Defying Dementia Alumni in Politics Anniversary Round-Up University News
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YOUR ALUMNI NETWORK 2015 ALUMNUS (PL. ALUMNI, FEM. ALUMNA) N. A FORMER STUDENT It really makes me Sooo much proud to have Thanks @lancasteruni for to see on been a part of everything. What a fabulous the alumni Lancaster’s day yesterday #lovelancaster. Facebook It’s great to history. page. 20 years! where keep in touch. has that time gone? KEEP IN TOUCH GET INVOLVED JOIN OUR ALUMNI NETWORK BENEFITS AND SERVICES Register on our website, like Come back to campus, We have over 130,000 Lancaster continues to offer our Facebook page and join give a talk, mentor students graduates in over 170 ongoing careers support, the alumni LinkedIn group. or help to organise alumni countries. Join your local library services, discounted Keep your details up to date events – there are plenty of group and come to events merchandise, scholarships to receive newsletters, STEPS ways to keep your links with or contact us about starting for further study and DEFYING DEMENTIA magazines and invitations. Lancaster. your own! special offers on campus accommodation. ALUMNI IN POLITICS ANNIVERSARY ROUND-UP UNIVERSITY NEWS WWW.LANCASTER.AC.UK/ALUMNI WWW.LANCASTER.AC.UK/ALUMNI STEPS 2015 - 2 Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/steps WELCOME CONTENTS As always I’d like to open with best wishes from Lancaster University. As you will know, we have just come to the end of an exciting year of celebrations for our 50th anniversary. 03 19 DEFYING DEMENTIA 11 YOUR LANCASTER Biomedical Researchers have been trialling 50TH ANNIVERSARY A guide to some of the benefits and crowdfunding to develop an innovative drug A round-up of our celebrations in services available to all Lancaster Alumni. to stop early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease. Lancaster, London and across the world. 13 ANTISOCIAL NETWORK Dr Claire Hardaker talks about a cutting- edge tool that could help to pinpoint I was delighted to meet many alumni and threats on social networks. friends in various parts of the globe, and I was reminded what an important part of our community you remain. The warmth and 05 pride that our alumni feel for Lancaster really shone through and was quite humbling. ALUMNI TALK Looking at the 50th in numbers for a Gary and Anne Skinner celebrate 40 years Alan Milburn takes moment, we held close to a hundred events of marriage at the Chaplaincy Centre and a in twenty-six countries, interacting with round-up of alumni weddings and books. on the top role an audience of nearly 18,000 people who consisted of alumni, friends and members of the general public. We learned a great deal about what you want in terms of contact The third Chancellor for Lancaster was officially ‘installed’ at a special ceremony with your University and we also realised on campus on 4 March 2015. Lancaster graduate Alan Milburn succeeds that we need to keep the momentum mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington, who was also at the event. of engagement going. Whether you are supporters, volunteers, or advocates for The Installation Ceremony in the Great Hall He credits the skills he learned at Lancaster, Lancaster, you are a critical part of our 15 saw Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark E. where he graduated in History in 1979, as success. We celebrate and take pride in your 21 Smith make the official appointment of the a foundation for the whole of his working achievements; we hope you feel the same UNIVERSITY NEWS University’s new ceremonial head in front of life and career. He was later awarded an about ours. 07 Updates from around the University and HONORARY an audience of invited guests. After a lunch honorary degree in 2000. for 190 guests to mark the occasion, the So, we may be catching our breath from forthcoming events for your diary. Speaking at his installation Mr Milburn, a LET’S TALK POLITICS newly appointed Chancellor opened the a busy 12 months, but we continue to DEGREES AND former Pendle College student, said he was University’s new Engineering Building and plan for the future, dedicating ourselves Interviews and information about a honoured to accept the role of Chancellor. ALUMNI AWARDS later attended an afternoon tea to meet to strengthening our ties with our growing selection of new and established He said: “From its humble beginnings in University staff before giving an evening alumni community. Please also share your alumni politicians. Awards presented during the 2014 1964, Lancaster has gone on to have a public lecture at The Dukes in Lancaster. news with us; and remember we will always Graduation Ceremonies. profound impact not just on this lovely city be delighted to see you back at Bailrigg. Mr Milburn, the Labour MP for Darlington and the wider region but across our country Professor Mark E. Smith 17 (1992 to 2010), served within the UK and far beyond.” Government as Chief Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor Published by: Mr Milburn is Lancaster’s third Chancellor - Treasury, Secretary of State for Health (1999 SAM WORKS Alumni, Development & Events Office the founding Chancellor was HRH Princess and 2003) and as Chancellor of the Duchy E: [email protected] Alexandra who served from 1964 – 2004 The articles printed here, to the best of our knowledge, of Lancaster, before his resignation from 09 HIS MAGIC Additional Contributor: Rachel Pugh and was one of the longest serving university were correct at the time of going to press. We cannot party politics in 2010. He is now the Chair guarantee that all articles submitted have been printed For graduate, Sam Fitton, Lancaster Produced by Fusiondesign.co.uk chancellors in the UK. Sir Chris Bonington of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty and we reserve the right to edit material where necessary. OUR VOLUNTEERS proved to be the perfect launch Front cover photo: was Chancellor of Lancaster University Furthermore, the views expressed in this magazine are not Commission and runs his own consultancy, necessarily those of Lancaster University or the Editor. Meet our alumni volunteers across the pad for his career as a professional Janet Regan, Community Activities Day for a decade from 2005 and continues his advising governments and corporations Steps is available to view online at www.lancaster.ac.uk/ globe and find your local group. award-winning magician. September 2014. involvement with the University in the new worldwide. He is also involved in a variety of steps as a PDF and a Word document. If you require this role of Chancellor’s Ambassador. magazine in another format, please contact the Alumni & charitable projects. Development Office. 1 STEPS 2015 - 2 Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/steps BIOMEDICAL RESEARCHERS AT LANCASTER UNIVERSITY HAVE BEEN TRIALLING CROWDFUNDING TO UNLOCK SOME OF THE MONEY THEY NEED TO CONTINUE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INNOVATIVE DRUG WITH THE POTENTIAL TO STOP EARLY-STAGE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE IN ITS TRACKS. Defying Dementia The team from the Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, led by Professor David Allsop, has taken the unusual step of launching a crowdfunding appeal to raise some of the money to do pre-clinical human The aim of our team is to studies on this drug (R1-OR2-TAT) developed at Lancaster, because progress our candidate of their conviction that it offers of a drugs into clinical way of stopping the progression of use against neuro- Alzheimer’s. degenerative diseases Professor Allsop and his team have taken a PROFESSOR DAVID ALLSOP different approach to tackling the disease from that taken by developers of existing and failed Alzheimer’s drugs. Scientific trials have produced encouraging results, but the drug needs to undergo pre-clinical development The Lancaster team has been working for the to have any hope of being taken up by a Professor Allsop - whose first degree was in past eight years, on a substance called beta- Biology, followed by a PhD in Biochemistry - pharmaceutical company and developed for amyloid (“Aβ”) which is found in clumps and widespread treatment of dementia. has been working to find a cure for Alzheimer’s fibres in the plaques formed in the brain in for 30 years, inspired by his grandfather’s 12% The project called ‘Defying Dementia’ Alzheimer’s. R1-OR2-TAT prevents the experience of the disease. He developed a Dementia affects 12% addresses a problem they call the ‘valley of clumping of Aβ and blocks the toxic effects keen interest in how it is initiated and how it of people over the age death’, which is the gap between research of Aβ on nerve cells. The researchers have develops and progresses in the brain. The first of 65, rising to 46% of those over 80. funding and commercial development. also made it possible for R1-OR2-TAT to couple of decades of his career were spent It is a particular issue in drug discovery. cross the blood-brain barrier. trying to develop an understanding of how the The campaign began after Dr Gavin Smith in Says Allsop: “We are now keen to carry out disease affects the brain. Lancaster University’s Intellectual Property drug distribution and toxicity studies before “I set out to find a drug to combat the office won a £40,000 prize in a Patent Office we decide if our drug is suitable for entry into competition for his idea of crowdfunding disease,” says Allsop, “but we did not BILLION human clinical trials. This is why we are even know what the fundamental brain £26 patent pending technologies. Dr Penny currently fundraising.” The financial cost of Foulds has used the prize to develop the mechanisms were at first. Only after they dementia to the UK is During the ‘Defying Dementia’ campaign, the ‘Defying Dementia’ crowdfunding project were discovered did the idea of finding a drug £26 billion per annum.