research

Exeter receives share of £84 million boost to PhD training

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is this year investing £84.2 million in postgraduate training through its annual Doctoral Training Grants (DTGs) and the University of Exeter has received just over £1 million from this year’s grant.

Professor Nick Talbot Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Transfer) from the University of Exeter said: “The University is one of the region’s top centres for doctoral training in science, technology, engineering and maths subjects. The grant will enable us to continue to produce the talented scientists and...

£1 million to investigate epigenetic factors in schizophrenia

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Thu, 03/21/2013 - 10:09pm

Scientists will investigate the role of epigenetic processes in schizophrenia, a major cause of mental illness. The £1 million research project could pave the way for revolutionary new treatments.

Professor Jonathan Mill, at the University of Exeter Medical School, will use the grant from the Medical Research Council for a three year study which could shed fresh light on the triggers for the disease.

Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition which can include a range of psychological symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, muddled thought or changes in...

Neil Parish MP takes five to help research kill cancer

Tiverton and Honiton MP Neil Parish has become a ‘citizen scientist’ to help Cancer Research UK fight cancer.

He took five minutes out of his busy parliamentary schedule to take a turn on the new Cell SliderTM website, which could help the charity to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.

With just a few minutes and a few clicks of the mouse, Cell SliderTM is the first ever interactive website to turn real archive cancer data into a format that can be analysed by the public.

It presents real images of tumour samples in the form of a simple game of snap....

Brain study seeks answers on dementia

Research which seeks to understand how the brain’s electrical behaviour is linked to dementia could pave the way for better treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Dr Jon Brown, at the University of Exeter Medical School, has just started a three-year project to examine the complex networks within the brain, after initial evidence revealed that two areas, which are key to learning and memory, communicate abnormally under certain conditions.

Dementia affects 820,000 people living in the UK, meaning 25 million people have a close friend or family member with the condition...

Beetroot juice – the winning formula for team sports

New research shows that drinking beetroot juice can significantly improve performance in team sports involving bouts of high intensity exercise.

Trials by the University of Exeter Sport and Health Sciences department have found a direct link between the high nitrate content of beetroot and the chemical processes needed to get muscles working at their most efficient during intermittent bursts of activity.

During the tests, sportsmen were either given beetroot juice with a full complement of nitrates, or juice which had had the nitrate removed. Those who had taken the nitrate...

Bioscience to battle ash dieback

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Mon, 03/11/2013 - 10:41am

The University of Exeter is a member of a consortium awarded £2.4 million by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) for urgent research into the ash dieback fungus and the genetics of resistance in ash trees.

Ash dieback (Chalara fraxinea) is a devastating fungus that threatens our third most common broadleaf tree (after oak and birch).

The fast-track research funding has been awarded to gather an in-depth understanding of the ash dieback fungus and to provide genetic clues about some ash trees’ natural resistance to attack. Computer models will...

University to work with Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Hospital Trust on sustainability

The Centre for Energy and the Environment (CEE) based at the University of Exeter has been awarded £25,000 by the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Hospital Trust to research the prioritisation of sustainability measures at the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (RD&E).

Commenting on the award Tony Norton, Head of the Centre, said “The RD&E has recognised the Centre’s expertise in energy and the built environment and the track record of success we have in working with other public sector partners in the region. This project has links to other research we are doing in...

Early access to hip replacement proven to be cost-effective

Early access to hip replacement is cost-effective and provides significant benefits for patients' quality of life, a study has shown.

Ruben Mujica-Mota, from the University of Exeter, carried out research comparing early access and delayed hip replacement surgery in Italy on behalf of the European Health Technology Institute for Socio-Economic Research (EHTI).

His findings, which are now published in the journal Value in Health, demonstrate both the cost-effectiveness of early hip replacement, as well as the benefits for patients.

The expert says that delaying hip...

£5 million to expand knowledge on human health, life and space

Grants totalling more than £5 million will allow world-class researchers at the University of Exeter to push the boundaries of knowledge in ground-breaking five year projects.

Business School part of 3 million Euro research grant win

The University of Exeter Business School has won a bid for European research funds to work on ‘sustainability-driven innovation’ (SDI). Research and training in Exeter will concentrate on Biomimicry, creating business innovations inspired by nature. The total budget for the consortium is just under 3 million Euros over three years, of which the Business School will receive just over 300,000 Euros.

Exeter is part of a multi-partner consortium of eight international universities, coordinated by the European Academy of Business in Society (EABIS). Preliminary research suggests that...

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