Departmental news

Dr Hannah James, Specialist Registrar in Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery at UHCW and PhD graduate from Warwick Clinical Trials Unit has been awarded a very prestigious Hunterian Professorship by the Royal College of Surgeons for her ground breaking surgical education research work.

Dr James recently completed an outstanding body of research for her PhD on the impact of cadaveric surgical training on improving patient outcomes. She becomes the first female Trauma and Orthopaedic (T&O) surgeon to become a Hunterian Professor. Read the full article here

On 23 and 24 January 2023, the project team of the AHRC/DfG-funded research project “From Smart Technologies to Smart Consumer Laws” held a working meeting at the University of Warwick. The project focuses on a range of consumer challenges created by the Internet of Things (IoT), which is characterised by a complex integration of physical and digital products and services, e.g., in the context of smart homes, connected vehicles or consumer wearables.

A new centre based jointly at the University of Southampton and Warwick will become a game changer for chemical industries, including manufacturing, pharma and electronics.

Launched in 2015, the XMaS Scientist Experience is a nationwide opportunity for any Year 12 UK Physics students who identify as female to join us on an all-expenses-paid 4-day trip to the ESRF in Grenoble, France at the beginning of July 2023. Our aim is to encourage students to consider science careers, foster a sense of community and encourage self-belief.

Find out more about the experience.

Watch the video that was made by the ESRF team in July 2017.

Seasonal winter peaks in infectious diseases put significant pressures on national health services, including hospitals and general practitioners. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common virus which for the majority of people causes mild symptoms like a common cold, but it can be serious for very young infants and older adults. Currently, RSV is a significant contributor to pressures in paediatric intensive care. Find out more about how machine learning can predict the peaks in RSV and ultimately improve patient care - click here for more information

A collaborative study by the Thompson group with Dr Robin Thompson's (Mathematics Institute, University of Warwick) and Dr Uri Obolski's (Tel Aviv University) groups. The study examines the impact of prior immunity conferred by SARS-CoV-2 or seasonal coronavirus infection on the emergence of new variants using mathematical modelling . We find that, if cross-reactive immunity is complete (i.e. someone infected by the previously circulating virus is not susceptible to the novel variant), the novel variant must be more transmissible than the previous virus to invade the population. However, in a more realistic scenario in which cross-reactive immunity is partial, we show that it is possible for novel variants to invade, even if they are less transmissible than previously circulating viruses. Finally, we find that if previous infection with the antigenically related virus assists the establishment of infection with the novel variant, as has been proposed following some experimental studies, then even variants with very limited transmissibility are able to invade the host population.

Read the paper hereLink opens in a new window.

The GibsonGroup have a programme of research to investigate how glycans (sugars) can be used in biosensing or diagnosis of disease. In the latest publication from the team, they show how otherwise identifical proteins with different glycosylation patterns can be identified and discriminated between. This is achieved by using antibodies immobilised on biolayer interferometry sensors which can first target all glycoforms (and hence are are not specific). In a second step, gold nanoparticles labelled with lectins (carbohydrate binding proteins) are used to identify which glycoform is present, and due to the large mass of the gold particles leads to signal enhancement. This is demonstrated for prostate specific antigen - a key biomarker for prostate diseases including cancer. It is known that the glycosylation pattern, not just protein concentration, is a hallmark of disease state but current techniques do not distinguish glycoforms. The method shown her can be automated and takes < 90 minutes to complete in this proof of concept study.
Read the paper hereLink opens in a new window.

As we welcome back our students for 2023, we would like to wish a warm welcome to some new colleagues but also a fond farewell to those we have had to say goodbye to.

Making outreach work fun and engaging for primary school children (and showing them University can be an exciting prospect!) WLS’ School Tasking programme is growing in popularity and reach with a recent piece on BBC News Midlands highlighting the positive impact it’s having.

In an occasional series focusing on our undergraduate entrepreneurs, we hear from Kartik Jambur, Warwick Enterprise Innovation Fellow, about his work to embed innovation and entrepreneurship at every level of the university and beyond.

Kartik Jambur (BSc Economics and Industrial Organisation) - Innovation Fellow

Currently in his second year studying Economics and Industrial Organisation, Kartik is one of six Innovation Fellows chosen to help promote entrepreneurialism and innovation across the University of Warwick.

As a fresher Kartik got to know Warwick Enterprise through working alongside them as part of entrepreneurship societies on campus. After meeting the previous cohort of Innovation Fellows at a careers fair hosted at The Shard in London he was keen to become more closely involved.

“I was instantly intrigued by the role,” Kartik says. “It seemed like the best opportunity to be at the forefront of the student entrepreneurship community at Warwick and help scale up the innovation culture. I’m excited to be making innovation accessible to students across the University.”

As an Innovation Fellow Kartik’s role includes raising awareness, liaising with departments, and promoting a range of events and challenges. He leads on building collaborative partnerships with Warwick’s student societies, and raising awareness of the resources available at the Warwick Innovation Space, housed in the Junction Building.

“A lot of students never visit the Junction except for exams and we’re working to change this,” he jokes. “Working with student societies helps me spread the word about Warwick Enterprise more efficiently. My goal is to connect students with entrepreneurial ambitions to the huge range of resources available to them.

“We have programmes and resources for students at every stage of the start-up journey. And we create opportunities to test those new problem-solving skills, such as the Warwick Secret Challenge, where students work to solve real-life problems that departments in the University are facing.

“I’d encourage everyone to take part in at least one of these challenges as they boost your ability to think innovatively and also introduce you to the whole enterprise ecosystem.”

Kartik credits his early years in Bangalore, “the start-up city of India,” for inspiring his passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.

“I was surrounded by entrepreneurship from an early age. Members of my family built their own companies and my interest in innovation was really sparked when some of them failed. This might sound counter-intuitive but it was that experience which taught me the importance of resilience and of critical thinking.

“The idea of building something of value from the ground up, and scaling it to the next level, is something that philosophically attracts me.”

Asked what skills entrepreneurs need, Kartik doesn’t hesitate. “Work ethic,” he says. “It is resilience and work ethic that distinguishes great entrepreneurs from good ones.”

Curiosity is also high on Kartik’s list. “You need to be curious about every single thing in your industry. It completely boils down to asking enough questions in your specific area that you become an expert. This is the best way to build credibility for yourself – when you stand in front of an investor they want to know whether you’ve put in the work and whether you are an expert in your market.”

Kartik believes strongly that his background in economics gives him an advantage when it comes to innovation. “I might be biased but I truly believe that no-one understands products and markets better than economists – this is the core skill that drives entrepreneurship and I’m looking forward to exploring the intersection between economics and entrepreneurship throughout my life.”

Warwick Enterprise

Warwick Enterprise was created in 2019 with the vision of promoting a culture of innovation at every level of the university.

The Innovation Fellows make a vital contribution to the delivery of this vision. The all-student team works to boost knowledge about Warwick Enterprise throughout the student and staff body. “Our focus is now on embedding innovation as part of the curriculum in every department,” Kartik explains.

“We want the University of Warwick to be synonymous with innovation and entrepreneurship, and to be renowned for our entrepreneurial culture. And we are expanding our reach by collaborating with universities across the UK and around the world.”

Kartik’s top tips for student entrepreneurs:

• The most important thing is to understand the resources available, whether it be through Warwick Enterprise, your department or through joining appropriate student societies.

• Take part in at least one of the innovation challenges like the Warwick Secret Challenge, the Global Think Tank, Ingenuity, society challenges or challenges run by individual departments.
• If you do have a start-up idea, speak to one of the Innovation Fellows or the staff at Warwick Enterprise to receive guidance and support to build on it and explore any funding opportunities available.
• If you want to build up your knowledge and skills, sign up for the workshops and take part in the Warwick Enterprise Pathways Programme.
• Make sure you attend student society events that are focussed towards entrepreneurship as you’re guaranteed to meet students who are equally interested in entrepreneurship and you’ll help strengthen the innovation and entrepreneurship community at Warwick.

Related content

Find out more about these opportunities at Warwick EnterpriseLink opens in a new window 

We're organising a bespoke innovation workshop for Economics students on 22 February 2023. Invitations will be sent out w/c 23 January 2023.