HEALTH MINISTER OPENS ARTHRITIS RESEARCH CAMPAIGN NATIONAL PRIMARY CARE CENTRE AT KEELE

Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, KBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health, this week unveiled a plaque to mark the official opening of a major new centre at Keele promoting research in primary care, that has been created with funding of £2.5m over five years from the leading arthritis charity, ARC.

The Arthritis Research Campaign National Primary Care Centre will have a direct benefit on the thousands of people in the UK who suffer from painful joint and muscle problems.

Lord Darzi said: "'High Quality Care For All' placed improving quality at the heart of our plans for the future of the NHS. The academic primary care centre at Keele University will integrate cutting edge research and innovation in arthritis care provision and is an excellent example of this in practice."

Professor Peter Croft, Director of the new centre, said: "Lord Darzi's report this year on the National Health Service highlighted the need for the NHS to value results that are important to patients – less pain, improved sense of wellbeing and being satisfied with the care they have received. These are precisely the outcomes which the Arthritis Research Campaign wants the new centre to study and our research programme is geared to finding out how to achieve these for patients with conditions such as back pain and osteoarthritis"

Professor Dame Janet Finch, Vice-Chancellor, said: "Keele is strongly committed to pursuing a twin-track approach to research:  developing the highest quality of research expertise, but also putting it to use to improve the quality of life of our fellow citizens.  This new centre provides a marvellous opportunity to use research to help improve the lives of people who have chronic musculoskeletal conditions, in conjunction with the Arthritis Research Campaign."

OBE PRESENTED TO PAULINE ONG

Professor Pauline Ong, Professor of Health Services Research at the ARC National Primary Care Centre, was presented with her honorary OBE by Lord Darzi during his visit.

The award was presented to Professor Ong, who is a Dutch citizen, for services to healthcare.  She has worked at Keele since 1989, first at the Centre for Health Planning and Management, and since 2000 as Professor of Health Services Research. She is also Chair of the Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust.

Professor Ong said: "While the OBE is given to an individual, it is a reflection on the achievements of the teams within which that individual works. In my case these teams are the excellent group of people at the PCT and the research centre."

HOG CYCLES AND THE DYNAMICS OF MARKETS - INAUGURAL LECTURE

Professor Jan Wenzelburger, Economics, this week gave the latest lecture in the University's programme of Inaugural Lectures for 2008/2009.

The lecture, "Hog cycles and the dynamics of markets", looked at the historical problem of fluctuating hog cycles and reported on recent approaches in economics that contribute to a better understanding of why prices in markets may follow patterns that are difficult to predict. It showed how the behaviour of economic agents may exert a significant influence on the dynamics of markets.

The other lectures in the series are: Wednesday, 14 January, Professor Danielle van der Windt, Primary Care Epidemiology, "The epidemiology of pain: a tale of two countries"; Tuesday, 17 February, Professor Marilyn Andrews, Health and Rehabilitation, "Innovation in healthcare education: a model for the future"; Wednesday, 18 March, Professor Tony Bradney, Law, "Should the Law Respect Religion?"; Wednesday, 13 May, Professor Mihaela Kelemen, Management,  "Management, uncertainty, pragmatism: the new triumvirate".

RESEARCH GRANTS

Professor Mark Ormerod and Dr. Dave McGarvey, School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, in collaboration with several chemistry teachers across North Staffordshire, have been awarded £8,000 from the Learning Skills Network under the Triple Science Network scheme, to establish a schools-university network across schools in North Staffordshire to develop new teaching resources for year 10 and 11 schoolchildren in schools in spectroscopy and chemical analysis and to run school outreach workshops at Keele in spectroscopy and chemical analysis.

This is the second successive Triple Science Network award from the LSN, Professor Ormerod having been awarded £ 6,000 last year, with Steve Thompson and Peter Calder, Heads of Chemistry at the two high schools in Leek, to run professional development workshops for teachers in Staffordshire in sustainable energy and fuel cells, and to develop new teaching resources in this rapidly developing curriculum area.

KEELE GRADUATE SCOOPS RADIO TALENT AWARD

Keele graduate, Andy Ward, who graduated this year in History and International Relations, scooped the Off-Air Radio prize at Channel 4's 4Talent Awards.

The 22-year-old, who was a member of Keele's student radio station KUBE Radio throughout his three years at Keele, won the 4Talent award with a series of extracts from comedy ghost stories written while at Keele and performed on his KUBE Radio show, Llamageddon.

Andy was previously one of three winners in a comedy writing competition for E4 Radio and his KUBE show was shortlisted for the Best Interview prize at the Student Radio Awards.

He said: "I'm hoping that the awards and the backing of Channel 4 will allow me to get into the comedy industry, be it as a writer or performer."