Biodiversity conservation in a changing world: public talk
Protecting the world’s biodiversity will be the subject of a free public talk hosted by the University of Bristol in partnership with Bristol Zoo Gardens this week [Wednesday 9 March].
News in 2011
Moving Walls, Changing Seasons
History of Art student, Francois Vandame, is the curator of an exhibition of new works by the Bristol-based urban art collective, the Def Bombin Kru (DBK), hosted at the Bristol Gallery from Saturday 5 March.
Meeting the challenge of curating artistic research output
Project CAiRO (Curating Artistic Research Output), a JISC-funded project undertaken collaboratively between JISC Digital Media, the Department of Drama: Theatre, Film, Television and the Digital Curation Centre aims to provide the arts practitioner-researcher with skills to successfully manage research data.
Food forensics: DNA links habitat quality to bat diet
All night long, bats swoop over our landscape consuming insects, but they do this in secret, hidden from our view. Until recently, scientists have been unable to bring their ecosystem out of the dark but thanks to new genetic techniques, researchers from the University of Bristol and Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Canada, have been able to reconstruct the environment supporting these elusive creatures.
Depression following miscarriage can continue after healthy birth
Research by academics at the University of Bristol's Children of the 90s has found women who experience depression and anxiety after a miscarriage can continue to experience these symptoms even if they subsequently go on to have a healthy child.
Does exercise help patients with type 1 diabetes?
A new study to assess the benefits of exercise for adults with type 1 diabetes led by Dr Rob Andrews, Consultant Senior Lecturer in Diabetes and Endocrinology at the University of Bristol’s School of Clinical Sciences is about to start in the South West.
New generation of optical integrated devices for future quantum computers
A research group led by scientists from the University of Bristol has demonstrated the quantum operation of new components that will enable compact circuits for future photonic quantum computers.
Law professor appointed to chair of largest international torture-prevention body
A University of Bristol expert in human rights has been appointed to chair the largest international torture-prevention body in the UN human rights treaty system.
All Souls Fellowship for Philosophy doctoral student
Dr Ellen Clarke has been awarded a prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowship at All Souls, Oxford.
Bristol graduate scoops Oscar
Andrew Ruhemann, a graduate of the Department of Drama: Theatre, Film, Television, won an Academy Award this week for his short animated film, The Lost Thing.
Noise distracts fish from their dinner
We all struggle to concentrate when there are roadworks taking place outside our window. New research from scientists at the University of Bristol demonstrates that fish suffer the same problem, becoming distracted from normal feeding behaviour when noise is added to their environment.
Smartphones – the grip of death
New research by academics in the University of Bristol’s Centre for Communications Research has highlighted the problems of reduced sensitivity in wireless communications, along with developing new solutions to overcome the loss of connectivity.
Copying strategies could be best for the genes
Blindly copying what your parents did — no matter how stupid it may seem — could be the best strategy for the long-term success of your genes, according to new research by the universities of Exeter and Bristol.
Rare atlases provide intimate picture of history
Several hundred rare and beautiful images, some dating back as far as the 16th century and recording a graphic account of everything from the anatomy of the human body to a CIA record of Soviet-bloc military installations, are being brought together in a new digital exhibition.
Learning from old bones to treat modern back pain
The bones of people who died up to a hundred years ago are being used in the development of new treatments for chronic back pain for the first time. The research brings together archaeology and anthropology expertise at the University of Bristol with the latest computer modelling techniques developed at the University of Leeds.
The Invention of Colour
Where did artists get their colours from, and how have changes in the repertoire of colours over the ages affected the way that artists paint? Science writer Philip Ball will address these questions in a public lecture at the University of Bristol on Tuesday 1 March.
£199,000 for research on 'Dropping out of Socialism'
Dr Juliane Fürst and Dr Josie McLellan from the School of Humanities' Department of Historical Studies have been awarded £199,269 from the AHRC for a research project that will explore the countercultures of late state socialism.
Football and urban development from Bristol to Brazil
The role that football stadia play in urban regeneration, cultural identities and heritage will be examined by a group of specialists in football and urban development at the University of Bristol.
New historical perspective on Irish economy
Growth in the import of luxury goods and increasingly close ties with European markets were features of the Irish economy five hundred years ago, according to new evidence unearthed by a historian at the University of Bristol.
£406,000 for research on performance archives
Researchers at the University of Bristol and the University of Exeter have been awarded a £406,828 grant from the AHRC for research into live art and performance archives.
The Scramble for China
The epic story of foreign impact on China from the early 19th century to the start of the First World War is told in a new book by Professor Robert Bickers of the University of Bristol, published today.
Honorary degrees awarded at Bristol [23 February]
Bristol University is awarding honorary degrees to Dr Andrew Mackenzie, a geoscientist and Professor Ann Henderson-Sellers, an international leader in climate science, at today’s [23 February 2011] degree ceremonies in the Wills Memorial Building.
Bristol Robotics Lab wins bid to host Robot World Cup
Bristol will play host to the world’s most advanced autonomous robots, who will compete against each other along with the expertise of their creators, at the FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2012, hosted by the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England.
Second signing: return of the Bristol sign poetry festival
The second highly successful annual Bristol sign poetry festival, featuring poets Richard Carter, Kabir Kapoor and Donna Williams, took place on 19-20 February.
Update on 2010 national pay award and USS
A message from Guy Gregory, Personnel and Staff Development Director, on the outcome of the 2010 national pay negotiations and proposed changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).
Honorary degrees awarded at Bristol [22 February]
Bristol University is awarding honorary degrees to Julia Donaldson, a children’s author and Dr Jonathan Gipps, former Director of Bristol Zoo Gardens, at today’s [22 February 2011] degree ceremonies in the Wills Memorial Building.
£1.2m study looks at treatments for children with speech and language problems
A major new research study that will identify and evaluate the types of treatment available for pre-school children with speech and language difficulties has been awarded £1.2million from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
£1.5m for wheat breeding research
A £1.5million grant for research into the next generation of molecular markers in wheat has been awarded to Professor Keith Edwards and Dr Gary Barker of the University of Bristol.
New research could help in the treatment of cardiovascular disease
New research by Sarah George, Professor of Cardiovascular Signalling and colleagues in the School of Clinical Sciences at the University of Bristol, could help in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Roll up for The Catholic Circus
Excess, extortion and enslavement – a satirical new play written by fourth-year student, Francesca Hedges, and performed and produced by the Department of German, depicts the corruption within the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages.
History of Art Department collaborates with one of the world’s finest art museums
The University’s History of Art Department is collaborating with the Courtauld Institute of Art, the UK's leading research institute for art history, for an exhibition of Victorian drawings - many of which will be shown in public for the first time. The exhibition is on display at the Courtauld Gallery, one of the world's finest small art museums, until 15 May.
Shining a light on trypanosome reproduction
Compelling visual evidence of sexual reproduction in African trypanosomes, single-celled parasites that cause major human and animal diseases, has been found by researchers from the University of Bristol. The research could eventually lead to new approaches for controlling sleeping sickness which is caused by trypanosomes carried by the bloodsucking tsetse fly.
Counting the cost of the digital revolution
We are all familiar with digital media, from online news and 3G phones to apps and iPads, but what are the implications of the shift from print to online on energy use and greenhouse gas emissions? Researchers from the University are teaming up with the Guardian to address these issues.
New research could help in the treatment of kidney disease
New research by a multi-national European consortium chaired by Professor Peter Mathieson, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bristol, could have major implications for the understanding and treatment of an important kidney disease.
Department of Russian awarded £800,000 for major new study
Professor Derek Offord from the Department of Russian has been awarded £800,000 from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to conduct the first large-scale history of the French language in Russia.
Business Fellows announced
Research and Enterprise Development has announced the University’s first Business Fellows – research scientists who will take the lead in supporting a culture of collaboration between academics and industry.
Personal insights into parenting and autism
Renitha Tutin, a Teaching Associate in the Department of Accounting and Finance, has published a book – part memoir, part guide – on caring for a child with autism.
The state of donation: new evidence on charitable giving in the UK
Charitable giving by UK households is largely recession-proof, according to new research by the University of Bristol and Cass Business School, which is part of City University London. However, the study also shows that there has been no change in donations as a share of total household spending for more than 20 years. Households today give 0.4 per cent of their spending to charity – exactly the same as they did in 1988.
Bristol student wins national youth volunteering award
A medical student from Bristol has won a prestigious award for his contribution to youth volunteering and commitment to enhancing the lives of his fellow students and local community.
“First turf” for state-of-the-art large animal surgical centre
The “first turf” for the new Large Animal Centre, to be known as the Alborada Building, was cut yesterday [Monday 14 February] at the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences at Langford.