Postgraduate Prospectus 2013 - Swansea University

Leading the way
{ driving potential }
Swansea University’s researchers are pushing back the boundaries of
scientific and academic thought – undertaking research that has global
significance, and which touches every aspect of society, from culture, climate
change, and business, to engineering, science, health and well-being.
Many of our researchers are recognised internationally for their contributions
to their field. We are particularly proud of our productive collaborative links
with industry, which are amongst the best in the UK.
www.swansea.ac.uk/research
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Predicting Sea
Level Rises
Swansea’ Glaciologists are working on a
five-year, Leverhulme Trust-funded initiative to
investigate the future stability of the Greenland
ice sheet. The key outcome of the Greenland
Ice Margin Prediction, Stability and Evolution
(GLIMPSE) project will be better predictions in
the rate of future sea level rise.
The lack of understanding of how Greenland’s
outlet glaciers are changing means that
models will consistently under-predict the rate
of sea-level rise from Greenland. The GLIMPSE
project will help ensure these models make
better predictions of the Greenland ice
sheet’s future.
Low Cost Biomedical Sensors
Swansea researchers are using the latest
printing technologies to develop a low
cost biosensor capable of diagnosing a
range of health conditions. The project
aim is to place living antibodies into a
suitable ink which would then be printed
onto a compatible substrate or material
to form a disposable sensor that can be
mass produced at low cost.
A printed array of antibodies will speed
up the testing process while reducing the
expertise and complexity of equipment
needed – introducing the possibility of
hand held electronic scanners and far
quicker diagnosis. It allows this aspect
of patient care to be moved from
hospital or laboratory to the GP surgery,
releasing expensive hospital resources
for other activities. It could also prove
invaluable for use in emergency
humanitarian situations and in remote
areas.
The Richard Burton
Centre for the Study
of Wales
The Centre takes its name from the
renowned stage actor and film star. In
2005 Richard Burton’s personal papers
were deposited in Swansea University,
and form a central part of the new
Richard Burton Archive facility, which
opened in April 2010.
The Centre recognises and respects the
ways in which Wales can be regarded,
understood and valued, whilst also
placing Wales within global contexts and
debates to seek out appropriate
comparative frameworks through which
the Welsh experience may be clarified.
Revealing secrets of
the universe
Physicists at Swansea are part of a
team which has made a major research
breakthrough: the first direct measurement
of any kind on a pure antimatter atom.
The team, made up of scientists from
eight countries, were working on the
ALPHA experiment at CERN, the
European Organisation for Nuclear
Research in Geneva. They were
examining antihydrogen atoms – the
antimatter counterpart of the simplest
atom, hydrogen. By precise comparisons
of hydrogen and antihydrogen, the
ALPHA team hope to study fundamental
symmetries between matter and
antimatter and cast light on the puzzling
absence of bulk antimatter in the
universe today.
Hywel Dda
Research Institute
The School of Law’s new Hywel Dda
Research Institute provides intellectual
leadership and direction for research
that falls under the broad heading of
‘Legal Wales’, the process whereby the
legal system in Wales has acquired its
own distinctive legal identity in response
to constitutional change and devolution.
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