University

Crowdfunding to research Dartmoor wildlife

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Mon, 01/25/2016 - 11:06am

A new crowdfunding initiative has been launched by a University of Exeter PhD researcher in a bid to secure backing to help expand their bird conservation research.

Funding received will cover expenses such as equipment, running costs and compensation for the volunteers that take unpaid leave to support the research.

Donations can be made via the crowd-funding website, which features various bonuses for the amount donated. All donations are accepted, but pledging as much as £30 will result in a pack of postcards with a sketch of a bird species, designed by a member of the...

Four Oxbridge offers for Exeter School

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Thu, 01/21/2016 - 11:58am

Exeter School is pleased to complete this year’s Oxbridge admissions process with the announcement that four pupils have been offered places.

At Cambridge, alumna Kate Marks has an unconditional offer to read History at Murray Edwards New Hall and Aidan Higgins an offer to read Engineering at St John’s.

At Oxford, Luke Malone has been offered a place at St Catherine’s to read Materials Science and Toby de Mendonça has an offer to read Chemistry.

2015 leaver Kate is on the RFU National Youth Council, a Young Ambassador for the 2015 Rugby World Cup and Captain of the...

Video game features at Exeter Museum

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 01/20/2016 - 11:52am

Pioneering work by a University of Exeter researcher will see the principles behind video games used to expand what visitors to the city’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) can learn and see.

Work has started on a three year project to build upon the features which make video games so engaging, such as challenges and working towards goals, to help enhance the popular exhibits at the RAMM.

Sofia Romualdo, a PhD student at the University of Exeter, will bring “gameful design” to the work of the museum. Sofia’s University of Exeter supervisor is Professor...

Legacy and impact of over 100 years of Exeter City FC to be showcased

The legacy and impact of more than 100 years of Exeter City FC will be showcased at home ground St James Park thanks to the work of University of Exeter academics.

Researchers are working with Exeter City staff, supporters, fans, current and former players to develop a rich archive, which includes film, photographs, sound, and artefacts, to showcase the fascinating history of ECFC and illustrate the role the club and Supporters Trust have played in communities.

The creation of the archive is possible thanks to a partnership between University researchers and the football...

Dementia: New insights into causes of loss of orientation

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Mon, 01/18/2016 - 10:54am

New research has revealed how disease-associated changes in two interlinked networks within the brain may play a key role in the development of the symptoms of dementia.

The University of Exeter Medical School led two studies, each of which moves us a step closer to understanding the onset of dementia, and potentially to paving the way for future therapies. Both studies, part-funded by Alzheimer’s Research UK, are published in the Journal of Neuroscience and involved collaboration with the University of Bristol.

Both studies shed light on how two parts of the brain’s ‘GPS’...

Beat the January blues with food

If you are prone to the January blues after an over-indulgent festive season, you could help researchers at the University of Exeter discover whether healthy eating can ward off depression.

Scientists have long known that depression is often linked to weight issues and poor diet – but there is a lack of evidence on whether a bad diet can actually cause depression or itself results from depression, and whether switching to healthier foods could help to keep low mood at bay.

The MooDFOOD study is recruiting 250 overweight people in and around Exeter and aims to provide the...

Media coverage focusing on slim majority of the Conservative Party influences voter perceptions

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Thu, 01/14/2016 - 8:51pm

Voters who read media reports highlighting the slim Parliamentary majority of the Conservative Party are less likely to believe Prime Minister David Cameron can have an impact on their lives, University of Exeter researchers have found.

A survey by academics has found those who saw articles which highlight the Government’s working majority of 16 then believe Ministers are not able to deliver on their campaign promises.

The research team lead by Professor Dan Stevens, based at the Exeter Q-Step Centre and University’s Centre for Elections, Media and Participation, surveyed 1...

Free online depression therapy in Devon

In January, the most depressing month of the year, researchers are urging people to take up free therapy courses in a bid to help them find a definitive answer to what works best in online treatment for depression.

It has long been known that online cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) can be effective in treating depression – but scientists do not know which aspects work best. Now researchers at the University of Exeter are using Blue Monday, which has been labelled the most depressing day of the year, to raise awareness of a trial which will provide free online CBT for people with...

Shotgun Theatre present Avenue Q at Exeter Phoenix

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Sun, 01/10/2016 - 10:34pm

This January Shotgun Theatre, the award-winning musical theatre company from the University of Exeter, are proud to present their production of the laugh out loud musical, Avenue Q.

With performances in the Exeter Phoenix from 18th to 21st of January, the show follows the story of Princeton, a recent college graduate who suddenly finds himself thrown into the real world and renting an apartment on Avenue Q, New York.

Dubbed as Sesame Street for grownups, this musical is both funny and crude with realistic undertones, tackling issues such as relationships, sexuality and...

£2m grant to reduce major aquaculture diseases

The University of Exeter and the Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences (Cefas) are leading on a £1.97M BBSRC-Newton Fund project to develop and apply new molecular biology techniques to reduce the impact of major diseases in aquaculture for the improvement of the livelihood of small-scale farmers in India, Bangladesh and Malawi.

Aquaculture contributes significantly to global food security and poverty reduction. In Bangladesh and India the shrimp fishing industry sustains the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of poor people. Fish farming too is...

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