Happy day - but mysterious

Great meeting today with colleagues to discuss some research collaboration.  Decided on the scope and shape of a future project - which must remain a mystery until we have secured some funding...

Some snowdrops have appeared in the garden as well.

Big smoke for a couple of days

Rather annoyingly had news today that the student I spent half a day designing a personalised programme of retake work for last week didn't bother to turn up for the first scheduled meeting. Wondering sometimes why we bother...


Pleased to get an email today from someone who attended our motivational interviewing day yesterday, and hoping to develop an applied research collaboration as a result.  I always meet people working on interesting projects when I run these events, and it's nice to have a chance to find out more about their work.


Off to London tomorrow for a couple of days related conference activity.


Friday
PCOS UK (health professionals conference) , with topics including:

PCOS, Physical Activity and Insulin Resistance
Practical steps to tackling common dermatology issues
Living with PCOS - developing effective coping strategies
Reducing the quality of life impact of PCOS - top tips for primary care
Research Digest
Cardiovascular risk and PCOS - effective management strategies
The risks and benefits of bariatric surgery in the management of PCOS
 
Saturday
Verity (patient group for women whose lives are affected by PCOS), topics including:


Emotional impact of PCOS - Colette Harris
Get to know your menstrual cycle - Dr Lisa Webber
Alopecia and excess hair - Dr Alison Layton
Being slim with PCOS - Speaker TBC
Weight loss options for PCOS - Dr David Haslam
PCOS and your fertility - Professor Stephen Franks

Staying in a Travelodge so not taking my laptop and therefore no posts.  No offence Travelodge, I just don't fancy leaving it in boot of car all day.

Can it really be Friday already?

Where does the time go???

Packaged up some data from my PCOS research and sent it off for independent analysis by my two colleagues Lynne and Rachael.  Will be really interesting to get together and compare our analyses.  Having others look at data you've collected is great as they always spot things you haven't.

Ran through the online coding test I've designed for interns on the disaster management project.  It seems to be working ok so I should be able to post the link to individuals once they've gotten through the literature searching task on SCOPUS.

Prepared a presentation for Monday to talk through with NHS colleagues I am meeting in the North of England.  Looking forward to seeing them again, and sitting in on their clinics.

And for the weekend: if the wind and rain stops I shall mostly be sucking up leaves from the garden.  If it doesn't, I hope to make a Butterick Pattern B5297. It says "FAST AND EASY" - that remains to be seen...

Testing the interns

Slower going today:

Writing some instructions on literature searching, and designing a test for our (so far) six prospective interns on the disaster management project. Applicants need to pass so we can ensure the quality and consistency of our data analysis.

Also happily signed off the ethics screening protocol for Felicity's survey of assistance dog providers. Looking forward to the data coming in.

Oh and meanwhile... while my hubbie was out treating an elderly patient the other night, he saw a farm offering private allotments.  I talked to them them today and should be getting one in January.  After several years on the waiting list in Warwick I am reaching a fever pitch of excitement!

Trying not to be mechanical...

Busy on campus day today:


Earlier part of morning attending the opening of the conference I mentioned yesterday. Inspired by colleagues’ presentations.

Late morning dealing with usual bunch of emails.

Excellent meeting with three co-researchers, to agree who was going to do what regarding two major data sets: women’s experiences with polycystic ovary syndrome, and families’ experiences with assistance dogs. Looking forward to both.

Then pitched the Disaster Management research internship to a pleasantly substantial group of students (and one graduate) who had expressed an interest. Despite the fact that we have no money to offer, it was gratifying to find that several people remained committed to taking the posts up, even after seeing my PowerPoint presentation.

After that it was back to the conference, where it seems that I missed some controversy and impassioned debate. Replace FGM, the associated project, aims to address problems associated with female genital mutilation, on health and human rights grounds. But the term ‘mutilation’ when applied in this context is problematic for some. Essentially the same surgical procedure requested by a white western woman might be deemed acceptable on the basis that it enhances her self-esteem or sexual confidence, yet condemned as abusive and oppressive in a black African woman. Huge issues here as regards how ‘we’ define ‘health’ and individual autonomy.

Meanwhile it all got a bit nasty at the student fees protests in London.  I know some of our students travelled to the event.  Just hope that none were involved, either as perpetrators of the violence, or innocent onlookers.

Double booked, but in a good cause

Good meeting today with Felicity, the PhD student I co-supervise with colleagues Gill Ward and Sandy Herron-Marx.  We agreed on work to be completed before the annual progress review meeting in early January.  And Felicity is almost ready to go live with her first set of data collection.  Link will appear on her blog soon.

Have also had to book a room for tomorrow to speak to all the prospective interns who've responded to my offer of research assistant experience. Am surprised and delighted that there's been such an enthusiastic response.  I am attending a conference organised by colleagues tomorrow but will have to fore go the afternoon session to talk to the candidates. The topic is one that I think deserves much more attention than it's had to date: recognising, preventing and addressing the problems associated with female genital mutilation.

Somewhat discouraged

Didn't post last Friday due to being (as we would put it in my native dialect) utterly fashed and teetotally scunnered.

Received an email in the afternoon that the research grant application Fang and I submitted earlier this year has been rejected (or more correctly not wanted for further development).

Hard not to take it personally given the work that went into it, but just have to find another way to get the work done.  Here's what the prospective funder said:

I write concerning your recent application to ..x.. This has been given careful consideration but I regret to inform you that, under the pressure of the competition for awards, your application has been seen as unlikely to secure a grant. Under the circumstances, I am afraid that I cannot encourage you to take the trouble to prepare a detailed application.


I appreciate that this will come as a disappointment to you. I regret also that there is no simple way in which the grounds for the decision can be satisfactorily imparted. Your proposal was reviewed alongside the many other calls upon the support of ..x.. and it is in this context that the decision has been made; any explanation would therefore require reference to the full array of proposals under consideration.


May I accordingly ask you to accept this response as an indicator of the many demands made upon ..x.. and as no reflection upon your courtesy in putting forward the bid.


Yours sincerely,Y

Spent weekend doing self-administered horticultural therapy - felt a bit sorry for a poor toad who I disturbed when cutting back the geraniums...Pic isn't mine as he was having a bad hair day and hopped away.

Deep in the data: And poor old Emperor

Today I have been deeply immersed in some data - one of the luxuries that comes from being on sabbatical. Had to emerge periodically to send out information about our motivational interviewing courses, and will be making an uncharacteristic visit to campus tomorrow to prepare course materials.

Have noticed a couple of rather sad animal stories on the web today:
1. Paul the psychic octopus has died - seemingly from natural causes.
2. Someone with nothing better to do has shot the UK's biggest red deer stag, preventing it taking part in the imminent rut.

The BBC news article on this is an odd mixture of advertorial for stalker/shooting businesses, and melancholy reflection on human pointlessness....

(pic above isn't him)

Which tracks?

Spent morning dealing with enquiries about our motivational interviewing courses.  Delighted that some psychology colleagues will be joining us on the courses in October and November.

Rest of day updating various contacts in relation to my grand research plans.

Also confirmed which tracks I will be attending at the forthcoming Verity conference in November.

Pic: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Raccoon_tracks.jpg

Drafting and crunching

Today:



I sent my bit of a paper off to a co-author for checking.


I started drafting a second.


I crunched a lot of data in an Excel spreadsheet.

Lots to say - and do

Had a good meeting today with PhD student and another member of the supervisory team.  Delighted with progress to date and planning a couple of preliminary empirical studies.  Felicity is on course to have lots to say at her end of year Progress Review Panel, which is due early 2011.

Had a brief chat with my co-author about the PCOS paper that's nearly ready  to submit.  We also discussed a bit of research assistant work that's coming up - one related to Felicity's assistance dogs research and the other to ongoing work with Ryder Cheshire Volunteers.

Have also been looking at some data collected from our level two undergraduates, about their vocational identities and career aspirations. 

And now it's ever so dark and I'm glad to be indoors...

Searching: Could it be you?

Spent most of today tailoring a research paper to meet the specific publication requirements of my key target journal.  Nearly there.

In the meantime, a call has come round the psychology department for an academic to talk to local media about the speculated lottery win that may have taken place in Coventry.

They would like someone to discuss the psychological impact of winning a huge sum of money, and the possible reasons why the winner of the recent Euromillions jackpot has not yet claimed it.

I was tempted to volunteer but (a) I have no particular expertise in this field and (b) I may well be tied up conducting a fingertip search of all the pavements and litter bins in Coventry... just in case.

pic: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/National_Lottery_play_here%2121_sign.jpg

Time for a trim

Spent today responding to enquiries about the motivational interviewing courses, and then trying to be ruthless with a research paper I've written on my PCOS research. 

It has a lot of qualitative data extracts in it, and I need to edit it from about 6,000 to 4,000 words.  When I last looked at it I found it impossible to decide which women's words could be cut out.  But if I want to have a chance of changing the way healthcare is offered in similar cases, I need to get at least part of the story published. A shorter paper that gets into print will have infinitely more impact than a longer 'richer' one that never sees the light of day.

Out with the metaphorical scissors I think.

The Joy of GANTT

(or trying to get a quart into a pint pot)

Have been wrestling with Gantt charts all day, trying to programme 4 years' worth of (perhaps rather ambitious) applied research work, for a grant application.  While MS project is a very useful planning tool, it hasn't half made my head go boggle.

I think some therapeutic activity is in order.  This evening I may try to make one of these (view A), from some of this:

Fabric credit: I think this came from cheap fabrics online, but I can't remember and think it is discontinued now :-(

Mapping out my hoped for future

Have spent most of today mapping out plans for a long term programme of research, which I hope will grow out of my current three month research sabbatical. Have been in touch with NHS colleagues in the North of England to meet up and discuss collaboration.  Unfortunately the exact plan is what, in these cash driven days is 'commercially sensitive', so I can't say more at present.

Meantime however, have also taken calls expressing interest in attending our next short course in motivational interviewing.  Am slightly concerned that the links for booking places are still not up on the cu online shop.  I have been assured that someone is working on it, but if you had hoped to book and can't see this link, please email me directly.

Coventry University
Introduction to Motivational Interviewing
Next course
Thursday 28th October 2010, The Graduate Centre, Coventry University

Trauma, resilience and future preparedness

The inquests into the deaths of the 52 people killed in the July 2005 attacks on London's public transport system opened today.



I have been thinking about the applied research work that has been done to document and address the psychosocial impacts, and help with future emergency preparedness. I am particularly interested in (and inspired by) the resilience displayed by individuals, groups and organisations affected.


Work on the psychosocial impact


Bux, S. M., & Coyne, S. M. (2009). The effects of terrorism: The aftermath of the London terror attacks. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 39(12), 2936-2966. doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2009.00556.x


Handley, R. V., Salkovskis, P. M., Scragg, P., & Ehlers, A. (2009). Clinically significant avoidance of public transport following the London bombings: Travel phobia or subthreshold posttraumatic stress disorder? Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 23(8), 1170-1176. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2009.07.023

Misra, M., Greenberg, N., Hutchinson, C., Brain, A., & Glozier, N. (2009). Psychological impact upon London Ambulance Service of the 2005 bombings. Occupational Medicine, 59(6), 428-433. doi:10.1093/occmed/kqp100


Rubin, G. J., Brewin, C. R., Greenberg, N., Hughes, J. H., Simpson, J., & Wessely, S. (2007). Enduring consequences of terrorism: 7-month follow-up survey of reactions to the bombings in London on 7 July 2005. British Journal of Psychiatry, 190(APR.), 350-356. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.106.029785


Rubin, G. J., Brewin, C. R., Greenberg, N., Simpson, J., & Wessely, S. (2005). Psychological and behavioural reactions to the bombings in London on 7 July 2005: Cross sectional survey of a representative sample of londoners. British Medical Journal, 331(7517), 606-611. doi:10.1136/bmj.38583.728484.3A


Whalley, M. G., Farmer, E., & Brewin, C. R. (2007). Pain flashbacks following the July 7th 2005 London bombings. Pain, 132(3), 332-336. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2007.08.011




Work on future preparedness


Bland, S. A., Lockey, D. J., Davies, G. E., & Kehoe, A. D. (2006). Military perspective on the civilian response to the London bombings July 2005. Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps., 152(1), 13-16.


Hughes, G. (2006). The London bombings of 7 July 2005: What is the main lesson? Emergency Medicine Journal, 23(9), 666. doi:10.1136/emj.2006.039586


Jacobs, L. M., & Burns, K. J. (2006). Terrorism preparedness: Web-based resource management and the TOPOFF 3 exercise. Journal of Trauma - Injury, Infection and Critical Care, 60(3), 566-571. doi:10.1097/01.ta.0000197379.40878.c7

Langdon, P., & Hosking, I. (2010). Inclusive wireless technology for emergency communications in the UK. International Journal of Emergency Management, 7(1), 47-58. doi:10.1504/IJEM.2010.032044


Lockey, D. J., MacKenzie, R., Redhead, J., Wise, D., Harris, T., Weaver, A., Hines, K., & Davies, G. E. (2005). London bombings July 2005: The immediate pre-hospital medical response. Resuscitation, 66(2) doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2005.07.005


Page, L., Rubin, J., Amlôt, R., Simpson, J., & Wessely, S. (2008). Are Londoners prepared for an emergency? A longitudinal study following the London bombings. Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, 6(4), 309-319. doi:10.1089/bsp.2008.0043


Shirley, P. J. (2006). Critical care delivery: The experience of a civilian terrorist attack. Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps., 152(1), 17-21.


Shirley, P. J., & Mandersloot, G. (2008). Clinical review: The role of the intensive care physician in mass casualty incidents: Planning, organisation, and leadership. Critical Care, 12(3) doi:10.1186/cc6876


Wilson, J., Murray, V., & Kettle, J. N. (2009). The July 2005 London bombings: Environmental monitoring, health risk assessment and lessons identified for major incident response. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 66(10), 642-643. doi:10.1136/oem.2008.039933

Picture credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/7-7_Memorial.JPG

Thinking...

After a yesterday making lots of phone calls and trying to set up meetings, in connection with continuing professional development courses, I have decided to have a day devoted to thinking and organising my ideas.

I think I'd have been rather surprised when I set out on an academic career to find that so little time would be available to sit and think deeply about things - but that's how it has turned out.

So today, instead of giving in to the tyranny of email and short term targets, I am going to really concentrate on what I want to achieve in my PCOS work for the next three years, so that I have a truly coherent set of plans to discuss with potential collaborators.  I already have a long list of possibilities, so it's just a question of dreaming up the best possible outcome to aim for.  Wish me luck...

Police officers sought for PhD research

Forgot (again) to post blog entry yesterday so making amends by posting on behalf of someone else today:

My colleague Amy Grubb
Calling all police officers... I am still looking for participants for my phd! If you are an officer in any of these forces and haven't already taken part please let me know: West Midlands, West Mercia, Hampshire, Warwickshire, Devon and Cornwall, and Staffordshire...

Amy can be contacted be email using this link. Her profile can be seen on our departmental web page at
http://wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/HLS/psychology/staff/Pages/Meetthestaff.aspx

Jam tomorrow

.
.

Progress to date on sabbatical objectives...? hmmm

Spent morning reading and commenting on a draft PhD thesis chapter.  A fascinating area of research: the history and scope of animal based therapies. 

Spent afternoon drafting some continuing professional development programmes around health behaviour change, for health professionals.  Then in discussions about what professional bodies we should apply to for accreditation or endorsement of these.

May seem unrelated to my PCOS work, but coming up with externally funded courses like these, and marketing them successfully, is ultimately very important in creating time and funds for applied research activities. I am hoping that generating income towards our departmental targets will help me raise the funds I need personally to attend next year's Disaster Management conference. So I' hoping for jam tomorrow...

And I made a bid to supervise another PhD student this afternoon - hoping I am successful as the proposed project uses interpretative phenomenological analysis - one of my favourite research approaches.

I was also delighted to hear from someone running a specialist PCOS clinic, who'd attended my talk to the Endocrine Nurse Update last week. The very person I was hoping to catch up with over lunch but managed somehow to miss.  Am hopeful that this will lead to a fruitful and mutually beneficial collaboration.

Picture credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Malnalekvar.jpg

Review and planning day

Like most academic staff in the Psych Department, I was at the review and planning day today.  This is our 'getting ready to launch' meeting in preparation for the start of the autumn term.

Although a lot of the discussion revolved around arrangements for taught students - how to welcome freshers, develop our students' employability, ensure the quality of the course, etc. - we also discussed our plans for applied research and the various targets that we've been set for bringing in external income. 

As usual, it all seems rather daunting...  But on the other hand, we are really starting to build up a head of steam as regards psychology applied research.  Here are just a few of the publications authored by staff in 2010 - and the year isn't over yet!
 

Bowen, E. (2010). Therapeutic environment and outcomes in a U.K. domestic violence perpetrator program. Small Group Research, 41(2), 198-220. doi:10.1177/1046496409357081

Bowen, E., & Dixon, L. (2010). Concurrent and prospective associations between facial affect recognition accuracy and childhood antisocial behavior. Aggressive Behavior, 36(5), 305-314. doi:10.1002/ab.20357

Farrington-Flint, L., Canobi, K. H., Wood, C., & Faulkner, D. (2010). Children's patterns of reasoning about reading and addition concepts. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 28(2), 427-448. doi:10.1348/026151009X424222

Goodman, S., & Burke, S. (2010). 'Oh you don't want asylum seekers, oh you're just racist': A discursive analysis of discussions about whether it's racist to oppose asylum seeking. Discourse and Society, 21(3), 325-340. doi:10.1177/0957926509360743

Grubb, A. (2010). Modern day hostage (crisis) negotiation: The evolution of an art form within the policing arena. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 15(5), 341-348. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2010.06.002

Holliman, A. J., Wood, C., & Sheehy, K. (2010). Does speech rhythm sensitivity predict children's reading ability 1 year later? Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(2), 356-366. doi:10.1037/a0018049

Holliman, A. J., Wood, C., & Sheehy, K. (2010). The contribution of sensitivity to speech rhythm and non-speech rhythm to early reading development. Educational Psychology, 30(3), 247-267. doi:10.1080/01443410903560922

Sage, L., & Kavussanu, M.(2010). Moral identity and social goals predict eudaimonia in football. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2010.05.008

Taylor, L. M., Hume, I. R., & Welsh, N. (2010). Labelling and self-esteem: The impact of using specific vs. generic labels. Educational Psychology, 30(2), 191-202. doi:10.1080/01443410903494478

Wood, C., Pillinger, C., & Jackson, E. (2010). Understanding the nature and impact of young readers' literacy interactions with talking books and during adult reading support. Computers and Education, 54(1), 190-198. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2009.08.003