The University of Nottingham is welcoming more than 70 inspiring researchers from around the world at the Universitas 21 (U21) Early Career Researcher Workshop. The annual event celebrates global collaboration and fosters connections between researchers seeking to work across disciplines and deliver solutions to complex global challenges.
The Nottingham-hosted workshop is running 1-5 September and is themed Living Well Across the Life Course. The delegates are from 25 international institutions and will share perspectives on helping people secure healthy and happy lives, and opportunities to increase the reach and impact of their discoveries. A number of delegates are contributing to a 'How to Health' video series on social media, offering practical, research-informed tips for wellbeing.
The University of Nottingham is a longstanding member of U21, a global network of 30 research-intensive universities that share a commitment to advancing global collaboration, academic excellence and impactful research.
We are proud and excited to welcome such a diverse cohort of early career researchers to the the Universitas 21 (U21) Early Career Researchers Workshop.
Professor Woolard added: "By creating a vibrant space to spark cross-disciplinary collaboration, we hope to build lasting international networks of researchers in the early stages of their career who will go on to shape a positive and sustainable future. It opens up the route to joint scientific publications that will push the boundaries of knowledge and will initiate collaborative projects with the potential to deliver far-reaching impact."
The workshop will encourage ECRs to work collaboratively to solve complex societal problems that impact both the quality and quantity of life, by exploring:
- The role of good health care
- Health and social disparities
- How wellbeing can be supported through social care and education
- The impact of the physical environment and structures on wellbeing
- The impact of environmental sustainability on living well
- The impact of global challenges such as climate change on the Global South
ECRs taking part in the week-long programme, which includes skills-sharing and networking via small group workshops, poster and lightning-talk sessions by their peers, talks by established researchers, and panel discussions, will also gain perspectives on:
- Funding opportunities, including international projects
- Researcher leadership
- Communicating your research and its impact
- Connecting to R&D industry and translating research ideas
- Career paths for researchers
The University of Nottingham's Dr Shellie Radford, who is one of the early career researchers taking part, was invited by Universitas 21 to contribute to a series of videos to help publicise the workshop and the groundbreaking work of ECRs. The video, What Your Gut Says About Your Health, investigates how gut health impacts inflammation, immunity, mood, and long-term wellbeing.
Being part of this global workshop allows me to connect with researchers from diverse backgrounds, share expertise, and build meaningful collaborations.
Dr Radford added: "Tackling the rising burden of long-term [gastrointestinal] conditions requires a united effort, and this network will help create creative approaches to complex challenges in gastroenterology research that benefit patients worldwide."
The delegates from the University of Nottingham are:
Amani Al-Oraibi
A pharmacist with a focus on global health, with interests in the social determinants of health, migrant health, and communicable diseases. She is currently a Fellow at the UK Parliament.
Radu Boitor
A research associate in the Biophotonics Lab. He received his PhD from the University of Nottingham, working on the development and optimisation of an autofluorescence-Raman spectroscopy device.
Ninin Cahyani
Her research focuses on genome organisation and method development for long and ultra-long sequencing using Oxford Nanopore Technology. Ninin co-developed ROBIN, a diagnostic tool for CNS tumours using nanopore adaptive sampling, advises Indonesian genomics start-up PathGen and collaborates with multiple institutions in Indonesia.
Salman Ijaz
Salman is working on control systems for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hybrid propulsion and spacecraft.
Sachiyo Ito-Jaeger
Sachiyo's research focuses on how digital technologies, such as animations, can improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, and how such interventions can be responsibly developed and implemented.
Han Li
Based at Nottingham University Business School China, Han's research focuses on information exchange in negotiation, trust, and unethical behaviour.
Magdalena Opazo Breton
Magdalena focuses on evaluating the impact of public health policies using econometric and causal inference methods. She was awarded a Nottingham Research Fellowship and an NIHR Advanced Fellowship to investigate how large-scale public health policies may reduce dementia risk.
Shellie Radford
A registered nurse, Shellie is a Clinical Trials Methodologist with a background in Specialist IBD Nursing and Clinical Research delivery.
Beili Shao
Beili's research focuses on young-onset dementia, integrating biomarkers, neuroimaging and cognitive data to improve diagnostic precision and inform personalised care.
Zhan Zhang
A specialist in strategic communication, intercultural communication, technology and society, and China's soft power in Europe, Zhan is based at the Nottingham Ningbo China.
