PROMOTIONS TO PERSONAL CHAIRS AND READERSHIPS

The Professorial and Readerships Promotions Committee have made the following promotions which are, as always, subject to the formal ratification of Senate and Council.

The following have been appointed as Professors:

Krysia Dziedicz (Primary Care)

Krysia Dziedzic (PCHS) trained as a physiotherapist and has been instrumental in forging the successful partnership between SHAR and Primary Care at Keele and the Haywood Hospital.  Her interest in identifying evidence-based treatments for patients with arthritis and pain led to her appointment as the first West Midlands regional facilitator for physiotherapy trials, and to important studies on treating neck, shoulder and back problems that were conducted with a network of physiotherapy colleagues throughout the region.  She was subsequently appointed to the first Senior Lectureship in Physiotherapy to be sponsored by the leading UK charity Arthritis Research UK (formerly ARC), developing a programme of research into treating hand pain and expanding her team to include occupational therapists and radiographers.  Krysia currently leads a new project funded by NIHR to put the best care for osteoarthritis into everyday medical practice.  A past President of the British Health Professionals in Rheumatology, she was also a member of the NIHR (NICE) team which produced the current UK guidelines for treatment of osteoarthritis.

Nadine Foster (Primary Care)

Nadine Foster (PCHS) joined Keele in 2000 as a Lecturer in SHAR, continuing her research into the mechanisms of pain and the gap between research evidence and clinical management of pain.  She moved to PCHS in 2004 to develop clinical trials of treatments for patients with musculoskeletal pain, and secured a prestigious NIHR Primary Care Career Scientist Award, only the second awarded nationally to a physiotherapist.  She led studies of how beliefs held by patients and health care professionals about pain can influence the course of conditions such as back pain, completed an important trial of exercise and acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis, and is currently working with GPs and physiotherapists on new approaches to treating patients with back pain and knee pain supported by NIHR and the Health Foundation.  She leads the Keele arm of an MRC-funded collaboration with Bristol University investigating the value of telephone assessment and advice delivered by physiotherapists.  Nadine is an executive of the UK Society for Back Pain Research and UK representative on the International Forum for Primary Care Low Back Pain Research.    

Jonathan Healey (Applied Mathematics)

Jonathan Healey is an applied mathematician, whose original training was in physics at the University of Oxford, where he studied for both his BA and then his DPhil.  Research Fellowships at Cambridge in the Department of Engineering allowed him to become established at the maths/engineering interface, leading to a lectureship in Mathematics & Statistics at Brunel University.  Jonathan joined Keele as a Lecturer in 1996, and was promoted to Reader in 1998 for his work on turbulence and hydrodynamics.  This is a highly specialised branch of study requiring painstaking calculations and insight in order to understand these complex systems.  Jonathan's seminal contributions concern Hydrodynamic Stability Theory (HST), and especially the boundary conditions that affect the degree of turbulence.  However, this work is not simply of academic interest; by understanding the physical implications of these processes, Jonathan's work is of direct relevance to engine design, and has led to major EPSRC collaborations with engineers in Brighton University, and rocket design at Cambridge is also utilising the key results of his work.  Jonathan is an enthusiastic teacher, and the applied nature of his mathematics can be seen in his explanation of new juggling techniques to prospective students, followed by a live demonstration.

Robin Jeffries (Astrophysics)

Robin Jeffries is an astrophysicist with wide-ranging interests in star formation and evolution.  He spent the first part of his career at the University of Birmingham (BSc, PhD and post-doctoral studies), before joining Keele as a Lecturer in 1995, then Reader in 2001.  Sheer numbers don't define an academic, but Rob's output has been prolific – 87 papers in international peer-reviewed journals, with 38 as lead or sole author; nearly 2000 citations; continuous STFC/PPARC funding from 1998-2012 worth over £1.3m (as part of >£5m rolling grant to the group); over £3m of time on major international telescopes.  So what is it that he contributes to astrophysics that is so special?  Rob is especially skilled at working with teams on the analysis of complex data, finding new and smarter ways of gaining insight into some of the most challenging astronomical problems – the evolution of low mass stars, rotational effects and the related magnetic activity, the significance of lithium abundance, and the processes of planetary formation (which links his work with the WASP project). Rob's enthusiasm for the subject is obvious; he can explain complex astrophysics with delightful clarity to the non-specialist, and he enthuses both students and the public with his explanations of the wonders of the skies.

Richard Luther (Politics)

Appointed to a Lectureship in Politics in September 1993, and promoted to Senior Lecturer in September 2000, during his time at Keele Richard Luther has acquired an international reputation for his teaching innovation, as well as for his research expertise, especially in Austrian politics, on which he regularly provides high-level policy advice. Richard has published excellent comparative politics research in international peer-reviewed journals, focusing in particular on consociational democracy and political parties. Founder of the Keele European Parties Research Unit (KEPRU), he has brought to Keele the internationally renowned PhD summer school on political parties (which he co-initiated), and has shown leadership in encouraging younger staff to produce important research in related areas. His promotion to a personal chair complements the award, in 2009, of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art for his contributions to the study of Austrian politics.

Jim Middleton (Science and Technology in Medicine)

Jim Middleton (ISTM) came to Keele in 1997 from the Novartis Research Institute in Vienna.  He is a cell biologist by background who is based at the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry, where he is Head of Arthritis Research.  His research concerns inflammatory diseases, in which white blood cells (leukocytes) migrate across the walls of blood vessels and into the affected tissue.  Jim has been instrumental in understanding how this migration is driven by messenger-like molecules called chemokines and has published seminal findings in the very highest impact journals such as Cell and Nature Immunology.  Over the last decade he has built and sustained an active research laboratory that has developed a series of PhD students and research fellows with funding from BBSRC, MRC, Wellcome Trust, Arthritis Research Campaign, GSK and AstraZeneca.

Christine Roffe (Medicine)

Christine Roffe (ISTM) undertook her initial medical training in Hanover and received her early research training at the University of Leicester.  She has played a key role in the development of acute and rehabilitation stroke services in North Staffordshire since becoming a Consultant and Keele Senior Lecturer in 1996.  Her research interests cover acute stroke, rehabilitation and ethics.  Ongoing projects include the Stroke Oxygen Study, a clinical trial of oxygen supplementation after acute stroke.  She has research collaborations with staff in SHAR and across the region in her role as Clinical Lead for the West Midlands Stroke Local Research Network.  This year she led a successful NIHR application to establish a unit to investigate hyper acute management of stroke.  This latter award reflects the outstanding clinical outcomes that have been achieved for patients admitted to the Stroke Unit at University Hospital which have been recognised at a national level by the Department of Health.

The following candidate has been appointed to a Readership:

Sohrab Uduman (Music)

Sohrab Uduman has an international reputation as a composer of experimental acoustic and electroacoustic music. His compositions have been performed in many countries, including Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United States. He has received a number of prestigious commissions that have brought his work to a wide audience far beyond academia and the potentially more limited network of contemporary composers. Many of his works are available on CD, and have been broadcast by, for example, Radio France, Dutch Radio and the BBC; in this respect, his compositions have had an impact beyond that of many of his peers in academia. Dr Uduman has led and promoted performance and composition activities at Keele among staff and students alike, with a focus on the modernist repertoire that is central to Keele's musical identity.

CFM STATE OF THE NATION

Some 250 members of CFM staff gathered in the Westminster Theatre for the directorate's 4th annual "State of the Nation" address.  At the event, members of the CFM's Leadership Team gave interviews and presentations outlining current and future challenges and opportunities. There was also video footage showing how CFM has contributed to transforming the campus, supporting environmental sustainability and improving student accommodation. Professor Marilyn Andrews, Pro Vice-Chancellor Learning and Student Experience, spoke about the key role that CFM plays in enhancing the student experience at Keele. The overall message presented by Jenny Tucker, Director of CFM, was that this will be a challenging year but through the combined efforts and talents of CFM staff the Directorate can make a positive impact by delivering customer excellence, by being ambassadors for the University and by contributing to financial stability through income generation and a cost conscious approach.

The picture shows Professor Andrews, centre, with Jenny Tucker and Marcus Wilson, Deputy Head of Conferences, Sales and Marketing.

CREATIVITY @ KEELE

Keele, through Professor Alicia El Haj, has been selected to take part in an EPSRC pilot programme called "Creativity@ Home". As part of the programme, the Regenerative Medicine group held a workshop at Trentham Monkey Forest, which spanned from Cell therapies, Bioengineering to Ageing. The objective was to facilitate an opportunity for academics in regenerative medicine to take a fresh look at their research and consider potential links to many allied research areas at Keele, such as Primary Care, Ageing, Geophysics and Applied Mathematics. Tim Morley, from the Innovation Lab, was funded by EPSRC to facilitate the event and he will be providing further facilitator training to one of the Researchers in Residence, Dr Sarah Griffiths, as part of the EPSRC funded 3ME programme at Keele.

ROYAL SOCIETY DAY AT KEELE

The Widening Participation and Life Long Learning Division at Keele hosted their third Children's Conference of the year this week, celebrating the 350th anniversary of the Royal Society. Keele's School of Life Sciences analysed the work of Charles Darwin, whilst the attendees got their hands on bones and fossils, before making 'molecules' and finding out what jobs science may have to offer in the next 25 years. As well as taking an in-depth look at past and present members of the Royal Society, the day raised the general aspirations of the 14 and 15 year olds attending and gave them an insight into what it is like to study at university. The event ran alongside others at Keele and across the area which celebrated the 14th annual Science and Engineering week.

VICE-CHANCELLOR RE-APPOINTED TO HEAD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

The Prime Minister has reappointed the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Janet Finch, DBE, pictured below, as independent co-chair and member of the national Council for Science and Technology, alongside the Government's Chief Scientific Advisor, currently Professor John Beddington.

The Prime Minister, who re-appointed 13 members to the CST until 31 December 2010, said: "The members I have re-appointed, along with the independent co-chair whom I have also reappointed, form an outstanding team from a wide range of backgrounds in business and academia, science and technology, and economics and social science.

"I am confident that, as in the previous six years, CST will continue to provide Government with the necessary top quality strategic advice to help build a society that is confident about science and can gain from all that it offers for the future."

The Council is the Government's top-level advisory body on science, engineering and technology policy issues and reports directly to the Prime Minister.

CST's remit is to advise the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales and the responsible Minister at the Northern Ireland Office, on strategic science and technology policy issues that cut across the responsibilities of individual government departments.

In developing its advice the Council takes into account the cultural, economic, environmental, ethical and social context of developments in SET.

RECOGNISED QUALIFICATION STATUS FOR OSTEOPATHY

Keele's osteopathy programme has been granted a renewal of its Recognised Qualification status for a period of five years by the General Osteopathic Council and Privy Council.

The long period of recognition indicates the high level of confidence in the quality of this programme, which underwent the standard three-day inspection process in May last year by a specialist independent team from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

The announcement marks a significant achievement for this collaborative programme between Keele University and The College of Osteopaths, which was introduced in 2005 and is the only established degree level osteopathy programme in the northern half of the country.

Clinical provision was cited as a particular strength of the programme.

AGES AND STAGES COLLABORATION WITH CANADA

The multi-research council funded New Dynamics of Ageing Ages and Stages  project, led by Professor Miriam Bernard (Centre for Social Gerontology/Research Institute for Life Course Studies), pictured below, is set to collaborate with Canadian colleagues following a successful bid under the "Canadian Institutes for Health Research-UK 'New Dynamics of Ageing' Research Initiative".

The Canadian team, headed by Professor Janet Fast at the University of Alberta, will be adding a comparative element to the Keele/New Vic Theatre project by exploring the participation of older adults in theatrical productions and how this may enhance health and well-being.

They will work with the 'GeriActors and Friends' intergenerational theatre company in Edmonton on a project entitled: Health and Creative Ageing: Theatre as a Pathway to Healthy Ageing.

The grant will enable the two teams to provide mutual support and advice to each other and to visit each other's project sites over the next 2-3 years.

POET LAUREATE AT KEELE

Carol Ann Duffy, the UK's first female Poet Laureate and a Keele Honorary Graduate, read a selection of her work to a packed Westminster Theatre on Tuesday night.

The hour-long performance ranged in tone from the wit of 'The World's Wife', through bitter-sweet love poems to a recent, moving poem on the death of her mother.

The Poet Laureate had hit the news bulletins that day with 'Achilles', a poem she had written about David Beckham's torn tendon.

She joked that Keele had provided her with a welcome refuge from the world's media and included the Beckham poem in her reading.

RESEARCH GRANT

Dr Dana Rosenfeld, Research Institute for Life Course Studies, has been awarded £7,440 by The British Academy as Principal Investigator for a two year project titled 'The Lost Generation': The Social Worlds of Older Gay Male Survivors of the AIDS Epidemic.'

KEELE IN THE CITY

Alumni often say, "Let's get together…" and Keele in the City V, organised by our Alumni office, provided the perfect occasion to mingle, to exchange gossip and memories and to rendezvous with old Keele pals.

The event took place last week at "Tiger Tiger" in The Haymarket, London and nearly a hundred Keele alumni got together for a night out – and as much of a chat as the music allowed!

FROM THE ARCHIVES

17 March 1995

Former Stoke City and England goalkeeper Gordon Banks, pictured below, played with an all-stars team against a Keele students' team to mark honorary student Neil Baldwin's 35 years' connection with Keele.

The all-stars beat the Keele team 3-2.