Tag: University of Edinburgh

“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:

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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

Lothian Lockdown: Back to Normal?

LAST CHANCE to contribute your story to the oral history of Covid-19 in Edinburgh and the Lothians!

Every single person has a story worth telling: any age, any background, any language.

For every contribution we donate to one of our charity partners (https://lothianlockdown.org/community/) and give you £15 to keep or donate to the charity of your choice. DEADLINE 15 JULY!

Send us a fb message or email at lothiandiaries@gmail.com with any questions.

Thank you for sharing your story with us!

Peas Please: A pledge for more veg sees University of Edinburgh land national award

THE UNIVERSITY of Edinburgh is being recognised as a UK leader in the drive to encourage the consumption of more fresh vegetables, after it was presented an award by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

In recognition of the commitment to a challenging pledge with stretched targets to be achieved by 2023, most notably to increase the weight of vegetables developed in recipes – the University’s catering team was rewarded with the “Peas Please – Rising Star” award and was up against other shortlisted companies including national restaurant chain Zizzi.

Announcing the win on a video ceremony on 24 June, the celebrity chef and campaigner remarked on the University of Edinburgh’s far-reaching ambitions and commitment to sourcing local and seasonal produce.

The Peas Please initiative is focused on making it easier for everyone to eat vegetables. The initiative released its latest Veg Facts 2021 report and found 18,000 premature deaths a year in the UK can been influenced by a poor diet and lack of vegetables and legumes.

The report also found 77% of adults eat fewer portions of vegetables than recommended by the UK Government’s EatWell guide.

Ian Macaulay, Director Catering, University of Edinburgh Accommodation, Catering and Events (ACE), said: “We are thrilled to receive this accolade. There have been significant challenges this past year due to Covid-19; so being shortlisted, and subsequently winning has been very rewarding.

“Through it all we’ve been working with our suppliers to source brilliant ingredients, including from some of Scotland’s best producers. 

“There is still a way to go – and we are always looking to improve our catering service both by listening to our customers but also providing means for healthier living.

“Our pledge to Peas Please shows our ongoing commitment and dedication to adapt to growing needs and set new targets that underpin the University’s Good Food Policy.”

The Peas Please initiative is focused on making it easier for everyone to eat vegetables. The initiative released its latest Veg Facts 2021 report and found 18,000 premature deaths a year in the UK can been influenced by a poor diet and lack of vegetables and legumes.

The catering team are not only committed to increasing the amount of vegetables served (currently 50% of all meals are vegetarian and plant-based) but also committed to promoting vegetables in their Student Cook Schools and to make vegetables more accessible, appealing and affordable across university cafes.

Meals and products will now contain a greater proportion of vegetables, with an increase in weight from 90g to 150g.

Vegan hot meal options are also now a permanent addition to retail outlets with seasonal and local vegetables used on a rotational basis. Customers can switch potato portions for vegetables at no extra cost.

As department of the University of Edinburgh, Accommodation, Catering and Events’ main focus is the accommodation and residential welfare of more than 10,000 students, which highlights the importance of influencing eating habits in young adult life.

For more information on The University of Edinburgh Accommodation, Catering and Events, please visit the website https://www.accom.ed.ac.uk/ or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.