Tag: University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh College opens new digital care hub for students

Edinburgh College has launched a new digital care hub, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, designed to provide greater skills and opportunities to health and social care students in the Lothians.  

The Edinburgh College Digital Care Hub, located at the College’s Sighthill Campus, will equip students with the transferrable skills required to fulfil a successful career in areas including Health and Social Care, Dental and Pharmacy with a particular emphasis on technology enabled care.  

The hub will focus on building students’ digital and practical skills through its state-of-the-art equipment, supporting experiential learning in a purpose-built setting. 

It contains a replica medical ward with patient room, toilet and wet room facilities; an infection control and decontamination area; a reflection room; a care at home room; as well as a virtual reality room designed to give students an immersive experience which demonstrates how a patient with dementia experiences day-to-day life.  

Within the care hub students have access to realistic patient simulators with true-to-life responsiveness, in a variety of care settings, enabling them to develop patient testing and care skills. 

Also key to the role of the digital care hub is embedding the principles of professionalism amongst students and fostering the meta skills required to work in a care environment including communication, nurture, resilience, initiative and leadership. 

The new facility hosts the Edinburgh College and University of Edinburgh Social Care Academy which provides an agile pathway to a career in health and social care specifically for school pupils.

As part of the programme, pupils study units in digital skills for health and social care, mental health, the human body, infection prevention and control and safe beginners for health and social care.

After successfully completing the programme, pupils are able to progress on to further studies with the College or university or advance into employment.  

The digital care hub was launched during an event attended by representatives from key institutions connected to the College and the new hub, and brought together those with a collective interest in supporting the future of the health and care sector.  

Audrey Cumberford, Edinburgh College Principal and CEO, said: “We are delighted to be launching our Digital Care Hub in partnership with the University of Edinburgh.

“The facility will provide practical learning experiences for pupils and students as well as exposing them to many sector specialisms which they ordinarily might miss out on without having access to specialist equipment in a health and care setting.  

“The COVID pandemic has highlighted the importance of our health and care workers across the country and through addressing the national skills gaps in digital enabled care, the Digital Care Hub, through partnership working with industry, is ready to provide a pipeline of future workers equipped with the skills and knowledge required to meet the demands of the sector and population.”

Professor Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We are delighted to work with Edinburgh College on the Digital Care Hub, which will be an excellent resource for those considering a career within health and social care.

“Harnessing technology to support learning in this way and simulate real-life scenarios in the workplace will enable students to make informed choices about their future, built on their own ambitions and potential.” 

Moderator embarks on first presbytery visit in Edinburgh

The Moderator of the General Assembly Lord Jim Wallace has embarked on a ten-day schedule to learn more about the life and work of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Lord Wallace said he is looking forward to attending events organised by the Presbytery of Edinburgh which will see him meet people from all walks of life and learn how they have coped during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presbytery visits provide Moderators with an opportunity to offer encouragement and support to church members and the communities they serve.

Due to the lockdown, this is the first fully in-person visit to take place since 2019.

Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly
Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly

Lord Wallace, a QC and former MP and MSP, said the city is close to his heart. “I am very much looking forward to my first presbytery visit, not least because it is Edinburgh where I went to university, trained as a lawyer, practiced as a lawyer, sat in the Scottish Parliament and where I met my wife, Rosie,” he said.

“I am very grateful to the presbytery for putting together a very comprehensive programme, which will allow me to engage with a whole range of people who reflect my interests and background.”

Candidates

The programme will see Lord Wallace visit churches, hospitals, universities and a prison and meet ordinary church members, politicians, senior figures in the judiciary, ministers, chaplains and interfaith and ecumenical leaders.

Lord Wallace was ordained as an elder at what was St Bernard’s Church in Stockbridge in 1981. It is now called Stockbridge Parish Church and Lord Wallace joined the congregation there yesterday (above).

In the evening, the Moderator led worship at Holy Trinity Church in Wester Hailes.

Lord Wallace will meet with Councillor Frank Ross, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, at the City Chambers today and will later attend an event at New College to mark their 175th Anniversary and meet candidates for the ministry.

This evening, the Moderator will attend a civic event at the City Chambers for members of the Edinburgh Area Children’s Panel who make sure that a young person is at the heart of legal decisions that affect them.

Many church members are involved in this work and Lady Wallace, who will be accompanying her husband, was a panel member for many years until recently.

Courts and prison

On Tuesday, Lord Wallace, who is currently sitting on the non-affiliated benches in the House of Lords, is visiting the Charteris Centre run by Greyfriars Kirk, which is based in a refurbished church building at The Pleasance which is nearing completion.

It is a social enterprise initiative which seeks to provide a place for connection with communities of all kinds.

Afterwards he will visit Edinburgh Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Courts to hear more about the administration of justice, especially during the pandemic.

Lord Wallace will then travel to HMP Edinburgh in the Saughton area of the city where he will be given a tour and introduced to staff, prisoners and the chaplains who support them.

On Wednesday, he will visit Napier University’s Sighthill campus where he will meet Principal Andrea Nolan and be given a tour of the Clinical Centre in School of Health and Social Care.

He will meet staff, students, members of the university’s chaplaincy team and Professor Gary Hutchinson and Liz Aston from the School of Applied Sciences to discuss work with Scottish Institute For Policing Research.

In the afternoon, the Moderator will visit the Granton Goes Greener project at Granton Parish Church to learn more about an innovative clothes upcycling project which is part of work to reduce consumption as part of efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

He will later attend a special Presbytery service in St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile, which will be attended by the church’s ecumenical and interfaith partners, as well as national and civic leaders, and will be followed by a reception in Parliament Hall which will bring people from the worlds of religion, politics and legal profession together.

On Thursday, the Moderator is visiting Edinburgh Airport with Rev Moira MacDonald, minister of Corstorphine Old Parish Church and Workplace Chaplain, Esther Elliot, to hear about the work of workplace chaplains.

He will later meet with the Principal of the University of Edinburgh and visit the law school – the place where he studied – to speak with students and staff.

Frontline chaplains

In the evening, the Moderator will attend a Presbyterial Guild event in Craiglockhart Parish Church, speaking on the theme of “Look forward in Faith”.

On Friday, he is visiting the Royal Blind School, the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and will attend an evening reception at Edinburgh Castle for chaplains who serve in a wide variety of contexts – hospitals, the military, universities and the workplace.

Lord Wallace said: “I am looking forward to meeting people engaged in chaplaincy, many of whom have been at the front line during the COViD-19 crisis.

“I will be very much in listening mode and hope to provide them with encouragement.”

Polwarth Parish Church is the Moderator’s next stop where, on Saturday, he will visit the new All Aboard canal boat that the congregation jointly own with a charity called People Know How.

It is used for spiritual and educational pursuits on the Union Canal, which links Edinburgh and Falkirk.

The Moderator will take part in worship at Tron, Moredun and Gilmerton Church on Sunday and join members of Leith Churches for a special service in the evening.

He will visit the Richmond’s Hope bereavement project for children and young people at Richmond Craigmillar Church the following day.

Very Rev Dr Derek Browning, Moderator of Edinburgh Presbytery, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming Lord Wallace.

“Presbytery visits allow Moderators to meet local Christians and gain a wider perspective of how the Church, and the communities we support, engage.”

“Impactful” animal welfare course celebrates 30th anniversary

The world’s first postgraduate degree programme focusing on animal behaviour and welfare is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

The MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare is a collaborative programme offered by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and the University of Edinburgh.

The anniversary will be celebrated on Monday (4 October) – with a day of talks, videos and interviews with alumni and lecturers, past and present – to coincide with World Animal Day.

Established in 1991, it cemented Edinburgh’s reputation as the birthplace of animal welfare science.

Previously, the Society for Veterinary Ethology (SVE) had been formed in Edinburgh in 1966, following public pressure on the Government to investigate the welfare of farm animals – which in turn led to the Brambell Report on Animal Welfare.

The MSc programme utilised contributions from colleagues in SRUC (then the Scottish Agricultural College), the University of Edinburgh – including the departments of the Institute of Ecology & Resource Management, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Department of Divinity, The Roslin Institute and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

More than 700 students from all over the world have since graduated from the programme and gone on to forge successful careers in animal welfare or related fields in research, education, government, veterinary practice, non-governmental and industry organisations. 

The qualification is awarded through the University of Edinburgh, and SRUC has continued to play a pivotal role in its development. SRUC’s Animal Behaviour and Welfare research group, which was established in the 1980s, is now one of the largest in the world with more than 15 post-doctoral scientists and 20 PhD students studying the behaviour and welfare of all farmed species.

Chair of Animal Behaviour and Welfare at SRUC and University of Edinburgh Professor Alistair Lawrence, who was one of the founding members of the Masters programme, said: “This course has easily surpassed our expectations when we established it in the early 1990s in terms of its longevity and number of graduates.

“It is hard to imagine a more important and impactful contribution to animal welfare than this MSc.”          

For more information, or to sign up, visit: 

https://bit.ly/MScAnimalWelfareandBehaviourAnniversary

University of Edinburgh graduates in celebration to remember

Recent University of Edinburgh graduates celebrated their achievements at a unique event last night with the help of two city icons – Edinburgh Castle and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo! 

This was the first in a series of celebrations across four days with nearly five thousand graduates from summer/winter 2020 and summer 2021, plus their guests, taking part in these processions in the magnificent setting of the Castle. 

Combining two of Edinburgh’s most famous institutions, the Tattoo and the University of Edinburgh, provided graduates and their guests with a night to remember.

Attendees were piped over the Castle drawbridge, then led in a procession by senior University academics, walking up through the Portcullis Gate and past the cannons, through Foogs Gate then into Castle Square accompanied by Tattoo dancers, pipers, drummers and fiddlers who provided entertainment along the way.

Graduates and their guests then entered the magnificent Great Hall, where they were capped by the University of Edinburgh’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Mathieson. 

The first group were joined in their procession by First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who walked with them and passed on her congratulations to graduates. 

Professor Peter Mathieson said: “Over the last 18 months, our students have faced challenges like no others before them, so it’s fantastic to offer them such a special event to celebrate not only their achievements, but their resilience and commitment shown throughout the pandemic. 

“It was a truly memorable moment to see our former students complete their University journey at such a spectacular and iconic setting and we are very grateful to the teams at the Tattoo and Castle for working with us to make it possible.”

Buster Howes, CEO of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “We’re committed to supporting the people and organisations of Edinburgh as the City starts to open up again.

“It’s been a privilege to collaborate with the University of Edinburgh and Historic Environment Scotland to give Edinburgh’s graduates a chance to celebrate with their families, their achievements over four years, which latterly have entailed significant challenges.

“We wish Edinburgh University’s graduates every success in the future – this is just the beginning for them!”

For more information about this year’s University of Edinburgh graduation, please visit: www.ed.ac.uk 

Book Festival opens this morning

Today’s the day! The 2021 Edinburgh International Book Festival begins!

Join us in-person at Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh or live online for the first day of our first ever hybrid Festival, from our brand new home!

See what’s on today at a glance below, and head to our website to book tickets to watch live in-person or online:

https://edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/events?

Older people invited to participate in University nature walks study

This Edinburgh University Dept of Clinical Psychology project aims to evaluate the impact of nature walks for older adults who would otherwise be restricted in their ability to access nature. 

The University of Edinburgh are looking for participants who are:

• 65 and over

• Fluent in English

• Unable to access nature based outdoor spaces

Participation involves taking part in an online survey and watching a short video clip. This should take around 40minutes.  

To take part visit www.tinyurl.com/outdoorwalks.

For more information contact lead researcher: Sarah Montrose at:

s2007876@sms.ed.ac.uk 

Information for Participants:

PIS__final1Download

New £7m consortium funded to boost research on urban spaces and tackling health inequalities

The University of Edinburgh, Queen’s University Belfast and University of Liverpool have been awarded over £7.1 million from the UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP) as part of a consortium to investigate the impact that nature can have in helping to prevent and reduce health inequalities in urban areas. 

The Consortium, ‘GroundsWell: Community-engaged and Data-informed Systems Transformation of Urban Green and Blue Space for Population Health’ will explore how transforming cities with nature can reduce health inequalities, primarily around chronic and non-infectious diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and mental health.  

Over the five-year project, the interdisciplinary team will develop innovative approaches to work with communities where there are high levels of health inequalities. They will work with communities as key partners to develop and implement ways to improve health inequalities and prevent a range of chronic illnesses through harnessing the positive impact of nature.   

Dr Ruth Hunter, from the Centre of Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast and Groundswell Co-Director, said: “There is strong evidence that natural environments within urban areas, such as parks, woodlands (green spaces) as well as lakes and beaches (blue spaces), have positive impacts on health. 

“These urban green and blue spaces could be huge assets for protecting and equalising health if they were available, accessible, valued and well-used, particularly by less advantaged groups. The problem is that they are not, which is what this project aims to address.” 

Dr Hunter added: “We are delighted to receive this funding from UK Prevention Research Partnership. Working with a range of experts across health, data and community engagement, over the next five years we will seek solutions to improve our urban environment that will in-turn improve population health.” 

UKPRP supports multidisciplinary teams looking at ways to prevent non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, poor mental health, obesity, cancer and diabetes. Non-communicable diseases make up the majority of illnesses in the UK and account for an estimated 89 per cent of all deaths.   

Professor Kevin Fenton, London Regional Director for Public Health England and Chair of the UKPRP Scientific Advisory Board, said: “UKPRP is an important and timely programme that we need to address health inequalities and prevent the onset of non-communicable disease.  

“The projects funded under this programme are pushing the boundaries of prevention research by taking multidisciplinary approaches to addressing the complexities of population health, with the aim of improving people’s lives and health.  

“As we look to build back fairer from the pandemic, the creation of healthy communities and places is a key priority.” 

The project will use a range of approaches to ensure that communities, including residents, businesses and organisations, are fully represented. 

The Consortium will comprise of active, equal and embedded members and partners at all stages of decision making and will involve co-designing solutions that will benefit communities. 

Professor Sarah Rodgers, from the University of Liverpool and GroundsWell Co-Director, said: “Working with local authorities and charities, we will record how our environments change through time.

“Knowing when parks were adapted to encourage new visitors and how this subsequently impacts health outcomes will help provide robust evidence on what works and for whom. Everyone should have access to the right environments to support their health and wellbeing.” 

Professor Ruth Jepson, from the University of Edinburgh and Groundswell Co-Director, added: “We propose a new way of working which encourages communities and citizens to work with our partner organisations to plan, design and manage urban green and blue spaces so that they benefit everyone, especially those who need it most. 

“Through our partnerships and with the active involvement of our communities, we will identify small and large scale projects which can be developed and evaluated. We will involve communities and citizens in all stages of the work; from planning and prioritizing, to collecting data through citizen science apps, to writing, speaking and blogging on what is working well and what is not.” 

University of Edinburgh has ‘effective arrangements’, say independent quality experts

The University of Edinburgh has ‘effective arrangements for managing academic standards and the student learning experience’, according to a review conducted by QAA, the UK’s independent higher education quality body.

The review commended the University’s achievements in several areas including student partnership and the support provided by its Institute for Academic Development in support of teaching, learning and researcher development. 

The review was undertaken by a team of six independent reviewers, who were appointed by QAA. The review took place through a Planning Visit in February 2021, followed by a Review Visit in March 2021.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the review was postponed from Autumn 2020. Its commendations included the following areas: 

  • The University’s commitment to working in close partnership with the student body is exemplified by student involvement across all decision-making structures and university initiatives. 
  • The University’s Institute for Academic Development (IAD) provides responsive, reflective and proactive university-level support for teaching, learning and researcher development and is valued by staff and students. 
  • The promotion and expansion of the Student Association-led and University supported Peer Assisted Learning Schemes (PALS) have contributed to the integration of students as they join the University. 
  • The University operates a highly professionalised approach to supporting the recruitment, selection and training of students to effectively contribute to the University’s Institutional Periodic Review (IPR) process. 

The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1583 and is one of Scotland’s four ancient universities, occupying an estate of more than 250 buildings organised in five main campuses spread across Edinburgh. 

The University describes itself as a large and diverse research-intensive University, and has collaborative agreements leading to a joint University of Edinburgh qualification with 55 international institutions and seven UK institutions. 

Professor Tina Harrison, Assistant Principal, Academic Standards and Quality Assurance, said: ‘I’m delighted with the outcome of the ELIR, that re-confirms our effectiveness in maintaining academic standards, commends our positive partnership with our students, and highlights the outstanding work of our Institute for Academic Development. 

‘The review process provided an important opportunity for University-wide reflection and, with the expert input from the review team, we have a clear plan for further development and enhancement of the learning experience for our students.’ 

QAA’s report also makes a number of recommendations, asking the University of Edinburgh to: 

  • establish a systematic approach to enable effective institutional oversight and evaluation of the implementation of policy and practice 
  • develop an effective approach to the strategic leadership and management of change that will ensure more immediate and timely implementation of identified solutions in order to support staff and enhance the student experience 
  • prioritise the development of a holistic and strategic approach to the design and management of assessment and feedback.

University study identifies genes linked to severe Covid-19 risk

An international group of scientists have discovered 13 DNA sequences that are associated with people developing the most severe form of Covid-19.

The identification of the sequences – known as genetic markers – could provide targets for future therapies using repurposed drugs, experts say.

A graphical representation of DNA with coronavirus floating around it

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh joined a global effort to compare the genetic information of almost 50,000 Covid-19 patients with samples provided by healthy volunteers from biobanks, clinical studies, and direct-to-consumer genetic companies like 23andMe.

The team found key differences in 13 genetic markers of Covid-19 patients compared with healthy volunteers. The genes partially explain why some people become seriously ill with Covid-19, while others are not affected.

By pooling the large amount of data from 25 countries, the scientists were able to produce robust analyses more quickly, and from a greater diversity of populations, than any one group could have on its own.

The team also identified factors such as smoking and high body mass index as reasons why some people suffer from Covid-19 more acutely.

Of the 13 genetic markers identified so far, two occur more often among patients of East Asian or South Asian ancestry than in those of European ancestry.

One of these two markers, near the FOXP4 gene, is linked to lung cancer. The different FOXP4 sequence associated with severe Covid-19 increases the gene’s expression, suggesting that inhibiting the gene could be a potential treatment strategy, experts say.

Other genetic markers associated with severe Covid-19 included DPP9, a gene also involved in lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis, and the TYK2 gene, which is implicated in some autoimmune diseases.

The latest findings come from the COVID-19 Host Genomics Initiative, which have been published in Nature.

The initiative has grown to be one of the most extensive collaborations in human genetics and currently includes more than 3,300 researchers and 61 studies from 25 countries.

The University of Edinburgh led study GenOMICC (Genetics of Susceptibility and Mortality in Critical Care) is one such project that contributed data to the COVID-19 Host Genomics Initiative.

GenOMICC started in 2015 as an open, global consortium of intensive care clinicians dedicated to understanding genetic factors that influence outcomes in intensive care from diseases such as SARS, influenza and sepsis.

Throughout the pandemic it has been focused on Covid-19 research in partnership with Genomics England.

Researchers will continue to identify additional gene regions associated with infection and severe disease, and will begin to study what factors lead symptoms persisting in some patients for months.

GenOMICC is funded by the charity Sepsis Research FEAT, the Intensive Care Society, Wellcome, UK Research and Innovation, Scotland’s Chief Scientist Office, the Department of Health and Social Care and the National Institute for Health Research.

Dr Kenneth Baillie, GenOMICC’s chief investigator and Academic Consultant in Critical Care Medicine and Senior Research Fellow at University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, said: “By working together across the whole world, we are able to accelerate discovery for the benefit of patients.

“This new international analysis builds on the colossal effort made by patients and intensive care research teams across the whole UK in the GenOMICC study.”

Picture (top): kirstypargeter via Getty Images

Micro-grants to bring green solutions to local communities

Green Micro-grants worth up to £1,000 are available for local projects that improve the environment or have a positive social impact, the University of Edinburgh has announced.

Community groups, small charities and other organisations can apply for one of the new micro-grants offered by the University.

The Green Micro-grants are an offshoot from the University’s popular Community Grants scheme, which has awarded almost £400,000 to local projects since 2017.

Groups can apply for up to £1,000 for small scale projects that will help improve their local natural environment and have a positive social impact for their community.

With the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) coming to Scotland this autumn, it is important to support change locally as well as globally. If you are involved with an organisation who could put £1,000 towards a project in your community, see the full details of the scheme or contact: local@ed.ac.uk

Organisations can apply now and micro-grants will be available until Friday 19 August, or until all funds have been allocated.

Please note, this grant scheme is only open to groups outside of the University. While we welcome projects that involve collaboration with the University and our staff and students, it must be an external organisation that applies for the funding.

Find out more: Green Micro-grants