays. A helpful guide on library facilities for research outlines the full range of services and resources that are accessible all year round.
If studying at home over the break, loanable items can be borrowed for the whole of the vacation. Also, the e-journals and e-books that BU subscribes to are all available off campus. Detailed help in accessing e-resources off campus is available online in our library guide. If researchers are staying here in Bournemouth, there is plenty of quiet study space and computers in the library, as well as printing, copying and scanning facilities.
Note that due to essential maintenance work by IT Services, the libraries will be closed on the following dates although e-resources will continue to be available off-campus as usual:
Saturday 30 June: Bournemouth House Library closed all day.
Saturday 14 July: The Sir Michael Cobham Library closed all day.
Both libraries will be closed on bank holiday Monday 27 August.
BU’s PGR Isabell Nessel presenting at the 13th Congress of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids in Las Vegas
The International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) www.ISSFAL.org held its 13th International Congress in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA at the end of May. After a very informative Satellite Symposium (Arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids in infant development), the Congress started with a welcome reception in the Tropicana Hotel. This was not only well attended by the approximately 500 delegates from all over the world, but also Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra made an appearance.
The following 3 days were packed with excellent and informative sessions about General Nutrition, Maternal and Infant Nutrition, Inflammation and Allergy, Clinical Trials 
Methodology and Ketoneurotherapeutics. In between, well-known researchers in the field presented their research in plenary talks. Dr Michael Crawford obtained an omega-3 research award and Dr Maria Makrides was awarded with the Alexander Leaf Award. Her presentation entitled “Standing on the shoulders of giants: great women role models, mentors and advocates” was really inspiring.
I would like to thank ISSFAL for the opportunity to present my PhD research. My presentation was entitled “Optimising LCPUFA content of donor human milk: A review of current milk
banking practices and recommendations for improvement”, presenting the results of our UK Milk Bank survey, which is now extended internationally. Furthermore, I had two posters displaying our work on preterm formula milk storage conditions and lipid degradation; and the effects of lipid degradation products on intestinal cells in vitro. These presentations gave me the possibility to position myself in the fatty acid research world and to make valuable contacts.
ISSFAL was especially taking care of us New Investigators, providing New Investigator Awards, organising a New Investigator social at the Mob Museum for networking with other researchers at a similar stage, as well as organising a meet the professor breakfast to talk to the experts in the field. One of the none scientific highlights was of course our trip to the Grand Canyon on the free day.
I would also like to thank my supervisors Dr Simon Dyall and Prof Minesh Khashu for their ongoing support as well as Gillian Weaver and Dr Caroline Childs for the fantastic collaborations. Furthermore, I would like to thank Bournemouth University and Santander for making this trip possible.
If you would like to learn more about our research, please feel free to contact me at inessel@bournemouth.ac.uk
Isabell
SciTech PGR Aishah Selamat Discusses On Her Research Impact with UK Data Service
SciTech PGR Aishah Selamat from the Creative Technology Department is one of UK Data Service 2018 Data Impact Fellow. Here in this video, she discusses her research using machine learning to build an analytical model for SMEs in the private coach hire industry and the research impact using UK Data Service open data.
Health & migration research in Nepal & India #BUFoL18
Festival of Learning event 2018 with an international flavour: exploring recent research projects undertaken in Nepal by staff from the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences. The event focuses on Nepali migrant workers in India, women and migration and explores the health and social issues of transgender and the use of hormone therapy in male-to-female transitioning populations in Nepal.
Fusion Building: Create Lecture Theatre, Bournemouth University on Saturday 16 June 2018 from 5.00-6.00PM
Free tickets can be found here!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen, Dr Pramod Regmi & Prof Padam Simkhada (BU Visiting Faculty)
Calling all PGRs – Postgraduate Research Community Questionnaire (1 Week Left)
The Doctoral College is conducting research into postgraduate researcher communities and we would love to hear our PGRs views.
Thank you to everyone who has completed the questionnaire so far.
The questionnaire is open for just one more week and should only take 10-15 minutes to complete (no log-in required).
>>>>> Click here to access the questionnaire <<<<<<
Drinks voucher available for all that complete the questionnaire.
If you have any questions please contact Natalie (nstewart@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Clare (ccutler@bournemouth.ac.uk).
Doctoral College June NVivo Workshops – open to all
The Doctoral College is hosting two NVivo workshops. If you would like to attend either of these workshops please follow the instructions below.
- Introduction to NVivo – 19th June (click here to book)
- Advanced NVivo – 20th June (email pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk )
Please note that to book onto the Advanced NVivo workshop you need to attend the Introduction to NVivo first.
LAST CHANCE to book for NIHR Grant Applications Seminar & Support Event – 26 June 2018
Last chance to book for this with the deadline just over a week away…
Are you planning to submit a grant application to NIHR?
We are holding a one-day event in Bournemouth that is aimed at helping you to improve your chances of success.
The morning seminar session is open to anyone to come and hear Simon Goodwin, RfPB Programme Manager for the South West, and RDS advisers give presentations on what makes a good grant proposal. Topics covered will include:
- what does the NIHR (and in particular RfPB) look for?
- the application as a marketing document: selling the topic, selling the method, and selling the team
- the team
- clarity of description and explanation
- feasibility issues
- identifying and avoiding potential pitfalls.
The afternoon support session of one-to-one appointments is for those who would like to discuss their own proposal with an RDS adviser.
This event is FREE and refreshments and lunch will be provided. Places are limited and will be allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. In order to secure your place please register using our online form by 1pm, 18 June 2018. Find out more.
And don’t forget, your local branch of the NIHR Research Design Service is based within the BU Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU) on the 5th floor of Royal London House. Feel free to pop in and see us, call us on 61939 or send us an email.
New paper by Cici Alexander for the ‘LEAP: Landscape Ecology and Primatology’ team
EU-funded postdoc Cici Alexander completed her 2 year position with Ross Hill and Amanda Korstjens in September 2017. In this time she analysed LiDAR and UAV imaging data to identify trees and forest structural characteristics for the tropical forests that LEAP works at in Indonesia. The newest paper is hot off the press while another paper is in review. In the new paper, Cici shows a method of using drone-mounted cameras to measure and identify tree structures and variation to locate emergent trees at LEAP’s main field site Sikundur, Sumatra, Indonesia. Emergent trees are important for primate sleep sites and serve many other essential roles in tropical forests, but they are also the most vulnerable trees to selective logging.
The work is done in collaboration with our charity partners (Matt Nowak, Graham Usher) at Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme, and Serge Wich from Liverpool John Moores University as well as Dr Abdullah from our international partner Universitas Syiah Kuala. Authors also include ISLHE-LEAP PhD student Emma Hankinson and LEAP MRes student Nathan Harris who were vital in verifying the method on the ground.
Alexander et al. LEAP paper
(Special limited duration paper access link: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1XAhj14ynSEdoi).
Her first two papers were technical notes on:
‘Influence of micro-topography and crown characteristics on tree height estimations in tropical forests based on LiDAR canopy height models‘ 2018
‘Structural attributes of individual trees for identifying homogeneous patches in a tropical rainforest‘ 2017
Based on LiDAR data from Batang Toru, Sumatra, Indonesia where the newly identified and highly threatened Tapanuli orangutans occur and a planned dam is threatening the ecosystem.
For more information on the ‘LEAP: Landscape Ecology and Primatology’ research group, visit our website or like our facebook page. Our work featured also in the BU2012-2018 review (p17).
Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Booking Now Open – Spaces Limited
Booking for the Three Minute Thesis Competition is now open.
Thursday 7 June 2018, 17:30 – 19:00
This event will challenge PhD students to share their research in one static PowerPoint slide in 3 minutes.
Come along to support them.
This event will be followed by a networking opportunity.
Presentation list and times to come.
Medical Research showcase at CoPMRE’s Spring Visiting Faculty Day
The Centre of Postgraduate Medical Research & Education (CoPMRE) held its Spring Visiting Faculty Day at the Executive Business Centre. Fourteen posters (VF Programme Spring 2018) were presented showcasing the breadth of collaborative projects being undertaken by BU and local clinicians. The Best Poster prize was awarded to Dr Paul Whittington, Department of Computing & Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, for his presentation entitled Automatic Detection of User Abilities through the SmartAbility Framework. Professor Tamas Hickish, judge, felt that all the posters were excellent and address important health care issues. Paul’s poster was chosen as the research was generated by a deep understanding of disability, the use a mobile phone technology and generalisability to significant areas of health care need such as stroke and frailty. As such his work is scalable and feasible.
Visiting Faculty Days are a great opportunity to share innovative ideas and research. The event was very well received and links for possible further collaboration have already been formed as a result of networking. Our next Visiting Faculty Day will be held in December.
BU research helping charities achieving sustainable privacy by design
Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash
In November 2017, we were awarded funding through RKEO’s Charity Impact Acceleration fund to work help a local charity — StreetScene — prepare them for the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). At the time, many charities were well aware of what GDPR was and the penalties for non-compliance. However, the guidance made available to them by the ICO was general and costly to implement in terms of time and resources. Our thoughts summarising the dilemmas faced by charities facing GDPR were recently covered by The Conversation.
Using work from her doctoral research, Jane Henriksen-Bulmer has devised a customised Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) process for charities, which she is now putting into practice at StreetScene. This helps them evaluate how privacy impacts their business workflows, and the privacy risks they face.
To help other charities benefit from this work, we will be running a free GDPR for Charities workshop on June 11th at the EBC. The workshop will share the results of this work with around 50 participants who work for or with local charities, and provide hands-on training on the process and complementary design techniques and software tools that charities can put into immediate practice. We’ll also be running a panel with invited speakers to discuss the challenges that small charities face with GDPR.
Although this work is helping local charities, we hope our work leads to more debate on how everyone (and not just big business) can ‘build in’ sustainable security and privacy.
Postgraduate Researcher Specialist Training- Spaces Available
Postgraduate Researchers make sure you are GDPR compliant by this Friday 25 May 2018
*Managing Research Data – Legal Compliance and Record Management – Tuesday 22 May 2018 – 14:00-16:00 Book Now
Specialist Training
*Introduction to NVivo – Thursday 24 May 2018 – 09:00-16:00 Book Now
*Advanced NVivo – Friday 25 May 2018 – 09:00-16:00
email pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk to book
*Please note these sessions are for PGRs only, bookings will be closely monitored.
New BU mental health paper published
Congratulations to FHSS students Folashade Alloh and Igoche Onche who found out today that their ‘Mental health in low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC): Going beyond the need for funding’ has been accepted for publication by the editors of Health Prospect. The paper is co-authored by FHSS staff Dr Pramod Regmi, Prof Edwin van Teijlingen and Dr Steven Trenoweth. Health Prospect is an Open Access journal.
More than 70% of the global mental health burden occurs in many low-and middle-income countries (LMIC). The paper discusses mental health issues in LMIC under different themes such as abuse and mental illness, cultural influence on mental health, need for dignity in care, meeting financial and workforce gaps and the need for national health policy for mental health sector. The paper highlights that mental health education and health care services in most LMIC is poorly resourced; however, there is an urgent need to address issues beyond funding that contribute to poor mental health. In order to meet the increasing challenge of mental health illness in LMIC, there is a need for effort to address cultural and professional practices that contribute to poor mental health among individuals. The authors argue that mental health should be integrated into primary health care in LMIC. Creating awareness on impact of some cultural attitudes/practices will encourage better uptake of mental health services and increase the ease of discussing mental health issues in these countries which will contribute to reducing stigma faced by mental health patients.
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