Google Life Sciences opts for a name change with 'Verily'

Alphabet's Google Life Sciences has been shaking things up this year, forging ahead with a series of med-tech related projects with new leadership in tow. In the spinoff's latest move, it's unveiling a name change.

Google Life Sciences will now be known as "Verily," a word with 13th century Middle English origins that means "truly" or "certainly." The company is shooting for an aspirational message with its new name, CEO Andy Conrad told STAT. Verily wants to take conventional medical technologies "from reactive to proactive, from intervention to prevention," Conrad said. "Only through the truth are we going to defeat Mother Nature."

Meanwhile, Verily is dialing up its med-tech cachet with big plans for innovation. The Mountain View, CA-based company is developing "smart" contact lenses with Swiss drugmaker Novartis ($NVS), and the pair plan to test a first prototype of the product on humans in 2016. Verily recently secured two patents for new technology, one for a laser ablation system and another for a needle-free blood draw device.


For further information, please click here. 

 

Posters and prizes at the UK Stroke Forum

Dr Rebecca Palmer with Big CACTUS poster

Three RAT group projects had posters at the UK Stroke forum held in Liverpool from the 1^st-3^rd December 2015. The Big CACTUS study had an on-going trials poster. The Big CACTUS study, led by Rebecca Palmer, is investigating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of aphasia computer therapy in the long term post-stroke. The study has recruited 180 participants so far and aims to recruit another 105 by July 2016. 

Mark Jayes Patient Carer and Public involvement prize

RAT group member Mark Jayes won the Patient Carer and Public Involvement prize for his poster about about the user-centred design of a toolkit to aid mental capacity assessment. This prize recognised the hard work and vital contribution of service users to the development of the toolkit.

Nasrin Nasr also had a poster about the novel use of narrative stories and forum theatre as methodologies to represent the experience of stroke. 

Presentations now available: King's Fund Annual Conference

Interested on how the speakers think we can "future-proof" the healthcare system? then why not have a listen to what they had to say?

Presentations can be accessed via this link.

How to evaluate your work around public health

On 16 September 2015, NIHR SPHR researchers at ScHARR, University of Sheffield teamed up with Doncaster Council to host an interactive workshop on evaluating strategies, policies or interventions aimed at improving the health and well-being of the population.
The workshop was attended by a broad range of participants from local authorities and NHS Foundation trusts to community organisations and charities. The format of the workshop allowed for the generation of some very valuable feedback. 
The event was heavily oversubscribed with attendees travelling from across Yorkshire and the North West. Due to the very positive response and demand for places, the NIHR SPHR team at ScHARR plan to hold another two workshops in 2016. Similar workshops have been held by NIHR SPHR members in London, Cambridge, Bristol, and Exeter and others are planned for the coming year. Details will be announced on the NIHR SPHR website.

Want to know how to supoprt primary care and cope with demands?

Then a great place to find out the answer to this question would be at the King;s Fund event entitled "Pressure Points: how can we support primary care to cope with growing demand?"

To find out more about this event, please click here.

What are the information needs of a medical student about medical research?

I am currently a second year medical student at the University of Sheffield and have just completed a 6-week research attachment, on which I learnt how to design a grant proposal and how research involving participants living with dementia would be conducted.

Lucy Monro

So, why will I need these skills in the future? As a future clinician I feel it is very important to understand the need for research, both to improve the current care system and the way in which the health service works together as a whole. As part of my research, I investigated the idea of music therapy as a treatment of anxiety for those suffering from Alzheimer’s Type Dementia; as a result, this has increased my awareness of non-pharmacological interventions which is something I can now research further for use as a clinician.

The attachment has also increased my awareness for the opportunities to be involved in medical research once I have completed my training, primarily in a public health setting compared to laboratory based work. This was something I had not considered before this 6-week period, but is now something I may pursue in the future. This is why I believe it is important for medical students to have the opportunity to get involved in research, either in the planning stages or actively engaging in a current study. It is imperative that we are shown the difference that research makes to patients and how it can be implemented, as well as teaching us to look for ways to improve our own treatment methods rather relying on what has already been done before us. 

Medicine is a skill that is constantly evolving, and the pressure to remain up to date and find new treatments and interventions increases year on year. This pressure will not be met unless future clinicians are well informed about how research is conducted and how they can get involved in the process, and it is therefore vital that the promotion of research to medical students is delivered from an early stage and is encouraged throughout the course.

Written by Lucy Monro

Online Working Memory Week

Online Working Memory Week will take place between the 9^th-13th November with last year's event attracting more than 1,000 registrants. 

There are numerous presentations lined up, including a keynote from Professor Alan Baddeley. Sarah Kate Smith, a researcher in CATCH will also be presenting. This webinar is free to attend, but you do need to register in advance. You can do this by following this link.

Sarah Kate Smith

Written by Sarah Kate Smith

Celebrating citizenship

Vancouver wearing its Autumn colours is a wondrous sight, especially when glimpsed from the deck of a dinner boat packed with excited delegates, celebrating their participation in the Claiming Full Citizenship 2015 International Conference. This eclectic gathering brought together more than 500 individuals with intellectual, cognitive, physical and sensory disabilities, people living with dementia, families, advocates and allies of people with disabilities, disability organizations, researchers and educators, service and support providers, health and human service professionals and students, human service and health policy and program analysts, decision makers in government and the community sectors to debate, create and innovate for human rights and equal participation for all citizens. A wonderful model of sharing our stories, learning from each other, and coming together to improve lives across the world. Having the good fortune to be a participant was humbling, uplifting and truly inspiring.

For more information, please click here. 

Written by Professor Arlene Astell

Pros and cons for technology in care homes

On the 30^th of September Telehealth and Care Technologies (TaCT) held a Special Interest Group (SIG) at Kenwood Hall in Sheffield. One of the aims of the day was to raise awareness of the research going on around the use of technology in care homes. A further aim was to start a dialogue with a range of stakeholders about the pros and cons for technology and the importance of research in identifying and developing new ways of delivering care through the use of technology. Attendees included care home managers, health care professionals, commissioners and researchers. 

Presentations were given by Dr Steven Ariss, who discussed the research being undertaken around the Enhanced Community Palliative Support Services (EnComPaSS) project; Dr Sarah Smith presented on the Computer Interactive Reminiscence & Conversation Aid (CIRCA) and Living in the Moment (LIM) these look at the use of technology for communication and leisure in care homes; Professor Pam Enderby on the Electronic Recording in Care (ERiC) project and Rachel Binks presented the work Airedale have been doing on using videoconferencing in care homes. These were then followed by a debate and the opportunity to network. 

If anyone like a copy of any outputs from the event, please contact: LKNewbould1@sheffield.ac.uk

Written by Louise Newbould