News - December 2015

16 November 2015 - Pancreatic cancer breakthrough

Professor John Callan Scientists at Ulster University have made a major breakthrough in the global fight against pancreatic cancer, the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths globally.

The work, led by researchers at Ulster University, has revealed the potential of a new, minimally invasive treatment, activated by harmless sound waves, also known as ultrasound.

Initial tests on the most common type of pancreatic tumour called Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC), undertaken at Ulster University’s Biomedical Sciences Research Institute in Coleraine, have shown a five-fold reduction in tumour size, making it potentially one of the most significant breakthroughs in the treatment of pancreatic cancer in recent years.

Of the top 21 most common types of cancer in the UK, pancreatic has the lowest survival rate – with just 4% of patients surviving five years or more – a figure which hasn’t changed in more than 40 years – and more than 200,000 people around the world die from pancreatic cancer annually.

In developing this technology, Ulster University Professors John Callan and Tony McHale have teamed up with University of Oxford’s Professor Eleanor Stride and one of Northern Ireland’s top pancreatic cancer surgeons, Mark Taylor, to produce the minimally invasive treatment that has the potential to significantly improve the outcome for pancreatic cancer patients.

Ulster University’s Norbrook Chair of Pharmaceutical Science, Professor John Callan, explained: “In what is a highly novel and targeted technique, our team has developed tiny oxygen filled microbubbles which have a non-active drug attached to the surface.

“After the microbubbles have been delivered by injection, they are purposely burst in the tumour using harmless sound waves, releasing the oxygen and non-active drug. These sound waves also activate the drug, a treatment known as sonodynamic therapy (SDT), making it kill the tumour cells...

“In addition to the targeted delivery and treatment potential offered by the approach, the delivery of oxygen directly to cancer cells also has the potential to increase the effectiveness of existing treatments for a range of cancer types."

Top pancreatic cancer surgeon Mark Taylor, who has been working closely with the Ulster University and Oxford academics on this work, is excited by the potential offered by this new treatment.

He added: “Pancreatic cancer patients typically present at an advanced stage because the disease tends to have few symptoms until it is well established. By the time patients seek medical advice the tumour tends to be large and well established in the abdomen, making surgical intervention and other treatments largely unsuccessful.

“This therapy has the potential to reduce pancreatic tumours to a size which would make surgery an option for a greater number of patients, as well as increasing palliative care options at the very advanced stage. It is a very positive step forward in treating one of the most challenging forms of the disease.

“We are currently working with the research team at Ulster University to identify the best possible way to move this technology to the clinic in as timely a manner as is possible.”

Leanne Reynolds, Head of Research at Pancreatic Cancer UK said: “We are excited to hear about this interesting research, which could lead to a breakthrough in treatments for pancreatic cancer, and potentially longer lives for thousands of people across the UK. While it will be some time before this research reaches the clinic, we welcome any research like this, because there are so few treatment options for pancreatic cancer and the disease has the lowest survival rate of all the 21 common cancers. Just 5% of people in Northern Ireland survive for five years or more after diagnosis.

“That’s why all research funders must invest more into pancreatic cancer, so we are doing everything we can to improve treatments and survival rates for this dreadful disease. We are determined to play our part, and announced our own research investment of over £1 million into treatments at the start November, which is also pancreatic cancer awareness month. At the moment, a shocking 1.4 per cent of cancer research funding in the UK goes towards pancreatic cancer, and that has to change.”

Source: Ulster University

11 November 2015 - Success for MJM Group

MJM Group, a leading global specialist in refurbishment and fit-out services to the marine, commercial and private sectors, expects to announce turnover in the region of £50m by the end of 2015 thanks to Ulster University support.

Counting some of the world’s largest cruise line and ferry companies as customers, MJM Group joined forces with Ulster University through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) to access leading engineering research expertise.

The KTP placed a highly-skilled graduate into the business to drive innovations in the interior design and build solutions for the global cruise and ferry industry. The KTP developed advanced, lighter materials that can withhold extreme environmental conditions and reduce the weight of a ship’s interior fit out by around 50 per cent. This is providing considerable fuel savings and reducing the carbon footprint of cruise ships.

After a hugely successful two years, graduate and KTP associate, Edward Fitzpatrick, is now employed full-time as R&D manager for MJM Group. Edward has been further recognised at the national KTP Awards 2015 in London, taking home the business leader of the future award. This UK-wide award acknowledges the KTP associate who has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills.

Edward said: “The financial gains, quality improvements and innovations as a result of the KTP have not gone unnoticed by customers and this is helping MJM Group achieve preferred partner status.

“The KTP with Ulster University has been a great success and I am honoured to be awarded the national business leader of the future award. I look forward to further managing MJM Group’s R&D activity and driving future growth.”

Dr Edward Archer from Ulster University’s Engineering Research Institute added: “The MJM Group KTP shows how university research and knowledge can help drive innovation and growth in industry. The KTP associate, Edward, has worked with the University to develop a long-term approach to R&D for the company and I congratulate him on his award win that celebrates the success he has helped to deliver.”

Image: Pictured with the new light weight materials developed as part of the KTP – from left: Dr Edward Archer, Jude McCann, MJM Group operations manager and Edward Fitzpatrick

Full story can be found: Belfast Telegraph

10 November 2015 - Banking Institute Recognition

Professor Mark Durkin has been made a Fellow of the Institute of Banking (FIOB) in Ireland, having been a member of the Institute for almost 30 years.

Mark joined Bank of Ireland as a school-leaver and worked for the organisation in various roles for over a decade before joining Ulster University. Undertaking his banking examinations through the IOB, he completed his banking diploma part-time in 1992 and then registered for Ulster’s PgD/MA Marketing while still with the bank.

Since joining Ulster, Mark’s research has been centered on financial services marketing issues and he has published over 30 journal articles on a range of issues important to the banking sector including: SME-bank relationships, branch delivery platforms, e-banking, CRM and most recently social media adoption by banks. This latter issue is a subject of interest at this time and a paper co-authored with Mark’s PhD student Lisa Murray has just been chosen as one of 20 papers published in the Journal of Financial Services Marketing which has been considered to have contributed to the theoretical development of financial services marketing over the last 20 years.

Source: Ulster University

6 November 2015 - New IT and engineering scholarships up for grabs

Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry announced the scholarships as part of the second phase of the Computing and Engineering Scholarship Programme (CESP).

The scheme offers 10 places in the computing sector and 10 places in engineering. The four-year scholarships will be available next year for undergraduate students at Queen's and Ulster University studying in relevant fields.

"I am delighted to be able to offer a further 20 employer-led scholarships working with employers in the computing and engineering sector," Dr Farry said.

"It is imperative we continue to encourage young people to study subjects in science, technology, mathematics and engineering, and the CESP is one of the initiatives developed to encourage students into these areas.

"I want to create partnerships between my department and employers to drive forward the growth of our economy."

For more information on the CESP click here

Full story can be found: Belfast Telegraph

5 November 2015 - Pioneering Ulster University research may assist future NASA Mars missions

Mars As NASA announces it is recruiting new astronauts in preparation for journeys to Mars, groundbreaking research from Ulster University could help shape their future landings.

The pioneering Ulster University study provides new insights into how sand dune and wind behaviour on Mars can assist with landings and future manned missions to the red planet.

In a global first, Ulster University used fine scale 3D computer modeling to unravel complex airflow patterns on the planet. The results firmly identify the direction of winds passing over sand dunes on Mars that until now have been misinterpreted...

Ulster University's Professor Derek Jackson explained:

"This is an important discovery that unravels the complex picture of sand movement across Mars. By using ripples as modern wind vanes we can now predict future locations where sand presents hazardous obstacles for future manned missions and landings.

"Wind modeling at this microscale now provides us with an effective new tool to accompany surface ripple displacement information to help understand dune dynamics on Mars for future manned missions."

The Dune Effect on Sand-Transporting Winds on Mars research led by Professor Derek Jackson from Ulster University's Environmental Sciences Research Institute also involved scientists from Trinity College Dublin (Dr. Mary Bourke) and Flinders University, Australia (Dr Thomas Smyth).

Full story can be found: SyncNI

27 October 2015 - Lidl paves the way for student success

UBS Lidl Six Ulster University Business School students have been given the ultimate boost to university life thanks to a newly launched bursary initiative by Lidl Northern Ireland. Each of the first year students will have 3 years of university fees paid, receive a monthly retainer fee, avail of part-time paid work, benefit from a guaranteed paid placement year and enjoy graduate job opportunities at the end of their course.

Valued at £20k each, the highly sought after bursaries were allocated following an application, recruitment and interview process which was open to over 200 first year students in the Business and Enterprise Department of the Ulster University Business School based at Coleraine.

Dr Karise Hutchinson, Head of Business and Enterprise Department, explains,

“We are incredibly proud of this new partnership with Lidl which secures long-term industrial experience throughout our business programmes. This is a unique opportunity for our students to engage closely with a market leading multi-national organisation throughout every stage of their degree in terms of training, experience and mentoring from key senior staff at Lidl over a three year period. Our students are the business leaders of tomorrow and this generous commitment from Lidl provides a valuable kick start and investment in assuring the future careers of the lucky recipients.”

The six successful students are Nathan Currie from Maghera; Gavin Boyes and Leah Hill, both from Lisburn; Coleraine student Zara Davies; Jamie Willighan from Ballymena; and Chris Blevins from Portadown.

Paul Gibson, Sales Operation Executive, Lidl Northern Ireland, added,

“At Lidl we take great pride in creating opportunities for young people to gain the experience and the support they need to launch a successful career in retail, so we’re delighted to officially unveil the new ‘Lidl Bursary Initiative’ with the Ulster University Business School. As our company continues to grow we’re always looking to the future and identifying the best talent is an important part of this process. These six young students really stood out during the recruitment phase and we were impressed by their drive, energy and confidence."

Image: Ulster University Business School students (from left) Nathan Currie, Jamie Willighan, Zara Davis, Gavin Boyes, Leah Hill and Chris Blevins celebrate their Lidl bursaries.

Source: Ulster University Business School

24 October 2015 - Ulster University team in Indian Himalayan landside research

A team of researchers from Ulster University will travel to the Darjeeling region of India to study landslides early next year.

The project has been made possible by £50,000 of funding awarded to the group by the UK India Education and Research Initiative. The focus of the research will be on landslide prediction.

Professor Gerard Parr, who will lead the research, said the study would focus on predicting massive landslides caused by extreme weather in remote mountainous areas.

He said: "Unfortunately, landslides have historically claimed many lives and damaged infrastructure."

The project is also supported by the Department for Employment and Learning. The department's minister Stephen Farry said the process for securing funding for projects between UK and Indian universities was "very competitive".

"The department congratulates Ulster University on their success in securing this well-deserved award," he added.

Full story can be found: BBC

15 October 2015 - PRONI: New records now available online through CAIN

Culture Minister, Carál Ní Chuilín, has welcomed the benefits of collaboration between PRONI and Conflict Archive on the INternet (CAIN).

Previously secret records relating to 1985 are now available online. Over 200 documents have been added to the CAIN website as part of ongoing work between Ulster University and the Public Record Office (PRONI).

This additional selection of material extensively covers events leading up to and the immediate aftermath of the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement on 15 November 1985. In addition other ongoing political and security matters such as parades, flags, the Irish language and the issue of the MacBride Principles are highlighted.

Staff from Ulster University and PRONI have worked together to make the records freely available on the Internet on Ulster University’s CAIN website. CAIN is based within INCORE (INternational COnflict REsearch Institute).

Minister Ní Chuilín said: ‘I am committed to the disclosure of information about the conflict. It is essential that people have the opportunity to view records from our recent past for themselves.

“This additional material covers a wide range of records relating to 1985 and will let people uncover the stories behind the headlines of that year. The fact that they have been digitised and made freely available online, highlights how technology can be used to promote the archives in PRONI."

Dr Brendan Lynn, CAIN Deputy Director, added: “CAIN is very pleased to have been able to continue our cooperation with PRONI and to update the existing section with material dealing with the year 1985. The information is easily available and free of charge. We believe it will be of great use to students, researchers, teachers and lecturers or to anyone with an interest in the political and social history of Northern Ireland.”

For more information on Ulster University's CAIN website click here

Full story can be found: Northern Ireland Media Centre

6 October 2015 - Harry Gregg Foundation aims to 'inspire those that have dreams'

Inspire those that have dreams - that was the message at a special launch hosted by the Harry Gregg Foundation last month at Ulster University’s Coleraine campus.

As over one thousand youngsters gathered at the University pitches, Harry himself was there to watch alongside special guests as the North West and Coleraine and District Youth League’s small sided games centre, which is now managed by the Harry Gregg Foundation was relaunched.

The Centre, which began in Coleraine’s Ballysally estate with just four samba nets and eight teams back in 2009 has now grown to host over one thousand children and 100 teams from across the Province.

Teams from across the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council are joined each Saturday morning by teams from Derry~Londonderry and Mid Ulster as the Centre continues to swell in numbers. Harry ran his eye over the Saturday morning session joined by IFA President Jim Shaw and former Manchester United players, Keith Gillespie and Pat McGibbon.

Speaking to Ballymoney and Moyle Times Sport, Harry complemented all those involved and said: “It’s just nice to see children enjoying football- no coaching. It is my belief that we should just let them play,” said the Manchester United legend.

Harry said that the emphasis must be on fun, and he added that it was ‘marvellous’ to see so many young people enjoying football.

Chairman of the Foundation, Andy Alcorn told those present that the aim of the Centre was to inspire the next generation.

“The next Harry Gregg or George Best could be out there, we have to inspire them,” he said.

Andy said that the Foundation wanted to get people involved in the game of football, and encourage us to ‘fall back in love’ with the game.

Ulster University Provost Professor Deirdre Heenan, a Manchester United fan and supporter of the Harry Gregg Foundation, welcomed the Centre to the Coleraine campus. She told those present that sport was ‘at the heart’ of the University.

The Harry Gregg Foundation was launched back in February. It aims to encourage young people’s participation in football and other health, lifestyle, educational, heritage and social inclusion activities.

On Saturday morning, one of the Foundation's ambassadors, Liam Beckett said he was delighted to be involved, and remarked that it was wonderful to have children playing football locally.

“It’s great that we have a facility like this on our doorstep. So often children have had to travel to Belfast to play football, but here we have hundreds of children from different teams enjoying the game. It does the heart good.”

Image: Founder Harry Gregg with trustees and guests of the Harry Gregg Foundation at the relaunch of Small Sided Games Centre at Ulster University. Photo credit: William Curry

Full story can be found: Ballymoney and Moyle Times

5 October 2015 - Ulster University Business School Takes ‘Giant’ Step

UUBS-partnership The Ulster University Business School has agreed a two year partnership with the Odyssey Trust

The partnership will see players of the Belfast Giants study on courses at the Business School.

In turn the Business School will benefit from exclusive access to players and coaches as guest speakers and also the opportunity to participate in STEM projects which will enrich the experience of all students of the Business School.

The partnership will also provide the School with a platform to promote its wide portfolio of business related degree programmes to thousands of Belfast Giants fans and give it access to W5’s corporate facilities as a venue for teaching, holding business collaboration events and enhancing the Ulster student’s experience by supporting Belfast Giant’s home matches.

Professor Marie McHugh, Dean of the Ulster University Business School explains, “We have had a close working relationship with the Belfast Giants over the past 10 years and over 20 players have already benefited from completing masters courses in management, business administration and sport management.

Six Belfast Giants players have begun courses in sport management, business administration and management.

Robert Fitzpatrick, CEO of the Odyssey Trust said, “As a Postgraduate Alumni of the Business School, I am delighted to welcome the School to the Odyssey and to participate in this partnership.

“Education is at the core of everything that the Belfast Giants and Odyssey Trust do and this partnership with the Business School is testament to that ethos.”

Image: Nick Read (left), Business Development Manager, announces the partnership with Odyssey Trust CEO Robert Fitzpatrick, watched by Belfast Giants players Mike Radja, Jon Boxill and Mike Forney.

Full story can be found: News Letter

2 October 2015 - NI scientists discover WW1 wrecks off Irish coast

WW1-Shipwreck A team of scientists from Ulster University has released detailed images of newly-discovered World War One shipwrecks in the Irish Sea, one of which lies off the coast of Co Antrim.

The team recently found and examined several wrecks, which are too deep to be dived on and some of which have not been seen since their sinking around 100 years ago.

The research survey was supported by the Marine Institute, through its Ship-Time Programme, funded under the Marine Research Programme by the Irish Government.

Full story can be found: UTV