EC FUNDING FOR BACK PAIN RESEARCH

The European Commission has announced funding of €2.9 million for a five year research project called Genodisc, for which Oswestry's Centre for Spinal Studies is a key research partner. As part of this, the Research Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine (ISTM) at Keele and the spinal research team at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital NHS Trust have been awarded more than €200,000 for a five year period.

The genetic research project aims to develop better diagnostic techniques and improve both the type and speed of treatment, in order to prevent acute back pain becoming a chronic disability. Back pain is a major European problem, often due to poor diagnosis and treatment. In 85% of spinal problems, there is no clear diagnosis and no clinical consensus currently exists between different countries or doctors about treatment.

The Genodisc research will be led by a group from Oxford University and is being carried out in nine different countries: the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Israel and Slovenia. It aims to recruit thousands of patients into the study as large numbers will be required to determine any genetic link to complex disorders like back pain.

The research team here is looking at how intervertebral disc cells age, the processes involved and how they behave differently as they grow older.

Project leader, Professor Sally Roberts, ISTM, said: "This is good news for furthering our understanding of the strong genetic links with the degeneration of intervertebral discs of the back. The surgeons at the hospital are all very supportive of this work and we are very grateful also to their patients who have agreed to be part of this important medical research.

"It is through the help and support of our study volunteers that we will be able to learn and help more patients with back pain in the future."

SUMMER SCHOOL BONANZA

Keele students from a range of disciplines have been taking part in summer schools across the world.

Six undergraduate Music and Music Technology students, pictured left with Dr Diego Garro, have just returned from Singapore where they followed courses in MIDI, Recording and Mixing and an Asian Music Workshop (Malay Kompang) together with local students.

They also visited the Asian Civilization Museum and the Peranakan Museum. Their stay ended with them producing a well received performance for staff and students.

Eight undergraduate students studying Media, Communication and Culture (MCC) or English at Keele, pictured right with Dr  Nick Bentley, are in South Korea at Dongguk University in Seoul, where they are taking courses in Buddhism, Korean Film and making a short film as part of the Short Film Production Workshop.

They have stayed in a Temple retreat and visited the demilitarised zone as part of an Eco-Wetlands tour. They were accompanied by Dr Nick Bentley, Programme Director for MCC, and were provided with briefings by the Centre for International Exchange and Development staff and South Korean students studying at Keele. Both these summer programmes are supported by funding from the PMI2 initiative to encourage British students to be more aware of what other countries have to offer.

Thirty Australian and EU Criminology students from Maribor, Slovenia; Grenoble, France and Keele gathered at the Institut des Etudes Politiques (IEP) in Grenoble to learn about  "Security: local, global and  supranational". They followed lectures on topics such as "Security and trafficking in human beings: global policies or international political game?", "National and local security policies: a comparison between France and Italy" and "The growth and character of transnational and international policing", given by staff from Keele, Griffith, Flinders, Maribor and the IEP.

Visits to the French School of Police Executives and to the Forensic Crime Laboratory in Lyon were organised for the group. They finished the summer school by giving individual or group presentations on topics such as: "International and transnational justice and policing" and "Migrations and crime".

Evaluation was undertaken by Keele professors Anne Worrall and Susanne Karstedt, who are pictured above with students from the group. The students had all spent a semester studying abroad –with Australians studying in the EU and EU students studying at one of four Australian partners.

This was the last year of funding from the EU and the Australian government for this project, but Keele will continue to work with three of the Australian partners and seven students have already been nominated for Spring 2010.

KEELE HALL SHOWCASES GOURMET DINING FOR STAFFORDSHIRE LIFE EVENT

This week the spectacular setting of Keele Hall played host to Staffordshire Life's black tie gourmet dining evening with a menu specially created for the evening by our award winning team of chefs.

Guests were welcomed with drinks and canapés of foie gras on brioche, seared scallop on puy lentils,  king prawn in ginger and chilli relish, polenta  topped with toasted tofu and coriander puree.

The Salvin Suite provided the perfect backdrop for the evening with 60 guests then enjoying a seven course meal with wine prepared by the team, which is led by executive chef Peter Walters, who took bronze in the British Universities Chefs' Challenge, and supported by Allan Jones, who recently took gold in the annual TUCO awards.

The picture shows Louise Elliott, Staffordshire Life Editor, left, with Simon Morris, Secretary and Registrar, and Jenny Tucker, Director, Commercial and Facilities Management Directorate.

SOCIAL WORK INSPECTION OUTCOME

Following a successful IQA of both the MA and BA programmes, the social work programme at Keele has now received the outcome of the five yearly review from the regulating body, the General Social Care Council.  The Social Work programmes have been unconditionally re-approved, with commendation for the excellent quality of the submission.  Congratulations to all the social work team.

RCUK WORKSHOP ON RESILIENCE

Research Councils UK (RCUK) has published a report of a workshop held to discuss funding council research priorities on the wider area of resilience and reach conclusions that will influence funding decisions on this area. Dr Luis Lobo-Guerrero, Research Institute for Law Politics and Justice/School of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy, was one of ten academics involved and one of the points he put forward during the meeting, on how can 'values' be made resilient within the government's risk assessment systems, has been included in the report.

The workshop on resilience was convened by the RCUK Security Research Forum as part of the cross-Council programme on 'Global Uncertainties: Security for All in a Changing World'. The workshop involved scholars from a wide range of academic disciplines, from key government departments and from the private sector. The workshop was hosted by the UK Collaborative on Development Sciences and chaired by Professor Denis Smith, of the University of Glasgow.

VIRTUAL WALKERS REACH SAUDI

A team from Commercial and Facilities Management Directorate which "joined" more than 400 other groups for a 125 day virtual walk around the globe has now reached Saudi Arabia.

The Global Corporate Challenge (GCC) is a health and wellbeing programme that encourages employees to be active. The teams follow the same route at their own pace, visiting as many locations as possible.

So far the seven team members, Jane Bown (Events),  Ian Bogges (Estates), Rob Adams (IT), Angela Dale (Leisure Centre), Allan Jones (Keele Hall), Michelle Harvey (Finance), Emma Shenton (Estates) and Robin Cross (Fundraising), have taken 3,818,127 steps,  the equivalent of walking a total distance of   1,518 miles since they started their trek in May.

Pedometers record their daily step count and the GCC plots their progress along the virtual tour of the world. During their travels, participants 'interact virtually' with each location, its customs, facts, foods, politics and famous locals. For further information see gcc2009.com.

RAVEN MASON COLLECTION ON SHOW

The Raven Mason Collection of Mason's Ironstone and Porcelain held at Keele opened its doors this week for the first of four open days.

The Raven Mason Collection is one of the finest displays of Mason's ceramics on public display. This series of open days provides visitors with an opportunity to view some of the most important items made over a 200 year span of the company's history, which are displayed in Keele Hall.

The other three days are Tuesday 25 August; Tuesday 29 September and Tuesday 27 October when the collection will be open between 10am – 4pm.