Kingston University London

Get serious about the suburbs, says new book by Dr Rupa Huq

Kingston University sociology lecturer Dr Rupa Huq has launched a new book which lifts the lid - and draws back the net curtains - on the hitherto uncharted world of today's suburban Britain.

The book ‘On the Edge: The Contested Cultures of English Suburbia' tells the story of the English suburbs, which the writer believes is a greatly neglected subject. It argues that the stereotypical depiction of suburbia as little more than rows of twee Acacia Avenues - or less fondly as a place of stifling conformism and stagnation - is now hugely wide of the mark. The suburbia of 2013, it contends, is a place full of diversity and conflict....

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Scientists put bowel cancer under the microscope

Patients with bowel cancer - the third most commonly diagnosed form in the United Kingdom - could enjoy increased survival rates as a result of a new study led by an expert from Kingston University. Professor Helmout Modjtahedi is heading an investigation examining why some tumours are hard to treat and how they can be targeted with the most effective therapies.

During the study, specimens from patients with tumours of the colon or rectum, known as colorectal or bowel cancer, will be examined for biomarkers - proteins on the surface of cells. This would help pinpoint which individuals were most likely to benefit from specific therapies, particularly two new antibody-based drugs, Professor Modjtahedi said. Since the drugs cost tens of thousands of pounds a year, targeting their use would help health authorities reduce costs, while patients who would not benefit from them could be spared the trauma of unnecessary treatment and offered an alternative therapy instead....

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Honorary degree marks courage of 7/7 survivor Gill Hicks

A survivor of the 7/7 terrorist attacks in London has been honoured by Kingston University and St George's, University of London. Gill Hicks, who lost both legs in the disaster, was made an Honorary Doctor of Science by the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education in recognition of her determination to overcome her injuries and her work raising awareness of disability.

On the morning of July 7 2005, Ms Hicks was a passenger on a Piccadilly line train on her way to work at the Design Council. Unbeknown to her, 19 year old Jermaine Lindsay had also boarded the same carriage and moments later, detonated a bomb that killed 26 people and seriously injured many more. An hour passed before a barely conscious Ms Hicks was rescued from the tube tunnel and taken to St Thomas' Hospital - the last person to be pulled alive from the train. Her hospital identification wristband read ‘One Unknown - estimated female', a chilling indication of the extent of her injuries....

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Paramedic science students head to the scene of the crime

Paramedic science students have been getting the chance to enter the world of high technology forensic crime busting as part of an innovative learning initiative. 

The trainee paramedics from Kingston University and St George's, University of London have been taking part in role play scenarios at the scene of crime house already used by Kingston's forensic science students to practise their field skills. The property, at the rear of Kingston's Penrhyn Road campus, is set up to simulate real-life crime scene situations and includes criminal investigation paraphernalia and role-playing actors to make the experience as authentic as possible.

The forensic science students have been using the property for a number of years, but this term the house has also been opened up as a location for paramedic training. An initial session in January involved two days of paramedic-only training simulations, covering mental health, trauma and advanced life support.

This month the paramedics - based at the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, run jointly by Kingston and St George's - have joined forensic science students from Kingston's Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing for a combined crime scene day.

The initiative gave the two groups of students the opportunity to work together to develop their understanding of how they would collaborate when confronted with the complex demands of a real crime scene. Each training scenario has been supported with expert feedback from teaching staff, with debriefings involving video playbacks.

The sessions in the scene-of-crime house were arranged in response to feedback from students who were keen to be as well prepared as possible for the workplace. The scheme also helps provide the students with the skills to overcome the many practical challenges paramedics can face delivering high quality patient care.

Senior lecturer in paramedic science Lisa Burrell said the simulated scenarios helped bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world. "We wanted to give students the opportunity to engage with what they have been learning in a manner credible for the workplace. The realistic settings allow them to think through how they will approach and manage different challenges effectively," she explained.

• Find out more about studying paramedic science at Kingston University and St George's, University of London or forensic science at Kingston University.

Trio of talented trainees nominated for Student Nursing Times Awards

Three students from Kingston University and St George's, University of London, have made it through to the finals of annual awards presented by one of the country's leading nursing magazines. Sonia Easton, Kate Cunningham-Flood and Shahida Yasmin were all nominated for prizes at the Student Nursing Times Awards which celebrated the achievements of those who have excelled in their studies and displayed outstanding commitment to their chosen profession.

Head of programmes for pre-registration nursing at Kingston and St George's Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education Karen Elcock said the achievements of the trailblazing trio demonstrated the quality of tomorrow's nurses. "Nursing has been under the spotlight in recent months, but these awards highlight how many exceptional students there are entering the profession," Ms Elcock said. "For Kingston and St George's to have three people shortlisted for three separate categories demonstrates not only the calibre of our students, it also shows that nursing as a profession has much to celebrate."...

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Enterprising designer believes disability should be no barrier to style

A student from London's Kingston University has created concepts for a range of clothing for disabled women which combines sophisticated style with practicality and comfort.

MA Fashion student Garfield Li's funky yet functional womenswear collection was inspired by a visit to a children's hospice near Luton. "I met a boy in a wheelchair whose mother had cut the back out of his jacket so it was more comfortable for him to wear," the 26 year old, originally from Hong Kong, explained. This sparked the young designer's idea to explore whether he could create a range of cutting-edge fashion specifically tailored for wheelchair users....

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Sport and exercise sciences specialists help Briton achieve top 10 placing at Marathon des Sables

Competitors at the annual Marathon des Sables (MDS) made the most of the facilities at Kingston University in the run up to the arduous five day event. Labelled the ‘toughest foot race on earth', it consists of marathons and double marathons across the Sahara Desert in temperatures in excess of 50degC.

Each year the Sport and Exercise Sciences department works with runners to help them prepare and adjust to the extreme temperatures they will encounter in the desert by using Kingston University's specially designed environmental heat chamber. This year Danny Kendall, who has completed the marathon four times, trained in the chamber. "As an athlete competing in such a gruelling event, you try to prepare as best as possible and I found the time training in a heat chamber invaluable to my preparation," he said.

"I went out for a ‘hot' holiday three weeks out from the race and ran 20 miles a day for nine days in the heat of the day. It was ideal preparation. When I returned to the United Kingdom it was important not to loose the adaptation I had achieved so I maintained some heat training in the Kingston University heat chamber by running on a treadmill. As a result, I never found the heat a real issue in the race."

Danny set his sights on a top 10 position and the top British performance of all time, bettering the 12th position set by James Cracknell in 2010. He achieved his goal by finishing 10th overall.

"We'd like to congratulate Danny and athletes Simon Maisey, Steve Drake and Craig Dixon, who also trained with us at Kingston, on their fantastic achievements," Chris Howe, physiology laboratory technician at the University's Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing, said. "We wish them the best of luck for their future challenges."

• Learn more about the range of Sport, Nutrition and Exercise Science Assessments at Kingston University.

Support from social workers crucial as austerity bites

Britain's current economic woes are putting vulnerable children and families under growing pressure and social workers have a crucial role to play in helping them cope, according to a senior academic from Kingston University and St George's, University of London.

Professor Hilary Tompsett, from Kingston and St George's Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, was speaking after joining the governing board of the new College of Social Work. A registered social worker with more than 25 years' experience specialising in children and families, mental health and older care as both a practitioner and educator, Professor Tompsett was one of four new board members chosen by the College in its first elections in February....

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