150 Research and Innovation Stories
In celebration of the University’s 150th Anniversary, we are publishing 150 stories on the Research and Innovation that has been conducted at Aberystwyth during its history. A number of stories will be published each week during this anniversary year.
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1. Talwrn of the Young Poets
This project gave hundreds of pupils a first taste of the talwrn's short, catchy, funny and intense poems.
Eurig Salisbury
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2. Bringing solar system astronomy to the forefront of Welsh cultural life
Astronomy has become a central theme for several aspects of Welsh culture through the activities of the RAS200 project: ‘Astronomy and Geophysics through the Traditional Culture of Wales’.
Dr Huw Morgan
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3. Nuclear weapons in world affairs
Since the 1960s the Department has been prominent internationally in researching the manifold dimensions of nuclear weapons.
Professor Ken Booth
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4. Developing technology for assisting independent living
Aberystwyth University are developing a new Smart Home Lab.
Dr Patricia Shaw
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5. Development of performance-enhancing warm-up procedures for athletic events
The Human Performance Research Group at Aberystwyth University developed a novel high- intensity "warm-up" regime, known as "priming exercise".
Dr Rhys Thatcher
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6. Youth Justice Prevention Evaluation
The Youth Justice Board commissioned Ceredigion Youth Justice and Prevention Service (YJPS), working with Aberystwyth University, to be a pathfinder project.
Dr Gareth Norris
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7. The Persians, Coriolan/us and …’: a series of site-specific performances
Departmental staff, Mike Brookes and Simon Banham and the late Mike Pearson, conceived, designed and directed theatre productions of Aeschylus's The Persians (2010) for National Theatre Wales (NTW).
Professor Simon Banham, Dr Mike Brookes
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8. Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Learners in Wales
Contrary to the often-used phrase ‘learning loss’, many Welsh school pupils benefitted from different learning experiences as they adapted to the change to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to research involving Aberystwyth academics.
Prysor Mason Davies
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9. GFS report recommends new tool for age-old food waste problem
In a new report for UKRI’s Global Food Security (GFS) programme, early career researchers have advised how TCA could help reduce loss and waste across the food system.
Dr Siobhan Maderson
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10. Reducing reliance on imported protein feed within a ruminant supply chain
Livestock provide one third of the protein consumed by humans. Alternatives to imported soya, a key protein component of ruminant diets, are needed to provide food security.
Dr Christina Marley
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11. Writing Long Covid
This project is the first stage of an investigation into how creative writing could affect the management of long Covid.
Dr Jacqueline Yallop
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12. Imprint: Medieval history informing science and heritage
The AHRC-funded Imprint project used innovative scientific techniques and historical research to bring the past alive in new ways, and to contribute to key developments in forensic investigation.
Dr Elizabeth New
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13. Are men funnier than women?
We tested whether the stereotype that men are funnier than women is true.
Dr Gil Greengross
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14. Centre for Photonics Expertise
The Centre for Photonics Expertise (CPE) is a pan-Wales team from four Welsh universities, including Aberystwyth University, draws on their leading research, to offer light-based technological solutions to businesses across Wales.
Prof Andrew Evans, Dr Matt Gunn, Dr Rachel Cross, Dr Dave Langstaff, Dr Huw Morgan
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15. Amlinelliad/Outline: Art-science collaborations in an era of environmental, social, and technological change
A collaborative project between Aberystwyth University and the charity Art+Science that is addressing these questions.
Prof Stephen Tooth
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16. Foams as liquid filters
We develop computer simulations to model aqueous foams, a class of complex fluids that have many applications.
Dr Tudur Davies
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17. Transforming Behavioural Public Policy Delivery and Practitioner Practices through the MBBI Programme
Research at Aberystwyth University developed a MBBI (Mindfulness Based Behavioural Insights and Decision Making) training programme.
Prof Mark Whitehead
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18. Climate Change and Democracy
Aberystwyth researchers lead in rethinking democratic politics in context of contemporary global and local challenges:
Prof Milja Kurki, Harry Warne
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19. Genome sequencing speeds up carbon-cutting potential of Miscanthus grass
This grass species first attracted attention as a possible energy source, but new research shows it could cut carbon emissions in several ways.
Prof Iain Donnison
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20. Intersectional Politics of Antagonism in Peacebuilding (IPAP)
This Marie-Curie research is developed at Aberystwyth University’s Department of International Politics.
Dr Sonia Garzon Ramirez
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21. Coastal Uplands: Heritage and Tourism
The project seeks to use the cultural and natural heritage of the coastal uplands of the Cambrian, Preseli, Wicklow and Blackstairs Mountains as a way of promoting sustainable tourism within these areas.
Prof Rhys Jones
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22. Medieval Famine
In the decades either side of 1300 most of northern Europe was hit by a series of extreme weather events leading to significant harvest failure.
Prof Phillipp Schofield
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23. Contribution to Devolved Legislation and Accessibility of Law in Wales
Catrin Fflûr Huws’s work on devolution on the divergence between English and Welsh law, particularly with reference to the accessibility of Welsh law, and its accessibility in both the Welsh and English languages has had a major impact on public policy.
Dr Catrin Fflur Huws
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24. Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research (CADR)
CADR aims to improve the lives of older people and carers through the integration of research on ageing, policy and practice.
Prof Charles Musselwhite
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25. Solar Corona
This research is concerned with the Sun’s mysterious atmosphere known as the corona.
Dr Youra Taroyan
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26. (Un-)Stitching Gazes in Colombia
This collaborative project with Colombian colleagues studied the reintegration of FARC ex-combatants into society after the 2016 Colombian peace agreement.
Prof Berit Bliesemann de Guevara
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27. The impact of Anxiety on balance using the CO2 challenge model
The project investigated the relationship between anxiety and changes in balance.
Dr Alexander Taylor
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28. Autonomous off-road driving
Aber researchers have developed a system that allows a vehicle to autonomously drive across fields and along ill-defined tracks, such as grass and mud.
Dr Frédéric Labrosse
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29. The Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND)
Our team of researchers work on the ongoing revision of a dictionary of Anglo-Norman – the French language as it was used in the British Isles during the medieval period (1066-1500).
Dr Geert De Wilde, Dr Heather Pagan
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30. 100 Voices of the BBC – Entertaining the U.K.
Jamie curated the website, and wrote a number of the entries, drawing on the BBC’s extensive oral history archive.
Prof Jamie Medhurst
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31. Breeding highly persistent clover varieties has a positive impact on the sustainability of livestock farming
Aberystwyth University research and breeding programmes have generated highly persistent clover varieties.
Dr Catherine Howarth
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32. Supporting the psychosocial needs of palliative care and cancer patients through the use of telehealth
Aberystwyth University’s Centre of Excellence in Rural Health Research, led by Dr Rachel Rahman, has examined the use of telemedicine to improve rural access to health services.
Dr Rachel Rahman
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33. Multiple Impressions: Expanding Contemporary Printmaking Practices
Through practice-as-research, publications, exhibitions, masterclasses, print portfolios, international collaborations and global networking, Croft has enhanced the understanding of contemporary printmaking and provided new opportunities for public audiences to experience and engage with such practices.
Paul Croft
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34. Promoting healthy lifestyles in older adults
Aberystwyth University are promoting healthy eating and a physically active lifestyle.
Dr Marco Arkesteijn
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35. Historical Literature / Contemporary Debates
Professor Richard Marggraf Turley explored connections between the work of major historical writers and artists and current societal challenges around food security and surveillance culture.
Prof Richard Marggraf Turley
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36. Living Earth – a globally applicable approach to land monitoring and planning
Living Earth is a globally applicable method of generating consistent characterisation, mapping and monitoring from Earth observation data.
Prof Richard Lucas, Dr Carole Planque, Dr Suvarna Punalekar, Sebastien Chognard, Clive Hurford
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37. Foams in Space
Aberystwyth University is one of several institutions worldwide involved in the experiments on foams being carried out on the International Space Station.
Prof Simon Cox
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38. Training the Next Generation of Artificial Intelligence Researchers
Cory and Lily were our first UKRI CDT-AIMLAC funded PhD students, which contains additional AI training and a 6 month industry placement.
Cory Thomas, Lily Major, Prof Reyer Zwiggelaar
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39. Sustainable Utopias: Changing attitudes and approaches to community-building, heritage consumption and food ethics
Dr Jacqueline Yallop’s research on urban and rural utopian visions has enabled readers of her writing, and participants in associated projects, to make sustainable lifestyle changes for themselves and their communities.
Dr Jacqueline Yallop
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40. Crawling to the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference
On Saturday 6th November 2021, I crawled with a 6 year old potted Scots Pine on my back through Glasgow City Centre.
Miranda Whall
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41. Veterans Legal Link: Improving access to justice for vulnerable veterans and their families
Olusanya developed the Veterans Legal Link (VLL), a Wales-wide military-focused multi-agency health-justice project.
Dr Olaoluwa Olusanya
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42. Climate change adaptation through ecologically-sensitive coastal infrastructure
ECOSTRUCTURE is a €5.5 million European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) project through the Ireland-Wales Cooperation programme, bringing together five leading universities in Wales and Ireland to research and raise awareness of eco-engineering solutions to the challenge of coastal adaptation to climate change.
Dr Joe Ironside
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43. The price of conscience - T. H. Parry-Williams and the Shadow of the Great War
A critique of the circumstances that led to the resignation of T. H. Parry-Williams in 1919-1920 when he spent that academic year as a science student with the intention of becoming a doctor or vet.
Dr Bleddyn Huws
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44. Antimicrobial Stewardship for Welsh farm vets
Aberystwyth University have established a national network of Veterinary Prescribing Champions across Wales who work to improve antibiotic prescribing on Welsh farms and tackle the global challenge of antibiotic resistance.
Dr Gwenllian Rees
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45. Measurement resources in quantum information theory
This project develops mathematical models for measurements used in quantum information processing.
Dr Jukka Kiukas
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46. Software engineering for space exploration
We are developing parts of the software processing pipeline and a scientific analysis tool for ESA’s ExoMars PanCam camera system.
Dr Matt Gunn, Dr Helen Miles
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47. World AIDS day
In 2008, the Department of International Politics was awarded a UNESCO Chair for research in HIV/AIDS and health security in Africa.
Prof Colin McInnes
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48. Capel: The Lights are On: generating new ways of thinking that influence creative practice
The site-specific performance Capel: The Lights are On increased public understanding of the importance of place and belonging and empowered people with learning disability to articulate cultural capital and heritage through creative intervention.
Dr Margaret Ames
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49. The conservation and protection of grassland fungi
Researchers at Aberystwyth University (AU) developed a novel DNA metabarcoding method using soil eDNA, and deployed it as a method for rapid assessment of fungal biodiversity in grassland habitats.
Prof Gareth Griffith
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50. Women and health
We use concepts such as Foucault’s notion of power to explore the wider social forces that shape women’s experiences, and the ways that women manage social expectations of physical and mental health.
Dr Martine Robson
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51. Independence movements in Europe
Researchers from the Centre for Welsh Politics and Society have examined the constitutional claims made by independence movements across Europe, and how these are framed.
Dr Anwen Elias, Dr Elin Royles, Dr Nuria Franco Guillen, Dr Catrin Wyn Edwards, Dr Huw Lewis
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52. Himalayan glaciers response to climate change
In the high rugged Himalaya, there are high concerns about changing glaciers, and associated features such as moraine-dammed and ice-dammed lakes and debris cover, particularly with regards to potential lake outburst floods, which can have disastrous consequences downstream.
Dr Tristram Irvine-Fynn, Prof Neil Glasser
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53. The sky was clearer in those days
Award winning artists and researchers from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies publicly dismantle a used family car, breaking down its constituent elements over five days of expansive public performance.
Dr Mike Brookes, Dr Rosa Casado
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54. Automatically discovering major usability issues in e-Commerce sites via machine learning
New data mining algorithms have been developed to effectively and efficiently discover usability issues in e-Commerce sites, employing UserReplay’s analytics solutions utilising our work, saving significant amounts of money for businesses globally.
Dr Richard Jensen
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55. Growth, Rural Resilience and Innovation Network (GRRaIN)
Aberystwyth University prides itself on being regarded as an entrepreneurial, research and teaching institution.
Dr Wyn Morris
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56. Reshaping the Welsh landscape to achieve potential of upland agriculture
Wales is well known for its green hills covered in permanent pasture for livestock.
Dr Muhammad Naveed Arshad
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57. Scientific Futures: History Informing Tomorrow’s World
Professor Iwan Morus worked with key beneficiaries to explore the ways in which narratives about the future were made in different historical settings.
Prof Iwan Morus
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58. Sheep farmers
‘Ni Yw’r Ddiadell’ was commissioned by Ceredigion museum for their exhibition Defaid/Sheep in 2019.
Dr Ffion Jones
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59. Transport and Health Integrated Research Network (THINK)
THINK aims to integrate transport and health through examining:
Prof Charles Musselwhite
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60. Robotics Clubs, Informal Education and Technological Development in Iraq
This interdisciplinary project investigated how robotics clubs can benefit young learners and be a mode of development assistance.
Prof Milja Kurki, Dr Patricia Shaw
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61. Enhancing Civilian Protection Practices of Nonviolent Peaceforce
Adopting the method designed through Prof. Bliesemann de Guevara’s research enabled Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) Myanmar to address problems of limited physical, linguistic and cultural access to beneficiary communities in an effective manner.
Prof Berit Bliesemann de Guevara
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62. Developing crops to help stem Africa’s growing diabetes problem
A project led by scientists at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) to develop crops – specifically varieties and hybrids of pearl millet – which can thrive in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing a resilient and diabetes friendly food source for local populations.
Prof Rattan Yadav
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63. Professor Lily Newton
Lily Newton came to Aberystwyth in 1928 taking up a post as a lecturer in Botany, becoming the university’s first female head of department as professor and chair of Botany in 1930.
Dr Jessica Adams
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64. Scientists to help forecast space weather threats
The SWEEP (Space Weather Empirical Ensemble Package) project is a multi-institutional project, led by Aberystwyth, and funded through the SWIMMR fund as part of the UKRI’s Strategic Priorities Fund (SPF).
Dr Huw Morgan
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65. Professor George A Schott
George A Schott joined the Physics Department at Aberystwyth as a lecturer in 1892 and was appointed Head of Applied Mathematics in 1909.
Prof Eleri Pryse, Prof Andrew Evans
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66. Aber Instruments celebrates 35th anniversary
Established in January 1988 as one of the University’s first spin-out companies, Aber Instruments supplies fermentation monitoring systems world-wide for the fast and accurate measurement of biomass concentration.
Prof Hazel Davey
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67. Kindertransport: William Dienemen's story
Dr Andrea Hammel has researched refugees who fled from National Socialism to the UK for over twenty years, most recently focussing on child refugees and on refugees finding refuge in Wales.
Dr Andrea Hammel
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68. Fly’s eye view approaches to improve the colour of control devices for tsetse fly
Tsetse flies transmit Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT, sleeping sickness), and Animal African Trypanosomiasis (AAT, nagana), which are a significant burden on rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr Roger Santer
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69. What can literature and climate science teach us about the Tambora (1816) eruption with respect to global warming?
The cataclysmic eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 led to “The Year Without a Summer”, when many ecological and societal impacts, including crop failures, are estimated to have led to the deaths of possibly over 100,000 people.
Dr Louise Marshall
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70. Flash floods in deserts/drylands
Wetlands in drylands are commonly overlooked but provide a range of vital ecosystems services at local, regional and global levels.
Prof Stephen Tooth
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71. Enhancing knowledge and empowering understanding of Welsh-language poetry beyond Wales
Eurig’s work has introduced new perspectives to discussions of historical and contemporary strict-metre verse and its practice, within Wales and on an international stage.
Eurig Salisbury
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72. Welsh language music videos
An investigation into the past, present and future of the Welsh language music video, working collaboratively with producers, directors, broadcasters, artists and fans to establish what makes them unique in political, cultural and aesthetic terms.
Dr Kate Woodward, Dr Greg Bevan
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73. Computer science education
The Playful Coding project investigated computing activities for 6-16 year-olds.
Dr Hannah Dee
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74. Inner Workings: How we understand and imagine the inside of the human body
‘Inner Workings’ is a project that seeks to examine the human body from the perspective of our imaginations through history.
Dr Alice Vernon
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75. Eradication of child and adult mortality from lead poisoning following community resettlement: Mitrovica, Kosovo
The results of commissioned research by Aberystwyth University (AU) have shaped decision-making that led to the relocation of refugee Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian (RAE) communities in Mitrovica, northern Kosovo.
Prof Paul Brewer
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76. Stress and coping in Cancer Nurse Specialists
This project seeks to understand how cancer nurse specialists discuss stress and coping in their role with a view to better informing the contributing factors of stress and burnout.
Kimberley Walker, Dr Simon Payne, Dr Rachel Rahman
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77. What lurks inside a fatberg?
Parasitology experts Professor Jo Hamilton and Dr Justin Pachebat, now part of our Department of Life Sciences, were commissioned by the BBC Science Unit to undertake a molecular analysis of a fatberg and look for parasites and bacteria.
Prof Joanne Hamilton, Dr Justin Pachebat
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78. Carbon Capture and Underground Storage
Together with Rockfield Software Ltd we develop numerical methods for Carbon Capture and Underground Storage (CCUS).
Prof Gennady Mishuris
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79. Do You See Me?
Directed by Christian Gordine and produced by Dewis Choice. This film highlights the lived experiences of older LGBTQ+ victim survivors.
Sarah Wydall
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80. Yellow Gold – daffodil-derived galanthamine production in the uplands
Galantamine is a pharmaceutical compound that has been an approved Alzheimer’s Disease treatment since 1998.
Prof Mariecia Fraser
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81. Urine biomarkers of dietary exposure to improve health and well-being
Our research has led to impact on professional practice and policy, health and well-being, commercial benefits and public understanding.
Prof John Draper
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82. The cinema of Cuba: contemporary film and the legacy of revolution
With a British Academy and Aberystwyth University support, a seminar series in both Aberystwyth and Havana, Cuba led to the publication of an exciting and innovative book.
Dr Guy Baron
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83. International Women's Day
On International Women’s Day we celebrate women’s achievements and strive towards a more diverse, equitable and inclusive world.
Dr Elizabeth New, Dr Rachel Rahman, Sarah Wydall, Dr Christina Marley
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84. Challenging different forms of bias in Physical Sciences and Engineering research
Aberystwyth University was the only Welsh university involved in a multi-million pound EPSRC initiative from 2018 to 2021 to improve equality, diversity and inclusion in engineering and physical sciences.
Dr Christine Zarges , Dr Saffron Passam
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85. Dot and Billy: love letters from the First World War
A Heritage Lottery Fund-sponsored community project, Aberystwyth at War 1914-1919: Experience, Impact, Legacy, brought some of the town’s war stories back to life using letters and other evidence.
Dr Sian Nicholas
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86. Artificial Intelligence for water treatment
Can we engineer better automatic decision making for the treatment of our drinking water?
Dr Amanda Clare
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87. Was St Patrick Welsh? An expert reviews the evidence
Saint Patrick was certainly born in the west of Britain, possibly present-day Wales.
Dr Simon Rodway
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88. Glas | Blue
Heledd is a Filmmaker and Photographer: A digital visual storyteller. Her current academic research explores the role of Mother in film.
Heledd Hardy
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89. Global forest biomass and carbon: mapping stocks and changes
The ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Biomass project is generating global high-resolution maps of forest biomass and change in order to inform on climate modelling, carbon cycle science and country reporting to the UNFCCC for the Paris Agreement.
Prof Richard Lucas, Heather Kay
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90. Bovine TB, detection, protection and control
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) has been described as the most pressing animal health challenge facing Wales.
Prof Glyn Hewinson
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91. Ever After: considering theatre and performance in the era of Covid-19
Ever After brought together academics and practitioners from Aberystwyth University, National Theatre Wales and UCL’s Institute of Making to envision futures for live performance in the era of Covid-19.
Dr Mike Brookes , Dr Andrew Filmer, Prof Mike Pearson
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92. Unheard/Unseen: Re-presenting Neglected 20th-Century Practices
Dr Harry Heuser and Prof Robert Meyrick facilitate an appreciation for and understanding of once prominent but now sidelined creative practices and the changing values they reflect.
Prof Robert Meyrick, Dr Harry Heuser
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93. Smart-Tech and Society
This project explored the impacts smart technology on society. While making life more convenient, smart tech has been associated with a loss of privacy and autonomy.
Prof Mark Whitehead
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94. 12 Last Songs: a portrait of society
12 Last Songs, is a twelve-hour durational event that creates through ‘onstage’ conversations a portrait of society and its relationship to work.
Prof Simon Banham
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95. Developing the World Health Organisation’s framework for civil-military collaboration in disease outbreaks
McInnes’ research enabled him to have a major impact on international public policy by developing the World Health Organisation’s framework for improving civilian health and military collaboration in disease outbreaks.
Prof Colin McInnes
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96. Radiation analysis, mitigation and design for instrumentation on the European Space Agency’s Jovian Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE)
As part of a European Space Agency (ESA) consortium, Aberystwyth University researchers are aiding in design of the upcoming JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) mission to the giant gas planet.
Dr Tom Knight, Prof Manuel Grande
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97. National Plant Phenomics Centre (NPPC)
IBERS hosts the National Plant Phenomics Centre (NPPC), an automated system for non-invasive longitudinal phenotyping for up to 3,400 individual plants.
Prof John Doonan
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98. Vinyards, rocks & soils
As wine producers increasingly proclaim the importance and the uniqueness of the soils in which their vines grow, a book by an Aberystwyth University geologist looks at how geology can shape a vineyard and its produce.
Prof Alex Maltman
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99. National Spectrum Centre
The National Spectrum Centre (NSC) is a pioneering partnership between Aberystwyth University, Welsh Government and stakeholders involved in radio spectrum technologies.
Prof Andrew Evans
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100. ECHOES – Effect of climate change on bird habitats around the Irish Sea – Species Distribution Modelling
We’ve focused on the national scale (Britain and Ireland). Using landcover classes (from satellite data) and climate variables, we’ve built models of where curlew are likely to be seen.
Dr Kim Kenobi, Dr Peter Dennis
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101. Remembering the Land: Food Supply, Literature and Ecology
This case study concerns impact achieved through collaborative arts-science research on representations of agricultural land and the food chain in the works of two well-known English writers, Shakespeare and Keats.
Prof Richard Marggraf Turley
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102. Fight against malaria boosted by Aberystwyth University drone mapping
Aberystwyth University researchers are supporting authorities in Zanzibar with drone and smartphone technology to help find pools of water that mosquitoes use to breed.
Dr Andy Hardy
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103. Diversity in computer science
The BCSWomen Lovelace Colloquium is the UK’s main conference for women computer science students.
Dr Hannah Dee
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104. Providing a framework to incorporate economic and socio-cultural values of Nature’s Contributions to People into the Convention on Biological Diversity
Professor Mike Christie’s research for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) ‘European and Central Asia’ (ECA) assessment provides a framework to incorporate economic and socio-cultural values of Nature and its services into public policies.
Prof Michael Christie
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105. Stroke Rehabilitation
We are an international research group based in Aberystwyth studying how stroke impacts mobility and design interventions that help meaningful recovery.
Dr Otar Akanyeti, Dr Federico Villagra Povina
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106. Using genetic methods to support effective and sustainable fisheries manage
The future of multiple fish and shellfish species globally has been secured by research-led improvements in the management of exploited stocks.
Prof Paul Shaw, Dr Niall McKeown
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107. Community Hubs for Healthy Ageing (CHHA)
To enable older people to continue to live well at home independently, this project aims to understand current community resources and the potential they have in terms of supporting older people’s health and wellbeing.
Prof Charles Musselwhite
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108. Everyday perceptions of secession
Researchers from International Politics and Geography are exploring how citizens make sense of debates about independence in places such as Scotland and Catalonia.
Dr Anwen Elias, Dr Elin Royles, Dr Nuria Franco Guillen, Prof Rhys Jones
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109. Developing app for Spanish learners
Entrepreneurial Aberystwyth academic has been granted funding and mentoring support to develop a new app for Spanish language learning.
Dr Guy Baron, Dr Edore Akpokodje
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110. Centre for Glaciology
The Department of Geography and Earth Sciences’ Centre for Glaciology was established in 1994 as the first such centre outside Cambridge.
Prof Bryn Hubbard
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111. Pharmhemp
Hemp could become a more common feature of the countryside, our diets and everyday life.
Dr Ana Winters, Alan Gay
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112. Mobile support for rural farmers
We have worked with a Nigerian Agricultural College to produce an app giving advice to rural African farmers on all aspects of the 20 most popular crops and animals farmed in Nigeria.
Prof Chris Price
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113. A History of Wales: Dr John Davies (1938 - 2015)
Dr John Davies was born in Llwynypia, Rhondda Fawr, in 1938, and spent his early years in Treorchy, before moving to Bwlch-llan, Ceredigion.
Dr Paul O'Leary, Dr Eryn White
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114. Modelling human development with robotics
Children are amazing learners. Through modelling how children learn, the aim is to develop better approaches for robots learning new skills and adapting to complex scenarios.
Dr Patricia Shaw
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115. Ports, Past and Present
The Irish Sea basin forms a distinct node of histories, economies, and identities.
Dr Rita Singer, Prof Peter Merriman, Prof Rhys Jones
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116. How has Science Fiction shaped our imagination about pandemics?
Science fiction offers active cultural knowledge which organises and systematises our expectations of the future both alongside and ahead of formal policymaking.
Dr Val Nolan
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117. ARCITEKBio Ltd
Aberystwyth University spint-out company develops solutions for environmentally friendly sweeteners.
Dr David Bryant, Dr Ahbishek Somani, Dr Jai Lad
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118. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring: Expanding theatrical paradigms of presentation and representation in participatory theatre practice
Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring was a combined quartet of four separate staged works, created and produced by Quarantine (UK) between 2014 and 2016, and developed by Prof Simon Banham as Scenographer and one of the lead practitioners within the company since its inception.
Prof Simon Banham
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119. Robots for the Real World
Aberystwyth University’s Intelligent Robotics research group (IRG) has substantial expertise in producing integrated hardware and software systems for real-world applications with significant impact, including in the space industry.
Dr Helen Miles, Dr Fred Labrosse, Dr Patricia Shaw
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120. Brainwaves - utilising duckweed's properties
Farmers could use a native Welsh plant to turn agricultural waste into feed for livestock as part of an Aberystwyth University research project.
Dr Dylan Gwynn Jones
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121. Radiocarbon breakthrough
Sediment built up over thousands of years on the floor of a Japanese lake enabled scientists to make significant improvements to the precision and accuracy of radiocarbon dating, up to nearly 54,000 years.
Prof Henry Lamb
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122. Evan James Williams (FRS)
Born in Cwmsychbant, Ceredigion on the 8th June 1903, EJ Williams went on to work with the most eminent physicists of the day, including Ernest Rutherford, James Chadwick, Lawrence Bragg and Niels Bohr.
Prof Andrew Evans, Dr Huw Morgan
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123. Understanding the recruitment and retention challenges of nurses in rural Mid Wales
This project explored the barriers to nurse recruitment and retention in Rural Wales.
Angharad Jones, Dr Rachel Rahman, Dr Jiaqing O
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124. Global Mangrove Watch
Thriving mangroves are key to the health of nature and effective climate action.
Dr Pete Bunting
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125. Improving Applicability of Nature-Inspired Optimisation by Joining Theory and Practice
We have been leading a COST Action, an international cooperation of 32 mostly European countries, to bring together researchers applying nature-inspired optimisation heuristics like evolutionary algorithms and ant colony optimisation with theoreticians in the area to improve our understanding and the applicability of these powerful tools.
Dr Thomas Jansen
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126. The Dewis Choice Initiative: Transforming the response to domestic violence
Research produced by the Dewis Choice Initiative challenged previous responses to Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) which assumed gendered violence only occurs in women under 45 years old.
Sarah Wydall
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127. How living in rural areas contributes to feelings of loneliness in diverse rural communities, and the role communities play in addressing social inequality
This project seeks to understand the diversity of the populations who experience loneliness in rural Wales with a view to considering how communities can be supported to develop effective initiatives to tackle loneliness in a manner that is inclusive and considerate of the diverse nature of rural communities.
Dr Rachel Rahman, Stephanie Jones
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128. The Symbolic Power of Sanctuary in Wales
Aberystwyth researcher is studying how sanctuary is understood in Wales, focussing on the Welsh government's declaration in 2019 to become a 'Nation of Sanctuary' (Welsh Government 2019).
Dr Catrin Wyn Edwards
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129. EISCAT – studying the ionosphere and the Solar Wind
The European Incoherent SCATter (EISCAT) radar system was first suggested in 1969 and physicists at Aberystwyth were involved for over 50 years.
Prof Eleri Pryse, Dr Rosie Johnson
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130. F. Gweldolen Rees (FRS)
Born in Abercynon on the 3rd July 1906, Gwendolen Rees worked in the Department of Zoology at Aberystwyth from 1930 to 1973, but remained active in her research field as an Emeritus Professor of parasitology until the 1980s.
Prof Joanne Hamilton
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131. Nuclear non-proliferation and world order
The spread of nuclear weapons and international efforts to prevent it have been a key focus of research in the Department of International Politics and of the David Davies Memorial Institute.
Dr Jan Ruzicka
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132. The NHS at 75
On the 75th Anniversary of the NHS, we look back at what inspired its creation.
Dr Steve Thompson
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133. Tyfu Dyfi: Food, Nature and Wellbeing
Access to adequate food is a human right, and local food systems can create greater food security while bringing better quality produce to the table.
Dr Sarah Higgins
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134. A new global taxonomy for describing land cover change, past and future
A globally relevant and standardized taxonomy and framework for consistently describing land cover change based on evidence is presented, which makes use of structured land cover taxonomies and is underpinned by the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework.
Prof Richard Lucas
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135. Towards a million Welsh speakers? Language policy and planning in Wales
Reflecting the growing political significance of cultural diversity, public policy interventions that seek to revitalise the prospects of regional or minority languages have become an increasingly prominent in many parts of the world.
Dr Elin Royles, Dr Huw Lewis, Dr Catrin Wyn Edwards
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136. Natural flavour enhancer developed to enable significant salt reduction in foods
A flavour enhancer has been developed by scientists at Aberystwyth University using a by-product made in production of mycoprotein, the main ingredient in all Quorn products.
Dr Mike Morris
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137. Policing Farm and Rural Crime: Informing Police Strategy, resource allocation and change management in addressing farm and rural crime
Research by Aberystwyth School of Business has had a major impact on the resourcing and policing of farms, farm businesses, rural communities and individuals within the Dyfed-Powys Police (DPP) area.
Dr Wyn Morris
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138. Seaweed, the super food and surprise weapon in the climate change fight
Dr Jessica Adams is a Senior Research Scientist with research interests in seaweed composition and its applications.
Dr Jessica Adams
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139. Improving patient outcomes and developing commercial benefits via medical image analysis
The research on medical image analysis within the Vision Graphics & Visualisation (VGV) research group at Aberystwyth has led to a wide range of impact.
Prof Reyer Zwiggelaar, Dr Chuan Lu
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140. Email scams are getting more personal
Social media is making it easier for scammers to send tailored emails (spear phishing) and more difficult to spot.
Dr Gareth Norris
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141. Creating Safer Space: Strengthening Civilian Protection Amidst Violent Conflict
This £2m international network led by Aberystwyth supports research that explores how violence against civilians can be deterred or prevented by civilians without the use of force.
Prof Berit Bliesemann de Guevara
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142. British Legal History at Aberystwyth
Emeritus Senior Lecturer Richard Ireland attended the 25th British Legal History Conference in Belfast in July 2022.
Richard Ireland
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143. Aberystwyth Luminescence Research Laboratory
Luminescence dating can be used to study sedimentary deposits ranging from a few hundreds of years old to several hundred thousand years old.
Prof Helen Roberts, Prof Geoff Duller
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144. Collaboration in Practice: British Lithography 1800-2022
Paul Croft’s latest exhibition ‘Collaboration in Practice: British Lithography 1800 - 2022’ travelled to the Bankside Gallery in London in April 2023 and is currently on display at the School of Art.
Paul Croft
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145. Kathleen Carpenter – freshwater ecologist
Born in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire in 1891, Kathleen Carpenter entered University College of Wales Aberystwyth in 1907.
Dr David Wilcockson
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146. Success in timing sheep resting habits could lead to predicting birth
A research study found that the lying behaviour of pregnant sheep prior to lambing was associated with factors such as the number of expected lambs, their birth weight and sex.
Dr Manod Williams
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147. Bioenergy, Land Use and Net Zero Policy
Aberystwyth University (AU) research has influenced UK Government policy on biomass cropping and land use for achieving net zero targets.
Prof Iain Donnison
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148. Helping to save ancient Welsh apples and pears
More than 60 historic Welsh apple and pear varieties are grown in heritage orchard established at the University’s Gogerddan campus by plant breeder and geneticist Dr Danny Thorogood from the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Science (IBERS).
Dr Danny Thorogood
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149. Viruses on glaciers challenge views on evolutionary ‘arms race’
Dr Arwyn Edwards from Aberystwyth University, together with colleagues from the Universities of Innsbruck, Bristol, Reading, Minnesota, and Aarhus, sequenced and compared genomes (their total DNA) of viruses which infect microbes found on the surface of glaciers in the Artic and the Alps.
Dr Arwyn Edwards
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150. Protecting and Supporting Victims of Human Trafficking through Law and Policy
Professor Ryszard Piotrowicz’s research has had significant impact on human trafficking law and policy in four areas: monitoring States’ compliance with their obligations under the Council of Europe Anti-Trafficking Convention; informing state policy; embedding the principle of non-punishment of trafficked people in national legal systems; and providing training and guidelines for States on the legal issues surrounding human trafficking.
Prof Ryszard Piotrowicz
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