Thought Leadership

Unlocking the secrets of soil

Professor Karen Johnson from our Department of Engineering has recently been awarded the Royal Society’s Rosalind Franklin Award. We caught up with Karen to find out more about this award, and her work in soil and soil health.

Blue Beetle is a solid first outing for the Latino superhero

Dr Yarí Pérez Marín from our School of Modern Languages and Cultures was invited to write a review of the latest DC Comics film, Blue Beetle, starring Xolo Maridueña as the first Latino superhero lead. Warning: this review contains spoilers for Blue Beetle.

The character Blue Beetle in the 2023 DC film Blue Beetle.

Transforming diagnosis and treatment of skin lesions with pioneering AI systems

Dr Amir Atapour-Abarghouei from our Department of Computer Science shares his research insights in machine learning and how he is using AI systems to better diagnosis of skin lesions.

'Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom'

Our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Karen O'Brien, makes the case for languages education

A male, back to camera, points a pen at a screen displaying a globe and 'hello' in different languages

The science of why you can remember song lyrics from years ago

Associate Professor Kelly Jakubowski from our Department of Music explores the link between memory and song lyrics.

Could a new Action Plan help Canada foster the self-determination of Indigenous peoples?

Giuseppe Amatulli, is an Honorary Fellow of the Department of Anthropology and a post-doctoral fellow at Carleton University, Ottawa. Here he discusses the potential benefits of an Action Plan, recently approved by the Canadian Federal Government, to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

Image showing discussions with members of the Doig River First Nation

How a pioneering academic is making classics cool in schools

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded research has contributed to more young people studying ancient history and classical civilisation in secondary schools across England. Arlene Holmes-Henderson, an award-winning Associate Professor in our Department of Classics and Ancient History, has been at the forefront of widening access to the subject. Here she examines the surge in popularity of classics in education.

Arlene Holmes-Henderson MBE pictured outside the Department of Classics and Ancient History

Shared horse and human burials show how deeply the vikings cared for their animal companions

Dr Harriet Evans-Tang, a Post Doctoral Research Associate in our Department of Archaeology, and Dr Keith Ruiter from the University of Suffolk explore the connection between vikings and their horses.

Somaliland: Berbera city’s growth is being held back by a power supply monopoly

Professor Jutta Bakonyi from our School of Government and International Affairs joins Nasir M. Ali and Ayan Yusuf Ali from the University of Hargeisa to discuss energy development in Somaliland.

If someone posts your private photos online, there has been little you can do about it – how changes in the law will finally help victims

Professor Clare McGlynn, KC (Hon), in Durham Law School, explains UK Government plans to amend the online safety bill to include significant changes to the law on the sharing and posting of intimate images.

Close up of a woman's hand operating a mobile phone

Threads: new Twitter rival looks like a shrewd move but Meta lacks credibility

Professor Mariann (Maz) Hardey from our Business School and Wasim Ahmed from the University of Stirling explore the new social media platform Threads.

From ‘girls’ to Lionesses: how newspaper coverage of women’s football has changed

Associate Professor Stacey Pope from our Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences explains how media coverage of women's football has changed since 2015.