Author: bethjohnson

Giving nurses and midwives the practical genomics knowledge they need to positively impact patient care

Author bethjohnson | Posted on

Professor Aniko Varadi, Director for the Centre for Research in Biosciences

I lead the Generation Genome education team here at UWE Bristol. But my interest in genomics education goes back to 2012, to the launch of the 100,000 Genomes Project.   

The 100,000 Genomes Project was an English initiative to sequence and study the role our genes play in health and disease. Even now, even when you see how far the science has come, there is still untapped potential in genomics.

For example, if you know the changes in the DNA sequence in a cancer, say breast cancer, you can identify its subtype. You can then look at how that subtype responds to different drugs. And, providing the drugs exist, you can select the best possible drug for an individual patient.  

Mainstreaming genomics  

But genomics isn’t just about identifying treatment options; you can predict what’s going to happen in a family too. If one family member has, for example, colorectal cancer, and it turns out to be an inherited form, then we can do surveillance for the family members who have the same DNA variants.

But all this depends on our NHS professionals having the genomics knowledge in the first place. At the moment, we have a knowledge gap; our nurses and midwives don’t have genomics training. If they have training, when they gain genomics knowledge, they can use it to make a real difference to patients.  

This is what excites us. Upskilling our health professionals with the genomic know-how they need to positively impact patient health.

Workforce training  for our healthcare professionals 

So, in collaboration with NHS England, Macmillan Cancer Support, the British Heart Foundation (BHF), Genomics England and the South West Genomic Laboratory Hub, we have created a competency framework for healthcare practitioners.  

Based on this competency framework, we have developed a totally new education programme. It’s the only fully validated PgCert in Genomics for nurses, midwifes and allied health professionals in England – and UWE Bristol is currently the only HE provider of genomic CPD aimed specifically for nurses and fully funded by NHS England. 

Better access to genomics for more patients  

For all of us in the team, it’s about practically improving the knowledge of frontline NHS professionals. Helping them so they help more patients. As a result of training, many more patients are being tested. I’ll give you a specific example. Lynch Syndrome (LS) is a condition that can run in families and can increase the risk of developing some cancers. So, it’s an inherited type. In one region one of our course participants led an LS clinic. In the past in that region 35-40% patients with LS were missed but with this new clinic in place all those eligible for LS genomic testing were referred for testing. So, we know that what we are doing has a huge impact. For patients, for services, for our nurses. 

Changing lives in many ways  

We know we have changed lives. And, at a time when the NHS is so strapped for cash, if you can provide a better test quicker, then surely that’s only a good thing. For everyone.  

So far, we’ve educated over 200 nurses, midwives, allied healthcare professionals, physios, even some GPs. My ambition is to increase that number tenfold. That’s the ambition – and we always have very big ambitions here. 

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

Developing useful, affordable and practical robotics that make a difference in the home or at work

Author bethjohnson | Posted on

Professor Carlos Cifuentes, Associate Professor in Human-Robot Interaction   

I am interested in solving real problems. In doing more meaningful work for the benefit of people.   

Take ageing. We know that the UK has an ageing population. Fewer people are now economically active. We also tend to write people off quite early. When you get to a certain age, it can feel like your contribution to society is over. That doesn’t seem right to me. So, we want to explore how we can develop and provide new tools and technologies that will enable people to do more for longer.   

Independent living through assistive tech   

We are also looking at technologies that can support people to live independently. Technologies that can help caregivers and clinicians in their important work. I have already done some work around dementia. Exploring how social robots can help dementia patients to live more independently.   

For example, sometimes dementia sufferers have memory issues.  They still retain a lot of information, but they started forgetting things. Where the toilet is, for example. We can create an application or piece of technology that can remind them and give practical advice. Like a co-pilot to help them get around their home. We never want technology to replace humans but to help them. And also, the feeling when you can do something for yourself rather than someone else doing it for you – that is really exciting to me.   

Breaking the falls    

Here is another example of where technology can help. Older people and people with dementia sometimes fall over. They lose their balance. And if they fall, it can take a long time to recover and they may have to go back into hospital, taking up hospital beds.  Can we develop technology to stop these falls? Or detect when someone is about to fall?   
  
If we go back to workers again. People in warehouses who are lifting heavy things a lot of the time. That creates strain on the body and can lead to back problems. So, we are looking at exosuits, for example, where we can transfer the pressure to the suit and enable people to go about their jobs without placing additional strain and stress on their bodies.   

Ultimately, my work is to develop useful, affordable and practical robotics that can make a difference to people in the home or at work.    

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

Levelling up the playing field by confronting and challenging inequalities in education

Author bethjohnson | Posted on

Dr Richard Waller, Professor of Education and Social Justice  

I’m a sociologist of education. My research, which tends to be qualitative in nature, focuses on education and social justice. I’m especially interested in how educational systems, processes and experiences can either challenge, reproduce or reinforce existing social inequalities, particularly those involving social class and gender.   

We often hear people talking about how education can lead to social mobility and that going to university puts everyone on a level playing field. It’s often assumed that if you go to university and get a degree, then you’re then starting your career on the same equal footing as every other graduate. That, whatever your socioeconomic background, you can go and compete for the same jobs. Fairly, equally. But that’s just not true. You can’t. As our recent Paired Peers longitudinal research study showed.   

Capitals and gains   

This particular study was submitted to the REF and highlighted by the British Education Research Association as being particularly impactful and able to change people’s lives. The study followed 88 young people over 10 years. We interviewed them repeatedly and gathered lots of other data from them. We looked at what they brought with them into university, in terms of their personal resources and what we call ‘capitals’. That’s their social capital, economic capital, and cultural capital.   

We followed these 88 young people as they moved through university and into the workplace. We looked at the subjects they chose, the activities they were involved in, the skills and knowledge they gained – within and beyond the university environment – and the careers they aspired to.   

Breaking down barriers

Now, many of these people already knew that, for them, a degree wouldn’t be enough to land the job they wanted. They needed a really ‘shiny’, stand-out CV, with loads of experiences and transferable skills on it. But that’s easier for some than others. For example, if you’re from a wealthier background, you don’t necessarily need to think about part-time work. You immediately have more time to focus on other things. But that’s much harder to do if you’re working in a shop or a bar for 20+ hours a week to pay your bills. Then you can’t afford to spend your time on things that will enhance your CV.  
  
We also found real barriers to doing things like internships or work experience, which often aren’t particularly well paid. Say you’re well-connected and have family or friends in London or another big city. If you take up a work placement, for example, you can go stay with them. Many people can’t. They simply can’t afford to go and do these things. Or they don’t have contacts who can get them into graduate internship schemes or offer other similar opportunities.  

Widening participation

So, my research really highlighted the inequalities that exist before young people even get to university and that grow while they’re there. How some groups of people start with a stronger hand which only reinforces the gap when they graduate.   

To help all students make the most of their university experience, to get the most out of it, we must find ways to help them actively participate. To properly widen participation, if you like. Because true participation is much more than just access to university.   

If you want people to truly participate at university, you need to be able to somehow level the playing field. Bursaries can really help. If you’re from a low-income background, a bursary doesn’t just help financially but it somehow validates your place at university too. And it may allow you to work fewer hours in your part-time job. So, you can spend a bit more time studying or doing other things. Like joining a sports team, for example.   

We can help with internships too. For example, here at UWE Bristol we had a subsidised internship scheme whereby we paid a certain amount of an undergraduate’s salary for a short period.  

Everyone benefits

And all this doesn’t just benefit the individual; it benefits society. It helps people from different backgrounds consider careers or roles that they couldn’t previously. We all know the importance of diversity and representation. We need more of that, for example, in many of the boardrooms of our top companies.  Because from businesses to public services, it’s vital that we see people from a diverse range of backgrounds. Better for individuals, better for business, better for society.    

So yes, I guess I’m ultimately driven by social justice. I try to make a real difference to individual lives, whether it’s through the classes I teach, the events I speak at, or the research I carry out.    

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

Developing a non-invasive electronic nose to detect diseases quickly and save lives

Author bethjohnson | Posted on

Dr Saliha Saad, Associate Professor in Biomedical Sciences

I have a medical background with expertise in oral microbiology. 

My work is mainly around oral biofilms. Biofilms are layers of bacterial communities that accumulate on many surfaces including the teeth, gums, and the tongue. 

We know that the biofilm on the tongue can cause oral malodour also called bad breath. This condition which is of microbial aetiology is not life-threatening however, people who suffer from it can have, a complicated life. They can get isolated. It really affects their quality of life.    

Tackling bad breath, increasing confidence     

Bad breath is a very complex issue; however, it is well accepted that the volatile compounds produced by bacterial metabolism on the tongue are responsible for oral malodour.  

I have been collaborating with many large companies in this area, including GSK, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Philips, Colgate-Palmolive to develop and test antimicrobial formulations and tools that can control this condition by reducing the number of microbes and the volatile compounds they produce.    

Sniffing out disease

My work in this area also led to something very important. I am now exploring the link between the oral microbiome and systemic diseases, like diabetes. We know that there is a strong link between gum disease and diabetic foot ulcers. In collaboration with Aryballe, we want to be able to detect early stage of diabetic foot ulcers using electronic nose NeOse that ‘sniffs’ the mouth and the foot.  

This means that we don’t have to swab the infected area. Taking a swab can be intrusive and labour intensive. It takes time to get results back too. So, we can speed this up and act to help the patient quicker and prevent severe complications like gangrene which often requires toe or limb amputation.  

Early detection saves lives 

The mouth is accessible and sampling mouth air is non-invasive. If we can detect disease early, we can reduce the burden on the NHS. We can save time, money and, importantly, save lives.    

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

Case study: For the big questions of today, communities are at the heart of tackling climate change and sustainability

Author bethjohnson | Posted on

Dr Laura Fogg-Rogers, Associate Professor for Engineering in Society 

While you’ll find me in the School of Engineering, I’m a social psychologist and science communicator. I study people and their engagement with technology.   

That means that most of my work is done with groups and communities. Because we humans are social creatures. We want to live and thrive together. And I believe that communities are the answer to the big questions of today. I’m really focused on how we can make sure that communities stay together, stay connected and stay resilient, so that we can live with our changing times.   

Communities drive change

I encourage communities to tell us what their problems are and what they need us to work on. Naturally, this has taken me a lot into the area of sustainability and climate change – and how we can work together, solve problems and make a real world, on-the-ground difference.   


Because yes, I’m driven to make a difference. Action is everything right now. And action happens within our communities. But we have to inspire action and show that it’s possible for communities to affect change.   

Be what you can see

For instance, some of my work has been about minority and underrepresented groups working in technology and engineering. So, there’s this classic phrase: you can’t be what you can’t see. And that’s really important. Representation matters. We need to show that different people, diverse people, are working in this area and making a real difference. Seeing that there are role models doing this right now is so important. It’s inspiring. And we want to excite the next generation and show them that they can too.   

We’re also active in policy development. We’re working with local councils to show them how they can embed citizen-led climate ideas and action into policy. How we can connect awesome community projects with the policies that are going through right now. Again, a lot of this comes back to getting community voices heard, and making sure that there’s diversity and representation at all levels.  

We are all the difference

As a social psychologist, I’m all about groups. As I said at the start, we’re social creatures. We want to look out for each other. My passion, my work, is to support communities to come together and make a difference to each other – and the environment we all live in.    

  Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

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