reporter www.imperial.ac.uk Issue 168 • 11 October 2006 Top of the Profs Imperial’s new professors centre pages BENCH TO BEDSIDE TOP TEN SUCCESS NHS Trusts set to merge Imperial climbs four with Imperial in UK’s places in THES World first Academic Health University Rankings. Sciences Centre. PAGE 3 PAGE 3 Historian gets fired up on the Queen’s Lawn in brief New head for Population Biology Georgina Mace, FRS, has been appointed Professor of Conservation Science and Director of the Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC) Centre for Population Biology. Professor Mace joins Impe- rial from the Zoological Society of London, where she has been Director of Science since 2000. Her new role will see her leading a large team at Silwood Park Campus working on diverse research projects including biodiversity patterns, ecology and evolution. MRC selects Kennard Deputy Principal of the Faculty of Medicine, Professor Chris Kennard, has been selected for the Council of the Medical Research Council (MRC) by the Science and Innovation Minister, Lord Sainsbury, and will also chair the MRC’s Neuro- science and Mental Health Board. The MRC, which A flaming kettle lit up the Queen’s Lawn this summer when TV science historian Adam Hart-Davis dropped into the College for an afternoon’s filming for his new show,How London Was Built. The renowned science broadcaster watched as Dr Jon Gibbins is publicly funded, aims to improve human health from Mechanical Engineering gave an impressive demonstration of the combustion of coal gas, in the shadow of the Queen’s by supporting research and training scientists to Tower. You can see this edition of How London Was Built on Thursday 2 November at 19.30 on ITV. meet the needs of the health services, the phar- – Danielle Reeves, Communications maceutical and other health-related industries and universities. Blunt named new Earth Science and Engineering head Wye update Professor Martin Blunt has become the new Head of the Department of Earth Science and Engi- Imperial’s Management Board has confirmed neering. Professor Blunt, whose research interests that the College will not proceed any further include improved oil recovery, carbon dioxide capture and storage, and how to extract low carbon with its investigation into delivering a world energy from fossil fuels, was previously head of class research centre, science hub and associ- the Petroleum Engineering and Rock Mechanics ated housing at its campus in Wye. research group. See the next edition for our feature Since the announcement of the Concordat A word with…Professor Blunt. between Imperial, Ashford Borough Council and Kent County Council in December 2005, New institute adds up the College has been exploring its vision for A new centre focusing on the use of mathematics to sustaining and developing the campus in tackle a host of global challenges has opened at the Wye that could have secured jobs locally and College. The Institute for Mathematical Sciences is a regionally, and led to scientific developments multidisciplinary enterprise applying mathematical understanding and techniques to issues including of global importance. climate change and control of infectious diseases. Having carefully considered all the issues It was opened by Imperial physics alumnus David involved, the project team has concluded that Potter, founder of Psion and inventor of the none of the scenarios for the vision would The College remains committed to the high quality electronic personal organiser, who donated £1.25 represent a wise, viable or desirable invest- teaching that takes place at Wye million to the project. ment of public funds for Imperial and Wye. Deputy Rector, Professor Borysiewicz, includes the highly successful Imperial Higgins leaving for Durham said: “I would personally like to thank the College/University of Kent Applied Business Chris Higgins, Director of the Medical Research people in Wye and surrounding villages, Management undergraduate degree courses, Council Clinical Sciences Centre, will leave the particularly the Parish Council and other Master’s degrees and the Distance Learning College next year to take up the post of Vice elected representatives, for their patience and Programmes. As we stated in December Chancellor at the University of Durham. Professor Higgins’ move takes him back to his alma mater cooperation over the last few months. As I 2005, we will review the arrangements with from where he graduated with a degree in botany said at the first public meeting in January, the University of Kent in 2011. in 1976 and completed his PhD in 1979. He held views of local people would play a signifi- We have no current plans to expand posts at the Universities of Dundee, Oxford and cant part in our decision-making process and research and development at Wye, and we California, Berkeley, before coming to Imperial in I have appreciated the responses that have will not be instigating a search for a replace- 1998, where he took on the role of Director of the been received. ment to the vision project. Any decisions on CSC and Head of the Division of Clinical Sciences. “The College remains committed to future activity at Wye campus will, of course, the high quality teaching that takes place be shared with local residents at the earliest at Wye and we will continue to support opportunity.” academic teaching activity there. This — Wendy Raeside, Communications 2 www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter reporter 11 October, Issue 168 Game SET and Top ten hit in World University Rankings Imperial is the ninth best university in the Harvard University is match to Imperial world, according to the latest Times Higher rated as the world’s best Education Supplement table. university, with Cambridge Three students and a member of staff The College is one of only three non-US and Oxford at number two and from Imperial trounced the competition institutions in the top 10 of last week’s World three in the rankings. MIT, which last at this year’s national Science, University Rankings, jumping from thir- year claimed second place, is pushed to Engineering and Technology (SET) teenth in last year’s survey. number four. Student of the Year awards. Welcoming the result, the Rector said: The survey also rates Imperial third in “Above all, this is a tribute to the world class the European top 50, behind Cambridge Gabriel Keeble-Gagnere won Best staff we are able to attract, both academic and and Oxford in first and second place. Mathematics Student, whilst Marc Hull non-academic.” —Abigail Smith, Communications was given the award for Best Information Technology Student and Andreas Kyrtatos picked up the accolade for Best Mechanical Engineering Student. All three students beat Bench to bedside vision moves forward off stiff competition from candidates from some of the UK’s other top universities, Over the summer, the Boards of St Mary’s through a new governance structure formally with only one student from Oxford and two and Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trusts integrating clinical service delivery, teaching from Cambridge winning similar awards in resolved to pursue a merger to become the and research, by 1 April 2007. This ‘bench other categories. UK’s first Academic Health Sciences Centre to bedside’ approach—the formal integra- Best Mathematics Student winner, 2006 (AHSC) in partnership with Imperial. tion of hospitals with medical education and graduate Gabriel Keeble-Gagnere, also went The goal would be to achieve a merger research institutes—is in place in other parts on to win the top GKN Award for the 2006 of the Trusts and their services, and closer of the world and is yielding improvements Science, Engineering and Technology Student working with Imperial’s Faculty of Medicine and better clinical outcomes for patients. of the Year, and a lecturer from his depart- The decision followed a four- ment, Dr Lynda White, was pronounced month review period and discus- Lecturer of the Year 2006. sions with staff, and Imperial’s Gabriel’s personal tutor Dr Gerald Moore decision to endorse the move said: “I’m delighted that Gabriel has received at its July Council meeting. The these two national awards in recognition of organisations believe the creation all the hard work he put in as a student at of the UK’s first AHSC would Imperial, and in particular for his final year enhance the services provided to maths project on simple groups. He was a patients and promote London’s talented, conscientious student who worked position as a key player in the extremely hard throughout his course. It’s global health market. great to see his outstanding efforts rewarded The merger would be subject at the SET awards.” to staff, patient and public con- Dr Lynda White added: “It’s an honour sultation, plus NHS London and and a privilege to be named Lecturer of the Imperial and two NHS Trusts have resolved to pursue the opportunity to Department of Health approval. Year, and a real success story for mathematics become the UK’s first Academic Health Sciences Centre — Tom Miller, Communications at Imperial for both myself and GabrieI to have been singled out in this way. I’ve been lecturing in statistics at Imperial for 35 years Independence by 2007 now and I still really enjoy the challenge of working with some of the brightest young Imperial’s formal request to withdraw from will be able to choose whether to switch to an mathematicians in the country–it’s won- the University of London was accepted at last Imperial degree. derful to be recognised for the work that I week’s meeting of the University of London Sir Graeme Davies, Vice Chancellor of love doing!” Council. The terms of the withdrawal were the University of London said: “Like any — Danielle Reeves, Communications agreed by the Councils of both institutions other institution, and in keeping with its own during the summer.