All six episodes are available now on various platforms including and .

Ground-breaking research, the wonderful achievements of our students and the difference we make to our local and wider communities: 2017 at The University of Manchester has been another astonishing year.

January: Tied in knots, cancer findings and polar pursuits

January is cold in 91ֱ��, but scientists began planning an expedition to somewhere even chillier as they announced a mission to discover . Back in the lab scientists tied achieved. Why? Well it’s all about creating the next generation of advanced materials. This research even achieved in December. In the health field we also made new advances in and .

February: Feeling international, ageing well and boldly going…

There were double celebrations on the world stage as 91ֱ�� was ranked not only one of the world’s , but also one of the world’s . 91ֱ�� isn’t only aiming to be good for students though, as one of our researchers launched a landmark report on making it . Meanwhile is under development at the University – going to those nuclear sites where humans can’t.

March: Getting graphic, changing communities and student dementia clinic wins award

In March we celebrated – that’s more than 200 exceptional students from developing countries who receive help to complete postgraduate degrees that they can’t do at home. After ten years we produced a special film to catch up with some of their stories.

There was another great result in March as and their carers - which is run by students - picked up a prestigious award. We also got graphic as was released for businesses and schools. And there was just time to squeeze in another league table success – we were in the elite categories in each of the five subject areas in the .

April: Important research continues, but in the shadow of a major fire

In April we revealed the huge contribution that make, Professor Hilary Pilkington’s book on the won a major BBC prize, we appointed as a visiting professor and there was potentially huge news that can turn seawater into drinking water.

However, on 26 April there was a major fire at the Paterson Building which houses many of the University’s cancer researchers. Though no one was hurt, there was extensive damage to the building which rendered it unusable. Despite this disruption and thanks to our partners around the city, all of the researchers are where they can continue their world-class science.

May: Looking to the stars

Our progress in addressing cancer continued as to be the new Director of the 91ֱ�� Cancer Research Centre.

We also looked to future and the stars, as we started construction on and found . Our students got into the space theme too as they began creating .

May: The 91ֱ�� Arena bombing

On 22 May, 23 people were killed and more than 500 injured in a terrorist attack at the 91ֱ�� Arena. This was a traumatic event for our city and personally for many of our staff and students. Diversity Officer at the Students’ Union, Ilyas Nagdee, who grew up in 91ֱ��, summed up the feelings of many in our community when .

June: Purple waves, Greenland sharks and lollies from the sky

Almost 2,500 staff, students and alumni took to the streets as part of in a show of defiance and to raise tens of thousands of pounds for charity.

Elsewhere, one of our scientists returned from the far north, where she’d been studying . International and, just in time for summer, we discovered . Sorting the hot air from the cold facts were our politics experts who were all over the news as the country went to the polls in the General Election.

July: Running, flying and graduating

July is a time to celebrate the achievements of the thousands of students who graduate from the University. Among them are some very special stories indeed - like that of Richards Stephens who . We also recognised the achievements of two men who, with the help of our employment service the Works, had gone .

The discoveries didn’t stop for summer as we found new ways of improving and discovered a new material that could pave the way for . There was also a global phenomenon as we revealed .

August: North and south, lost and found

Startling findings from our researchers revealed that between young southern and northern people is bigger than ever, while Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party Conference speech included our research that showed for your health than no job at all.

And it’s amazing what you can find down the back of cupboards. Take Professor Jim Miles in our School of Mathematics, who found a lost and unique collection of letters and correspondence from .

September: Legal eagles, tiny robots and happy birthday NHS!

Our Chancellor Lemn Sissay launched designed to help young black men become lawyers. There was also success for one of our former scholarship students as he became in the history of Rwanda. The University moved up to 33^rd in the world in .

Elsewhere – a millionth of a millimetre in size - that are capable of building molecules, and a new device capable of . And we also started planning a new research project which is set to tell the story of 70 years of .

October: Whales and dolphins, and a world heritage nomination

Jodrell Bank Observatory was put forward as the UK’s nomination for UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The iconic observatory has just turned 60 and is aiming to join the ranks of landmarks such as Stonehenge and the Taj Mahal. One of our other cultural institutions announced as its new director.

The achievements of made headlines around the world as we revealed their complex societies. for his charitable work and there was also an award for .

In health news, we developed a new test for and revealed an alarming rise in .

November: Ruining whisky, coming out of retirement and literary city

91ֱ�� was named in November with the University part of the committee that put the successful bid in. We also authored a report into the Government’s .

It was also the month where we remembered the members of the University community who died in and the legacy left by Nobel Prize winner, . We also used graphene to and revealed that .

December: A jobs landmark, China and building begins

In December, our employment agency, The Works celebrated placing its . We began construction of the 91ֱ�� hub of for advanced materials, while we announced a £5m gift that will help us establish a new .

One of our students was , while others helped . We also revealed that , that , , and we discovered .

That was just a small sample of 2017’s biggest news, so give us a follow on Twitter for the full picture of what is sure to be another great 12 months of discovery and amazing stories.

You can also read our countdown of and find out which countries contributed just a solitary reader of our news.

See you in 2018!

British sportswear brand has teamed up with The University of Manchester to become the first-ever company to incorporate graphene into running and fitness shoes.

Laboratory tests have shown that the rubber outsoles of these shoes, new to market in 2018, are stronger, more stretchy and more resistant to wear.

Graphene is the thinnest material on earth and is 200 times stronger than steel. at The University of Manchester in 2004, it’s the at just one-atom thick and has the potential to revolutionise many areas of technology.

Michael Price, inov-8 Product and Marketing Director, said: “Off-road runners and fitness athletes live at the sporting extreme and need the stickiest outsole grip possible to optimize their performance, be that when running on wet trails or working out in sweaty gyms. For too long, they have had to compromise this need for grip with the knowledge that such rubber wears down quickly.

“Now, utilising the groundbreaking properties of graphene, there is no compromise. The new rubber we have developed with the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester allows us to smash the limits of grip.

“Our lightweight G-Series shoes deliver a combination of traction, stretch and durability never seen before in sports footwear. 2018 will be the year of the world’s toughest grip.”

Graphene is produced from graphite, which was first mined in the Lake District fells of Northern England over 450 years ago. inov-8 too was forged in the same fells, albeit much more recently, in 2003. The brand now trades in 68 countries worldwide.

Commenting on the collaboration and the patent-pending technology, inov-8 CEO Ian Bailey said: “Product innovation is the number-one priority for our brand. It’s the only way we can compete against the major sports brands. The pioneering collaboration between inov-8 and the The University of Manchester puts us – and Britain – at the forefront of a graphene sports footwear revolution.

“And this is just the start, as the potential of graphene really is limitless. We are so excited to see where this journey will take us.”

The scientists who first isolated graphene were awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 2010. Building on their revolutionary work, the team at The University of Manchester has pioneered projects into graphene-enhanced sports cars, medical devices and aeroplanes. Now the University can add sports footwear to its list of world-firsts.

Dr Aravind Vijayaraghavan, Reader in Nanomaterials at The University of Manchester, said: “Despite being the thinnest material in the world, graphene is also the strongest, and is 200 times stronger than steel. It’s also extraordinarily flexible, and can be bent, twisted, folded and stretched without incurring any damage.

“When added to the rubber used in inov-8’s G-Series shoes, graphene imparts all its properties, including its strength. Our unique formulation makes these outsoles 50% stronger, 50% more stretchy and 50% more resistant to wear than the corresponding industry standard rubber without graphene.”

“The graphene-enhanced rubber can flex and grip to all surfaces more effectively, without wearing down quickly, providing reliably strong, long-lasting grip.

“This is a revolutionary consumer product that will have a huge impact on the sports footwear market.”

The initial collaboration, part-funded through the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account, has already delivered sector leading innovation for inov-8. the continued partnership, supported by the Innovate UK KTP programme, aims to transform the sports footwear sector through future inov-8 innovation

Through schemes such as the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account and the Knowledge Transfer Partnership, industries of all sizes are able to access world class expertise and facilities such as the National Graphene Institute.

Writing in the journal Nature Communications, the chemists have discovered that uranium can perform reactions that used to be the preserve of transition metals such as rhodium and palladium. And because uranium sits between different types of reactivity of lanthanides and transition metals it might be able to combine the best of both to give new ways of producing materials and chemicals.

This discovery is also profiled in a new video which is part of a series produced by . Other videos show how chemists at 91ֱ�� have developed the world’s smallest fuel powered motor and identified that Parkinson’s sufferers can have a unique smell identifying the disease - before any medical professional can see symptoms.

The YouTube series attempts to put world class scientific papers into words that anyone can understand.

The CAMERA (Chemistry at 91ֱ�� Explains Research Advances) series of films is available to watch and subscribe to .

The latest discovery means that industry might now be in a position to develop new compounds that can’t be made in any other way.

What’s more, uranium is one of the elements we know the least about and while it is associated with nuclear weapons and nuclear power, the new discovery suggests other uses may be on the horizon.

, Professor and Head of Inorganic Chemistry, and author of the paper, said: “This discovery will lead to some monumental developments that could change the way we live. Development work like this really could pave the way for new medicines and also the creation of truly biodegradable hard plastic.

“It is comparable to the discovery of liquid crystal displays, which happened 20 years before everyone sat up and realised that they could be used in modern computer displays and TVs.”

The paper, ‘’, was published in Nature Communications. doi:10.1038/s41467-017-01363-0

91ֱ��, alongside Leeds, Newcastle and Queen Mary University of London - are set to become university partners with the Institute, which is the UK’s is the national institute for data science, based in London.

is named in honour of Alan Turing (23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954), whose pioneering work in theoretical and applied mathematics, engineering and computing are considered to be the key disciplines comprising the emerging field of data science.

In 1948 was appointed Reader in the Department at 91ֱ��. Soon afterwards he became Deputy Director of the Computing Laboratory, and worked on software for one of the earliest true computers - the 91ֱ�� Ferranti Mark 1.

During this time he continued to do more abstract work, addressing the problem of artificial intelligence; he proposed an experiment now known as the Turing test, an attempt to define a standard for a machine to be called `intelligent‘. The idea was that a computer could be said to `think’ if it could fool an interrogator into believing that the conversation was with a human.

91ֱ�� will join founding universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Oxford, Warwick and UCL and will work with a growing network of partners in industry and government to advance the world-changing potential of data science.

Alan Wilson, CEO of the Institute, commented: “We are extending our university network in recognition of our role as a national institute and because we believe that increasing collaboration between researchers and private, public and third sector organisations will enable the UK to undertake the most ambitious, impactful research possible.

“We are delighted to be in discussions with Leeds, 91ֱ��, Newcastle and Queen Mary University of London about joining the Institute network, and we see this as an important first step in a much wider programme of engagement with the university sector in the UK and, over time, internationally.”

91ֱ�� has an engaged of over 600 investigators, with methodologists embedded in Schools across the University working on research in health and biology, social and policy, environment, urban, business and management and the physical sciences.

The new universities set to join the Turing network all demonstrate alignment with the Institute’s research interests, ability to bring new expertise and opportunities which add to the core strengths of the Institute and its existing partners, and are willing to contribute financially to the Institute.

Subject to signing a partnership agreement, it is anticipated that the new university partners will be working with the Institute to develop collaborative programmes of research from early 2018.

Leading researchers from the four new institutions set to join the Turing agree that this is a special chance for leading universities to join forces across the UK, creating a critical mass of expertise, experience and energy to support the Institute’s influential data science research.

, Associate Vice President of Research at The University of Manchester commented: “We are all excited by the prospect of working more closely with colleagues in the Turing, and hope we can help to strengthen a critically important national asset.”

Professor Jonathan Seckl, Vice Principal of the University of Edinburgh (one of the five founding universities of The Alan Turing Institute) commented: “We were delighted to be invited to become a founder member of The Alan Turing Institute in 2015, recognising the pivotal importance of a national convening network for data science and artificial intelligence research of the highest international quality in the UK.

“It is critical that we continue to grow this national resource to maintain the UK at the international forefront. I look forward to working with the outstanding new partners within the extended Turing network to further advance this transformational area of science and realise its benefits across all sectors of the economy and for society.”

Find out more about data science at The University of Manchester through

With an annual spend of £465m on goods and services, The University of Manchester works with thousands of suppliers, ranging from local small and medium enterprises to multi-national corporations, and over the past few years has been increasingly using its influence to help these businesses to become more sustainable and socially responsible.

One of these, 91ֱ��-based Thomas Kneale and Co, won the award for Outstanding Demonstration of Impact by a Local SME at the ceremony yesterday (8 November). The company supplies textiles, such as bedding and shower curtains, to the University’s halls of residence and has been working hard to ensure that all of its cotton comes from sustainable sources.

The company also audits the factories where its products are made, in order to ensure good labour practices, including shift lengths, breaks and payment rates. Training, development and health and safety are also monitored.

The University has also created with NETPositive Futures, which has now been used by 1,400 companies. One of these, a company that was highly commended for its responsible practices, was Chariot Office Supplies, a 91ֱ��-based company which employs 13 people.

Accessing the tool provided by the University helped this company have a re-think about their operations, moving from two sites to one – resulting in reduced carbon emissions and time spent travelling between two locations. The single site was upgraded, a process which included LED lighting and insulation to improve environmental performance and a staff room as part of an employee wellbeing initiative.

Stephen Dauncey, The University’s Director of Finance said: “Being socially responsible is at the heart of the University’s mission and through our suppliers we can have a powerful influence far beyond the confines of our campus, into the wider economy.”

“I was really pleased to see so many of our suppliers attend the event yesterday and the number and quality of changes these businesses are making is truly inspiring.”

Eight suppliers were shortlisted to attend the awards out of 1,400 that use the tool, which was part of a day of celebrations which also recognised environmental sustainability work by staff.

Guest speakers included Paul Gerrard, Group Policy and Campaigns Director at , and Alex Ganotis, leader of Stockport Council and Chair of , who spoke about sustainability in the region.

Mr Ganotis said: “The Supplier Awards provides businesses, including SMEs, with a showcase they can use publicly and to customers to show that they engage and provide services in line with the University’s green and sustainable procurement policies.

“They can use this to generate business benefit because it shows to the outside world and potential customers that they are ethical, they believe in these principles and that their customers can benefit from their green agenda.”

Also in attendance were representatives from the British Universities Finance Directors Group () and Higher Education Procurement Association ()

The full list of winners and highly commended entrants

Winners

• - Outstanding Demonstration of Social Impact
• - Outstanding Demonstration of Environmental Impact
• - Outstanding demonstration of impact by a local SME

Highly Commended for their Demonstration of Responsible Procurement:

The University of Manchester and 91ֱ�� City Council have today announced that Alistair Hudson, currently Director of the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (mima), will be the new Director of Manchester Art Gallery and the Whitworth.

Alistair will take up his role in the New Year. He succeeds Maria Balshaw at and following her appointment as Director of Tate earlier this year.

He brings with him a wealth of experience at the forefront of the culture sector and a strong record of championing art as a tool for social change and education. During the last three years as Director at mima, he set out the institution’s vision as a ‘Useful Museum’, successfully engaging its local communities and responding to the town’s industrial heritage, as well as placing it amongst the most prestigious galleries in the UK.

Alistair began his career at the Anthony d’Offay Gallery, London (1994-2000), before joining The Government Art Collection (2000-04) where, as Projects Curator, he devised a public art strategy for the new Home Office building with Liam Gillick.

As Deputy Director of Grizedale Arts (2004-14) in the Lake District, he helped the institution gain critical acclaim for its radical approaches to working with artists and communities, based on the idea that art should be useful and not just an object of contemplation.

Outside of these roles he is also Chair of , an open network of partnerships between higher education and the cultural sector across the North, and co-director of the Asociación de Arte Útil with Tania Bruguera. He was a 2015 jury member for the Turner Prize.

Alistair said: “I am completely thrilled to be taking up this post in 91ֱ��. The city’s cultural scene is one of the most dynamic and diverse in the country and 91ֱ�� Art Gallery and the Whitworth are at the heart of this. Maria Balshaw and her teams have established both institutions at the forefront of the democratisation of art, working for all of society. I look forward to driving this mission forward and working across the region in projects that have real impact in people’s lives.”

The dual Directorship role reflects the unique partnership over the last five years between The University of Manchester and 91ֱ�� City Council that has brought the two institutions and 91ֱ��’s historic and modern art collections into complementary alliance.

Retaining their separate governance arrangements and their distinctive personalities, the two galleries have evolved complementary programmes and joint exhibition projects that build on the strength of the city collections.

after a £17 million transformation. Following the renovation, which doubled its former size and added a new glass wing overlooking Whitworth Park, the gallery has welcomed over 900,000 visitors, more than doubled its previous annual records and won numerous prizes, including .

Professor James Thompson, Vice-President for at The University of Manchester, said: “The Whitworth is a hugely important cultural asset for the University and for the many thousands of visitors from the local community and further afield who use it every year.

“Alistair is dedicated to the idea of cultural institutions as a force for promoting social change, and this fits precisely with the mission of the Whitworth. We are delighted that he will be leading the gallery into the next phase of its development.”

Designed by Sir Charles Barry, 91ֱ�� Art Gallery opened in 1835 to showcase the best art and ideas from around the world. A £35m four year expansion project, completed in 2002, transformed the gallery by connecting it to the adjacent Athenaeum Theatre building – also designed by Barry – and significantly expanded its exhibition space and facilities. As well as having a collection of works spanning six centuries, and an outstanding collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings, the gallery also has a strong reputation for staging new work.

Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Executive Member Schools Culture and Leisure, 91ֱ�� City Council, said: “91ֱ�� already has an unrivalled reputation for culture and the arts that is acknowledged not just nationally but also internationally.

"However we're determined that more 91ֱ�� residents will benefit from and enjoy the amazing cultural facilities right on their doorstep.

"This makes Alistair's very welcome appointment as Director not just of one but two of the country's leading galleries - both of which happen to be based here in 91ֱ�� - a hugely significant moment in terms of our future aspirations for the galleries themselves and for the city."

Two people who have experienced homelessness are celebrating after finding work at The University of Manchester, as it honours its pledge to the city’s Homelessness Charter.

In November 2016, The University of Manchester pledged its support for . The Charter outlines the principles that establish how people who experience homelessness should be treated, and how the city intends to deal with the issue. It calls for those who have adopted the charter to demonstrate their support with a pledge to take action.

A significant component of the University’s pledge is to support organisations directly concerned with addressing homelessness to develop pathways into employment for people with experience of homelessness.

Frezghi Teklemichael is 29 and came to the UK as an asylum seeker from Eritrea where he had been a teacher. Having successfully applied for asylum he became homeless when financial support from the National Asylum Support Service ended.

In March 2017 Frezghi had been unemployed for three-and-a-half years and was living in a hostel in Rochdale when he was referred to , The University of Manchester’s employment programme, by .

Frezghi was enrolled on one of The Works’ pre-recruitment training programmes which are designed to equip people with the skills and qualifications required for some roles at the University.

Having successfully completed the training programme in April 2017, he was appointed to the role of Building Attendant in the University’s .

Frezghi said: “The University is a great place to work and I have been made to feel very welcome. I am developing new skills and beginning to focus on my long-term career goals here in the UK. It is so good to be in work and contributing to my new country.”

Chris Gopal, from Ready for Work, who chairs the Homelessness Charter Employment Action Groups, said: “Frezghi’s achievement dispels the myth that people who have experienced homelessness are unable or unwilling to work. Our collaboration with the committed organisations like The University of Manchester demonstrates that partnering with employers is key to the development of pathways into work allowing people to stabilise their lives and become active, fulfilled members of society.”

John is 23 and from Ancoats. He had been unemployed for over 12 months and was living in the homeless tent community in 91ֱ��. Working with he has made amazing progress in turning his life around and also joined the House Services Academy.

He said: “The University of Manchester not only gave me training with a job at the end, it is actually going to change my life. I was really nervous at first but they helped me build my confidence on the course and helped me to re-engage with the world of work which has helped me a lot. Since being here I have made some great new friends, and I can actually pay my own way. I am now looking to get my own accommodation with my partner. I’m very happy about starting work!”

Peter Morgan from DePaul UK said: “The progression of these young people illustrates the commitment of The University of Manchester who have kept to their promises to create opportunities for some of the most socially excluded people in our city. Effort by employers such as the University helps charities like DePaul UK to deliver the best possible outcomes for the young people we support impacting on the individuals, their families and wider communities.”

Steve Grant, Assistant Director of HR at the University said: “The University is committed to doing all that it can to fulfil its pledge to support the 91ֱ�� Homelessness Charter and we have worked with ‘Ready for Work’ for several years on other initiatives.

“The achievements of Frezghi and John illustrate that, with some support, it is possible for people who have experienced homelessness and other barriers to address the challenges they have faced and carve a new path for themselves.

“Employers in all sectors and of all sizes across Greater 91ֱ�� have a key role to play in addressing homelessness and other barriers through simple actions, whether it’s providing work experience, helping someone prepare for an interview or offering a job.”

An international team of physiologists including The University of Manchester’s Dr Holly Shiels has returned from Greenland, where they battled storms and icebergs to study one of the world’s most mysterious sharks.

The purpose of the mission was to understand more about the Greenland shark, a top predator in the Arctic, which lives for more than 272 years, and possibly even more than 400.

Scientists know that it is both a hunter and a scavenger because it has been seen to feed on seals and has been found with the remains of polar bears and whales in its stomach. It is also one of the largest species of shark– growing to about five-and-a-half metres, just a bit smaller than the great white.

Although known to be under pressure from fishing and climate change, very little is known about the species. so the purpose of the mission was to find out more about its heart, movements, diet, and reproductive patterns.

, who is also a trustee of The Physiological Society said: “Greenland was an astonishing place to visit. At times, the seas were so rough that the ship felt like the inside of a washing machine, but at others the water was like a sheet of glass.

“We were able to study both male and female of a variety of ages, which will give us a great insight into the species and how best to protect it.”

Initial observations about the sharks included the incredibly slow heart rate – just one beat every ten seconds – and more data, from the sharks that were tagged and released, will become available over time.

As well as helping to understand how to best conserve the shark, these studies may also lead to greater understanding of diseases associated with the aging process, such as heart disease and cancer, which could help with new therapies for humans in the future.

The expedition was led by Professor John Fleng Steffensen of the University of Copenhagen and took place on the RV Sanna, a research vessel belonging to the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources. Funding was provided by The Danish Natural Science Research Council, the Carlsberg Foundation, the Danish Centre for Marine Research and the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources

There were eight scientists on the expedition aside from the crew. Together they sailed for more than 40 hours through gale-force winds and waves to reach the research area, fighting seasickness along the way.

Dr Shiels added: “The weather conditions were sometimes genuinely frightening and we were thankful when we reached the calm waters in the fjords near Narsaq. We even went on land for a few hours to a small but welcoming pub with live traditional music, selling locally brewed beer!

“The local people we met had a great deal of knowledge of the shark, which helped us identify sites to catch them. They were also able to sell us locally caught seal meat for the hooks. Using this bait, we caught a record number of sharks with no by-catch of other species.”

She added: “It’s very early days for the results but the number of samples we’ve taken and the satellite tagging means that this remarkable species is now beginning to reveal some of its secrets.”

A blog is available to read about Dr Shiels' experiences . You can also follow progress using  #GreenlandSharkProject on Instagram or #SharkDiary on Twitter.

The University of Manchester is set to throw open its doors to the people of Manchester for its first Community Festival on Saturday 17 June.

The day will be packed with fun family-friendly interactive activities, where people will be able to go behind the scenes and find out all about the exciting and interesting research the University is doing.

There will be many hands-on activities including live experiments, interactive demonstrations, musical and dramatic performances, the chance to meet our staff and scientists, tours, workshops and much, much more. Some of the highlights include:

Gamelan Gongs

Ever wanted to bang a gong like at the start of the movies? This is your chance. Come along to the Martin Harris Centre and see some huge Gamelan Gongs in action and have a try yourself.

Outbreak!

91ֱ�� is under quarantine. There has been a deadly outbreak of antibiotic resistant bacteria. As scientific advisers to the government you have been tasked to identify the infection and control the spread of disease. The clock is ticking. In Outbreak Control Teams, you will race against time to pick up data and information at various locations and save the city. Can you do it?

Robotics Research Lab

Robots of all shapes and sizes are the key to exploring extreme environments that humans can't enter. Come and meet a dancing bot with six legs and the wheelie bot that can scan a room in just a few minutes!

Make your own 3D models

The Digital Fabrication Centre uses printing for research and to build models. Come and play with our 3D doodle pens and make your own 3D model!

Moon and Meteorites

What does a piece of the moon look like up close? Or a piece of Mars? Is it really red? Hold pieces of the moon, collected by Apollo astronauts and meteorites from Mars in your own hands and discover from our scientists what they can tell you about space.

The University and you

Chat to our staff and find out about our job and training opportunities; how we can support you into university study; our sporting partnerships and facilities; and how you can work with us on our research to make a difference.

The festival will take place from 11am - 3pm on Saturday 17 June. 

The public are invited to download a free app to track their seasonal allergy symptoms and to help researchers understand more about why the frequency of allergies are increasing.

A new and improved version of the app that allows users to track their seasonal allergies as part of a major research project, has been launched today, both on Android and iOS, allowing even more users to take part.
   
The 2017 version of the # app will allow people to record and track their allergic responses in real time, with the data collected then shared anonymously with scientists working to understand more about allergies in the UK.

The app has been produced collaboratively by The University of Manchester, the and the .

Researchers still do not understand why the number of people suffering from seasonal allergies, such as hay fever and asthma, is on the rise, but they think it may be linked to environmental changes such as pollen counts, the weather or an increase in air pollutants. 

The app is part of the first ever nationwide citizen science project looking to build up a picture of how allergic symptoms change over time. Data collected from members of the public will allow researchers to pinpoint allergy hotspots in the UK and times of the year that allergies are at their most severe, and to correlate this with environmental data.

With around one in four people in the UK suffering from seasonal allergies, and with 5.4 million people with asthma in the UK, the app could add a great deal of valuable new data about the environmental conditions that are associated with triggering allergic responses and breathing difficulties including asthma attacks.

Dr Sheena Cruickshank, from The University of Manchester and British Society for Immunology, said:

“We launched #BritainBreathing last year to work with the public to help us to learn more about seasonal allergies, such as hay fever and asthma.  Gathering this type of information via an app from a large cross-section of the public hasn’t been done before, so our first move was to establish how valid our data was. We were pleased to find that the #BritainBreathing app provides strong data that we can use to see patterns of allergy and really unpick how they are caused. 

“We know that more people than ever are suffering from seasonal allergies, but we don’t understand why this is. It could be pollution, super pollens, increased cleanliness, or a combination of factors. For our second year, with the help of the public, we hope gain a better picture of the driving forces behind why seasonal allergies are on the rise.”

Dr Laura Bellingan FRSB, director of policy and public affairs at the Royal Society of Biology, said of the project: “This project breaks new ground and has tremendous potential to bring people’s daily experience to the attention of researchers in a very useable way.

“The #BritainBreathing app is one of several citizen science projects with which we’ve been involved. The public have shown real enthusiasm for scientific research and can make an invaluable contribution that does not require prior training but draws on innate knowledge and experience, and as such we are very happy to be able to support this project.

“I would encourage anyone with a smartphone to get involved and to help us understand whether the air we breathe is the air we need.”
 
The #BritainBreathing project is now in its second year, with over 1,500 users downloading the app last year to record their symptoms. Researchers are hoping that with this new dataset they will also able to put together a comparative analysis and see how allergic responses are changing year on year.  We’ll provide regular updates to users to keep them informed on how the project is progressing.

The free app is available for Android and iOS phones. Those who already have the 2016 Android version of the app are encouraged to delete it and replace with this updated version as data recorded in older versions will not be sent to the research team.

An international team of scientists, including a physiologist from The University of Manchester, will head to the largest island in the world later this month to investigate the Greenland shark – believed to be the longest-lived vertebrate animal.

, who is also a trustee of , will be the only UK-based scientist on the expedition aboard the research vessel Sanna commissioned by the Greenland government.

The purpose of the mission is to understand more about the Greenland shark, a top predator in the Arctic, which lives for more than 272 years - possibly more than 400. This extreme age was only revealed by scientists from Copenhagen last year and published in the journal . Little else is known about how the shark survives in the deep seas around the Arctic Circle.

It is both a hunter and a scavenger and has been seen to feed on seals and been found with the remains of polar bears and whales in its stomach. It is also one of the largest species of shark – growing to about five-and-a-half metres, just a bit smaller than the great white.

However, more information is required to ensure the species is adequately protected, as Dr Shiels explained: “Greenland sharks are classified as data deficient,” she said. “This means that we don’t know enough to put measures in place to protect them from over-fishing, pollution or climate change. This expedition has a broad range of expertise which means that we’ll be able to take full advantage of any sharks that we discover.”

The sharks are often captured by local fishermen as by-catch, and it is primarily these that the team will study when they head to Greenland on the 25 April, 2017. Dr Shiels, who specialises in cardiovascular function, will be looking for clues about how the sharks heart and circulation work in its usual habitat deep below the ocean surface.

Other areas of investigation include the shark’s reproductive cycle – they are believed to take 150 years to reach sexual maturity - growth and ageing. They will also seek to tag live sharks with accelerometers and satellite pop-up-tags so that their movements can be studied.

The team will also seek to understand more about their toxicity – they are considered a delicacy in Iceland but have to be buried and part-fermented over a period of months to be edible. “If you each the meat fresh you are supposed to become ‘shark-drunk’, vomit and in the worst cases get explosive diarrhoea,” explained the cruise leader professor John Fleng Steffensen, from the University of Copenhagen.

Dr Shiels added: “Most of what we know about these sharks comes from traditional knowledge and anecdotal accounts so for such a large and fascinating fish, this isn’t enough to really protect them or understand their lifecycles.

“This expedition is one of the first to try and understand the physiology of Greenland sharks. With the expertise we have on the ship, we’re confident that we can find out more about what makes this fish such an amazing creature.”

The project is funded by and .

More information can be found on .

The unique experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer people with cancer have been shared on a new video hub from The University of Manchester, funded by – highlighting differences in their care, and issues around sex, support and bereavement.

The aim of the videos, which were filmed during 2016 by lecturer in nursing are designed to help people understand the thoughts and feelings of LGB people with cancer and their own experiences of care.

The site is designed for NHS staff as a resource to guide their contact with this group.

Dr Nagington said: “LGB people with cancer often experience services which are heteronormative (designed for straight people). For instance this can include advice on hair loss or makeup which is targeted at making women look particularly feminine when this may not be the way they usually present, whilst not offering any such services to men.

“Some of the people we spoke to told us how advice about the effects of cancer and treatment on sex was designed for heterosexual people and the professionals they spoke with weren’t able to address their concerns or were reluctant to go into much detail.”

The website includes video testimonies from men and women of a variety of ages. One of these, Lesley who has ovarian cancer, said: “It’d be nice if people wouldn’t make assumptions about your husband coming in to visit.”

Another, Greg who had prostate cancer, said: “They said you might experience blood in your wee, but they don’t tell you about how that affects sex.”

There are several sections to the site covering, sex, homophobia and bereavement and also supporting information which health professionals and patients can use.

Despite the issues they’d encountered, most people interviewed didn’t think specific LGB support groups were the answer, although they may be helpful. Instead people felt more recognition of their needs as LGB people would be helpful as they went through treatment.

Dr Nagington added: “Our interviewees often approached misunderstandings about their sexuality with humour and were very brave and honest in telling their stories. I think their overall advice would be that professionals should remember that not all patients are straight and sometimes what fits one group isn’t appropriate for all.

“I hope to expand the site in the future to give more detail on the sexual challenges that lesbian and bisexual women can face, as well as interviewing trans* people about their experiences.”

To view all of the videos, . Follow Dr Nagington on Twitter

Cancer

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New research by a University of Manchester psychologist could give new hope to people who are scared of spiders.

says rather than encouraging arachnophobics to face their fears, which is the current approach of many therapists, giving them control over how much they approach or avoid what they are afraid of is more likely to help.

Despite decades of research and dozens of studies, psychologists still don't know whether it is better for the client to control their own approach towards what they fear, or for the therapist to 'encourage' and 'direct' them.

Dr Mansell bases his findings, published in Journal of Anxiety Disorders, on a theory known as Perceptual Control Theory.

He said: “Perceptual Control Theory predicts that it is vital for a client to have control over their experience of important elements of the environment like the sources of threat, because control itself is pivotal for health and well-being.

“So we recruited a large sample of 96 people with high levels of spider fear and asked them to list their reasons for avoiding spiders but also their reasons for approaching spiders.

“After completing a simple task in which they could move an image of spider closer or further away on a computer screen, people who had control over their virtual distance from the spider actually got closer to the spider after completing the task.

“And they also reported avoiding spiders less in their everyday lives two weeks later, despite their fear, and without any prompting to do so.”

He added: “This implies that therapists treating phobias and anxiety may not need to encourage or direct their clients to face their fears, as is often assumed.

“Once people are made aware of their mixed motives, they may make choices that address their fears quite naturally.

“Though only 28% of the sample had a clinical level of phobia and the task was experimental, we do feel that this outcome is useful for therapists treating people with fear of spiders.

“In future we need to see whether this kind of simple intervention can make a lasting difference to the distress and disruption phobias can have in people's lives.”

Graphene-oxide have attracted considerable attention as promising candidates for new filtration technologies. Now the much sought-after development of making membranes capable of sieving common salts has been achieved.

New research demonstrates the real-world potential of providing clean drinking water for millions of people who struggle to access adequate clean water sources.

The new findings from a group of scientists at were published today in the journal . Previously graphene-oxide membranes have shown exciting potential for .

Graphene-oxide membranes developed at the have already demonstrated the potential of filtering out small nanoparticles, organic molecules, and even large salts. Until now, however, they couldn’t be used for sieving common salts used in desalination technologies, which require even smaller sieves.

Previous research at The University of Manchester found that if immersed in water, graphene-oxide membranes become slightly swollen and smaller salts flow through the membrane along with water, but larger ions or molecules are blocked.

The 91ֱ��-based group have now further developed these graphene membranes and found a strategy to avoid the swelling of the membrane when exposed to water. The pore size in the membrane can be precisely controlled which can sieve common salts out of salty water and make it safe to drink.

As the effects of climate change continue to reduce modern city’s water supplies, wealthy modern countries are also investing in desalination technologies. Following the severe floods in California major wealthy cities are also looking increasingly to alternative water solutions.

When the common salts are dissolved in water, they always form a ‘shell’ of water molecules around the salts molecules. This allows the tiny capillaries of the graphene-oxide membranes to block the salt from flowing along with the water. Water molecules are able to pass through the membrane barrier and flow anomalously fast which is ideal for application of these membranes for desalination.

, at The University of Manchester said: “Realisation of scalable membranes with uniform pore size down to atomic scale is a significant step forward and will open new possibilities for improving the efficiency of desalination technology.

“This is the first clear-cut experiment in this regime. We also demonstrate that there are realistic possibilities to scale up the described approach and mass produce graphene-based membranes with required sieve sizes.”

Mr. Jijo Abraham and Dr. Vasu Siddeswara Kalangi were the joint-lead authors on the research paper: “The developed membranes are not only useful for desalination, but the atomic scale tunability of the pore size also opens new opportunity to fabricate membranes with on-demand filtration capable of filtering out ions according to their sizes.” said Mr. Abraham.

By 2025 that 14% of the world’s population will encounter water scarcity. This technology has the potential to revolutionise water filtration across the world, in particular in countries which cannot afford large scale desalination plants.

It is hoped that graphene-oxide membrane systems can be built on smaller scales making this technology accessible to countries which do not have the financial infrastructure to fund large plants without compromising the yield of fresh water produced.

Advanced materials

 is one of The University of Manchester’s - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

University of Manchester scientists are leading a team which is to comprehensively map some of the world’s most radioactive sites using sensing technology mounted on an advanced robotic vehicle.

The world is home to a large number of sites which are contaminated with radioactive waste and require clean-up and analysis. Currently, the options to map and assess these sites are extremely expensive and time consuming – involving either removing samples for lab analysis or sending in remote sensors which only give part of the necessary picture.

The team, led by The University of Manchester, has been awarded a £1.6 million grant by to form a group which will develop a new robotic system with the ability to use a wider range of sensors than ever before to map nuclear sites.

Featuring optical spectroscopic techniques, advanced radiation detection methods and modern sensor technologies on remotely-operated vehicle platforms, each sensing technology will provide a piece of the ‘total characterisation’ jigsaw, together with 3D mapping of the material within the environment.

It will feature advanced robotics and control technologies, such as those used in NASA’s Curiosity Rover, to form the flexible platform necessary for trials in nuclear environments ranging from Sellafield in the UK, to Fukushima in Japan.

Principal Investigator, from The University of Manchester's , said: "This is an exciting project bringing together a multi-disciplinary team of scientists and engineers to develop a really innovative system for remote characterisation of a range of nuclear environments which should lead to big improvements in the decommissioning process."

The Consortium, known as TORONE (TOtal characterisation by Remote Observation in Nuclear Environments), is also made up of scientists from Lancaster and Aston Universities, the National Nuclear Laboratory and the UK Atomic Energy Authority. The project is for three years’ duration and starts on 1st March 2017.

The TORONE group will be working with Sellafield, and Sellafield Ltd Robotics and Autonomous Systems Lead, Dr Paul Mort, said: “Characterisation of materials is of critical importance on the Sellafield site. Improved understanding of what materials are and where they are in our facilities offers considerable benefits when we are planning and carrying out decommissioning activities.

“A technology that is cheap and able to be remotely deployed simply and quickly to inspect materials in-situ, will make it safer for humans and give an opportunity to get better data to make more informed decisions. This technology would have far reaching applications on site and has the potential to improve productivity, thereby reducing decommissioning timescales and costs.”

, Director of The University of Manchester’s , said: “As we decommission nuclear facilities around the world, it has become very clear that we have to be smarter, because that allows us to be quicker, cheaper and safer. New ideas, such as these, are vital if we are to do this.”

Lancaster University Co-Investigator Professor Malcolm Joyce said: “This is an exciting opportunity to integrate the state of the art in radiation detection and robotics.”

The news follows another recent announcement that the University of Manchester is to that are more durable and perceptive for use in nuclear sites.

For more information on research in this area, visit .

TORONE is led by UoM Principal Investigator Dr Philip Martin (School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences). Co-Investigators at UoM comprise Prof. Barry Lennox (School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering) and Prof Nick Smith (Royal Society Industry Fellow, Schools of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, seconded from NNL); Lancaster University Co-Investigator Prof. Malcolm Joyce (School of Engineering) and Aston University Co-Investigator Dr Michael Aspinall (School of Life and Health Sciences).

Funding of £1.6 million is from the EPSRC through its Remote Sensing in Extreme Environments call.

Energy

 is one of The University of Manchester’s - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

The University of Manchester is to lead a consortium to build the next generation of robots that are more durable and perceptive for use in nuclear sites.

The cost of cleaning up the UK’s existing nuclear facilities has been estimated to be between £95 billion and £219 billion over the next 120 years or so. The harsh conditions within these facilities means that human access is highly restricted and much of the work will need to be completed by robots.

Present robotics technology is simply not capable of completing many of the tasks that will be required. Whilst robotic systems have proven to be of great benefit at Fukushima Daiichi NPP, their limitations, which include relatively straightforward tasks such as turning valves, navigating staircases and moving over rough terrain, have also been highlighted.

The new group comprising 91ֱ��, the , and industrial partners , , and has been funded with £4.6m from The .

It will develop robots which have improved, power, sensing, communications and processing power. They will also develop systems which are able to address issues around grasping and manipulation, computer vision and perception. Importantly the robots will be autonomous – able to operate without direct supervision by humans.

The University of Manchester’s , who is leading this project, said: “This programme of work will enable us to fundamentally improve RAS capabilities, allowing technologies to be reliably deployed in to harsh environments, keeping humans away from the dangers of radiation.”

Within the next five years, the researchers will produce prototype robots which will then be trialled in both active and inactive environments. It is anticipated that these trials will include using robotic manipulators to autonomously sort and segregate waste materials and to use multiple robots, working collaboratively, to characterise facilities that may not have been accessed for 40 years or more.

The technology will not only have potential for improving robots used at nuclear sites, but also in other hostile environments such as space, sub-sea, and mining. Or in situations such as bomb-disposal and healthcare which are dangerous or difficult for humans.

The University of Manchester has already developed small submersible and ground-based vehicles that can be deployed to survey nuclear facilities which will be used in this project, allied with the skills and knowledge of the other partners.

Professor Lennox added: “If we are to be realistic about clearing up contaminated sites, then we have to invest in this type of technology. These environments are some of the most extreme that exist, so the benefits of developing this technology can also apply to a wide range of other scenarios.”

 is one of The University of Manchester’s  - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

91ֱ�� has been ranked among the best cities in the world for international students in a ranking compiled by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, global higher education analysts and compiler of the QS World University Rankings.

The city has been placed at 23^rd, a rise of 13 places from last year’s table. The ranking is based on a survey of 18,000 international students and factors such as safety, liveability and employment of students.

The University of Manchester has students from more than 160 countries and is based in one of the UK’s most diverse cities. 91ֱ�� is world-famous for sport, culture and the spirit of discovery which has led to 25 Nobel prize winners either having worked or studied at the University.

For the full ranking, please visit the website for for 2017.

For more information on studying here, visit our .

University of Manchester scientists are preparing for the first ever UK-led meteorite hunting expedition to Antarctica, where they will seek out the 'lost’ meteorites of the icy continent, which could provide clues to planetary creation.

Meteorites provide invaluable information about the Solar System’s formation. In particular, iron meteorites, which are formed from the cores of planetesimals (small planets that were later destroyed by further planetary impacts), provide researchers with knowledge of how planets are created.

The most fruitful regions on Earth for collecting meteorites are in Antarctica, where dark-coloured non-metallic meteorites show up clearly against the white background of the ice. However, iron-based meteorites are significantly under-represented from such collection missions, as compared with meteorite finds over the rest of the globe.

A University of Manchester multidisciplinary research team, led by the applied mathematician , believes the missing iron meteorites may lay as a sparsely distributed layer, just a few centimetres beneath surface of the ice.

They hypothesise that the meteorites are missing as a result of the Sun’s rays penetrating the clear ice and warming the iron-rich rocks more than non-metallic ones. Such warming melts the ice surrounding these meteorites, causing them to sink, and become permanently trapped just below the surface.

A potential hidden layer of meteorites below the ice surface of AntarcticaA recently awarded research grant from will enable the multidisciplinary team to develop the novel technology that will enable them to locate the subsurface meteorites. The technology will likely be based upon metal-detection engineering, in which The University of Manchester has particular research strength (such as in optimising airport security scanning, landmine removal, recycling, and non-destructive testing). The technology will be used in Antarctica to form the first ever UK-led Antarctic meteorite collection mission.

The main expedition is likely to take place in early 2020 with a preliminary visit to Antarctica taking place in 2019. It will see the team search unexplored regions of inland Antarctica with logistical and operational support provided by (BAS). A small-scale test mission will take place on the Arctic island of Svalbard as early as 2018.

Dr Evatt says: “We now have the opportunity to commence on a truly exciting scientific adventure. If successful, our expeditions will help scientists to decode the origins of the Solar System and cement the UK as a leader in meteoritics and planetary science.”

The team will work at three sites on the Antarctic continent, transported by one of BAS’s specialised aircraft, hundreds of kilometres from the nearest research stations. Once there, they will have to contend with freezing temperatures, gale force winds and mountainous terrain.

Dr Evatt adds: “The whole notion of a layer of missing meteorites in Antarctica came out of blue-sky discussions at an interdisciplinary workshop, between a group of applied mathematicians and glaciologists, back in 2012. Having subsequently turned those initial ideas into firm scientific reasoning, we now have the opportunity to put our mathematical hypothesis to the most extreme of tests!”

Professor David Vaughan OBE, Director of Science at British Antarctic Survey, said: “We are delighted to be supporting this research project to hunt for the lost meteorites of Antarctica. The continent constantly reveals so many secrets about our Earth such as our past climate from ice and sediment cores so it’s great to work with UK researchers to help them solve another puzzle about Earth’s, and our Solar System’s, formation.”

The original research paper outlining the theory behind the expedition is available here:  doi:10.1038/ncomms10679

A study into a new treatment for Sanfilippo disease, a rare and fatal condition which causes progressive dementia in children, is progressing well with results set to be published later this year.

Also known as Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) III, there is currently no effective treatment for the condition which affects around 150 children in the UK.

Sanfilippo disease is diagnosed in childhood, with sufferers experiencing deafness, hyperactivity and behavioural problems, progressive developmental delay, and seizures during the later stages of the condition. It is usually fatal in late childhood or early adulthood.

The study aimed to establish whether high doses of the treatment Genistein Aglycone was effective. Patients with Sanfilippo disease have too much of the substance heparan sulphate in their cells, particularly cells in the brain, because they lack the enzyme that usually breaks the heparan sulphate down. It is thought that Genistein Aglycone works by blocking the production of heparan sulphate and associated damage to the cells.

Genistein is a naturally occurring chemical found in soya beans. In the study the researchers used a synthetic version, Genistein Aglycone, to maximise absorption through the gut.

Previous research has shown that low doses of Genistein reduce the heparan sulphate in the blood and urine, but are not sufficient to be effective in the brain. However, research at The University of Manchester using higher doses of Genistein Alygone in the mouse model of Sanfilippo disease has shown that this is effective in reducing neurodegeneration.

All 22 patients were recruited within the allocated time frame. Monitoring of the final participant to join the trial will be complete in July, after which the results will be published.

The study was funded by charity The Society for Mucopolysaccharide Diseases (The MPS Society) and the GEM Appeal. It was conducted by The University of Manchester and the  at The Royal 91ֱ�� Children’s Hospital.

Patients received either Genistein Aglycone or placebo (an inactive substance that looks like the treatment) with food, over a period of 12 months. After that, all children received Genistein Aglycone for a further 12 months. Participants attended regular clinic visits to have levels of heparin sulphate in the spinal fluid measured, alongside other assessments.

Dr Simon Jones, Consultant in Paediatric Inherited Metabolic Disease at , 91ֱ�� and Honorary Senior Lecturer at The University of Manchester, who is leading the study explains: “This was the first study to test the effectiveness of higher doses of Genistein, to assess whether it has an effect on the brain of patients with Sanfilippo disease. Now that we are nearing completion of the trial, we will soon be in a position to publish those findings.

“We know how distressing this condition can be for children and their families. During the later stages of the disease, patients experience seizures, become wheelchair bound and can have trouble swallowing. Conducting research into rare conditions like Sanfilippo disease is important to help us provide patients with the best possible care.”

, Chief Scientific Investigator for the study from said: “We would like to thank all of the families who have supported this study whether that has been by raising the vital funds to deliver the study or by deciding to take part in the study. We eagerly anticipate the results of the trial and hope that this may ultimately result in a potential treatment for Sanfilippo disease.”

The delivery of the study was supported by the .

The University of Manchester is one of the top employers in the country for lesbian, gay, bi and trans staff according to the newly released Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, Top 100 Employers list.

This year the University has moved up 12 places to 41^st in the country in the independent table, ranking it among the best universities and overall one of the best employers. It is now also in the top five universities.

Additionally this year, the University’s Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender Staff Network Group () is among those which have been specially selected as a Highly Commended Network Group, after scoring more than 90 percent in this category of the Index.

Each year, - a charity which campaigns for the equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people across Britain - compiles its Top 100 Employers list based on its Workplace Equality Index. The Index takes into account factors such as career development, policies in place and support for staff. It also invites feedback from staff, with over 90,000 people answering a questionnaire this time around.

Director of Human Resources, Karen Heaton, said: “91ֱ�� has done consistently well in the Index, and this year we have been able to improve our position yet again. The result shows that the University is a welcoming place for staff members of all backgrounds and this is something we can all be justifiably proud of.”

Part of the recognition for 91ֱ�� is for its staff network, ALLOUT. This group, which has 172 members, is at the forefront of providing support and influencing policy. It also runs numerous activities such as raising money for charity, running events in the local community and representing the University at 91ֱ�� Pride.

Paul Marks-Jones, the University’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Adviser, who is responsible for compiling the University’s entry and working with the staff network said: “The efforts of ALLOUT are a major reason why the University performs so well in this Index. They don’t just make a difference inside the University though, the events they organise, the charities they support, plus collaborations with other organisations, takes this message far beyond the University campus.”

The Index is free to take part in and more than 430 employers submitted entries in 2017, across the public, private and third sectors. This year’s 41^st place represents the highest position the University has achieved since it first took part in the Workplace Equality Index in 2012, despite an ever-increasing number of participants.

Duncan Bradshaw, Director of Membership Programmes, Stonewall said: “The University of Manchester and all those who have made this year’s Top 100 Employers list have done a fantastic job, and really do put equality and inclusion at the forefront of their work.

“We were thrilled to have 439 submissions for this year’s Index, one of the most competitive yet, and I would like to thank each and every organisation that took part. With your continued efforts and hard work, we will continue to work toward a world where all lesbian, gay, bi and trans staff are welcomed and accepted without exception in their workplaces.”

The full top 100 list is available from .

This year is ending on a high note for researchers working in the field here in 91ֱ��. With today’s announcement of more than £42m of investment from Cancer Research UK, the city is now firmly established among the world’s elite for finding new treatments and prevention strategies for this disease.

But this isn’t the only achievement made by cancer researchers here in the city this year.

New treatments and insights

We’ve made a number of breakthroughs in 2016 – helping to develop new treatments and gain greater understanding of how cancer works.

In August we revealed findings which could lead to a new test for a common , we also identified drugs to target the ‘Achilles heel’ and another study earlier in the year also identified another possible for this form of the disease.

We have also made advances in the treatment of breast cancer, with exciting findings that a combination of two drugs . We also discovered how breast cancer cells to different parts of the body.

These kinds of insights are important for developing new treatments further down the line and findings that shed light on with each other have this potential to lead to future cures. Another study turned the idea that on its head.

We’re also refining existing treatments with one trial finding that and is equally good at treating small cell lung cancer. We’ve also studied how the can be averted by personalising treatment.

Prevention and early detection

Catching cancer early or developing ways to change people’s behaviour are among the most effective ways of combatting the disease. That’s why the statistical analysis we released last month, which shows that in men by 50 percent and in women by almost 20 percent is important.

In September we announced to diagnose cancers early, potentially saving many lives and saving the NHS millions of pounds. And other funds will help us devise .

Funds and facilities to fight the disease

Coupled with today’s £42m announcement we’ve also been working hard to attract new funds and build world class facilities to support our research. The news that 91ֱ�� was selected by government to be a with £28.5m funding attached will help support many more of the projects described above.

We’ve also opened dedicated to finding the markers that enable quick diagnosis of diseases including cancer and more funding will .

One of the major scientific discoveries of the last few years, graphene, also has applications for cancer research and could potentially develop targeted drug delivery systems to attack cancer cells.

We’re also working across the world, in one of the first international collaborations inspired by US Vice-President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot.

In the community

That’s not the only way we’ve been working with our global partners. In July 91ֱ�� hosted as part of the city being designated European City of Science. We’ve also been working in our community, which were exhibited to highlight the achievements the city has made in battling the disease.

91ֱ��’s place in fighting cancer

will enable 91ֱ�� to train 46 of the brightest minds in cancer science, support treatments based around the concept of precision medicine and run even more trials to test the effectiveness of treatments.

As Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: “91ֱ�� is now one of the world’s leading research centres for cancer and this funding represents an important step forward in finding new treatments, carrying out more trials and training the brightest minds to continue this work. Working with our partners at The Christie and Cancer Research UK gives us great strength, bringing together researchers and doctors to make new discoveries that benefit of people here and around the world."

 is one of The University of Manchester’s - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

Find our more about .

In a second boost for 91ֱ�� in as many months, a single city-wide bid has been awarded £12.5m by the Department of Health to fund the cutting-edge research space, highly trained staff and specialist equipment required to develop and deliver pioneering new treatments across three NHS sites in Greater 91ֱ��.

This new award is a major achievement for Greater 91ֱ�� Devolution, demonstrating synergy that can only be achieved by bringing together clinical and research expertise from across health and academia to deliver patient-orientated commercial and academic clinical research studies.

It will enable expansion of existing clinical research capacity across 91ֱ�� and is hosted by Central 91ֱ�� University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT) in partnership with The Christie NHS Foundation Trust (), University Hospital of South 91ֱ�� NHS Foundation Trust () and The University of Manchester.

Clinical Research Facilities (CRF) at CMFT, The Christie and UHSM, currently facilitate a total of 6500 visits per year from patients and healthy volunteers involved in research studies. They provide 24-hour, seven-day inpatient and outpatient research services, including those for children and infants, with over 50 research beds and 20 outpatient consultation rooms across Greater 91ֱ��.

91ֱ��’s unique proposal will make research more accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds across the city region, as well as expanding the volume and types of research undertaken.

In September, the Department of Health announced under its Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) scheme, which recognises 91ֱ��’s international reputation and will drive forward research in the areas of musculoskeletal disease, hearing health, respiratory disease, dermatology and three themes (prevention, radiotherapy and precision medicine).

This latest investment is provided under Clinical Research Facility Scheme and will enable the 91ֱ�� CRFs to support researchers working in these areas and many others, representing major causes of premature death and disability for patients in 91ֱ�� and beyond. The 91ֱ�� CRFs are supported by the 91ֱ�� Academic Health Science Centre ().

Lord Peter Smith, Chair of Greater 91ֱ�� Health and Social Care Partnership Board said: “This reinforces 91ֱ��’s strong credentials in experimental medicine. The CRFs will play a key role in working with patients, academic and commercial research partners to implement the Greater 91ֱ�� Health and Social Care Devolution.”

Professor Nick Webb, Director of the 91ֱ�� CRF explained: “Our new One 91ֱ�� approach consolidates assets across our CRFs and will explore novel ways to drive efficiencies and maximise the impact of our research across Greater 91ֱ��.

“We know that disease burden remains disproportionately high in 91ֱ�� and especially in socially disadvantaged groups. Working with the BRC and NHS organisations across 91ֱ��, our focus will be to increase accessibility of research for people of all ages and backgrounds right across the city region and beyond.”

Sir Michael Deegan, Chief Executive at CMFT said: “Experimental medicine studies can be extremely complex and intensive, requiring specialist facilities. This investment will enable us to expand our world-leading research in this area and provide more patients in 91ֱ�� with the opportunity to trial new medicines.”

, President & Vice-Chancellor at The University of Manchester, added: “We’re delighted to receive this investment, which recognises the excellent research infrastructure we already have in 91ֱ�� and will help to further accelerate the translation of basic laboratory research through to treatments that benefit patients.”

Minister for Public Health and Innovation Nicola Blackwood said: “Our investment in this area so far has led to a variety of breakthroughs, including the first new asthma treatment in a decade, and a promising treatment for peanut allergies in children, to name just two.

“We know that such ground breaking clinical research simply would not happen without the support of these Clinical Research Facilities.

“I’m delighted to announce this funding to support the skilled personnel and cutting-edge facilities we need to keep 91ֱ�� at the forefront of clinical research.”

Scientists at The University of Manchester have shown for the first time that if the brain is ‘tuned-in’ to a particular frequency, pain can be alleviated.

Chronic pain- pain which lasts for more than six months – is a real problem for many people, with 20-50 % of the general population estimated to suffer from it (comprising 20% of consultations in general practice).

It is a much greater problem in the elderly with 62% of the UK population over 75 year’s old suffering from it. Chronic pain is often a mixture of recurrent acute pains and chronic persistent pain. Unfortunately there are very few treatments available that are completely safe, particularly in the elderly.

Nerve cells on the surface of the brain are co-ordinated with each other at a particular frequency depending on the state of the brain. Alpha waves which are tuned at 9-12 cycles per second have been recently associated with enabling parts of the brain concerned with higher control to influence other parts of the brain.

For instance researchers at at The University of Manchester found that alpha waves from the front of the brain, the forebrain, are associated with placebo analgesia and may be influencing how other parts of the brain process pain.

This led to the idea that if we can ‘tune’ the brain to express more alpha waves, perhaps we can reduce pain experienced by people with certain conditions.

Dr Kathy Ecsy and her colleagues in The University of Manchester’s Human Pain Research Group have shown that this can be done by providing volunteers with goggles that flash light in the alpha range or by sound stimulation in both ears phased to provide the same stimulus frequency. They found that both visual and auditory stimulation significantly reduced the intensity of pain induced by laser-heat repeatedly shone on the back of the arm.

is the director of the 91ֱ�� Pain Consortium which is focussed on improving the understanding and treatment of chronic pain. He said: “This is very exciting because it provides a potentially new, simple and safe therapy that can now be trialled in patients. At we have had a lot of enthusiasm from patients for this kind of neuro-therapeutic approach.”

Further studies are required to test the effectiveness in patients with different pain conditions but the simplicity and low cost of the technology should facilitate such clinical studies.

Dr Chris Brown, who is a Lecturer in Psychology at The University of Liverpool, who was involved in the research while working in 91ֱ��, said: “It is interesting that similar results were obtained with visual and auditory stimulation, which will provide some flexibility when taking this technology into patient studies. For instance this might be particularly useful for patients having difficulty sleeping because of recurrent pain at night.”

The paper, ‘, was published . DOI: 10.1002/ejp.960

With an HIV infection rate of around 7.2%, Uganda has a particular problem with the serious effects of fungal infection which takes hold in vulnerable people. However, the branch of medicine which deals with these infections, medical mycology, is under-resourced with a lack of specialist doctors and trained laboratory staff.

But now, Ugandan doctor Felix Bongomin is set to change all that using the skills he’s gained on a funded master’s course at The University of Manchester.

Inspired by lectures given in his home country by visiting University of Manchester professor and fungal infection expert , Felix applied for an . This programme, unique to 91ֱ��, covers the fees and expenses of exceptional students from Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania who have a desire and a plan to benefit their home countries.

In Felix’s case that led him to study an to learn the skills that he can pass on to students and medics and use to help his patients.

“As a medical intern, I found that fungal infections were among the trickiest cases on the wards," He says. "Due to a lack of specialist medical mycologists to consult, and the laboratories, which are ill-equipped for diagnosis, there is often recurrence of infections and a lack of knowledge of the resistance patterns of anti-fungal agents.”

He intends to continue working with patients and has big plans for the establishment of the discipline in the country. “Being a mycologist means I’ll be an important human resource for Uganda. I plan to establish a research institute which will be responsible for setting up good-quality fungal diagnostic and treatment services countrywide.”

Getting to this stage would not have been possible for Felix in Uganda, as the course he wanted to study doesn’t yet exist there. He was also unable to fund study abroad so the Equity and Merit Scholarship in 91ֱ�� has given him the opportunity to work with specialists and learn unique skills.

Professor Denning said: “When I visited Gulu University in 2012 to set up a research project into the fungal complications of TB, I didn’t imagine that my talk to the students and young doctors there would bring such a talented young physician to 91ֱ�� in my favourite subject. Felix has not only concluded his master’s, but his project will be published and, crucially, fill a gap in our knowledge of subtle immunodeficiency.”

Felix believes the benefits of his learning will resonate far beyond his own career – helping the medical professionals of the future too. He said: “This scholarship will allow me to become a lecturer at my university and so my students and so many other people will benefit from my studies.”

Felix’s story is the third in a series of four videos and articles to mark the tenth anniversary of the Equity and Merit Scholarship programme at 91ֱ��. The scholarships are jointly funded by the University and its donors. The University covers the tuition fee in full and the generosity of donors covers students’ living costs, flights to the UK and visas.

Since it began, a total of 203 scholarships have been awarded to exceptional individuals who have demonstrated both academic excellence and a commitment to the economic or social development of their home communities.

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Visit the on our website or for more information.

Student sportswomen and men from The University of Manchester were in the thick of the crowds yesterday at the Olympic Parade in 91ֱ��, soaking up inspiration.

The students, all of them part of the University’s sports teams, wanted to be part of the crowds celebrating the achievements of the UK’s teams from Rio, many of which, such as cycling and judo, are based in the city.

The University of Manchester offers a range of scholarships to talented sports people and all students, regardless of ability, have the opportunity to use some of the UK’s best student sports facilities.

Watch our playlist of students at the event:

Sport is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle and this is why the Sport England-funded offer ’’ is in place to offer University of Manchester staff and students access to over 60 hours of free sport. So far this year the programme has already engaged 3,000 participants.

Many of the University’s current students are representing the University and their countries at the highest level.

The University has a rich sporting pedigree with students and graduates at games stretching back to the 1960s. And as well as current student and 400m runner, Seren Bundy-Davies, Tosin Oke, a chemistry graduate, also represented Nigeria in the triple jump at this year’s Games.

For more information, visit .

University researchers, working with the Syrian community in the city, and The Rethink Rebuild Society, will be part of the #JourneysFest Takeover at the 91ֱ�� Museum on Saturday 8 October. Journeys Festival International is a major new festival which celebrates the artistic talent and incredible stories of refugee artists. (01 - 12 October 2016)

Researchers from The University of Manchester have been working with Syrians in the UK and in refugee camps surrounding Syria for a number of years since the start of its civil war.

Psychologists have been particularly focussed on parenting in these communities, helping parents and their children to recover from the traumatic experiences they have suffered as a result of war and fleeing their home country, working on ways to help them during displacement and resettlement.

The #JourneysFest 91ֱ�� Museum Takeover will provide insight into this work and the other rooms of the Museum, part of The University of Manchester, will host a variety of activities including the International Kite Project, Conversation Corner, Pop Up Theatre performances from The Royal Exchange and Community Arts Northwest (CAN), music from Sarah Yaseen and spoken word with Hafsah Aneela Bashir.

Artwork created by children from refugee families will be on display, alongside a screening of by Hafsah Naib, a documentary that shows the lives of Syrians who have settled in 91ֱ��. Visitors will be able to speak to University researchers who have been working on on the Syria-Turkey border; sending in advice leaflets on parenting and coping with trauma inside the wrappers of bread deliveries.

The event is part of Journeys Festival International held in 91ֱ�� 1-12 October and produced by Leicester-based . Other events on the schedule include The Container Project, in which a shipping container will be transformed into an innovative project space in St. Ann’s Square.

Contact, a theatre near to the University campus, will host the acclaimed production Burning Doors by Belarus Free Theatre (10 – 12 October), which features the theatre debut of Maria Alyokhina from Pussy Riot telling the true stories of persecuted artists; Petr Pavlensky, Oleg Sentsov and Maria Alyokhina.

, who leads the Syrian refugee projects at The University of Manchester said: “Creative expression is an important way for people to explore and come to terms with the terrible experiences they have suffered. It is also a way to celebrate the culture and artistic styles of their own country, even though they’ve been forced to leave it.

This event seeks to cover both of these themes and all of the events we have planned for the day promise to be thought provoking and inspirational.”

David Hill, Director of ArtReach, said: "ArtReach is very pleased to be working with The University of Manchester and Rethink Rebuild to help facilitate important contributions from the 91ֱ�� Syrian community in its Journeys Festival International 'Take-over' event at 91ֱ�� Museums. It is so important to give a voice and platform to this community at such a challenging time and we hope the work will be celebratory as well as thought provoking."

@JourneysFest

#JourneysFest

11 November update: A Facebook gallery from the event is now available .

Preliminary findings from a mass participation study have indicated a link between weather conditions – specifically rain and lack of sunshine – and chronic pain.

Daily data inputted from over 9000 UK participants in The University of Manchester-led ‘’ project has been viewed at the halfway stage of the 18-month study; these early results suggest a correlation between the number of sunny days and rainfall levels and changes in pain levels.

Professor Will Dixon, who leads the study, spoke at at on Wednesday 7 September about this novel study and the interim findings.

Members of the public who have long-term pain record their daily pain symptoms on a special app. The app also independently captures hourly weather conditions using the smartphone GPS, thus joining pain data with real-time local weather events. The study is still open to new participants and the researchers are keen to recruit as many people as possible who are willing to track their symptoms.

At the halfway stage the research team reviewed the interim data, looking specifically at data sets collected from participants in three cities – Leeds, Norwich and London.

Across all three cities, as the number of sunny days increased from February to April, the amount of time spent in severe pain decreased. However, the amount of time spent in severe pain increased again in June when the weather was wetter and there were fewer hours of sunshine.

, Professor of Digital Epidemiology at The University of Manchester’s School of Biological Sciences and scientific lead for the Cloudy project, said the early results were encouraging but urged more people to take part in the study in order to allow robust conclusions at the end of the study.

“Once the link is proven, people will have the confidence to plan their activities in accordance with the weather. In addition, understanding how weather influences pain will allow medical researchers to explore new pain interventions and treatments.

“To work out the details of how weather influences pain, we need as many people as possible to participate in the study and track their symptoms on their smartphone.

“If you are affected by chronic pain, this is your chance to take do something personally – and easily – to lead to a breakthrough in our understanding of pain.”

People interested in joining the Cloudy with a Chance of Pain project – and who have access to a smartphone – can sign up at .

The EuroScience Open Forum is here in 91ֱ�� and 4,500 people from all over the world are in the city this week for the latest in cutting-edge science that impacts almost every area of our daily lives.

From the keynote speakers such as Professor Brian Cox and Professor Sir Andre Geim, to sessions on medicine, climate change and the business of science, The University of Manchester is heavily involved in all aspects of ESOF - showing how we do things differently here.

And outside of the conference we’re running a huge number of events – to the public and getting out and about with a series of .

The ESOF champion is the University’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell who says: “It’s my great pleasure to welcome delegates, including science enthusiasts of all kinds to ESOF 2016 for what I’m certain will be a week of inspiring, engaging and challenging events. As champion of the Forum and a scientist myself, it was my goal to create a programme that I would personally want to attend, and I believe we’ve achieved that.

“With its theme of ‘science as revolution’ what better place to hold ESOF 2016 than 91ֱ�� – the birthplace of the world’s first industrial revolution.”

You can get all the latest on ESOF at or take part by following on Twitter. The full programme is available on .

Reanimating organs in a library, an inflatable museum and cancer as art – The University of Manchester is playing a major part in Science in the City this month, where thousands of people are expected to visit public spaces to take part in fun and cutting-edge science.

The full programme of more than 40 events accompanying conference can be found , but below are a few highlights from The University of Manchester’s involvement.

And if you want to see where our cutting edge science takes place, don’t forget to check out our , happening at the same time.

22-29 July

Visit the Allotment of the Future to explore how we could make the most of our urban spaces to grow food in the future and what kind of menus we might be choosing from in years to come.

Ever wondered what it might be like to have bugs for breakfast, algae for lunch, or grow crops from used coffee grounds? Find out how technology might change domestic growing and discover what’s so important about soil.

23-29 July

Sit down in conversation with an incredible array of talent from across the scientific, literary and arts communities in the Petri Parlour – the place where ideas grow. Click on the links below for more information and booking.

23 July

On 23rd July 2016, 12 female scientists will take to their soapboxes in Piccadilly Gardens, 91ֱ�� city centre to demonstrate and discuss their research. Come and be inspired by cool science from across the North West. There will be something for everyone; from clouds to cancer, protons to parasites, neuropsychology to nanoscience.  Think you won’t understand it? Think again. Come and find out how scientific research informs everyday life. Don’t miss it!

23-29 July

To celebrate 91ֱ��’s year as European City of Science, we’re bringing Cancer Research UK’s research to life like never before. Designers from The University of Manchester and 91ֱ�� Metropolitan University have worked with researchers from and patient volunteers to create unique artworks that showcase our latest scientific advances and tell the personal journeys of people affected by cancer.

25 July

brand new Inflatable Museum will be popping up in 91ֱ�� Cathedral for a day of interactive, exploratory activities for under-5s and their families.

25 July

What is it like to give birth stateless and in transition and what is the impact on the women and children involved?

One of the most pressing issues of our time is one of the questions driving B!RTH, a festival of work which will explore global health inequality through the lens of childbirth at the Royal Exchange Theatre. Join The University of Manchester’s Professor of Global Health and Humanitarian Affairs, Mukesh Kapila CBE, and award-winning Syrian playwright Liwaa Yazji with other panellists to explore the realities, the struggle and the hope of new life and what can be done to prevent a generation being forever lost.

26 July

In this celebration of Science and Poetry, we have paired together some of Manchester’s finest young poets with researchers from across the ESOF programme. Following the ESOF Science Meets Poetry daytime event, these poets will perform their collaborative pieces in the setting of . Biology battles balladry, physics pairs with pentameter, and chemistry confronts cadence in a celebration of the creative similarities between science and the performing arts.

26 July

Join us for an evening where women debate important questions, celebrate the careers of female scientists, innovators and educators, and inspire women to become leaders in their field. Featuring a series of informal social events, the evening will encourage new dialogue between women from across Greater 91ֱ�� as well as those visiting for the EuroScience Open Forum.

Featuring: , astrophysicist, University of Manchester

27 July

Climate change is happening all around us, and this isn’t the time to ignore it, it’s the time to get really, really, creative. Join scientists and artists for an evening of creativity exploring a zero carbon future.

29 July

When a vital organ, such as the heart, lungs, or kidneys stops working, our lives are in great danger. But advances in medical science have made it possible for us to receive replacements, transplanted from deceased or living donors. At Reanimate, visitors can see a kidney working and a heart beating outside of the body, and explore the possibilities of organs returning to life.

Drop in and learn more about reconditioning donor organs for transplantation from and his team from the 91ֱ�� Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research at The University of Manchester.

The podcast, which is presented in British Sign Language (BSL), is being used to promote a event in Oxford on 18 June where will present stories gathered from a decade of work with deaf people in Europe, America and Africa, to which she is now adding by studying deaf lives in the UK.

Their empowering stories have been told in different signed languages, through narratives and creative methods such as drama, and Dr De Clerck will be using these examples to talk about the possibilities for both women and deaf people to forge careers in the sciences.

The podcast features a mix of BSL, pictures, video, subtitles and audio, and is designed to be accessible for all.

One of 12 academics taking part in the event in the centre of Oxford, Dr De Clerck is the first and only scholar to present her work in British Sign Language and through BSL interpreting services. She said: “It means a lot to me that this helps BSL become visible as a language of science. I think it is important for deaf children and young people to grow up knowing that research is currently being done in and on BSL, with deaf people, and by deaf scholars.”

Soapbox Science is a public outreach platform for promoting women scientists and their research. Modelled on Speaker’s Corner in London’s Hyde Park, it offers the chance for public debate, and this year will see 14 events taking place throughout the UK.

Dr De Clerck’s Soapbox Science presentation is part of her much wider project documenting the life stories of deaf people and using these collected thoughts to inspire others and transform services such as mental health. It is hoped that this collection can be produced in a number of formats, including an app on deaf life stories and wellbeing which is currently in development.

She said: “I have found that deaf life storytelling is a cultural practice around the world, and now as a Marie Curie Fellow at the Social Research with Deaf People group at The University of Manchester, I am looking into how deaf people in the UK, both natives and migrants, can use it to gain more insight into their wellbeing. I am still as fascinated by deaf people’s lives as I was in the beginning. I have been especially compelled and inspired by the strength and vitality that deaf people and sign language communities find in storytelling.”

More information about the Soapbox Science event on 18 June in Oxford, including an interview with Dr De Clerck, can be found .

The University’s School Governor Initiative (UMSGI) which supports staff to take up school governor positions in local schools and colleges has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

Volunteer school governors play a crucial role in raising educational standards. aims to contribute to the leadership and improvement of state schools by engaging staff and alumni in becoming the employer that recruits the largest number of school governors in the UK.

As part of the University’s widening participation and strategies, the UMSGI encourages and supports staff and alumni to become school governors by helping them to find volunteering placements in local schools and providing a network and training opportunities to support them.

At the end of 2014/15 the total number of staff and alumni governors stood at 433. This equates to 36,372 volunteering hours, 5,196 days reaching 94,850 learners. The economic impact from the contribution of staff governors exceeds £1 million per annum.

Ian Fenn, Headmaster of , 91ֱ��, who supported the nomination said: “We are fortunate to have such an engaged university that wants to contribute to schools in the community in such an ongoing and strategic way, which has been achieved by the considerable volunteering effort of their staff. I know that they are actively supporting other universities to develop similar schemes which will increase the number of skilled volunteers being placed in schools across the country.”

UMSGI is one of the University’s Social Responsibility Signature Programmes. Professor James Thompson, Associate Vice-President for social responsibility said: “It is fantastic to see the time and commitment of staff and alumni recognised in this way. UMSGI is a great example of how the University is making a difference in the community through harnessing the skills and expertise of our staff, and more recently our alumni.

“In 91ֱ�� alone, University volunteers are contributing to the improvement of schools in the most challenging areas - 79% are in schools where the number of pupils in receipt of free school meals is above the national average and 53% are in schools where over half the pupils receive free school meals.

“Despite these challenging circumstances, 80% of the 91ֱ�� schools that benefit from University staff expertise are judged good or better by Ofsted and over half have improved their Ofsted judgements in recent years. Good governance is one of the key criteria considered in order for this judgement to be made.”

Stephanie Lee, Head of Widening Participation and Outreach and Alison Gregory, Student Recruitment and Widening Participation Officer who oversee the initiative, attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace on 19 May where they met the Queen and other winners of this year’s award.

UMSGI is one of 193 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of awards given to groups this year is slightly higher than last year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to tackle community challenges.

is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communities. The awards were created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and winners are announced each year on 2 June – the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.

The University’s School Governor Initiative will receive the award from the Lord Lieutenant of Greater 91ֱ�� on 4 July.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Committee Chair, former broadcast journalist Sir Martyn Lewis said: “I warmly congratulate all of the inspirational voluntary groups who have been rewarded for their community work with a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The judging panel for this year’s awards were struck by the quality and breadth of all the successful groups.

“The thousands of volunteers who give up spare time to help others in their community and to help solve problems demonstrate the very best of democracy in action.”

Minister for Civil Society, Rob Wilson, said: “I would like to congratulate all groups who received this year’s Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, in recognition of their fantastic achievements. The huge amount of work and commitment these organisations put into their local communities is surpassed only by the passion and motivation of the individuals who volunteer. I hope these groups continue to inspire others to get involved and make a positive impact so that we can continue to build a more compassionate society.”

The University’s (MLP) – in which students take part in academic events and community volunteering as part of their degree – is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

It has seen 9,000 students carry out 350,000 hours of volunteering worth £2 million, giving back to society and developing the kinds of skills and experiences that graduate employers seek.

Unique to The University of Manchester, the 91ֱ�� Leadership Programme enables students to gain a greater understanding of what it means to be a responsible global citizen.

Not only that, they have been invited to inspiring Tedx style talks from leading 91ֱ�� academics and high-profile leaders from the public, private and voluntary sectors, such as world record-breaking yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur, former Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy and the University’s own Professor Tony Redmond of .

Through these they have discovered the challenges facing society in the 21st Century, and the leadership approaches needed to address them.

The programme was founded by Professor Alan Gilbert, the University’s then President and Vice-Chancellor, to improve the students’ experience by encouraging them to develop team work and leadership skills.

And he was right – the programme has been a huge hit with students.

Chris Cotter, who studied French and Spanish and was on the MLP 2012-13, explained: “MLP was one of the interesting things that drew me to 91ֱ��. It made the University stand out from the others I was looking at.”

Employers are impressed too – Ben Hayward, who studied English and Drama and was on the MLP 2006-2007, found he was asked about the MLP by would-be employers even before he had mentioned it.

John Norgrove, who graduated from The University of Manchester in 1971, has been awarded Alumni Volunteer of the Year for his work running the Linda Norgrove Foundation, which he established over five years ago in the immediate aftermath of the death of his daughter, Linda Norgrove, an aid-worker in Afghanistan.

The Foundation was created to help women and children in Afghanistan, with a focus on those affected by the war. To date the charity has supported female medical students with scholarships, provided widows with a sustainable source of income and funded an orphanage for disabled children and a wealth of other projects.

John studied civil engineering at the University and has since lived and worked in northern Scotland.

His daughter Linda carried out doctoral studies at the University’s Institute for Development Policy and Management and was awarded a PhD in 2003. In 2010 she was working on development projects in a remote, rural area in East Afghanistan when she was kidnapped and killed.

The University posthumously honoured Linda with an outstanding alumna award in 2011, in a ceremony attended by her former classmates and lecturers.

John said: "I'm so delighted to have received this Award, but the 'icing on the cake' is knowing that Linda would have been delighted as well.An award from the University where we both studied, and for helping women and children in Afghanistan, a cause that would have been so close to her heart."

Since its birth in 2010, the Foundation has given over £1 million to numerous small to medium-sized projects to benefit the women and children who have been affected by decades of conflict in Afghanistan. John, his wife Lorna, and the other trustees all volunteer their time to the charity without pay.

Jane Maciver, who nominated John, said: “John has relentlessly poured his time and effort into this organisation. Despite facing many hurdles and negative assumptions about Afghanistan, John maintains an optimistic outlook and is an inspiration to any who meet him.”

John received his award at the University’s annual Volunteer of the Year Awards which also honour a staff member and a student.

School of Law lecturer Kirsty Keywood won the staff award for her 20 years of volunteering and leadership in support of people with learning disabilities or mental health problems.

Student winner was Sarah Brown, who is studying Linguistics and is Chair of Student Action, the volunteering arm of the Students’ Union as well as volunteering directly on projects.

Her work includes leading People with People, a project which involves planning and running a weekly activities evening for a group of adults who have learning disabilities or autism; volunteering locally with Retrak, an international charity which supports children who are living on the streets to be able to access housing, education and employment; volunteering for The Life Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded by University students, which works to support disabled children and adults who are living in government care homes in Romania; and is a voluntary trained Dementia Friends Champion.

Increasing specialist community services like crisis resolution, helping make the transition to adult services smoother for young people, and implementing clinical guidelines are just some of the service changes that are linked to significantly reduced suicide rates in mental health services in England over the last 16 years, according to new research from The University of Manchester.

The study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal, by researchers at at The University 91ֱ�� also finds that suicide rates were higher in mental health trusts with higher levels of staff turnover, suggesting that organisational factors may be equally important in preventing suicide.

Previous studies examining which aspects of mental health service provision are most effective in preventing suicide are scarce, have been inconsistent in their findings, and limited in scope. This is the first study to look at the impact of specific mental health service improvements in a range of organisational contexts, on suicide rates.

In this study, the authors analysed the impact of 16 recommendations and service changes in all NHS mental health services across England on patient suicide rates between 1997 and 2012. They also looked at whether suicide deaths were related to the way mental health services were organised (using measures such as staff turnover, staff and patient satisfaction, patient complaints).

The research included data from 19,248 individuals who died by suicide in England over the 16-year period and were in contact with mental health services in the 12 months before they died. This represents over a quarter of all suicide deaths in England during this time. The researchers compared suicide rates before and after these recommendations and service changes were introduced.

By 2012, 58 services (94%) had implemented at least 10 of the service changes and 34 (55%) had implemented all 16. The individual service changes that were most widely implemented were removal of non­collapsible ligature points on wards, policies to reduce absconding on in-patient wards, and a mechanism to implement National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

The five mental health service changes linked to the biggest falls in suicide were: increasing the availability of specialist community services like crisis resolution and home treatment; better management of patients with dual diagnosis (ie, drug or alcohol misuse as well as major mental illness); reviews and information with families after suicide; introducing policies to help manage the transition to adult mental health services for young people; and implementing the NICE guidelines on depression.

The researchers found that implementing recommendations and service changes was associated with significantly lower suicide rates. Each of the 16 recommendations and service changes were linked with 20-30% decrease in the suicide rate (from around 12 suicides per 10,000 contacts with mental health services to approximately 9).

The study also linked suicide rates to some wider organisational factors including higher levels of non-medical (e.g. nursing) staff turnover and reporting of patient safety incidents. However, other factors like staff sickness and patient satisfaction did not appear to affect suicide rates.

Importantly, implementing the five most promising changes had a greater impact in mental health services with low levels of non-medical staff turnover and higher levels of overall reported safety incidents. “A workforce that is constantly changing is likely to affect the continuity of care and this could compromise safety,” explains Professor Nav Kapur, lead author and Head of Suicide Research at at The University of Manchester.

“High numbers of safety incidents might suggest a culture of openness in which staff and the organisation learn from adverse incidents, but they may also be a warning that there are real patient safety issues.”

According to Professor Kapur: “Our study suggests that many of these interventions may prevent suicide and save lives. The data also show that at least as important as these initiatives might be the organisational context in which they are introduced. These are important findings for mental health services worldwide, particularly in those countries where there is a focus on community care such as the USA, Europe, and Australasia.”

Professor Louis Appleby, Director of the National Confidential Inquiry and one of the co-authors of the study added: “This study shows that how clinical staff work can make a difference to patient suicide risk. Mental health trusts with low staff turnover, and where staff reviewed suicide deaths with families had lower suicide rates suggesting that healthy, learning organisations may also be safer.”

Paper, ‘’, was published in The Lancet Psychiatry Journal.

The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership () commissions the Mental Health Clinical Outcome Review Programme, NCISH, on behalf of NHS England, NHS Wales, the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate, the Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS), and the States of Jersey and Guernsey.

A University of Manchester scientist is stepping out of the lab in order to write and perform on the latest research into chronic pain, as part of a new theatre tour.

Pain, the Brain and a Little Bit of Magic is an empowering performance talk by which takes a look inside the brain, exploring how we feel pain, how pain is signalled in the body and how we develop chronic conditions.

Based on pioneering research, ‘Pain, the Brain and a Little Bit of Magic’ offers an optimistic message of how chronic pain may be better understood and treated.

Starting with the history of pain treatment including electric eels and drilling holes in the skull, the performance moves on to modern treatments and the concept that pain can be reversed.

is a performance for chronic pain sufferers and the people who support them, medical professionals and absolutely anybody who wants to know more about what makes the brain tick.

“When people are more informed about their condition they are able to develop coping mechanisms to deal with it on a daily basis. Pain, the Brain and a Little Bit of Magic gives patients and medical professionals an insight into the nature of pain and a greater awareness of its effects on people’s everyday lives,” said Val Derbyshire of , who is also taking part in the performance.

Professor Anthony Jones is a leading neuro-rheumatology researcher at The University of Manchester. He pioneered the use of functional brain imaging to understand the brain mechanisms of chronic pain and is now using his discoveries to develop new therapies.

He said: “Medical science can often be perceived as too complex for patients and the general public to understand, but it’s important that people have an awareness of the causes and treatments for their conditions.

“This performance started out as an idea to communicate the information in a different way and now with patient involvement it’s also become an important way for medical professionals to understand better the feelings of those people they are treating.”

Also performing is Sam Redway, an award-winning actor and theatre maker (Broadway Baby, Golden Bobby, NSDF Commendation for Acting), RADA graduate and one half of Knaïve Theatre. He has performed and devised with some of Britain’s and Europe’s leading Theatre companies including Theatre Ad Infinitum, The Awake Project and Maison du Theatre.

This project is directed by Tyrrell Jones, produced by Jenny Gaskell, with model design from Elisa Artesero and is accompanied by speaker Val Derbyshire. The lecture is assisted by Tim Rainey and Javin Javin Sandhu.

Pain, the Brain and a Little Bit of Magic is supported by , , The University of Manchester and .

Cast and Creative Team

Performer and writer – Professor Anthony Jones

Performer: Sam Redway

Director – Tyrrell Jones

Speaker - Val Derbyshire

Set/model designer – Elisa Artesero

Assistants: Javin Sandhu, Karina Lovell and Timothy Rainey.

Producer - Jenny Gaskell

Poetry: Ben Mellor

Listings Information

To book all tickets, visit:

Or call: 0161 206 4265

Spring 2016 tour:

Saturday 2 April Salford Mayo Building

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Stott Lane, Salford, M6 8HD

1:30pm | Tickets Free

Saturday 23 April Royal Blackburn Hospital

The Auditorium, Learning & Development, Park View Offices (Library entrance at rear), Royal Blackburn Hospital, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH

2:30pm | Tickets Free

Friday 29 April Liverpool Pain Relief Foundation

The Pain Relief Foundation, Clinical Sciences Centre, University Hospital Aintree, Lower Lane, Liverpool, L9 7AL

1:30pm | Tickets Free

Saturday 30 April Great Sutton Village Hall

Old Chester Road, Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH66 3NZ

1pm |Tickets Free

Thursday 5 May Lancaster Arts: OPEN

Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University. LA1 4YW

2pm | Tickets Free

Wednesday 8 June Sale - St Mary's Church Centre

44 Moss Lane, Sale, Cheshire M33 6GD

6:30pm | Tickets Free

Thursday 9th June 91ֱ��: Contact,

Oxford Road, 91ֱ��, M15 6JA

7:30pm | Tickets Free

Further national tour dates to be announced: Summer 2016.

On World Cancer Day, Professor Sir Salvador Moncada, Institute Director of Cancer Sciences at The University of Manchester and one of the world’s foremost researchers on the subject, looks ahead to the challenges we face in developing new treatments for the disease.

To mark World Cancer Day we’ve also created of The University of Manchester’s achievements in the last 12 months or you can find out more about our focus on this issue on .

World Cancer Day takes place today bringing together the best scientific achievements, the personal stories and the committed volunteers who work tirelessly to tackle this insidious and complex disease.

The University of Manchester is part of this global struggle and since the last World Cancer Day in February 2015, we’ve made great strides in research and our ability to bring the brightest minds together in world class facilities.

Not least, this included for the 91ֱ�� Cancer Research Centre in June. The University of Manchester building in Withington will be home to researchers from the 91ֱ�� Cancer Research Centre (MCRC) – a partnership between Cancer Research UK, The University of Manchester and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.

The state-of-the-art facility, located opposite The Christie and the Cancer Research UK 91ֱ�� Institute, is set to pull in more world-class scientists to the city, boosting research and helping to get improved treatments to patients faster.

This opening was swiftly followed by to help transform personalised medicine for cancer treatment, as the University builds its research base in line with our stated aim of Manchester being among the top five integrated cancer centres in the world by 2020.

All of this helps the brilliant minds working in 91ֱ�� to perform the research that will increase our understanding of how cancer works and find new ways to stop it.

And it’s the research that took centre stage for much of the last 12 months with new findings published almost every month.

February was no exception with one of the University’s great discoveries – graphene – involved.  Studies showed that the revolutionary 2D material could have .

Patients are playing an increasing role in deciding which avenues researchers pursue.  In March, launched a survey which invited views on priorities in womb cancer research. Daloni Carlisle, aged 51, was diagnosed with womb cancer in February 2014. She is a mother of two and is now recovering after surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. "This initiative from the Womb Cancer Alliance to set out the research priorities is a great first step to addressing a huge knowledge gap," she said at the time.

It took just three minutes (or two minutes fifty-seven seconds to be more precise), for PHD student Fiona Henderson to win a Three Minute Thesis competition in April for presenting her . 

A big advance came in May as a patient became the first to receive a new ‘resistance-busting’ experimental skin cancer drug with .

Professor Richard Marais, Director of the Cancer Research UK 91ֱ�� Institute and leader of its research programme on panRAF inhibitors, said: “This trial is the culmination of over a decade of research. BRAF drugs can give valuable extra months of quality life to about half of melanoma patients, but sadly it is not a cure and most patients eventually develop resistance. These new drugs are engineered to get around this problem by shutting down the routes that tumours use to bypass BRAF drugs. They work very well in the laboratory and we look forward to now seeing if they also work well in patients.”

Fast forward to July and another breakthrough as University researchers published results which showed combining chemotherapy with new drugs could .

The beginning of autumn saw the start of to apply clinical trial bioinformatics to better identify the right cancer treatment for the right patient at the right time. As part of the collaboration, AstraZeneca will provide a total of £11.5 million to support clinical bioinformatics research led by a dedicated team of investigators within the recently established Centre for Cancer Biomarker Sciences at the 91ֱ�� Cancer Research Centre.

by developing new liposomes – small, bubble-like structures built out of cell membrane that are used to carry drugs into cancer cells. The challenge is to direct the liposomes and their payload directly to tumours while sparing healthy tissue. Two new studies showed the team has taken a step closer to solving this problem by fitting liposomes with a heat-activated trigger.

Also in October, we reported on that was developed by a University researcher and was reducing the radiation dose for both patients and medical staff by up to 30%, allowing an addition of an annual 100 scans a year at Central 91ֱ�� University Hospitals.

Completing an October hat-trick, one of came to the University to talk about possible collaborations for breast cancer research.

And finally, in December, new , involving The University of Manchester suggested that screening based on an annual blood test may help reduce the number of women dying from the disease by around 20%.

Through its talented scientists and students, working in the best possible facilities, The University of Manchester has made new advances since World Cancer Day 2015 that begin to chip away at the huge challenge of cancer.  Through their efforts and the work to come in the years ahead, more and more people will survive. 

This is just a sample of our advances. Keep up with or visit our for updates.

To look to the future of cancer research, we've also recorded , Institute Director of Cancer Sciences at The University of Manchester and one of the world’s foremost researchers on the subject.