Research case studies

Making sense of IT integration in banking mergers and acquisitions

A new report by Kingston University and AnnanTech Ltd, for the first time examines the issue of how robust the UK's bank systems are.

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Improving preschool children's number foundations

Children's underachievement in mathematics is a widespread and significant problem in the UK. Kingston University's Dr Jo Van Herwegen offers an improved way to deliver numerical activities to preschoolers.

How shared reading joined up an entire institution

Associate Professor Alison Baverstock had seen pre-arrival shared reading used in the US as an aid to student transition. As a former publisher, with a long-term commitment to the value of reading, she was keen to explore whether Kingston students would welcome a shared reading programme.

Reviving the analogue age

The Visconti Studio is working with musicians and heritage organisations to preserve the sounds and practices of the analogue past for the digital future.

Designing sensory enriched environments for people living with dementia

Research spearheaded by a design expert from Kingston University is shedding new light on the positive impact improved multi-sensory environments can have in dementia care.

Zooming in on migrant sex workers

Professor Mai describes the phenomenon as sexual humanitarianism, a term he coined to highlight the way all migrants working in the sex industry tend to be represented and targeted as victims of trafficking by the media, policy makers, authorities and non-governmental organisations. 

Playing it safe

Few people recognise the prevalence among young people involved in amateur sports and fitness of performance and appearance enhancing substances (PAES). Safe You, a research project conducted by institutions in five countries - including Kingston University - has found that the consumption of PAES among 16-25 year-olds is both widespread and increasing. 

Solving a security challenge

The Robot Vision team has been tasked with finding smart solutions to security challenges at major events using Internet of Things technologies.

Working with Search and Rescue Organisations to improve understanding and save lives

The demand for search and rescue (SAR) services across the world is increasing, and so is the need for new technology and new understanding to make their efforts more effective. Making SAR more efficient is literally a matter of life and death.

Building Bridges: Self-management and co-production in the rehabilitation of people with complex disabilities

Dr Fiona Jones is leading a programme of research which aims to widen the reach of self-management support to individuals with complex disabilities by developing and evaluating new and innovative approaches appropriate to these groups. 

Press standards reform: A continuing project to raise ethical standards in the UK press

Professor Brian Cathcart, an experienced journalist and now a teacher of journalists, has sought, with others, to facilitate the creation and delivery of effective regulation of news publishing that is independent both of political influence and of the corporate press, and which operates in the best interests of journalism, of the public and of democratic society.

Escaping the pain of arthritis

Professor Mike Hurley has devised a rehabilitation programme for chronic joint pain that is shaping the way arthritic pain is managed.

Expressive writing workshops in Iraq

Expressive writing workshops in Iraq help traumatised victims recount their suffering.

Community entrepreneurship in renewable energy

The Audio-Visual Entrepreneurship Resources and Network project, funded through a donation from YTL Corporation, explores the challenges and activities of entrepreneurs engaged in community energy projects in England.

Fighting super-gonorrhoea

Dr Lori Snyder, based in the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy, and Chemistry, is working to find new treatments for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium responsible for the infection.

City of Light: Paris 1900-1950

Dr Caroline Potter, Reader in Music at Kingston University, based in the School of Performance and Screen Studies, is a specialist researcher in French music.

Genome sequencing research is contributing to fight against antimicrobial resistance

Fundamental genomics studies at Kingston University are providing keys to the origin and evolution of bacterial species, and making a significant contribution to the development of novel antibacterials.

Promoting flood resilience among businesses and households

Why do people who live in areas of high flood risk rarely take effective precautions to protect their homes and businesses, and how can research bring about behaviour change?

Gender-neutral vaccinations against human papilloma virus (HPV)

Gender-neutral vaccinations can reduce the incidence of life-threatening cancers. The health and economic benefits of herd immunity are increasingly recognised by public health bodies across the globe.

Ming of Harlem: a tiger in New York

Producing knowledge across sociology, ethology and philosophy, this astonishing film tells the story of Antoine Yates, who shared his high-rise apartment in Harlem with a 7ft alligator and 500lb tiger.

Discos, architecture and the avant-garde

Exhibited at the Venice Biennale, Space Electronic: Then and Now explores the meanings of discos, architectures and avant-gardes past and present.

Breaking bad news to people with learning disabilities

There are complex issues around breaking bad news, such as cancer and dying, to people with learning disabilities. Inclusive research has led to guidelines for clinicians and European-wide norms for best practice.

Music, Translation and Intercultural Dialogue

How can music be interpreted and transferred within collaborative artistic works across cultural and language boundaries? The live composing sign language, Soundpainting, explores how knowledge is transferred between artistic collaborators in the moment.

Optical research and the treatment of cataracts

Research on the structure of the eye's lens, including cutting-edge X-ray technology, is leading to major improvements in synthetic lenses used in surgery to treat patients who have developed cataracts.

Improving the detection of problem pathogens

The speed and efficiency with which harmful bacteria can be detected in hospitals is a critical issue in healthcare and patient safety. Superior testing methods for Staphylococcus aureus is helping to prevent the spread of strains of the virus including MRSA.

Changing the representation of women in comic books

Dismay at the limited roles and representations of women in comic books led to the creation of a critically-acclaimed and influential project: My So-Called Secret Identity.

Preventing children bullying and cyberbullying

Bullying among children has immediate effects on health and wellbeing and can have longer term negative consequences on development and life outcomes. Research has led to anti-bullying policies in British and Arab Israeli schools.