Research

This is an exciting time to bea researcher at Edge HillUniversity. As a youngresearch institution we arecommitted to developing ourresearch portfolio, and thismeans giving our academicsthe time, resources andsupport to produce worldclass research.

We actively encourage ouracademics to explore newresearch ideas and todevelop specialist areas ofexpertise. We are building areputation for exciting,unique and above all,respected research that canbe used to inform decisionmaking in a multitude ofareas and make a genuinedifference to peoples lives.

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Contents

04 Research at Edge Hill University06 A Great Place to Develop your Research Career08 Research Centres10 Support for Research

12 Research in the Faculty of Arts & SciencesResearch Profiles:

14 ProfessorLars McNaughton16 Dr James Renton18 Karen Lauke20 Dr Ruxandra Trandafoiu22 Dr Dave Putwain 24 Professor Richard Parrish26 Gabriella Torstensson28 Dr Iain Lindsey

30 Research in the Faculty of EducationResearch Profiles:

32 Professor Martin Ashley34 Dr Susan Graves36 Fiona Hallett38 Professor Tim Cain40 Lisa Murtagh42 Dr Damien Shortt

44 Research in the Faculty of Health and Social CareResearch Profiles:

46 Professor Barbara Jack48 Dr Jeremy Brown50 Dr Anne Coufopoulos52 Dr Mary OBrien

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Research at Edge HillUniversityA History of Innovation When Edge Hill College opened in 1885 it was the first non-denominational teacher traininginstitution in the country. It was ahotbed of political thinking with linksto the Suffragette movement andlater became one of the first collegesto offer teacher training as adegree course.

For over 125 years Edge Hill has been an institution that has thrived on a spirit of innovation, acommitment to social justice andbelief in educational inclusion forwhich the University becamerenowned and which continues tothis day in our research, teaching and learning. The issues may havechanged but the drive to understandthem and apply what we know toimprove things remains.

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A Great Place to Develop Your Research Career

Edge Hill is a university with ambition.We encourage our staff to pursueresearch excellence in new topics,alongside areas of internationallyrecognised expertise, in a range ofestablished research areas.

Our academics are delivering innovation,shaping practice and influencing policy in areas as diverse as sports law, environmentalchange, creative arts, business and end-of-lifecare. We are at the forefront of emergingacademic fields such as evidence-basedpractice in health and social care and practiceas research in performing arts and media. We were also among the first to focus onnew academic subjects such as operatingdepartment practice and paramedic practice.

A solid foundationThe 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE)demonstrated that we produce excellentresearch and half of our research outputs werejudged to be of quality that is recognisedinternationally in terms of originality,significance and rigour, with elements of worldleading research in Nursing and Midwifery andHistory. We are now expanding on the breadthand depth of research we undertake, and areanticipating a significantly enhancedperformance in the 2014 Research ExcellenceFramework (REF).

There is a thriving research culture at Edge Hill,with an emphasis on mutual support andknowledge sharing. Academics benefit fromboth formal and informal mentoring andnetworking opportunities, and there are regularresearch seminars, conferences and publiclectures across all Faculties. It is a vibrantenvironment in which cross-discipline andcollaborative research can flourish.

Research with impactThere is a growing recognition that highereducation institutions have a vital role to play infostering economic prosperity, quality of lifeand cultural enrichment of society. At Edge Hillour focus has always been on applied researchthat has a tangible impact in the real world.Engaging with external organisations ensuresthat our research continues to meet the needsof the private, public and voluntary sectorsand that our teaching is grounded in bothpractice and the latest thinking in the discipline.

Our research is helping to improve professionalpractice in the health, education and socialcare sectors by identifying best practice inservice design and delivery and seeking toinfluence policy making. We are alsocontributing to the development of thoseworkforces through the provision of high qualityContinuing Professional Development thatraises standards and keeps thinking and skills fresh.

We also have many knowledge exchangeprojects taking place across a wide range ofother disciplines including management andbusiness, computing, sport and media, andhave a growing portfolio of Knowledge TransferPartnerships with support in place to help withfunding and implementation.

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We have a growing number of ResearchCentres that bring together staff withsimilar research interests to workcollaboratively on some of the biggestchallenges facing society today.

Centre for Learner Identity Studies (CLIS)CLIS seeks to bring together new andcontinuing researchers and scholars fromeducation and other disciplines interested inmatters surrounding learner identity. Its broaderaim is to explore and critique the contexts thatgive rise to who, or what, learners conceivethemselves to be, and the teaching andlearning conditions that can affect identityformation and transformation.

The core mission of CLIS is to understandlearners better through funded and consultancyprojects.

Key projects include: Creating a network of European university and NGO partners to better understand the effects of new technologies on inter-generational relationships

A study into the vocal identity of boys, with particular focus on singing in schools

An evaluation of the Holocaust Educational Trusts Lessons from Auschwitz Project

A Teacher Education Research Network (TERN) project looking at embedding policy on integrated working into professional education programmes

Developing an Education Ethics Forum for teacher educators.

www.edgehill.ac.uk/clis

Research Centres

9The Centre for Public Policy and Professional Practice The Centre for Public Policy and ProfessionalPractice is a new research initiative designed to bring together researchers and practitionersinterested in the shifts in public policy and theirimpact on professional practice, particularly inthe education, health and social care sectors.

The Centre reflects long-standing strengths ofEdge Hill University and focuses on researchthat has direct application to the practice ofprofessionals in these areas. The Centreincludes a policy trials unit (PTU) that providessystematic evaluation and research into theimpact of policy change in health, social careand education. Academics are working withprofessionals in these sectors to assess howand where the impact of policy change will befelt and how best practice can be developedwithin the new policy environment.

The PTU will complement the new clinical trials unit (CTU), set up to evaluate changes in clinical practice areas in palliative care,orthopaedics and reproductive medicine inpartnership with clinicians in Wrightington,Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust andLiverpool Womens NHS Foundation Trustrespectively.

Centre for Sports Law ResearchThe Centre for Sports Law Research isengaged in funded international consultancyfor both public and private bodies on issuesrelevant to the legal regulation of sport. TheCentre has a particular expertise in therelationship between sport and European law,but is also engaged with questions on bothglobal and national levels.

Headed by Professor Richard Parrish, theCentre has produced reports and expert advicefor a number of bodies, including the EuropeanParliament, the European Commission and theHouse of Lords. Staff have authored numerouspublications and journal articles and regularlydeliver papers at professional and academicevents worldwide.

Key projects include: Acting as Specialist Advisor to the House of Lords Inquiry into Grassroots Sport and the European Union

A study for the European Commission on the equal treatment of non-nationals in individual sports competitions

A report for the European Parliament on the Lisbon Treaty and European Union sports policy

A report for European Commissioner Vassiliou on EU Priorities in the Field of SportReports for the European Commission on social dialogue in professional football, cycling and basketball.

Expert advice to the governments and sports bodies of Albania, Belarus, Turkey and the Ukraine.

www.edgehill.ac.uk/law/research/cslr

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Support for Research

At Edge Hill we offer outstanding,dedicated support for academics at allstages of their careers to help themachieve their research goals. We have acomprehensive research capacitybuilding programme, which is mappedonto the Virtual Researcher DevelopmentFramework. We also have particularstrengths in helping practice-basedprofessionals new to higher educationto develop a research profile.

Whatever your background, whether you are anovice researcher or a well-establishedacademic, our Research Support Office (RSO)provides all the information, support andguidance you need to take your researchforward.

Financial supportOur commitment to nurturing and supportingresearch excellence is reflected in our generousREF Investment Fund, which can be accessedby all research-active staff.

There are no strict rules around what it can beused for if you have a genuine proposal thatwill help you realise your research potential andis likely to produce REF-quality researchoutputs, we will consider it.

The REF Investment Fund has been used in thepast for a wide range of activity from buyingtime out from teaching to carry out approvedresearch projects to attending conferences ordeveloping interdisciplinary seminars.

We have three deadlines a year for internalfunding applications so we can be as flexibleand responsive as possible to the needs of ourresearch community.

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Practical supportThe RSO provides expert advice on makingapplications to external funders. The latestgrants are posted on our wiki and we sendyou an alert when something appropriate toyour needs becomes available. We can alsohelp with Full Economic Costing (fEC) and withsubmitting applications via the ResearchCouncils Je-S system and other electronicsubmission processes, including those used bythe NHS. The University subscribes to ResearchProfessional (researchprofessional.com) to helpkeep you up-to-date with research news andfunding opportunities.

Staff development Edge Hill has a wide range of opportunities forresearchers to develop their individual researchcapacity. We have a mentoring and trainingprogramme which, as well as providing one-to-one support and guidance, also includespractical research development workshops ledby internal and external experts. These canoffer support with anything from reviewinggrant applications to developing a researchproject to enhancing research skills.

The Graduate SchoolEstablished in 2010, the Graduate School is thefocal point for postgraduate research at EdgeHill University.

As well as providing training opportunities forstudents and early career researchers within adiscipline-specific context, the GraduateSchool also offers a comprehensive trainingprogramme for all PGR supervisors.

Anyone new to Edge Hill, or to PhDsupervision, receives an induction coursecovering all aspects of the supervision process,while more experienced staff benefit fromannual refresher workshops to keep them up todate with the latest developments in doctoralstudy.

The Graduate School also organises an annualseries of weekend training sessions open to allstaff and research students within theUniversity. These cover a diverse range oftopics from the concept of originality indoctoral and post-doctoral research toresearch ethics.

Research in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences is home to alarge and diverse group of disciplines with a trackrecord of excellence in research, much of whichcrosses traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Historians at Edge Hill University produceworld-class research outputs, as measured by theResearch Assessment Exercise 2008. Currently,Edge Hill is jointly leading an AHRC-fundedresearch network with Manchester University,involving colleagues at the London School ofEconomics and Warwick University, studyingPresident Obamas administration in the contextof American civil rights history, black leadershipand protest. Other academics working in historyare organising international conferences around,and publishing on, the Middle East, modernand contemporary French and Italian historyand crime and imprisonment.

Excellent research is underway in psychologyon aspects of addiction, cognition, memory,health and exercise psychology andeducational development. The postgraduatecommunity includes one PhD student fundedby Alcohol Research UK, one of only threesuch awards made across the UK in 2012.

Research in the Department of Sport andPhysical Activity concentrates on exercisescience, therapies and rehabilitation as well aswork around child abuse in sports contexts.Research in the Geographical and BiologicalSciences spans the disciplines of biology,ecology, climatic and environmental change,geology and geography. This work is supportedby high quality laboratories for biology,chemistry, physics and geology, with specialistICT facilities. The University has an extensivenetwork of relationships with relevantenvironmental organisations and otheruniversities in the UK and overseas.

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Academics in computing are actively engagedin cutting edge research and focus ondeveloping theoretical advances and practicalsolutions in different areas. This includes aKnowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) fundedproject on Assistive/Smart technology for theelderly and a collaborative project onidentifying issues in the Weather Research andForecasting (WRF) model. This is recognised asone of the key weather prediction systemsworldwide, used by the US Air Force, theNational Centre for Atmospheric Research(NCAR), and other similar agencies. Otherresearch interests and projects focus on 3Dvisualisation, cloud computing, mobileapplications and developing computer assistedteaching and learning tools on whichacademics regularly publish and organiseinternational events.

The research community in the creative andperforming arts and humanities includes BritishAcademy-funded work in English language andliterature, as well as exciting developments infilm studies (including film making), animation,media, dance, drama, sound and music.Graduate activity in these areas is underpinnedby an MA in Creative Writing and an MA inHumanities. The Edge Hill Prize for the ShortStory, which champions work by both studentsand published authors, has established itself asa major event in the literary calendar.

Academics working in the disciplines ofsociology, social history, criminology,management and law have agenda-settinginterests in human rights, police powers,disasters and emergency planning, conflictresolution and post-conflict relations, mediaand telecom regulation and the study of earlychildhood. The Centre for Sports Law Researchhas achieved international recognition for itscutting edge expertise, providing specialistadvice for parliamentary select committees inthe UK, the European Commission and theEuropean Parliament.

Colleagues in the Business School undertakeinternationally recognised research examiningtechnical, normative and governancedimensions of contemporary work practices. In depth empirical research in the fields ofperformativity, identity, disability andtechnology, and comparative accounting andcorporate governance frameworks featurestrongly. Academics in this area haveestablished research collaborations withcolleagues at the Universities of Essex,Lancaster and Liverpool. The Business Schoolis developing a niche profile for research andknowledge exchange in public policy practiceand the voluntary sector.

Professor George Talbot Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences

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Research Interests:The ways in which naturally occurringsubstances can affect and influence sportingperformance and recovery.

Research Work:Lars is currently working with colleagues fromthe University of Hull on two projects: one islooking at the bodys production of heat shockproteins and how these can influence athletesacclimatisation process when competing incountries with different climates. The other isstudying the impact of sodium bicarbonate onperformance and recovery. Lars has publishedmore than 200 papers in the UK and abroad,presented at numerous internationalconferences, and is a Fellow of the British,Australian and American Associations for Sportand Exercise Science. He joined Edge HillsDepartment of Sport and Physical Activity in2011.

I was a teacher before I entered academia, sohelping people to become better at what theydo has always been central to my career. As aresearcher my work is about helping athletesand others improve their performance throughtechnique, nutrition and training. As a tutor I amable to draw on my research to help studentsbetter understand how the body responds to,and is affected by, exercise.

I did my PhD with a research academic with aworldwide reputation so it seemed only logicalto progress further and try and add to the bodyof knowledge in exercise physiology. However,Ive found that the more questions you answer,the more questions you generate but I lovewhat I do and I cant imagine not being researchactive.

I am enjoying working in an institution that isstill developing its research outputs. There islots of scope and potential for Edge Hill toexcel in Sport and Physical Activity and I wantto be part of that excellence.

Ive been extremely encouraged by peoplesattitudes to enhancing the Universitys researchactvity. There is an openness to change andpeople are very supportive and genuinelyinterested in each others work. Edge Hill is agreat place for early career researchers to learnabout research, and for more experiencedresearchers to share their knowledge and helpthe next generation to succeed.

Research Profile

Lars McNaughton Professor of Exercise Physiology

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Research Interests:Western imperialism in the Middle East,Zionism, Arab nationalism, the origins of theZionist-Palestinian conflict, racism andOrientalism.

Research Work:James was recently awarded an AHRCFellowship and funding towards a monographon the West and the concept of the MiddleEast. Other research projects include a co-edited collection of essays on the comparativestudy of Antisemitism and Islamophobia inEuropean history, British rule in Palestine, andthe relationship between Zionism and the West.James first book was long-listed for theprestigious Longman/History Today Book ofthe Year Prize. He is a Fellow of the RoyalHistorical Society and an Honorary ResearchAssociate in the Department of Hebrew andJewish Studies at University College London.

People often assume the conflicts in theMiddle East are as old as time but I dontsubscribe to that view. My research focuses oninvestigating the twentieth-century origins ofthe political challenges that face the region,and, in particular, the role of the West.

A lot of policies relating to the Middle East arebased on historical misconceptions, so I think itis the job of academics to engage with policy-makers to open up a dialogue that couldinfluence the direction of policy. Were at a veryimportant juncture in Middle Eastern politicsand it is vital that the West does not makemistakes in the future based on the old,erroneous assumptions of the past.

I also think it is very important to try to bringthese issues to the attention of the wider public through the media to create a betterunderstanding of the nature of the conflict, theway the West has contributed to problems inthe past, and how things might change for thebetter in the future.

Since my arrival at Edge Hill in 2007, I havereceived a great deal of support for myresearch, which has made a tremendousdifference. Along with access to funds to stageconferences and lecture series, researchersreceive significant teaching relief, research costcontributions and extensive guidance whenpreparing bids for external funding. I have alsofound support staff at the University to beextremely helpful and enthusiastic about mywork, which is very encouraging.

Research Profile

Dr James Renton Senior Lecturer in History

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Research Interests:The relationship between, and fusion of, sounddesign, sound art and experimentalcomposition practices.

Research Work:Cities of Sound, an audio-visual installationexploring environmental sound from differentinternational locations, which premiered inLiverpool, and Copper Vibrations, a multi-channel performance piece that featured in theNew York City Electroacoustic Music Festival.Karen has also worked in partnership withSalford City Park Rangers to reproduce a pieceentitled Memories Unearthed as part of aproject highlighting the historical industries ofSalford, and is currently working incollaboration on an audio-visual projectcommissioned by Picton Castle in SouthWales. Karen curated the UK National SoundDesign Exhibit at the Central School of Speechand Drama in Cardiff, assisted in the curationof the 3rd International Composition and SoundDesign Exhibition at the Prague Quadrennial2011, and will be designing the upcoming UKsound exhibit at the Victoria and AlbertMuseum in London. She recently collaboratedon an Arts Council England-funded project setin Victoria Baths in Manchester whichexamines audience responses to liveexperiences.

My research interests stem from my split roleas musician, sound artist, composer and sounddesigner. I am interested in exploring theconceptual and technical sides of the musicand theatre industry seeking out their cross-overs and commonalities and, ultimately,creating something new and distinctive.

My research is driven by a desire to be at theforefront of some of the most innovativedevelopments in sound, and taking theresulting experiences back into the classroom,giving my students a broader view of potentialapproaches in conceptualising and realisingtheir ideas. The students I teach are helping tocreate the sound of the future.

I find Edge Hill University an extremelystimulating academic environment to work in. Iregularly collaborate with colleagues involvedin visual theatre, scriptwriters, scenographersand dancers. We often share our practices withone another, debate best practice and presentwork to one another in forums and researchsymposiums. My colleagues are essential inencouraging me to develop both personallyand academically.

The University has always supported myresearch, giving me the opportunity to furtherdevelop my practice, take part in relevantconferences and symposiums, and to presentmy work at a national and international level. Without the continued support andunderstanding for the arts at Edge Hill I would not be able to achieve the level ofsuccess I have.

Research Profile

Karen LaukeSenior Lecturer in Music and Sound Design

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Research Interests:Communication and national identity, diasporiccommunication, online social networks,transnational cultures, the post-communisttransition and European Union politics.

Research Work:A British Academy-funded project looking atthe way in which the Romanian diasporas inWestern Europe and North America constructan online presence, negotiate migrant identitiesand use online social networks to initiatepolitical action. Ruxandras next projects areco-editing a book on music, migration andtourism and working with colleagues from theUniversity of Liverpool on a mini projectanalysing EU border security with reference tothe Gypsy expulsions from France in 2010. Shewill also be working with a colleague fromColorado State University to develop a projecton diasporic art.

I had planned to become an artist and hadbeen to art school, but in 1989 when thecommunist regime fell in Romania, like many fellow East Europeans I becamenecessarily political.

A period as a journalist covering Transylvaniassubsequent ethnic tensions sparked an interestin nationalism and ethnicity and I returned toacademia to do an MPhil and then a PhD innationalism and media. My current research isabout producing a political critique of the waycurrent elites manage (and lamentably fail)processes of identity formation andimmigration.

We live in a complex multicultural world stillscarred by nationalist extremisms, ethnicdiscrimination and the social, political andeconomic exclusion of minorities. I believe thatresearch can change us, and implicitly society,for the better. Research may make us aware ofinjustice, but more importantly it changes theway we think about ourselves and others andthis, hopefully, will make a difference to the waywe treat each other.

Edge Hill University is a good choice forsomeone fresh from a PhD, with limitedteaching experience. It gave me theopportunity to grow slowly into the lecturer thatI am now, in a supportive environment. Overthe last few years, research at Edge Hill hasbecome more rigorous and outward lookingand I personally welcome its new intensity and competitiveness.

The University is also part of a fantastic culturalsetting in the North of England warm andwelcoming, even for cultural aliens like me. Interms of my research, this geographical area,with its multi-ethnic outlook, offers plenty of inspiration.

Research Profile

Dr Ruxandra TrandafoiuSenior Lecturer in Communication

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Research Interests:The psychological factors that influence and, inturn, are influenced by learning andachievement, particularly psychological theoriesof motivation, self-competence beliefs, fear offailure and the classroom environment.

Research Work:Dave has carried out extensive research intothe effects on students of exam pressure fromparents and teachers. He has recentlycompleted projects on the role of resilience inthe transfer from primary to secondary school,secondary teachers use of fear and efficacyappeals and the role of the psychologicalcontract in undergraduate students academicperformance and satisfaction at university. Heis currently working with colleagues from theUniversity of Wales on how achievementrelated goals, emotions and confidence changein the first year of undergraduate study, andwith the University of Manchester on twoprojects a comparison of motivations andworries of English and Chinese students in thefinal year of compulsory schooling, and triallingan attentional bias modification protocol ontest anxiety and achievement in pupils takingtheir GCSEs.

I was a teacher for nine years before I wentinto academia. As a psychology graduate Idalways been interested in the psychology ofteaching and the psychological factors thataffect learning behaviour. What makes childrenachieve? Why do some children enjoy learningand some not? I decided to do a PhD to tryand answer some of these questions, andended up with more questions which Im stilltrying to answer.

My work on exam stress received quite a lot ofmedia coverage and sparked debate amongpractitioners and parents. Findings from thisresearch has had a real impact on teachingpractice by providing advice to schools andfamilies over how best to manage the anxietyexperienced by pupils in the period aroundimportant exams.

My research necessarily influences myteaching, and vice versa, as I am literallypractising what I research on a day-to-daybasis. I see my research in action every day.My research informs, and is informed by, myteaching of educational psychology, but it alsohelps me support my students ownachievement.

What I like about Edge Hill is that you have thespace to develop as a researcher and thiselement of personal development is integral todepartmental research strategies.

Research Profile

Dr Dave PutwainSenior Lecturer in Psychology

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Research Interests:Sports law, with a particular focus on theimpact of the EU on sport.

Research Work:Richard was one of two UK academics invitedonto the European Commissions select Groupof Independent Sports Experts, to advise onthe implementation of the Lisbon Treatysprovisions on sport across all 27 memberstates. He also acted as Specialist Advisor tothe House of Lords inquiry into the LisbonTreaty and sport, and is also an expert advisorfor the EUs TAIEX programme, having providedadvice to the governments and sports bodiesof the Ukraine, Albania, Belarus and Turkey onthe approximation of European laws relevant tosport. Richard has recently completed twofurther major reports for the EU: one for theCommission concerning discriminatorypractices in European sport; the other for theEuropean Parliament on the Lisbon Treaty andEU sports policy. He is the author of four bookson EU sports law and has delivered papers onthe subject worldwide.

At the same time Im also looking to inform thechoices made by those responsible fororganising sport, and public bodies such as theGovernment and the European Union whoexercise regulatory control over sport. Anexample is the work I recently undertook forthe EU and the House of Lords on the future ofEU sports law and policy following the EUsLisbon Treaty. In this respect, it is extremelygratifying to see the Universitys Centre forSports Law Research having a genuine impacton UK and European sports policy.

Edge Hill is a university that supports researchand encourages research led teaching. Thisphilosophy enables the academics to shapenational and international debates whileproviding its students with day to day accessto this expertise in the classroom. For example,appearing on the reading list of our InternationalSports Law module are six major EU sportsreports authored by members of the Centre forSports Law Research. Our students alsobenefit from our professional connectionswithin sport. Guest speakers have includedDirector of Manchester United FC MauriceWatkins and Chief Executive of theProfessional Footballers Association, Gordon Taylor OBE.

He is currently part of a European Commissionresearch team with the universities of Liverpooland Loughborough looking into thecompatibility of UEFAs home-grown player rule with EU law.

As a researcher in the specialist area of sportslaw, it is important that my research helpsunderpin the academic discipline while alsoinforming professional practice. Sports law isnow taught on many law degrees, includingtwo undergraduate modules here at Edge HillUniversity and as part of our new postgraduateLLM in International, Business and CommercialLaw, so it is vital that the discipline develops abody of high quality literature.

Research Profile

Professor Richard Parrish Sports Law

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Research Interests:Educational development and management indeveloping countries; comparative culturalperceptions of childhood; childrens agency andidentity development.

Research Work:Gabriella is working with internationalcolleagues on a comparative research projectexploring the impact of cultural contingentperceptions of childhood on policy borrowingand transfers between countries. She is amember of the Botswana EducationalResearch Association, the Royal AfricanSociety, the Nordic Educational ResearchAssociation, the British EducationalLeadership, Management and AdministrationSociety, and the Association for the Study ofPrimary Education. Gabriella also sits on theeditorial board of the international journalEducation 3-13 and is the reviews editor for the International Journal of Art and Design Education.

My interest in cultural influence on policytransfer, dissemination and implementationbegan when I was working in Southern Africawhile studying international relations anddevelopment studies. Since then both myprofessional work in early years and mystudies have contributed towards my research interests.

After my first degree in Nursery and Early YearsEducation, I worked as a volunteer with pre-school teacher training in rural communities inBotswana. Since then I have worked withinearly years and primary education as a teacher,Advanced Skills Teacher, head teacher andinternational consultant in a range of countries,while at the same time studying formy degrees.

My MBA in Education Managementdissertations focused on policy development,dissemination and actualisation process fromthe ministerial to the school level, while myPhD thesis explored the impact of HIV/AIDS onthe educational system in Botswana. All of myexperience and knowledge feeds into myresearch which, in turn, directly influences myteaching, allowing me to draw on a wide rangeof anecdotes and data within my lectures.

Edge Hill not only has excellent facilities forresearchers, it offers a lot of potential for cross-discipline and collaborative research. My area of interest has a lot of synergy witheducation, public health and psychology, and I am looking forward to exploring thepossibilities for collaboration in the future.

Research Profile

Gabriella Torstensson Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies

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Research Interests:Sport policy and development.

Research Work:A piece of funded research for UK Sportevaluating a project involving UK and Ghanaianstudents aimed at developing proposals for thesustainable manufacture of sports equipmentin Ghana. Iain is also undertaking a three-yearComic Relief funded evaluation of a sport andmens health programme in Southampton. Hehas also received funding from the LeverhulmeTrust to undertake collaborative research onsustainable development in Tanzanian andGhanaian sport. He is currently co-authoringtwo books and is also a member of the UKSport Technical Advisory Group for theirBeckwith International LeadershipDevelopment programme.

I was enthusiastic about moving to Edge Hillbecause of the strength of sport within theUniversity and the presence of others in theDepartment of Sport and Physical Activity withsimilar research interests to my own.

I have three particular areas of interest withinthe field of sport policy and sport development:the role of partnerships as part of sport policymaking and delivery systems; the use of sportfor development in Global South locations; andthe sustainability of sport developmentprogrammes.

Im interested not just in the practice of sportitself, but also in how involvement in sport cancontribute to wider social development,particularly in the Global South. Sport can helpto promote health issues, for example, or buildleadership capacity, which has implications farbeyond sport.

Much of my research is applied in nature andthis has involved developing newmethodologies to gather data and disseminatefindings, for example through the use of textmessages and video presentations. This waythe research may have greater value to sportsdevelopment practitioners in the Global South.

One of the best parts of my job isdemonstrating to students the differencesports-based programmes can make to peopleand communities, particularly when we are ableto take them out to developing countries toexperience it first hand. Research into sportsdevelopment in Africa at Edge Hill University isquite different to the majority of work in thisfield in that we are collaborating with Africaninstitutions. Our research is not rooted in theGlobal North; it is locally focused and informedby African voices.

Its great that, through our research, we canoffer students an alternative view and givethem a much broader understanding of the subject.

Research Profile

Dr Iain LindseySenior Lecturer in Sports Development

Research in the Faculty of Education

The Faculty of Education has a vibrant researchculture led by a team of experiencedresearchers who support and drive forward theFacultys ambitions. A team of three professorsand two readers is responsible for liaising with Heads of Area to ensure that researchactive staff are supported in meetingpublication targets.

The focus is on practice-based research thatsupports the creation and dissemination of newknowledge centred on what works in theprofessional practice setting, why it works and applications in different contexts.

The Faculty is at the forefront of educationalpolicy development and is actively engaged inschools partnerships that bring research intothe classroom. One leading example is theco-sponsorship with St Helens College of TheSutton Academy in St Helens, an initiative thataims to explore and demonstrate the extent towhich teacher education and educationresearch can be integrated with the ultimateaim of improving the quality of teaching andoutcomes for young people.

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We also play an active role in subjectknowledge development in teaching, withstrengths across the curriculum and agephases. In addition, the Faculty has areputation for research into issues of genderand masculinity in education, particularly boysengagement with education and the impact ofmale role models in teaching. This forms part ofa wider research agenda around wideningparticipation and educational inclusion ofdisadvantaged groups including those withSpecial Educational Needs.

The Faculty aims to maintain expertise inteaching and consultancy through the use andpromotion of both quantitative and qualitativemethodologies. This is reflected in recruitmentpolicy which aims to redress themethodological expertise imbalance in socialsciences. It has been particularly successful inachieving large scale business developmentcontracts such Every Child Counts,Mathematics as an Additional Specialism andthe national SENCO and dyslexia awards.Several staff are engaging in critical reflectionand theorizing in these areas through theUniversitys Practice Based Research Initiative.

Robert SmedleyDean of Faculty of Education

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Research Interests:Boys' singing and the transition from primary tosecondary school; the connection betweenboys singing and educational achievement; andthe impact of male role models on boys'concept of identity and masculinity.

Research Work:Widening Young Male Participation in Chorus, amajor Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded knowledge transfer project incollaboration with the National Youth Choir.This work explored the question of why boysdon't sing and informed the Sing Up Britaincampaign a 40m Government drive toincrease singing in all British schools. Martin'slatest project, Are We the People?, is acollaborative project with the University ofQueensland looking at attachment behaviourand role modeling within the context of genderequity and the boys' achievement debate.Martin is currently developing accreditation forthe UK school singing workforce, including anew MA (music education) with choralconducting or classroom pedagogy strands.

The failure of young males to engage ineducation is a global problem. From mybackground in teaching, I began to realise thatsinging is a good barometer for testing boys'achievement in school put simply, in schoolswhere there is a culture of boys singing, theytend to be more engaged in education andachieve more. I am interested in why that is,and what other factors influence boys'educational attainment. The starting point formuch of my enquiry is the belief that the artsplay a singularly important role in the fulldevelopment of boys.

Good research in education has to have animpact. My research into boys and singing hasgenerated a rewarding level of interest fromacademics and practitioner communitiesacross the world and is starting to influenceinternational teaching practice.

The University allowing me to take up a VisitingProfessorship at the University of Queensland,where I am undertaking collaborative researchwith the School of Music, has given me anexcellent opportunity to extend my researchinto singing and to work with a wider range ofeducational leaders, teachers and boys. It hasalso led to wider collaborative research into thekey features of identity that affect boyhood andthe role of positive male role models in theclassroom and in the home.

Support for research has been generous andthe opportunities for the start-up of newprojects are always positive. This is due to theallocation of funds through the 2008 RAE, butalso to the considerable success of the Facultyof Education in generating income throughbusiness development.

Research Profile

Professor Martin AshleyHead of Research, Faculty of Education and Director of the Centre for Learner Identity Studies

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Research Interests:The development of skills for the wider schoolworkforce, particularly in terms of TeachingAssistants (TA) and Higher Level TeachingAssistants (HLTA).

Research Work:Susans doctoral and subsequent research hasfocused on perceptions of the HLTA role and itsimpact on pupil attainment. She has hadseveral articles published on the subject andhas presented at teaching and learningconferences across the UK and Europe. Susanwas also the project manager responsible forimplementing HLTA status in Merseyside andCheshire.

Before moving into higher education I workedin further education, helping teachers andlecturers improve their skills through CPDcourses, so Ive always had an interest in thedevelopment of skills and how that impacts onteaching and learning.

My current research is concerned with thedevelopment of the school workforce in thecontext of wider public sector reform, and howthat reform works in practice in the classroom.Since the introduction of Higher Level TeachingAssistants, the boundaries between teachersand support staff have become less clear itcreates an interesting new dynamic in schoolsthats fascinating to study.

There hasnt been that much research into theimpact of HLTAs in schools and, as the role hasdeveloped under the current government, it willbe interesting to see how it intersects with theteacher role in the future. My research looks atthe ambiguities and challenges of the role andwill, hopefully, highlight good practice that canbe implemented across the sector.

This research has led to another project lookingat the use of technology and virtualenvironments in skills development. Its verydifficult for TAs and HLTAs to be released fromschools to attend courses, so online learning willbecome increasingly important. Im interested inthe impact that has on learner identity.

Edge Hill has allowed me to progress myresearch through the REF, and this had givenme the foundation to bid for external funding.The University has a growing reputation foreducation research I am proud to contributeto this expertise and hope to shape policy and practice for the wider school workforce in the future.

Research Profile

Dr Susan GravesProgramme Leader, BA (Hons)

and FdA Professional Development

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Research Interests:Academic literacy in higher education andinclusive education, particularly relating tospecial educational needs.

Research Work:Fionas most recent research activity rangesfrom academic journal submissions oninclusive and ethical research and the teachersCode of Conduct, to invited presentations atinternational conferences in the UK and Spain.Her involvement in the Teacher EducationResearch Network has resulted in a researchproject with University of Manchester, whichhas generated a British Educational ResearchAssociation (BERA) symposium and thedevelopment of four co-authored publications.In 2009 she was appointed to the EuropeanEducational Research Association (EERA)Council as lead convenor of the EmergingResearchers Network, developing researchactivity among new researchers across Europe.Fiona is also joint Editor in Chief of the BritishJournal of Special Education.

Since I started at Edge Hill in 2004 Ive beengiven a wealth of opportunities to engage inresearch. I have also had the opportunity tomentor a number of colleagues new toresearch which has been extremely rewarding.

More recently I have benefited from institutionalsupport to develop research funding bids andhave submitted a major bid to the EU aroundacademic literacy, which involved 16 partnersfrom across, and beyond, Europe. I have alsosubmitted a bid to the British Academy todevelop collaborative research with theUniversity of Johannesburg around InclusiveEducation and have been invited to take part ina further EU bid as a partner.

My research is driven by a desire to understandpedagogic practice in all sectors of education;an interest that began when I was a classroomteacher undertaking a Masters degree at Edge Hill.

One of the benefits of engaging in research atEdge Hill is that we are constantly encouragedto analyse our own practice alongside oursubstantive area of expertise. This culture ofenquiry has resulted in my being able to pursuecomplementary research activities withoutbeing limited to a particular specialism. It is this intellectual freedom that makes EdgeHill an exceptional environment for academic endeavour.

Research Profile

Fiona Hallett Reader in Education

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Research Interests:Practitioner research, particularly in musiceducation.

Research Work:Tims current work focuses on the importanceof teachers Action Research, teacher-ledresearch that seeks to improve practice byunderstanding it. He has recently undertakenan EU-funded project about mentoring in InitialTeacher Training in Slovenia. This was followedby a project in Croatia, funded by the BritishCouncil, to help education advisors use actionresearch to change teaching practice in thosecountries. Tim was Educational Consultant forBacktracks and Pitch Fever two series ofeducational music programmes for Channel 4and, in 2009, received the Universities Councilfor the Education of Teachers (UCET) Award forresearch in teacher education.

I was originally a musician and then a musicteacher, so Ive always had a love of music. Istarted working with trainee teachers atKingston University and Bath Spa Universityand this is when I became aware of theimportance of mentoring to studentsprogression. This really sparked my interestand I went on to do a PhD into Initial TeacherTraining mentoring at the University ofSouthampton.

Having been both a teacher and a trainer ofteachers simultaneously for many years Ihave a deep understanding and passion forteaching and learning. Im interested in thetheory of teaching; why teachers do what theydo, why some people make intuitively goodteachers, their thoughts and motivations. Tome, teaching is about so much more thandelivery; it should be an interactive processwith continual learning on both sides. For me research is all about engagement in theteaching and learning process and thecontinual thrill of learning new things.

Edge Hill is probably the best place in the UKto be an educational researcher at the moment.My aim is to establish a professional practiceresearch centre to build on existing expertise inthe Faculty of Education and further developEdge Hills growing reputation for educationresearch.

Research Profile

Tim CainProfessor of Education

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Research Interests:Formative assessment for learning in primaryschools and at undergraduate level; thetransition to higher education.

Research Work:Lisa has recently implemented a pre-programmemodule to prepare teaching students for schoolbased training and assessment that is currentlybeing rolled out across undergraduate InitialTeacher Training programmes. She is alsopiloting a participative workshop for Open Daysto manage expectations of teacher trainingassessment to both potential students andparents, and has presented the findings of thistrial at the Teacher Education AdvancementNetwork conference and will be presentingfurther on this theme at the forthcoming BritishEducational Research Association conference.

As a former teacher, Ive always beeninterested in the way students progressthrough school. But it was the publication ofBlack and Wiliams work on assessment forlearning that prompted me to develop myunderstanding further and undertake a PhDfocusing on formative assessment.

From a student perspective if formativeassessment is done well it can have a majorimpact on their achievement. They have moreownership of the assessment process and areactively involved in their own learning, whichmakes for greater co-operation in theclassroom and more incentive to succeed.

Ive since been supported by Edge Hill tobroaden my research focus to explore thetransition to higher education, which isparticularly important for those students whohave been out of education for a while. Thishas led to a pilot project to include practicalassessment workshops at Open Days, and alsoto the introduction of an optional pre-programmemodule for part-time students to help preparethem for academic life. The results so far showthat feedback gained during the pre-programmemodule is having a real impact on the academicperformance of those students.

What I love about my research is that it isembedded in my day-to-day teaching, its notdivorced from practice. My research isenhancing Initial Teacher Training by supportingstudents before and during their programme,and is also giving the next generation ofteachers an assessment toolkit to use in the classroom.

Research Profile

Lisa Murtagh Research Fellow in the Centre for Learner Identity Studies

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Research Interests:Ethics and morality in the teaching profession.

Research Work:A collaborative project with the University ofManchester which aims to analyse the implicitmorality of the General Teaching Council forEnglands Code of Conduct and Practice forRegistered Teachers. Damien also worksclosely with school teachers as part of afunded project aimed at helping themundertake research and facilitating theirattempts at enhancing their own, as well astheir institutions, practice.

All teachers are bound by a Code of Conductbut there are differing opinions about itsrelevance or impact as a piece of legislation.What I and, through my teaching, my students,are interested in is how it relates to day-to-dayteaching practice. Do teachers refer to it? Arethey influenced by it? Are they even aware ofit? Is it fit for purpose?

As a former teacher myself, I am interested inthe ethics of teaching and how the role of theteacher sits with the modern preoccupation,particularly in the media, with children and theirwelfare.

Edge Hill University provides plenty ofincentives for new researchers to undertakeresearch and develop as an academic. Within ayear of joining I was given the opportunity totake a 20% reduction in teaching commitmentsto pursue my research into the use of wikisoftware as a developmental tool for student writing.

After completing that project, I became aresearch fellow in the Centre for LearnerIdentity Studies and was able to use theteaching remission associated with that postto develop a research project investigating theimpact of codes of conduct in the teachingprofession. These opportunities to focuson research have helped my developmentenormously.

In my relatively short career at Edge Hill, whichbegan in the same year as it gained universitystatus, it has been exciting to see and beinvolved in the rapid development of a researchculture that now ranks favourably alongside,or exceeds, that at other institutions.

Research Profile

Dr Damien Shortt English Subject Study Coordinator

and Research Fellow, Centre for Learner Identity Studies

Research in the Faculty of Health and Social Care

The Faculty of Health and Social Care hasmade a major investment in developingresearch capacity over the last few years. It hasa growing national research profile,demonstrated by its performance in the 2008Research Assessment Exercise where 65% ofthe work submitted was judged as beinginternationally significant.

The research portfolio of the Faculty continuesto develop through the Evidence-basedPractice Research Centre. Established for justover five years, the Centre aims to enhanceresearch and scholarship within the Faculty,underpin knowledge exchange activities, andengage with the evidence-based practiceagendas of local health care providers.

Research is structured around three broadthemes long-term conditions, inter-professionaleducation, and children, young people andfamilies and aims to address the nationalhealth and social care agenda.

One major area of research is around the needsof unpaid carers looking after the terminally ill.This has resulted in a major grant from theNational Institute for Health ResearchsResearch for Patient Benefit Programme toidentify the needs of carers and ensure thatthose caring for the dying are given the best support.

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Other major studies are looking at the needs ofpeople living with motor neurone disease, thechronic health problems of long-term illicit drugusers, an evaluation of a local hospice at homeservice, and exploring the training needs ofjunior doctors. One of the projects, DiscussingSexual and Relationship Health with YoungPeople within a Children's Hospital, wascommended in the Nursing Times Awards 2010.

In addition to major projects with nationalfunding the Faculty has expertise inundertaking a variety of small scale researchinitiatives such as service evaluations and otherpractice-based research which is externallycommissioned to meet the needs of a variety ofNHS and social care partners.

Seth CroftsDean of Faculty of Health and Social Care

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Research Interests:Palliative care in the UK and Africa.

Research Work:An ongoing major project, funded by theNational Institute for Health ResearchsResearch for Patient Benefit Programme,looking at the personal experience of caring forsomeone during the last year of life. Barbarawas previously seconded to the Marie CuriePalliative Care Institute where part of her workincluded evaluating the impact of the LiverpoolCare of the Dying Pathway. She is the newlyappointed Chair of the executive committee ofthe Palliative Care Research Society, and wasone of the first appointed mentors of the RoyalCollege of Nursing Academy of Nursing,Midwifery and Health Visiting Research. She isalso an invited member of the HospiceVolunteer Association that is providing trainingfor volunteers in developing countries, and is aVisiting Professor at Hospice Africa.

Through my clinical background as aregistered nurse, I had a lot of contact withterminally ill patients in a hospital setting.Palliative care as a specialism was still in itsinfancy but I could see its value from my ownexperiences and it sparked an interest in thedevelopment of end-of-life care. Everyoneshould have the right to die with dignity andwithout pain, and it is this notion of a gooddeath that has influenced the direction of my research.

My recent research has focused on the role ofunpaid carers in palliative care how theyaffect, and are affected by, what happensduring a patients last year of life. Carers canplay a pivotal role in whether or not a patientexperiences a good death but there iscurrently no routine support in place for carers.

If we can develop a method of identifyingfactors carers find particularly stressful whichthen triggers appropriate and timely support, itwould have a positive impact both on thepatients last year of life and on the carerssubsequent bereavement process.

Death is a certainty; unfortunately, a gooddeath currently isnt. Knowing that I amcontributing to the evidence base for goodpalliative care, including the support of familycarers is very rewarding and a key driver inundertaking this research.

Edge Hill has fully supported me in thedevelopment of this stream of applied researchand provided opportunities to build upon myearly work and to expand the research intosub-Saharan Africa. This has been invaluable,and when I see the impact of my research onpatients families and healthcare professionalsin Africa, it gives me a great sense of pride inworking for such a supportive organisation.

Research Profile

Professor Barbara Jack Head of Research and Scholarship, Faculty of Healthand Director of the Evidence-based Practice Research Centre

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Research Interests:Postgraduate medical education, particularlythe transition in medical careers, work basedassessment and case study research.

Research Work:Given his expertise in transitions in medicalcareers, Jeremy was asked by the BritishMedical Journal to write an editorial on thedurability of medical speciality choice,commenting on the impact of findings from along-term study by Oxford University into thecareer destinations of cohorts of medicalgraduates. Jeremy manages a programme ofresearch work in collaboration with the EPRCand Mersey Deanery an organisationresponsible for the facilitation, commissioningand management of postgraduate medical anddental education in Merseyside and Cheshire.He identifies topic areas before designing, co-ordinating and implementing researchstudies that focus on educational aspects ofthe medical and dental professions, with hisstudy findings presented internationally andpublished in peer reviewed journals. His current work includes an investigation into the effectiveness of multi-source feedback inspecialist medical training. He has publishedmore than 25 peer-reviewed papers and is areviewer for a number of academic journals.

Im interested in what drives doctors, whattheir motivations are to progress in theircareers. Its a very tough profession and afascinating area to research. Were veryfortunate in the EPRC to be able to undertakeresearch in some specialised areas, and wehave a strong track record of attracting largeresearch grants to support this.

As a rapidly developing university, Edge Hill iscommitted to broadening its research profile.This makes it a good place to be a researcher;not only are you encouraged in your owndevelopment, but your research success isnoted and celebrated in a vibrant and excitingacademic environment.

The University has good formal and informalsupport networks across Faculties. TheResearch Support Office has provedinvaluable, particularly for their expertise inexternal grant applications. But its the informalconnections with like-minded colleagues thatare most important. I have received a lot ofhelp from others while Ive been developing myresearch career, and now I have the opportunityto share my experiences and support newscholars at the start of their research journey.

Research Profile

Dr Jeremy BrownSenior Lecturer in the Evidence-based Practice Research Centre

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Research Interests:Postgraduate medical education, the linksbetween nutrition and inequality and nutritionand mental health, focusing on homelesswomen and their children and othermarginalised groups; workplace interventions toimprove diet and diet-related health.

Research Work:Anne has developed and delivered nutritiontraining to over 150 Liverpool City Councilsupport workers, following her extensiveresearch into homelessness, nutrition andhealth. She was subsequently invited tobecome part of the councils Homelessnessand Health Steering Group and contributed tothe development of its Homelessness Strategyin 2008 on how to improve nutrition to the cityshomeless population. She has publishedinternational research that focuses on infantand young child feeding in exceptionallydifficult circumstances. Currently, Anne isworking with Merseyrail on a knowledgeexchange project that utilises her dietetic skillsto deliver innovative interventions for thecompanys workforce. These include nutritionworkshops, sample diets and advice on hearthealth and eating habits and shift work. Anne is nutrition adviser on a number of localand national projects, such as the StakeholderAdvisory Panel for the Association forNutritions projects, Nutrition and HealthInequalities Project: Improving Capacity,Confidence and Competence in Nutritionacross the Workforce and an initiative lookingat the health of ex-seafarers in Liverpool.

My interests are rooted in real worldresearch. My final year dissertation during myundergraduate degree explored CharlesMurrays underclass theory in relation toteenage pregnancy, and this sparked a passionwhich I have followed ever since. To me, itsimportant that research has direct impact andthe potential to make a difference, particularlyfor those groups in society often marginalised.

As a registered dietician and academic, myresearch helps to inform policy at a local,national and international level. I always try toensure that my research, teaching andprofessional practice work alongside eachother so that the research remains relevant andthe teaching and learning experience for mystudents is enhanced.

Edge Hill is a good place to work andundertake and research. Since joining theFaculty of Health and Social Care I have hadthe opportunity and encouragement to broadenmy research interests to explore nutrition andmental health, alongside my work on nutritionand inequality.

I have colleagues who are always willing toexchange ideas, there is a vast array ofresources to hand and I have the opportunity tobe mentored through the Facultys Evidence-based Practice Research Centre. This guidancefrom professors in health research, and workingas part of a multidisciplinary team, is enablingme to shape and enhance my research profile.

Research Profile

Dr Anne CoufopoulosSenior Lecturer in Nutrition and Health

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Research Interests:End-of-life and palliative care, focusing on non-malignant illness, particularly neurologicalconditions, including motor neurone disease(MND).

Research Work:As part of a team, and with NHS partners, Marycompleted one of the first studies fundedthrough the National Institute for HealthResearch (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit(RfPB) stream in the North West exploringhealth, social and palliative care provision forpeople with MND. Mary is also part of a teamthat has been awarded RfPB funding toascertain the needs of informal carers lookingafter family members with advancedprogressive illnesses in their last year of life.She is on the editorial board of the BritishJournal of Neuroscience Nursing, and amember of the panel of experts for a number ofNIHR funding schemes and a member of thenational MND Clinical Studies Group. Mary haspublished extensively and has presented herwork worldwide.

I didnt set out to be a researcher. I am aqualified nurse and spent many years workingin the NHS, latterly as a Specialist Nurse formotor neurone disease (MND). I got the chanceto work on research studies and clinical trials inMND and enjoyed it so much that I did an MAin Health Research at Lancaster University tounderstand what research was all about. Then Igot the bug and wanted to start doing myown research.

End-of-life care for malignant and non-malignantillness and carers needs are high on the NHSagenda at present. During my nursing career Imet and cared for many people affected byMND and witnessed the impact the conditionhas not only on people diagnosed with theillness but also on their families and friends. My research feeds into the debate on how care should be organised and provided duringterminal illness and at the end of life.

Having received encouragement and supportduring my early research career, I feel itsimportant to be supportive of the nextgeneration of researchers. I enjoy acting as amentor to new researchers and using myexperience to help postgraduate researchstudents work towards higher degrees.

As a research-active member of staff Iwelcome the support I receive and I am excitedby the opportunities available to me to developmy research interests.

Research Profile

Dr Mary OBrienSenior Lecturer in the Evidence-based Practice Research Centre

An Award-Winning Campus

Edge Hill University is situated in West Lancashire close to the cities of Liverpool and Manchester. The 160-acre landscaped campus,featuring a lake, is a fusion of hightech and heritage with award-winning,sustainable modern buildingsalongside stunning examples oforiginal 1930s art deco architecture.

In the last decade we have investedmore than 130 million in thecampus with a further 200 millionearmarked for capital projects by2020. This investment has providedstaff and students with a state-of-the-art learning, teaching and researchenvironment with facilities andaccommodation that are among thebest in higher education.

Recent additions to the campusinclude a 13.5 million Student Huband a 14 million Faculty of Healthand Social Care building, featuringsimulated wards and an operatingtheatre for realistic clinical skillstraining, plus a 900-seaterauditorium, and an 8 millionBusiness and Law School, completewith bespoke library and moot room. The campus also boasts a new ArtsCentre with two public theatres and a media centre that includes a working television studio withindustry-standard equipment.

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Edge Hill UniversitySt Helens RoadOrmskirkLancashire L39 4QPUnited Kingdom

+44 (0) 1695 585171edgehill.ac.uk