Tag: UWE Bristol Research

“Touching Time”: UWE Bristol co-hosts international symposium on embodied time and experience

Author Rima Khatun | Posted on

What might it mean for time to be felt or embodied? How can the study of time help us understand complex lived experiences such as ageing, illness, incarceration or displacement?

These were just some of the questions explored at Touching Time: Duration, Bodies, Politics – a two-day international symposium co-organised by Dr Jessie Stanier, Lecturer in Philosophy at UWE Bristol, with the British Society for Phenomenology (BSP) and partners in the Netherlands. Held on 23–24 June 2025, the event welcomed nearly 70 in-person and online participants.

The symposium brought together interdisciplinary thinkers to explore how time is experienced, shaped, disrupted, or resisted – through bodies, relationships, institutions, and creative practice.

Event highlights

  • An opening exercise using a strand of red yarn to explore tension, connection, and collective time
  • Two interactive workshops featuring kinetic sculpture and creative writing
  • A closing dance performance, developed and performed during the symposium
  • Panels and keynotes covering topics such as: affect and ageing across the life course; colonialism, memory and displacement; chrononormativity and care; psychoanalysis, pedagogy, and politics of time.
Above: Participants explore embodied time and interconnection through a kinetic sculpture workshop at the Touching Time symposium.

Touching Time: Duration, Bodies, Politics

The event drew together 2 keynote speakers – Prof Lisa Baraitser (Birkbeck, University of London) and Dr David Ventura (Newcastle University) – and 10 panel speakers, bridging philosophical phenomenology with other intellectual traditions including aesthetics, psychosocial theory, anthropology, queer theory, affect studies, and literary analysis.

Above: A creative writing workshop invites participants to engage with time physically, using unconventional materials and movement.

About the symposium

The Touching Time symposium is part of the BSP’s International Symposium series, an annual event spotlighting innovative phenomenological research around the world. Jessie Stanier has chaired these events since 2022.

This year’s event was co-sponsored by the Department of Culture Studies at Tilburg University and the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Analysis, making participation free for all delegates.

It also builds on a growing relationship between UWE Bristol and the BSP. UWE hosted the BSP’s annual conference on Frenchay Campus last year – part of wider efforts to foster international dialogue and raise the profile of UWE’s philosophy research.

When we’re more confident and satisfied with how we look, we feel better and have a greater impact on society

Author bethjohnson | Posted on

 Dr Beth Daniels, Professor and Director of the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR)   

I’m proud to be the Director of the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR). We’re the world’s leading centre for excellence in Appearance Research.  

We study people who have visible differences, and we look at body image too – how people feel about their appearance. Because how people feel about their bodies affects how they feel about themselves, how they function in the world. Our perceptions of our body image have lots of implications for, and a direct impact on, our overall psychological wellbeing.   

More confident, more opportunities   

Through our research, we want to help people feel more confident and satisfied with their appearance. Because, for example, if I feel poorly about myself in terms of how I look, I may be less likely to engage in society. I may make decisions that take me away from the spotlight. We need to flip that. If we can help people feel more confident with how they look, then that would transcend into how they operate in society.   

Challenging prevailing attitudes  

We’re also working to highlight, surface and challenge the kinds of attitudes that make people feel bad. Like weight bias. We know that people in larger bodies are treated badly in society and discriminated against. We want to draw attention to these barriers. Similarly, we know that women are often sexually objectified in society and diminished because of this over focus on their sexual attractiveness.   

We want to make sure that we’re surfacing these problematic cultural attitudes because of the direct implications they have on how individuals then feel about their bodies.   

Real-life differences we can see and feel  

There’s a lot more that we need to do in terms of looking at body image and appearance concerns in different groups. Not just to do with racial and ethnic backgrounds, but also with people who are gender diverse or gender fluid.   

What we do here is genuinely real-life changing research. Because body image is relevant, personal, to everybody.   

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:

UKRI funding secured to co-design an inclusive roadmap for future high performance computing infrastructure

Author Lynn Goh | Posted on

The UK Research and Innovation’s National Federated Compute Services (NFCS) NetworkPlus Flexible Fund recently awarded funding to Dr Tariq Umar, Senior Lecturer in Construction and Project Management, at the School of Architecture and Environment, UWE Bristol, to lead a major new project. Titled “Enhancing HPC adoption through user-centred design: A roadmap for inclusive innovation in environment, health, and the built environment”, the initiative will help shape a more accessible, trusted, and user-friendly future for the UK’s high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure.

HPC systems are essential for tackling data-intensive challenges in fields such as climate science, healthcare analytics, and digital construction. However, professionals in these sectors often face barriers to adoption – including complex access processes, limited awareness, and usability issues. This project addresses these challenges by exploring the full user journey, from applying for HPC access to working with technical systems and evaluating collaboration models.

Dr Umar is joined by co-investigators, Dr Kwok Chun and Professor Jim Smith, also from UWE Bristol’s College of Arts, Technology and Environment. The interdisciplinary team brings expertise in environmental science, interactive artificial intelligence, and sustainable construction. Together, they will lead a series of workshops, surveys, focus groups, and training events with stakeholders across the built environment, environmental sciences, and NHS sectors.

“Our goal is to put users at the heart of the future HPC ecosystem. We want to understand not just what prevents access, but what a truly inclusive, scalable HPC system would look like from the perspective of real-world users.”

– Dr Tariq Umar –

Working in partnership with Imperial College London, National Taiwan University, the Vatican Observatory, Coventry University, Istanbul Technical University, and Arcadis Consulting UK, the project will also explore issues of trust, governance, and international interoperability.

The project’s outcomes will include a co-designed roadmap, actionable recommendations, and user personas to inform a more inclusive and future-ready national HPC federation, aligning with UKRI’s goals for sustainable digital research infrastructure.

The project runs from July 2025 to June 2026 and is part of UWE Bristol’s ongoing commitment to inclusive, interdisciplinary innovation in science and technology.

If you are from the built environment, environmental sciences, and health or NHS sectors and want to know more about project, or would like to get involved in the project workshops, focus group discussion or training activities, then please get in touch with project lead, Dr Tariq Umar (tariq.umar@uwe.ac.uk).

Read the project final report

Celebrating connection, collaboration and creativity at the first College of Business and Law Research Conference 

Author Rima Khatun | Posted on

On 18 June, colleagues from across the College of Business and Law came together for the first annual CBL Research Conference – an energising day dedicated to showcasing the breadth and depth of research taking place across the college and with partner institutions. 

Themed around People, Work and Organisations, the programme brought together academics, early career researchers and doctoral candidates exploring everything from green jobs and AI-driven place branding to maternity leave during Covid-19 and police interviews with victims of rape. The day offered a vibrant mix of theory, practice, personal storytelling and policy insight. 

Held at Frenchay Campus, the conference was the result of months of work by a passionate organising committee: Dr Jenna Pandeli, Dr Tinkuma Edafioghor, Dr Hugh Waters, Professor Richard Bolden, Dr Pawel Capik, Briony Whitaker and Sophie Marsh. Their aim? To create space for connection and joy in research, and to spotlight the creative, impactful work happening across the college. 

Highlights from the day 

  • Keynote speaker Professor Hazel Conley opened the conference with a powerful and thought-provoking talk reflecting on 25 years of researching Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in higher education. Drawing on historical and contemporary data, Hazel made a compelling case for why EDI research matters more than ever – despite, and perhaps because of, ongoing backlash and political resistance. 
  • Conference sessions spanned diverse topics, including: 
  • Organisational resilience and social capital in SMEs 
  • The lived experiences of maternity leave in extreme contexts 
  • Volunteering in crisis settings, sustainability at music festivals, and informal career barriers in male-dominated industries 
  • Leadership for systems change and healthcare improvement across global contexts 
  • Engagement was a key thread, with in-person and online presentations from UWE researchers and partner institutions including Taylors University (Malaysia) and Villa College (Maldives). Delegates were encouraged to vote throughout the day to recognise exceptional contributions across three categories. 

Celebrating research excellence 

Congratulations to the recipients of this year’s inaugural conference awards: 

  • Best Overall Paper – Dr Mahwish Khan 
  • Greatest Potential Impact – Sophie Marsh and Pujan Ghosh 
  • Best Early Career Researcher (ECR) – Briony Whitaker 

These awards celebrated not only academic rigour but also the potential to make meaningful change—whether in policy, practice or community. 

A moment to reflect and reconnect 

From the opening coffee to the sun-soaked lunch in the walled garden, the conference buzzed with energy and exchange. The day was not only a showcase of research, but a reminder of what academic communities can be when we make time to come together: collaborative, curious and full of possibility. 

We’re already looking forward to seeing how this new annual tradition evolves – and to the ideas, partnerships and projects it helps spark along the way. 

Research within the Science Communication Unit

Author bethjohnson | Posted on

“Research within the Science Communication Unit focuses on the interface between science and society, whether that’s journalism, science centres, citizen science or the myriad ways that we can bring researchers together with members of the public. We are particularly interested in the way our research makes it into everyday practice and our teaching.”

Dr Emma Weitkamp, Professor in Science Communication and Co-Director of the Science Communications Unit  

Dr Clare Wilkinson, Professor in Science Communication and Co-Director of the Science Communication Unit 

The Science Communication Unit (SCU), a UWE Bristol research centre, focuses on research, teaching and practice. As a research centre, our scope is quite broad, with research interests that span a range of science communication practices, from journalism to citizen science, festivals to co-production, as well as interests in cross cutting themes such as inclusivity, ethics and identity.  Within the SCU, we also have interests that cross many research disciplines, from engineering to environmental science, education and the arts.  

 We also run a Masters in Science Communication. As well as embedding our research within our taught programmes, we are keen to work with science communication practitioners to ensure research is relevant and actionable. And we’re all about how our work makes it into everyday practice, everyday teaching, and embedding it within our training offering.  

Real world relevance

As Emma says ‘Within my own research. I’m really interested in how and where the research I do – the research our unit does – can be taken and applied by people working specifically in science communication, which is often journalists. But it can also be people in policy, museums, public relations or even the arts.  

‘But where I see my greatest impact is in teaching and training. Here, I’m directly taking research to people who can use it. And I’m always thinking about what it really means for someone who’s doing science communication.’ 

A key question for the unit, then is how can we apply research to inform practice and to inspire and empower the next generation? It’s our students who will change society for the better.   

Established and growing

Science communication at UWE Bristol is on the cutting-edge. We have one of oldest science communication programmes in the UK, probably in the world. We have a long track record of leading the way – and we plan to keep leading the way. For some that will mean coming to study with us, but for others it will be considering how they can access our work in different ways.  

Clare said ‘In addition to doing lots of exciting and interesting research it’s important we share it. For some projects that might be through blog posts, or magazines aimed at professional communicators. In other projects we might be conducting webinars or sharing key findings via YouTube. We’re also very proud that the unit has a great track record in publishing its work, be that through articles in the key international journals in our field, or through creating readable and contemporary books and resources that our students can also learn from.’  

We want the Science Communication Unit at UWE Bristol to continue to be the go-to place – whether that’s for students looking for a stimulating, quality postgraduate course, organisations looking for continuing professional development programmes or researchers looking to partner with one of the leading science communication research centres globally to enhance the quality of their work, and ultimately, make a difference to some of the complex issues society faces. As Emma and Clare say, ‘these are the main things that drive us and our work forward’.   

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:

Helping communities and societies to better prevent and respond to child sexual abuse

Author bethjohnson | Posted on

“Community relations are the cornerstone of building healthier communities. Through our research, we’re helping communities and society to better prevent and respond to child sexual abuse.”

Kieran McCartan, Professor of Criminology  

My research is focused on developing and implementing innovative, effective ways to prevent child sexual abuse in our communities. For me, that starts with better understanding people who commit child sexual abuse, so that we can work to prevent it happening in the first place.   

The crux of my work is about child protection. We know that between one in three and one in four children will be victims of child sexual abuse at some point in their lives. That’s pandemic level. But we don’t see stand up to sexual abuse on Channel 4 the way we see stand up to cancer, for example. So, I’m keen to get that conversation going – but I realise that it’s a conversation that most people don’t really want to have. 

Stopping, addressing, tackling abuse together    

My big motivator is that I believe that a lot of abuse can be prevented. We spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about how crime and abuse are all about the individual. So-and-so did this, they did that. But in many ways, we’re talking about community problems, community Issues. And communities can therefore play a key role in preventing abuse and crime.  

Being from Belfast, I know that community relations is the cornerstone of building healthier communities. And so, I believe that the prevention of child sexual abuse is a community issue, and communities need to play a more active role. Because child sexual abuse isn’t just an individual criminal issue. It’s as much about social justice, health, wellbeing,  behaviour and psychology, as it is about everything else.   

Radical new thinking in action   

That’s why nowadays, a lot of the work I do crosses into the public health domain. We’re seeing public health approaches being used more and more. Engaging on a community and individual level. We’re talking about the influence of violence reduction units, trauma informed, and service user engaged services. These things didn’t exist 15 years ago.   

Look at some of the research we’ve been doing with the NSPCC and Together for Childhood in Plymouth. They’re trying to make Plymouth a child sexual abuse preventive city. They’re on a ten-year journey with Plymouth City Council to make the entire city a place where child abuse doesn’t happen. It’s a very radical way of thinking about it. It’s changing the perspective, reframing the conversation. It’s a fantastic example of what really drives me.   

Off the paper and into the real world   

I want us all to think about not only sexual abuse but also crime differently. There’s a growing recognition that our old modelling of crime as just the offence is no longer fit for purpose. We’re now starting to see crime and abuse as community issues. And that means that communities can also be the answer.   

I believe in research that has a real-world hook. That’s why I do what I do. With the best will in the world, you can write all the theory papers you want, but if research isn’t picked up by professionals, by policy makers, by the real world, then the legitimate question is, what’s its point?  

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:

Working with ambitious companies to accelerate innovation and bring real change

Author bethjohnson | Posted on

“Research is a passion. Look at the work we’ve done in developing magnetic detection technology – for home use, doctors’ surgeries and point of care. I love working with ambitious companies to accelerate their innovation to bring real change to people.”

Professor Richard Luxton, Director of the Institute of Biosensing Technology (IBST)   

 I’m Professor Richard Luxton. Back in 2008, with my colleague Professor Janice Kiely, we set up the Institute of Biosensing Technology, IBST for short.   

The IBST is the first of its kind in the UK. Here, industry and academia are working together to develop novel biosensing technologies – for the healthcare, agriculture and food technology sectors. We’re also applying biological principles to develop novel sensors for environmental, security and engineering applications. 

From prototype to point-of-care  

In our labs, we design complex biological tests and incorporate those tests into prototype devices using microfluidics and bespoke electronics. We’re a high-tech one-stop-shop if you like; supporting start-up and scale-up companies to develop innovation and tech by working collaboratively, simultaneously with them on all aspects of a product.   

Personally speaking, I’ve moved from clinical research in the NHS to developing technology here in the university. I have two passions. One’s research. For example, the work we’ve done in developing magnetic detection technology – for home use, doctors’ surgeries and point of care. I also love the interdisciplinary nature of what we do. Working with ambitious companies to accelerate their innovation.   

A community charged   

We’ve a really dynamic environment here. A fantastically dynamic community. We have electronic engineers, software engineers, microbiologists and biochemists here. We’re able to pair the right people with the right companies to develop a particular technology that will positively change lives for the better.   
  
That’s what it’s all about. Creating real world applications that will positively impact real lives. Getting to the right solution. Getting the product to market. We’re developing technology to support medics or patients in their homes.   

This one project we’re working on is to develop a propofol sensor to look at non-gaseous anaesthesia, and how well people are sedated in intensive care. We have another project where we’re working with a company whose vision is to 3D print a heart. So that we can better understand and measure the triggering of heart transplant rejection systems.  

Far-reaching impact   

For me, the most exciting thing is the fact that our work, the work we do with companies, has a direct impact in the real world. It can help people to stay out of hospital and in their own homes. That has a huge impact – not just on individuals but on our NHS, our economy. And as well as helping our students to learn and grow, we’re helping companies to accelerate, evolve and expand too. We have the best of all worlds here at IBST.  

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:

Let’s Talk Health and Care Podcast: Spotlighting People, Research and Real Impact

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

At UWE Bristol, our Let’s Talk Health and Care podcast series is growing into a powerful platform for conversation, connection and collaboration across the health and care sectors.

Led by Professor Marc Griffiths and Peter Brindle from the College of Health, Science and Society, each episode opens up a different topic with honesty, insight, and lived experience – showcasing brilliant people, breakthrough research and thoughtful reflection on real-world challenges.

We’re shining a spotlight on two episodes that deserve to be heard far and wide.

Episode 7: Preventing Child Sexual Abuse – A Public Health Approach

Featuring: Professor Kieran McCartan, Professor of Criminology at UWE Bristol

In what Marc and Peter describe as their most impactful episode to date, they sit down with Professor Kieran McCartan to discuss the urgent and often uncomfortable topic of child sexual abuse – and how we can apply public health strategies to prevent it.

The conversation covers prevalence, community-level action, and why talking about this issue openly is essential to creating safer environments for all children.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or SoundCloud

Trigger warning: This episode includes sensitive discussions around child sexual abuse. For support or further information, visit NSPCC.org.uk.

Professor Marc Griffiths, Peter Brindle and Professor Kieran McCartan standing next to one another

Coming Soon: Episode 8 – People, Prosthetics and Possibility

The next episode, out later this week, explores what happens when patient experience, engineering innovation, and collaborative problem-solving come together.

Featuring voices from across healthcare, prosthetics and mechatronics, the conversation highlights the power of a user-centred approach in solving real challenges in rehabilitation. This is a conversation that speaks directly to ICA, UWE’s values, and the future of integrated care.

Available soon on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud

A freight future that delivers for everyone

Author bethjohnson | Posted on

“I want a freight future that delivers for everyone, and is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.”

Dr Daniela Paddeu, Associate Professor of Sustainable Freight Futures  

Working closely with academic, government and industry partners and stakeholders, my research explores how we can co-design a more innovative, sustainable freight future. A freight future that’s responsive to the needs and expectations of all partners and stakeholders.   

As the freight specialist for the Centre for Transport and Society (CTS) at UWE Bristol, I provide a strong link between research and practice. For example, I work on projects with strong policy impact, especially related to strategic thinking on decarbonisation and innovation plans for the future of transport. I’m looking at the environmental impacts of freight, as well as its social and economic impacts. I see things from both an industry and stakeholder perspective, as well as a public one. That’s important to me. It’s important to all our futures too.   

Balancing efficiency and sustainability

I work to better understand how we move freight, especially in busy urban areas. Because the way we buy things has changed a lot. We buy things and want them to be delivered to our doorstep the same day or the next day. That’s very convenient for us but what does it mean in terms of environmental and social impact? What is the bigger cost of this? Through my work, I want to better understand how to design appropriate policies and plans that address freight issues from both an efficiency and sustainability perspective.   

Another big question for me is how we build freight systems that are resilient to uncertainty. In the last few years, we have had very disruptive events. I want to try to help the industry and its many stakeholders to make better decisions today but also take into consideration the uncertainties we might be facing in the next 10 or 15 years.  

The freight future we want – and need   

What does the future of freight look like? It’s a good question but, in many ways, the wrong question. For me, it’s more about what is the future we want? Where do we want to get to? We all want a future that is more sustainable, more inclusive, more economically prosperous for everyone. That’s where I’m heading. That’s where I want my research work to take this very important industry.   

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:

  

Putting robots in real life

Author bethjohnson | Posted on

“I’m excited by putting robots into real life. Already we have seen some amazing results. With children, for example. Social care is also an area where we believe robotics can play an important role.”

Dr Marcela Munera, Associate Professor in Assistive Robotics 

I am a bioengineer by background. My PhD is in biomechanics – how the human body moves and performs. Then, seven or so years ago, I became interested in robotics and humanoids, and how they can help real people in their daily lives.   

Now my work is centred on developing robots and robotics that can help people with disabilities or any other kind of condition or frailty. We are looking at how we can use robotics for assistance and rehabilitation. To help people get back to doing what they used to be able to do.   

Simple beats complex every time   

I am passionate about making things simple. Not over-complicated or over-engineered. Because the simpler we can make these robotic applications, the faster we can get them into real world clinical use.   

That means we can start helping people sooner rather than later. That’s important to me. It’s not about doing things for us, as researchers or academics. It’s about helping individuals to do things for themselves. Say you are getting older, you’ve had a stroke, or you’ve lost a limb, how can robotics help you to regain and restore your independence and confidence?   

Your friendly robot reminder

We’re exploring many kinds of robotics too. For example, how we can use robotics in therapy, for a physical or mental condition. Yes, social robots. Humanoid robots that can give feedback. Say you’re doing rehab exercises, your robot can tell you if you’re doing them well or “Hey, you didn’t exercise today”. Things like that.    

That means AI and robotics that can take information from the environment around them and make decisions based on that information.   

Helping humans, not replacing them

I’m excited by putting robots into real life. Already we have seen some amazing results. With children, for example. Social care is also an area where we believe robotics can play an important role. We don’t have enough carers right now. And many of them are experiencing fatigue and burnout. Or they are moving to other, better paid sectors.   

We will never replace our carers with robots, but they could help them to do their job better and help people who need care to stay in their own homes for longer, and live more independent lives.   

This is why I have a user centred approach. We start with what the user needs, not what we want to do. We begin every project we do with something called contextual inquiry. That’s basically go and see. Find out. Discover. Only then can we develop the robotics to aid people. And that’s always our goal.  

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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