Manchester Launches Photon Science Institute Features Letter from the President

The free magazine for The University of Manchester 6 February 2006 UniLifeVolume 3 Issue 5 Manchester launches Photon Science Institute Features Letter from the President News Launch of the £40 million Photon Science Institute. page 4 Profile Dr Brian Cox, Royal Society Research Fellow page 12 Feature Healthcare research centre celebrates I have spent many hours recently preparing a Genuine stock taking has to capture the essential ten years of shaping “Stock Take” Report for the Board of Governors truth,“warts and all”. If the time ever comes when treatment of patients Conference in mid-February. Our strategic plan, the best evidence we have indicates that our Towards Manchester 2015, provides for an honest, ambitious 2015 goals are out of our reach, it will be page 18 detailed annual appraisal of how the University has pointless not to face up to that unwelcome reality. performed during the previous year. The aim is to When (and this is bound to happen every year), one show us whether we are on target to reach our or more KPIs reveal that the University has 2015 Goals, and to identify areas where we are performed badly in some important area of activity, under-performing as well (hopefully) as areas it makes no sense at all not to admit the failure, where we may actually have been too modest in analyse it, reappraise our activities and determine Contents our expectations. what should be done differently in the year ahead. To be useful, stock-taking cannot exaggerate Towards Manchester 2015 contains a range of Key success or gloss over failure. Performance Indicators (KPIs), each providing valid, 3 News relevant measures of institutional performance in I will let the 2004-05 Stock Take analysis speak for 8 Research relation to an important aspect of the University’s itself, except to say two things. First, our activities, including such things as research funding performance against some KPIs, notably those 10 Knowledge and Technology and outputs, research postgraduate enrolments, measuring research postgraduate enrolments, the Transfer student satisfaction with the quality of teaching, quality and effectiveness of internal learning and academic support, feedback from staff communications and the success of overseas 11 Teaching and Learning on the adequacy of internal communications, the student recruitment, was disappointing, and will success of efforts to strengthen the University’s have to see major improvement in the year ahead. 12 Profile resource base, the efficacy of our various Secondly, however, the overall progress of the engagements with stakeholders in the wider University in 2004-05 was remarkable. This Stock 14 Reaching Out community, and so on. Take of our first year reflects wonderfully well on the quality and commitment of the University 16 What’s On community at all levels, and provides grounds for 18 Feature justifiable confidence that the Manchester 2015 Agenda is actually achievable. 20 Looking back Front cover: Professor Klaus Müller-Dethlefs, Professor Alan Gilbert Director of The Photon Science President and Vice-Chancellor. Institute Photo by Paul Cliff 2 News In brief Chancellor turns to Fair trade for all Brooks World Poverty Institute (BWPI) Inaugural Lecture on Wednesday, 1 February whiz kids to unravel at 5pm, in the Whitworth Hall. A public lecture by Nobel Prize Winner, Professor Joseph Stiglitz, who has been appointed by the University to chair the whodunit riddle Brooks World Poverty Institute, a multidisciplinary centre of global excellence A crack team of budding young researching poverty, poverty reduction, scientists were drafted in to help inequality and growth. Chancellor Anna Ford solve a Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. An overflow Friday 13th murder mystery. capacity with video link will be offered in one of the Roscoe Lecture Theatres. For more More than 160 Year 8 and 9 school pupils from information visit: across the northwest were invited to carry out the mock investigation, which was organised by The www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/research/bwpi University of Manchester’s Faculty of Life Sciences. Forensic profiling for the ‘murder’ case was just one Event organiser Dr Rachel Crossley and Andrew Gray, The Organic Materials of a number of scientific experiments the children Curator of Herpetology at Manchester Museum, at the were involved in at the ‘Science Stars Open Day’ Science Stars Open Day Innovation Centre event on Friday, 13 January. The Organic Materials Innovation Centre Following introductory talks by Anna Ford, the “Getting young people interested in science is Tuesday, 4 April, 9.30am – 4pm University’s Co-Chancellor, and Professor Nancy immensely important, not only for that particular Organic Biomaterials – Different Perspectives subject area, but for society as a whole. Rothwell, Manchester’s Vice-President for A one-day meeting to present the latest Research, the young scientists visited different “Schemes such as this that enable youngsters to developments in the field of organic labs within the Faculty. see first-hand the cutting-edge research being biomaterials through the contribution of There they tested the smelling senses of maggots, carried out here in Manchester can only help fuel leading UK and international experts. their interest and perhaps encourage them to carried out DNA extractions from cheek swabs, saw pursue a science career.” Lecture Theatre G.51, Chemistry Building, how frogs adapt to their environment, solved the The University of Manchester structure of proteins and learned about muscle- The Science Stars Open Day was the brainchild of tissue formation. Professor Martin Humpries and part of the University’s Cost: Industry £60, Academic/PDRA £40, wider commitment to playing a full and active role in Students £20 “The University asked schools across the northwest the development of the northwest region. that specialise in science to choose their star pupils For more information and details of how to to take part in this event,” said Nancy, who recently Dr Rachel Crossley, Faculty of Life Sciences Public register, please contact received a Damehood partly in recognition of her Engagement Officer and organiser of the event, [email protected] efforts to popularise science among young people. said:“If projects such as this persuade just one more child to become interested in science then it “Throughout the day, the children got the chance will have been worthwhile. Manchester Medicines to take part in a range of laboratory experiments as well as having an exclusive chance to see “We hope the kids will not only learn something Network some of the current research being carried out by from their day in the labs but will go home with Better NHS Trials our scientists. the idea that science is fun.” Advancing Knowledge for Developing Medicines 2 Day Conference Monday 6 – Tuesday, 7 March 2006 Manchester Conference Centre The Manchester Medicines Network (MMN) is an outreach programme dedicated to advanced level education training and research on all aspects of medicines and is designed to meet the needs and of the NHS, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and other national organisations. For more information about MMN and to book a place at the Conference please contact: [email protected] or visit www.pharmacy.manchester.ac.uk/mmn Dame Nancy Rothwell and Anna Ford examine a cotton plant with children at the Science Stars Open Day 3 News Professor Pavel Hobzer (Fellow of The Photon Science Institute 2005), Professor Sir Keith O'Nions (Director General of the Research Councils), Professor Alan Gilbert (President and Vice- Chancellor of The University of Manchester), Professor Richard N Zare (Stanford University), Professor Klaus Müller-Dethlefs (Director of The Photon Science Institute), Mr Jeremy Scudamore (CEO Avecia and Chair of the NW Science Council), Professor Wolfgang Demtröder (Fellow of The Photon Science Institute, 2006). Institute will light the way for laser research The £40 million Photon Science Institute, which will pioneer cutting-edge light and laser technologies, has been officially launched. The event, held on Wednesday, 18 January, 2006 (Germany) – was followed by a humorous and also the first winner of the Herzberg Memorial was attended by the University’s President and informative keynote speech examining ‘What is a Prize Laureate (2000) of the National Research Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Gilbert, Professor Photon?’ by Professor Richard N Zare, of Council of Canada. Sir Keith O'Nions, Director General of Research Stanford University. Research at The Photon Science Institute (PSI) Councils’ and Mr Jeremy Scudamore, Chair of the Photon Science – ‘light for science’ – will focus on the development and application of North West Science Council. Lord Mayor of encompasses the application of light in many new and existing laser technologies and systems Manchester, Councillor Mohammed Afzal Khan, diverse fields. Common everyday applications spanning medicine, pharmaceuticals, life also attended the launch. include optical fibre telecommunications and sciences and physical sciences. Projects will The Institute will be the largest research and DVD players. include the development of new optical teaching centre of its kind in the UK, with a materials, such as solar cells, and the Professor Klaus Müller-Dethlefs, who is projected annual research income of development of new non-invasive medical internationally recognised for his contributions £5 million and more than 30 full-time technologies, for example, measuring blood- to molecular spectroscopy having invented the academic staff. sugar levels without taking a blood sample, widely adopted ZEKE (Zero Electron Kinetic which will be of interest to diabetics. The appointment of the Institute’s first Fellows – Energy) photoelectron method, will lead the Professor Pavel Hobza, of the Academy of Sciences Institute as its Director. Before he moved to An example of current research within the of the Czech Republic, and Professor Wolfgang Manchester he established the York Centre for Institute is the use of micro tweezers - laser Demtröder, of the University of Kaiserstautern Laser Spectroscopy and Photochemistry.

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