Issue 261 ▸ 6 June 2013 Reportersharing Stories of Imperial’S Community

Issue 261 ▸ 6 June 2013 reporterSharing stories of Imperial’s community

Human impact The Business School researchers tackling big global social and economic issues → centre pages

Health Particular Film star fossil revolution pilgrimage New fossil New centre will Friends of named after unpick nature Imperial visit the Johnny Depp and nuture in particle smasher PAGE 6 human health at CERN PAGE 3 PAGE 10 2 >> newsupdate www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 6 June 2013 • issue 261

East meets west I mperial College London signed a memo- ogy, engineering, medicine and business. randum of understanding on 15 May with The early response has been strong. edi’ tor s corner Zhejiang University (ZJU), one of China’s ZJU and Imperial agreed this week to leading universities. explore the possibility of ZJU co-investing in a future R&D facility at Imperial West, The big At the launch event in March of the vision as well as enhancing the two universities’ for Imperial West, the College’s new cam- academic links. picture pus in White City, President & Rector Sir Sir Keith O’Nions said: “Our ambition Keith O’Nions set out an idea for an inno- for collaborating with other organisations Imperial is no stranger vative approach to creating a university at Imperial West – and certainly with ZJU – to invention; it’s one of campus. is to achieve a level of excellence together the things the College is The College invited proposals from that would not be possible apart. best known for. Advanced potential global partners in business, “We look forward to working with ZJU composites for motorsport, industry and academia to co-locate on the colleagues to establish how the two insti- An artist’s impression of Imperial sensors to explore distant campus and collaborate with Imperial’s tutions will benefit from the potential West. To see more visit: http:// planets, vaccines for world-leading experts in science, technol- partnerships.” youtu.be/iKwN1R3bXvQ tropical diseases – all tangible things to come out of research here. But there’s also invention that’s perhaps a little President & Rector thanks harder to pin down that relates to overarching staff after roaring success processes – something that the Business School of Festival excels at. The best ideas can’t flourish without Imperial’s President properly thought-out & Rector, Sir Keith Call to the ways of delivering them O’Nions, extended a big – whether that’s in the thank you to everyone summer ball healthcare, construction who took time to make or environmental sector. this year’s Imperial This issue we take a look Festival such an Imperial staff and their guests are invited at how research done by enjoyable event. to attend the Imperial College Union academics at the Business Summer Ball 2013 on Saturday 22 June. School is having an impact The Festival, on Friday The theme for this year is ‘1920s on virtually every facet of 3 May and Saturday 4 Prohibition’ and guests are encouraged society (pages 8 and 9). May, showcased the to dress for this theme. Looking at the bigger best of Imperial with picture is a theme that hands-on science dem- A funfair, fireworks and food stalls will continues this month with onstrations, music, be among the attractions at the the opening of the MRC- comedy, dance and art for all ages. festival-style event. Doors NIHR Phenome Centre, Sir Keith said: “It made me very proud to see staff and stu- open at 17.30 for those which moves on from the dents representing every single academic department across attending the optional human genome project the College, engaging with thousands of visitors in creative dinner, 19.30 for by looking at the effects and imaginative ways. non-diners. of our genes, our lifestyle “The Imperial Festival is a tremendous opportunity for the and our environment (page College to showcase its activities to a whole host of guests The first 550 3). With a more complete including our alumni and the general public. tickets cost understanding of the “I would like recognise the talent, energy and dedication £35, with ‘nature-nurture’ question it of everyone who helped to bring the campus to life and create dinner an could revolutionise health such a warm, vibrant and welcoming atmosphere.” additional £30. and medical research. This year, approximately 10,000 visitors attended the Festi- andrew czyzewski, Acting Editor val, which was 50 per cent up for alumni and other guests from last year. It was organised and run by more than 400 academ- For tickets visit: Reporter is published every three weeks during term time ics, staff and student volunteers from the College. bit.ly/17VArGV in print and online. The next — Colin Smith, Communications and Public Affairs publication day is 27 June. Contact Andrew Czyzewski: To watch a selection of videos from the festival visit: bit.ly/18KG8V4 and for a [email protected] special Festival edition of Imperial podcast visit: bit.ly/12qCCjQ 3 www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 6 June 2013 • issue 261 >> newsupdate

China alumni tour strengthens links

The President & Rector, Sir Keith O’Nions, hosted a series of events for alumni across China last month, featuring special academic lectures by College staff.

Over 100 Imperial alumni gathered at Tsinghua University in Beijing on 13 May for the College’s largest ever alumni event in the Chinese capital. Guests heard from Professor Jianguo Lin (Mechanical Engi- neering) about how his work in lightweight manufacturing is having an impact on the automotive and aerospace industries. Among the guests was the President of Tsinghua University and Imperial alumnus, Professor Chen Jining (Civil and Environmental New centre will unpick nature Engineering PhD 1992), who reminisced about his time at the Col- lege: “I miss a lot about Imperial and London: the weather, M&S, and nurture in human health the BBC, Hyde Park and, most of all, student life. But I’m delighted to see Imperial here. There’s a Y esterday saw the official launch of theI mperial-based MRC-NIHR Phenome special link between Imperial Centre which will put the UK at the forefront of a revolution in health and medi- and China and we are stronger cal research. together.” At the Shanghai alumni event The new centre, a collaboration between Imperial, King’s College London, and on 16 May, Professor Yike Guo analytical technology companies the Waters Corporation and Bruker Biospin, (Computing) gave a special lec- is funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for ture on big data, discussing Health Research (NIHR). the realities, possibilities and The centre will enable scientists to better understand and tackle diseases challenges for universities and that are triggered by environment as well as genetic causes, and increase the businesses. potential to develop strategies for their prevention and treatment. The tour concluded in Hong Kong on 19 May, where Profes- Professor Jeremy Nicholson, Head of the Department of Surgery and Cancer, sor David Gann, Vice-President (Development and Innovation), is the Director of the Centre. He said: “The sequencing of the human genome described how Imperial is “innovating the innovation process” in generated a lot of excitement among scientists and the public, but studying our science, engineering, medicine and business. genes has revealed less than we had hoped about common diseases such as He introduced Imperial West as “a place where colleagues can cancer, diabetes and heart disease. By studying the phenome we can examine come together and challenge preconceived ideas and solve big the effects of our genes, our lifestyle and our environment. What we discover problems”. about the causes of disease can be used to inform healthcare.” One of the guests present, Ken Ho (Civil Engineering 1984, MSc The Centre has secured funding of £10 million from the MRC and NIHR for 1985), current chair of the Imperial College Alumni Association of its first five years. During this time it will test the thousands of samples already Hong Kong, explained why he gives his time to lead the work of stored by researchers working at the NIHR’s Biomedical Research Centres and the cause: “I fell in love with Imperial when a student. Through the Units. The centres and units are collaborations between hospitals and universi- association we bring together like-minded people, all holding a ties that focus on ensuring that patients benefit from the most promising medi- passion to pursue excellence.” cal research. — Andrew Scheuber, Communications and Public Affairs — Kerry Noble, Communications and Public Affairs

S urvey of Imperial Antibiotic use studied in hospitals academics launched Doctors are influenced by ‘prescribing etiquette’ when The Queen’s The Business School is launching a deciding whether to give a patient antibiotics, according Tower was built survey of Imperial academics to gather to new research by the Centre for Infection Prevention and Management at Imperial. The growing crisis of antibiotic in 1887 as a

in brief views on essential aspects of academic life. The survey is being carried out as resistance means doctors are under increasing pressure commemorative part of a larger research project sup- to cut down on their use. The study found that the cultural building in honour ported by the Management Board called rules within doctors’ specialties most strongly dictate their Academic Engagement at Imperial. It decision to prescribe antibiotics. of Queen Victoria’s covers all activities in which academics Golden Jubilee. work with industry, policy and practice, T ooling up such as collaborative research, contract The surrounding research, and entrepreneurial and advi- Helping the UK to develop more hi-tech industries will be buildings were demolished in the sory activities. The results of the survey the focus of research at a centre, launched on 4 June. The will help inform policy at both the College Manufacturing Futures Lab (MFL) at the College is bringing early 1960s but the tower stands as and national level. together experts from around Imperial who are working on a lasting monument.” developing technologies and processes that will make manufacturing in the UK more efficient, cost effective and ulti- MARCUS REES-ROBERTS (development) ADDRESSES GUESTS Staff will receive an invitation to AT IMPERIAL FESTIVAL TAKING TOURS TO THE TOP OF THE participate shortly mately more profitable. QUEEN’S TOWER. 4 >> newsupdate www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 6 June 2013 • issue 261

Physicists share in prize for Higgs boson detector Two Imperial physicists have been praised as particle detector master- minds, following last year’s discovery of a Higgs boson at CERN.

In 2012, scientists revealed ground breaking results from the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) and A Toroidal LHC Appa- ratus (ATLAS) experiments at CERN; the More deaths from discovery of a new particle, whose associated field gives mass to the funda- surgery closer to mental particles, and is the last missing link of the Standard Model of particle Professor Jim Virdee and Dr Michel Della Negra the weekend physics. This week it was announced that the Patients undergoing planned surgery appear 2013 European Physical Society High versity of Freiburg. more likely to die if they have their operation at Energy Physics Prize will be awarded to As the founding fathers of the CMS, the end of the week, according to researchers at the CMS and ATLAS collaborations for the Professor Virdee and Dr Della Negra “con- the School of Public Health and Department for discovery of a Higgs boson, and to three tributed much to the conceptual design, Surgery and Cancer. individually named scientists for their then led the teams that designed, con- pioneering and outstanding leadership structed and commissioned the CMS The team looked at over four million elective roles on those projects: Professor Tejinder detector over the course of the 20 years”, procedures conducted in NHS hospitals in (Jim) Virdee, Dr Michel Della Negra (both according to the voting committee. England between 2008 and 2011. The mortality Physics) and Dr Peter Jenni from the Uni- —Simon Levey, Communications and Public Affairs rate was lowest for patients having operations on Monday, and increased for each subsequent day of the week. The odds of death were 44 per cent higher for operations on a Friday than a Monday. The risk of dying was higher still for planned Independent committee to investigate procedures carried out at the weekend – 82 per cent greater odds animal research allegations “The first 48 than Monday – though hours after an the number of weekend Professor Steve Brown, the independ- Once it has concluded its work, the operation are operations was small. ent chair appointed to investigate alle- committee chaired by Professor Brown often the most The authors of the gations regarding the use of animals will provide a report to the College critical period.” study, which is published in medical research at Imperial, has detailing its findings and, if appropriate, in the British Medical announced his committee’s scope and any recommendations for improvement. Journal, suggest the its membership. The committee is expected to report in findings could reflect differences in the quality three to four months, and its findings of care at the weekend. Professor Brown, Director of the Medical and the College’s response will be made “The first 48 hours after an operation are Research Council’s Mammalian Genetics publicly available. often the most critical period of care for surgery Unit at Harwell, was asked by Imperial The College has also taken further patients,” said Dr Paul Aylin (School of Public in April to lead an investigation after the action to ensure that all staff involved Health), who led the study. “So if the quality of College received the allegations about in using animals in research fully under- care is lower at the weekend as some previous animal research via a newspaper. His stand their responsibilities within the studies have suggested, we would expect to see committee comprises scientists, clinical Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act – higher mortality rates for patients operated on at vets and experts. including the running of compulsory the weekend. That is what we found.” The committee will investigate and refresher training and development of a The study was conducted by the Dr assess the culture and approach to ani- new quality assurance programme. Foster Unit at Imperial, funded by Dr Foster mal care and welfare at the College. In Intelligence, an independent healthcare parallel to this inquiry, the College is —Jo hn-Paul Jones, Communications and information company, and the National Institute working closely with the Home Office, Public Affairs for Health Research. which is conducting an investigation For more details on the scope, membership, and —Sam Wong, Communications and Public Affairs focused on the specific allegations, as proposed terms of reference for the committee required under its statutory obligations. visit: bit.ly/YW8c70 5 www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 6 June 2013 • issue 261 >> newsupdate

Join our mailing list media mentions for regular news alerts: www. —SIMON LEVEY, Communications and Public Affairs imperial.ac.uk/media/jointsignup

Curious about the red planet I, robot perfect magnetic insulator, keeping the bbc radio 4 ▸ 14.05.2013 new scientist ▸ 18.05.2013 fields bottled up and preventing them from spilling all over the place.” Scientists have long sought to create artificial consciousness – but some believe we will never build a feeling machine using software. A team from the US recently built an experimental The squeezed middle cognitive robot, dubbed XCR, that stores sensory information belfast telegraph ▸ 30.04.2013 not via software, but through physical objects – in this case wires, resistors and diodes. If hit with sufficient force, it For several years, average household reverses direction – an avoidance response corresponding wages have fallen short of national to pain. The team tentatively claims in New Scientist that it inflation rates leaving medium income Professor Sanjeev Gupta (Earth Science and represents a primitive form of consciousness; but not everyone families short of a few pennies, Engineering) is one of only two geologists is convinced. “I would hesitate to call something conscious according to the Belfast Telegraph. on the NASA Mars Curiosity mission, that had such a limited repertoire of responses,” says Right across the UK this has affected reported an episode of BBC Radio 4’s The Professor Murray Shanahan (Computing), who studies machine consumers’ spending habits and Life Scientific, which centred on Professor consciousness. reduced the amount of disposable Gupta’s career in science. He was chosen income available to normal working to join the team to study rock formations on people, particularly in Northern the red planet thanks to his experience as a Introducing the magnetic hose Ireland. However, during a recent tour terrestrial geologist and expert in riverbed physics world ▸ 1.05.2013 of companies in Belfast and County formations. Referring to the mission’s point Antrim, Bank of England economist of touchdown, Professor Gupta said: “It was European scientists have built a new device that can transmit Professor David Miles (Business a very intense moment and when we finally a magnetic force over long distances, much the same way that School) said this period could soon got the signal that the lander had touched a water pipe transports its contents without any escaping. be over: “If wage settlements just stay down safely the room just erupted, people According to Physics World it could be used to create new faster at their current level, at least people’s were in tears. And then we got the first computing, using magnetic circuits instead of electric circuits. disposable income won’t be falling grainy images of the surface – it was just Professor John Pendry (Physics) explained: “A superconductor significantly year on year, which is what extraordinary.” expels all magnetic fields and can therefore be regarded as a we have been seeing.”

awards and major academies – the Royal Soci- experts. The report stated that honours ety, Royal Academy of Engineering “the high quality and relevance of and AMS. It marks a stellar year for the programme may be positively Toumazou, following the award of affecting commitment to the medicine his Regius Professorship, which Department [of Health] among the Distinguished service was granted to the College as part participants.” for Dale of the Queen’s 60th anniversary celebrations in January. engineering Professor Roger Dale (Surgery and Grad student set for UN Cancer, pictured centre) has been it to emerge as a journal fit for business school nuclear placement awarded the Distinguished Service purpose in the modern era, whilst Master’s course gets Medal of the British Institute of maintaining its character and government seal Chemical Engineering PhD student Radiology (BIR) in recognition of his proud place in history.” Yousef Alshammari has secured support for the Institute’s activities The Department of Health has a prestigious internship award to since 1976 and for his promotion engineering commended Imperial’s Health undertake a research project at of research in cancer radiobiology Toumazou completes trio Policy MSc course in an interim the International Atomic Energy in particular. Professor Andrew of fellowships feedback report. Run by the Agency, the United Nations’ Jones, BIR President, said: “Roger Business School’s Centre for nuclear watchdog. During his has been great servant to the BIR Professor Chris Toumazou has Health Policy, the two-year, part- research placement he will be over many years and his dedication been made a fellow of the Acad- time course offers a chance for working on a technical and eco- and commitment has helped to emy of Medical Sciences (AMS), those working in the health sector nomic analysis of hydrogen pro- significantly modernise the British becoming one of an elite few to to learn about important aspects duction by nuclear energy in the Journal of Radiology, allowing have fellowships from all three of health policy from international Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 6 >> scienceroundup www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 6 June 2013 • issue 261

Johnny Depp immortalised in ancient fossil find A scientist has discovered an ancient Scissorhands. Even the genus name, extinct creature with scissor-like Kootenichela, includes the reference claws in fossil records and named it in to this film as ‘chela’ is Latin for claws honour of movie star Johnny Depp. or scissors. In truth, I am also a bit of a Depp fan, so what better way to The 505-million-year-old fossil honour the man than to immortalise Kooteninchela deppi – a distant him as an ancient creature that once ancestor of lobsters and scorpions roamed the sea?” – is helping researchers to piece Legg believes that Kooteninchela together more information deppi would have been a hunter or about life on Earth during scavenger. Its large claws with their the Cambrian period, when elongated spines may have been used to capture prey, or they could have helped it to probe the sea floor nearly all modern looking for sea creatures hiding in sediment. animal types emerged. In the future, Legg intends to further his research David Legg, who carried and study fossilised creatures from the Ordovician, out the research as part the geological period that saw the largest increase of his PhD in the Department of Earth in diversity of species on the planet. He hopes to Science and Engineering, said: “When I first saw understand why this happened in order to learn more the pair of isolated claws in the fossil records of about the current diversity of species on Earth. this species I could not help but think of Edward —Colin Smith, Communications and Public Affairs

Quantum technology to find uses in new markets

Quantum physicists have devel- nology that is far more compact atoms.” oped a portable laser device that but can still cool large numbers of Portable clocks, magnetom- superchills groups of atoms, atoms for use in portable devices. eters and accelerometers have potentially allowing them to To achieve this they patterned the wide-ranging applications, includ- be used for diverse applica- surface of a semiconductor chip ing navigation on earth and in tions including telecommunica- to form a mesh grating, which space, telecomunications, geo- tions, geological exploration and splits the laser’s light into many logical exploration and medical navigation. beams to cool the atoms. imaging. Study collaborator Professor Dr Alastair Sinclair, Principal The project is a joint collaboration Ed Hinds (Physics), who directs Scientist at the NPL, said: “The between Imperial, the Universi- the Centre for Cold Matter at the miniaturisation of atomic sensors ties of Strathclyde and Glasgow, College, explains: “These spe- using these optical gratings can and the National Physical Labora- cially microfabricated diffraction make an important contribution tory (NPL). gratings create the perfect laser to metrology and high-precision Atoms that are cooled to a beams for trapping and cooling measurement.” temperature below one thou- sandth of a degree above abso- lute zero take on a new state of Laser cooling matter with strange but useful Perhaps owing to the world of science fiction, lasers are most commonly associated with burning or cutting, but they properties. can also be used to cool. At the scale of atoms, heat can be understood in terms of energy or movement. Even at low This is usually achieved by temperatures, in a freezer, for example, atoms will be zipping around at the speed of a passenger plane. Only if you a large apparatus shining many were able to somehow stop or slow down that movement could you cool the atoms any further. Because a laser is a focused laser light beams on stream of identical photons, its light can be made to collide precisely with atoms and slow them down to create the precious ultracold atoms. atoms to slow them down using Postgraduate students from the Controlled Quantum Dynamics Group at the College perform an outreach show – the Doppler effect. The Amazing Quantum World – in which Zachary Blunden-Codd (Physics) explains the concept of laser cooling: In their latest work, the team http://youtu.be/PLhdOxD1jGo?t=10m50s of researchers developed tech- 7 www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 6 June 2013 • issue 261 >> scienceroundup

Body fat hardens arteries New clues to antibiotic after middle age resistance in MRSA

Having too much body fat makes arteries become stiff after middle called c-di-AMP appears to play a age, a new study has revealed. vital role as a messenger in many bacteria, carrying signals between In young people, blood vessels appear to be able to compensate for parts of the cell. There is evidence the effects of obesity. But after middle age, this adaptability is lost, that strains with more c-di-AMP are and arteries become progressively stiffer as body fat rises – poten- more resistant to antibiotics. tially increasing the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. “What makes this molecule “We don’t know for sure how body fat makes arteries stiffer, but special, and a bit different from we do know that certain metabolic products in the blood may pro- others like it, is that there is now gressively damage the elastic fibres in our blood vessels. Under- growing evidence that many bac- standing these processes might teria need to produce this mole- help us to prevent the harmful cule in order to grow and divide, so the potential effects of obesity,” said study co- it’s an essential component of the author Dr Declan O’Regan (Clinical Scientists have identified four new cell,” said Dr Angelika Gründling beneficial effects Sciences). signalling receptors that may help (Medicine), who led the new study. of weight loss Obesity is known to be a major bacteria such as MRSA thrive in Signalling molecules work by may depend on risk factor for heart disease but different environments. binding to specific receptor pro- the reasons for this are not fully teins, which act as switches for cel- your age.” understood. Their discovery provides scien- lular functions. In the new study Dr Researchers at the MRC Clini- tists with vital clues in the hunt for Gründling and her colleagues pin- cal Sciences Centre at Imperial scanned 200 volunteers to measure new antibiotics, which are increas- pointed four receptors for c-di-AMP the speed of blood flow in the aorta, the biggest artery in the body. ingly in need as bacteria become in S. aureus. Blood travels more quickly in stiff vessels than in healthy elastic resistant to existing treatments. Dr Rebecca Corrigan (Medi- vessels, so this allowed them to work out how stiff the walls of the The bacterium Staphylococcus cine), a postdoc who worked on aorta were using an MRI scanner. aureus causes life-threatening dis- the study, said: “We hope that In young adults, those with more body fat had less stiff arteries. eases in hospital patients and in these findings can be exploited in However, after the age of 50 increasing body fat was associated with previously healthy people. Methi- the future to develop new antibi- stiffer arteries in both men and women. cillin-resistant S. aureus strains, otics that target the cellular path- “One implication is that the potential beneficial effects of weight known as MRSA, are especially dif- ways controlled by c-di-AMP. Such loss may depend on your age and how long you have been over- ficult to treat due to their antibiotic drugs might be effective against a weight. This is something we plan to study further,” O’Regan said. resistance. broad spectrum of bacteria.” —Sam Wong, Communications and Public Affairs A recently discovered molecule —Sam Wong, Communications and Public

African strategy to grow more with less impact

Smallholder farmers in Africa can increase food hold water better. production and reduce poverty without harm- Farmers have also increased the quantity of ing the environment, according to a new brief- maize production by planting their fields with a ing paper. native African tree called Faidherbia albida. Professor Sir Gordon Conway (Environmen- Over the past 40 years agricultural production tal Policy), who chairs the Montpellier Panel in the continent has barely increased that wrote the report, explained: “The Faidher- while population has grown rapidly bia tree curiously sheds its leaves in the wet and shows little sign of tailing off. “African growers are only expected season. They turn to a nutritious compost on At present, African growers are only to be able to meet 13 per cent of the the wet ground providing a natural fertiliser to expected to be able to meet 13 per cent continent’s food needs by 2050.” crops planted underneath, while allowing for of the continent’s food needs by 2050. sunlight to pass through during the growing The new paper by international experts from An example of this approach includes a season. the fields of agriculture, sustainable develop- novel method of conserving water by digging “Maize yields are boosted while decom- ment, trade, policy and global development medium-sized holes called zai (or water pock- position of the tree’s dropped leaves actually calls on governments around the world to tackle ets) in rows across the fields. Farmers add captures carbon and buries it in the soil. This this using ‘sustainable intensification’ – moving manure, which attracts termites that create an kind of ‘win-win’ example encompasses the away from past schemes of financial and agri- extensive network of underground tunnels to main ideals of sustainable intensification.” cultural aid. bring up nutrients from the deeper soils that —Simon Levey, Communications and Public Affairs 8 >> featurefocus www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 6 June 2013 • issue 261

Human impact

Researchers at the Business School are tackling global social and economic issues that affect millions

Over the past few years, academics at Imperial College Business School have been working hard to help tackle the big social, economic, health and environmental challenges of our age. The impact of these projects stretches far beyond the realm of boardrooms and suits, and has the potential to improve people’s quality of life – from patients cared for in their own homes thanks to new models for delivering remote healthcare, to the next generation of ambitious entrepreneurs able to thrive in a supportive business environment. At the Business School’s recent Research Exhibition on 24 May, Reporter looked in detail at three particularly topical areas of research that are having an immediate impact. —Maxine myers and andrew czyzewski, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Coming to the rescue

Perhaps one of the most visible signs of the recent bought out by other companies economic downturn in the UK is the decline of the display greater resilience, and high street and the demise of famous, well-loved are more likely to survive in a brands – and with them, of course, many thousands recession, than non bought-out of jobs. firms, potentially reducing job losses in the process. Also, bought-out firms According to figures released last month by the Office tend to experience improvements in employment for National Statistics, unemployment is on the rise conditions, such as greater workforce consultation again and stands at around £2.5 million at present. and productivity. Not only is this bad for the individuals concerned “You might have a company that is a very big but for the wider economy too, as Mike Wright, brand name and has been around for a long time, Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Business but it’s now underperforming and probably needs School, explains. to be a bit more entrepreneurial,” says Mike. “When “There’s this multiplier effect here, whereby if another company takes it over, it may need to be people are unemployed they’ve got less income, restructured so that, in the longer term, it can be which means that they buy fewer goods, and the more profitable and grow. You might be able to save You might have a people producing those goods may find themselves a subset of jobs that might, had you not intervened, company that is a very out of work soon too.” have been completely lost with the rest.” big brand name and The Centre for Management Buyout Research The CMBOR is creating an incredibly valuable has been around for a (CMBOR) in the Business School, led by Mike, looks body of evidence that will help people in various at the potential benefits of stable companies buying positions make better and more informed decisions. long time, but it’s now out financially struggling firms. It has a database It might be struggling companies wondering what underperforming and of 30,000 companies and has been monitoring the the next move should be; an ambitious and growing probably needs to be performance of bought-out firms since the early outfit calculating if it’s worth coming to the rescue of 1980s. another company; or politicians presiding over tax more entrepreneurial.” This work shows that failing firms that have been breaks for those willing to take the risk of a buyout. Professor Mike Wright 9 www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 6 June 2013 • issue 261 >> featurefocus

Fertile ground

What do the companies Facebook, Dyson and Vir- (Hungary) have now done. gin all have in common? They were all started by an The Global Entrepreneurship and Development entrepreneur with a new idea and grew to become Index (GEDI) ranks a country’s entrepreneurial large global outfits employing thousands of people. activity and identifies the entrepreneurial strengths and weaknesses of their economies. Entrepreneurship and the creation of start-up com- The UK is currently ranked 14th in the index and panies is now seen as particularly important for driv- although performing well overall, it scores poorly in ing the growth in nations’ economies – especially in the subset measures of ‘aspirations’ and ‘attitudes’. times of recession. It has also suffered more from the financial crisis “It’s essentially a trial and error process that relative to other countries. drives the most productive and efficient ideas Initiatives like technology clusters, such as the forward,” says Professor Erkko Autio. “So, say you ‘silicon roundabout’ in east London, and, in time, have a hunch that some business model might work, Imperial West can help. if it is ultimately successful then it’s likely to be more “There’s a good dynamic there; people in clusters productive and efficient than previously existing can learn from one another,” says Erkko. “The models – and if it isn’t, well, then you just move on important thing is that it creates some positive buzz Entrepreneurship to do something else.” around the phenomenon and makes it attractive as a is essentially a trial and Governments around the world are currently career choice.” thinking of ways to kickstart entrepreneurship and Erkko argues that improvements could also be error process that nurture start-ups, but what would really help that achieved through “well-targeted policy measures drives the most process would be a way to measure how a country is that encourage individuals to invest in start-ups.” productive and efficient performing. Indeed David Willetts, Minister for Universities And that’s exactly what researchers at the and Science, recently talked about how GEDI helps ideas forward.” Business School, George Mason University in the US the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Professor Erkko Autio and the Universities of Strathclyde, Aston and Pécs benchmark performance and set policy.

Beating cancer… globally

There has been considerable progress in tackling and for Rifat this means field studies to places like cancer in the developed world over the past few Africa and Brazil. decades, thanks to more targeted treatments and “You can’t study global health sitting in an office sensitive diagnostic techniques that enable early in South Kensington,” he says. “You have to be in the intervention. countries to really understand what the issues are and come up with context-specific solutions that are Yet this progress has not been carried over to low and feasible and owned by local people,” he says. middle income countries – in fact people there are For a start, he says cancer services can be dying from cancers that are quite preventable in the integrated with existing healthcare infrastructure, developed world. building on programmes that have been successful in Part of the problem centres around a pernicious preventing and treating AIDS. myth that cancer is a disease of affluence and not a “In many countries we’ve built very good primary priority for the developed world, according to Rifat healthcare system, so there will be marginal cost in Atun, Professor of International Health Management. introducing preventative intervention,” says Rifat, Working with colleagues from Harvard Medical School, noting that for cervical cancer there are very definitive Rifat has now gathered a compelling body of evidence stages of disease progression which can easily 80 per cent of to dispel this. screened for. patients with cancer They found that more than 80 per cent of patients Also, for many cancers, there are drugs which are with cancer live in low or middle income countries, now off-patent and so won’t be prohibitively costly – live in low or middle yet these receive only five per cent of global financial what is needed is a drug manufacturing supply chain. income countries, resources to fight the disease. An even starker Last November, Rifat attended the World Oncology yet these receive measure is that a child with cancer in Canada will Forum, a meeting of the world’s top cancer experts survive 90 per cent of the time, whereas a child with in Lugano, Switzerland, where participants agreed a only five per cent the same condition in the developing world will die 90 10-point manifesto to close the cancer divide based on of global funding per cent of the time. Rifat and colleagues’ recommendations. The strategy for the disease.” The challenge now is to close that ‘cancer divide’ was published on World Cancer Day on 4 February 2013.

The Research Exhibition was sponsored by an EPSRC pathways to impact award 10 >> featurefocus www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 6 June 2013 • issue 261

Particular pilgrimage

Roderick Rhys Jones, Chairman of the Friends of Imperial College group, recalls their recent visit to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva as guests of Professor Tejinder Virdee (Physics).

In the late eighteenth century visitors came from all over Europe to listen to philosopher and writer Voltaire, who, having been exiled from Paris for his revolutionary views, settled in a country house on the outskirts of the small hamlet of Ferney on the French-Swiss border. Roderick Rhys Jones with wife Sandi Rhys Jones at the LHC Travellers today are flocking there anew. Now called Ferney-Voltaire, the town is a stone’s collisions, CERN has chosen to spread the work- throw from CERN headquarters and lies within load to computing centres and researchers around the 27km ring of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) the world. Earlier, we had seen a screen in the – the must-see destination for scientists and phi- computer centre showing the nodes on the global losophers from across Europe and beyond. The network and were all delighted to see that Imperial Friends of Imperial took 26 members there on a was the busiest institution in the UK at the time three-day visit at the end of April. (pictured left). We were given hard hats before descending Collision course 100 metres to the level of the LHC tunnel. Walk- ing through a maze of rooms and passageways On the morning of Friday 26th, we gathered at we eventually passed through the huge concrete CERN’s visitor centre for a tour and talk by Dr Mario shield surrounding the CMS. Campanelli, a CERN researcher. Mario explained The passageway opened out onto a viewing how hydrogen atoms from prosaic-looking gas gallery about halfway up a vast cavern filled on bottles are stripped of their electrons to create Friends of both sides by the shining multi-coloured concen- protons that are then accelerated in the LHC by Imperial College tric circles of detectors. Everyone stopped to take successive superconducting electromagnets until breath. The size, complexity and precision leapt Friends of Imperial College is an they reach close to the speed of light. Two beams out at us. It was a sight to marvel at; a Taj Mahal association of people with an appetite of these superfast protons are sent in opposite for science. It supports the College by moment of wonder. directions then brought into collision – at which putting on public lectures, organising point detectors sift through the wreckage looking visits, and making donations to the Lasting legacy Student Opportunity Fund and the for exotic new particles, hints at new laws of phys- Rector’s Scholarship Fund. Friends has ics and even extra-dimensional universes. arranged behind-the-scenes visits to Some of the new technology developed at CERN College research facilities for some has already found real-world applications in medi- Below ground years and has recently expanded to cine and industry – including cancer treating had- off-campus trips, including to Diamond Light Source at Harwell, and the ron therapy and high-volume computing. There are Twenty minutes by bus through the French coun- three-day trip to Geneva taking in CERN also older technologies that have found new uses. tryside and we arrived at the spot along the LHC and other local science attractions. Our Of particular note are the 80,000 scintillating lead ring, where these cataclysmic collisions take place party at CERN was a cross-section of our tungstate crystals (heavier than iron, yet totally membership: some in their twenties, deep underground at the Compact Muon Solenoid some in their eighties; some with transparent) used in the detectors. Originally man- (CMS) detector. multiple science degrees, some with ufactured to protect the nose cones of Russian After being greeted by members of Professor none; some were alumni, some not, intercontinental ballistic missiles on re-entry, they Virdee’s team we were escorted into the control some living in Knightsbridge, some in are now being used for the international explora- Edinburgh. Everyone is welcome to join: room, which, when operating would be full of sci- www.friendsofimperial.org.uk tion of the beginning of the universe. entists monitoring the detectors far below us. In Swords into ploughshares, indeed. Voltaire one corner was a collection of champagne bottles, Roderick was recently awarded an would have approved. Imperial College Medal for exceptional each one marking another milestone in the suc- contributionto the College through his Professor Virdee gave a public talk entitled Unveiling the cess of the project. work with Friends of Imperial College Secrets of the Universe on 4 June. Look out for a video of With so much data generated by each of those the event at: www.friendsofimperial.org.uk.

11 www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 6 June 2013 • issue 261 inside story

mini profile Chiara Garattini Polymer pageantry Dr Chiara Garattini is a socio- cultural anthropologist who A new display at the Science naturally occurring polymer found in investigates how people inter- Museum’s Antenna Gallery features plants and created by some bacteria. act with technologies in health advanced materials created by the The materials are strong, lightweight and life sciences. She is on Intel Polymers and Composite Engineering and easy to recycle. Shown in the Corporation’s UK Health Inno- Group led by Professor Alexander picture above is a block containing vation team hosted at Imperial. Bismarck (Chemical Engineering). nano-cellulose firbril gel (above) The group creates new and alongside a Formula 3 steering wheel What is your role at Intel? bring together expertise in high- renewable composite materials made from cellulose-reinforced I am a user experience performance computing, bioin- from cellulose – a hugely abundant, material by the University of Warwick. researcher in Intel’s Health and formatics, big data visualisation, Life Science group. I contribute health database management, to the design process by gaining interface design and user expe- deeper insights in the way peo- rience. We want to partner with ple understand and interact with academics who are bringing s cience from scratch technology. We are trained to new, cutting-edge techniques to explore how people think about benefit patients. As explained by Stephanie McClellan, MSc Science Communication the technologies they use, both at a surface level and at deeper What will be some of the key underlying levels. challenges? I have a particular The clinical appli- What do biohackers do? interest the chal- We are cation of genetic lenges of translating trained to sequencing and anal- Biotechnology is a rapidly growing sector with diverse industrial applications rang- technology from the ysis, for example, will ing from biofuels to medical developments. It has the potential to touch every lab to the real world. explore how raise big challenges aspect of our lives – but who gets to do it? Who should influence the future of people think from a social, ethical, biotechnology? Why are you now about the economic, regulatory, There is a growing movement of people who believe that biotechnology based at Imperial? and medical point of should be accessible to everyone. These people have taken the term ‘biohackers’, The Intel UK Health technologies view. Different stake- embodying a hacker ethic as they experiment with biotechnology. They have set Innovation team they use.” holders – from lab up non-institutionalised laboratories and networks, such as DIYbio, to harness is a group of Intel technicians, to doc- the potential of democratic technological development. These creative labs are a employees co-located at Impe- tors, pharmacists and patients place where children, citizen scientists, young biologists, or experimental bioen- rial under a formal collabora- – will have different skill sets, gineers can learn and explore. tion arrangement. We are here knowledge and expectations A recent example of the phenomenon in action is that of journalist Sascha to work with the College to study when interacting with these kind Karberg, who is part of a biohacking group in Germany. Wanting to find out whose technology needs and explore of data. By looking at the cur- dog was leaving ‘treats’ on his street, he took samples for DNA analysis then proofs of concepts in UK hospi- rent workflow and dataflow in a threw tennis balls to each of the neighbourhood dogs, analysed their saliva, tals, the pharmaceutical indus- research setting, we can gain a matched the dog and confronted the dog owner. Although a humorous side, it try and life science experts. We better understanding of these shows how biohacking can give citizens the opportunity to question the world are hosted by Professor Guang- technologies and how they around them. Zhong Yang at the Institute of might be used more effectively. Through DNA barcoding, you could analyse your caviar to make sure it’s Global Health Innovation and —Colin Smith, Communications and beluga, determine if your cereal is made from genetically modified crops, or iden- our multidisciplinary team will Public Affairs tify species in your own backyard. 12 insidestory www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 6 June 2013 • issue 261

Imperial students share their experiences of life at the College on the student bloggers website. Become a tree detective

R esearchers need help checking Student blogger Wouter on the health of Britain’s trees using the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) Croeso i Gymru national survey on tree health. (Welcome to Wales!) Scientists are asking members of This week I found out what happens to at least the public to examine the health of some of my tuition fees: a sponsored field trip trees in their local area and report to Wales – organised by our MSc programme! sightings of pests and diseases, [Sustainable Energy Futures]. After a six- particularly those affecting oak, ash hour trip we arrived at Conwy. We enjoyed and horse chestnut trees. this beautiful fortified town at sea, climbed Using information in the free ronmental Policy), Director of OPAL. the surrounding OPAL survey pack, people can “It is designed for people of all picturesque hills learn to identify trees, measure ages and abilities to start exploring and had some fish their girth and height, examine and recording local nature. And, and chips by the the trunk, branches and leaves whilst learning about local trees docks. The lead for signs of poor health, and and gathering lots of interesting motive for this trip, record the presence of pests and information, people can also con- though, was a visit diseases. tribute their findings to a national to several power Imperial College London is research programme investigating stations, including the lead partner of OPAL, and the the condition of the nation’s trees a gas-fired power station Connah’s Quay, a tree health survey is being devel- and the factors affecting them.” coal-fired power station at Fiddler’s Ferry and oped with experts from the Food —i S mon Levey, Communications and a pumped storage hydroelectric power facility and Environment Research Agency Public Affairs at Dinorwig. That last power station could (Fera) and Forest Research. Download or request a free survey pack, contribute to a cleaner energy future. “Tree health is one of the most including tree ID guide, field notebook exciting and important OPAL sur- and field guide and ‘six most unwanted’ www.imperial.ac.uk/campus_life/studentblogs card from www.OPALexplorenature.org/ veys,” says Dr Linda Davies (Envi- treesurvey

St Mary’s library revamp brings back memories

A historic College library that has was attended by the then Queen played host to princesses, operas and Princesses Elizabeth and and balls, as well as revising Margaret in 1945. students, has been given a new For many it was a time to lease of life. reminisce. Retired consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Staff, alumni, students, medical Alasdair Fraser, regularly used the professionals and funders library as a student in the 1950s: gathered to celebrate the “The library was really the focal reopening of the medical library point of the school both for study at St Mary’s Campus – renamed and social events. It would be the Fleming Library – following cleared so that exams could be a six-month restoration and held there and also for many social refurbishment project. events in the evenings. The music The work was made possible and dramatic societies would by the combined efforts of the St perform there and there would be Mary’s Development Trust, and three formal balls a year.” staff from the Faculty of Medicine The Fleming Library now has an and Imperial Library. place of study, the library was internal staircase providing access Designed by architect Sir regularly used for student plays, The library to the gallery floor, improved Edwin Cooper, the library first opera, concerts and balls until was really the focal heating, lighting, Wi-Fi, additional opened in December 1933, the 1982. The building also saw point of the school computers and study space, and a year King George V opened the the performance of Gilbert and dedicated training room. existing medical school buildings Sullivan productions during the both for study and — Lucy Handford, Communications and in Paddington. As well as a Christmas period, one of which social events.” Public Affairs 13 www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 6 June 2013 • issue 261 insidestory

inventor’s corner Force feedback

A lison McGregor (Surgery and Cancer) is Professor of Musculoskeletal Biodynamics and an investigator at Imperial’s Medical Engineering Solutions in Osteoarthritis Centre of Excellence, where she leads on an initiative to delay surgery for arthritic patients and thus extend their mobility and functionality. “ Typically, athletes fail How are you approaching this issue? to engage We want to implement a regular screening pro- with the idea cess for people over a certain age. This involves that they are doing some very detailed testing to measure damaging their certain parameters like how the person walks body until it is and how the joints move, using technology sim- too late.” ilar to motion capture used in the animation industry. By applying mathematical and statisti- cal models to these data, we can see if certain movements cause damage to the joints, identify gressing and what exercises they need to do they are damaging their body until it is too late. By who is more at risk of osteoarthritis and inter- to improve. This is important as osteoarthritic developing a simple visual system that used real- vene early to try and manage it before surgery patients often don’t fully understand why they are time biofeedback to illustrate how changing their becomes the only option. doing these exercises and therefore lack motiva- movements could achieve maximum performance tion, so we have seen a need to develop a clear, while doing minimal damage, we found that they What is the next step? simple feedback tool, which the patient is more were more likely to understand and implement the We have developed a prototype for a discreet, likely to respond to. change very quickly. wearable sensor, which we hope will act as a tool —KAILEY NOLAN, IMPERIAL INNOVATIONS for biofeedback. It will incorporate our detailed Tell is about your work looking at back pain For help in finding a commercial application for your analyses and simplify it, enabling clinicians to and prevention with the British rowing team? research visit: bit.ly/YQZ1Vi clearly show their patients how they are pro- Typically, athletes fail to engage with the idea that

Film app lets you decide the narrative

A student from the Business School has developed a new mobile application that could change the way films are viewed on smartphones.

Chris Corbishley, who has just completed an MSc in Innova- tion, Entrepreneurship and Man- agement at the Business School, called In Limbo that was set in the of previous voyages. market that effectively merges 360 worked with fellow filmmakers, Leo lobby of the Business School. The However, rather than sitting degree technology with narrative Bridle and Leo Powell to produce film follows the lives of eight char- back and passively watching their filmmaking,” says Chris. “It chal- the app, which introduces a com- acters as they pass their time in an stories unfold, the application ena- lenges the passive nature of cinema bined cinematic and gaming expe- airport departures lounge – includ- bles viewers to select from a variety by injecting a gaming quality to the rience to iPhone users. ing an irate wife quarrelling with of narratives as the scene plays out world of film.” To demonstrate the technol- her unfaithful husband and a by moving their phones left or right. — Rosemary Peters for Communications and ogy, the trio devised a movie travel writer who recounts stories “There’s nothing on the app Public Affairs 14 insidestory www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 6 June 2013 • issue 261

The B est Teaching for Undergraduates Student-nominated staff winners Dr Alasdair Donaldson, Department of Computing pick up teaching awards Best Innovation Academic and support staff were honoured at Dr Jane Saffell, Department of Medicine the inaugural Student Academic Choice Awards Best Graduate Teaching Assistant (SACAs) last month organised by Imperial Col- Alan Zucconi, Department of Computing lege Union in recognition of excellence in teaching, supervision and support. Best Teaching for Postgraduates Professor Andrew Purvis, Over 400 nominations were whittled down to Department of Life Sciences just eight category winners (see left) announced at the SACA Ceremony on 21 May in the Queen’s Best Tutoring Tower Rooms and attended by over 150 people Dr Sohag Saleh, Faculty of Medicine Centre from across the College. Dr Alastair Donaldson (Computing), winner Best Feedback of the Best Teaching for Undergraduates award Dr Rebecca Bell, Department of Earth was the first name to be called. He said: “Since Science and Engineering I joined the Department of Computing in 2011, I’ve been constantly impressed by how bright, Best Support Staff enthusiastic, questioning and hardworking the worked at the College since 1980, said: “I heard Anna Hikel, Department of Civil and undergraduate students are. It’s a privilege to about the nomination when I was emailed by the Environmental Engineering have the opportunity to talk to the undergradu- students’ union and our Head of Department, so Best Supervision ates about my favourite topics and I am hugely I was thrilled to receive the news that I had won honoured to receive this praise of my lecturing the award. I am pleased that the students recog- Dr Rafael Palacios Nieto, skills from them – it really means a lot.” nise my dedication to them.” Department of Aeronautics Anna Hikel, Undergraduate Office Admin- —Lucy Handford, Communications and Public Affairs F or the short list visit: bit.ly/Y7UJDM istrator (Civil and Environmental Engineering), It is hoped that the SACAs will take place annually. To find won the Best Support Staff award – the only out more visit: https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/ SACA for non-academic staff. Anna, who has academicchoice

Let there be light

An award-winning social enterprise The money raised by hiring out the project run by Imperial engineering batteries is channelled back into students is set to build on its work maintaining and developing the providing electricity to rural com- kiosk. munities in Rwanda, after securing Students typically volunteer for funding and specialist tools worth a year and spend term time devel- £13,000. oping plans, with support from staff in the Faculty of Engineering. They The project, named e.quinox, aims then put the plans into practice by to find practical and sustainable volunteering over the summer hol- ways to bring power to rural com- iday, working in remote areas of munities in developing countries Rwanda. So far, four solar-powered and is managed by students from and one hydro-powered energy tion of kiosks in response to huge the Department of Electrical and kiosks have been set up in Rwanda demand which will be fitted with Electronic Engineering. It works by and Tanzania, providing electricity data loggers allowing them to ana- providing villages with portable to around 500 households. lyse the effectiveness of the project. The fully automated rural electri- batteries from a kiosk, where they Support from the Institute of Third year mechanical engi- fication system will provide basic are charged up using renewable Technology and Engineering and neering student Rushabh Mehta, power and lighting to over 350 more energy. Local people can then hire construction technology company e.quinox chairman, says: “We are people in northern Rwanda, while the batteries to power electrical Hilti means that the students will thrilled to have secured this fund- providing a platform to serve many devices, bringing lighting, refrigera- be able to embark on several new ing, which will enable us to expand more in the future.” tion and a wealth of other benefits projects this summer. In Rwanda our work and help more people —Lucy Handford, Communications and to areas without mains electricity. they aim to create a second genera- light up their homes this summer. Public Affairs Bus Dr Charlie Donovan, Medicine Dr Beverly Donaldson, Accommodation Miss Andrea Dietrich, S Ms Janet Deane, Mathematics Dr Nicola De Tullio, S Dr Camilla Chung, Mathematics Dr Davoud Cheraghi, C Dr Rongjun Chen, S Bus Ms Margaret Burdett, Chemistry Dr Agnieszka Brandt-Talbot, M Mr Thomas Brain, Mechanical Engineering Dr Robert Bracewell, Dr Laura Bocchi, Computing S Dr David Berry, F Dr C P Bus Miss Sarah Atkinson, Faculty of Medicine Miss Olajumoke Arogundade, S Ms Ada Armstrong, Public Health Dr Nimalan Arinaminpathy, Ms Hima Anbunathan, NHLI Surgery and Cancer Miss TressaAmirthanayagam, Bioengineering Mr Ioannis Alexiou, F Miss Allison Alcock, Mrs Miriam Adesokan, NHLI Mr Rasaq Adeboye, EYEC new starters Welcome Miss Ellen Dowell, NHLI Dr Vadzim Chalau, Dr Oliver Buxton, Aeronautics Dr Rebecca Burton, NHLI Mr Fergal Burke, Estates Dr James Bentham, Accommodation Ms Nicola Bartlett, www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter aculty of Engineering aculty of Medicine ublic Health hemical Engineering urgery and Cancer urgery and Cancer urgery and Cancer urgery and Cancer urgery and Cancer athematics iness School iness School iness School hristos Bergeles,

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6 June 2013 • Mr Lateef Raheem, EYEC Dr Ali Qaseminejad Raeini, ESE C Mr Angelo Pommella, Chemistry Dr Miquel Planells Dillunde, Accommodation Miss Elizabeth Perry, Mr Tamlyn Peel, NHLI Miss AdriennOrosz, Medicine Dr Anna Medicine Need, Narayanaswamy, Medicine Dr Shakunthala P Mrs Rama Nanguluri, Mr Edward Mitchell, Physics P Dr A Lif Mr Gabriele Micali, Medicine Mrs StephanieMcDevitt, F Mr Matt Martino, Ms Lora Marinova, EYEC Miss Shilpa Madhaparia, ESE Dr Karine Macritchie, Medicine Miss Signe Liepina, Outreach Miss JudithLieber, Medicine Bioengineering Lamble, Dr Harry Dr Abas Laftah, NHLI Mr Tesilimi Koko, EYEC P Miss Natasha Khalife, Mr Edward Johns, Computing Accommodation Miss Madeleine Jammeh, Chemistry Dr Maria Izquierdo Arcusa, Medicine Professor Philip Ingham, Miss Farhana Hussain, NHLI Sluis, Surgery and Cancer Dr Verena Horneffer-van der S Mr George Heaton, Environmental Engineering Gopalakrishnan, Civil and Dr Anantharaman Dr Richard Gill, Life Sciences Miss Sandra Figueiredo, EYEC Mr Paul Felton, Estates Medicine Dr Mohamed Elshiekh, Ms Sarah Dupras, NHLI aculty of Engineering ublic Health ublic Health ublic Health hemical Engineering urgery and Cancer e Sciences leisha Miller, issue

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and Environmental Engineering Mr Konstantinos Zavitsas, Civil Sec Mr StephenWalker, Accommodation Mr YukselUnver, Miss Cristina Trento, Medicine Physics Mr Alfredo Tomas Alquezar, Mr Geoff Thompson, Medicine Dr Igor Talzi, Computing S Dr Abigail Speller, Ms Lauren Schulte, Medicine Dr Bjorn Schuller, Computing Surgery and Cancer MissMaria Savvopoulou, C Dr Stephan Sauer, S Dr Despoina Sarridou, Dr Belinda Sandler, NHLI Accommodation Mr Jose Rodriguez Manosca, Mr Damian Rivett, Life Sciences Computing Dr Simon Colton (10 years), C Dr Chun-yee Cheng, Dr John Charnley, Computing Lif Mr David Charles, Clinical Sciences Dr David Carmena Jimenez, Computing Dr Cameron Browne, C Dr Lorenzo Botto, Dr Anamika Bhargava, NHLI Medicine Dr Margherita Bertuzzi, Estates Miss Olayinka Atiko (6 years), Medicine Mrs Parvin Ahmed (5 years), Miss Funmi Abiola, NHLI moving on Farewell S Ms Agnieszka Yongue, Aeronautics MsMichelle Willows, Surgery and Cancer ProfessorRobin Williamson, Dr Klaus Wanisch, Medicine linical Sciences hemical Engineering hemical Engineering urgery and Cancer urgery and Cancer urgery and Cancer e Sciences urity Services

Dr Cecily Morrison, Dr Rebecca Metcalf, Medicine Environmental Engineering Dr George Marketos, Civil and Physics Dr Anca Margineanu (5 years), Dr Elizabeth Mann, Medicine Dr Sarah Mangles, Medicine Ms Rosa Macey, Chemistry Mrs Leena Lindholm-White Public Health MissLamb-Bentley, Sadie Bioengineering Miss Siu-TeingKo, Dr Michael Kember, Computing Dr Evangelia Kalyvianaki, Dr Katie Medicine Judd, Ms Ruth Jenkins, Library Surgery and Cancer Dr Frederic Jean-Alphonse, Dr Hussain,Sufyan Medicine NHLI Professor Margaret Hodson, Bus Mr Kyriakos Hatzaras, (2 Mr Robert Harvey-Wells (1 Professor John Harries NHLI Dr Richard Harbottle(20 years), Mec Mr Sheldon Hall, Mr Iason Filos, EEE Mr Surinder Dio, ESE S Ms Antonia Desmond, Mr Jeremy Dahan, Aeronautics Medicine years), (7 Crossey Mary Miss Security Services Mr Charles Crisp (17 years), Dr Joseph Cotter, Physics Dr Lucy Cook, Medicine Dr Ankoor Patel, Materials Computing Mr Ioannis Papagiannis, Dr Flavia Niccolini, Medicine P Dr Sobiya Nadaraja, Miss Faye Murray, Aeronautics P Mec Mr Michael Mace, (6 y C ublic Health ublic Health hemistry urgery and Cancer 9 years),Physics 1 years),Estates ears),ESE iness School hanical Engineering hanical Engineering

insidestory the timeof going to press. 21 May. This data was and byHR issupplied data This C C (6 S Mr Benjamin Stanier, Life Sciences Mrs Coralie Simmons (5 years), C Medic Miss Nisha Shah, (14 y ( and ( Miss Caroline Prew Mr BenPollard, NHLI Medicine Mrs Camila Pinto Dunsmore, C Mr Allan Petersen, C Dr Jerzy Pental, C Dr Matthew Penny, C Dr Alison Pease, Dr Neki Patel, Chemistry Dr Him Wong, Mr Joseph Willis (9 years), NHLI Humanities MsRachel Ward years), (7 Ms Elisa Voros, NHLI Dr Antonio Urbina, Physics Dr Nora Tusor, Medicine Dr Nurlan Tokmoldin, Engineering Miss Rosemary Tipples Mr Craig Tipple, Medicine Mrs Samia Taufiq, NHLI MsYijiaComputing Sun, Dr Ian Silverwood, Mr Tudo Scheibner Dr Samantha Sampson Catering Ms Christine Rupprecht, Dr Raluca Radu, Physics 7 years),Medicine 7 years), Communications omputing hemical Engineering hemistry hemical Engineering hemistry hemical Engineering hemistry urgery and Cancer years), Faculty of these as necessary. right to edit or amend The Editor reserves the [email protected] and retirees to the Editor at about new starters, leavers images and/or comments Public Affairs c ears),ICT Please sendyour overs theperiod 30April– ine

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take note 10 june ▸ PUBLIC LECTURE scales for different applications. In the 2013 annual Bagrit Lecture, Professor Lihong Wang, Photoacoustic tomography: Washington University in St Louis, describes beating diffusion and the technology, which has the potential to Library services accelerate research translation from micro- are changing diffraction scopic laboratory discoveries to macroscopic Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is a new clinical practice. This summer it’s all change method of scientific and medical imaging that at the Library – Library provides functional information at various Search will become your one-stop shop for searching, and borrowing 13 june ▸ PUBLIC LECTURE the obstacles and setbacks that came her way. services will be simplified. From her youth when she simply expected to Disruption will be kept to From geek to glamour via become a mother and housewife to her life today a minimum but some a desert island – how did I as a distinguished physicist, educationalist and services will be subject of media interest, Professor Donald has suspended in July and get here? had a fascinating journey with plenty of bizarre August. For updates In the 2013 Athena Lecture Professor Athene twists and turns along the way. She’ll discuss her and to find out more go Donald, University of Cambridge, describes her research into soft matter physics as well as the to: www.imperial. career path as an academic scientist, including challenges of combining career and family. ac.uk/library/ changes13.

7 JUNE ▸ SEMINAR 13 JUNE ▸ SEMINAR 26 JUNE ▸ SEMINAR meet the reader Imaging neural Asthma and COPD: differential IC B careers day circuit dynamics and similar origins? Talks and with voltage- Professor Dirkje Postma, networking sensitive University of Groningen fluorescent proteins 27 and 28 JUNE ▸ OPEN DAY Professor Thomas Knöpfel (Medicine) Science and Engineering open day For Year 11 and 12 students 11 JUNE ▸ SEMINAR Reinventing Fire? 3 JULY ▸ SEMINAR Amory Lovins, Chairman, Rocky C entre for Infection Prevention and Mountain Institute Management annual meeting CIPM scientific meeting 12 JUNE ▸ SEMINAR Holography and its impact Various speakers Jamey Khan, Faculty IT support manager, ICT 12 JUNE ▸ PUBLIC LECTURE 13-14 JUNE ▸ CONFERENCE The life and times of Dennis Gabor C hemical biology joint CDT What are you doing in the pic? Professor Laszlo Solymar, conference Relaxing. Reading. Casually leaving my London Marathon medal lying around, University of Oxford Annual student-run conference as I’m modestly prone to do. I ran it this year as my first (and last) marathon. I’ve 19 JUNE ▸ SEMINAR raised just under £2,000 for the Rainforest F ellowships for researchers event Foundation through various activities and emotional blackmail of colleagues! Hosted by the Postdoc Development Centre 9 JULY ▸ PUBLIC LECTURE What would you do if you were editor of In this house we obey the laws of Reporter for a day? Organisationally, we tend to know a lot 24 JUNE ▸ SEMINAR thermodynamics about what people do, but I’d like to tap State of ignorance: climate change Professor Amparo Galindo into the diversity of personalities and and the biosphere (Chemical Engineering) interests beyond that. I’d invite 50 people Professor Colin Prentice (Life Sciences) from across all sites, grades and depart- ments to send in a photo of something they love doing outside College.

Who would be your cover star? Dr Trevor Hansel in the NHLI. He was my first manager here at College (many years Visit www.imperial.ac.uk/events for more details about these events ago…) and has always been an inspira- Stay in the loop → tion to me in terms of the dedication and and others. To sign up for regular updates about Imperial events please energy he brought to his role and to the email: [email protected] team as a whole.

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