inspiring research

Climate Change and sustainable futures • soCietal and lifestyle shifts • extrasolar planets • funCtional materials • global unCertainties • identities and beliefs

mediCal humanities • sCienCe, teChnology, Culture • environment and sustainability • systems biology • translational mediCine, healthCare and publiC health

The University of Exeter is a vibrant centre for new ideas; a university free of internal boundaries.

As a Russell Group University our research has an outstanding foundation, with world-class research

in all of our subject areas. We provide a world-class research environment, which we are enriching

with over £230 million investment into infrastructure and staff. This includes new laboratories and

equipment for science research, and redeveloped library and seminar spaces for humanities and

the social sciences, all as part of our impressive wider capital investment programme. This has

revolutionised our campuses and made Exeter a genuine destination university for the 21st century.

Climate Change and sustainable futures • soCietal and lifestyle shifts • extrasolar planets • funCtional materials • global unCertainties • identities and beliefs

Professor Nick Talbot Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Transfer

inspiring research

Contents

Systems Biology 2

Climate Change and Sustainable Futures 4

Environment and Sustainability 7

Medical Humanities 9

Functional Materials 10

Global Uncertainties 12

Identities and Beliefs 14

Extrasolar Planets 16

Science, Technology, Culture 17

Societal and Lifestyle Shifts 18

Translational Medicine, Personalised 20 Healthcare and Public Health

Working with Business 23

International Partnerships 25

More than this, we are a university of intellectual opportunity and freedom. We embrace and encourage new thought, and allow our academics and researchers the space and support they need to pursue ideas free from preconceptions, hierarchies or bureaucracy. Innovation and discovery need room to grow, and this is what we seek to provide.

This brochure showcases our most valuable research resource – our researchers. From established professors with formidable reputations established over many years, to young academics whose new ideas are progressing their fields in unexplored directions, they are all making an impact on global issues. These individuals are inspirational figures, translating their research into the teaching that will inspire the next generation of academics who will change the world.

It is our researchers who are making advances in treatments for diabetes; in understanding what the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system say about the future of our own planet’s atmosphere; in instigating society-wide behavioural changes; in adding to every facet of the knowledge base of our country, and of our world. Our laboratories and campuses, however advanced or beautiful they may be, are simply the space for our researchers to work within.

In order to encourage our researchers to cross traditional boundaries we have established a number of interdisciplinary themes across the sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences. These themes build critical mass by allowing strategic investment and collaboration in ways which transcend traditional disciplinary or collegiate systems, bridging the gaps that can otherwise be barriers to achievement.

• mediCal humanities • sCienCe, teChnology, Culture • environment and sustainability • systems biology • translational mediCine, healthCare and publiC health 1

Professor Nina Wedell College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Cornwall Campus

“Students can tell we love our research and that inspires the teaching.”

The evolutionary ecology of sex raises fascinating

questions: what are the consequences of

reproduction, of having males and females? We can

be identical except for a single chromosome, but

have different agendas in reproduction; how do the

sexes work together, when does it result in conflict?

I work primarily with insects because they exhibit

tremendous variation. There’s always an insect that

fulfils the criteria for a particular piece of research.

We’re investigating male fertility issues arising from

bacterial sex ratio distorters present in some flies and

butterflies that cause females to only sire daughters;

without female promiscuity the population dies out.

If you treat them with antibiotics, you get the males

back. These findings might be relevant to human

fertility too.

It was incredibly exciting to be here at the start of the

University’s Tremough campus. The University strove

for research excellence alongside teaching, which

created a vibrant atmosphere. Students can tell we

love our research, and that inspires the teaching.

As a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award

holder, being an academic means you join the

greatest club on Earth. I’ll never get bored, because

there’s always something more to learn. It’s

wonderful.

Systems BiologyTechniques from mathematics and

physics are accelerating biological

sciences into the 21st century.

Our researchers investigate small

molecules, characterise proteins

and apply next generation genomic

technologies to cure crop diseases,

investigate genetic disorders and

develop novel biotechnologies.

From subcellular processes to entire

ecosystems, we are developing

models to understand systems at

every scale.

2 S y S T E M S B I O L O G y

Climate Change and sustainable futures • environment and sustainability • extrasolar planets • funCtional materials • global unCertainties • identities and beliefs

S y S T E M S B I O L O G y 3

Professor Murray Grant College of Life and Environmental Sciences

My research tries to understand how pathogens cause diseases on plants. Several major diseases have emerged recently, some local, like one affecting Japanese larch – two million were chopped down in Devon last year. internationally, banana xanthomonas wilt in Central and east africa is devastating smallholders. We don’t hear enough about it in the western world.

We’re translating research from model systems.technologically we’re at the stage where we can apply our knowledge to solving major world problems like food security, combining our systems approach to biology with the social sciences to understand cultural and behavioural change.

the future is in understanding that a plant is an ecosystem and how it interacts with its environment. We have the technology to understand how environment affects health and productivity. you couldn’t think about doing that a decade ago.

i came to exeter for the scientific environment and the local environment. you can have both here; excellent science and quality of life.

“The future isunderstanding that a plant is an ecosystem.”

inspiring research

Climate Change and sustainable futures • environment and sustainability • extrasolar planets • funCtional materials • global unCertainties • identities and beliefs

4 C L I M A T E C H A n G E A n d S U S T A I n A B L E F U T U R E S

Climate Change and Sustainable FuturesClimate Change is one of the

most significant phenomena of

the 21st century, needing a truly

interdisciplinary approach to tackle

the issues it raises. With strong links to

the Met Office and diverse expertise

encompassing mathematical climate

modelling, ecosystem responses,

mitigation technology and socio-

economic impact and adaptation,

the University of Exeter is uniquely

positioned at the vanguard of climate

change research.

i worked at the met office for 14 years before coming to

the university; my background is in numerical modelling

of the climate system. i’m interested in how climate

affects land, plants and soil, and how they in turn affect

climate.

my research group is trying to simulate how the world’s

vegetation might respond to climate change. one model

we developed saw the amazon basin dry out; the forest

unable to sustain itself. We’ve been scrutinising this for

years; other predictions are rarely so extreme. thankfully,

recent progress is proving that the rainforest is more

resilient than we originally thought.

the international importance of climate change is huge

motivation; our findings have been used by the uK

government at the Kyoto negotiations.

people who succeed in climate science are networkers,

connecting experts in different areas. sharing ideas is

essential. research is about people, and interaction

makes things happen. our climate change academics are

world-class individuals who traverse boundaries between

traditional disciplines.

Professor Peter CoxCollege of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences

“Our findings were used in Kyoto.”

5C L I M A T E C H A n G E A n d S U S T A I n A B L E F U T U R E S

ice sheets hold vast amounts of water, and can

respond quickly to changes in climate and the ocean,

leading to big changes in global sea level. We need

to understand the nature of the ice sheets to make

predictions. no one has researched one of the parts

of antarctica i look at – apart from the bottom of

the ocean it’s the most extreme environment on

earth. i love its remoteness and mystery, discovering

something completely new. for years i’ve worked

with numerical models, investigating antarctica

theoretically. last november i worked there for the

first time with the university of texas institute of

geophysics. being out there, seeing rather than just

thinking about antarctica, brought my research into

sharp focus. it’s also given me the fieldwork bug! if i

didn’t have contacts at other institutions i may never

have been able to go there. exeter gives me the

opportunity to be part of a progressive institution, to

grow with an important research theme. As a young

researcher, that’s incredibly exciting.

Dr Anne Le Brocq College of Life and Environmental Sciences

“The most extreme environment on earth.”

inspiring research

6 C L I M A T E C H A n G E A n d S U S T A I n A B L E F U T U R E S

some parts of the earth – arctic sea

ice, greenland, the amazon – have the

potential to change dramatically if slightly

warmed, having an enormous effect on

the entire climate. physics can describe

how systems behave before they reach

these thresholds, and we’re trying to

provide early warnings of these tipping

points. the earth’s climate history

reveals such warnings existed before

the end of the last ice age. We’re seeing

early warning signals in Arctic sea ice

records and sea surface temperature

data, and investigating potential

geoengineering responses.

i’m a different kind of scientist, and

exeter is a perfect home for me. i’ve

always approached climate change

from a systems perspective; it’s just

one facet of how we are changing the

world in which we live. To understand

ecosystems biology and earth system

science you have to understand how life

evolved. our next task is to engage the

business community on sustainability

issues. We’ve been saying it for decades

but now business is having an epiphany

that we’re entering a future of resource

scarcity.

Professor Tim Lenton College of Life and Environmental Sciences

“Early warnings of tipping points.”

inspiring research

7

Environment and SustainabilityOur environmental expertise extends

far beyond purely scientific approaches.

We are investigating concerns about the

environment with researchers from a wide

range of disciplines, finding solutions for

humanity to exist in more sustainable ways

with the planet. Geographers, economists,

political scientists and humanities academics

are working closely with our ecologists

and engineers to develop a truly holistic

approach to environmental research.

E n v I R O n M E n T A n d S U S T A I n A B I L I T y

i love solving problems. as the director of the environment

and sustainability institute (esi), i’ve been given an amazing

opportunity to build an international research centre from

scratch, with entirely new staff, and the resources to lead

interdisciplinary research into solutions to problems of

environmental change.

our ecosystems are not yet all damaged beyond repair but

technical or management solutions aren’t enough. reversing the

degradation requires significant changes in our relations

with the environment.

at the esi we’re using Cornwall and the isles of scilly as a

living laboratory to explore issues with a wider global impact.

its peninsula nature, the interactions between marine and

terrestrial environments, local expertise in renewables, and

the population dynamic make the region incredibly rich for

research.

my own specialism is ecosystem services; this is the idea of

the earth as a service provider and humanity as beneficiary.

it’s a new way to approach support services such as the soil,

provisioning services such as food and fuel, regulatory services

and cultural services, including art and wellbeing. these issues

can seem remote but if we translate them into tangible benefits,

people understand how much the environment matters.

Professor Kevin Gaston Director, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Cornwall campus

“Our ecosystem services are not yet all damaged beyond repair.”

inspiring research

making a historical impact

Dr Mike Cant College of Life and Environmental Sciences

“There’s phenomenal public interest in the natural world.”

Banded-mongooses are co-operative, but there’s no dominant female as with other co-operative species, like meerkats or wild dogs. All the females in a group give birth on the same day, which is unique; we research the evolutionary causes for this, examining mongooses in the wild and captivity, so I spend a lot of time researching in Uganda.

The UK has a fantastic tradition of Tv wildlife documentaries. BBC2 picked up our research and turned it into four hours of television.

To get that level of exposure for your work is extraordinary. We don’t make enough of a song and dance about how much Tv can raise

awareness of scientific and environmental research, about the impact that has. There’s phenomenal public interest in the natural world.

Hierarchies don’t exist at Exeter; if your work is valid, it’s appreciated, wherever you are in your career. I talked with my wife about what we’d do if we

won the lottery, and I’d carry on researching. I’d definitely do it for fun if no one paid me.

I try to understand how the landscape around us has evolved, particularly the countryside. people’s quality of life is connected to a sense of belonging, security, and identity with where they live. you can drive down a devon lane that could be 2000 years old, while another may be only 100. understanding that depth of time enriches people’s lives. in the english midlands people tend to live together in villages, but in devon many people live in small hamlets, isolated farmsteads, and cottages; i want to know why these regional differences in landscape character emerged. Finding out is part archaeology, part history, part geography. there’s no such thing as an area of ‘outstanding natural beauty’ in this country; all our landscapes are cultural. even dartmoor, without the grazing livestock would soon be covered in woodland. people created and maintain this open landscape; it’s beautiful, but it’s cultural. the landscape research group at exeter is working with a wide range of external partners to improve the understanding of a variety of landscapes, and their enjoyment by both local communities and visitors.

Professor Steve Rippon College of Humanities

“There’s no such thing as an area of ‘outstanding natural beauty’; all our landscapes are cultural.”

8 E n v I R O n M E n T A n d S U S T A I n A B I L I T y

Medical HumanitiesThere is fertile ground for research

at the border of medicine and

the humanities. This is a space

where clinicians and scientists

investigate the cultural motivations

behind the effects of ailments and

their treatments, and the general

population’s behaviour regarding

their health. At the Centre for

Medical History and at Egenis

(ESRC Centre for Genomics

in Society) we are exploring

this interface through strong

international links.

Professor Mark Jackson Director of the Centre for Medical History

To understand the emergence and proliferation of an illness

you need to understand the society and culture in which it

appears, as well as its biology. I trained in medicine but saw

opportunities with the humanities. People are interested in

their health, so we ask a simple question, “Why do we get

ill?” Our bodies and diets and cultures change and affect our

health. The emergence of allergies coincided with cultural

concerns about the environment and asthma. Stress is my

latest interest, understanding it in terms of the social traumas

of the 20th century – wars, economic depression, cultural

transition – and our attempts to reclaim and recover stability

and harmony through science.

nobody has said ‘no’ to me when I’ve come up with an idea

here. The capacity to say yes to new ideas requires vision

and a progressive culture of support and expectation. This

impulse is embedded and reinforced at all levels; we say yes

to opportunities or challenges in turn. This has led to the

Centre for Medical History working internationally and across

disciplines, increasing our profile and deepening our impact.

Even if people in other parts of the world are not quite sure

where Exeter is geographically, they know our work.

9M E d I C A L H U M A n I T I E S

inspiring research

“Our bodies, diets and cultures change and affect our health.”

Professor David WrightCollege of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences

“Graphene is widely regarded as the most important scientific discovery in materials.”

We’ve established a Centre for graphene science in

collaboration with the university of bath, to undertake

cutting-edge research into this revolutionary new material

derived from graphite. graphene is widely regarded as

the most important scientific discovery in materials. it

is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal

lattice; it’s stronger than diamond, and is a transparent

conductor with unique electrical and optical functions.

our research focuses on three key areas:

• developing our fundamental understanding of graphene

• investigating how its unique properties can be exploited

for areas such as sensors and displays

• methods of fabrication.

my own research concerns the design, development, and

characterisation of memory and data storage materials,

devices, and systems. the amount of data generated and

stored in the world is growing, so we need to increase

the capacity of memory devices, and make them smaller

and consume less power. Conventional approaches to

data storage like magnetic hard-disks, dvds and ‘flash’

memory sticks face difficult technological barriers to

progress. We’re working with research laboratories

around the world to develop new materials and

techniques that circumvent the limitations of conventional

technologies.

Functional MaterialsHow we use and develop the

materials around us has been at the

heart of technological innovation since

the invention of the wheel. At Exeter

our physicists and engineers are

working together to create new smart

materials, from bombproof curtains

to invisibility cloaks, developing

exciting technologies like additive

layer manufacturing, and investigating

graphene, the 21st century’s most

exciting new material.

10 F U n C T I O n A L M A T E R I A L S

“Nano materials are of huge importance to the world.”

Professor Bill BarnesCollege of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences

i was fascinated by light from an early age, and i still am. it will

come as no surprise then that light continues to be the focus of

my research career. light has been essential to the development

of science and is integral to many of the technologies that are

essential in the information-rich world in which we live. now a

new revolution is taking place, one in which we can manipulate

light well-beyond traditional limits, right down to the nanoscale.

Metals are an ideal material with which to control light at such

small scales. the same properties that enable metals to conduct

electricity also give metals their alluring lustre. one of our goals is

to exploit this dual character of metals to merge electronics with

optics through design at the nanoscale.

at exeter our work is part of a wider programme in which

materials are being designed and made that have properties not

found in nature – metamaterials. these new materials offer the

prospect of controlling light of other, invisible wavelengths, in

totally new ways. These new developments only increase our

fascination with light.

11F U n C T I O n A L M A T E R I A L S

“Light is essential in the information-rich world in which we live.”

inspiring research

i was inspired by the 1996 nobel prize for the discovery

of fullerenes to embark on nanomaterials research. my

team is working with the defence science and technology

laboratory (dstl) to develop new armour materials.

We’re moving from fundamentals to applications in our

research, the outcome being to save lives in conflict

situations. you can’t get a better impact for your research.

nanomaterials is an area of huge importance to the world.

We collaborate with other universities, Cambridge, surrey,

sheffield, but also institutions in america, germany, and

China, to ensure we stay world class.

Professor Yanqiu ZhuCollege of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences

12

my work focuses on iraq, and is divided between

researching state-building initiatives (including the

management of sectarian and ethnic divides), and

Coalition approaches to counter-insurgency and

stabilisation. as such, my work has covered aspects

of military intervention and post-conflict strategies,

resource management and government legislation,

and regional involvement. i have advised the uK

military, british foreign and Commonwealth office,

and un bodies.

my experience in iraq started in the mid-1990s,

when i served as political adviser firstly to the un

and then to the Kurdistan regional government.

the work was dangerous, as the Kurds were

rebelling against the government of saddam hussein,

but meant that i was uniquely placed to research

iraqi politics in a critical period before 2003.

exeter’s institute of arab and islamic studies is a very

special place. It is a rarity to have so many regional

specialists concentrated in one institution and we

have established a very strong international profile

in the field. indeed, the institute sits alongside the

world’s leading centres of middle east and islamic

studies as a centre of excellence of international

repute.

G L O B A L U n C E R T A I n T I E SG L O B A L U n C E R T A I n T I E S

Global UncertaintiesHumanity and the planet face

many uncertainties, and we have

world-leading expertise across

many of them: Middle East and

Islamic world politics; conflict

causation, management, and

regulation; international relations

and diplomacy; food and water

security; diasporas and social

cohesion. Our work to understand

and counter these issues is rich and

interdisciplinary, encompassing the

social sciences, humanities, and

sciences.

“It’s a rarity to have this many Middle East specialists.”

Professor Gareth Stansfield Director of the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies

one of the main uK centres for teaching and research in arabic, islamic and middle eastern studies, history and culture.

“With the growth in population in China and

India alone, it is a serious problem to feed the

world and manage land sustainably.”

G L O B A L U n C E R T A I n T I E S 13

The rapidly growing world population changing its

diet and eating more; pressures on natural resources

from water to fossil fuels; competing pressures on

land; productivity under threat from climate change;

and lack of investment in research and development all

adds up to a serious problem with feeding the world’s

population and managing the land sustainably. We’ve

entered into an alliance with Rothamsted Research and

the university of bristol to share expertise in tackling

the food security crisis. We’re bringing together

veterinary science, biosciences, agricultural science,

and the humanities.

i’m a social scientist but i have no specific disciplinary

allegiance. i’ve been a geographer, a political scientist,

a sociologist, and a rural historian. it’s rurality that

motivates me and i enjoy using different disciplinary

approaches to tackle rural problems. i worked on a

farm before my phd, and keep a smallholding now.

the mud on the boots helps enormously! people

know i’ve experienced what i research. for the last

decade a great deal of my work has been about policy

engagement; from the hunting controversy through

foot and mouth disease to current food and land

issues, always trying to work closely with defra. i

love scholarship, losing myself in an archive, but i came

into academia because i wanted to make a difference

in the world, engaging in real issues and maybe

changing things a bit.

Professor Michael Winter OBE Director of the Centre for Rural Policy Research

inspiring research

Identities and BeliefsWhat we believe is intrinsic to

how we behave and who we are,

and understanding the links between

belief and identity has a rich tradition

at Exeter. We combine expertise in

modern and ancient religious beliefs

and practices with historical and

sociological analysis of human migration

and cultural development, literature and

cultural consumption, bringing together

a number of perspectives across several

disciplines.

Dr Elena IsayevCollege of Humanities

I look at the subconscious impact of landscape, architecture, and

human-constructed space on people and communities – how

identity and mobility are related. I’m an ancient historian, but I

take what I have discovered about ancient communities, about

how they relate to place, about migration, to better understand

modern society, and provide an alternative space in which to

think through contemporary concerns. It allows for a vision of a

sophisticated interconnected world where national borders did

not exist, human mobility was ever present and belonging was not

attached to land. The problem was not ‘the foreigner in our midst’

but how to keep people in one place.

We are working with different members of the community –

newcomers, over-55s, and particularly young people of multiple

backgrounds, helping them to interact with each other in different

ways, using what we have learned to give them tools that can shift

their bonds between memory and place, helping them build new

memories. It is long-term, perception – changing impact.

I can only do what I do because I am able to work with colleagues

in Geography, English and Physics across the University, as well as

non-academic practitioners such as artists, musicians and architects.

There are so many different perspectives and experiences to learn

from; we are all equal scholars with ideas to contribute.

I d E n T I T I E S A n d B E L I E F S14

“Changing the

bonds between

memory and place.”

Professor Francesca StavrakopoulouCollege of Humanities

People are confused by me because I

don’t look like a stereotypical theology

academic, and I’m an atheist within a

confessional field. Most people study

theology and religion because of

personal investment, but I’m really a

religious historian. I focus on the cultures

that the Old Testament emerged

from; what people really believed and

how they expressed it through ritual. I

explore the relationship between the

human and the divine worlds, how the

dead became semi-deified; gruesome

things like child sacrifice and worshipping

the dead. It’s like being a detective!

I worked with the BBC to develop

a series relating to the Bible and

archaeology. We developed ideas in

a really creative way, very different

from typical academic collaboration.

People expressed shock at the resultant

documentary, but we’ve been having

these debates in scholarship for years.

We wanted impact, for people to say

“isn’t the Bible amazing” even if they

weren’t Christian – and that happened.

I d E n T I T I E S A n d B E L I E F S 15

“I’m a religious historian; it’s like being a detective.”

inspiring research

i’m a theoretical astrophysicist, trying to understand the

underlying physical processes which rule the evolution

of stars and planets based on numerical simulations.

early in my career, planets outside our own solar

system, or extrasolar planets, started being discovered,

and i’ve been fascinated by this ever since.

We are making strong connections with the met office,

using their global Climate model tool to investigate

the atmospheres of extrasolar planets. We hope that

our research on their climates can impact on long-term

Earth climate predictions and interventions.

discovering earth-like planets is our holy grail. it’s not

science fiction to think that we could discover life, too.

better we understand how atmosphere works, the

more chance we have. this is why working with climate

change researchers and the met office is so important,

and exeter is uniquely placed to do this. you need fluid

dynamicists and physicists and other experts to increase

shared understanding. you cannot work alone in your

discipline any more.

Extrasolar PlanetsExtrasolar planets exist outside of

Earth’s immediate Solar System.

By researching their atmospheres

and underlying physics, we can

learn more about our own

planet, its history, and its future.

Exeter unites mathematicians

with theoretical and observational

astrophysicists in this new field

of study, and we are developing

strong links with the UK Met Office

enabling us to use sophisticated

climate prediction models.

Professor Isabelle BaraffeCollege of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences

“Discovering Earth-like planets is our Holy Grail.”

16 E x T R A S O L A R P L A n E T S

Science, Technology, CultureUnderstanding how society and culture

react to scientific developments is a key

challenge for 21st century research.

We are exploring the social impact of

genomics at Egenis; the integration of

technology into education; and the interface

of performance, science and culture at

the Centre for Intermedia. With further

philosophical expertise in animal behaviour

and biopolitics, Exeter is proving that the

sciences and humanities are not mutually

exclusive.

17S C I E n C E , T E C H n O L O G y , C U L T U R E

Professor Rupert Wegerif College of Social Sciences and International Studies

Children don’t have enough time to talk and think. People

aren’t always talking when they communicate, so we use

‘dialogue’ to include technology. dialogic learning is asking

questions, admitting you don’t understand the problem; it

teaches you to think. Groups empowered like this solve

problems quicker, develop an understanding of other people,

and become comfortable with diverse views and new ideas.

Evidence suggests the dialogic approach is beneficial for the

science curriculum. We’re leading a £1 million project about

global science education, with Malaysia, India, and Lebanon,

exploring areas where science education isn’t working well

and how we can improve it. We investigate how technology

can be beneficial for education; improving the quality of

dialogue, behaviour, and respect, as well as serving as an

excellent focus for learning, and how you can have dialogues

via the internet.

I love writing. It’s a dialogic process too; I’m reading, I’m

responding. I’m very motivated by intellectual dialogues. I

have an awful lot of interesting conversations! I love that most

about being an academic.

“Children don’t have enough time to talk and think.”

inspiring research

18 S O C I E T A L A n d L I F E S T y L E S H I F T S

Professor Anne Barlow College of Social Sciences and International Studies

“The law expects people to be rational.”

The way we live our lives has changed, and people partner and parent in new ways. Cohabitants aren’t so very different from married couples; they’re often just doing things in another order. By focusing on marriage, family regulation fails to make provision for increasing numbers of people in different styles of relationships. The law expects people to be rational about whether or not to marry, but people see this as a lifestyle choice and often don’t know the law until it’s too late.

We’re looking at prenuptial agreements and alternative dispute resolution. Should prenuptial contracts be binding? Would people review them to adapt to changing circumstances? Are disputes about children more suited to mediation than courts? Answering these questions isn’t just about law; social science research can provide crucial evidence on how to reform the law.

Societal and Lifestyle ShiftsThe way we live together is

changing faster than ever before,

and understanding the behaviours,

consequences, and motivations of

the changing ways people interact

is crucial to society. We combine

expertise in law, business, sociology,

psychology and beyond to examine

and interpret our changing situations

and how they impact on family,

leisure, working, and health

behaviours.

The most exciting problems in public policy have to be addressed by interdisciplinary teams.

Regulation affects all our lives, so we have to understand how it can be made efficient, transparent, and dialogic. My interests are regulatory reform, the theory of the policy process, the role of knowledge and ideas in public policy, and Europeanisation.

Impact comes from trends and the percolation of social science ideas into public policy rather than tipping points.

I worked in the private sector, in think tanks, research institutes and private consultancy for years. My friends thought I was mad to start a Phd at 32, but I love the intellectual freedom of academia.

“Regulation affects all our lives.”

Professor Claudio Radaelli Director of the Centre for European Governance

S O C I E T A L A n d L I F E S T y L E S H I F T S 19

Professor Michelle Ryan College of Life and Environmental Sciences

i’m a social as well as an organisational psychologist. Social identity theory has quite a socialist background; it’s about how people behave in groups rather than as individuals. it’s highly interdisciplinary but with the rigour of psychology, so we can ask big questions but answer them with proven methodology. We collaborate with a lot of european and australian partners. there’s a strong network of social psychologists.

the glass Cliff project came about when i found a newspaper article about the gender of leadership, and how companies do badly when women lead

them. i wanted to understand why, and we found that women tend to be appointed to leadership positions under very different circumstances than men, by companies which were already doing badly.

i’m only a few years out of my own phd, and i love supervising phd students; the collaboration and mentorship. i try and pick people who are passionate about what they do. academia’s often a long game; it can be five years from designing a study to publishing it, but seeing a new researcher

growing is immediately rewarding.

“Social identity theory is about how people behave in groups.”

inspiring research

Translational Medicine, Personalised Healthcare and Public HealthIf medical research is to benefit society

then it must move seamlessly from

bench to bedside. Exeter’s researchers

span the University’s own Medical

School, our health-facing Colleges and

the nHS. We are developing new

treatments for diabetes, investigating

the ageing population, exploring the

limitations of human performance,

and designing behaviour change

interventions.

20 T R A n S L A T I O n A L M E d I C I n E , P E R S O n A L I S E d H E A L T H C A R E A n d P U B L I C H E A L T H

21T R A n S L A T I O n A L M E d I C I n E , P E R S O n A L I S E d H E A L T H C A R E A n d P U B L I C H E A L T H

i research the limitations to human performance, what makes

some people better at sport than others, and the causes of fatigue.

i’m interested in oxidative metabolism; how muscles use oxygen to

produce energy.

i’ve worked with elite athletes like paula radcliffe and Jo pavey

as consultant physiologist to uK athletics. i can take my findings,

even before they’re published, to the english institute of sport and

ensure they become practice with elite athletes immediately. but

i also work on public health. the factors that limit a top athlete

from achieving peak performance are the same as those that stop

an elderly person being able to get to the top of the stairs.

i love the fun of the chase. if a research question’s worth pursuing

you can bet you won’t be the only one investigating, and you want

to be the first to publish on it. the competitiveness is like athletics.

i received my professorship aged 34, and i’m as proud of that

as i am of still holding the british under-18s record for the half

marathon (66 minutes!).

Professor Andy JonesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences

the potential for violence among adults with mental health issues

grabs attention and funds. psychiatry as a whole is underfunded;

but child psychiatry is the Cinderella branch of a Cinderella service.

i moved into research because i can make more of a difference

than as a clinician. my work is about improving children’s mental

health services, from population and policy level to testing

interventions for children with specific disorders.

With colleagues in the graduate school of education i’m

investigating child mental health in schools. poor mental health has

an enormous impact on the whole school community, but teachers

have little formal training in child development and classroom

management. Changing this will improve children’s mental health.

in london i worked at the maudsley, which is to clinical psychiatry

as great ormond street is to paediatrics. it’s steeped in history

and i was following well-trodden footsteps. in exeter it’s incredibly

exciting to be shaping something new.

Dr Tamsin FordMedical School

“I can make more impact as an academic than as a clinician.”

“How muscles use oxygen to produce energy.”

inspiring research

22 T R A n S L A T I O n A L M E d I C I n E , P E R S O n A L I S E d H E A L T H C A R E A n d P U B L I C H E A L T H

Professor Andrew Hattersley FRSMedical School

My research focuses on genetic subtypes of diabetes. My team’s

research aim is to find the genetic causes of these, and improve the

treatment for diabetics. The biggest discovery we’ve made is that

most children born with diabetes have a change in a critical potassium

channel involved in the insulin secreting pathway. These patients

made no insulin and were always treated with insulin injections but

we have shown they can get better sugar control with

sulphonylurea tablets.

The impact of this work is clear; patients’ quality of life is

drastically improved. People go from insulin injections

to taking tablets, and have the best blood sugar levels

they’ve ever had. now they can eat what they like and

exercise without needing to adjust their treatment.

The effects of our research are felt world-wide, with our

discoveries spreading rapidly and changing clinical practice. We

have diagnosed over 1,000 patients from over 60 countries from all

five continents. This work has been the culmination of an outstanding

16-year collaboration with Professor Sian Ellard who runs the genetics

laboratory at the Royal devon & Exeter nHS Foundation Trust.

“Everyday living is dramatically improved for patients born with diabetes.”

“A thriving cohesive, multidisciplinary group, who are all brilliant.”

Professor Ken SteinMedical School

We work with evidence-based medicine in public health services,

improving decision-making and value for money. We have an arterial

feed into the nHS through our influence within the national Institute

for Health and Clinical Excellence. Because we’re academics and

independent we have balance and authority. Because the world watches

the national Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, we know

people watch our work, too. We use simulation modelling to explore

how things work long-term; a trial might last two years, but a condition

might last 30. We examine what happens after those two years.

I’ve worked in both medical and academic positions, and I’m proudest

of my team; over ten years I’ve assembled a thriving, cohesive,

multidisciplinary group, who are all brilliant. They work hard, in a

demanding environment, and deliver the highest quality. The quest for

an efficient, effective health service for the population is what drives me.

I continue to do research because it has impact.

W O R K I n G W I T H B U S I n E S S 23

inspiring research

Working with BusinessEvery year Exeter staff work on around 1,000

projects with business and other organisations

to provide smart solutions to global, national

and local challenges. The value of this work

is around £28 million pa. Our major partners

include Shell, BT, EdF, Syngenta, vodafone,

GlaxoSmithKline, Thomson Reuters and the

UK Met Office which is based in Exeter.

We also ensure that the outcomes of our

world- class research are translated into

commercial application for the benefit of

society and the economy. The University

has its own business incubator on campus

and links with the SETsquared partnership of

Universities in southern England whose aim is

to encourage business incubation and growth.

Dr Miguel Fonseca University of Exeter Business School

economics is moving away from the assumptions of extreme rationality and self-interest. now we are trying to understand how people actually behave, with a view to understanding issues like perceptions of climate change, or how identity issues affect economic behaviour. regulators are becoming interested in what we’re doing, and businesses are paying attention to what they could do better.

in experimental economics we set people a task which simulates an environment we want to investigate: bargaining, cartel formation, how group affiliation affects negotiations. i’ve had findings cited in a merger case. being cited outside academia means you’ve made an impact. i came to exeter from manhattan, which was a shock! i made the right choice though. it’s a special place to live and work.

“Economists are trying to understand how people actually behave.”

24

Professor Gareth ShawUniversity of Exeter Business School

Professor Debra MyhillCollege of Social Sciences and International Studies

People grow and change as tourists, and retirement

effectively sees people learning to be full-time tourists.

Understanding how people relax and play is important

because we’re consumers all the time now. We have

to ally this with sustainability concerns; people behave

differently on holiday, leave lights on and waste water,

things they never do at home.

I’ve supervised nearly 70 Phds through to completion.

It’s my goal to reach 100. One of our Phd graduates

works in Pro-Poor Tourism with UnESCO and the

World Bank to help the world’s poorest communities to

establish tourist industries by embedding management

expertise locally.

Our research is moving from discovering behaviours

to developing interventions, creating impact through

gamification and social marketing.

My work with BT explores the teaching of collaborative talk within schools, in order to help young people develop the skills required by the 21st Century workplace. BT maintain that young people are often more technologically competent than adults in the workplace; what is missing are the human skills that make effective collaboration possible, independent of the technology. Previous research has shown that pupils seated in groups rarely engaged in genuine collaboration but instead worked as individuals.

“How to prepare young people for the collaborative skills required in 21st Century employment.”

University of Exeter Business SchoolBusiness has been one of the

cornerstones of the University of

Exeter since it was founded. The

University of Exeter Business School

offers programmes for undergraduate,

postgraduate and executive students and

clients from all over the world. We have

launched the One Planet MBA which

is fast gaining a reputation as one of the

most innovative MBAs in the World.

Our courses are informed by some

of the very latest thinking in business

research.

W O R K I n G W I T H B U S I n E S S

“We’re consumers all the time now.”

International partnerships

Through our world-class research

projects and extensive student and staff

exchanges, Exeter is at the forefront of

global collaboration. We offer excellence

in teaching, and cutting edge research,

engaging with partners overseas on issues

of global importance. Our focus is on

developing ‘institutional-level’ partnerships

with a core number of leading universities

around the world. We believe that by

actively encouraging our students and staff

to develop meaningful engagement with

their overseas counterparts, we can have a

worldwide impact. We have agreements

with universities in all major continents

covering 36 countries including China, the

USA, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico and

throughout Europe. This global reach gives

our students and academics wide-ranging

opportunities to develop their academic

talents and enhances our research portfolio.

I n T E R n A T I O n A L P A R T n E R S H I P S 25W O R K I n G W I T H B U S I n E S S

Our CollegesUniversity of Exeter Business School

College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences

College of Humanities

College of Life and Environmental Sciences

College of Social Sciences and International Studies

Medical Schoollondon

oxford

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tel: +44 (0) 1392 661000© May 2012

to find out more about our researchers, research centres and institutes, projects, and impact, please visit our website

www.exeter.ac.uk/research/inspiring

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