Works in progress at Bristol
An update from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for students and staff with regard to ongoing developments across the University’s estate.
News in 2012
Undergraduate wins Linklaters competition
Francesca Scott, a first-year History student, has won a competition run by the legal firm Linklaters.
Antarctic lake mission called off
In the early hours of Christmas Day, Professor Martin Siegert, Principal Investigator of the Subglacial Lake Ellsworth experiment, confirmed that the mission to drill into the lake has been called off for this Antarctic season. Drilling was proceeding well during the weekend after a replacement part was fitted to the boiler used to heat water for drilling.
People with mental disorders more likely to have experienced domestic violence
Men and women with mental health disorders, across all diagnoses, are more likely to have experienced domestic violence than the general population, according to new research from King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, in collaboration with the University of Bristol.
International Office Scholarships awarded
The University’s International Office has awarded its 2012-13 Scholarships at a ceremony in Royal Fort House.
eBiolabs and ChemLabS shortlisted for Teaching Excellence award
Bristol’s eBiolabs and ChemLabS have been shortlisted for the inaugural Guardian University Awards in the Teaching Excellence category.
Inside the head of a dinosaur
A new study of the brain anatomy of therizinosaurs, plant-eating dinosaurs that lived during the Cretaceous Period, has revealed interesting links with their notorious meat-eating 'cousins' Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor.
How the common fruit fly is helping scientists to study alcohol-related disorders
Scientists have shown how the common fruit fly Drosophila, which possess similar electrophysiological and pharmacological properties as humans, could now be used to screen and develop new therapies for alcohol-related behavioural disorders and some genetic diseases.
Academic Rheumatology Unit celebrates 25th anniversary
Staff and patients at the Academic Rheumatology Unit recently celebrated a quarter of a century of clinical care, teaching and research.
Try out exercise classes for free this holiday
Sport, Exercise and Health are offering students and staff the chance to attend free exercise classes during the Christmas vacation (17-22nd December 2012 and 3-12 January 2013).
Bristol academic listed in The Times 'Top 100 children's doctors'
Marianne Thoresen, Professor of Neonatal Neuroscience in the School of Clinical Sciences, has been listed as one of the top four Neonatal Medicine specialists in The Times 'Top 100 children's doctors'.
Publication grant for art history book
A forthcoming book by Dr Dorothy Rowe, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Historical Studies, has been awarded a prestigious College Art Association of America Millard Meiss Publication Grant.
University's oil paintings go online as part of UK-wide project
Over two hundred paintings in the care of the University of Bristol and its Theatre Collection are part of a hugely ambitious project to put online the United Kingdom’s entire collection of oil paintings in public ownership.
UK universities embrace the free, open, online future of higher education powered by The Open University
Students from the UK and around the world will have free access to some of the country’s top universities thanks to FutureLearn Ltd, an entirely new company being launched by The Open University (OU). The universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Anglia, Exeter, King’s College London, Lancaster, Leeds, Southampton, St Andrews and Warwick have all signed up to join FutureLearn.
Widespread media coverage for Antarctica project
The Bristol-led subglacial Lake Ellsworth project which is drilling through over 3 km of Antarctic ice into an ancient buried lake has received widespread coverage in national and local newspapers, radio and TV.
Widespread media coverage for first cheese making research
A study by University of Bristol scientists which found the first unequivocal evidence that humans in prehistoric Northern Europe made cheese more than 7,000 years ago was reported by media around the world.
Chemical analysis of sieve vessels reveals first cheese making in Northern Europe in the 6th millennium BC
The first unequivocal evidence that humans in prehistoric Northern Europe made cheese more than 7,000 years ago is described in research by an international team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol, published today in Nature.
Bristol psychologists launch BrainBank
A collection of clips, demonstrations and activities used by psychologists and neuroscientists to communicate different aspects of brain function has been created by Dr Nathalia Gjersoe and Professor Bruce Hood in the School of Experimental Psychology.
Bristol Games Maker bids for Christmas number one
A member of staff at the University of Bristol is bidding for top spot in the Christmas charts this year as part of an inspirational choir comprised of volunteers who helped at the Olympics and Paralympics. Clare Brophy, a staff development manager in the Human Resources Department, is a member of the 400-strong Games Maker Choir which releases its first single on Sunday [16 December].
Bristol co-hosts round-table on communications systems
The Communication Systems and Networks Group in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering recently co-hosted a round-table event organised by the US instrumentation company National Instruments.
Pupils present results from their own scientific studies into arthritis and cancer
School pupils in Bristol who have been undertaking ‘real’ research into genes linked to arthritis and cancer as part of a new scheme that aims to engage students in science will be presenting their findings at a conference next week [17 Dec].
British team set to access and sample one of the last unexplored environments on Earth
This week, a British team of scientists and engineers, led by Professor Martin Siegert of the University of Bristol, realise a 16 year ambition to drill down through over 3 km of Antarctic ice into an ancient buried lake. The team hopes to find signs of life in the water and clues to the Earth’s past climate in the mud at the lake floor.
New swimming programme makes a splash in Bristol
A new programme to help develop the swimming stars of the future has been launched in Bristol. Five swimming clubs, representing 1,000 swimmers in the area, have joined forces to ensure their members receive the coaching and support necessary to compete at the highest level.
Roy Severn, 1929-2012
Emeritus Professor Roy Severn CBE FREng FICE, one of the pioneers of earthquake engineering, died suddenly on 25 November 2012, aged 83. Professor David Blockley and Professor Colin Taylor offer an appreciation of his life and achievements.
Leading researcher in composites joins Bristol
Ivana Partridge, Professor of Composites Processing in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and a leading researcher in the field of composites has joined the University of Bristol to run the EPSRC Industrial Doctorate Centre (IDC) in Composites Manufacture.
Green Impact Awards 2012/13 now open
The University has launched its 2012/3 Green Impact Awards, a scheme encouraging and rewarding efforts by University staff and students to reduce its environmental impact and increase sustainability.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is effective in reducing depression in people whose symptoms have not responded to treatment with antidepressants
Antidepressants are the most widely used treatment for people with moderate to severe depression. However, up to two thirds of people with depression don’t respond fully to this type of treatment. New findings, published in The Lancet, have shown cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)*, provided in addition to usual care, can reduce symptoms of depression and help improve patients’ quality of life.
Health services need to become more sustainable say researchers
Health services need to do more to tackle climate change and resource depletion if they are to cope with the soaring prevalence of chronic illness say the authors of a new book.
Bringing fossils to life
A new way to learn about dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, which harnesses some of the cutting edge techniques used by palaeontologists to study fossils, is being pioneered by researchers at the University of Bristol.
BBC correspondent to give German Christmas Lecture
BBC foreign correspondent and University of Bristol graduate, Katya Adler (BA German and Italian 1995) will give this year's German Christmas Lecture at the University on Monday 10 December. The event is free and all are welcome.
New light on the Nazca Lines
The first findings of the most detailed study yet by two British archaeologists into the Nazca Lines – enigmatic drawings created between 2,100 and 1,300 years ago in the Peruvian desert – have been published in the latest issue of the journal Antiquity.
National Composites Centre Celebrates Government funding for Phase II project
Chancellor George Osborne today announced an investment of £28m to enhance the capabilities and capacity of the National Composites Centre (NCC).
British team embark on ambitious Antarctic mission
In December 2012 a team of British scientists, engineers and support staff, led by Professor Martin Siegert of the University of Bristol, will drill through 3km of solid ice into subglacial Lake Ellsworth in Antarctica. Their mission – to search for life forms in the water and clues to past climate in the lake-bed sediments – is one of the most exciting and ambitious explorations of our time.
Diplomatic Service chief to speak to students and staff
Simon Fraser, Head of Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service, is visiting the University this Friday (7 December) to speak to students and staff about British foreign policy.
£2 million for risk management of natural hazards
A new £2 million project, led by researchers at the University of Bristol, aims to better assess uncertainty and risk of natural hazards.
Priory Road development: proposals exhibition, 7-20 December
Proposals to enhance and extend some University buildings on Priory Road and to refurbish teaching and administration space on Tyndall’s Park Road will be on public display in Senate House from Friday 7 December to Thursday 20 December.
Engineering academic elected a Fellow of the IEEE
David Bull, Professor of Signal Processing in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the world’s largest and most prestigious professional association for the advancement of technology.
Private military and security contractors and their impact on security in Iraq and Afghanistan
Research into the perception and visibility of private military and security contractors in war-torn countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan suggests that some Private Military and Security Companies (PMSC) contribute negatively to local communities, according to research at the University of Bristol.
Christmas comes early as students host party for city’s youngsters
Over 85 children entered a winter wonderland for an early Christmas celebration thanks to kind-hearted students from the University of Bristol’s Students’ Union (UBU). Volunteers put on a festive celebration, complete with magic tricks, party games, face painting, a tea party, presents and even a visit from Father Christmas on Saturday [1 December] at Churchill Hall in Stoke Bishop.
New Dean chosen for Medical and Veterinary Sciences
George Banting, Professor of Molecular Cell Biology in the School of Biochemistry, has been selected to succeed Professor Clive Orchard as Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Veterinary Sciences.