Anglia Ruskin University
Anglia Ruskin University was awarded university status in 1992. Today, with a student population of 31,000, we are one of the largest universities in the East of England, and a large provider of part-time education. Our students are on courses leading to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, as well as to a range of professional qualifications. In addition to being one of the most significant suppliers of nurses and teachers to the professions, we offer an ever expanding range of contemporary courses designed to meet the needs of the individual and the requirements of a knowledge-based economy.
Our main campuses at Cambridge and Chelmsford attract students not only from the East of England but in increasing numbers from mainland Europe and from further afield. In addition, our University has an extensive network of contacts with institutions throughout the world, delivering courses in countries as far removed as Malaysia and Trinidad.
The Health & Wellbeing Academy, a joint initiative between South Essex Partnership University NHS Trust (SEPT) and Anglia Ruskin University’s Postgraduate Medical Institute (PMI), brings together teams of researchers who are committed to practical, real-world research into health and wellbeing that will provide information to influence clinical practice and policy at a local, national and international level.
The academy will host a joint research office (JRO) which will support all aspects of research within SEPT and will be the first fully evolved JRO between an NHS Partnership Trust and a university in the UK. In the longer term, it is envisaged that the inclusion of patients and carers in health and well-being research will ensure that there is a clear and unique focus for the work of the academy, which will enable it to compete successfully for funding and other resources in the future.
Key Personnel involved in the project
Richard Aspinall – Professor of Translational Medicine, Director Health and Wellbeing Academy
TBA – Research Assistant
Main tasks attributed to them in the project
ARU will contribute to the Biogerontology research area and will assess the quality of different strategies which have emerged from recent breakthroughs and which aim to improve the quality of life in old age. This will be achieved through the organisation of workshops and focus groups in which we will introduce a small number of health devices which may impact on lifestyle of the elderly and through a combination usability tests and contextual inquiry we will seek to understand barriers to device adoption and identify better-targeted interventions.
Short profile of all personnel and previous relevant experience
Richard Aspinall is a Professor in Translational Medicine and Director of the Health and Wellbeing Academy at Anglia Ruskin University a Visiting Professor at the Open University and a member of the Board of the Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Post- Graduate Medical School.
Professor Aspinall’s previous EU funding includes funding as a partner in 2 FP7 consortia, one led by Prof A. Buerkle at the University of Konstanz (2008-2013) called Markage and the second consortium led by Prof T. Huzinga at Leiden University (2008-2013) called Masterswitch. Between 2004 and 2007 Prof Aspinall also received funding through FP6 as a partner in a consortia led by Dr Mochegiani from INRCA called Zincage.
Research Assistant
This individual will have overall responsibility for the day to day management of the project, running the workshops and focus groups analysing the data and writing the reports.