Miles will be responsible for leading the newly created Enterprise & Knowledge Exploitation team (EKE) formed as a consequence of merging Bath Ventures into RDSO; EKE brings together the University’s KTP activities, the Bath Ventures Technology Transfer team, and the Carpenter House Innovation Centre.

As Head of EKE, Miles will develop the new team which will be responsible for working with academic staff to stimulate and develop the use of our research with external partners and to generate new research income. The team also has responsibility for activities relating to entrepreneurship and effective interaction with business.

Miles will already be known to many colleagues, as he has previously held roles as both a KTP Programme Manager and Research Portfolio Manager for Energy & the Environment where he has developed and obtained significant funding across a range of University disciplines and departments.

Speaking of his appointment, Miles said: “I am very much looking forward to taking on this challenging role. In conjunction with the Enterprise & Knowledge Exploitation team I will work with our academic staff to build on Bath’s reputation for delivering impact from its research base through entrepreneurship and partnerships with key stakeholders.”

Professor Jane Millar, PVC (Research) said: “This is an important role, bringing together existing enterprise and exploitation activities into one place, and integrating this into RDSO to provide a professional support service across the whole research lifecyle, from idea to impact.”

Miles is a graduate of the University of York, holds an MSc from the University of Surrey and a PhD from Imperial College London. Prior to working at the University of Bath, Miles was a consultant with WRc plc in Swindon.

Researchers found evidence that shows for the first time how the superbug spreads between different hospitals throughout the country.

MRSA – methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus – first appeared around 50 years ago, shortly after the first use of the antibiotics to which they are resistant.

The collaborative study, led by the University of Edinburgh, involved looking at the genetic make-up of more than 80 variants of a major strain of MRSA found in hospitals.

Scientists were able to determine the entire genetic code of MRSA bacteria taken from infected patients.

They then identified mutations in the bug which led to the emergence of new MRSA variants and traced their spread around the country.

The study, published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also found that the MRSA strain studied evolved from antibiotic-sensitive bacteria that existed more than 100 years ago.

Dr Ed Feil, from the Department of Biology & Biochemistry at Bath helped to design the study and interpret the data.

He said: “This study provides vital clues as to how these resistant bacteria transmit throughout the hospital network, and has clear implications for strategies for managing the spread of these bugs.

“The results also shed light on the mystery of which genetic changes help the bacteria adapt to live in hospitals.”

Dr Mark Enright, Visiting Professor at Bath and Research Director of AmpliPhi Biosciences Corp added: “We used a technique called rapid whole genome sequencing which enables us to compare small changes in the DNA sequence of bacteria isolated from different hospitals and identify where an outbreak has come from and trace how it has spread.

“This allows scientists and clinicians to trace the spread of bacteria such as MRSA, C. difficile and E. coli in communities and between hospitals.

“Such studies show the pathways these organisms take during an epidemic, giving us valuable information that will help us counter future spread.”

The research funded by the Chief Scientist’s Office, Scotland, the MRC and the BBSRC involved collaboration between the Universities of Bath and Edinburgh, The Roslin Institute, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the United Kingdom and the Broad Institute and the University of Mississippi Medical Centre in the United States.

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Exhibition of fascinating images will explain research and its impact on the world

He has moved to Bath from the University of Wyoming where for four years he held the position of Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Business Practice.

Speaking about his move he said: “Bath is the only business school in the UK that comes to mind for my research. I’ve known Professor Richard Elliott, Dean of the School of Management, for 15 years so there’s a trust factor there and I know some of my colleagues in the marketing research group by reputation.  A number of us are ploughing the same terrain and that’s always a nice thing.

“It’s attractive to come and work in Europe but it can be problematic from a practical point of view. The University is very ‘above board’, it has a straight up reputation and all the negotiations over my appointment have been very professional.”

Professor Arnould’s first main area of research, sustainable business practice, focuses on fair trade, demand-side energy use and sustainable agricultural production strategies.

He said: “Sustainable business practices aren’t very well developed in the marketing area. It may seem an oxymoronic relationship but it’s not my view.

“There’s an urgent need to understand the levers to individual and communal change in demand side energy management because of the UK’s ambitious carbon reduction targets.  The same is true in other developed economies.”

“I’m applying research to various schemes including economic incentives, persuasive messages and new technologies.”

Professor Arnould is writing a book with new insights into sustainable marketing practice which will benchmark what we know about sustainable marketing and consumption beyond the ideological.

His second major area of research is consumer culture theory. He said: “It’s about applying anthropological and sociological perspectives, to make sense of supply and demand relationships in the business world, in our market-mediated societies. I look at how layers of cultural practice impact on consumers and companies in both traditional and emerging alternative marketing channels, like the Internet and social media networks.”

Professor Richard Elliott, Dean of the University’s School of Management, said: “Professor Arnould is one of the world’s leading scholars of socio-cultural approaches to consumer behaviour. He is a founder of consumer culture theory (CCT), which is now a major alternative to economic or psychological explanations, and his joining Bath makes us the strongest CCT research group in the world.”

From 2005 to 2007 Professor Arnould was the PETSMART Distinguished Professor of Retailing & Consumer Sciences at the University of Arizona. He was Professor of Marketing at the University of Nebraksa from 2000 to 2005. He has taught at the Universities of South Florida, California State University and the University of Colorado.

Before Professor Arnould began his academic career he worked as a consultant on natural resource management in West Africa. He began his work as a graduate student on a regional resource management planning project in the Niger Republic, later worked for several years as a social impact evaluator for the Planning Ministry in Niger, and followed on with work for a number of NGOs involved with agriculture, resource management and marketing projects throughout French-speaking West Africa. 

After a brief stint as a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Professor Arnould took a succession of positions in US business schools.

He studied anthropology at Bard College, Annandale, New York and completed an MA Anthropology and then a PhD in Social Anthropology and Archeaology at the University of Arizona.

Professor Arnould is one of 12 leading academics joining the University as part of a strategic investment in research and teaching excellence across all faculties and disciplines.

The Images of Research public exhibition is being held at The Octagon in Milsom Place in central Bath on Saturday 12 May & Sunday 13 May from 10.30am to 16.30pm. 

The popular exhibition, organised by the Researcher Development Unit and sponsored by the University’s EPSRC Knowledge Transfer Account, aims to explain research that takes place at the University through the use of eye-catching images. 

This year the theme of the exhibition is Research in Your World and entrants were set the challenge of showing images that depict research that has relevance to everyone’s world.  

They were asked to do this by explaining how their research relates to the world we know – this could be in an obvious way or indirectly through the society or environment in which we live. 

As well as an image, each entrant provided a short written summary alongside it, that explains their research. 

Professor Jane Millar, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Bath, said: “Every year the Images of Research competition grows both in popularity and in the number of entries we receive from our researchers. 

“It is a fantastic way of demonstrating the important work that takes place here at Bath and the impact that it has. The enthusiasm and excitement of researchers really comes across in these images and words.” 

All of the entries were displayed at a preview exhibition held at the University last night. 

Come Rain or Shine by Dr Melina Freitag

They were judged by Professor Millar, the University’s Director of Marketing & Communications Tim Kaner and Sophie Duncan, Deputy Director of the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE). 

Sophie said: “It is becoming increasingly important for researchers to engage with the public. The Images of Research competition is a brilliant way for researchers to start that journey – providing intimate insights into their world, and inviting people to find out more.” 

Three winners were chosen on the night. The overall winner was Dr Melina Freitag from the Department of Mathematical Sciences who impressed judges with her work titled Come Rain or Shine. 

Her image was a montage of pictures she has taken of different weather conditions at the University campus, while her abstract explained how collaboration between the Met Office and researchers in the Department helps to improve the weather forecast by finding better and faster techniques to solve the mathematical equations that describe the dynamics of the atmosphere. 

Dr Richard Burke from the Department of Mechanical Engineering won the ‘Best Abstract’ category for his description of turbochargers and Hannah Family from the Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology won the ‘Best Image’ category for her illustration of the thoughts within the brain of a community pharmacist. 

Dr Freitag said: “I have an interest in photography and had lots of pictures on my computer that I had taken over the last few years so I thought this competition would be a good way to combine my research and my hobby. I think it is important to tell people what we do here at Bath and this is a good way to do it.” 

Another further overall winner will be selected by the public, who will have the opportunity to vote at the public exhibition. 

The images from previous years can be viewed on line here, and the 2012 entries will be posted on the site in time for the public exhibition.

The study of human nutrition and metabolism stands to benefit elite athletes in their daily training programmes and during intensive periods of competition, as well as the wider population of people who are exercising to improve their health and fitness.

It’s the latest in a series of studies by Dr James Betts and his team which aim to better understand the mechanisms of fatigue during exercise. They are particularly looking at the effects of repeated bouts of demanding exercise which don’t allow an adequate break for full physical recovery.

Dr James Betts samples blood for analysis in the foreground. Phd student Abdullah Alghannam (left) takes the blood sample from undergraduate Mark Tweddle, who provides an expired gas sample, while his brain activity is monitored.

“We aim to inform athletes’ recovery routines both when training frequently in the lead-up to the Olympics but also during the Games itself, when there is a need to complete many fixtures or events within a short period,” said Dr Betts.

The research team is monitoring repeated exercise bouts and the effects of various nutritional interventions to discover which ones are most effective at supporting the recovery processes.

“It’s fascinating that many entirely familiar whole-body responses and behaviours remain so poorly understood in terms of their underpinning physiological mechanisms,” said Dr Betts. “Fatigue in humans and particularly within skeletal muscle is a prime example of this. Media coverage isn’t always accurate and many people are often surprised to realise how little we do actually know. This makes it both interesting and worthwhile to find out.

“What’s exciting with this study is that we are making so many varied measurements in the same piece of research, from measuring the concentration of key hormones in blood, and energy levels within muscle, to monitoring changes in central nervous system activation.”

The team believes that aside from its applications for elite athletes, the research will help recreational exercisers to keep on track. “We are all acutely aware of our physical limitations, whether in terms of how fast we can run to catch a bus or how much time and how many breaks we need to budget to complete daily tasks. If our work can help to produce better guidelines and strategies that speed recovery it’s also likely to help people sustain an exercise plan, because if they feel better quicker they’re less likely to return to sedentary lifestyles.”

The report has been released as part of Universities Week (30 April – 7 May) to show the impact of universities’ research and sport development on the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and UK sport generally.

It highlights how research is helping to give athletes that extra split second or millimetre advantage which can mean the difference between gold and silver medals in competitive sports.

The report takes an in-depth look at how exploration and development in the areas of technology, health and wellbeing, design, sport development and participation and the Games past and present, have contributed to London 2012 and the UK sports industry.

Technology: Applying Science

• Dr Aki Salo, a senior lecturer in sport biomechanics, has worked with elite athletes for over 20 years, studying the fundamental principles underlying performance to improve their technique and efficiency, specialising in sprinting and hurdling.

His research focuses on mathematical modelling for sprint starts, investigations into sprinting on bends, for example in the 200 metres, and work with 4×100 metre relay teams on the efficiency of baton exchanges.

He has worked with athletes who have achieved medal success, notably the winning 4×100 metre men’s relay team at the Athens Olympics 2004, including Bath’s Jason Gardener. This summer he will advise and support athletes in their preparations, right through to the Games.

Health and Wellbeing: Performance

• Dr James Betts, a lecturer in human metabolism and nutrition, is leading a team to better understand the mechanisms of fatigue during exercise. He is looking at instances where repeated bouts of exercise are required without an adequate break for full physical recovery.

The research will help to develop evidence-based nutrition and training programmes for athletes in the lead-up to future Olympic and Paralympic Games and the ongoing daily training of athletes and recreational exercisers.

“It is sometimes easy to forget when you watch an athlete or team compete just how much preparation has gone into their performance,” said Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK. “This isn’t simply a question of training schedules and practice. These days, cutting-edge university research is used to support every aspect of Olympic sports – from nutrition and health to equipment, physiotherapy, rehabilitation and, of course, performance. For instance, the combination of design and technology can be immensely effective for top athletes so that the actual design of a kayak or bob-sleigh can be as important to athletes as their own skill and training.”

Graphene could be used to develop faster electronic devices, for example more advanced mobile phones and super-fast computers, flexible touch screens, and medical sensor devices.

The new laboratory, officially opened by our Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Glynis Breakwell on Tuesday 1 May, forms part of the Centre for Graphene Science, which brings together expertise at the Universities of Bath and Exeter.

Professor Simon Bending from the University’s Department of Physics said: “Graphene is a remarkable material made of a single layer of carbon atoms. Combining high strength, transparency and flexibility with excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, it has many potential applications.”

The new laboratory at Bath is home to a range of state of the art equipment, including a specially adapted scanning probe microscope – nicknamed the “nano-factory” – that can build new materials and create rapid prototypes of novel devices that have never been made before.

Dr Adelina Ilie, Lecturer in Physics, on whose research the instrument is based, explained: “The nano-factory works like a tiny stencil, which can spray patterns of different materials onto a layer of graphene. This allows us to build new types of devices directly onto graphene, layer by layer, to directly probe and exploit its unique properties.”

Asieh Kazemi operates the "nano-factory", which will allow researchers to build new devices onto a single graphene layer

Dr Peter Sloan, Lecturer in Physics added: “With the nano-factory, we can also build up bespoke atomic-scale structures one atom at a time to link with the stencilled devices, making our new microscope world-leading.

“Not only will we make prototypes of unique graphene-based devices, but we can also really play around with some exciting fundamental physics.”

Researchers will also use the new Graphene Centre Laboratory to investigate the extraordinary properties of carbon nanotubes, rolled sheets of graphene some 50,000 times narrower than a human hair.

Dr Ilie has combined nanotubes with other elements to make hybrid carbon nanomaterials that are electronically patterned like striped candy canes; the stripes are so narrow that electrons are “guided” along them, suggesting they could be used as electronic connections in a quantum computer.

Dr Ilie said: “This new laboratory will enable us to investigate the huge potential applications of graphene and carbon nanotubes – the sky’s the limit!”

The Centre for Graphene Science has been funded by strategic investments by the Universities of Bath and Exeter into materials research, and by a £5 million award from the EPSRC/HEFCE Science and Innovation Awards Scheme 2008.

A short movie showing how the nano-factory works is here:

The grant, secured with the support of the University’s Research, Development and Support Office, will fund a project called ‘Enliten’ which is aimed at reducing carbon emissions from energy use within buildings, by understanding and influencing the occupants’ habits and behaviours around energy use.

The research team pulls together multi-disciplinary expertise from the Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering, Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Department of Computer Science and Department of Psychology.

The team will use the results of their study to develop an innovative smart system that provides information and recommendations, personalised to each household. In future this information would help the occupant automatically purchase energy when it was cheapest via dynamic energy tariffs.

Professor David Coley is the principal investigator on the project. Professor Coley said: “The UK is committed to an eighty per cent reduction in human-related greenhouse gas emissions by 2080. In addition to financial incentives, carbon reduction will require an increase in ‘energy literacy’ – it will require members of the public to better understand the energy, carbon and financial implications of their lifestyle, and where they can save money.

“There can be a fourfold difference in energy consumption between adjacent houses, we need to find out reason for this and design a system that will allow the energy profligate to become, if they wish the energy lean.

The research will outline simple measures that can be taken to reduce energy use in the home.

“Significantly reducing energy usage within domestic buildings through automatic physical controls, such as electronically closing windows, is economically difficult. Equipping windows with sensors and motors could cost in the region of £100 per window. Closing the window by hand costs nothing—but how many of us know how much energy it might save.

“Equally, by enforcing external policy controls, such as set times when appliances can or can’t be used, is difficult socially and politically.

“For this reason, an approach that has more chance, economically, socially and politically, of achieving significant energy reductions, is to persuade building occupants to change their energy consuming behaviours.”

However, the research group acknowledges that many studies which have focused on providing building occupants with information about their energy use have demonstrated minimal impact, with behaviour change often not sustained in the longer term.

For this reason, the team is very aware of the need to avoid simply presenting further information – an approach that has failed in the past – and to focus on providing longer-lasting strategies that will extend beyond temporary interventions or campaigns.

One of the main elements of the project will involve twenty test households which will each be given an iPad that constantly informs them of how they might save energy in their home and how much any particular action will cost or save them.

Professor Coley said: “In order to achieve these goals, this project will specifically target long-term sustained effects by focusing on changes to the habitual behaviours of building occupants, and not just short-term responses to interventions.

“The smart system we aim to develop is unique in that it automatically learns about the building it is monitoring. By using complex mathematical systems, it will allow for what the building is made for, how insulated it is, and will make suggestions with these limitations in mind.

“The system will also partition physical items in the building, so suggestions might link directly to the use of a kettle, or television Suggestions will be given in non-technical human language, and we’re working with psychologists to establish the best way of achieving this.”

The smart system will be based on a whole-building energy model that will integrate a thermal picture of the building, a model of the occupant’s habits and requirements, and a map of energy use in the building.

Using a range of automated and human data collection and analyses, the research team will develop an understanding and model of the occupants’ energy-related attitudes, behaviours and habits.

These models will be brought together to inform the smart system, helping occupants to identify and break poor energy habits, develop better ones, and reduce energy demand and carbon emissions.

However the researchers are aware that the equipment needs to be cheap, easily deployable, and minimally disruptive to the fabric of the building so as to encourage uptake and use.

The project commences in July 20112 and is funded for four years by the EPSRC.

……………..

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Dr Salo has worked with elite athletes for over 20 years, studying the fundamental principles underlying performance to improve their technique and efficiency, specialising in sprinting and hurdling.

He was the only biomechanical technical personnel in Team GB for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and this summer he will advise and support athletes in their preparations, right through to the Games.

“The Olympics is the pinnacle of an athlete’s career,” he said, “so anyone who works with athletes wants to get them to the best possible condition.”

Dr Salo combines his academic expertise with an inside understanding of athletics drawn from his experience of coaching international athletes in his home country of Finland.

His research focuses on mathematical modelling for sprint starts, investigations into sprinting on bends, for example in the 200 metres, and work with 4×100 metre relay teams on the efficiency of baton exchanges.

He films athletes on the track and analyses their movements through specialist software, eliminating the traditional reliance on practical trial and error to perfect performance.

Sometimes results can be surprising, in the case of sprinting on bends, analysis has directed coaches to use techniques that seem to be counter-intuitive but prove effective.

Dr Salo has worked with athletes who have achieved medal success, notably the winning 4×100 metre men’s relay team at the Athens Olympics 2004, including Bath’s Jason Gardener.

“When the team took the gold in Athens I had already flown home from the preparation camp, and I was screaming at the television from the sofa,” he said.

Dr Salo has high hopes for the British performance at London 2012. “London is going to be a huge sporting success for the British team,” he said. “Home nations always exceed predictions.”

At the Games Dr Salo will be in the Olympic Stadium filming races to review technique with coaches between heats.  “When you’re actually in the stadium and the race starts it’s nerve-wracking, but at the same time I can’t be nervous because I have to hold the camera steady to be able to analyse the race!”

To be part of the team that will help the host nation’s athletes go for glory is a high point in Dr Salo’s career. “London 2012 is going to be the closest I can get to a home Olympics, as Finland will never host the summer Games, so naturally I’m really excited,” he said. “The athletes are so motivated and there’s definitely an extra buzz. It’s great to be part of it.”