Kingston University is leading the way in the delivery of Future Skills in the United Kingdom. Our latest Future Skills report, launched at the House of Commons, is informed by extensive research. The report explores the skills most valued by employers in graduates, skills that are vital to drive innovation and boost economic growth.
The Health, Education, and Society Knowledge Exchange and Research Institute is focused on tackling some of the biggest challenges in health, education, and society.
Introduction
Our purpose
Our primary purpose is to support Kingston University's aspirations under the Town House Strategy to encourage excellence and collaboration in research and knowledge exchange across disciplines. We address wide societal challenges and offer solutions to allow individuals, communities and economies to prosper in the future as dramatic technological and social transformations accelerate and impact how we live and work.
Our Health, Education and Society Knowledge Exchange and Research Institute (KERI) is committed to being at the forefront of interdisciplinary health, education and society research.
Our vision
Our vision is to collaborate across disciplines to find solutions to contemporary health challenges with the understanding that there is no single solution to the world’s health problems. A cross-disciplinary approach is at the heart of our research and knowledge exchange, and we draw on the expertise of our staff from across Kingston University.
Our mission
Our institute is poised at the intersection of life sciences, pharmacy and chemistry, nursing, social care, and midwifery. Rooted in the synergy of health, education, and societal dynamics, we are a hub for pioneering research that not only advances disciplinary frontiers but fosters a robust culture of knowledge exchange, to improve the visibility, quality, reach and impact of our work.
Our core principles
We champion collaboration as the cornerstone of progress. Through a blend of expertise from diverse fields, we will break new ground, producing world-class research and effecting significant change. Our mission is to conduct cutting-edge research in health, education and society that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, bringing together experts from life sciences, pharmacy and chemistry, health service research nursing, social care, midwifery and education. We increase the scale and enhance the excellence of the University’s research and innovation in priority areas.
Beyond the confines of academia, our research is designed to resonate with and benefit communities. We are committed to translating our findings into tangible, accessible solutions, amplifying the impact of our work on a societal level.
We partner with industry, government bodies, health and social care organisations and others to influence practice, policy and debate. We actively seek collaborations on an international scale. Our commitment to knowledge exchange extends beyond borders, fostering partnerships that enrich our research landscape and contribute to a global tapestry of ideas.
Recent projects
The INCISIVE project aims to develop and validate an AI-based toolbox that enhances the accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, interpretability and cost-effectiveness of existing cancer imaging methods.
INCISIVE’s overarching objective to enhance cancer diagnosis and prediction using AI and big data will be reached by implementing work within 5 project Pillars.
Additionally, INCISIVE’s work will be enriched by an automated Machine Learning (ML)-based annotation mechanism and through the development of an interoperable pan-European federated repository of medical images that will enable the secure donation and sharing of data in compliance with ethical, legal and privacy demands, increasing accessibility to datasets and enabling experimentation of AI-based solutions, towards the large-scale adoption of such solutions in cancer diagnosis, prediction and follow-up.
In its lifetime, INCISIVE will make use of multimodal data sources, including imaging, biological and Electronic Health Record (HER).
Antimicrobial resistant microorganisms are difficult to treat and lead to increased death and treatment costs. Antibiotic resistance is recognised as a critical threat in both human and animal medicine. Addressing this threat can be challenging when bacteria exist in complicated communities called biofilms. Biofilms form naturally and allow bacteria to survive and persist in diverse environments. Surviving bacteria facilitates the spread of antibiotic resistance genes contributing to the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The COMBAT (COMplex Biofilms and AMR Transmission) project will identify interventions that can actually control complex biofilms in three different environments, thereby decreasing the threat of antimicrobial resistance spreading. COMBAT’s approach is based on solid novel laboratory-based biofilm study but also on the application of interventions in the domestic, healthcare and animal environments, providing a direct application to control real “One Health” antibiotic resistance problem.
COMBAT represents a multidisciplinary consortium which aims to understand and control Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) emergence and dissemination in complex biofilms. COMBAT will achieve this aim by gaining a better understanding of the nature of complex biofilms and their control in 3 One Health areas: healthcare, domiciliary and veterinary. There is currently limited understanding of the composition of complex biofilms, natural abundance of AMR genes and gene transfer occurrence in these ecological niches. With such a paucity of information, the efficacy of interventions (disinfection) in controlling the emergence and dissemination of AMR cannot be evaluated in situ, whilst evidence to date identified biofilms as a source for AMR that requires targeted countermeasures. By using a newly established small scale complex biofilm model, COMBAT will provide new information on microbial diversity, AMR gene abundance and transfer in complex biofilms of importance to 3 One Health areas. Further COMBAT will provide a robust platform to evaluate disinfectant product interventions designed to deliver a measurable impact in limiting AMR dissemination. In doing so, COMBAT will optimise cost-effective interventions appropriate to minimise the spread of AMR in 3 One health areas. COMBAT is composed of experienced research groups with significant international reputations in the fields of AMR and biocidal products. Industrial, infection control, veterinarian, farmer stakeholders will provide COMBAT with a translational aspect ensuring the outputs are effective and commercially viable.
Implementation of the non-medical practitioner workforce into the emergency and urgent care system skill-mix in England: a mixed methods study of configurations and impact.
Increasing demand for emergency care has occurred alongside staffing shortage, particularly of doctors. Re-shaping of the workforce has resulted, including the introduction of non-medical practitioners, such as nurse practitioners and physician associates in Emergency Departments and Urgent Treatment Centres. Non-medical practitioners is a generic term for qualified staff from other health professions who are trained to undertake some of the work of doctors in training grades. Despite 20 years of non-medical practitioners being employed in Emergency Departments, there is limited evidence of effectiveness of individual roles, and none as to appropriate skill-mix of staff, at what level of independence from senior medical staff.
The aim of this study is to explore the impact of different skill-mix of staff, including non-medical practitioners, in Emergency Departments and Urgent Treatment Centres on patient experience, quality of care, clinical outcomes, activity, staff experience and costs in acute NHS trusts in England, We are investigating the optimal balance of doctors, nurses, and non-medical practitioners in NHS Emergency Departments and Urgent Treatment Centres in order to inform workforce decisions of clinicians, managers and commissioners.
The views provided in this information are those of the researchers and not necessarily those of the NHS, the National Institute for Health Research or the Department of Health and Social Care.
Co-designing a toolkit of approaches and resources for end-of-life care planning with people with learning disabilities within social care settings
When people with learning disabilities reach the end of life, they can find it hard to understand what is happening and are rarely involved in ensuring that end-of-life care is given according to their wishes and preferences. This two year study (2022-2024) aims to improve end-of-life care planning within learning disability services, by investigating what is likely to work best for whom, and producing guidance and resources that are welcomed by people with learning disabilities, families and staff.
The study involved three main phases:
(1) Finding and reviewing existing guidance and resources (Scoping Reviews) and investigating stakeholder views (Focus Groups);
(2) co-designing a toolkit of guidance and resources (Experience-Based Co-Design) with people with learning disabilities, families and professionals; and (3) testing the toolkit within learning disability services.
The final toolkit will be made freely available online in Spring 2024.
The Kingston University Research Team consists of 9 research staff, led by Professor Irene Tuffrey-Wijne including 4 researchers who have a learning disability.
Funders: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR202963)
Collaborators: Open University, Dimensions UK, MacIntyre, Voluntary Organisations Disability Fund, The Mary Stevens Hospice
Studying the link between household benefits, financial precarity and child welfare: a mixed methods study of linked administrative data informed by stakeholder voices.
This project is investigating the connection between child welfare provision and changes to household income and financial precarity.
The sharp rise in the cost of living has put pressure on the finances of millions of families. This could impact the health and wellbeing of children and adults, particularly those living in deprived areas and from minoritised groups. Recent government reports and an independent review of children’s social care have accepted the importance of socio-economic factors as a driver of child safeguarding interventions. However, policies that address risks to children by improving material and socio-economic circumstances are rare, and their impact is not often evaluated.
The research team is using linked operational data, informed by stakeholder voices, to analyse the extent to which, and under what conditions, financial precarity is associated with a higher likelihood of referral to child social care services and subsequent interventions. This research will be completed in three stages:
Analysing the impact of the 2020-21 Universal Credit uplift on financial precarity, referrals to children’s social care, and subsequent interventions.
Investigating stakeholders’ experiences of the relationship between financial precarity and child welfare, and their views about the ethical use of data to improve policy and service response.
The research is a multi-disciplinary collaboration between Kingston University, University of Sussex, Policy in Practice, National Children’s Bureau, Research in Practice, and six English local authorities. It is led by Professor Rick Hood.
We hope the findings will inform the development of joined-up social policies that improve families’ financial circumstances and child welfare.
Working closely with communities, industry, and global partners, the focus of the Health, Education and Society KERI is on turning innovative ideas into practical solutions to improve wellbeing and shape policy and practice worldwide.
Professor Adam Le Gresley, Director – Health, Education and Society Knowledge Exchange and Research Institute
Knowledge Exchange initiatives
Dr Brian Rooney, Associate Professor in Forensic Sciencein conjunction with Anglia DNA (ADNA) secured a prestigious funding award from Innovate UK for a *Knowledge Transfer Partnership. With over £275K in funding, the 30 month project will provide ADNA with expertise in analytical method development and validation embedding high quality drug testing capacity to enhance ADNA as a commercial laboratory. Resulting in a novel toxicology screening service that improves on the current market offer to increase revenue and market share, the extended capability, through new knowledge/technologies, will have long-term benefits for the company whilst positively benefitting the economy.
Anglia DNA is a UK laboratory delivering scientific services, specialising in DNA, Drug & Alcohol Testing for both court-directed and private purposes. The project will embed expertise in ADNA enabling the company to develop instrument familiarity and enhance staff skills to meet state-of-the-art analytical developments and troubleshooting.
*A KTP is a part government-funded initiative enabling forward-thinking businesses to harness universities' expert knowledge, technology and research to help them improve their processes and products, via innovative projects. If you have any questions about KTP’s please contact Neeta Barot, Business Development Manager.
Kingston University as a member of a consortium of universities successfully secured funding from the Office of Students (OFS) to develop health care apprenticeships. £3,381,000 was allocated to form the Healthcare Education Consortium focusing on coordinating and expanding healthcare degree apprenticeships to meet the goals of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. This funding has the potential to completely transform the landscape for healthcare apprenticeships and at KU is being led by Professor Claire Thurgate, Head of School of Nursing, Allied and Public Health with support from the Central Apprenticeship Team. Claire said: “Working with the consortium will allow the Faculty to share best practice and innovation in apprentice delivery and contribute to research within the field. This is an exciting opportunity for the Faculty to influence apprentice uptake within health care education.”
