News


Stroke care certificates awarded


Pictured are some of the students and staff at the Lancaster presentation


The Cumbria and Lancashire Stroke Network, which was recently awarded £250,000 to strengthen and enhance services in the area, is working to ensure medical staff have the specialist knowledge they require to meet the complex needs of patients who have suffered strokes, many of whom have to undergo lengthy rehabilitation and suffer long term effects.


As part of this initiative, staff from both the acute hospitals and community health teams in Cumbria and north Lancashire have been undergoing additional training at the university and have completed the University Certificate in Stroke Care after funding was provided through the network.


Twenty-three students worked towards the qualification via a part-time, work-based learning programme and they celebrated their success at a presentation afternoon shortly before Christmas.


Dr Paul Davies, one of the Cumberland Infirmary physicians at the forefront of improving stroke care in the county, and his colleague Dr Olu Orugun, from the West Cumberland Hospital, were among the special guests at the presentations and they were joined by Kathy Blackadder, stroke network lead, who formally handed over the certificates.


The university’s Dr Diane Cox also gave a short speech, citing it an excellent example of collaborative working between the university and local health trusts.


Energy research leads to PhD first


Student Jenny Rogers has won the distinction of becoming the first PhD graduate from the university’s National School of Forestry. Her valuable research into sustainable energy will be continued by other PhD students at the Newton Rigg campus.


Jenny Rogers


Jenny successfully won full funding from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) for her research—one of only 35 studentships awarded since its formation in 2004.


After four and a half years living and studying in Cumbria, Jenny says: “My research was focused around renewable energy projects in rural Cumbria. As a result I have become really interested in how and why people use energy in their day-to-day lives—and what helps or prevents more sustainable energy use.


“I now want to find work in the sustainable energy sector, either in research or a more practical role.”


The university is committed to expanding its research activity in key areas. Dr Ian Convery, Jenny’s Director of Studies says:


“For Jenny to access research council funding in this very competitive area was a real achievement and she is the first PhD graduate from our National School of Forestry.


“We currently have three other UKERC-funded studentships, more than any other university outside London and Edinburgh.


“Over the last five years we have worked hard to grow our postgraduate research and we now have a total of 12 PhD students working on a range of forestry, energy and conservation issues. This is a significant resource of talented scientists for Cumbria and the North West and we want more of them.”


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