12 OLD JOE NEWS
DIDYOUKNOW?
50-CARAT COUPLE
Brian and Ann Fletcher (BCom Industrial Economics and Business Studies, 1963 and BSocSc Economics, Politics and Sociology, 1963) celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on campus at their Golden Reunion on Saturday 8 June 2013, marking the first time they had returned to Birmingham since graduating.
Brain ‘snapshot’ improves stroke rehabilitation
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troke patients will receive treatment better tailored for their individual needs, thanks to a new toolkit created at Birmingham. The Birmingham Cognitive Screen (BCoS) assesses abilities including attention, spatial awareness and speech and language processing using tools such as auditory stimuli and test objects. Birmingham Research Fellow, Dr Wai-Ling Bickerton from the School of Psychology, coordinated the BCoS.
She says: ‘Patients’ cognitive functions are not always screened in hospitals and existing tests aren’t inclusive – some require spoken responses, but many stroke patients can lose at least part of their speech. All cognitive functions interact, so having a holistic understanding is vital in shaping effective rehabilitation.’ Learn more www.bcos.bham.ac.uk/index.html
The husband and wife team responsible for creating the hepatitis B vaccine were Birmingham alumni. Professor Sir Kenneth Murray FRS (BSc Chemistry, 1956; PhD, 1959; Hon DSc, 1995) and Professor Lady Noreen Murray CBS FRS (PhD Microbiology, 1959; Hon DSc, 1995) met at the University before marrying in 1958. Sir Kenneth worked with a team including Lady Noreen to develop gene cloning and created the first vaccine against viral hepatitis B. Sir Kenneth died in April 2013, having been predeceased by Lady Noreen in 2011. They will be posthumously inducted into the Chancellor’s Guild of Benefactors in December 2013 in recognition of their generous support for the Allen and Elizabeth Murray Centenary Scholarships in Biosciences established by Sir Kenneth in memory of his parents.
Redbrick breaks national news Second year student journalist Aqib Khan landed an exclusive interview in Redbrick earlier this year with American veteran, Private First Class Justin Watt, discussing war crimes committed in Iraq. Two weeks later, the piece was reprinted in the Guardian, providing fantastic exposure for the award-winning student newspaper. Learn more Outgoing editor Raphael Sheridan (BA Political Science and International Studies, 2013) shares his stories of the year via www.birmingham.ac.uk/oldjoe