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July news round-up
News from the Health and Social Care Institute.
Eating porridge
Professor Linda McKie, newly appointed Professor of Sociology at Durham University, delivered a seminar entitled “Prison Worlds: Experiences of Work Related Policies among Front-line and Support Staff”.
CHASE shows nurses care
A CHASE evaluation conducted by Sue Jones and Dr Sharon Hamilton was picked up by Nursing Times for a second time. The article published in NursingTimes.net reported on the successful introduction of a Palliative Care Discharge Sister role at James Cook Hospital.
Pain in older adults
Professor Denis Martin and Dr Cormac will be running a symposium within the 8th World Congress on Active Ageing conference held in Glasgow in August on pain in older adults. Cormac is also a member of the scientific committee for this conference.
Cormac will be presenting two papers at the conference. The first is entitled ‘Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy students’ likelihood to recommend physical activity for managing persistent low back pain: is an older person likely to be advised differently than a younger person?’ and a second paper entitled ‘Chronic musculoskeletal pain and physical activity in older adults: A secondary analysis of the Health Survey for England 2008’. PhD Student Gemma Wilson will also present a paper at the conference entitled 'Exploring everyday functioning in older adults with chronic pain: New insights with new technology'.
HSCI has strong representation with physiotherapy research
At the Society’s AGM, Dr John Dixon was elected as Chair of the Society, and Dr Cormac Ryan was elected as a PRS Committee member. At the Physiotherapy Research Society Annual Conference hosted by Sheffield Hallam University on 30th May, PhD Students Gill Barry and Jon Robinson gave excellent presentations, which were very well received. John has been invited to give a lecture at the 2012 Podiatry Conference at New College Durham on 19th July, about the group’s footwear research. His presentation will be entitled ‘The effect of textured insoles on balance and gait’.
Timing is everything
Professor Greg Atkinson was invited to speak at the Research Symposium on Nutrition, Health and Exercise at Liverpool Hope University on 29th May. The title of his presentation was ‘What time is your body at?'
Map me
Dr Louisa Ells is co-applicant on a new NPRI collaborative project (led by University of Newcastle) to develop new simple tools to help parents more accurately assess their child’s body weight. The first stage of this study, named ‘Map Me’, started in June, and aims to collect body composition data and 3D surface body scan images to produce prototype gender specific body image scales of known body mass index, representative of UK children aged 4-5 and 10-11 years.
Further phases of this study will develop and test these tools, alongside the development of supporting information, to determine what works best to support and empower parents in recognising their child’s weight status and taking appropriate action. If you have children aged 4-5 or 10-11 years who might be interested in taking part please contact Angela Jones on 0191 222 3827 or email Angela.jones@ncl.ac.uk.
Success at the ACSM
Professor Alan Batterham and Dr Liane Azevedo, and Allison Innerd and Katy Taylor, both PhD students at HSCI, all presented at the University at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) 59th Annual Meeting in San Francisco (29 May-2 June). The ACSM meeting is the largest and most prestigious sports medicine and exercise science conference in the world. With 12 topical tracks, including Exercise is Medicine®, attendees of more than 70 disciplines from 90 countries come together to share new clinical techniques, scientific advancements and cutting-edge research in sports medicine, exercise science, physical activity and public health. This year there was a record-breaking attendance of over 6500 delegates. Alison Innerd and Katy Taylor presented the main findings from their PhD programmes, Alison delivered a thematic poster, ‘Physical activity modulation in 9-11year old children: Exercise Classes In The Teaching Environment (“EXCITE”)’. Katy presented a poster, ‘High-intensity training and cardio-metabolic risk marker changes in adolescents: Project FFAB (Fun Fast Activity Blasts)’. Liane presented a poster, ‘Moderate Intensity Cutpoints for Vertical Axis and Triaxial Vector Magnitude in Simulated Lifestyle Physical Activities’. Alan chaired a colloquium entitled, ’I Cannot Believe They Said That!” Statistical Bloopers in Reviewers’ Feedback’. All Teesside presentations were very well received and promoted much discussion and debate.
Latest Fuse knowledge exchange seminar
'How research influences policy and practice - What the evidence says and what this means for knowledge exchange practice.'
The latest of the knowledge exchange seminar series run by Fuse was held in June at the Darlington Campus. The speaker was Professor Sandra Nutley, Director of the Research Unit for Research Utilisation (RURU), University of St Andrews. She covered the challenges of describing what the issues are in relation to embedding research findings in practice, how research is used, different knowledge exchange models, and concluded by drawing out seven main lessons for the use of research evidence. Questions were wide ranging and raised issues to do with the influence of cultural factors within Universities, the operation of Think Tanks and academic training for knowledge exchange.
Read the full report of the seminar
And if this has whetted your appetite for more, the next seminar is entitled ‘Implementation research and the dark end of the translational spectrum’. The seminar will be delivered by John Overtveit from Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm on 26th September between 1-2pm Seminar room 2.22, Research Beehive, Newcastle University.
Reciprocal visit to USA
During her visit at University of Louisville, USA as part of the Visiting Academics Scheme, Dr Liane Azevedo worked together with Carla Vidoni, Assistant Prof of Physical Education Teacher Preparation, on data from the two collaborative research projects they have undertaken. In addition, they started designing a new research project. During her visit, Liane gave a lecture to students and lecturers on Physical Activity and Public Health and visited a middle and high school in the area.
The true meaning of fieldwork
Supporting colleagues at University of Newcastle, PhD Students Katy Taylor, Sarah Russell, Alison Innerd, and Research Fellow Pat Watson attended the Hoppings Festival in Newcastle on behalf of the Map Me project (detailed above). No one however envisaged the ‘summer’ conditions which turned the field into a mud bath. Fortunately our skilled researchers came prepared with wellies, taking the term ‘field work’ literally. Would the ‘risk to researcher’ in the ethics form state being ‘stuck in the mud’?? Fortunately all came home safely, though muddy.
13 July 2012
