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Professor Ian Maidment has received a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator Award The award recognises his outstanding leadership contributions to the work of the NIHR and his excellent track record of securing NIHR funding Professor Maidment is the first academic at Aston University to receive the honour. Professor Ian Maidment at Aston Pharmacy School has received a prestigious Senior Investigator Award from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR gives the award to researchers in recognition of outstanding leadership contributions to the work of the NIHR and an excellent track record of securing NIHR funding. As a senior investigator, Professor Maidment will act as an ambassador for NIHR, and help to guide strategy and tackle challenges in the health and social care landscape. He will join the NIHR College of around 200 senior investigators. Professor Maidment is the first academic at Aston University to receive the award and one of few pharmacists in the UK to receive such an award. Professor Maidment joined Aston University in 2012 as a senior lecturer, which marked his first step into academia after more than 20 years working in the NHS, both as a pharmacist and leading R&D. During his time in the NHS, he published 40 papers in peer-reviewed journals. These formed the basis of a PhD by previous publication, and Professor Maidment was the first person to obtain a PhD at Aston University by this route. He was promoted to reader in 2018 and a full chair in 2022. Professor Maidment specialises in the health care of older people and those with mental health conditions, and the use of medication to treat them. This includes projects investigating the long-standing and international healthcare priority of managing anti-psychotic weight gain. From this research project, guidance will be developed both for patients and practitioners. His research with older people has identified the need to focus on reducing medication burden and investigating the link between some medications and dementia. He also studies how to best use the expertise of community pharmacy to improve outcomes, for example in COVID vaccination and more recently how to make independent prescribing by community pharmacy work better; the importance of this issue was identified by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The award also recognises Professor Maidment’s strong links with the NIHR and critically his continued role in supporting its work. This includes mentoring other researchers, leadership and contributing to the development of the NIHR. Professor Maidment said: “Optimising medication in the real world is a key research priority; about half of all people struggle with adherence to medication. Much of my research has been focused on bringing the patient voice to key research questions. If we can fully understand the patient and family carer view, then we can start to get the medication right.” Professor Anthony Hilton, Aston University pro-vice-chancellor and executive dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences, said: “Professor Ian Maidment’s NIHR Senior Investigator Award is a well-deserved recognition of his exceptional research in medication safety and the care of older adults and people with severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia. His work has not only advanced academic understanding but has also shaped real-world healthcare practices, improving outcomes for patients. “This achievement reflects his dedication, expertise and commitment to impactful research and his outstanding leadership contributions to the work of the NIHR. At Aston University, we are delighted to celebrate Ian’s success and the significant contribution he continues to make to the field.”
March Madness: Experts comment on picking underdogs, prop bets and economic benefits
Why do people pick underdogs when filling out their brackets for the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments? How do people consume March Madness? How does the tournament benefit host cities and teams economically? University of Delaware experts have the answers. The following UD faculty members can provide their expertise for journalists working on stories about the tournaments. • Jackie Silverman, assistant professor of marketing: Why people might have chosen underdogs still hanging around in their brackets, • John Allgood, instructor of sport management: How people consume March Madness (streaming vs. cable TV) and how major collegiate sports events can help brand individual schools. Contact UD media relations to reach him. • Tim DeSchriver, associate professor of sport management: Sports gambling (including prop bets) and advertising targets. • Matthew Robinson, professor of sport management: Economic benefits of the host city. • Matt McGranaghan, assistant professor of marketing: Consumer attention span during commercial breaks. To reach these experts directly and set up interviews, visit the expert profiles below and click on the contact button.
Nurse Scientist Susan Smith Birkhoff Makes Two Research ‘Firsts’ in Delaware
Susan Smith Birkhoff, Ph.D., RN, is making nursing history in the First State through the Delaware IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE). She is the first nurse scientist to be named an INBRE site principal investigator and she is the first nurse to receive the Seema S. Sonnad Mentor of the Year Award from INBRE’s Junior Investigator Network. INBRE is a collaborative network of Delaware academic, health care and research institutions, composed of ChristianaCare, Delaware State University, Delaware Technical Community College Nemours Children’s Health and University of Delaware. First nurse scientist to lead INBRE site As the INBRE site principal investigator at ChristianaCare, Smith Birkhoff will expand on the research network’s success at a large academic health center. In collaboration with the INBRE partners and the program manager, Kellie Patterson, BSN, RN, CCRP, she will leverage centers of excellence across ChristianaCare to host an exceptional student program, increase the health system's contributions to the pilot program pool and grow the visibility of INBRE across the enterprise. “Susan brings a terrific combination of skills to this role,” said Omar Khan, M.D., MHS, FAAFP, chief scientific officer for ChristianaCare and institutional representative on the INBRE steering committee. “She is a mentor, scientist and teacher, and her experience with INBRE and the state’s other premier research programs will ensure that we deliver the highest value for the Delaware community.” Smith Birkhoff leads and supports interprofessional research education, systemwide technology evaluation, and grantsmanship. She spearheads a diverse research program, encompassing areas such as robotics in health care, virtual reality in medicine and burnout in the nursing workforce. As program director of Technology Research & Education at ChristianaCare, she collaborates across the health system’s academic research enterprise to achieve both clinician- and patient-oriented research outcomes. “Susan is a wonderful colleague and she is a true researcher-educator,” said Neil Jasani, M.D., MBA, FACEP, chief academic officer for ChristianaCare. “She is a great fit for the work of Delaware INBRE as we advance ChristianaCare’s contribution to this essential research network.” She co-leads an innovative program to study the one of the first deployments of increasingly autonomous robots in a U.S. health care setting and directs the first Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation, housed at ChristianaCare. First nurse named Mentor of the Year Smith Birkhoff received the 2025 Seema S. Sonnad Mentor of the Year Award from INBRE’s Junior Investigator Network, nominated for her exceptional mentorship by ChristianaCare colleagues whom she mentored. Her nominators were: Kaci Rainey, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, an evidence-based practice specialist at ChristianaCare, and Briana Abernathy, BSN, RN, CEN, a nurse in utilization management at ChristianaCare and an inaugral nurse fellow in the Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation. “They say that if you are not at the table, you are on the menu. We are profoundly grateful that Dr. Smith Birkhoff selflessly provided us with a seat at the table and an overflowing feast of knowledge,” said Abernathy in presenting the award. “This knowledge has quenched our thirst for change and fueled our hunger for research and innovation, setting the stage for the rest of our careers.”
Aston University study reveals the illusion of ‘dazzle’ paint on World War I battleships
The Zealandia in wartime dazzle paint. Image: Australian National Maritime Museum on The Commons Geometric ‘dazzle’ camouflage was used on ships in WWI to confuse enemy onlookers as to the direction and speed of the ship Timothy Meese and Samantha Strong reanalysed historic data from 1919 and found that the ‘horizon effect’ is more effective for confusion When viewing a ship at distance, it often appears to be travelling along the horizon, regardless of its actual direction of travel – this is the ‘horizon effect’. A new analysis of 105-year-old data on the effectiveness of ‘dazzle’ camouflage on battleships in World War I by Aston University researchers Professor Tim Meese and Dr Samantha Strong has found that while dazzle had some effect, the ‘horizon effect’ had far more influence when it came to confusing the enemy. During World War I, navies experimented with painting ships with ‘dazzle’ camouflage – geometric shapes and stripes – in an attempt to confuse U-boat captains as to the speed and direction of travel of the ships and make them harder to attack. The separate ‘horizon effect’ is when a person looks at a ship in the distance, and it appears to be travelling along the horizon, regardless of its actual direction of travel. Ships travelling at an angle of up to 25° relative to the horizon appear to be travelling directly along it. Even with those at a greater angle to the horizon, onlookers significantly underestimate the angle. Despite widespread use of dazzle camouflage, it was not until 1919 that a proper, quantitative study was carried out, by MIT naval architecture and marine engineering student Leo Blodgett for his degree thesis. He painted model ships in dazzle patterns and placed them in a mechanical test theatre with a periscope, like those used by U-boat captains, to measure how much onlookers’ estimations of the ships’ direction of travel deviated from their actual direction of travel. Professor Meese and Dr Strong realised that while the data collected by Blodgett was useful, his methods of experimental design fell short of modern standards. He’d found that dazzle camouflage worked, but the Aston University team suspected that dazzle alone was not responsible for the results seen, cleaned the data and designed new analysis to better understand what it really shows. Dr Strong, a senior lecturer at Aston University’s School of Optometry, said: “It's necessary to have a control condition to draw firm conclusions, and Blodgett's report of his own control was too vague to be useful. We ran our own version of the experiment using photographs from his thesis and compared the results across the original dazzle camouflage versions and versions with the camouflage edited out. Our experiment worked well. Both types of ships produced the horizon effect, but the dazzle imposed an additional twist.” If the errors made by the onlookers in the perceived direction of travel of the ship were entirely due to the ‘twist’ on perspective caused by dazzle paintwork, the bow, or front, of the ship, would always be seen to twist away from its true direction. However, Professor Meese and Dr Strong instead showed that when the true direction was pointing away from the observer, the bow was often perceived to twist towards the observer instead. Their detailed analysis showed a small effect of twist from the dazzle camouflage but a much larger one from the horizon effect. Sometimes these effects were in competition, sometimes in harmony. Professor Meese, a professor of vision science at the School of Optometry, said: “We knew already about the twist and horizon effects from contemporary computer-based work with colleagues at Abertay University. The remarkable finding here is that these same two effects, in similar proportions, are clearly evident in participants familiar with the art of camouflage deception, including a lieutenant in a European navy. This adds considerable credibility to our earlier conclusions by showing that the horizon effect – which has nothing to do with dazzle – was not overcome by those best placed to know better. “This is a clear case where visual perception is more powerful than knowledge. In fact, back in the dazzle days, the horizon effect was not identified at all, and Blodgett's measurements of perceptual bias were attributed entirely to the camouflage, deceiving the deceivers.” Professor Meese and Dr Strong say that more work is required to fully understand how dazzle might have increased perceptual uncertainty of direction and speed but also the geometry behind torpedo-aiming tactics that might have supported some countermeasures. Visit https://doi.org/10.1177/20416695241312316 to read the full paper in i-Perception.
Data Analysis: Commercial Real Estate Troubles Threaten U.S. Banks
The U.S. banking system is on a precipice as exposures to commercial real estate grow and banks grapple with high interest rates, according to an analysis by a finance professor at Florida Atlantic University. Of the 158 largest banks, 59 in the country are facing exposures to commercial real estate greater than 300% of their total equity capital, as reported in the fourth quarter 2024 regulatory data and shown by the U.S. Banks’ Exposure to Risk from Commercial Real Estate screener. “Regulators have been putting pressure on banks to reduce their exposures. However, it’s a very difficult thing to do without sending a signal of weakness to the market and creating more problems,” said Rebel A. Cole, Ph.D., Lynn Eminent Scholar Chaired Professor of Finance in FAU’s College of Business. “To get around this, many banks are ‘extending and pretending’ by restructuring their loans.” The U.S. Banks’ Exposure to Risk from Real Estate screener, a part of the Banking Initiative at Florida Atlantic University, measures the risk to exposure from commercial real estate at the 158 largest banks in the country with more than $10 billion in total assets. Using publicly available data released quarterly from the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) Central Data Repository, Cole calculates each bank’s total CRE exposure as a percentage of the bank’s total equity. Bank regulators view any ratio over 300% as excess exposure to CRE, which puts the bank at greater risk of failure. Troubled debt restructuring for commercial construction, multifamily, owner-occupied and owner-non-occupied mortgages tripled since 2023. They reached $18 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024, up from $6 billion in Q2 2023, according to data from the FFIEC. While non-owner occupied nonfarm, non-residential accounts for more than half of these amounts, there is also serious deterioration in multifamily and commercial construction loans. “Banks choose to extend these loans, hoping interest rates might drop. While the Fed did cut rates,” Cole said. “If a loan is maturing from five years ago in today’s rate environment, rather than refinance it with today’s terms, they will restructure the loan under the same terms from five years ago for another year. This all depends on interest rates falling, which is not likely to happen this year.” Among banks of any size, 1,788 have total CRE exposures greater than 300%, up from 1,697 in Q3; 1,077 have exposures greater than 400%, up from 971 in Q3; 504 have exposures greater than 500%, up from 426 in Q3; 216 have exposures greater than 600%, up from 166 in Q3. For comparison, the aggregate industry total CRE exposure is 132% of the total, unchanged from the third quarter of 2024. Looking to know more? We can help. Rebel Cole is available to speak with media about commercial real estate and the potential threats to the American banking system, Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Understanding waterfowl movement and bird flu
Scores of waterfowl are currently on the move, and experts are worried they could further spread highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu. But these flocks, which can number in the thousands and include Canada geese and snow geese, are of most concern around poultry houses, said University of Delaware’s Christopher Williams. The risk to humans and dogs getting bird flu from geese who inhabit their neighborhoods remains low, Williams said. Williams, a professor wildlife ecology in UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, explained why this is happening: • Smaller ducks such as blue-winged teal, larger ducks such as mallards, and larger geese like Canada geese and snow geese are heading north to their breeding grounds. • Waterfowl are a primary reservoir for avian influenza viruses, meaning they can harbor bird flu strains viruses, spread them, and in some cases show no signs of disease. They can shed the virus through their saliva, naval secretions, and feces. • Waterfowl serve as the primary vector of avian influenza to the U.S. poultry industry which has affected more than 8 million commercial and backyard chickens and turkeys that have been culled to keep the virus from spreading. “While we are worried about these flocks congregating near poultry houses, the risk of humans getting bird flu from waterfowl remains low,” Williams said. “Further, walking dogs around areas with geese flocks should pose little threat to dogs’ health as avian influenza is very rare in dogs.” Nevertheless, Williams cautions people and dogs to avoid touching sick birds or dead birds. A large segment of the Canada geese population are not migratory, Williams said. They will stick around the Mid-Atlantic year-round and tend to congregate and breed near grocery store parking lots, golf courses and neighborhoods. “Those birds are being drawn to needing two things. No. 1 is they need water including any natural pond or water containment area,” Williams said. “And all the geese species are herbivores, so No. 2 they eat grass. There are places that have both water and grass that will provide ideal nesting habitat for the geese and their chicks.” Reporters can connect with Williams by visiting his profile and clicking on the “contact” button.
Daylight Saving Time: Baylor Sleep Expert Offers Suggestions to Help Adjust to the Change
Daylight saving time, with its one-hour spring forward at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 12, may seem like a small shift of just a single hour, but on a societal level, it has startling effects, says Baylor University sleep researcher Michael Scullin, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory at Baylor. So what are the consequences of this one-hour time shift on our sleep quality and how can we quickly adjust when springing our clocks forward? "Many people not only lose that single hour of sleep," Scullin said, "but also have difficulty over several subsequent nights adjusting their circadian rhythms to the new bed-wake time schedules." For example, parents who have routine bedtimes for their children experience difficulty for the whole family because children will not want to (or be able to) go to bed one hour earlier than their body is used to. "When you couple this bedtime difficulty with the fact that most people have morning school and work schedules that require them to wake up at a set time," Scullin said, "it becomes clear that ‘springing forward’ has a larger consequence than skipping a single hour." The consequences of the spring daylight saving time shift are well documented. Researchers have observed changes in cognitive functioning, increased driving accidents, moodiness and willingness to punish others for mistakes. "Researchers have also documented that acute sleep loss and circadian dysregulation lead to an increase in cardiovascular events," Scullin said. "If someone's cardiovascular health is ‘borderline’ then the springtime shift can be the factor that precipitates a stroke or a myocardial infarction (heart attack)." Scullin offers some simple suggestions to anticipate and adapt to the spring forward shift: Adjust in advance. About a week before the "spring forward," go to bed 15 or 20 minutes earlier each day. Avoid long naps during the day. If you need a nap, take it earlier in the day and for no more than 20 minutes. Bring on the sunlight. Getting more natural sunlight in the morning hours is very beneficial in resetting our biological clock. In some cases, evening melatonin also can help people to adapt to the time change. Scullin has published numerous studies focusing on sleep and brain function, including the connection between sleep and creativity, musical “earworms” and their effect on sleep and how writing a to-do list before you turn in for the night can help you get better sleep. In fact, Scullin was named Baylor’s inaugural Newsmaker of the Year in 2018, after his “to-do list” research was widely covered by media outlets, including ABC’s Good Morning America, TODAY.com, USA TODAY, Discover, LiveScience, HealthDay, BBC Radio and many more, reaching an international circulation and viewership of nearly 1 billion people. Looking to interview or chat with Michael Scullin? Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Expert Research: The Surprising Source of Next-Gen Antibiotics: Oyster Blood
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing concern across the world and it has doctors worried and scientists working hard to find a solution Basically, AMR is when bacteria and viruses no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines. The result is making infections harder to treat and increases the risk of spreading disease. Recently, Texas Christian University researcher Shauna McGillivray commented on exciting new research in this area that was featured in the media: The search for a solution to antimicrobial resistance found something. And researchers found it in a true “it’s always the last place you look” location. Australian oysters. Or more specifically, Australian oyster blood. Antimicrobial proteins and peptides (AMPPs) “… are an exciting area with a lot of potential,” said Shauna McGillivray, professor of biology at TCU with an emphasis on host-pathogen interactions. “[They] are by themselves very potent but, as has been noted in multiple studies, they can also synergize with existing antibiotics, thereby improving efficacy of antibiotics, even in some cases to antibiotics to which there are high levels of resistance.” Feb. 22 -Phamed.com This is an amazing find and could be groundbreaking for the pharmaceutical industry and health care. And if you're looking to know more about this research and what it means for health care - then let us help. Shauna McGillivray, associate professor of biology is available to speak with media about her recent research - simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
Defining Oligarchy: The Fusion of Wealth and Power in American Democracy
Oligarchy is being thrown around a lot these days. But what does the term mean? Is America an oligarchy? And how does oligarchy help explain American democracy today? Political rhetoric scholar Luke Winslow, Ph.D., associate professor of communication at Baylor University and author of “Oligarchy in America: Power, Justice, and the Rule of the Few,” has traced the evolution of oligarchy in the United States to shed light on how modern oligarchy is reshaping America through the increasing fusion of economic power and political influence. Winslow’s research focuses on how the influence of oligarchy has impacted American political rhetoric, as well as how it is showing up in modern politics and political communications. Defining Oligarchy Oligarchy is a term that most people associate with other countries, but it “is not something that just happens in Russia. It's something that happens everywhere, and it always has,” Winslow said. In the simplest of terms, oligarchy attempts to explain the convergence of economic and political power. Winslow offered four key distinctions on oligarchy: Oligarchy is exclusive. It represents a form of governance focused on preserving the political and economic influence of the wealthy by securing the approval of the rest of the population. “It assumes not everyone is qualified to deliberate, participate and legislate,” Winslow said. When it comes to oligarchy, there is a belief that extreme wealth is equated to intellectual fitness across all domains, including governance. Wealth vs. income. It is important to distinguish between wealth and income. Income covers daily expenses, whereas wealth is more easily used to exert political power. “What truly sets an oligarch apart is the political power their wealth can command,” Winslow said. Understated and subtle. Modern oligarchy operates through persuasion by “enticing rather than commanding citizens and maintaining what seems like an absence from political authority,” Winslow said. It is in this absence that oligarchs can influence indirect political actions, especially since they are not (typically) elected officials and cannot be removed from office. Legal Immunity. Oligarchs have no fear of legal consequences because oligarchy itself is not against the law, Winslow said. The First Amendment protects the right “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances,” legitimizing lobbying and campaign donations. A robust system of campaign contributions and political lobbying – both of which are perfectly legal – can shape media narratives and put pressure on state and local governments. While wealth and politics have always coexisted, oligarchy is about how these forces merge to create a system where the ultra-rich exert undue influence over democratic institutions, Winslow said. “This convergence has long existed in history but is now unfolding in the U.S. more visibly – and perhaps more accepted – than ever before,” he said. Communication of Oligarchy Winslow’s research shows that American society has come to view billionaires as transcendent figures – individuals whose success in business qualifies them to lead in politics – a mindset that is not new. The Gilded Age of the late 19th century saw figures like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller wield enormous economic and political power, shaping legislation to favor their interests. Winslow’s research traces this historical precedent, suggesting that today’s tech titans are the latest iteration of a long-standing trend. Perhaps the most intriguing question Winslow raises is not just how oligarchy and its fusion of wealth and governance has taken root, but why the American public has been so willing to accept it as natural – perhaps even beneficial. “The arguments being made in public discourse encourage us to go along with it,” he said. “We’re being told, implicitly, that this is just how things work now.” Yet, these practices also reveal how the government serves the narrow interests of the ultra-wealthy, diverting resources from productive economic opportunities for the majority toward political wins that benefit a small, affluent minority, Winslow said. “What's so interesting about oligarchy now is that the cover has been ripped off, the veil has been thrown open and we’re not even hiding the fact that money gets you more influence,” he said. Ultimately, Winslow hopes his work will get people to be curious as to why Americans are now accepting oligarchy in the U.S. “The ways that the extremely wealthy are yielded political power is seemingly acceptable now, and that is a question that we all should be asking,” Winslow said. Looking to know more? Then let us help. To connect with Luke Winslow, simply contact Shelby Cefaratti-Bertin, M.A, Assistant Director of Media and Public Relations now to arrange an interview today.
In an age where social media promises to connect us, a new Baylor University study reveals a sobering paradox – the more time we spend interacting online, the lonelier we may feel. Researchers James A. Roberts, Ph.D., The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing in Baylor's Hankamer School of Business, and co-authors Philip Young, Ph.D., and Meredith David, Ph.D., analyzed a study that followed nearly 7,000 Dutch adults for nine years to understand how our digital habits shape well-being. Published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, the Baylor study – The Epidemic of Loneliness: A Nine-Year Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Passive and Active Social Media Use on Loneliness – investigated how social media use impacts loneliness over time. This eye-opening research suggests that the very platforms designed to bring people together contribute to an "epidemic of loneliness." The findings showed that both passive and active social media use were associated with increased feelings of loneliness over time. While passive social media use – like browsing without interaction – predictably led to heightened loneliness, active use – which involved posting and engaging with others – also was linked to increased feelings of loneliness. These results suggest that the quality of digital interactions may not fulfill the social needs that are met in face-to-face communication. “This research underscores the complexity of social media’s impact on mental health,” Roberts said. “While social media offers unprecedented access to online communities, it appears that extensive use – whether active or passive – does not alleviate feelings of loneliness and may, in fact, intensify them.” The study also found a two-way relationship between loneliness and social media use. "It appears that a continuous feedback loop exists between the two,” Roberts said. “Lonely people turn to social media to address their feelings, but it is possible that such social media use merely fans the flames of loneliness." The findings emphasize an urgent need for further research into the effects of digital interaction, underlining the essential role of in-person connections in supporting well-being. This study also adds a valuable perspective to the conversation on how digital habits influence mental health, offering insights to shape future mental health initiatives, policies and guidelines for healthier social media use. Are you covering social media and its impact on people? Then let us help. These experts are available to speak with media, simply click or contact Shelby Cefaratti-Bertin, M.A, Assistant Director of Media and Public Relations now to arrange an interview today.
