University of Birmingham

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-09

The first discovery of a gravitationally lensed gamma-ray burst (GRB) in the distant universe will be a major and very exciting breakthrough, that is sure to enthuse the public, including school students. GRBs and lensing are both intrinsic “attention grabbers”, because GRBs are the most luminous objects in the observable universe, whilst lensing is a beautiful phenomenon grounded in Einstein’s General Relativity and that produces stunning images of the night sky. Discovery of even one lensed GRB will drive a step change in scientific progress, because it will be the first time that the arrival time difference between two lensed images is measured to sub-second precision and accuracy. This will be a gain of at least 105x over the current state-of-the-art, and will enable new constraints on cosmological parameters, the nature of dark matter, and the structure of GRB jets. GRBs are perfectly matched to being gravitationally lensed, because they are bright, typically located at redshifts that are optimal for gravitational lensing (z=2), and detected in large numbers (~10,000 to date). Indeed, multiple forecasts indicate that ~20 of these detections are lensed. However, while 16 intriguing candidates have been discussed in the literature, none of them are confirmed (nor confirmable post hoc) as being lensed. The fundamental roadblocks so far are that previous searches have typically focused on repeating structure within individual GRB lightcurves (this is degenerate to multiple interpretations), and/or suffered from poorly constrained GRB sky localizations (many square degrees). In this project we will overcome these roadblocks to discover the first gravitationally lensed GRB, and thus launch the exciting new era of ultra-precise gravitational lensing experiments. To succeed, our project relies data-wise solely on gamma-ray satellites and optical telescopes. If the lensed GRB is associated with a binary compact object merger and discovery occurs when gravitational wave (GW) detectors are operating, then the scientific impact is potentially monumental. The lensed GRB and its afterglow may be accompanied by detectable lensed GWs and a lensed kilonova. This will be the first experiment to combine lensing and GWs in a single experimental probe of cosmology, fundamental physics and astrophysics. Our approach overcomes the roadblocks by comparing different GRBs to test whether they emanate from the same source that is gravitationally lensed, and localizes promising candidate lensed GRBs to sub-arcsecond accuracy with rapid wide-field optical follow-up observations. We will develop a new software pipeline to cross-match every new GRB detection with all previous GRB detections in real-time, design trigger criteria using sophisticated simulations of GRB signals that lensed and not lensed, and investigate the interplay between lensing and relativistic beaming to ensure we are sensitive to lensed GRBs that have structured jets. Initial wide-field follow-up will be conducted with GOTO, DECam, and ultimately with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (Rubin), before moving on to deep pointed ground- and space-based observations. We are well-placed to succeed because we are embedded in and play leading roles in the relevant international scientific collaborations that span gravitational lensing, optical surveys, and high-energy astronomy. This is a fruitful time to invest in this science, due to the emergence of Rubin and her target of opportunity programme, 100-fold expansion of gravitational lens samples from Rubin and Euclid, and the recent commissioning of a new generation of high-energy satellites (SVOM and EP).

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-09

Helioseismology has provided key inferences on the Sun’s magnetic activity and the solar dynamo, through the impact that changing magnetic fields have on the properties of the Sun’s p-mode oscillations. Asteroseismology now holds rich promise for similar studies of other solar-type stars. In this project we will apply sensitive asteroseismic diagnostics using photometric data from the NASA Kepler Mission, and the upcoming ESA PLATO Mission – which will be launched during the initial phase of this project – to provide novel constraints on the morphology of the near-surface activity of bright, solar-type stars, including the latitudinal distribution of active regions and the balance of dark spots and bright faculae on their surfaces. PLATO will enable us to use asteroseismology on populations of stars significantly younger than are typical of the Kepler field, and opens the exciting possibility to for the first time track the global seismic response of solar-type stars to activity in bright open clusters spanning an age range from a few million to half a billion years. Acknowledging that there are practical limitations to contiguously mapping longer-period stellar cycles with Kepler and PLATO – since datasets are or will be only a few years long – we will include a new focus on utilising asteroseismic responses to the evolution of individual large active regions or “nests” on timescales shorter than stellar cycles, as opposed to just searching for synoptic cycle trends alone. We will use the differing seismic response of modes of different spherical harmonic properties to the changing activity – including differences in the amplitude and phase of frequency variations – to constrain the latitudinal distribution of active regions.  It has to date not been possible to learn about the morphology of faculae from the differential variability shown by high-precision lightcurves, owing to the difficulty of disentangling variations due to bright faculae from those due to dark spots. But by utilising the asteroseismic response to activity, we will be able to identify stars whose surface activity is largely dominated by faculae, making it possible to study facular characteristics using photometry from Kepler and PLATO. Our results will be of considerable interest to the wider astrophysics community: First, to the stellar community by providing novel results on the morphology of activity in solar-type stars and through establishing a list of “gold-standard” benchmark stars having asteroseismic constraints on their surface magnetic morphologies that will be high-priority cases for further, wider study. And to the exoplanet community, for work on mitigating the impact of near-surface activity for exoplanet detection, analyses on exoplanetary atmospheres (which are susceptible to variability from stellar activity), and in the context of the star-planet connection and how stars influence their local environments through their intrinsic activity. The project is extremely timely, given the pending launch of PLATO, and builds on our international leadership and record in asteroseismology, and our longstanding and leading track record on utilising helioseismic signatures of Sun-as-a-star data to probe solar activity and the solar cycle.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-06

Internationalism is a fascinating, yet often overlooked, dimension of the early twentieth-century women’s suffrage movement. My research meaningfully intervenes in existing scholarship on the International Woman Suffrage Alliance (IWSA), which tends to define institutional contours and thus limits its scope to high politics. My cultural-historical framing privileges individual and interpersonal experiences of international suffrage activism, optimally served by a microhistorical methodology. I begin with an intimate lens on individuals’ sensory, embodied, and emotional experiences. I then zoom out to focus on relations – sometimes affable, sometimes fraught – between international suffragists, which weathered the First World War, differential rates of enfranchisement, and ideological polarities. This enriched understanding of friendships and fallouts equips me to examine broader phenomena, namely how the IWSA negotiated the conflicting demands of nationalism and internationalism, imperial feminism and ‘global sisterhood’, and suffragism and feminism. I emulate my subjects’ commitment to internationalism by triangulating between American, British, and German experiences. This International Fellowship will therefore be instrumental in allowing me to trace American suffragists’ transnational interactions, movements, and relationships. Moreover, access to the Library’s expansive archives (primarily in the Main, European, and Manuscript Reading Rooms) in tandem with expertise on Local History and Genealogy will enable me to explore the quotidian experiences of figureheads and rank-and-file IWSA members alike. Only by immersing myself in the Library’s exclusive source materials and collaborating with specialists will I grasp the intimate details of suffragists’ lives which are vital to the success of my PhD. I will be the project lead.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-05

This project builds directly on the research, collaborations and outputs of the Original Award, ‘Histories of Sexual Health in Britain, 1918–1980’, which is producing the first comprehensive history of sexual health in Britain predating the AIDS crisis. The Original Award is redefining how we study and understand historical intimate health experiences, clinical relationships, health-seeking behaviours and wider attitudes to sexuality and sexual knowledge. It is achieving this through a robust programme of oral history collecting, archival research, internationally significant publications, an AHRC Midlands4Cities Doctoral Award, the presentation of research at national and international conferences and a growing portfolio of public engagement. Having collected and synthesised extensive historical data during the Original Award, a key aim during the Renewal is to translate that data into outputs with significant cultural appeal. During the Original Award, the project team tested a range of methods for disseminating their research beyond academia. Now, they will build on this experience to undertake creative co-production in the form of carefully planned collaborations that, under the Fellow’s leadership, will combine their historical expertise with the artistic skill of experienced comics artists, designers and theatre professionals. These collaborations will produce a Graphic Novel Anthology and a Script for Theatre. Both outputs have enormous public-engagement potential. With support from leading industry professionals, the Anthology will be pitched for publication to an independent comics publisher with a portfolio of successful historical graphic novels. And through strategic future funding from Arts Council England, the Script will be staged as a short-run Production, fostering more ambitious creative co-production and widening the cultural impact of historical research. By exploiting the power of fiction, art and theatre to explore the deeply personal implications of sexual health, the Anthology and Script will capture audiences’ emotions and imaginations, resonating in more profound ways than would be possible through traditional academic publications. Their aim is to enhance public understandings of historical sexual health, increase the public visibility of sexual health today, destigmatise conversations about it and promote health-seeking behaviours. Alongside these cultural strands, the project team will use the first 18 months of the Renewal to continue recording interviews for their Oral History Collection with the British Library and National Life Stories, strategically pivoting their collecting practices to deepen the Collection’s scope and diversify its voices. They will also continue publishing their research in peer-reviewed journals and the Fellow will complete her second major monograph, VD: A People’s History of Sexual Health. And she will continue making progress on her spin-off project funded by an Academy Research Project grant from the British Academy, exploring technologies for harnessing historical SRH data, with long-term plans for a Wellcome Discovery Award. Together, these project strands form a Portfolio Fellowship that will continue transforming research culture in the Arts and Humanities. They will produce significant resources for researchers working in sexual health and related fields. They will establish models for working both with sensitive historical data and with creative industries to translate that data into compelling storytelling. They will support UK grassroots creative talent and engage diverse audiences in important conversations about intimate aspects of our health and wellbeing.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-04

The craniofacial skeleton–the complex of bones that form our face and jaws– is a fundamental feature of jawed vertebrate anatomy, defining the architecture of the head and housing the dentition. Chondrichthyans–sharks, rays, and chimaeras–are significant to understanding the evolutionary origins of the craniofacial skeleton because they are the sister-group to all other jawed vertebrates (including humans) and unlike all other living jawed vertebrates, they are ‘micromeric’, i.e. their dermal skeleton is made up of tiny, tooth-like denticles, and their teeth are not embedded in jaw bones. Variation in the organisation of the craniofacial skeleton in living chondrichthyans thus provides an alternative model with which to understand how the craniofacial skeleton has evolved and feeds a unique source of information into understanding its origins. This variation is expanded still further when chondrichthyans’ long evolutionary history is taken into account, with the fossil record revealing anatomies of the chondrichthyan craniofacial skeleton that no longer exist, in particular charting the evolution of micromery from macromery and revealing intriguing overlaps between the craniofacial skeleton and the dentition. However, two things obstruct our understanding the implications of this extinct chondrichthyan craniofacial variation: firstly, the micromeric anatomy of fossil chondrichthyans is very poorly understood and difficult to study; and secondly the phylogenetic and temporal framework required to interpret them is not up to the task. In this project I will ask if and how the oral skeleton is incorporated into the craniofacial skeleton in extinct chondrichthyans, and in doing so develop a broader understanding of its anatomy as an articulated system and establish a timescale for its evolution. I will focus on two areas of interest, building on my prior research: stem-chondrichthyans, the earliest members of the group, and stem-holocephalans, early chimaeras. To do this I will combine data from living and extinct taxa and capitalise on recent methodological advances. Because they are made of numerous tiny elements, the dermal components of chondrichthyan craniofacial skeleton are poorly understood, even in living chondrichthyans. Modern tomographic imaging methods (e.g. x-ray computed tomography) provide a way to visualise these in situ, while machine-learning approaches provide a way of processing the resulting large datasets. I will use these methods to ‘map’ the overall patterning of the craniofacial skeleton in target taxa as well as their living relatives, and use synchrotron tomography to interpret the relationship between the oral and craniofacial skeleton. I will then build on my previous research to combine genomic and morphological data into a total-evidence tip-dating analysis for chondrichthyans, giving the most comprehensive view yet into the relationships and timings in early vertebrate evolution, providing the necessary framework to interpret these anatomies. The results of this project will have significance beyond understanding the evolution of the chondrichthyan craniofacial skeleton, impacting the evolution of teeth, the use of living chondrichthyans as a developmental model, and provide a new perspective on evolutionary timings in the evolution of a clade that is of major importance from evolutionary and conservation perspectives. I will use it to develop my own skills as a scientist, including developing my leadership, integrating developmental data and machine-learning approaches into my work, and building new collaborations. I will expedite this by sharing this with the scientific community, specifically targeting people beyond palaeontology, and the general public via the University of Birmingham Lapworth Museum.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

The exploration of quantum spin liquids is at the forefront of quantum materials research. Quantum spin liquids represent an exotic state of matter characterised by macroscopic quantum entanglement and unique topological properties. However, confirming their existence experimentally is challenging due to the influence of structural disorder, which can obscure intrinsic properties and complicate data interpretation. Understanding these materials at an atomic scale is essential for advancing our knowledge of their properties and potential applications. This project aims to integrate Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) techniques into the study of quantum materials, particularly quantum spin liquids. By leveraging cutting-edge High-Resolution and Scanning TEM imaging, the research will 1) investigate the nature of disorder in the spin-liquid candidate materials, 2) establish atomic-scale structure-property correlations in these materials and 3) lay the groundwork for a long-term research programme incorporating complementary methods like Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy to achieve a comprehensive understanding of quantum materials. A key component of this initiative is the collaboration between Dr. Chung (University of Birmingham) and Dr. Hu Young Jeong (UNIST, South Korea), uniting expertise in NMR techniques and TEM imaging. This partnership aims to combine structural and magnetic characterisation to address the challenges posed by disorder in quantum materials. By resolving structural complexities, the project will enhance our understanding of quantum spin liquids, potentially leading to breakthroughs in quantum computation and information storage. Insights from this work can guide the development of novel quantum materials with tailored properties for specific applications.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

This project develops new algebraic structures  for programming language semantics.  It is concerned with common software features such as effects, functions, state, interference, modularity, pointer manipulation, iteration, types and polymorphism.  It uses category theory (a branch of mathematics) to provide suitable modelling frameworks. The research area stems from the traditional classification of programming languages into "functional", where a program represents a function, and "imperative". where a program instructs the computer.  These are combined into "programming with effects", where an "effect" is a  behaviour such as reading and writing to memory, performing input and output, or making nondeterministic choices. To ensure the correctness of such software, a clear understanding of the algebraic structure is essential.  To this end, we consider each effect individually, and also combinations of effects, as well as the interplay between effects and the functional parts of a program.  The problem is that the structures proposed in the past seem to be unnecessarily complicated, specialised and rigid.  So this project aims to develop models that are simpler and more flexible, in several ways, taking advantage of recent mathematical developments. To begin, we adapt the existing modelling of functional programming with effects so as to simplify the calculations that it requires.  Furthermore, we aim to allow models that track resource usage, which the existing framework excludes.  We then develop the step-by-step construction of algebraic structures for combined effects to make it compatible with stateful operations (the existing account is not). We then investigate the combination of stateful operations (reading and writing memory) for memory regions that are separate or even overlapping.  The biggest challenge here is dealing with memory consisting of multiple regions that overlap in complex ways; we must ensure that the equations governing the overlap between each pair of regions correctly determine the behaviour of the whole memory.  Furthermore, by generalising the framework in which this analysis takes place, our results should extend to effects other than state, such as exception handling. The next part confronts a different kind of challenge relating to stateful effects: modelling programs that combine iteration with pointer manipulation and dynamic allocation of memory cells. Although such software is widespread, the challenge is to interpret it in a way that is concrete (it allows explicit calculation) and yet abstract (it assigns the same meaning to pieces of code that cannot be distinguished by an external test).  The resulting computational modelling framework will serve as a foundation for studying more advanced languages. Although types play a large role throughout this project, they are central to the last part.  Here we look at types for "polymorphic" programs that can be applied to arguments of different type.  We consider when such types are essentially the same, so that a program written for one such type can be automatically converted into a program for another.  We plan to obtain at least a substantial list of cases where this happens, and hopefully even a complete list. By simplifying and elaborating the algebraic structure of effectful programs, this project will provide a toolbox of concepts and results to benefit researchers in semantics, and in the longer term, programmers and language designers and implementors.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

Modern medicine relies on being able to treat and prevent bacterial infection with antibiotics but the global crisis in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) means that these infections are becoming harder to treat. Most antibiotics must get inside bacteria to a certain concentration to kill them. Gram-negative bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. coli, are surrounded by a complex multi-layered cell envelope, which is a highly effective barrier that prevents antibiotics and other toxic molecules from entering the cell. These bacteria also have efflux pumps which export toxic molecules out of the cell. This Gram-negative cell envelope is a major determinant of AMR and remains the major hurdle to both the effective treatment of bacterial infection and the development of new antibiotics. We have recently discovered that the mechanisms bacteria use to limit antibiotic  accumulation vary dramatically between different conditions. In particular, the relative importance of prevention of antibiotic entry, and pumping antibiotics outside the cell, changes depending on the physiological state of the bacteria and their environmental conditions. However, we still do not fully understand how different infection conditions influence antibiotic accumulation inside bacterial cells, what drives these changes, or how bacteria regulate this process. This proposal will address these knowledge gaps by taking an interdisciplinary approach integrating expertise in bacterial efflux pumps, membrane biology, single cell analysis, antimicrobial accumulation, gene expression, metabolic changes and mathematics. We will develop new ways to measure how antibiotics get into cells and determine how this changes in different conditions relevant to infection. We will then be able to discover what cellular changes alter the level of antibiotic accumulation and how bacteria control this. Throughout, we will use data from these experiments to build and validate a mathematical model that we can use to decipher the Rules of Antibiotic Accumulation in Gram-negative bacteria. Mathematical models are capable of simulating thousands of experiments in minutes, meaning the results can be used to determine and accelerate an optimal experimental programme to achieve our goals. We will address some of the most important challenges in AMR including how to use existing antibiotics most effectively, how clinical diagnostics can better predict whether an infection is susceptible to an antibiotic, and to inform development of novel antimicrobials using host-mimicking conditions. The proposed work directly addresses BBSRC strategic objectives in frontier bioscience and advancing understanding of the rules of life. Our findings will provide fundamental new insights into a critically important process with immediate relevance to antimicrobial development and broader implications for membrane transport across multiple sectors, including healthcare and industrial biotechnology. The core objectives of this proposal are strengthened by secured institutional support, including funding for a cohort of aligned PhD students. These students will contribute to the project while benefiting from a rich training and research environment designed to develop a new generation of interdisciplinary researchers. Training and career development are embedded as key priorities throughout this project. Through workshops, mentorship programmes, and opportunities for collaboration, we will cultivate an engaged and highly trained expert cohort of researchers prepared to address complex scientific challenges. This multidisciplinary team will drive innovation in antimicrobial research and beyond.  

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

Overview This project will create a next-generation, open-source physics simulator that enables accurate and stable modeling of musculotendon dynamics for graphics and beyond, using a novel constraint-based approach. Unlike traditional methods that apply musculotendon forces, this simulator enforces physiologically informed constraints, allowing for fully implicit and unified simulation of muscles, tendons, skeleton, and environment. The first research thrust introduces a fully implicit simulation framework that incorporates nonlinear, velocity-dependent muscle models directly into constraint formulations, enabling stable and accurate simulation of complex musculotendon dynamics. The second thrust focuses on character control, leveraging reinforcement learning to train muscle-driven controllers that learn activation patterns reflective of real human physiology, improving upon joint-actuated models that often yield unnatural or unrealistic motion. The third thrust validates the simulator through comparison with in-vivo biomechanics and physiological data, as well as benchmarking against standard tools to assess both fidelity and computational performance. The final thrust demonstrates broad applicability by enabling physiologically informed animation, injury-aware character control, and movement optimization in high-impact or high-contact tasks. Keywords: physics-based simulation; musculotendon modeling; virtual human. Intellectual Merit This project will advance knowledge by unifying constraint-based simulation with biomechanically accurate musculotendon modeling, enabling new computational and theoretical insights across computer graphics, biomechanics, and human-centered computing. It will address fundamental challenges in simulating muscle dynamics by developing a fully implicit constraint-based framework capable of capturing nonlinear, velocity-dependent musculotendon behaviors. The project will also develop a new class of muscle-driven controllers using deep reinforcement learning techniques that account for physiological constraints such as fatigue, co-activation, and injury. These controllers will provide insight into how biological structure informs control and muscle coordination, with implications for both digital human animation and robotics. In addition, the simulator will be validated using experimental biomechanical data and compared with standard tools, providing a rigorous benchmark for physical fidelity and computational performance. Altogether, the research will produce foundational knowledge and software tools that significantly advance the theory and practice of human motion simulation. Broader Impacts This project will create a new class of computational tools grounded in biomechanical principles and advanced graphics algorithms, enabling physiologically accurate simulation of human motion for a wide range of applications. By integrating validated muscle models into simulation frameworks, the work will support cross-disciplinary research in sports, health, rehabilitation, and robotics—allowing researchers to model complex, real-world movements that were previously impractical. The tools will be released as open-source software, including a pedagogical version, deep reinforcement learning controllers, validation datasets, and applications. Educational impact will be achieved through curriculum integration and the creation of an interactive platform for teaching the interplay between motion, control, and environment. The project aligns with national priorities in scientific discovery, digital health, and personalized diagnosis, and will be combined with outreach initiatives to engage the public through the compelling subject of human motion.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

The vertebrate body is composed of hundreds of intricately organised cell types, determined not by gene number but by precise gene activation in space and time during development. This regulation is driven by enhancers - gene regulatory DNA sequences that recruit transcription factor proteins to control gene expression. Often dispersed over large distances around genes in what is often called the “dark genome”, dozens of enhancers form large regulatory landscapes, sometimes spanning a megabase (million nucleotides) in size, that coordinate a gene’s activity. The arrangement of enhancers - position, order and orientation - shows remarkable conservation over hundreds of millions of years of evolution, suggesting fundamental yet unexplained rules governing this organisation. Without understanding these principles, we cannot explain how gene expression variation shapes the evolution of animals or predict disease-coding mutations that disrupt regulatory landscapes. While the function of individual enhancers is understood in principle, the significance of their order and orientation remains obscure. Structural genomic rearrangements suggest that the integrity of regulatory landscapes is crucial. Yet transgenic experiments indicate flexibility in enhancer order. These contradictions stem from the technological challenges of studying enhancer function in the context of large, complex genomic regions containing many different enhancers. Our interdisciplinary team has advanced understanding of gene regulatory landscapes. We have refined zebrafish as a vertebrate model for investigating enhancer function. By integrating genome analysis, engineering, and transgenesis with cutting-edge genomics technologies, we have uncovered distinct enhancer activities within large regulatory landscapes and developed methods for large-scale enhancer analysis. Crucially, we have developed synthetic genomics tools to test genome organisation principles. Building on this expertise, our proposal integrates computational analysis, genome synthesis, and transgenic experiments to investigate the rules of enhancer organisation “enhancer semantics” in vertebrate development. Our research is ambitious, timely, and transformative, addressing a fundamental question in developmental and evolutionary biology: How is gene expression regulated across large chromosomal regions? Moving beyond conventional studies, we treat enhancer clusters as functional units rather than isolated elements. By integrating computational and experimental approaches, we aim to uncover the principles of enhancer semantics, driving a paradigm shift in our understanding of gene regulation. We propose a systematic, four-pronged, integrated approach: READ: Generate the first comprehensive, cell-by-cell map of all enhancer activities at a model gene locus throughout zebrafish development. PREDICT: Develop computational models to define the design rules of enhancer semantics and their evolutionary conservation. DESIGN & RE-WRITE: Systematic reorganise enhancer clusters by genome synthesis TEST: Generate transgenic zebrafish and mouse models with synthetic regulatory landscapes to experimentally test enhancer semantics. Our proposal aligns with Frontier Bioscience by pushing the boundaries of gene regulation research at an unprecedented scale. This has broad implications: Advancing Fundamental Knowledge: Deciphering enhancer semantics will shed light on the regulatory logic governing vertebrate development. Biomedical Relevance: Enhancer misregulation is implicated in developmental disorders (‘enhanceropathies’), cancers, and evolutionary change. Understanding these regulatory principles will enhance genome annotations and disease research. Technological Innovation: By integrating genome engineering, multiomics, and synthetic genomics, we are pioneering methodologies with wide applications in biology. Training Future Scientists: This multidisciplinary program will train nine early-career researchers in synthetic genomics, functional genomics, and developmental biology, fostering a new generation of scientists with a constructionist mindset.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

Smoking is a one of the largest societal problems worldwide, causing cancer, heart disease and lung diseases - the 3 biggest killers worldwide. Smoking is also a huge financial burden, costing the UK £49.2 Billion/year in healthcare/social care and wider issues, including lost workdays and reduced productivity. With our population ageing, this problem is going to worsen. Finding ways to help people quit smoking is incredibly important. One way people try to quit smoking is by using e-cigarettes. They are a helpful tool promoted by UK health agencies for quitting smoking. Unfortunately, there’s been a recent increase in young people taking up vaping, which has shone a spotlight on the need to understand if they’re safe in the long run. Large numbers of people attending NHS services to stop smoking are now opting to use e-cigarettes to try to quit, even though we’re not sure if they’re completely safe. We need to do more research to figure out the potential short-medium term harms. Given often confusing mixed messages from governments and healthcare providers, it is critical we undertake this research so public health policies can be based on firm evidence. We will study a group of smokers who have no lung problems yet, but who want to quit smoking. Some smokers will choose e-cigarettes and some will choose nicotine patches. Most human studies on e-cigarettes so far have focused on their usefulness in stopping smoking. A few have studied effects on lung health at a single timepoint, providing only a snaphot of the whole story. We can measure the beneficial effects of quitting smoking on cells and fluids within the lung and in the blood. We don’t know yet what effect vaping will have on these markers of smoking harm. We’re going to look deeper, studying changes in cells, proteins, and even the bacteria in the lungs. It takes a long time for the human body to repair the effects of smoking, however some markers like changes in airway lining cells and immune cells change within 6-12 months. We will follow our participants for 12 months. During this year, we know we will observe remarkable improvements in changes in the immune cells and airway lining cells of those who chose nicotine replacement therapy (like patches or gum) to quit. We do not currently know how vaping will impact this recovery, but this study will give us a better understanding of how vaping affects smokers who are trying to quit, in the long run. We hope our results will help shape public policy, not just in the UK, but around the world. Smokers who want to quit, doctors, and policymakers will benefit from knowing more about the risks and benefits of using e-cigarettes for quitting smoking. This is the right time, the right place and the right team to undertake this important study. The applicant team has huge experience in observational human studies and are regarded as experts on the effects of e-cigarettes on lung health. The University Hospitals Birmingham Clinical Research Facility is the ideal facility to do this study. Finally, this is the right time, as our public health policy towards e-cigarettes is in turmoil, we need a complete understanding of how vaping affects the lungs of those who stand to gain the most benefit from vaping.  

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-02

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global health threat, making bacterial infections harder to treat, resulting in longer illnesses, and ultimately untreatable infections. Particularly, bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae with resistance to carbapenem antibiotics are of critical concern. Resistance to carbapenems is predominantly carried on mobile DNA called plasmids which transfer accessory genes between different bacteria. Klebsiella are notorious for carrying multiple unique plasmids. Importantly, AMR is not the only accessory genes carried on plasmids. Concerningly, K. pneumoniae plasmids carrying hyper-virulence (HV) genes are arising. Historically there was a divide between AMR and HV K. pneumoniae. However, since both AMR and HV are conferred by plasmids, increasingly these plasmid types are observed converging in the same K. pneumoniae cell. This results in bacteria that have both HV and AMR. After convergence these plasmids can join together, rearrange, or integrate into the bacterial chromosome. We are at the relatively early stages of HV-AMR K. pneumoniae emergence. Understanding the fundamental biology that drives multi-plasmid convergence and subsequent evolution and adaptation to multiple plasmids will improve our ability to predict and prevent convergence and understand the implications for bacterial physiology. Research, including our own, has shown that plasmid transfer occurs at much higher levels in bacterial biofilms. Biofilms are complex structured communities in which bacteria demonstrate unique characteristics. Furthermore, biofilms are the context in which bacteria exist in the “real-world”, e.g. in the environment and within recalcitrant infections. Together, this means convergence of AMR and HV plasmids may be much more prevalent in biofilm settings than expected from experiments using liquid cultures. Our aim is to use AMR and HV plasmids to investigate how the biofilm lifestyle drives unique plasmid dynamics and evolutionary trajectories for convergent cells, and the impact of this evolution on bacterial virulence. We will accomplish these aims by generating distinct fluorescently tagged AMR and HV plasmids. These will be used to compare AMR and/or HV plasmid dynamics including convergence rates (conjugation frequency, fitness impact and rate of plasmid loss) in biofilm and planktonic culture using experimental biology and mathematical modelling. In parallel, we will use eco-evolutionary experiments to compare multi-plasmid convergence dynamics in biofilm versus planktonic populations and track the longer-term evolutionary pathways of convergent populations, including monitoring how multiple plasmids may rearrange. We will identify and recapitulate the causal mutations enabling stable plasmid convergence. The strains generated during these evolution experiments will be used to characterise the impact of evolution on plasmid dynamics and the convergence of HV-AMR K. pneumoniae. Finally, using a combination of microbiological techniques, in vitro and in vivo virulence assays we will determine how convergence and biofilm evolution impact upon virulence. We will do this by investigating convergent, ancestral, and evolved populations virulence attributes, macrophage survival and immune response. This will be followed by testing select strains in mouse pneumonia models to assess immune interactions and pathogenic potential. From this interdisciplinary programme of work we will address unanswered questions about the drivers and dynamics of plasmid convergence in K. pneumoniae, their contribution to HV-AMR emergence, and impact on pathogenicity. Over the long term this information will help us devise strategies to predict and mitigate the emergence of HV-AMR K. pneumoniae, and the principles discovered here could be applied to other bacterial systems.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-02

A year before Prussia’s defeat at the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806, the German writer Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811) expressed his sense of the emergence of a ‘new order of things’ catalysed by Napoleonic expansionism in Europe. Over the following years, Kleist would respond to these political and cultural changes by assembling a series of networks as the journalist and editor responsible for the artistic journal Phöbus (1808), the planned nationalist journal Germania (1809), and Berlin’s first daily newspaper, the Berliner Abendblätter (1810-11). He also maintained extensive correspondence with key cultural and political figures both in Germany and beyond. Our project is timely, as its focus on letters and correspondence will be enriched by significant new archival sources. In November 2024 it was revealed that a large cache of hitherto unknown material had been discovered in the family archive of Austrian chargé d’affaires in Dresden, Joseph von Buol-Berenberg, now located at the Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum (TLMF) in Innsbruck. This newly discovered material includes five hitherto unknown letters from Kleist to Buol-Berenberg, which shed light on his activism supporting the Austrian-led fifth coalition against Napoleon, as well as correspondence between Friedrich Gentz and Kleist’s co-editor on Phöbus, Adam Müller. To understand fully the social and political implications of Kleist’s journalism and letter-writing, a new methodological approach—one less individual-centred and more oriented towards creative networks—is required. By positioning Kleist’s work within broader creative and intellectual networks, we will provide an analytical and interpretative model for the future study of ‘networked’ nineteenth-century cultures and move away from paradigms of creativity typically focused on the lone (male) genius. Our hypothesis is that by contextualising Kleist’s letters and journalism within his networks, we can refine scholarly understandings of authorship around 1800. Our project will map out Kleist’s epistolary and journalistic networks across five key areas: (1) Politics; (2) the Military; (3) Economics; (4) Means of Communication and Travel; and (5) Visual Arts. We will uncover in more detail how Kleist drew upon existing networks and created new ones of his own, by focusing on the interplay between public communication in his journals, private communication in his letters and semi-public fora such as salons. This approach will allow us to illuminate how Kleist’s networks broke down barriers between classes and different states in Europe, and to reevaluate the critical role of female and Jewish associates in Kleist’s work. Our research will result in a major (co-written) monograph entitled Vernetzte Kreativität. Heinrich von Kleist und das Napoleonische Europa and a journal article. We will refine our approach at an international conference ‘A New Order of Things: Heinrich von Kleist and Napoleonic Germany’, where we will invite scholars to contribute to examining Kleist’s networks across adjacent fields such as law, music, theatre, philosophy and science. This conference will give rise to an edited volume. As a British-German cooperation, our project will transform the international understanding of an author who has remained under-appreciated in the Anglophone world. We plan to capitalise on the global celebrations of the 250th anniversary of Kleist’s birth in 2027 by producing open access translations of selected journalism and correspondence by Kleist and his network across our five focal areas. Our research and translation will be showcased at a public-facing, hybrid event in Birmingham and in articles for a general readership.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) is a widely used spectroscopic technique based on detecting photoinduced absorption changes in a sample. If the excitation and detection light sources used in TAS have femtosecond (i.e. one millionth of one billionth of a second) time resolution, then we have a viewing glass into the fundamental processes in operation immediately after the molecule, or material, absorbs light. This is incredibly powerful as molecular transformations triggered by absorption of light occur on the timescale of molecular vibrations which typically happen on tens to hundreds of femtosecond (fs) timescales. The ability to observe these ‘ultrafast’ dynamics and assess how they are influenced by structural changes is formidable as the extra dimension of dynamics, allows us to transform the structure-function approach to molecule and material design to a more complete structure-dynamics-function approach, allowing us to enhance the performance of materials in photomedicine, photostability, photocatalysis, and photonics. At the heart of the UltraFAST PhotoCHEMistry Induced by Light – ‘FASTCHEM’ – facility is a bespoke fs-TAS instrument that, in addition to having fs-TAS capabilities, has transient reflection and fluorescence up-conversion capabilities meaning we can investigate materials that are also poorly transmissive – TAS requires light to transmit through sample – and weakly light emissive (e.g., photocatalyst mounted on a non-transparent medium). Combined, these capabilities span the time-window of femtoseconds to milliseconds, with spectral coverage from ultraviolet to near-infrared. The result is an instrument that tracks photoinduced dynamics in exceptional detail; the kind of detail that is essential if one is seeking to fine tune the performance of photoresponsive materials. There is also a custom-built variable sample mounting arrangement, enabling both the more traditional vertical setup and new horizontal setup. This enables potential users to study thin films using the horizontal option, without concerns about gravitational effects causing sample inhomogeneities that can compromise many experiments which employ vertically mounted thin films. The combination of these capabilities within a single laboratory renders FASTCHEM globally unique. FASTCHEM will be multi-user in nature, its principal aim to enable discovery-led research achieved through a facility structure and an ecosystem of researchers with a range of expertise, in particular early career researchers. FASTCHEM’s objectives will be to contribute towards addressing complementary institutional, UKRI and industrial research challenges around Clean Growth (through materials for alternative fuels), Future Mobility (through materials for storage), Aging Society (through materials for healthcare), and, indirectly, Artificial Intelligence and Data Economy (through material theory/computation). Through its unique combination of capabilities, FASTCHEM will enable transformative science benefitting society. For example, such structure-dynamics-function approaches will lead to next generation sunscreen filters that protect humans from the deleterious effects of ultraviolet radiation exposure, and are less toxic to the environment. To deliver our aim of enabling discovery-led research and achieve our objectives contributing towards the vital research challenges listed supra, we will: (1) develop a fully functioning FASTCHEM facility; (2) implement experimental methods to deliver our four Primary Scientific Challenges (PSC) which are new molecules and materials for photomedicine, photostability, photocatalysis and photonics; (3) utilise a transparent and fair access management model; (4) deliver a user support and training programme with our project partner Ultrafast Systems; (5) provide a supportive career and professional development program for our experimental officer; and (6) establish a roadmap towards expanding the user base and training the next generation of scientists.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

The DNA in each cell of our bodies, collectively known as the genome, is constantly being subjected to damage. To maintain cellular integrity and prevent the transmission of genetic errors to daughter cells during division, cells rely heavily on DNA repair mechanisms. Two primary pathways are responsible for repairing DNA breaks: non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). The decision to utilize either NHEJ or HR is tightly regulated, as errors in choosing the appropriate pathway can have devastating consequences, particularly during foetal development. Research has shown that trimming the ends of a DNA break is a critical factor in directing the cell to use the HR pathway for repair. This trimming process is conducted by a protein complex composed of four key proteins: Mre11, Rad50, Nbs1 (which together form the MRN complex), and CtIP. Whilst CtIP serves as the master regulator of the MRN complex's DNA trimming activity during repair, it also has independent roles, such as protecting DNA during replication. The mechanism by which the cell determines whether CtIP will function with the MRN complex to repair DNA breaks or independently to protect DNA during replication remains unclear. However, the significance of this regulation is underscored by the fact that inherited mutations in CtIP or components of the MRN complex lead to severe developmental abnormalities in humans. Understanding how these proteins are controlled is crucial for elucidating how unresolved DNA damage impacts cellular health. Recently, we identified an uncharacterized protein that bears structural similarities to CtIP and is highly expressed in various tumour types. Intriguingly, when this CtIP-like protein is overexpressed, it binds to CtIP and mislocalizes it to regions of the nucleus where it cannot function effectively. This mislocalization potentially compromises the cell’s ability to repair DNA by HR. While an HR deficiency can drive the transformation of a healthy cell into a tumour by compromising genome stability, it can also create a genetic vulnerability that can be targeted with certain chemotherapeutic agents. Given this, we hypothesize that tumours with elevated levels of this CtIP-like protein may harbour an HR defect due to impaired CtIP function, creating a potential vulnerability that could be exploited therapeutically. This project aims to investigate how this CtIP-like protein regulates DNA repair and DNA replication and to determine whether its interaction with CtIP is critical for regulating these processes. By characterizing the function of this protein, we hope to determine how its altered expression affects the DNA repair and replicative capacity of tumour cells and their sensitivity to chemotherapy, especially agents known to be effective against HR-deficient cancers. Consequently, one goal of this work is to validate whether the levels of this CtIP-like protein can be used as a biomarker to stratify tumours for targeted therapy. In addition to this, it has been previously shown that small molecules that block CtIP binding to itself can be used disrupt to CtIP-dependent processes and enhance cellular sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. Based on this, it is plausible that a similar approach could be used to inhibit cellular pathways dependent on this CtIP-like protein. Therefore, we believe that this work is also vital for verifying whether this CtIP-like protein is a potential target for anti-cancer drug development.  

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

ARTEMIS aims to uncover the untold stories of ancient Greek communities, shifting the focus from cities to the countryside by generating an integrated human-environment narrative that brings the rural heart of ancient Greece to light. We achieve this by placing rural communities at the forefront of a re-telling of the past, focusing on their relationships with dynamic environments and changing climate (Objective 1). Traditional interpretations of Greek antiquity are dominated by elite narratives reflecting urban attitudes and scholarly discourse that quantifies rural economic capacity or social structures. Such accounts provide only a partial view of ancient life because, in all periods, most people lived in agrarian, rural settings where interactions with the surrounding landscape profoundly influenced their lives.  This project will break down traditional urban-rural frames of reference in favour of a rural-urban blended community-focused narrative of everyday life. ARTEMIS addresses this challenge through a novel integrated methodology (Objective 2) of – (i) archaeological survey, (ii) palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and (iii) palaeoclimatic analysis. We develop, apply, test, and refine this approach by studying eastern Attica. With its rich archaeological record and distinctive landscapes, including fertile lowlands and wetlands, this region provides a unique setting in which to assess the relationships between cultural practices and environmental conditions. We pursue our aim and objectives through three research questions (RQ): RQ1. Rural communities and environmental change: How, and to what extent, did climatic fluctuation and environmental change influence the settlement patterns, agricultural practices and daily lives of rural communities in eastern Attica? RQ2. Community decision-making: How did social and cultural developments influence the ways in which rural communities modified and managed their natural and human environments over time? RQ3. New narratives: How can we integrate archaeological and palaeoenvironmental data to provide a more accurate and inclusive narrative of life in ancient Greece, challenging the traditional focus on elite, urban-based voices? The advantage of our integrated, interdisciplinary approach (App.) lies in bringing together the crucial contexts these fields provide for human activity. ARTEMIS’ archaeological data investigates the physical remains of past communities (App. 1), and integration with palaeoenvironmental data (App. 2) explains how these communities adapted to changing environments and climate. Our outcomes will directly address our research questions by reconstructing and illustrating both the influence of the environment on settlement patterns and agricultural practices (RQ1) and how communities lived within and impacted on their natural and human landscape (RQ2). Combined, this offers a fresh and inclusive new understanding of ancient Greek life (RQ3). ARTEMIS’ outputs include combining environmental proxies and archaeological survey data to develop new datasets and methodologies with applications for future collaborative research across the Mediterranean. The results will be shared through a suite of publications to engage with the scholarly community along with a range of co-creation events to engage with local stakeholders. The benefits of ARTEMIS will include and stem from a new history of ancient Greece by creating a landscape-focused narrative of marginalised communities that will have applications beyond academia for preserving and protecting rural heritage.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Much of modern life depends on people's ability to comprehend and make decisions based on numerical information. However, many people struggle with innumeracy, the numerical equivalent to illiteracy. This comes at immense societal costs as it hampers people's understanding of critical issues such as climate change or the spread of pandemics. This project addresses innumeracy by improving how numerical information is communicated. It bridges previously fragmented fields such as numerical cognition, data visualization, judgment and decision making, and linguistics to provide a big picture view on how different modalities—numbers, language, graphs, gestures—interact in communicating numerical information. Multimodal corpus analysis, the automated analysis of naturally occurring language, is used to develop a numerical profile of the English language and nonverbal means of communicating quantities. Experiments are used to test the impact of different communicative strategies and modalities on numerical understanding and decision making in numerical contexts. The research is used to create teaching and learning materials for data analysts in academic and non-academic sectors: how can numerical information be communicated in a way that is both transparent and persuasive? To achieve this, the project will develop a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) on communicating data for professionals and academics and a popular science book that provides evidence-based guidelines for numerical communication. This project uniquely combines theoretical innovation with practical solutions, making it a vital contribution to improving numerical literacy and communication in an increasingly data-driven world.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

Gambling harms are increasingly recognised as a significant public health and social inequality issue in Great Britain. However, there is a lack of understanding around how these harms affect people from ethnic and faith minority communities. While recent research suggests that individuals in these groups may experience higher levels of gambling harm, they are often less likely to seek support or access treatment. Evidence is currently fragmented and limited in scope, with many studies grouping diverse ethnic communities together or overlooking the influence of faith entirely. This masks important differences in risk, harm and access to help.   This project will undertake a rapid evidence review to assess what is currently known about gambling harms among ethnic and faith minority communities in the United Kingdom. It will focus on three key areas: the types of harms experienced, the barriers to accessing treatment and support, and the social, cultural, and structural factors that increase or reduce the risk of harm. The review will also examine the role of faith, recognising that religious beliefs and community norms can both protect against gambling harm and create additional barriers to help-seeking.   The review will bring together findings from academic research and grey literature. A lived experience advisory panel made up of individuals from ethnic and faith minority communities will help shape the review at every stage to ensure the findings reflect real-world experiences and cultural contexts. The project is designed to deliver timely, actionable evidence to inform public health efforts, support the development of culturally competent services and ensure that minority communities are not left behind in the national response to gambling harms.   The findings will support policymakers and service providers in designing more inclusive, accessible and effective interventions. Community and faith-based organisations will gain insights into how they can play a stronger role in prevention and recovery efforts. The review will also help researchers identify gaps in the evidence and highlight the need for more intersectional and culturally relevant studies. Overall, this work will contribute to a more equitable understanding of gambling harms and support targeted efforts to reduce them in underserved communities.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

In recent years, political gambling has moved from the margins of obscure prediction markets and bookies ‘specials’ to the mainstream of digital betting culture (Harty 2024; Lee 2025). Once limited to British bookies, it is now available on major betting platforms worldwide. News outlets regularly reference prediction markets (e.g. on Sky News, MSNBC and CNN) while popular podcasts (e.g. TYT), professional poker players (e.g. Daniel Negreanu) and social media influencers enjoy the sponsorship of political gambling providers (Bloomburg 2024). Social media companies and consumer financial trading companies have started joint ventures with them (e.g. X with Polymarket, Robinhood with Kalshi). The public are continually bidden to seriously consider the value of gambling in predicting who will become prime minister, whether a bill will pass, or how a referendum might unfold and act accordingly. Meanwhile those who gamble on politics face relentless cross-selling campaigns to entice them into highly profitable and addictive forms of gambling (Francis 2024). Despite this growth in importance, political gambling remains a phenomenon that operates in the shadows of both democratic politics and digital gambling economies—under-researched and under-regulated (see Rabinovitz & Packin 2025). The proposed narrative RER aims to address a fundamental gap: the lack of a comprehensive, interdisciplinary synthesis that explores political gambling not as a forecasting tool (which is the current primary academic interest, see for example Snowberg et al. 2013, or Vaughan Williams et al. 2019) but as a political, behavioural, technological, and ethical issue and as a gateway gambling activity. While there is scattered literature touching on isolated elements — economic analyses of betting markets (e.g. Peel 2008), occasional media critiques of their influence (e.g. Sonnenfeld et al. 2024), or legal discussions about their permissibility (e.g. Orr 2014) — these contributions exist in silos. There is no shared understanding of what political and current affairs gambling is, how it operates across jurisdictions, where it fits within the gambling industry’s repertoire of enticements, what risks it poses to democratic life, or how it might be governed responsibly. These are all issues that the PL is uniquely able to address, having conducted long term anthropological fieldwork on political gambling since 2022 and as someone currently writing a book on the subject. Literature will be identified through systematic searches across multiple databases (including Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ProQuest, SSRN), supplemented by targeted grey literature searches and media analysis. Inclusion criteria will ensure that only sources relevant to political gambling — broadly defined — are included, while exclusions will avoid dilution by literature focused solely on unrelated forms of gambling. Coding and synthesis will follow a thematic approach, allowing for the construction of an analytical framework that captures the interplay between user behaviour, market dynamics, media narratives, and governance structures.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

BRCA1 and BRCA2-mutant cancers are often treated with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) and platinum-based therapies. BRCA1 and BRCA2-deficient cells are well known to lack homologous recombination repair of DNA double-strand breaks, and this lack is critical to responses to current therapies. They also suffer from replication-associated defects, particularly the accumulation of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) gaps made by error-prone DNA replication. The degree to which such gaps contribute to therapy sensitivity is controversial, with some evidence suggesting they may be a central driver of emerging therapies and contribute to PARPi sensitivity, if not sufficient in themselves. Many BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutant cancers do not respond to current therapies and nearly half of initial responders develop resistance. To overcome this, new therapeutic approaches are currently being investigated in early-phase clinical trials that exploit BRCA1/2 loss or enhance sensitivity to existing treatments. Emerging evidence from studies of some of these new therapeutic approaches points to a role in ssDNA gap generation or expansion in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutant cancer cells. The degree to which the presence of ssDNA gaps in mutant cells directly contributes to various therapy sensitivities is a critical question with implications for patient stratification and the design and use of therapies currently thought to target homologous recombination defects. For example, while the restoration of homologous recombination represents a known mechanism of therapy resistance, the extent to which gap-related vulnerabilities persist remains uncertain. Likewise, it is currently unclear whether "gap-prone" cancers might constitute a distinct and therapeutically targetable category, analogous to but separate from homologous recombination repair–deficient cancers. The multiple defects of cells lacking BRCA1 and BRCA2 make it challenging to isolate the contributions of particular roles. Understanding these roles alone, and in concert with each other, is important to avoid oversimplified models that limit therapeutic innovation. Fortunately, recent discoveries have shown that some replication functions depend on particular activities of these proteins, making it possible to identify separation-of-function variants that retain homologous recombination DNA repair but lose certain replication functions. We have made and tested cells with these specific changes and can now independently assess the relative contribution of some replication difficulties, including, importantly, the accumulation of ssDNA gaps. Our preliminary data indicates that ssDNA gaps are indeed relevant to several therapy responses. They also suggest that the way BRCA1 and BRCA2 prevent the gaps differs. We aim to uncover how ssDNA gaps are formed, the relationship between BRCA1 and BRCA2 in this pathway, determine how ssDNA gaps might be targeted to enhance therapeutic vulnerabilities, and test whether they predict responses in resistant models. The results of the project will provide critical mechanistic insight into therapy sensitivity. They may also provide the basis, in the form of ssDNA gaps or related features, to improve patient stratification and help design rational therapies for refractory and resistant BRCA1/2-mutant cancers. These findings will benefit researchers with an interest in DNA replication and repair, pharmaceutical companies, clinicians, and ultimately patients and their families.  

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

Context False or misleading online stories now travel faster than official facts, eroding public trust in elections, vaccination campaigns and civic institutions. The challenge is magnified in “super-diverse” cities such as Birmingham, where residents have roots in more than 180 countries and speak well over 100 languages. Messages move through many cultural and linguistic networks, so a correction that reaches one group may never reach another. Turning this diversity into a strength, rather than a weakness, requires approaches that respect how different communities encounter and evaluate information. Challenge Most existing countermeasures to misinformation treat audiences as if they were identical. They overlook two well-established findings: the human brain reacts emotionally to new information before it engages in a reasoned way with evidence, and cultural experience shapes what people share, trust or ignore. Interventions designed without these insights often miss their target or even reinforce the very myths they seek to debunk. We still lack a joined-up understanding of how neural, cultural and technological factors interact when people encounter misinformation. Aims and approach Our interdisciplinary consortium brings together neuroscientists, artificial-intelligence engineers, social policy experts, political scientists, linguists and community leaders. Our project has three broad objectives: 1. Map neuro-cognitive pathways – using cutting-edge brain mapping techniques to observe, in real time, how individuals from varied backgrounds respond to trustworthy and false digital content, and to extract scalable behavioural markers of critical scrutiny. 2. Build an adaptive AI engine – based on both the neural markers that are identified and social-media diffusion patterns, the engine will detect when a reader enters a “quick-accept” state and deliver culturally attuned prompts that encourage reflective thinking. 3. Co-create community interventions – through workshops with neighbourhood organisations, faith groups and other local information brokers we design and test messages, games and peer-led discussions that harness diversity as a protective asset. Throughout, community stakeholders will act as partners, not subjects, adhering to ethical protocols and ensuring practical relevance. Potential applications and benefits The programme will generate a range of interdisciplinary outputs and outcomes to benefit community, policy and economic stakeholders. Open research assets – anonymised brain-imaging data, a cross-cultural misinformation corpus and fully reproducible code will be released for other scholars to use. Practical tools – a plug-in AI module for newsrooms and local authorities; an online dashboard that tracks how stories spread in multiple languages; and a Resilience Playbook offering step-by-step guidance for tailoring messages across cultural networks. Policy impact – evidence briefs and demonstrations for Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority, with additional channels to Ofcom and central government provided by our Advisory Board members. Economic and societal value – healthier information ecosystems reduce the cost of public health and civic campaigns, sustain democratic participation and position the UK as a leader in trustworthy AI. Transferable method – our combined neuro-AI-social approach can be applied to other pressing issues such as vaccine hesitancy, climate action narratives and financial scams. By turning diversity from a vulnerability into a shield, our project will ready democratic societies to meet the misinformation age with confidence.  

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

This rapid evidence review addresses an urgent and underexplored evidence gap within the UKRI Research Programme on Gambling Harms: the burgeoning intersection between cryptocurrency use and the normalisation of gambling-like behaviours. Existing research has explored traditional online gambling and the impacts of new digital technologies, but evidence around how speculative practices associated with cryptocurrencies, from trading and staking to play-to-earn and blockchain-based gaming, are producing gambling-like experiences, environments, and subjectivities, particularly among young adults, remains few and scattered.   This review will synthesise interdisciplinary scholarship across anthropology, sociology, law, digital media, public health, and state financial regulations to identify: • How cryptocurrency platforms and practices mirror or diverge from conventional gambling. • How people understand and engage with risk, uncertainty, and reward in these domains, • and how digital infrastructures, economic precarity, and platform design shape these behaviours. We will also map existing grey literature, including policy reports, regulatory responses, and market analyses, to assess how gambling harms are being (or failing to be) addressed in relation to crypto-finance and the normalisation of gambling.   RELEVANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE The relevance of this review is twofold. First, it speaks directly to UK policy debates on financial harm, gambling vulnerability, and digital literacy. The Gambling Commission and other entities have begun to express concerns around the convergence of speculative finance and gambling. Still, there is a lack of empirical synthesis and comparative insight into how these domains intersect. Second, our review will offer a novel lens on gambling harms by integrating insights from economic anthropology, empirical analysis of cryptocurrency platforms to explore how users narrate risk, reward, and uncertainty, and digital ethnography through foregrounding the lived experiences of users, the role of cryptocurrency and social media platforms, and the moral economies underpinning their participation in contexts outside and inside the UK. This is particularly relevant in the context of socio-economic uncertainty and the increasing allure of high-risk, high-reward digital practices as means of coping with crisis, inflation, or youth disillusionment with conventional financial futures.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

The UK is facing an energy crisis on three fronts: climate change, energy security, and affordability. This challenge requires a fundamental change in our society, to enable a deep energy demand reduction and wide use of low-carbon technologies, supported by policy, businesses and the public alike. Energy demand reduction is in fact fundamental so that we can improve energy security, reduce household energy bills and address climate change. Research has shown that reducing energy use could help meet half of the required emissions reductions we need by 2050 to become a Net Zero society. While this poses a challenge, it also provides an opportunity for the UK to become a global leader in energy demand reduction, and associated research. The Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC) develops the next phase of energy demand research in the UK, building on previous research and working closely with academic and non-academic partners. Our work will inform and inspire energy demand reductions that support an affordable, comfortable and secure Net Zero society. Our research programme cuts across different sciences (e.g. engineering and social) and sectors (e.g. buildings, transport and industry). We study which energy demand solutions can be delivered in a flexible and equitable manner and at which locations, taking into consideration issues such as local housing stock and transport links, skills base and governance models. We aim to deliver impactful research on energy demand that produces actionable solutions for industry, policy makers, practitioners and charities.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

This project will be the first large-scale empirical study of an academic field where the idea of an AI researcher is not a distant possibility but a present reality - namely, evidence synthesis.  Evidence synthesis is a process of systematically gathering, evaluating, and integrating information from multiple sources, for example, through systematic reviews. Evidence synthesis is one of the building blocks of our broader scientific system, ensuring the provision of accurate and reliable accounts of existing knowledge. It also epitomises the key challenges of contemporary science – dealing with information overload and the ongoing demand for relevance and impact.  AI promises to be a ‘technological fix’ to these challenges – from speeding up the review process by up to 90% to completely automating the synthesis via AI-driven living evidence synthesis. And yet – despite these potentially transformative changes to the science ecosystem - there is virtually no scholarship exploring the epistemic, social and political implications of AI on evidence synthesis. The proposed research will investigate the implications of AI on the practice of evidence synthesis and the broader research ecosystem - including evolving methods and routines, skills and career trajectories, professional norms and standards, and academic institutions and cultures. It will capture this complex and entangled agency through a novel analytical framework exploring the impacts of AI across the three levels:  micro-level practices of knowledge production through meso-level organisational standards and careers, all the way to the macro-level of the science system. The key innovation of this project is its comparative design, exploring two types of settings in evidence synthesis: 1.) Settings where practices have been ‘augmented’ by introducing AI tools to enhance some elements of the review process (such as RobotReviewer or DistillerSR); 2.) Settings where human practices are being ‘replaced’ by the automated evidence infrastructure for real-time evidence synthesis. As such, this study will generate novel insights and new theoretical language to capture the profound implications of AI for the entire evidence ecosystem, thus paving the way to transformative shifts in our collective understanding of what constitutes ‘good evidence’. The study will employ a variety of methodological approaches aimed at capturing these complex dynamics, including a mix of 1.) semi-structured interviews with academics, policymakers and practitioners working in the area of evidence synthesis; 2.) wide-ranging document analysis to explore how AI is framed in the academic publications’ methods sections, funding calls, policies, guidelines and strategies (with a particular focus on ethical and responsible uses of AI); 3.) co-creative workshops with academics, practitioners and policymakers to explore emerging AI trends, experiments and challenges in evidence synthesis and develop actionable solutions to its key challenges. The project is strategically positioned to generate a substantial impact on both policy and practice. A window of opportunity is opening for this exploration, marked by growing policy attention and increased investment in automated evidence synthesis. Over the past year, the three key funders - Wellcome Trust, ESRC, and NIHR - committed over £60 million to AI evidence synthesis infrastructure, with organisations like Cochrane Collaboration, the World Bank, and UNDP developing their own AI-driven evidence synthesis tools. The field is undergoing a pivotal moment of collective sense-making, and this study will help ensure the AI (r)evolution is both equitable and responsible.  

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-11

There are millions of people walking around with metallic devices to repair or replace part of their skeleton. This includes joint replacements, dental implants, spinal devices or parts to reconstruct traumatic injuries. Titanium and titanium-based alloys are one of the most common materials used for these implants. However, these materials were originally designed for an entirely different sector, aerospace. As a result of this misalignment there are several biologically driven failure mechanisms for skeletal implants. For example, mechanical instability due to mismatched mechanical properties or infection due to a lack of protection. Failure of these devices costs the NHS £250 million per year in additional surgical and patient management costs. In reality these costs are higher when considering the impact on people's quality of life and the loss of working days to the economy. The vision for this fellowship is to transform biomedical alloy design to offer new materials that are specifically designed to function within the body. Our approach is to move away from the limited goalposts of mechanical performance and binary biocompatibility assessments, and to embed new beneficial biological properties into implant material design. For example antimicrobial or pro-regeneration. Ultimately the outputs from the project aim to revolutionise patient outcomes through increased device life-spans and reduced complications. This renewal award will focus on using the methods and data generated from the initial fellowship as a springboard to progress the most promising alloy compositions closer to clinical adoption. Specifically, we will focus on developing high-throughput computational and experimental methods to screen and validate new biomedical alloys. Alongside this we will regularly engage with clinical partners and patients to ensure that our solutions may be more readily translated. Through a series of objectives we will achieve the various components of the project's aim: O1 Refine standard operating protocol for engineered gradient alloy samples O2 Validate acellular mineralisation screening and high throughput antimicrobial tests O3 Demonstrate applicability of biological merit indices through in-vitro testing O4 Engage with stakeholders to establish translational pathway for a maximise of three alloy compositions, including identification of target device(s) O5 Secure onward funding to demonstrate superior performance of a selected antimicrobial alloy composition against Ti-6Al-4V in an in-vivo infection model Beneficiaries of the project are widespread, spanning from patients whom will ultimately benefit from improved device outcomes to surgeons who will have new solutions to the most challenging issues in skeletal implants. The multidisciplinary approach creates a significant opportunity to share knowledge across the disciplines of materials science, additive manufacturing and biomaterials. Alongside this given the significant engagement with a diversity of stakeholders throughout this award there is great potential for best practice in research translation to be shared across communities. In summary, this renewal award aims to leverage the initial fellowship findings and accelerate these towards real-world impact by driving forward new biomedical alloy compositions. The continued flexibility of the award will also continue to support Dr Cox's career trajectory, through mentoring, coaching, mobility to mature influential partnerships, and the opportunity for her to promote a positive research culture locally and nationally through a Plus Fund project.