Research Institutes Update

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Research Institutes Update

Our Research Institutes have gathered considerable momentum over the last 5 months since the new Directors started in September. The Professors have been busy developing the vision and mission statements for the Institutes, identifying key themes and starting new, exciting research projects. The Institutes are supported by academic staff at the University and a variety of external stakeholders, and each Institute has now appointed research fellows who will be vital to drive our dynamic research agenda forward.

The Institute for Health and Wellbeing

The Institute for Health and Wellbeing’s Director is Professor Valerie Gladwell Professor Colin R. Martin is the Institute’s Clinical Director, working closely with our NHS partners. We are pleased to welcome: Dr Cleo Protogerou who started as a Research Fellow at the Institute in January 2022.

Colin and Valerie have enjoyed engaging with staff and have run four research cafés bringing together the University of Suffolk from many different disciplines. They have met with many stakeholders across Suffolk in a discussion on how to embed research into health and wellbeing activities and services.

Upcoming events include the Institute for Health and Wellbeing launch on 30 March 2022 (please contact research@uos.ac.uk if you would like to attend) and both Colin and Valerie have public lectures in March. The Institute has 4 themes:

„ Perinatal Wellbeing led by Professor Colin R. Martin „ Physical Activity and Sport led by Dr Marco Beato „ Whole System Approaches to Wellbeing led by Professor Valerie Gladwell „ Long-term Conditions led by Dr Noreen Cushen‑Brewster

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Suffolk Sustainability Institute

The Suffolk Sustainability Institute’s Director is Professor Darryl Newport. We are pleased to welcome: Dr Alison Pooley who started as a Research Fellow at the Institute in February 2022 and Dr Hannah Steventon who will start in March 2022.

Everything is moving forward swiftly and positively at the Suffolk Sustainability Institute. We are collaborating with several regional partners on a new UK Community Renewal Funded project: Road to Net Zero Business Support Programme, looking to assist business within Norfolk and Suffolk to decarbonise.

We have several Industry led projects in the pipeline. Of note is our first Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) application in collaboration with the Suffolk Business School and Paddy & Scott’s.

We are glad to report that the construction of the new Ecolab Living Laboratory at Adastral Park has started and is on track to be completed by the end of March. The Institute’s research is centred on three key themes that span a range of emerging research disciplines and pressing urban and rural sustainability challenges:

„ Green Infrastructure led by Dr Hannah Steventon „ Sustainable Healthy Communities led by Dr Alison Pooley „ Energy and Resources Management led by Professor Darryl Newport

Underpinning the themes is our commitment to translate the work to be useful to everyone and the Institute promotes applied research opportunity and knowledge exchange capability through its existing research projects, demonstration, and testing facilities including the new Ecolab Living Laboratory.

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The Institute for Social Justice and Crime

Professor Miranda Horvath is Director of the Institute for Social Justice and Crime.

The Institute for Social Justice and Crime has grown rapidly since Miranda’s appointment in September. In order to deliver our work on Project Bluestone (transforming police responses to rape focusing on suspect‑focused investigations) we have taken on two research assistants (Arianna Barbin and Thistle Dalton), a Research Fellow (Aneela Kahn) and two research consultants (Dr Anna Gekoski and Kristina Massey) alongside sub‑contracting Research Fellow Dr Ruth Spence from Middlesex University, and taking on Maria Cross as Project Administrator.

We were also delighted to welcome Dr Dev Maitra as Senior Research Fellow (maternity cover for Dr Olumide Adisa) in December 2021. On the 1 March 2022, Megan Hermolle will be joining us from Keele University as a Research Fellow to assist with the further development of the Institute. We are also delighted that Dr Katherine Allen and Dr Joana Ferrier continue to work as researchers with us.

We are thrilled to have four visiting Senior Research Fellows working with the Institute who bring with them a wealth of experience and expertise. They are Dr Kari Davies (Bournemouth University), Visiting Senior Fellow in Social Justice and Crime; Dr Jeffrey DeMarco (Middlesex University and Victim Support), Visiting Senior Fellow in Forensic Psychology; Victoria Green (Marie Collins Foundation), Visiting Senior Fellow in Safeguarding; Fiona Ellis (Survivors in Transition), Visiting Senior Fellow in Social Work and Social Policy.

We are also very excited about our PGR students — not only do we have Ioana Crivatu continuing her PhD on multiple perpetrator rape within the Institute (supervised by Miranda Horvath and Jeffrey DeMarco) but in April 2022 Arianna Barbin will be starting a PhD studentship on specialism in policing rape and serious sexual offences funded by Project Bluestone (supervised by Miranda Horvath, Mark Manning and Kari Davies).

Arianna Barbin Aneela Kahn Dr Anna Gekoski Kristina Massey