PGR conference showcases the brightest and best

The University’s first annual Postgraduate Researcher conference proved a resounding success, attracting an audience of more than 200 academics from both within and outside the University.

The event celebrated excellence in postgraduate research, and featured 42 researcher presentations held across three parallel sessions. Keynote speeches were given by author and journalist Simon Singh and the University's Professor Kim Knott (Department of Theology and Religious Studies).

The conference was introduced by Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation Professor Andrew Thompson and he also awarded prizes to the winners of three competitions organised to support the event.

The Postgraduate Researcher of the Year was Danielle Miles of the Centre for Molecular Nanoscience (School of Chemistry) for her work on peptides Can a new protein-like gel be used to cure back pain?  Runner-up was Jasjit Singh (Department of Theology and Religious Studies) for his study Keeping the Faith: the transmission of 'Sikhism' amount young British Sikhs. Third prize was shared by Anja Schmidt (School of Earth and Environment) for her research on volcanoes The danger in our backyard: Icelandic Volcanic Eruptions, and Michael Guess (School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering) for his project Microwave heating of greenhouse crops - improving energy efficiency of greenhouse agriculture.

Winners of the Postgraduate Researcher Presentations 2010 Competition were:

1st           Jo Humphrey (Biological Sciences)
2nd           Thomas Forth (Biological Sciences)
3rd           Lukas Stadler (Medicine and Health)

Winners of the Postgraduate Research Image of the Year 2010 Competition were:

1st           Rosemary Morgan (Medicine and Health)
2nd           Majdi Sawalha (Engineering)
3rd           Emily Morris (PVAC)

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