From Salford


Life changers


Our research has a great reputation, with much of it considered of a global standard


I


n the last Research Assessment Exercise held in 2008 by various higher education funding bodies, 83 percent of the University of Salford’s research was judged of international quality.


“In some areas such as the built environment, digital technologies and health we literally are world leaders,” says Pawel Zolnierczyk, Technology Transfer Officer.


While research invariably begins life as a theoretical idea, with funding and application it can also bring real-life benefits – as work from across our schools shows. Just a small snapshot of some of our projects reveals the School of the Built Environment investigating how to make cities more resilient to disasters like tsunamis; the School of Health & Social Care looking at the importance of immediate skin-to- skin contact in the period following childbirth; and researchers at the School of Media, Music & Performance using digital technologies to increase sex education among young males. Then there’s the Salfordinsole – a range of prefabricated insoles that have been developed to reduce foot pronation (inward roll) and ease medial knee pain.


The product was developed by researchers in our Podiatric department, with


Pawel Zolnierczyk and Dr John Hadfield creating real world impact


a spin-out company launched to sell directly to healthcare professionals. “Salfordinsole is a great example of our research bringing direct benefits to the public and revenue to the University,” says Pawel, who as a Technology Transfer Officer is responsible for getting our research from the classroom into the real world. Together with his colleagues, he organises funding and patents to protect new work and licenses, which in turn allows us to market our innovations through spin-out companies or third-parties.


“It’s not only changing lives, but potentially saving them as well.” Pawel Zolnierczyk


“Pawel helped us secure VC funding from Sparkventures to set up a company called Onco-NX and because of that we can now undertake initial experiments,” says Dr John Hadfield, Senior Lecturer in Medicinal Chemistry.


John, together with his colleague Alan McGown, Professor of Molecular Drug Design, could change the world if their research into a drug that destroys the blood supply to cancerous tumours, is successful.


Alumni Magazine 2011 19


“We’re just at proof-of-concept stage with Onco-NX at the moment, but it promises much,” says Pawel. “Another piece of research that’s at a similar stage and which could have an equally beneficial effect on the world is the Breast Phantom – a false breast that will help train surgeons and doctors dealing with breast cancer.”


Breasts have physical and mechanical properties that have proved difficult to replicate and as such there is currently very little opportunity for surgeons to practice in a realistic environment. The Breast Phantom – if successful – will have tissue that behaves as a real-life breast and revolutionise the standard of training available.


“Every graduate of the University should be proud of the research it produces,” says Pawel. “It’s not only changing lives, but potentially saving them as well.”


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