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LEADING ACADEMICS
Talent for IT leads to global academic career Professor Mike Jackson’s talent for computing became apparent when he was a young student and has led to an academic career which has taken him around the world. Now, he is a leading expert in his field and is conducting pioneering research into the early onset of Alzheimer’s.
suffering from amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) – a condition from which 80 per cent of patients are later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
“I was the first in my family to go on to higher education and had doubts about whether I’d be good enough. I decided to study Computer Science at Sheffield Polytechnic. Although I didn’t really know what it was at first, I found I had a real talent for it and it’s what I have based the rest of my career on.
Scans showed the loss of grey matter in the left hemisphere of the brain was widespread for those patients likely to develop Alzheimer’s, compared with those with no active neurological disorders.
“It has taken me to conferences in Santiago in Chile and a hotel in Cairo with a view of the pyramids. I have met wonderful people from many different countries.” Professor Mike Jackson, Director of Academic Quality and Enhancement, Birmingham City Business School
Recently, Mike was part of a research group conducting brain scan analyses of patients
Treating Alzheimer’s early is thought to be vital to prevent memory damage and the findings will assist with this. Mike, who was an early pioneer in search engine development and presented research papers alongside the founders of Google, also brings a systems approach to business studies, giving students a different way of looking at things.
City landscape stimulates ideas Birmingham is the perfect city for Professor Nick Morton to immerse himself in his teaching, with a rich urban landscape and exciting architectural developments. Nick has always been interested in planning and how decisions affect people and places, and this led to a career teaching and researching the built environment. His work in the educational advancement of the subject has resulted in prestigious national recognition; earlier this year, he was invited to become a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) by select nomination. He says: “I am interested in how towns and cities grow and Birmingham is a fantastic place to teach and learn. History tells us that some mistakes were made architecturally
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in the 1960s, but much of the ring road and shopping centre from that time have gone and the city’s redevelopment has been outstanding. “The revamp of industrial spaces for recreation, such as using the canals as a leisure destination, has been particularly interesting. I’m from Birmingham myself and like the city very much. It’s the ideal place to learn about this subject.” He adds: “The University’s campus is very much part of the urban fabric of the city. Our students have been closely involved in work for our new campus. Some of them have been on placement on the construction sites, which are also being project managed by a team largely made up of graduates from our School.” In addition, Nick is Associate Dean for Student Experience, and welcomes feedback and dialogue: “We have a very strong record of working in partnership. I really believe in working with students to make things better; we want to succeed together.”
Professor Dr Nick Morton, Head of School, Birmingham School of the Built Environment and Associate Dean for Student Experience, Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment