We are always looking for stories and ideas for Ziggurat, if you wish to submit an article or contribute to the next edition please contact us:
Email:alumni@uea.ac.uk
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Children's book readings by UEA grads Zeb Soanes and Greta Mitchell are among more than 100 UEA events at the city's science festival this year.
One of the region’s most exciting festivals rolls back into town on Friday 18 October for a nine-day extravaganza of events for children and adults alike. From talks on the chemistry of colour to the advantages of being a disabled scientist, a presentation on UEA's pioneering dementia research and the launch of a new Health and Wellbeing Cafe in the city, there’s something there for everyone.
Pick up tickets for an event or pop in at lunchtime to see UEA taking over The Forum with free talks on topics ranging from bird migration, smallpox and drug discovery to internet privacy and life alongside an active volcano.
And, on day one, Science After Six brings an evening of music, cocktails and interactive science games, poetry, rap, cyber-hacking and much more – all strictly adults only.
"I’m beyond excited to be a part of this incredibly ambitious expedition!” said PhD student Elise Droste, who is climbing aboard the first ever year-round voyage of the Arctic Ocean.
Elise is part of a UEA team joining a host of international researchers on the largest polar expedition in history, which set sail from Tromso, Norway, in September. The ship will spend a year researching the Arctic as the epicentre of global warming.
The voyage on the German research icebreaker RV Polarstern has been five years in the making, features scientists from 18 countries, and will see the ship locked in ice and drift across the top of the Arctic Ocean.
Researchers from UEA are leading the study of sea ice’s role on the seasonal carbon uptake by the polar ocean.
“It tackles the challenge of obtaining year-round and especially winter data from the high Arctic region head on,” said Elise. “It’s exactly what we need in order to gain the necessary understanding of how changes in one of the most sensitive regions on Earth are going to be affected by, and will in turn affect, our changing climate.”
New research led by UEA and the University of Porto shows how global warming could reduce the mating activity and success of grassland birds. Focusing on the little bustard, which is classified as ‘vulnerable’, researchers discovered that high temperatures reduced the ‘snort’ display males use to attract females. If temperatures become too hot, birds may have to choose between mating and sheltering to save their energy and protect themselves from the heat.
But beetle species have evolved a way of buffering against the heat
Beetles have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to reproduce despite warmer temperatures, according to new research from UEA. A new study reveals that male and female flour beetles have evolved mechanisms that allow their sperm and eggs to quickly cope with increasing environmental temperature variation – expanding or decreasing in size as temperatures changes. This ‘plasticity’ will help the species buffer themselves against climate change.
UEA team receives funding boost to help fight superbugs
The overuse of antibiotics means they're becoming less effective, which has led to the emergence of so-called superbugs. UEA-based scientists have been awarded £7.4m to develop a new wave of drugs to combat this very modern and potentially catastrophic issue, which already leads to thousands of deaths a year. Researchers at Procarta Biosystems have discovered a new type of antimicrobial that kills bacteria, including multidrug-resistant Gram-negative strains, by blocking their gene expression. The UEA team hope that new drugs, which combat resistance by blocking gene expression in bacteria, will one day help save lives.
More people are working remotely or on their own, and a new start-up founded by a team of UEA grads has developed an app to keep them safe.
Safepoint is a new app that harnesses the power of the cloud and modern mobile technology to create a product that could help save lives. It allows businesses to ensure the safety of their employees, whilst easily staying compliant with today's health and safety regulations.
It’s run by UEA grads Callum Coombes (CMP 2016), James Rogers (CMP 2016) and Nichita Misin (CMP 2017), among others. And, based at the Enterprise Centre and involving a team in Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge and Norwich, it’s a truly regional initiative.
A three-day residential for local Year 12 students interested in pursuing a career in medicine is coming to UEA in 2020.
The UEA Medical Aspirations Scheme is designed to offer local students, particularly those from backgrounds traditionally under-represented in higher education and the medical field, support and guidance on their path to studying medicine. It also gives them the opportunity to experience life as university students.
The residential is free, with all accommodation, meals and transport to and from UEA included, and takes place 18-20 February 2020. The deadline for applications is 28 November.
Learn with the UEA’s Global Environmental Justice Group and hear from activists around the world in this free, five-week online course through Future Learn.
Understand how climate change, biodiversity loss and deforestation affect people, explore justice in environment management and share your own experiences with other learners from many different backgrounds. You'll cover topics including biodiversity conservation, forest protections and principles of justice.
The course starts on 14 October and is available in English and Spanish.
Norwich Research Park has unveiled the winners of its Engaging Images photography competition.
The science photography competition was organised to promote the diversity of images that have been captured by the various institutions and businesses located on the NRP.
Entrants had to reflect the research work being undertaken into the global challenges of healthy ageing, food and energy security, sustainability and environmental change.
Winning images, including those captured by UEA alumni Prof Nick Talbot and Matt Heaton (whose image we’ve included above), will be on display during the Norwich Science Festival. And you can meet the scientists behind the images at a special evening event on Tuesday 22 October.
The Women's Alumni Network peer mentoring service is now open for business!
It’s been a busy first year for one of our most active alumni networks, and they have recently announced a new mentoring service for all UEA graduates no matter where they're based. If you're interested in taking part, then please register by 18 October 2019.
And the group will be seeing out the year with another get together - an end of year pub quiz in London on Wednesday 20 November. It promises to be another great opportunity to meet fellow women alumni and learn what the network is all about.
The location is yet to be announced. Keep an eye on the group's Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook pages for updates.
The world premiere of the Last King of Scotland theatre production hits The Crucible in Sheffield.
Based on the novel by Professor of Creative Writing Giles Foden, the play explores the relationship between Idi Amin, the self-declared President of Uganda, and a Scottish medic called Nicholas who is catapulted into Amin's inner circle.
The stage production is adapted by another UEA professor, Steve Waters, who teaches on the scriptwriting course.
Gain first class support for your classes and find out more about becoming a teacher through UEA’s PGCE Primary and Secondary teacher training programme.
Two events designed for primary and secondary teaching take place on campus this autumn. Each kicks off with a talk, followed by the opportunity for you to speak directly to subject tutors, current students, newly qualified teachers and members of our dedicated PGCE admissions team.
The primary teaching event takes place Saturday 2 November, 9.30am-12.30pm; secondary teaching on Thursday 17 October, 6.30pm-8.30pm.
For further information and to register your interest, please visit the website, or contact the PGCE Admissions Team on 01603 592855 or edu.pgce.admiss@uea.ac.uk
Monday 21 October7-9pm (doors 6.30pm)National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall, NorwichFree, booking essential
"Can you stomach it?" "Do you have the guts?"
Our digestive organs are inserted into colloquial phrases to explain a variety of cultural symptoms – but what is really churning in our bellies, and how does it affect us?
In the second Dragon Hall Debate of the season, journalist and broadcaster Tim Hayward will help us digest our social history, Dr Lindsay Hall from the Quadram Institute will expand on the interactions between our tummies and microbiota, and UEA's Prof Tiffany Atkinson will share her views on the (sometimes embarrassing) ways in which our anatomy has been represented culturally and historically.
Tickets are available now from the National Centre for Writing, where you'll also find details of the final debate of the autumn – 'Surveillance'.
From Tuesday 22 October, 6.30pmThe UEA Julian Study CentreFree, no need to bookThe second of this season's inaugural lectures on is part of the Norwich Science Festival, and will be given by Prof Carol Robinson from UEA's School of Environmental Sciences. She will explore how marine microbes can help us predict the future health of our oceans, using a combination of techniques including microscopes, research ships, underwater gliders and satellites.
You don't have to be an expert to enjoy these open, public lectures. They are free and there's no need to book; simply turn up on the night or watch live on YouTube. Each lecture will be followed by a drinks reception with the opportunity to meet the speaker and discuss their research.
UEA Drama StudioThursday 31 OctoberTickets: £10/£14“Are we the same person? If not, why not? If so, can either of us bear it?”
It’s 1968. David is 20 and in his second year at university. It is the height of the world-wide student revolt. The Vietnam war rages. Powell delivers his “rivers of blood” speech. Martin Luther King is assassinated. These events will define David’s politics and give focus to his writing.
Now in his 70s, he is confronted by his 20-year-old self. Do they share the same beliefs? If not, is it the world that’s changed, or him?
David Edgar's plays have been presented by the National Theatre, the Royal Court, the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. After 50 years of writing, Trying It On (directed by Christopher Haydon) marks David’s professional debut as a performer.
Written and performed by David Edgar, directed by Christopher Haydon and supported using public funds from The National Lottery through Arts Council England.
John Mills (EAS 1971). Read the Guardian's obituary Alison Shorrock (ENV 1978)
Have news to share via Ziggurat?
Contact the Alumni office on 01603 591567 or email: alumni@uea.ac.uk
Do we have your current address?
Please visit www.uea.ac.uk/alumni or email: alumni@uea.ac.uk to update your details.
One click feedback
Please click to let us know what you think of this issue:
Excellent| Good| Average| Poor
©2019 University of East Anglia
unsubscribe from Ziggurat | unsubscribe from all emails | privacy policy