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30 July 2013

Yorkshire Voices for Yorkshire Day

Yorkshire Voices exhibitionThe University of Sheffield is celebrating Yorkshire dialect through an interactive exhibition at the University of Sheffield’s Western Bank Library.

The exhibition brings together materials from four Yorkshire writers, each with distinct dialect in their work – novelist Arthur Eaglestone, pitman and poet Tom Hague, singer and poet Cathy Lovett and novelist and playwright Barry Hines (author of A Kestrel for a Knave, later made into the film Kes).

Each writes about a different time and a different part of Yorkshire. They have different motivations for writing, but the exhibition demonstrates how each writer captures something about the people of Yorkshire and the way they speak.

Visitors can listen to dialect extracts using their smart phone or through portable audio players available in the exhibition space.

The exhibition runs until 17 August 2013. Opening times 9am-7pm Monday – Thursday, 10am-7pm Friday, 12noon – 6pm Saturday.

30 July 2013

Public invited to visit rare medieval crypt

The ossuary at RothwellAn exciting new project between the University of Sheffield’s Department of Archaeology and Rothwell Holy Trinity Church, Northamptonshire, is inviting the public to get involved.

Rothwell houses a rare medieval (c.1066—1550) ossuary, a collection of disinterred human bones, housed in a deliberately constructed building, called a ‘charnel chapel.’ The Rothwell Charnel Chapel Project aims to conduct extensive research into this fascinating example of previously unrecognised medieval funerary activity and human bone curation. A current programme of osteological analysis, funerary research, plus conservation plans, are underway at Rothwell, initiated in Autumn 2012.

As part of this Project, a family-friendly Open Day is taking place at Holy Trinity Church, Saturday 10th August (from 11am-4pm for activities and tours; 6pm-8pm for talks). All members of the public are invited to come and find out more about the Project, contribute local knowledge of the site and Rothwell, and tell us what research they would like to see done. More details can be found at the project’s Facebook group or the osteology lab page

29 July 2013

Researcher acknowledged for dedication to finding a cure for devastating degenerative disease

Dr Richard MeadAn outstanding researcher from the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) at the University of Sheffield has been awarded the Kenneth Snowman-MND Association Lectureship in Translational Neuroscience.

Dr Richard Mead from the University's Department of Neuroscience was awarded the five-year lectureship in recognition of his expertise and knowledge which enables a high quality of pre-clinical research into MND.

Dr Mead has over 14 years' experience in both academia and industry with a background in models of MND and multiple sclerosis. He said: "I am delighted to have been awarded this prestigious lectureship; it’s a fantastic opportunity to pursue my passion, which is to bring new treatments to bear on this devastating disease.

"We have an ambitious strategy to stimulate preclinical research in MND though the work conducted here in SITraN but also in collaboration with Industry and others and this funding will give me the freedom to pursue this program of research."

For more information about the MND Association visit http://www.mndassociation.org/

To find out more about SITraN visit http://sitran.dept.shef.ac.uk/

12 July 2013

World-leading scientist honoured with prestigious Professorship

nibA world-leading scientist from the University of Sheffield has been honoured with a prestigious research award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to his field.

Professor Jim Wild, a Physicist from the University of Sheffield's Department of Cardiovascular Science in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, is the first methodology scientist to receive the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Research Professorship – a research award which promotes the clinical translation of pioneering research from lab bench to bedside, and also campus to clinics.

The £1.5 million research grant will allow Professor Wild to apply the ground breaking lung imaging research in to pulmonary hypertension and other debilitating and potentially life threatening pulmonary diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis, Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pumonary Disease (COPD) in collaboration with clinicians in Sheffield and across the UK.

Professor Wild said: "I was very happy and very surprised as the awards usually go to clinicians"

"The funding will allow us to further translate the lung imaging methods we have developed in to wider UK healthcare benefit in the NHS, in pulmonary hypertension, COPD and other pulmonary diseases. It is also recognition of the strong collaborations we have built with top clinical centres in Sheffield and the UK. It will also importantly help core members of the research group on to more permanent contracts so is great news for the group as a whole."

For more information about the award visit www.nihrtcc.nhs.uk/researchprofessor/

To find out more about the University of Sheffield's Department of Cardiovascular Science visit http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/cardiovascularscience

11 July 2013

University of Sheffield joins new Innovation and Knowledge Centre to drive UK's Synthetic Biology progress

University of Sheffield researchersResearchers from the University of Sheffield are to join a new £10 million Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) that will boost the UK's ability to translate the emerging field of synthetic biology into application and provide a bridge between academia and industry.

The IKC, to be called SynbiCITE, aims to act as an industry translation engine that can integrate university and industry based research in synthetic biology into industrial process and products.

The Centre will be a national resource and involve researchers from 18 universities and academic institutions as well as 13 industrial partners, including the research arms of Mircosoft, Shell and GlaxoSmithKilne.

Announcing the funding at the Sixth International Meeting on Synthetic Biology (SB6.0) conference today, David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, said: "Synthetic biology has huge potential for our economy and society in so many areas, from life sciences to agriculture.

"But to realise this potential we need to ensure researchers and business work together. This new Innovation and Knowledge Centre will help advance scientific knowledge and turn cutting edge research into commercial success."

SynbiCITE will be based at Imperial College London and is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research (BBSRC) and Technology Strategy Board.

10 July 2013

English students benefit from unique degree module

Dr Robert McKayWorld-class lecturers and students from the University of Sheffield's Faculty of Arts and Humanities have been recognised with a prestigious award for their work around a unique collaborative module.

Dr Robert McKay and Matthew Holman were presented with the Higher Education Academy's Student and Staff Partnership Award after launching the successful and innovative Interdisciplinary Research in Practice in the Arts and Humanities module.

The 20 credit module, which is open to all Arts and Humanities students, gives them the opportunity to learn from other members of the University about research theory and practice. The award recognises and celebrates the way in which staff and students have worked together to effect change in the University and enhance the student experience – whether it is through formal research or locally developed working practices.

Dr McKay, English Literature Lecturer, said: “We’re really proud of this project, it’s brought everyone together – from first-year students, to professional services staff, to Professors. We need to encourage student engagement and this project really helped us to develop a shared idea of what education might be. Listening to student voices is one of the most radical ways to rethink what the University is for.”

For more information about the School of English visit http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/english

To find out more about Student Ambassadors for Learning and Teaching visit http://www.shef.ac.uk/lets/student/salt

8 July 2013

The truth behind tooth decay

Study to find the root course of tooth decay in childrenScientists from the University of Sheffield are taking part in a pioneering collaborative study to find the root cause of tooth decay in young children.

More than 50 dental practices across the UK have signed up to the FiCTION study which will recruit more than 1,400 children in order to establish which is the best course of action for managing tooth decay in children.

Dental decay is one of the most common childhood diseases, with over 40 per cent of children across the UK already experiencing obvious decay in their baby teeth by five years of age- a statistic which has remained unchanged for the past 20 years.

Chris Deery, Professor of Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Sheffield, said “The trial will not only ask dentists which treatment they prefer but the children and their parents, giving us real insight into the best option.”

The FiCTION trial has been commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) and is led by the universities of Dundee, Leeds and Newcastle.

For more information visit www.fictiontrial.info

5 July 2013

Animal insight at Sheffield gallery

'Portrait of Monkey with Books', by Olivier RichonThe public are being invited to explore the world of animals in art at a new exhibition jointly organised by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University.

The exhibition, which will be on display at both Jessop West on Gell Street and Hallam’s Sheffield Institute for Arts gallery, sees contemporary artists challenging traditional artistic representations of animals as objects of decoration and status.

Entitled The Animal Gaze Returned, the exhibition raises the conceptual and ethical challenges to human priorities that our attitudes towards animals raise. By questioning the way we look at animals and how they look at us, the artists analyse human-animal interaction and how we connect (or fail to connect) with other beings.

Conventions of anthropomorphism and other traditions in Fine Art will be questioned and communicated through a wide variety of media – from painting, video and photography to sculpture, taxidermy and performance.

The exhibition runs from 2 August – 2 September 2013 at SIA, Arundel Street, Sheffield.