tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11720965168424750432024-03-13T03:35:47.543+00:00ISTM TranslateISTM aims to improve the health of patients by applying knowledge gained from basic science to develop insights into the causes of disease and ways of treating them. This 'bench to bedside' approach brings together scientists and NHS clinicians from a range of backgrounds and specialties, in a high quality research environment and access to the latest facilities.Suzanne at ISTMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14765249001114337808noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-36140005609177693112017-08-18T10:10:00.001+01:002017-08-18T10:11:58.130+01:00In memory of Professor Adam Curtis 1934 - 2017<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>In memory of Professor Adam Curtis</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Everyone at the ISTM would like to express our sincere condolences to the family of Professor Adam Curtis, who sadly passed away on 8th August 2017. He has been one of our longstanding collaborators and an inspiration and a friend to many at the ISTM. Indeed, Adam Curtis taught our Director, Nick Forsyth, back when he was an undergraduate and helped to inspire his career in cell biology.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> Long may his research and influence continue to inspire the future of medical research.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" href="https://www.uofgcce.org/single-post/2017/08/17/Adam-Curtis-1934-2017" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: white; color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://www.uofgcce.org/single-p…/…/17/Adam-Curtis-1934-2017</a><br />
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<br />Suzanne at ISTMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14765249001114337808noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-36652975481831391902017-06-28T12:15:00.000+01:002017-06-29T08:49:49.244+01:00The Three Minute Thesis Competition: A personal Perspective by Fraser PhilpFraser Philp, a PhD candidate within ISTM competed in the Three minute thesis (3MT) competition organised by the University’s Institute for Liberal Arts and Sciences (ILAS). Selected as the “people’s choice” at the Crossing Paths conference in April, Fraser went on to present at the recent Bob Beattie Postgraduate Student of the Year Awards Evening. Whilst narrowly losing out to moving forward as Keele University’s candidate for the national 3MT completion, Fraser reflects here on his experience and why he would advocate future postgraduate students take part in this exciting competition.<br /><br />As a PhD student you’re often asked “So what's your PhD on?”. When asked by a person familiar with your area of research, this question poses no challenges! However if the person asking is not familiar with your research area, or even research at all, you may find this a rather challenging question. The reason it’s challenging is this; if you’re anything like me, it’s at this point you debate in your own head whether to inundate them with the innermost workings of your research, (it’s at this point you see their eyes glaze over following your lengthy but brilliant description of Bayesian regularisation and Fourier transformations), or give a brief but vague description of your work, after which they are none the wiser and you feel as though you’ve done your hard work a disservice. This was certainly my experience, until recently when I entered the Three minute thesis challenge. <br /><br />The Three Minute Thesis is a competition in which doctoral candidates have to present a compelling spoken presentation on their research topic and its significance to a lay audience (in only three minutes). Being able to effectively communicate your research topic and its impact is an essential skill necessary for your viva, conferences, teaching and dissemination of your work to the public. As a PhD student, you want your work to have a real impact on the world and you want people to engage with it and share it. These are fundamental parts of the research process and are often questions that may get asked when presenting your work at a scientific conference or on grant applications. The Three Minute Thesis is a fantastic process for developing these academic, presentation, and research communication skills. It challenges you to identify the key components of your research and present it in a format that captivates a non-specialist audience without losing the engagement of a specialist in the audience. The presentation format is different to traditional academic presentations, with only three minutes and a single slide to convey your thesis. The removal of the traditional academic “homely comforts” pushes you to be more innovative and find alternate ways of delivering your work. There is a big emphasis on engaging the audience “leaving them wanting more”. You are penalised equally for using specialist terminology AND not being specific enough about your research. You have to make your words and the time count, as failure to keep to your allocated three minutes results in disqualification!<br /><br />The skills gained from this experience have been extremely beneficial and I would strongly advocate taking up the Three Minute Thesis challenge to any PhD student. The opportunity to present in differing settings and to different audiences has complimented my presentation skills. The ability to engage any audience has improved my confidence in presenting, whether it is on a conference stage or standing next to my poster at a conference. Additionally, being able to clearly articulate my research and its impact has helped in scientific presentations, viva preparation and grant applications. Finally, after four years, even my Dad knows what my PhD involves!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fraser
Philp of ISTM giving his 3MT presentation at the </span><span class="il"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bob</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="il"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Beattie</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Postgraduate Student of the Year </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Awards Evening</span></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-72967374323457006932017-06-15T15:26:00.001+01:002017-06-22T11:10:00.478+01:00€2million European Space Agency grant awarded to consortiumA consortium including ISTM's <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/peterogrodnik/">Professor Peter Ogrodnik</a> have been awarded a €2million <a href="http://www.esa.int/ESA">European Space Agency</a> grant as a part of a consortium to establish a true, high integrity Internet of Things (IoT) solution for healthcare. This award has built on over 25 years' research conducted at Keele and the <a href="http://www.uhnm.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx">Royal Stoke University Hospital </a>examining fracture healing. In the first instance they will be implementing an IoT solution for remote monitoring of broken tibiae (shins) post-operatively. This innovation could mean the end of repeated out-patient appointments and could also lead to measurable improvements in outcomes for the patient, the clinician and the healthcare provider. In addition, they will be reducing bed stays with an innovative IoT solution for the preoperative management of ankle fractures. The consortium brings together expertise from AT Kearney Ltd , SlamJam Ltd, Keele University, Oracle, and Intel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">left to right are the consortium members, Prof Ogrodnik, Alistair Taylor, Prof Thomas, John Lindup, Susan Hartman, Nathan Grant, Matthew Ockenden, and Mark Freeman.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-10904190304110441572017-05-25T10:47:00.000+01:002017-05-25T10:53:34.859+01:00ISTM students participate in cross faculty conference<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/ilas/">The Institute of Liberal arts and Sciences (ILAS)</a> recently held its “Crossing Paths” Postgraduate Conference 2017, an opportunity which allowed postgraduate students to showcase their work to other disciplines. Unlike most conferences, in which people from a similar scientific field meet together to discuss the “nitty gritty” of their research, this conference required students to discuss the wider impact of their research and present it in a format that was accessible to people not familiar with their subject area. Along with poster presentations, another way in which students got to share their research was a challenge known as the Three minute thesis competition (3MT). The competition required PhD students to present a compelling spoken presentation on their research topic and its significance in just three minutes to a non-specialist audience. Whilst this may sound easy, an 80,000 word thesis would take 9 hours to present!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Students from ISTM attending the ILAS Crossing Paths PG Conference</td></tr>
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We caught up with two of our prize winners to see what they had to say about the conference…<br />
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<b>Fraser Philp (ISTM PhD Student)</b> - Judges and Peoples prizes for best presentation<br /><br />
The conference was well supported by students from the Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine (ISTM) and the School of Health and Rehabilitation (SHAR) through attendance, posters and entries into the Three minute thesis competition. Myself and Shaima Jabbar, entered the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition heats, and I was lucky enough to win the Judges and Peoples prizes for best presentation for my presentation entitled “Validating the methods that underpin the modelling of injury risk factors in football.” The presentation discussed the importance of evaluating the current methods used to identify injury and how the clinical decision making processes could potentially be improved through the use of computer modelling (mathematical and statistical equations).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fraser Philp won the 3 Minute Thesis competition</td></tr>
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I thoroughly enjoyed the day; it was a great opportunity to see other people’s research and engage in conversations outside of your discipline. The three minute thesis was a great opportunity; the biggest challenge was trying to get people who usually aren’t interested in your research area, not only interested, but also able to see the impact of what you’re doing in just three minutes. The next stages of the 3MT competition are on the 20th of June 2017.<br />
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<b>Homa Weli (ISTM PhD student)</b> - People's prize for best poster<br /><br />
"Variety is said to be the spice of life". This statement, I believe, beautifully illustrates the meeting point between the arts and science. On 28th of April, the Institute of Liberal Arts and Science (ILAS) hosted a multidisciplinary conference which gave effect to the quote.<br />
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I arrived at the conference hall slightly jet-lagged from a brief trip to the United States yet I was still keen to participate. It promised to be varied by cutting across various fields in the arts and science and by the end of the conference, I could confidently say: "promise kept".<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homa Weli won the People's prize for best poster</td></tr>
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I applied to present at the ILAS conference upon the suggestion of my lead supervisor, Professor Ying Yang. Being a multidisciplinary conference, this meant that I had to prepare my presentation with focus and clarity in mind. I was determined to communicate my research clearly and to appeal to a non-specialist audience. My PhD work, amongst other things, investigates an ageing compound in a disease that only affects women - Pelvic Organ Prolapse. There is poor awareness of the disease's burden and significance amongst the general public. Furthermore, in the process of studying pelvic organ Prolapse, I had used 3 specialised mechanical tests. Therefore explaining these to a non-specialist audience was not an easy task, nonetheless, but I was determined to take on the challenge. To capture the study in simplicity, my poster was titled: "Understanding how pelvic organ prolapse Happens: insights from vaginal tissue collagen age, structure and mechanical strength". The use of scientific jargons and clinical terms can be reflex habits for scientists and clinicians. So, I paid attention to how I used these and explained them where necessary.<br />
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There were 46 posters displayed at the conference. These included work from the fields of Geography, Politics, Law, Life Sciences, Medicine and Physiotherapy. I learned about some brilliant research going on at the university, but I was particularly thrilled to explain my research to both staff and students from the arts and humanities field. I found it exciting that they could both relate to and understand my research. They demonstrated an understanding of even of the methods used. It was a rewarding experience which received positive feedback . At the end of the event, I was both honoured and pleased to have been awarded the Audience Choice (People's) poster prize which is a prize for communication. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notes from the audience </td></tr>
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ISTM would like to thank all of its students that took part in the cross faculty conference and to congratulate both <b>Fraser Philp</b> and <b>Homa Weli</b> on the winning presentations, as well as <b>Emma Green</b> (ISTM PhD student) for winning the runner up prize for the Judge’s prize for best poster!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-78158648692215448922017-05-11T12:14:00.000+01:002017-05-11T12:14:26.466+01:00ISTM holds 12th annual Postgraduate Symposium<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Research Institute Director, Professor Nick Forsyth kicks off the symposium</td></tr>
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ISTM held its 12th annual Postgraduate Research Symposium on Tuesday 9th May. Postgraduate Research Students and their supervisors gathered for the annual Symposium at the <a href="http://nsmedicalinstitute.co.uk/">North Staffordshire Medical Institute (NSMI)</a> in Hartshill. This year’s Symposium featured a series of presentation, giving students valuable experience in public speaking. Posters were also on display and a selection of students participated in the fast paced Turbo Talk session, which gave participating students just three minutes to talk about their research topic and encourage the audience to go and view their poster. <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/vinojgeorge/">Dr Vinoj George</a>, ISTM’s newly appointed Lecturer in Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, also gave a guest presentation to introduce himself and his research.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The event was well attended by students and their supervisors.</td></tr>
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After careful deliberation, the judges selected winners from each category, all of which were awarded a cash prize that had been kindly donated by the NSMI and Chamber of Commerce. The first prize for best presentation went to Hamza Abu Owida; first prize for the best Turbo Talk went to Homayemem Kinikanwo Weli; and first prize for the best poster went to Ibrahim Ali.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prize winners at this year's Symposium.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/paulhorrocks/">Professor Paul Horrocks</a>, ISTM’s Director for Postgraduate Research commended the students on the quality of their presentations and posters and gave special thanks to the NSMI. Stating that “It is important that we acknowledge the support of the North Staffordshire Medical Institute. This is the second year we have decided to host the event within their conference facilities, a move aimed to strengthen our links with this important local partner.”<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-90665729147655515232017-03-21T16:20:00.001+00:002017-03-21T16:20:48.640+00:00Rehabilitation research: join the revolutionDr Ed Chadwick gave an invited talk at a fascinating Keele event this morning headlined: “The Fourth Industrial Revolution – what every business needs to know”.<br /> <br />Ed’s talk on Personalised Healthcare Devices described how his research with collaborators in the UK and USA is presenting opportunities for new rehabilitation devices and regimes, for example to help amputees and stroke survivors. The audience enjoyed a breakfast in the Great Hall followed by talks in the Salvin Room at Keele Hall, showing how the world is embarking on the next revolution in industry as manufacturing connects with the digital age.<br />And those previous three revolutions (in case you missed them):<br /> First Industrial Revolution (c1700 to 1870 in Europe and America) – steam power and industrialisation<br /> Second Industrial Revolution (c1870 to 1914) – mass production and electrical power<br /> Third Industrial, or Digital Revolution (1980s to today) - from analogue and mechanical to digital device technology<br /> Fourth Industrial Revolution (now) – digital technology embeds within society and the human body<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/">https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/"></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AeM2RfKYpv0/WNFSbAkFBlI/AAAAAAAAAB0/E-VDt_VLX8YevuZpLgCyWxTJa1S3CvAgACLcB/s1600/Ed%2BChadwick%2BFourth%2BIndustrial%2BRevolution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AeM2RfKYpv0/WNFSbAkFBlI/AAAAAAAAAB0/E-VDt_VLX8YevuZpLgCyWxTJa1S3CvAgACLcB/s320/Ed%2BChadwick%2BFourth%2BIndustrial%2BRevolution.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-83865472718473624792017-03-13T12:20:00.000+00:002017-03-13T12:20:57.079+00:00Study reveals pre-eclampsia significantly increases risk of heart disease in later life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yOl5xnUAZmM/WL1MiEz43lI/AAAAAAAAABA/EUkA_BDzsAoOD62rORYRk9taLC0KpDSIQCLcB/s1600/Pregnant%2BLady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yOl5xnUAZmM/WL1MiEz43lI/AAAAAAAAABA/EUkA_BDzsAoOD62rORYRk9taLC0KpDSIQCLcB/s1600/Pregnant%2BLady.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Research led by Keele University has demonstrated that women who suffered pre-eclampsia during pregnancy are four times more likely to have heart failure in later life. <br /><br />The study also found that expectant mothers with pre-eclampsia, which presents with high blood pressure and protein in the woman’s urine, have a two-fold increase risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and death due to cardiovascular disease in later life.<br /><br />Pre-eclampsia affects five to eight per cent of pregnancies and is the most common cause of severe ill-health during pregnancy which can, in extreme circumstances, lead to death of the mother or baby.<br /><br />The findings, involving the analysis of 22 studies and more than 6.5 million women, have been published today (February 21st) in the Go Red for Women Spotlight collection of the prestigious journal, <a href="http://circoutcomes.ahajournals.org/">Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes</a>.<br /><br />The authors of the study are calling for doctors to offer better advice to women about the increased risks, and the actions they can take to avoid future ill-health. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/penseewu/">Dr Pensee Wu</a>, the first author of this publication and lecturer in <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/healthlibrary/find/subjectlinks/obstetricsgynaecology/">Obstetrics and Gynaecology</a> at Keele University, said: “Doctors need to be aware of the importance of educating women about their increased level of cardiovascular risk and of advising women about the beneficial effects of changing their lifestyle, such as increasing their level of physical activity and not smoking.<br /><br />“I hope this work will raise awareness amongst hospital doctors of the advice that they need to give to women with pre-eclampsia.”<br /><br />Dr Wu, who is also an Honorary Consultant Obstetrician and Maternal Fetal Medicine Subspecialist at University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust, added: “The study shows the risk is highest during the first ten years after a pregnancy affected by pre-eclampsia, so it is important that women are regularly monitored during this period for cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.”<br /><br />“The risks begins to increase for coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke within one year after giving birth, but it is highest between one to ten years after giving birth.”<br /><br />The study was a collaboration between researchers at Keele University’s <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/iacs/">Institute for Applied Clinical Science (iACS)</a> and<a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/"> Institute for Science & Technology in Medicine (ISTM)</a>, along with<a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/pchs/"> Primary Care and Health Sciences (iPCHS)</a>, and the University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM). <br /><br />Dr Randula Haththotuwa, co-author, Academic Clinical Fellow, and trainee GP funded by the National Institute for Health Research, added: “This study is extremely important for general practice as it will highlight the importance of lifelong monitoring of women who have suffered from pre-eclampsia of cardiovascular risk factors.”<br /><br />Last year, Dr Wu, Dr Haththotuwa and their collaborators published another paper identifying a link between pre-eclampsia in pregnancy and the development of diabetes in later life. The study showed that pre-eclampsia is independently associated with a two-fold increase in future diabetes. This increased risk was found to occur from less than one year after delivery of the baby and persisted to over ten years after birth. Again, this highlights the need for monitoring of women in primary care.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-13314686789444199792017-02-21T15:29:00.000+00:002017-02-21T15:29:14.300+00:00ISTM 2015/16 Annual ReportISTM is proud to present it's 2015/16 Annual Report...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><img alt="" border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-unWPK_dDJ2w/WKxbV66OROI/AAAAAAAABX8/gmxHaS6MXP0F_swnFCm4mOCDV4CwtN2SgCEw/s1600/ISTM%2BAnnual%2BReport%2B2015-2016.png" title="" /><a href="https://www.joomag.com/magazine/istm-annual-reports-2015-2016/0369179001485770915?short">https://www.joomag.com/magazine/istm-annual-reports-2015-2016/0369179001485770915?short</a></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/aliciaelhaj/"><br /></a></b><div>
<b><a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/aliciaelhaj/">Professor Alicia EL Haj </a><br /> (Former Director of ISTM)</b><br /> It is always good to reflect on the year and take stock of the progress and challenges we have faced. Overall, ISTM has had an excellent year with significant advances in our research, an increase in the number staff publishing in top journals, a strong cohort of graduating postgraduate students and a clear rise in our external recognition. <br /><br />The Institute continues to be globally recognised for excellent multi-disciplinary biomedical and bioengineering research with a much heralded formula of interdisciplinary working in a hospital environment. In addition, our grant income from research council and other funding sources is expanding with the aid of our first class research administrative team. Our increase in research income resulting from an outstanding REF result is especially pleasing and has provided support for new initiatives.<br /><br />With the changing enterprise agenda on campus, we have been working to expand our outreach and enterprise activities from within the Institute. Our networking with Industry continues to grow with the Impact agenda an important part of our portfolio.<br /><br />This year has seen a lot of changes in the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences and the structure of the Institute as a whole. No organisation can stand still and new programmes and initiatives need to come through aiming towards the next REF in 2020. Nick Forsyth has taken on the leadership of ISTM looking forward. I am passing the Institute leadership into excellent hands and I hope you all will support him as well as you have supported me.<br /><b><br /><a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/nicholasforsyth/">Professor Nicholas R Forsyth </a><br />(Director of ISTM)</b><br /> This has been a year of change including one where the Faculty changed its name! Changing from the Faculty of Health to the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences (FMHS). The role of Institute Director, though daunting, is one which I had no hesitation in putting myself forward for and was grateful to accept following on from interview. It is naturally important to acknowledge Professor Alicia El Haj and the substantial energy she has committed to the Institute during her two periods as Director. Her drive and ambitions have helped us cement and improve our standing thus far and collectively the Institute has continued to go from strength-to-strength.<br /><br />Through the pages of this Annual Report it is our aim to represent the dynamism readily apparent across the Institute. ISTM in numbers (Page 4) illustrates many of our key metrics and also begins to take stock of our fledgling social media presence. Highlights (Pages 6-13) paints a broad picture of the news and events from across the past year, acknowledging new appointments and promotions, and celebrating funding successes and our growing global networks. The Report also reviews our individual research themes, key publications, our international activities, and much more.<br /><br />Finally, and most importantly, I’d like to extend my thanks to all the Institute’s staff and members for their hard work and initiative over the last 12-months.</div>
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Click<b> <a href="https://www.joomag.com/magazine/istm-annual-reports-2015-2016/0369179001485770915?short">here</a> </b>to read the full report.<br /><br /> <br /><br /> </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-25193346682977892412016-12-05T15:01:00.000+00:002016-12-05T15:01:24.062+00:00Why do scientists do what scientists do? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="122" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-508Fu0M1HxU/WEWAzq7vAnI/AAAAAAAABRg/pZuTCByHdqoaDUkHsGsX8tEru0Ot6roCwCLcB/s400/Why%2Bdo%2Bscientsits%2Bdo%2Bwhat%2Bscientists%2Bdo%2B1.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<br />"Why do scientists do what scientists do?" is a new website that has been developed by ISTM and School of Pharmacy’s <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/alanrichardson/">Dr Alan Richardson</a>. Dr Richardson received funding for the project from the <a href="https://www.bps.ac.uk/">British Pharmacological Society</a> as part of their Outreach and Public Engagement Grant Scheme. The aim of the website is to better inform public understanding about research, which might otherwise sound bizarre if the rationale for it hasn't adequately been explained. <br />
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The website has been developed to help non-scientists, or students just embarking on a career in science, to understand “the scientific mind-set”. Why do scientists carry out experiments which, at first sight, may appear crazy? For example, why would scientists make rabbits which glow in the dark? And, why don’t scientists give straightforward answers to questions, but instead make things sound more complicated?<br />
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The website uses simple and accessible language as well as fun animations to explain some of the basic principles behind the design of scientific research. It’s hoped that the website will help to bridge the gap between scientific research and public understanding.<br />
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The website can be found on the following link:<br />
<a href="http://whydoscientists.org/">http://whydoscientists.org/</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-21325585755200477542016-11-23T19:35:00.001+00:002016-11-23T19:35:31.737+00:00Can someone give me a hand?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>Written by <a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/edchadwick/">Dr Ed Chadwick</a> (Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Engineering, ISTM)</i><br />
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A couple of weeks ago I broke my collarbone. This has meant keeping my arm in a sling for a while, and making do with only one hand. While slightly inconvenient, it’s not the end of the world. In a few weeks I’ll be back to normal operation. It has, however, given me a new understanding of how difficult it is to get things done with only one hand. Previously simple tasks like tying my shoelaces are now impossible!<br />
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As I said, for me this will be short lived. For some people though, born missing a limb, or perhaps losing one in an accident, this is something they have to live with day in, day out. As a Biomedical Engineer, my work involves using engineering principles to tackle clinical problems, hopefully improving the quality of life of people with disabilities.<br />
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All of which is a rather long-winded introduction to a paper we have recently published on our research to make better artificial (prosthetic) hands.<br />
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<b>Computer modelling</b></h4>
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The focus of <a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/edchadwick/">my research</a> has been understanding human movement (in particular involving arms and hands) by building computer models. We use these models to help us understand what goes wrong in certain diseases or injuries, and to design better medical devices and treatments. Our latest paper shows how we might use a computer model of the hand to design a better prosthetic hand.<br />
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A better prosthetic hand</h4>
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Over the last few years, prosthetic hands have become better and better. They now have individually moving fingers and thumbs that are almost as good as the real thing. But there are still a couple of problems. People find it difficult to control many different actions at the same time: they can open or close the fingers, they can bend or rotate the wrist, or they can move the thumb in and out. But not all at the same time, and that makes the use of the hand a bit unnatural. It takes too much effort. Together with our partners at <a href="http://www.smpp.northwestern.edu/research/arms/index.html">RIC / Northwestern</a> and <a href="http://hmc.csuohio.edu/people">Cleveland State</a> Universities, we are trying to make a better interface for a prosthetic hand that will make using it really natural.<br />
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We have built a computer model of the hand, or ‘virtual hand’, that predicts how the missing hand of an amputee would behave if it were still there. The vision is that this could be used to control an a prosthetic hand worn by an amputee. We would know what the user wanted to do with their hand by recording the signals from the remaining nerves in the arm; the virtual hand would tell us what the prosthetic hand should do. Of course, for this to work, the movements of the ‘virtual’ hand would have to be known as quickly as they would from a real hand. This is known as ‘real-time simulation’.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cZ2S3GUeDO8/WDXr5NfGPJI/AAAAAAAAOpk/x27YmO_U-3EMCLomMtvo1DWA2jID23-BACLcB/s1600/hand-postures.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cZ2S3GUeDO8/WDXr5NfGPJI/AAAAAAAAOpk/x27YmO_U-3EMCLomMtvo1DWA2jID23-BACLcB/s320/hand-postures.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The real-time hand model showing off postures from the American Sign Language.</td></tr>
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The paper describes how the model works, how it simulates the actions of the missing fingers, and how it does it in real time. You can access the <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/gHC544fgw8kz68FvYW3C/full">full text of the publication</a> here if you want to know how it works (warning: lots of equations!).</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Closing the loop</b></h4>
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As well as allowing the user to ‘talk to the hand’ (telling the hand what it should be doing), this approach allows the hand to talk to the user! That is, we can simulate the signals from the missing hand that would tell the user where their fingers are, how fast they are moving and whether they are gripping something.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XlRklWIgUU0/WDXsJbbBOZI/AAAAAAAAOpo/68s_uaTdHRAgmIdRYbYBu-UuCI2-CxzWQCLcB/s1600/1-QeycYKF6q-O5o0f7MZQKgA.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XlRklWIgUU0/WDXsJbbBOZI/AAAAAAAAOpo/68s_uaTdHRAgmIdRYbYBu-UuCI2-CxzWQCLcB/s320/1-QeycYKF6q-O5o0f7MZQKgA.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">A prosthesis user testing a new type of control for an artificial hand. Image courtesy<br />
of <a href="http://www.intellsensing.com/volunteer/">Newcastle University</a>.</td></tr>
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This <i>closing the loop</i> of the control system has the potential to really take artificial hands to the next level. This is what the <a href="http://www.senseback.com/">Senseback</a> project aims to achieve and will be the subject of our next publication.<br />
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Thanks to Dimitra Blana, Wendy Murray, Ton van den Bogert & Kia Nazarpour.<br />
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Useful links</h4>
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<a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/rehab/">Keele Rehabilitation Research Group</a><br />
<a href="http://www.smpp.northwestern.edu/research/arms/index.html">Northwestern / RIC ARMS lab</a><br />
<a href="http://hmc.csuohio.edu/people">Cleveland State Human Motion and Control Lab</a>.<br />
<a href="http://www.senseback.com/">EPSRC-funded Senseback Project</a></div>
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<i>Originally published on <a href="https://medium.com/@ekjchadwick/can-someone-give-me-a-hand-2a0a3527cfa0#.41ci8q732">Medium</a>.</i></div>
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Dimitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14131882363965336256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-66423851934503146472016-10-11T09:53:00.000+01:002016-10-11T09:53:05.216+01:00Improving the treatment of eye diseases using regenerative medicine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>ISTM recently ran a blog writing competition that was open to PhD students and young researchers with a view to improving their lay-writing skills and helping ISTM to play a greater role in the public dissemination of its research. After concluding the competition we will be publishing each entry in turn over the coming months. The 3rd prize winner of our competition was Rachel Gater, a PhD student in the <a href="http://www.dtcregen-med.com/">Centre for Doctoral Training</a>, ISTM. </i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOFWxezsqeI/V_yly658CfI/AAAAAAAABNU/CySW9E7Tqr4NvY-gTmU7dbYHBYhOXwt5ACLcB/s1600/Rachel%2BGater%2B-%2Beye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOFWxezsqeI/V_yly658CfI/AAAAAAAABNU/CySW9E7Tqr4NvY-gTmU7dbYHBYhOXwt5ACLcB/s320/Rachel%2BGater%2B-%2Beye.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">(Source: Microsoft word - Clip Art)<br /></td></tr>
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The retina is a complex layer of tissue at the back of the eye. It turns the visual information entering the eye into electrical signals, which are then sent to the brain for processing. Eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration can damage the retina, leading to significant sight problems and even blindness if left untreated. Glaucoma causes damage to the retina by a build up of pressure inside the eye, whilst macular degeneration involves deterioration of the centre of the retina; the most sensitive region. Although there are some existing treatments for eye diseases such as intravitreal injections and surgery, the success rate of these treatments is not very high and they can cause unpleasant side effects. Therefore, scientists in the field of regenerative medicine are working to develop better treatments for eye diseases.<br /><br />There are generally two methods that scientists in the field of regenerative medicine can try when researching new treatments for eye diseases. The first approach is the possibility of triggering self repair processes (endogenous regeneration) to help the damaged eye tissues repair themselves. Certain amphibians, such as the newt, are already naturally able to replace their entire eye through endogenous regeneration! We still don’t fully know how amphibians do this, but it is believed that they store stem cells in certain areas of the eye. Stem cells are special because they have not yet transformed into a specific cell type and can therefore be triggered to turn into any type of cell. Therefore if the amphibian’s eye gets injured, the stored stem cells can replace any damaged cells and repair the eye. If scientists can work out the biology of exactly how amphibians do this, then they may be able to help trigger the same process for humans in the future!<br /> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ey-GG0yhJd0/V_ykgyxhBbI/AAAAAAAABNE/ugPVv-DQO88p6KQEIlTNKu_2mYasWCjlgCEw/s1600/Rachel%2BGater%2Bamphibian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ey-GG0yhJd0/V_ykgyxhBbI/AAAAAAAABNE/ugPVv-DQO88p6KQEIlTNKu_2mYasWCjlgCEw/s320/Rachel%2BGater%2Bamphibian.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Source: Microsoft word - Clip Art)</td></tr>
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<i>Figure 1: Amphibians such as the newt are already naturally able to replace their entire eye through self repair processes (endogenous regeneration).</i><br /><br />The second approach scientists in the field of regenerative medicine can try is the possibility of repairing damaged eye tissues using stem cell therapies. Stem cell therapies can be generated from sources such as <a href="http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/stemcells_scnt.html">embryonic stem cells (ESCs)</a>, <a href="https://www.stemcell.ucla.edu/induced-pluripotent-stem-cells">induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)</a> and <a href="http://www.eurostemcell.org/factsheet/mesenchymal-stem-cells-other-bone-marrow-stem-cells">mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)</a>. As shown in Figure 2, the retina of the eye is made up of many layers each containing different types of cells. These cells include rods (which help us with vision in darkness at night time) and cones (which help us with colour vision in the day time). There are also bipolar cells which do a bit more processing in the nuclear + plexiform layers, as well as ganglion cells which are important in helping to pass on information to the brain. As we know that stem cells can be triggered to turn into any type of cell, scientists believe that we might be able to turn stem cells into new retina cells such as rods, cones and ganglion cells. If successful, these cells could then be used to repair the retina if the eye gets damaged by disease or injury.<br /><br /> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JraLe7Gwpdk/V_yk4fyYs0I/AAAAAAAABNI/g9RevKwpAschLFub_pcwItoJxAWqfbE0gCLcB/s1600/Rachel%2BGater%2B-%2Bretina.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JraLe7Gwpdk/V_yk4fyYs0I/AAAAAAAABNI/g9RevKwpAschLFub_pcwItoJxAWqfbE0gCLcB/s320/Rachel%2BGater%2B-%2Bretina.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Source: original)</td></tr>
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<i>Figure 2: The retina is made up of many layers each containing different types of cell.</i><br /><br />So far scientists have been able to turn stem cells into rods, cones and ganglion cells inside a cell culture plate, but there is more work to do before the method can become a treatment given to patients. Even though we can grow the cells, one of the first challenges is figuring out how we can safely deliver the treatment into the patient’s eye. As the eye is so small and fragile, injection needles or surgery may cause further damage to the eye. Therefore, it is important to figure out the best way to precisely deliver the cells to the eye without it causing further damage or being painful for the patient. A second challenge is getting the cells to integrate and function correctly once they are inside the eye. Even if we can deliver the cells correctly, we would need to make sure that the cells are alive, in the correct place and performing their correct function once inside. For example, if we manage to deliver new cone cells into the eye and they correctly perform their role in colour vision, then we would know that the treatment has worked! Finally, a third challenge scientists will need to overcome is the possibility of immune-rejection. As stem cell therapies don’t always use the patient’s own cells, there is a chance that transplanted cells may be rejected, in the same way that a heart transplant might be rejected after heart transplantation surgery. To overcome this challenge, drug treatments such as immuno-suppression therapy may be used to help reduce the risk of rejection. Alternatively scientists might be able to use a patient’s own stem cells which would not be rejected by the body.<br /><br />In summary, due to the low success rate of current treatments, scientists in the field of regenerative medicine are working to develop better treatments for eye diseases. The two main methods for this include the possibility of triggering self repair (endogenous regeneration) like amphibians can do naturally, or the use stem cell therapies to repair damaged eye tissues. Although scientists can turn stem cells into retina cells relatively successfully in a cell culture plate, challenges still need to be overcome. These challenges include figuring out how to safely deliver cell therapies into the eye, getting transplanted cells to function correctly once inside the eye and overcoming the risk of immune-rejection. If scientists can successfully overcome these challenges, these approaches are likely to transform the way that we treat eye diseases in the future!<br /><br /><i>Written by Rachel Gater, PhD Student, Centre for Doctoral Training, ISTM<br />(3rd Prize in the ISTM Blog Post Competition 2016)</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-48103394030446572162016-09-22T09:00:00.000+01:002016-09-22T09:00:07.520+01:00Link Found Between Pre-Eclampsia and Diabetes Later in Life Research led by ISTM and published this week in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) has identified a new link between pre-eclampsia in pregnancy and the development of diabetes in later life. <br /><br />The condition, which results in high blood pressure and protein in the mothers’ urine, affects 5-8% of pregnancies and is the most common cause of severe perinatal ill health. The study showed that pre-eclampsia is independently associated with a two-fold increase in future diabetes. This increased risk occurs from less than 1 year after delivery of the baby and persisted to over 10 years after birth. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr Pensee Wu, ISTM</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/penseewu/">Dr Pensee Wu</a>, Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at ISTM, is the first author of this publication and said: <br /><br />“This study highlights the importance of clinical risk assessment and follow-up for the future development of diabetes in women with pre-eclampsia. Understanding of health conditions during pregnancy and their impact on health over a woman’s life is vital in the prevention of conditions such as diabetes. <br /><br />“Ensuring women are screened regularly and take preventative measures through diet and exercise could help reduce the number of women who later contract diabetes after experiencing pre-eclampsia during pregnancy.”<br /><br />The study involved a systematic review of research over the past 10 years, much of which was conflicting about the impact of pre-eclampsia later in life. <br /><br />The understanding of the long term impact of women’s health following pre-eclampsia is however growing. The American Heart Association has linked pre-eclampsia to longer term cardiac conditions. <br /><br />“Diabetes is a multi-organ condition. If we can prevent it from developing early on, it could dramatically reduce the risks of serious health issues later in life for women after birth” says Dr Wu. <br /><br />Researchers hope that dissemination of this study to clinicians, particularly those in Primary Care health provision, will inform practice and longer term preventative measures. <br /><br />As well as being a Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at ISTM, Dr Pensee Wu is also an Honorary Consultant Obstetrician and Fetal Medicine Subspecialist at the <a href="http://www.uhnm.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx">University Hospital of North Midlands</a> (UHNM). <br /><br /> This study was supported by a grant from the <a href="http://www.northstaffsheart.org.uk/">North Staffs Heart Committee</a> and the <a href="http://www.nihr.ac.uk/">National Institute for Health Research</a> Academic Clinical Fellowships. This study was a collaboration between UHNM Academic Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Keele Cardiovascular Research Group, <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/pchs/">Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences</a> at Keele University and the <a href="https://www.abdn.ac.uk/iahs/">Institute of Applied Health Sciences</a> at the University of Aberdeen. The authors are: Pensee Wu, <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/shingkwok/">Chun Shing Kwok</a>, Randula Haththotuwa, Rafail Kotronias, Aswin Babu, <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/anthonyfryer/">Anthony Fryer</a>, Phyo Myint, <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/pchs/staff/professors/carolynchew-graham/">Carolyn Chew-Graham</a> and <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/mamasmamas/">Mamas Mamas</a>.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-38488523072384680792016-09-21T10:43:00.000+01:002016-09-21T10:43:24.894+01:00ISTM Translate - Issue 4: NanopharmaceuticsThe latest issue of the ISTM Translate magazine is now available in digital and print format. The theme focus for this issue is nanopharmaceutics.<span style="background: white; color: #474747; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.joomag.com/magazine/translate-autumn-winter-2016-2017/0830020001473344564?short"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4hUpfpaQLn4/V-JTbXxNw4I/AAAAAAAABLY/CKZVYOOHn5A1g2fsDEcpUeUnEVDmLrMDQCLcB/s640/Translate%2BIssue%2B4%2BFront%2BCover.png" width="456" /></a></div>
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There are contributions from <a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/clarehoskins/">Dr Clare Hoskins</a>, <a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/tonycurtis/">Dr Anthony Curtis</a>, as well as other members of the Keele Nanopharmaceutics Group. Articles include...<br /><br />· Medicine at the small scale: The exponential growth in nanopharmaceutics <br /><br />· Programming death in cancer cells: Novel technologies improving long-term prognosis<br /><br />· The great solubility challenge: Investigating potential in targeted drug delivery <br /><br />· Theranostic Advances: The knowledge and fabrication of nanotechnologies <br /> <br />· Nanopharmaceutics Symposium: Successful second annual event at Keele University <br /><br />· Spotlight: The people behind ISTM <br /> <br />· Public engagement: Bringing research closer to people <br /><br />· Taking advantage of change: A new streamlined Institute structure for ISTM <br /><br />By clicking <a href="https://www.joomag.com/magazine/translate-autumn-winter-2016-2017/0830020001473344564?short">here</a> you can access the online digital version of Translate Issue 4. Alternatively you can request a paper copy by contacting: <br /> Joseph Clarke <br />+44 (0)1782 674998 | j.clarke@keele.ac.ukUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-86048951500431063522016-09-13T14:33:00.000+01:002016-09-13T14:33:21.454+01:00Building bridges through Science: David Mottershead attends international congress in Iran<i>Written by <a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/davidmottershead/">Dr David Mottershead</a> (Lecturer in Biochemistry & Cell Biology, ISTM)<br /></i>********************************<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making new friends from the Congress. (David is second from right).</td></tr>
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As a result of an email I received on the 20th of June this year inviting me to speak at the Royan International Twin Congress (August 31-September 2) in Tehran, Iran, I was plunged into quite an adventure. The Royan International Twin Congress has been held every year since the first meeting in September 2000. This year’s meeting saw the joint holding of the 17th Congress on Reproductive Biomedicine and the 12th Congress on Stem Cell Biology & Technology, both supported and organized by the <a href="http://www.royaninstitute.org/">Royan Institute</a> in Tehran. This being my first trip to the middle east meant that a new and unusual experience was assured. <div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ceiling of the Tomb of Hafez, Shiraz.</td></tr>
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The meeting itself reflects the nature and makeup of the Royan (in Persian “royan” means embryo) Institute itself, which has Divisions devoted to reproductive biomedicine, stem cell biology and biotechnology. The congress itself has the two streams of reproductive biomedicine and stem cell biology running concurrently. This enabled one to pick and choose between both session streams, and although I found myself predominantly within the reproductive stream, I did cross over for a number of very interesting presentations within the stem cell stream as well. International speakers from across the world were in attendance (UK, USA, Austria, China, Netherlands, Australia, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, for example). Apart from Keynote Lectures and Award Lectures, there were the various invited speakers talks, short oral presentations, poster sessions and exhibitions. The sessions of particular interest to me were, Animal Biotechnology, Tissue Engineering in Reproductive Sciences, and Regenerative Medicine, Novel Discoveries. <br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tombs of kings past, Naqsh-e-Rostam.</td></tr>
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The conference organizers looked after the invited speakers extremely well, we were never short of food/refreshments at the venue and every evening we were taken to see sites in Tehran and out to eat, enabling us to experience the magnificent local cuisine. From my own point of view, the congress was extremely productive with good discussions/connections established between myself and two separate labs at the Royan Institute which should lead to ongoing collaborations. For all the invited speakers a 2 day tour of highlights of Iran was offered which I participated in, enabling one to experience the history of the country and see some amazing sites. First we flew South to Shiraz, a distance of 700 km. We arrived late and would not have time to get to know Shiraz well, but did visit the Tomb of Hafez, one of Iran’s famous and revered poets who lived in the 14th century (1325-1389). Upon leaving Shiraz by bus we started our long trip back North to Tehran. Our first stop 70 kms from Shiraz was at a series of tombs cut into the cliff side where ancient kings were buried. The site is known as Naqsh-e Rostam and had a distinctly “Indiana Jones” feel to it, certainly it transported one back in time. Not far from this site we stopped at the ruins of the ancient city of Persepolis which was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC). Here various kings and statesmen from around the world would come to greet the Iranian king, a must see site on any trip to Iran. Finally we arrived at the city of Esfahan (also spelt Isfahan) about 300 km South of Tehran. Esfahan is the 3rd largest city in Iran at nearly 2 million people. The main attraction is the large Naghsh-e-Jahan square constructed between 1598 and 1629. Around the square are located three mosques and what seems like hundreds of shops selling the most beautiful craftworks. I could not do this area justice in this short visit, however, given the collaborative links which I believe will be established, it may well not be my last.<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the mosques at Naghsh-e-Jahan Square, Esfahan.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-30801979518002782982016-09-08T10:18:00.001+01:002016-09-08T10:21:10.026+01:00Dr Patricia Wright awarded prestigious PhD prize<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was surprised and delighted to find a couple of weeks ago that I had been awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s PhD Prize 2016 for the best postgraduate research at the University of Greenwich. <br />
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My programme of research was Understanding MS/MS Fragmentation of Small Molecular Weight Molecules. I proved the hypothesis that protonation altered the conformation of molecules such that some bonds were weakened and more susceptible to cleavage. This impacts all scientists who use MS/MS for structural elucidation in that quantum chemistry can now be used a tool in assignment of ion structures. I am pleased to have been able to make a real difference to UK science.<br />
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I loved every minute of my PhD, particularly the stimulating scientific discussions with my supervisor Professor Frank Pullen and computational chemistry expert Alexander Alex. I also enjoyed getting to grips with quantum chemistry. <br />
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Thanks to the support and encouragement of the staff in the <a href="http://www.gre.ac.uk/engsci/study/pharchemenv">Greenwich University Department of Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Environmental Sciences</a>, I managed to take my viva voce one day before the third anniversary of starting my research programme, passing with no changes required to my thesis and having published five research papers and two editorials. I am also grateful for the tolerance of my family who put up with me working all the time!<br />
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Patricia has since come to work at Keele University for ISTM in the breath analysis research group pioneered by <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/davidsmith/">Professor David Smith</a> FRS.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-26180046017221509162016-09-02T10:38:00.000+01:002016-09-02T10:38:04.842+01:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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How brain implants can let paralysed people move again</h1>
<a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/dimitra-blana-264110">Dimitra Blana</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/keele-university">Keele University</a></em> and <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-jackson-221710">Andrew Jackson</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/newcastle-university">Newcastle University</a></em>
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Something as simple as picking up a cup of tea requires an awful lot of action from your body. Your arm muscles fire to move your arm towards the cup. Your finger muscles fire to open your hand then bend your fingers around the handle. Your shoulder muscles keep your arm from popping out of your shoulder and your core muscles make sure you don’t tip over because of the extra weight of the cup. All these muscles have to fire in a precise and coordinated manner, and yet your only conscious effort is the thought: “I know: tea!”<br />
This is why enabling a paralysed limb to move again is so difficult. Most paralysed muscles can still work, but <a href="http://www.spinal-research.org/research-matters/spinal-cord-injury/">their communication with the brain has been lost</a>, so they are not receiving instructions to fire. We can’t yet repair damage to the spinal cord so one solution is to bypass it and provide the instructions to the muscles artificially. And thanks to the development of technology for reading and interpreting brain activity, these instructions could one day come direct from a patient’s mind.<br />
We can make paralysed muscles fire by stimulating them with electrodes placed inside the muscles or around the nerves that supply them, a technique known as <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25287528">functional electrical stimulation</a> (FES). As well as helping paralysed people move, it is also used to restore bladder function, produce effective coughing and provide pain relief. It is a fascinating technology that can make a big difference to the lives of people with spinal cord injury.<br />
Dimitra Blana and her colleagues at Keele are working on how to match this technology with the complex set of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3608269/">instructions needed to operate an arm</a>. If you want to pick up that cup of tea, which muscles need to fire, when and by how much? The firing instructions are complicated, and not just because of the large number of core, shoulder, arm and finger muscles involved. As you slowly drink your tea, those instructions change, because the weight of the cup changes. To do something different, like scratch your nose, the instructions are completely different.<br />
Instead of just trying out various firing patterns on the paralysed muscles in the hope of finding one that works, you can use <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4068297/">computer models of the musculoskeletal system</a> to calculate them. These models are mathematical descriptions of how muscles, bones and joints act and interact during movement. In the simulations, you can make muscles stronger or weaker, “paralysed” or “externally stimulated”. You can test different firing patterns quickly and safely, and you can make the models pick up their tea cups over and over again – sometimes more successfully than others.<br />
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Modelling the muscles</h2>
To test the technology, the team at Keele is working with the <a href="http://fescenter.org/">Cleveland FES Center</a> in the US, where they implant <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4470503/">up to 24 electrodes</a> into the muscles and nerves of research participants. They use modelling to decide where to place the electrodes because there are more paralysed muscles than electrodes in current FES systems.<br />
If you have to choose, is it better to stimulate the subscapularis or the supraspinatus? If you stimulate the axillary nerve, should you place the electrode before or after the branch to the teres minor? To answer these difficult questions, <a href="http://www.rehab.research.va.gov/jour/2013/503/page395.html">they run simulations with different sets of electrodes</a> and choose the one that allows the computer models to make the most effective movements.<br />
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Currently, the team is working on the shoulder, which is stabilised by a group of muscles called the rotator cuff. If you get the firing instructions for the arm wrong, it might reach for the soup spoon instead of the butter knife. If you get the instructions to the rotator cuff wrong, the arm might pop out of the shoulder. It is not a good look for the computer models, but they don’t complain. Research participants would be less forgiving.<br />
Knowing how to activate paralysed muscles to produce useful movements like grasping is only half of the problem. We also need to know when to activate the muscles, for example when the user wants to pick up an object. One possibility is to read this information directly from the brain. Recently, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27074513">researchers in the US</a> used an implant to listen to individual cells in the brain of a paralysed individual. Because different movements are associated with different patterns of brain activity, the participant was able to select one of six pre-programmed movements that were then generated by stimulation of hand muscles.<br />
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Reading the brain</h2>
This was an exciting step forward for the field of neural prosthetics, but many challenges remain. Ideally brain implants need to last for many decades – currently it is difficult to record the same signals even over several weeks so these systems need to be recalibrated regularly. Using <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24808859">new implant designs</a> or <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25394574">different brain signals</a> may improve long-term stability.<br />
Also, implants listen only to a small proportion of the millions of cells that control our limbs, so the range of movements that can be read out is limited. However, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3641862/">brain control of robotic limbs</a> with multiple degrees-of-freedom (movement, rotation and grasping) has been achieved and the capabilities of this technology are advancing rapidly.<br />
Finally, the smooth, effortless movements that we usually take for granted are guided by rich sensory feedback that tells us where our arms are in space and when our fingertips are touching objects. However, these signals can also be lost after injury so <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26504211">researchers are working</a> on brain implants that may one day restore sensation as well as movement.<br />
Some scientists are speculating that brain-reading technology could help able-bodied individuals to communicate more efficiently with computers, mobile phones and even <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/srep11869">directly to other brains</a>. However, this remains the realm of science fiction whereas brain control for medical applications is rapidly becoming clinical reality.<br />
<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/61183/count.gif" width="1" />
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<a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/dimitra-blana-264110">Dimitra Blana</a>, Research Fellow in Biomedical Engineering, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/keele-university">Keele University</a></em> and <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-jackson-221710">Andrew Jackson</a>, Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/newcastle-university">Newcastle University</a></em><br />
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com/">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-brain-implants-can-let-paralysed-people-move-again-61183">original article</a>.</div>
Dimitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14131882363965336256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-66409890556703811472016-08-22T10:30:00.000+01:002016-08-22T10:30:32.722+01:00Tissue "archeology": Dating collagen fibers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>ISTM recently ran a blog writing competition that was open to PhD students and young researchers with a view to improving their lay-writing skills and helping ISTM to play a greater role in the public dissemination of its research. After concluding the competition we will be publishing each entry in turn over the coming months. The 2nd prize winner of our competition was Homayemem Weli, a PhD student in Cell and Tissue Engineering at ISTM. </i><br />
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Walking through the streets of London in mid-summer, I couldn’t help but notice its beautiful 'ornaments' of modern architecture, such as the "Gherkin" or the "Walkie-Talkie". Imposing as these are, they attract less curiosity than Wiltshire’s Stonehenge.<br />
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A graceful and strong modern building speaks of a firm foundation and good design, but an ancient monument raises questions such as "when", "how" and "why". Some of us recall the creation of the London skyscrapers - having possibly witnessed it - but I dare say none of us witnessed the making of Stonehenge! Instead, we rely on archaeological research to answer questions about its origin, age and significance. This ‘discovery science’ compels us to find out why things are the way they are, and go from the known to the unknown.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Stonehenge by David Ball -
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Keen to unravel the unknown, I set out to study an aspect of why people age. My focus was on women and what happens to their vaginal and skin tissues before and after pregnancy. Adorned with laboratory clothing and gloves, as though performing carbon dating on the standing stones of Stonehenge, I examined the structure of collagen fibres and cross-links within the tissues. Collagen is a protein that supports structures within the body. Cross-links are bonds formed between collagen groups (called fibres) or between chemical substances such as amino acids or reducing sugars. The larger the number of certain cross-links within the collagen fibres, the older the fibres. Collagen 'cross-link dating' can separate old fibres from young ones.<br />
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I tested two groups of tissues, pregnant and non-pregnant, of similar biological ages. I separated a particular cross-link, pentosidine, which is a <a href="http://jap.physiology.org/content/103/6/2068.long">known marker of tissue ageing</a>, from the tissue solutions with liquid chromatography (a method for identifying and separating substances present within a solution). I noted the amount of pentosidine in each tissue, and compared the values.</div>
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This process of 'cross-link dating' separated the age-matched tissues into two groups – ‘old’ and ‘young’. Before pregnancy, tissues were ‘older’, but after pregnancy, they appeared ‘younger’. During pregnancy, the signs of ageing appeared to reverse! </div>
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Studying further, I discovered this was linked with a rise of a potent antioxidant, glyoxalase I, in the tissues during pregnancy. Antioxidants such as glyoxalase I protect the body cells from molecules that could cause damage or promote ageing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Antioxidant glyoxalase I enzyme
expression in vaginal tissues during (left) and after (right) pregnancy. Green
glow, clearly visible within the pregnant tissue, represents presence of the
antioxidant enzyme. The pregnant tissues had more antioxidant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Oestrogen, a well-known pregnancy hormone, influenced the amount of the antioxidant in the tissues. I found higher oestrogen levels in pregnant tissues as shown in the images below. This implied pregnancy resulted in higher oestrogen and antioxidant levels.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oestrogen receptor expression in vaginal
tissues during (left) and after (right) pregnancy. Red dots signify oestrogen
activity within the tissue and show raised level of oestrogen during pregnancy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I concluded that oestrogen influences the ‘age’ of collagen fibres of the skin and vaginal wall by increasing the antioxidant glyoxalase I. Rise in oestrogen as seen in pregnancy leads to rise in the enzyme, subsequently retarding collagen fibre ageing within the tissues. In this way, pregnancy results in younger appearing tissues. <br />
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Oestrogen is a female reproductive hormone that changes throughout the life of a woman. It increases in quantity during pregnancy and reduces as women grow older, finally <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(08)60346-3/abstract">reaching its lowest levels in menopause</a>. My finding shows that pregnancy may retard this ageing process in the vaginal and skin tissues of women. <a href="http://www.latamjpharm.org/resumenes/33/1/LAJOP_33_1_1_12.pdf">A previous study</a> noted a reduction in similar ageing cross-links within blood vessels also in association with higher oestrogen levels, suggesting that this effect may exist in many body tissues. <br />
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By studying pregnancy, I discovered a relationship between oestrogen, an antioxidant, and the ‘age’ of collagen fibres (change of the structure) in skin and vaginal tissues. <br />
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New knowledge can be gained from investigating age-old body processes. It's always worth asking "when", "how" and "why”!<br />
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<i>Written by Homayemem Weli, PhD Student, ISTM<br />(2nd Prize in the ISTM Blog Post Competition 2016)</i><br />
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Dimitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14131882363965336256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-35784898538154580452016-08-12T10:12:00.001+01:002016-08-12T10:14:42.384+01:00ISTM at the International Shoulder Group meeting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline;">A few weeks ago I went to Winterthur, Switzerland to meet a group of old friends. </span>It wasn’t a holiday; I was there for the biennial meeting of the <a href="http://internationalshouldergroup.org/">International Shoulder Group</a>, a technical group of the <a href="https://isbweb.org/">International Society of Biomechanics</a>. </div>
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This is a meeting for people who work in the area of shoulder biomechanics. We try to understand how the shoulder works, what goes wrong after injury or disease, how to improve its movement in sport, and how to protect it in well-designed work environments. For those of us doing shoulder research (and probably nobody other than us) it is a fascinating topic, and we look forward to getting together every couple of years and discussing it.<br />
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My particular focus is mathematical modelling of the shoulder. Using models allows us to investigate how muscles and joints work without invasive procedures on actual people. It is a very useful tool, and one of the ways we use it is to <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-brain-implants-can-let-paralysed-people-move-again-61183">design technological systems that tackle paralysis</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d1a11632-7e03-4ada-19c3-315f0c347938"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Co-presenter Ricardo Matias (University of Lisbon) during the modelling workshop</span></span></td></tr>
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As part of the International Shoulder Group meeting this year, I ran a <a href="http://simtk-confluence.stanford.edu:8080/display/OpenSim/International+Shoulder+Group+Workshop+2016">modelling workshop</a> that aimed to introduce modelling to people who have not used it before. The response was very positive, and everyone seemed keen to give it a go. With participants from 13 different countries, it is great to know that our models could be used all over the world!<br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-d1a11632-7e03-d85c-5c81-8b8d7093db23"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dimitra and her thank-you gift for helping to organise the conference</span></span></div>
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Shoulder biomechanists are such a lovely lot, and I can’t wait to see everyone again in 2018!<br />
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Dimitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14131882363965336256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-67210772557430022692016-08-02T14:37:00.000+01:002016-08-02T14:37:17.000+01:00Predicting injury in football<i>ISTM recently ran a blog writing competition that was open to PhD students and young researchers with a view to improving their lay-writing skills and helping ISTM to play a greater role in the public dissemination of its research. After concluding the competition we will be publishing each entry in turn over the coming months. The 1st prize winner of our competition was Fraser Philp a PhD student at ISTM. Fraser's PhD focuses on identifying within current practice and research, methods used for predicting injury and performance within football and Fraser used this topic as the theme for his blog post.</i><div>
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<i><br /></i>Association football or soccer is one of the most popular international sports, with approximately 200,000 professionals and a further 240 million amateur male and female participants worldwide. Football is England’s largest national team sport, with men’s and women’s football being the first and third largest team sports respectively. Associated with the high levels of participation in football is a high level of injury risk. As many as 47% of footballers have been forced to retire from the game due to injury throughout the season, an average outfield player is expected to sustain at least 1-2 injuries resulting in them being unavailable for 1 competitive game. High rates of injury can negatively impact on the performance of an individual. Likewise an increased number of individuals sustaining injury within a team can negatively affect team performance, which, in a competitive league can have further consequences.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36189778">http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36189778</a></span></td></tr>
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Given the problems associated with injury, the medical and sports science teams who work with professional football teams try to minimise injuries occurring. One of the ways they attempt to do this is through screening. Screening can involve exercise tests and measures of physical performance that are used in an attempt to identify injury risk factors. These tests are usually carried out before the competitive season starts, in a period known as pre-season, and during the competitive season itself. Despite the widespread use of these tests and measures, many of them have not been and compared against other methods of measurement for validation purposes. </div>
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My research project is aimed at comparing and providing numerical values to one of the exercise screening tests that is commonly used. The screening test being evaluated is the Functional Movement Systems (FMS) screen, and I will be using a video motion capture system, Vicon (©Vicon Motion Systems Ltd) for my evaluation. The FMS is partly made up of 7 exercise tests, in which the participant is required to complete the movements, a maximum of 3 times. These tests include things such as a squat with their arms above their head, lunges and other physical tests. The quality of the movements is then scored by an assessor and the participant is given a score for each test. The final score is then used to identify injury risk, with a lower score indicating a higher risk of injury. I have chosen to evaluate the FMS against a motion capture system as this has not been done yet and there are some limitations experienced when using the FMS test. The movement test takes into consideration some patterns of movement but does not describe the angles that are achieved at the joints. It is also difficult for the person assessing to observe multiple joints, whilst at the same time, scoring the movement and identify variations in movement patterns. These problems arise because the assessor has essentially a limited 2 dimensional view and of a complex dimensional. The use of motion capture can help with some of these challenges.<br />
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Motion capture is more widely known for its use in the movie industry in virtual recreation. It is also used as the gold standard measurement in hospital settings for measuring walking patterns and human movement patterns in people with neurological disorders. In order to measure the movements of the FMS with motion capture cameras, some additional preparation is needed. This requires placing reflective markers on selected body parts of the person. This is because the motion capture camera’s only pick up reflections from the infrared light that they send out. These markers can then be virtually recreated providing an outline of the person’s body parts on which they were placed. Once this has been done we are able to see the angles achieved by the participant in all 3 dimensions i.e. how much they bent their knee or how much their hip was rotating. It also allows for a description of the movement patterns that are occurring across the joints when the participant completes the FMS. Furthermore we can also attribute numerical values to the rules and scoring criteria of the FMS exercise tests. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Figure above shows the process after placing the markers on and then virtualy recreating them.</span></span></td></tr>
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Alongside this we have monitored a football team over one competitive season and will investigate whether there is a link between the measurements we took and the injuries they sustained. Within this analysis we will also be investigating things such as the amount they trained, the surface they trained on and what their match fixtures were like. Hopefully a better understanding of all these factors will allow for fewer injuries in footballers.<br />
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<i>Written by Fraser Philp, PhD Student, ISTM<br />(1st Prize in the ISTM Blog Post Competition 2016)</i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-13652618218615015242016-07-12T15:58:00.000+01:002016-11-23T15:37:00.426+00:00Major funding boost for Stroke Research<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/christineroffe/" target="_blank">Professor Christine Roffe</a>, Consultant in Stroke Medicine at the Royal Stoke University Hospital and Lead of the Stroke Research in Stoke Group at ISTM, has been awarded a major grant to fund a £2.5 million project from the NHS <a href="http://www.nihr.ac.uk/" target="_blank">National Institute for Health Research</a> (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment Programme for her MAPS-2 clinical trial.<br />
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Professor Roffe has a proven track record in shaping the development of acute and rehabilitation stroke services in North Staffordshire, with research that has gone on to influence regional and national practices in stroke care. As Principle Investigator, Professor Roffe will lead a consortium which includes Keele University in collaboration with the <a href="http://www.uhnm.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx" target="_blank">University Hospitals of North Midlands</a> (UHNM), the University of Birmingham and Anglia Ruskin University. The consortium will investigate methods to reduce pneumonia in stroke patients. <br />
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Pneumonia is a major cause of death and disability after stroke. Stroke patients are at risk of contracting pneumonia through the inhalation of saliva or gastric content after vomiting or regurgitation which contain harmful bacteria. This award from the NIHR will fund clinical trials that will test two methods for preventing pneumonia. One will aim to prevent patients vomiting in the first place, while the other will use an antibacterial paste in the patient’s mouth to reduce the harmful bacteria in their saliva.<br />
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Professor Roffe said that: “Pneumonia after stroke weakens patients and delays recovery. In this trial we are hoping to show that these treatments not only prevent pneumonia and death, but also allow patients to recover better and faster.”<br />
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The trial will begin to recruit patients in October 2016 and run for three years. If the treatments prove effective, lives could be saved and stroke patients may stand a better chance of getting back to their normal life in a shorter space of time.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-46670036057229039682016-06-28T10:12:00.000+01:002016-06-28T10:12:24.731+01:00Matt Dunn wins I’m A Scientist Get Me Out Of Here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><i>I’m A Scientist Get Me Out Of Here is a competition in the vein of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, where several people compete for a prize and each week, one of them is evicted until only one remains. Luckily ISTM's Matt Dunn didn’t need to go to the jungle as I’m A Scientist takes place entirely online at <a href="http://imascientist.org.uk/">http://imascientist.org.uk/</a> . Beating off fierce competion, Matt went on to win the competition. So, we asked Matt to tell us a little bit more about his experience...</i><div>
<br />The competition ran from 13th to 24th June, where scientists with successful applications were split into different ‘Zones’ depending on their field, I was put into the ‘Cells Zone’ with four other cell biologists. For the next two weeks, we took part in numerous 30 minute live-chat sessions with classes of students from twenty different secondary schools, ranging from Year 7 to Year 9, all across the country. In these live chats the students could ask us anything they liked, from the work we did, to describing an average day, to what our favourite foods were! Despite the casual nature of the chats, the students can really test your knowledge of your subject, making it a great challenge. <br /><br />Outside of the live chats, students can ask you questions directly on a profile, and they vote for their favourite scientist. Scientists with the least votes were evicted every day for the last five days until only one was left. I was lucky enough to be the last scientist standing, winning £500 to spend on outreach activities!<br /><br />I plan to use the money to raise awareness of the great regenerative medicine work we all do here at ISTM, as part of the <a href="http://www.heartblog.net/" target="_blank">HEART Outreach</a> group. We usually attend a few fairs and events a year as exhibitors, to spread the good word, but with the prize money we will be able to travel further and better show off the quality of the work we do here with improved cutting-edge technology.<br /><br />I’m A Scientist runs multiple times a year, so I’d recommend it for anyone interested in outreach and science communication, as what is the point of doing the work we do if we can’t explain it to school children?</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-58578497082469648712016-05-19T15:22:00.000+01:002016-05-20T10:24:04.045+01:00ISTM Translate blog post COMPETITION!To all ISTM young researchers and students...<br />
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We are keen to encourage more of our young researchers and students to engage with our ISTM Translate blog and are keen for you to play a bigger role in writing and editing articles for it. The blog has global reach with well over 5000 views to date and regular visitors from across 10 different countries. As well as having the opportunity to promote the Institute on an international level and to communicate stories and information that are of interest to you to a wider audience, you also have the chance to hone your lay-writing skills.<br />
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As you may have already heard, Keele University is now a member of <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk" target="_blank">The Conversation.</a> The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public. Their team of professional editors work with researchers to unlock their knowledge for use by the wider public. <br />
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So with a view to improving your lay-writing skills and helping ISTM to play a greater role in the public dissemination of research, we have decided to hold a competition to which you are all invited to participate.<br />
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Please see the information below from Dr Dimitra Blana, who will be helping to facilitate this writing competition...<br />
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You are invited to submit a post to the ISTM Translate blog describing a research topic of your choice to the general public.<br />
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Why, you ask? Because it will help you improve your public engagement skills, which is increasingly important for scientists. If that's not enough, there is also a prize, so read on!<br />
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Your blog post should be a lay-term summary of either a research paper you recently published, or the scientific area you are investigating. It should be no more than 1000 words and include some compelling images.<br />
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Submit your blog post and images to me over email (<a href="mailto:d.blana@keele.ac.uk">d.blana@keele.ac.uk</a>) by <b><span style="color: red;">30th June</span></b> to be entered into a competition to win a cash prize. <b>First prize is £100 and the Runner Up prize is £50!</b> The winners will be announced during a lunch party in the Guy Hilton Research Centre on Thursday 21st July.<br />
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A few points to consider when preparing your post:<br />
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<li>Make sure the language is appropriate for the general public. To ensure that everyone can understand your writing, it will be judged by people outside your research area. I am thinking of enlisting my 14 year old Greek cousin.</li>
<li>Journal paper writing rules do not apply: be natural and informal. Of course make sure that the science is sound!</li>
<li>1000 words is the upper limit, but try to keep it short and engaging. Can you keep my 14 year old Greek cousin's interest for 1000 words? Or will she switch to cat videos half way through?</li>
<li>Use images you have permission to use. And remember that journal paper result figures are not usually considered compelling by the general public.</li>
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Best wishes<br />
DimitraUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-35806664678608327962016-05-10T12:51:00.000+01:002016-05-10T12:51:00.672+01:00Successful Guy Hilton Research Centre Open Afternoon<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr Paul Roach (Left) and Dr Ed Chadwick (Right) introduce themselves.</td></tr>
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Last week, ISTM held a successful open afternoon for people interested in studying a post-graduate degree in Medical Engineering. The Open afternoon attracted a good intake of participants from a range of different backgrounds. The participants were able to learn about the School of Medicine's MSc courses in <a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/pgtcourses/biomed/" target="_blank">Biomedical Engineering</a> and <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/pgtcourses/cellandtissueengineering/" target="_blank">Cell and Tissue Engineering</a>, and learnt about the cutting edge research being carried out by the Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine. They also had the chance to see state of the art laboratories and talk to current and former students and researchers.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/edchadwick/" target="_blank">Dr Ed Chadwick</a>, who organised the event along with <a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/paulroach/" target="_blank">Dr Paul Roach</a>, said "We were delighted to see such strong interest in our research and the courses we offer from the Keele undergraduate community and those from the wider region that were able to join us. People often have a fairly vague idea of what medical engineering comprises, and it was really nice to see that they were genuinely interested and indeed excited by what we do. The people who work in the area are typically from really diverse academic backgrounds, and this was reflected in the people attending. The day was definitely a success with really strong interest, and we look forward to doing it again!"<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588); font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.55px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588); font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.55px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-16178204592601734122016-05-05T11:18:00.001+01:002016-05-05T11:18:51.538+01:00Daniel Turnberg Travel Fellowship for ISTM's Chris Adams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/chrisadams/" target="_blank">Dr Christopher Adams,</a> an EPSRC funded Engineering: Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine research fellow in <a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/divyachari/" target="_blank">Professor Divya Chari</a>'s laboratory, ISTM, has been awarded a <a href="http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk/grants-and-schemes/grant-schemes/daniel-turnberg-travel-fellowship/" target="_blank">Daniel Turnberg Travel Fellowship</a> to receive training in nanofabrication of multifunctional magnetic particles in Israel (with chemist <a href="http://ch.biu.ac.il/lellouche" target="_blank">Professor Jean Paul Lellouche</a>, <a href="http://nano.biu.ac.il//" target="_blank">Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials</a>, Bar-Ilan University, Tel-Aviv).<br /><br />This prestigious award is funded by the <a href="http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/index.htm" target="_blank">Wellcome Trust</a> as part of an Academy of Medical Sciences scheme to promote strategic research links and scientific collaborations between the UK and the Middle East.<br /><br />Dr Adams will build upon a recent collaboration between the Chari-Lellouche groups, which aims to develop nanotechnology based tools for safe genetic engineering and non-invasive imaging of neural transplant cells.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172096516842475043.post-46349337976296698752016-04-26T09:17:00.000+01:002016-04-26T09:17:19.385+01:00Second ESRC 'Liability versus Innovation' seminar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Professors <a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/istm/staff/aliciaelhaj/" target="_blank">Alicia El Haj</a> (ISTM) and <a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/law/people/academicstaff/tsachikeren-paz/" target="_blank">Tsachi Keren-Paz </a>(Law) hosted the second seminar in the <a href="http://www.esrc.ac.uk/" target="_blank">ESRC</a> series 'Liability versus innovation: unpacking key connections'.</div>
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<br />The seminar brought together the Vice-Chancellor, clinicians, plaintiff personal injury lawyers, a Medical Defence Union representative, health economists, ethicists (Profesor Wendy Rogers, Macquarie University, Sydney) and academic lawyers from the United States (Professor Alex Stein, Benjamin N. Cardozo, School of Law, NY, Australia (Associate Professor Tina Cockburn, QUT Law School, Brisbane) and the UK.<br /> <br />Discussions revolved around the questions whether the threat of tort liability stifles innovation, the extent to which the different liability rules in the USA, UK and Australia stifle to a different extent innovation, and the methodological question how to define and measure innovation and how to measure the effect of legal rules on levels of innovation. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0