BU Research Blog

1 February 2020

LGBT History Month Art Exhibitions

The Lighthouse Poole, Mezzanine Gallery and Lees Gallery, BU Talbot campus are currently exhibiting artwork about Bournemouth-based Communi-T members’ past and present experiences of swimming and aquatic activity. The art materials, swim sessions and accompanying research were funded through a combination of British Academy, Leisure Studies Association and Bournemouth University. The exhibitions include professionally drawn illustrations, drawings from Communi-T members and their words spoken during interview and focus group research.

The research found that exclusive use of the BHLive swimming pool facility at Pelhams in Bournemouth provided positive opportunity for transgender participation; participation benefited individual’s wellbeing. The project is based on 14 months of monthly 1-hour swimming sessions. The sessions – funded by various sources – enabled private hire of the pool.

For members of the group their previous experiences of visiting a swimming pool caused a number of difficulties, especially the use of changing rooms and what to wear in the water. They often felt intimidated by public pools. Many reported feeling fearful and that they would be excluded simply because they are transgender.

“I remember how terrified I was, how afraid I was of being judged … of anybody discovering that I was pre-op. I understand why any trans person would not want to go near a public pool because everything about it tends to be binary gendered.”

Common feelings before the swim sessions included feeling anxious, nervous, stressed, self-conscious, dysphoria, awkward, worried and excited. Being in the water meant that many of the group felt liberated and afterwards felt: happy, content, relaxed, confident, healthy, body confident, refreshed, peaceful, energised and motivated to do more exercise.

“Having the session gives me confidence and is fun and relaxing and allows me to connect with the water.”

“Even though I’m just splashing around, it is good fun. It reminds me of being a kid. We used to go when I was a kid and we used to splash about. I look forward to it.”

“It gives me a chance to interact with other people … And, it’s also fun! Right!”

“It put me in a really good mood. I was knackered. It made me feel good.”

One of the main findings from the project is that the opportunity to have exclusive use of a pool means that group members felt safe, especially as they transition. For transgender, and non-binary, people this feeling of safety is paramount to physical activity participation.

“It’s all about having a safe space. Knowing that no one is there to judge us that we’re not going to get stared at. You just know that it’s going to be completely safe and you’re going to be completely accepted”.

“I nearly did it as a sport when I was younger and then I came out and didn’t swim again. I tried it one time before our swimming group and was like: ‘never doing that again’. I was wearing a waterproof tank top designed for a pool. A lifeguard came over and said: ‘why are you wearing that in the pool?’ I actually just outed myself: ‘I’m transgender, this is the only way I can swim’ … I decided it wasn’t a safe space. But, now, it’s a really nice way for me to swim [with the group].”

Lighthouse, Poole Exhibition: Art Event Flyer-4

Curator: Rochelle Gough

Researchers: Jayne Caudwell & Carly Stewart

31 January 2020

Standing up for Science workshop: Manchester Friday 27 March

Public engagement ballen

The next Standing up for Science workshop is taking place in Manchester on Friday 27 March 2020. Find out how to make your voice heard in public debates about science and evidence.

This full-day event will be held at the University of Manchester Friday 27 March 2020 from 10am – 5pm

Meet researchers who have engaged with the media, learn from policymakers about why good evidence is important for them and how researchers can help to inform policy. Respected science journalists will talk about how the media works, how to respond and comment, and what journalists expect from scientists and researchers.

Get hints and tips from communications experts on how you can start standing up for science, and find out how to involve the public in communicating research.

This full-day event is FREE and for all STEM and social science early career researchers (PhD students, post-docs or equivalent in first job), trainees and medical professionals.

This is run as part of Voice of Young Science network, nearly 4,000 early career researchers from across Europe who are committed to taking an active role in public discussions of science and evidence.

Apply for your free place here

Application deadline: 5pm on Thursday 20 February

For more details, email Dr Hamid Khan: hamid@senseaboutscience.org

Alternatively, please can contact Adam Morris Engagement Officer publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

30 January 2020

BU academic feature article in national paper Nepal

international, Knowledge Exchange, open access, Public engagement, Publishing, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Congratulations to Dr. Pramod Regmi, lecturer in International Health, whose article ‘Hazards of Beauty’ featured in Republica, a national daily newspaper published in English in Nepal. Many transgender people who are using hormones are mostly attracted by its short-term benefit of amplification in their feminine look and seem to be ignorant about its dark side. This newspaper article highlights the key issues of a recent paper in BMJ Open published by staff in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences on transgender in Nepal [1].

Reference:

Regmi PR, van Teijlingen E, Neupane SR, Marahatta, SB. (2019) Hormone use among Nepali transgender women: a qualitative study BMJ Open 9:e030464. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030464

23 January 2020

New Scientist Live 2020: Submission Deadline Friday 31 January

Public engagement ballen

Bringing Science To Life

Do you have an amazing talk, performance or workshop that you would like to be included in the New Scientist Live 2020 programme? The organisers are looking for submissions that will excite, entertain and educate an audience of highly engaged science and technology lovers.

Based on visitor, speaker and exhibitor feedback, there are a few changes to this year’s event. The zones are being reformatted to include;

Our Planet
Mind & Body
Future
Universe

Alongside the theatres in these zones, will be a Debating Theatre and the Performance area will return after the success of last year.

This year’s event will take place on 15 – 18 October at ExCel London

Check out the highlights from 2019 here to find out why you should get involved in New Scientist Live 2020!

Submit your programme idea here

Deadline for submissions: Friday 31 January

If you would like advice on planning or submitting your application or to discuss ideas, please contact Adam Morris Engagement Officer publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

22 January 2020

Reminder: Applications Closing Soon for British Science Festival 2020

Public engagement ballen

Reminder: British Science Festival 2020 applications closing soon!

Proposal deadline: Monday 17 February at 5pm

Each year, thousands of people come together to celebrate the latest developments in research and engage in open discussion about issues affecting our culture and society. Through a mixture of traditional and creative formats, it focuses on showcasing cutting-edge science and technology.

The Festival will be hosted by Anglia Ruskin University and will be taking place from the 8-12 September in Chelmsford and Essex. All events will be free to attend!

Call for proposals

The open call is an opportunity for anyone to submit an event idea. Festival proposals should be aimed at non-specialist adults (16+) with a broad interest in science. During the week, Festival events will take place in the daytime on the university campus, followed by events throughout the city each evening. To close the Festival, there will be a final celebration over the weekend. The programme is aimed at a range of formats from talks to drop-in activities and creative content that challenges perceptions of what science is and can be.

Proposal deadline: Monday 17 February at 5pm

More information including the application process and FAQs, can be found here.

If you’re thinking about submitting a proposal, please chat with the Festival team before completing the form.

Please contact anna.woolman@britishscienceassociation.org

Alternatively if you would like advice on planning or submitting your application or to discuss ideas, you can contact Adam Morris (Engagement Officer) publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

21 January 2020

Join the first BU Public Engagement Network meeting Tues 28 Jan

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement Adam Morris

You are invited to attend the first BU Public Engagement Network meeting, in FG04 from 1:30-2:30pm Tuesday 28 January. Please email publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk to be invited to the meeting, so we have an idea of numbers for catering.

This initial meeting will establish the network, which aims to provide opportunities for sharing experience and expertise, as well as networking opportunities for staff interested in public engagement with research.

The network will be for BU staff, though we hope to welcome external speakers in future.

Agenda

At this first meeting, we will hear from Dr Emma Kavanagh and Dr Adi Adams from the Sport department about their creative methods for public engagement; turning research into an exhibition at last year’s ESRC Festival of Social Science.

We’ll also introduce the public engagement team and explain the support available to you for public engagement and impact.

This will also be your opportunity to help define the direction of the network. We’ll discuss how to make the network work best for you, in terms of content and meeting arrangements, as well as what you want from a regular newsletter.

Please come along, network with colleagues, meet the public engagement team and enjoy drinks and snacks.

Contact publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk with any questions.

Reminder

We are re-running our public engagement training sessions this Spring, with ‘Getting started with public engagement with research‘ on 11 March, ‘High quality public engagement‘ on 29 April and ‘Evaluation: developing your approach‘ on 13 May.

15 January 2020

Einstein’s Garden at Green Man Festival 2020: Applications now open!

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

Einstein’s Garden at the Green Man Festival 2020: Applications now open!

Einstein’s Garden is Green Man’s area for creative engagement with science, nature and technology. Each year a lineup is created which fuses performance, art, music and research to bring the world around us and our questions about it to life in the most unique ways.

Organisers are looking for research groups and any other science/nature/technology-minded people that would like to bring a stall to Einstein’s Garden with the aim of engaging festival audiences with their work.

Your stall can explore any aspect of science or tech research, nature, curiosity or questions about the world around us, which you’ll bring to life in a unique way to engage the audiences. Stalls should include as much interactivity and participation as possible.

Rather than giving out leaflets or bringing roll-up banners, think about how your stall can be visually striking and offer an activity that will attract people within a festival environment.

More information about Einstein’s Garden can be found here.

Apply now to take part The first deadline for applications is midnight on Friday 6 March 2020, applications submitted by this time will be considered first and advised of their outcome throughout March and early April 2020.

There will be a second deadline for applications (if there are spaces left) at 5pm on Friday 10 April 2020. These will be advised of their outcomes in May 2020.

Please direct any questions to sophie@greenman.net or for more information or help with the application process, please contact Adam Morris at publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

14 January 2020

Local public venues looking for speakers

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement Adam Morris

Two local organisations are currently looking to host talks from academics who can talk about their research to a public audience.

Blandford Library and Sunrise Senior Living are both looking to arrange talks for the year ahead, expecting audiences of roughly 20-30 people each. At Blandford Library, this is likely to be a variety of people from the local community, at Sunrise this will be residents mostly from assisted living facilities.

If you think that this opportunity would be effective public engagement for your project, and would like to know more, please contact Adam Morris at publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

14 January 2020

Cafe Scientifique Tuesday 4 February: Crooked picture frames and ageing of perception

Public engagement ballen

Café Scientifique takes place on the first Tuesday evening of the month at Café Boscanova

Enjoy listening to a short talk from our guest speaker before engaging in debate and discussion around that topic.

We’ll be joined by Dr Sharon Docherty on Tuesday 4 February 7:30-9pm (doors open at 6:30pm) No need to book, make sure you get there early though as seats fill up fast!

Crooked picture frames and ageing of perception

How we experience the environment around us involves the brain combining information from our different sensory systems. Something as ‘simple’ as staying upright involves signals from our inner ears, joints and eyes. Join us to discover how our perception of upright changes throughout our lifetime, and how different medical conditions can affect this. It may also make you reconsider whether your picture frames are straight.

If you have any questions please do get in touch

Find out more about Café Scientifique and sign up to our mailing list to hear about other research events: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/cafe-sci

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter

23 December 2019

BU academics publish election analysis report within 10 days of the result

open access, Public engagement, Publishing Daniel Jackson

And just in time for Christmas!

UK Election Analysis 2019: Media, Voters and the Campaign, edited by Daniel Jackson, Einar Thorsen, Darren Lilleker and Nathalie Weidhase.

Featuring 85 contributions from over 100 leading academics and emerging scholars, this free publication captures the immediate thoughts, reflections and early research insights on the 2019 UK General Election from the cutting edge of media and politics research.

Published just 10 days after the election, these contributions are short and accessible. Authors provide authoritative analysis of the campaign, including research findings or new theoretical insights; to bring readers original ways of understanding the election and its consequences. Contributions also bring a rich range of disciplinary influences, from political science to cultural studies, journalism studies to geography.

The publication is available as a free downloadable PDF, as a website and as a paperback report.

Website URL: http://www.electionanalysis.uk

Direct PDF download: http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33165/7/UKElectionAnalysis2019_Jackson-Thorsen-Lilleker-and-Weidhase_v1.pdf

Thanks to all of our contributors and production staff who helped make the quick turnaround possible. We hope it makes for a vibrant and engaging read!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Truth, Lies and Civic Culture

1. Delusions of democracy
Natalie Fenton
2. What’s the election communication system like now?
Jay Blumler
3. The rules of the campaign found wanting
Alan Renwick
4. Sorry, not sorry: hubris, hate and the politics of shame
Karen Ross
5. The “coarsening” of campaigns
Dan Stevens, Susan Banducci, Laszlo Horvath and André Krouwel
6. Online hate and the “nasty” election
Helen Margetts and Bertie Vidgen
7. GE2019 was not a Brexit election: trust and credibility, anti-politics and populism
Matt Flinders
8. The online public shaming of political candidates in the 2019 General Election
Mark Wheeler
9. Strategic lying: the new game in town
Ivor Gaber
10. Fact-checkers’ attempts to check rhetorical slogans and misinformation
Jen Birks
11. The election where British fourth estate journalism moved closer to extinction
Aeron Davis
12. Rethinking impartiality in an age of political disinformation
Stephen Cushion
13. Fake news, emotions, and social media
Karin Wahl Jorgensen
14. Unleashing optimism in an age of anxiety
Candida Yates

Voters, Polls and Results

15. Boris’s missing women
Jessica Smith
16. An expected surprise? An evaluation of polls and seat forecasts during the campaign.
Matt Wall and Jack Tudor
17. Unprecedented interest or more of the same? Turnout in the 2019 election
Ron Johnston and Charles Pattie
18. Cartographic perspectives of the 2019 General Election
Benjamin Hennig
19. Tactical voting advice sites
Chris Hanretty
20. Another election, another disappointment: Young people vote left and are left behind at GE2019
James Sloam and Matt Henn
21. Divided we fall: Was Nigel Farage the kingmaker of the Johnson victory?
Pippa Norris

The Nations

22. A renewed electoral pitch for independence in Wales
Siim Trumm
23. “It’s the constitution, eejit”: Scotland and the agenda wars
Michael Higgins
24. Gender takes to the shade in Scotland
Fiona McKay
25. The election in Northern Ireland: A route back to Stormont?
Jonathan Tonge
26. ‘Remain alliance’ win the BBC Northern Ireland Leaders’ debate (online at least)
Paul Reilly

Parties and the Campaign

27. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something EU
Russell Foster
28. ‘Weak and wobbly’ to ‘get Brexit done’: 2019 and Conservative campaigns
Anthony Ridge-Newman
29. Conservative victories in Labour heartlands in the 2019 General Election
Peter Reeves
30. Corbyn and Johnson’s strategic narratives on the campaign trail
Pawel Surowiec, Victoria Copeland and Nathan Olsen
31. More Blimp, less Gandhi: the Corbyn problem
Darren Lilleker
32. The Media and the Manifestos: why 2019 wasn’t 2017 redux for the Labour party
Mike Berry
33. Down a slippery rope… is Britain joining the global trends towards right-wing populism?
Mona Moufahim
34. The Brexit Party’s impact – if any
Pete Dorey
35. Farage: Losing the battle to win the war
Pippa Norris
36. Party election broadcasts … Actually?
Vincent Campbell
37. GE 2019: lessons for political branding
Jenny Lloyd
38. The postmodern election
Barry Richards

Policy and Strategy

39. The uses and abuses of the left-right distinction in the campaign
Jonathan Dean
40. Entitlement and incoherence: Centrist ‘bollocks’
Matthew Johnson
41. Brexit doesn’t mean Brexit, but the pursuit of power
Thom Brooks
42. What ever happened to euroscepticism?
Simon Usherwood
43. Immigration in the 2019 General Election Campaign
Kerry Moore
44. Immigration in party manifestos. Threat or resource?
Elena-Alina Dolea
45. Foreign policy in the 2019 election
Victoria Honeyman
46. Post-Brexit ‘Global Britain’ as the theatre of the New Cold War
Roman Gerodimos
47. The Rorschach Election: How the US narrates UK politics
Victor Pickard
48. If everyone has a mandate…surely nobody has a mandate?
Mark Shephard
49. The climate election that wasn’t
David McQueen
50. Is this a climate election (yet)?
Jenny Alexander
51. Movement-led electoral communication: Extinction Rebellion action and party policy in the media
Abi Rhodes

The Digital Campaign

52. Digital campaign regulation: more urgent than ever?
Kate Dommett and Sam Power
53. Did the Conservatives embrace social media in 2019?
Richard Fletcher
54. #GE2019 – Labour owns the Tories on Instagram, the latest digital battlefield
Matt Walsh
55. Spot the difference: how Nicola Sturgeon and Jo Swinson self-represented on Twitter
Sally Osei-Appiah
56. “Go back to your student politics”? Momentum, the digital campaign, and what comes next
James Dennis and Susana Sampaiao Dias
57. Taking the Tube
Alec Charles
58. The politics of deletion in social media campaigns
Marco Bastos
59. “Behind the curtain of the targeting machine” – Political parties A/B testing in action
Tristan Hotham
60. Against opacity, outrage & deception in digital political campaigning
Vian Bakir and Andrew McStay
61. The explosion of the public sphere
Martin Moore and Gordon Ramsay
62. Big chickens, dumbfakes, squirrel killers: was 2019 the election where ‘shitposing’ went mainstream?
Rosalynd Southern

News and Journalism

63. Time to fix our TV debates
Nick Anstead
64. What was all that about, then? The media agenda in the 2019 General Election
David Deacon et al
65. Pluralism or partisanship? Calibrating punditry on BBC2’s Politics Live
James Morrison
66. Hero and villain: the media’s role in identity management
Jagon Chichon
67. Traditional majoritarian conceptions of UK politics pose a dilemma for the media in elections
Louise Thompson
68. #GE2019: A tale of two elections?
Aljosha Karim Schapals
69. Boxing clever: negotiating gender in campaign coverage during the 2019 General Election
Emily Harmer
70. Press distortion of public opinion polling: what can, or should, be done?
Steve Barnett
71. The final verdict: patterns of press partisanship
Dominic Wring and David Deacon
72. The class war election
Des Freedman
73. An uncertain future for alternative online media?
Declan McDowell-Naylor and Richard Thomas

Personality politics and Pop Culture

74. Tune in, turn away, drop out: Emotionality and the decision not to stand
Beth Johnson and Katy Parry
75. Last fan standing: Jeremy Corbyn supporters in the 2019 General Election
Cornel Sandvoss
76. Linguistic style in the Johnson vs Corbyn televised debates of the 2019 General Election campaign
Sylvia Shaw
77. Order! Order! The Speaker, celebrity politics and ritual performance
Marcel Broersma
78. What is Boris Johnson?
John Street
79. Creating Boris: Nigel Farage and the 2019 election
Neil Ewen
80. Boris the clown – the effective performance of incompetence
Lone Sorensen
81. Political humour and the problem of taking Boris seriously
Andrew Glencross
82. Joking: uses and abuses of humour in the election campaign
Sophie Quirk, Tom Sharkey and Ed Wilson
83. The problem with satirising the election
Allaina Kilby
84. Sounding Off: music and musicians’ interventions in the 2019 election campaign
Adam Behr
85. Stormzy, status, and the serious business of social media spats
Ellen Watts

17 December 2019

New Year Research Training Opportunities

Funding opportunities, Post-award, Public engagement, Publishing, Research Ethics, Training, writing Theresa

We have some great events coming up in the New Year to help support you in your research activities.

January

Monday 13th January	RKEDF: Research Outputs – Writing Day
Tuesday 14th/15th January	RKEDF: Writing Academy
Wednesday 15th January	RKEDF: Working with Industry
Friday 17th January	RKEDF: Preparing Practice-Based Research Outputs for Assessment
Monday 27th January	Writing Day – Systematic and Scoping Reviews
Wednesday 29th January*	Introduction to Impact
Thursday 30th January	RKEDF: Environment Narrative Writing Day

February

Tuesday 4th February	RKEDF: EndNote Desktop for Managing References and Writing for Publication
Tuesday 4th February	RKEDF: Good Clinical Practice ‘Lite’
Tuesday 4th February	RKEDF: Building Evidence for REF Impact Case Studies
Tuesday 11th February	RKEDF: Overview of NIHR, CRNs and NIHR portfolio
Wednesday 12th February	RKEDF: Working with Industry
Tuesday 18th February	RKEDF Leverhulme Prize Drafting Workshop
Wednesday 19th February	RKEDF: Advanced Literature Search Techniques
Wednesday 19th February	RKEDF: AHRC Leadership Fellowship
Thursday 20th February	RKEDF: Environment Narrative Writing Day
Tuesday 25th February	RKEDF: Research Ethics @ BU
Wednesday 26th February	RKEDF: Measuring the Impact of Your Research with Advanced Citation Tools

You can see all the Organisational Development and Research Knowledge Development Framework (RKEDF) events in one place on the handy calendar of events.

Please note that all sessions are now targeted, so look closely at the event page to check that the event is suitable for you. In addition, most RKEDF events now require the approval of your Head of Department (or other nominated approver). Please follow the instructions given on the event page and the template email for you to initiate the booking request.

If you have any queries, please get in touch!

*The date of this event may be subject to change

16 December 2019

Noël Turner Science Festival: February 2020 Call Out

Public engagement ballen

The Noël Turner Science Festival is a 2-day celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), aiming to spark curiosity and raise understanding and awareness of the practical applications of STEM for primary and secondary students on the Isle of Wight.

The festival takes place on the 6 & 7 February from 10am-2pm at Cowes Enterprise College on the Isle of Wight.

Secondary school students (year 7 & 10) will be attending on the 6 February.

Primary School students (year 5) will be attending on the 7 February.

Opportunities available for Science Communicators to run 2 or 3 workshops across one or both days of the festival:

45 mins – 1 hour long
30 – 100 students
Timings across the day: 10:00 – 11:00, 11:30 – 12:30, 13:00 – 14:00
Engineering is a key industry on the island so workshops could involve developing some of these skills. E.g. an invention/engineering type workshop – working together to solve a problem students can relate to.
Workshops could also involve: something practical relating to your research, demonstrating how science is useful outside school – such as forensics, climate change sports science, medicines and health.
Rooms are available for smaller workshops and larger spaces for theatre style workshops/shows

If you have any queries or would like more information, please contact Rachael – ntsf@winchestersciencecentre.org

Alternatively please contact Adam Morris – Engagement Officer

16 December 2019

FameLab 2020: Applications are now open!

Public engagement ballen

FameLab is the only international science communication competition, designed to find, train and mentor scientists and engineers to share their enthusiasm for research with the public. FameLab was started in 2005 by Cheltenham Science Festival. Since the partnership with the British Council in 2007 over 10000 scientists and engineers from 31 countries have participated, with winners coming together for the International FameLab Final at Cheltenham Science Festival each June.

Participants receive training in science communication before presenting their research in an engaging way to a live audience. Presentations must not exceed 3 minutes, must not involve PowerPoint slides, and any props used must be carried on by the participant themselves. Participants are judged on Content, Clarity and Charisma, and the best go through to the next round.

FameLab UK winners receive a weekend masterclass with a professional science communicator, an all-expenses paid trip to Cheltenham Science Festival, the opportunity to take part in the FameLab UK Final and possibly the FameLab International Final at Cheltenham Science Festival, and up to £2000 prize money.

Are you interested in…

Improving your communication skills
Talking about your research with a live audience
Joining a global network of science communicators
An all-expenses paid trip to Cheltenham Science Festival

Apply now to take part in FameLab UK Applications close at midnight on Friday 28 February 2020.

“FameLab has been a great chance to meet inspiring people who are doing and communicating wonderful research around the world. Learning from each other, encouraging each other and building networks that will last into the future has been a brilliant experience, and one that I’ve been very lucky to be a part of.”

Tim Gordon, FameLab International Winner 2019

For more information or for help with the application process, please contact Adam Morris – Engagement Officer

14 December 2019

New publication by Orlanda Harvey (FHSS)

Centre for Excellence in Learning, international, PG research, Public engagement, Publishing, Student Engagement, student research, Women's Academic Network, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

This is the second time in a week that I have the pleasure of announcing a paper by our PhD student Orlanda Harvey. This PhD-based paper ‘Support for non-prescribed Anabolic Androgenic Steroids users: A qualitative exploration of their needs’ has been accepted by the scientific journal Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy (published by Taylor & Francis) [1]. Orlanda’s PhD is a mixed-methods study of social workers working with people using un-prescribe /recreational Anabolic Androgenic Steroid (AAS) in several high-income countries including the UK.

With her success in publishing Orlanda is a good ambassador for Bournemouth University’s PhD Integrated Thesis format. Such Integrated Thesis allows PhD candidates to incorporate material that has been published or submitted for publication to an academic peer-reviewed journal. Apart from the inclusion of such materials, the Integrated Thesis must conform to the same regulations as the traditional PhD thesis. Including Orlanda’s previously published review on AAS [3] she is well underway to putting together a well-balanced Integrated Thesis supported by her Faculty of Health & Social Sciences supervisors: Dr. Margarete Parrish, Dr. Steven Trenoweth and Prof Edwin van Teijlingen.

Of course, last week Orlanda already featured in the December of HED Matters as Early Career Researcher (ECR) with an article on ‘ECR Spotlight: From Social Work to Studying Steroids’ [2]. See also my BU Research Blog of four days ago (click here!).

Congratulations!

Prof . Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health

Reference:

Harvey, O., Parrish, M., van Teijlingen, E., Trenoweth, S. Support for non-prescribed Anabolic Androgenic Steroids users: A qualitative exploration of their needs, Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy (accepted). Doi 10.1080/09687637.2019.1705763
Harvey, O., (2019) ECR Spotlight: From Social Work to Studying Steroids, HED Matters 2(2):16-19.
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 access. BMC Public Health 19: 1024 https://rdcu.be/bMFon

6 December 2019

Cafe Scientifique: The Secret information hidden in your hair

Public engagement ballen

As we go about our daily lives our hair is recording evidence of what we consume and of the environments we are exposed to. It can record how much you drink, whether you smoke or take drugs, or live in an environment where drug abuse is prevalent. Hair testing for drugs and alcohol provides evidence to the police, assists with family law issues, and is utilised in workplace testing and a variety of other settings. The interpretation of analytical data from hair testing is challenging however, and research is continuing to improve the validity of the process.

At this month’s Café Scientifique, Dr Richard Paul discussed the science behind hair testing for drugs and alcohol, and reviewed some of the applications of the technique. Richard highlighted how hair testing may be used in cases of drug facilitated crime, the use of hair alcohol testing to determine abstinence or chronic excessive consumption, and finally reviewed how hair testing will be utilised in new research to examine second-hand exposure to new psychoactive substances in prisons.

Drug facilitated crime

The term drug facilitated crime refers to when a person is subjected to a criminal act whilst they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately in many such cases a victim may experience memory loss caused by certain drugs, or be reluctant or unable to report the crime soon after it has taken place. Certain drugs associated with such crimes are often quickly eliminated from our body through natural processes, rendering blood and urine testing obsolete if too much time has passed following the crime. This is where hair testing has a crucial advantage: once drugs enter our hair they can remain bound and stable for very long periods of time. Richard discussed his research developing new techniques for the investigation of drug facilitated crime and examined cases utilising the technique.

How are drugs incorporated in our hair?

Drugs can enter our hair via three mechanisms;

The bloodstream – every hair on our body has a blood supply, and drugs or alcohol (metabolites) circulating in our bloodstream can access our hair via this system. Once in the hair, compounds can bind strongly to melanin and keratin in our hair.
Sweat and sebum – it has been shown that some drug and alcohol metabolites will be excreted via sweat/sebum, and then re-incorporated in hair that is in contact with sweat/sebum.
External contamination – it has been demonstrated that exposure to drugs that are smoked or snorted can lead to passive incorporation of drugs into the hair of non-drug users. We’ve even shown that some cosmetic hemp-based hair treatments can lead to positive test results for cannabinoids. Laboratories have systems in place to distinguish between drug consumption and passive exposure, but it can be challenging.

Alcohol testing

Alcohol itself (ethanol) is not tested for in the hair, the compound is too volatile. Instead researchers look for metabolites of ethanol in our system, focusing on ethyl glucuronide, and ethyl palmitate. These are biomarkers of alcohol consumption, and when found in hair samples above a certain concentration, provide good evidence of alcohol consumption. Hair alcohol testing is widely utilised in family law cases, often in child custody disputes. If one parent accuses the other of being an alcoholic, a court may request a hair alcohol test to provide evidence. Our research examines the factors that may influence the incorporation of alcohol biomarkers into the hair, as well investigating fingernails as an alternative testing matrix to hair.

New psychoactive substances in prisons

Richard discussed his latest research project investigating second-hand exposure to new psychoactive substances in prisons. NPS are new narcotic or psychotropic drugs many of which pose serious health risks. The abuse of such drugs in prisons (including Spice and similar compounds) is a significant problem and one which is experienced to different levels across many European countries.

Richard’s team are using a range of analytical techniques to assess the prevalence of NPS abuse in UK prisons and will also be assessing the extent to which prison staff are exposed to secondary drug fumes during their employment.

Dr Richard Paul reflects on his experience of speaking at Café Scientifique: ‘Presenting my research at Café Scientifique was an excellent opportunity to engage the public in debate around the applications and validity of hair testing. The audience was lively and focused, and we had a lot of excellent, thought provoking questions.’

We are taking a break in January but we’ll be back on Tuesday 4 February 2020!

If you have any questions please do get in touch

Find out more about Café Scientifique and sign up to our mailing list to hear about other research events: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/cafe-sci

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter

5 December 2019

The Future of Manufacturing is Distributed – Copyright, 3D Printing and 3D Scanning

Business Engagement, conferences, Fusion themes, Public engagement, REF Subjects cippm

On 3rd December 2019, Prof. Dinusha Mendis was an invited speaker at the International Copyright Law Conference 2019 held at the Millennium Hotel London. Labelled as the ‘ultimate guide to the operation of copyright’, this event brings together a range of international speakers from different sectors.

The 2019 edition focused on Copyright and AI, Brexit, legal tech and copyright, funding of copyright claims as well as legal case law and legal updates.

Prof. Dinusha Mendis from the Department of Humanities and Law at Bournemouth University, explored the copyright issues surrounding technologies such as 3D printing and 3D scanning and offered a number of insights from her recent research including insights from her recently published co-edited book, 3D Printing and Beyond: Intellectual Property and Regulation.

The event held over two days included speakers from practice, academia and policy.

A full list of speakers can be accessed here: https://law.knect365.com/international-copyright-law/speakers

The 2-day agenda can be accessed here: https://law.knect365.com/international-copyright-law/agenda/1

4 December 2019

Prof. Dinusha Mendis Hosts Final Workshop of the 3D Printing – IP Project at the European Commission

Awarded & submitted bids, Business Engagement, conferences, Fusion themes, Public engagement, REF Subjects cippm

On 14^th October 2019, Prof. Dinusha Mendis hosted the final workshop of the European Commission funded project, ‘The Intellectual Property Implications of the Development of Industrial 3D Printing’ in Brussels.

The project aims to formulate a clear picture of the Intellectual Property (IP) framework that could enhance the competitiveness of the Additive Manufacturing (AM) sector in Europe. As such, the workshop was attended by academics, practitioners, businesses and policy makers thereby bringing together key stakeholders in the field of 3D printing and IP laws.

The workshop commenced with a welcome from Amaryllis Verhoeven, Head of the Intellectual Property Unit at the European Commission. Thereafter, Dinusha Mendis (Project Lead) presented the main results, which was complemented by presentations from invited speakers and a panel discussion consisting of members of the project team and industry partners.

Ben Redwood (Hubs), Phil Reeves (Reeves Insight Ltd) and Phill Dickens (Added Scientific Ltd) considered the future of manufacturing and its different applications and uses for industry as well as consumers.

Thereafter, various issues from the Study were explored in a panel discussion. Panelists consisting of Lieven Claerhout / Bram Smits (Materialise NV), Ann Marie Shillito (Anarkik3D), and members of the project team (see below), considered IP issues in light of the views from industry, obtained as part of the Study. In bringing the workshop to its conclusion, Jean-Francois Romainville (IDEA Consult) spoke about next steps, in taking this project and other similar projects forward. Virginie Fossoul, (Legal and Policy Officer, European Commission), closed the workshop with some concluding remarks.

The presentations as well as the panel discussion can be accessed/watched here:

https://webcast.ec.europa.eu/workshop-on-3d-printing#

The project which was awarded to Bournemouth University in 2018, by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs has been led by Prof. Dinusha Mendis (Principal Investigator) from the Department of Humanities and Law at Bournemouth University.

The Co-Investigators of this project include Dr. Julie Robson (Bournemouth University, UK), Dr. Rosa Ballardini (University of Lapland, Finland), Prof. Dr. Jan Nordemann (Boehmert & Boehmert, Germany), Prof. Phill Dickens (Added Scientific Ltd, UK), Dr. Maria del Carmen Calatrava-Moreno, Mr. Alfred Radauer (Technopolis Group, Austria) and Hans Brorsen (Germany).

The final project report is due for publication in early 2020.

28 November 2019

Free workshop: Research Impact in the Arts and Humanities

conferences, Funding opportunities, Public engagement, Training Adam Morris

Attendance is free – fully funded places are also available (inc accommodation, travel etc.)

The “I” Word: Research Impact in the Arts & Humanities

This one-day workshop aims to provide early-career researchers with the opportunity to explore creatively and practically the public engagement and participatory potential of their work, and to learn about the often complex relationship between such activities and the requirements of impact narratives.

The workshop is free, and it is open to doctoral and early-career researchers from across the arts and humanities. If you can fund travel, accommodation and subsistence then just register and attend. However, there are also twenty fully funded places available to those whose research broadly aligns with the project’s themes and/ or methods, including (but not limited to): women’s and gender studies; women and war; memory studies; histories of war and conflict; trauma studies; oral history; participatory arts; women’s writing. More details on registering and applying for funded places can be found on the Eventbrite page.

Thursday 9 January 2020 – 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Liverpool John Moores University

The deadline for applying for funded places is 13 December 2019

Category / Public engagement

LGBT History Month Art Exhibitions

Standing up for Science workshop: Manchester Friday 27 March

New Scientist Live 2020: Submission Deadline Friday 31 January

Reminder: Applications Closing Soon for British Science Festival 2020

Join the first BU Public Engagement Network meeting Tues 28 Jan

Reminder

Einstein’s Garden at Green Man Festival 2020: Applications now open!

Local public venues looking for speakers

Cafe Scientifique Tuesday 4 February: Crooked picture frames and ageing of perception

BU academics publish election analysis report within 10 days of the result

New Year Research Training Opportunities

January

February

Noël Turner Science Festival: February 2020 Call Out

FameLab 2020: Applications are now open!

Cafe Scientifique: The Secret information hidden in your hair

The Future of Manufacturing is Distributed – Copyright, 3D Printing and 3D Scanning

Prof. Dinusha Mendis Hosts Final Workshop of the 3D Printing – IP Project at the European Commission

Free workshop: Research Impact in the Arts and Humanities

The “I” Word: Research Impact in the Arts & Humanities

Find out more

Other services

Don’t miss a post!

Recent posts

Search by Category

Research Information Network

UKRI

Category / Public engagement

Reminder

January

February

The “I” Word: Research Impact in the Arts & Humanities

Other services

Don’t miss a post!

Recent posts

Search by Category

Search by popular post topics