We are delighted to share with you a range of exciting news and initiatives from QMU, and to shine a spotlight on the excellent work of our researchers and academics, as well as our inspirational students and graduates.
Following the pandemic, most of us became increasingly aware of the importance of nature to our health and wellbeing, and the need to create opportunities and spaces to allow people to learn about the natural world so we can utilise and preserve it for future generations. Over the past few years, we have put increasing emphasis on outdoor learning within our teacher education courses. This year, we have launched the Outdoor Learning Hub and Discovery Trail on campus which is encouraging students, staff and the wider QMU community to connect with each other in an attractive natural environment.
In this edition, we are looking at the impact that QMU has had on the world of sport. In our special sports feature, you can read about the career of female trailblazer, Dame Louise Martin, Former President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, who has led a fascinating life working at the top level of sports administration. I hope you will also enjoy reading about the great sports clubs and teams that help to create exciting social and competitive experiences for students, as well as taking a nostalgic look back at some of the great photos of our sporting students and events from the past. We also give you an insight into the work of our Lydia Osteoporosis Project and their recent conference, which called for osteoporosis to be made a public health priority, and promoted the necessity of physical activity in maintaining good bone health.
QMU is very proud of the relevance of its research work. Recently, our research to create a replacement for the use of palm fat in the bakery industry made headline news across the globe. Interest in our novel
replacement product, PALM-ALT, was intense, with broadcasters, news agencies, food companies and investors all keen to know more about how our healthy replacement ingredient could provide solutions for the food industry whilst reducing deforestation of the world’s rainforests. Read more about PALM-ALT here.
The magazine also looks at our use of ultrasound technology in healthcare. Here you can find out how our research is being used to assess and improve swallowing function among stroke patients and people with progressive illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease and motor neurone disease (MND).
We also introduce you to new teaching techniques which are helping better prepare our health students to navigate challenging situations in the workplace. Our use of virtual reality (VR) is providing paramedic science students with a truly immersive learning experience. Find out what our students think about their step into the virtual classroom here.
I hope you enjoy reading the stories about our research, and community and teaching initiatives, and take inspiration from the great work of our students and graduates. It has been fun delving into our archives around sports, and as we approach our 150th anniversary in 2025, we look forward to sharing more stories from our past in the next edition of QMYOU.
If you are a graduate, please stay connected with us through our alumni team E: alumni@qmu.ac.uk. If you are a member of the public or are new to QMU and want to connect, please don’t hesitate to talk to our Development team or email development@qmu.ac.uk about ways to get involved and support the University’s work.
With very best wishes
Sir Paul Grice FRSE, FAcSS
