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Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) researchers and stakeholders will gather on campus to celebrate the University’s world-class research on Research Day, taking place this week (Friday, June 5).

Joining Professor Mike Mannion, GCU Vice-Principal and Pro Vice-Chancellor Research, speakers on the day will include Justene Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council-funded Digital Health & Care Institute (DHI), which aims to bring research excellence together with industry challenges to deliver innovation in health and social care services.

GCU is working with the DHI to investigate the development of low-cost LED-based tracking devices to precisely monitor the movements of people with dementia who are at risk from agitation and wandering episodes. Other DHI projects at GCU include an innovative insole device which uses sensors to establish if older people are at risk of falls, games for falls rehabilitation, and a wireless camera project which keeps mothers in constant contact with their premature babies.

This work and other innovative research activities will be presented at Research Day. GCU will celebrate its reputation as a world-class research institution and partnerships with funders including the Chief Scientist Office, Innovate UK, the National Institute for Health Research and industry collaborators.

The recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 ranked GCU as the top modern university in Scotland by research power. The REF assessment also highlighted GCU’s world-leading and internationally excellent standards of research in the allied health professions, the built environment, social policy, history, and communications and media.

The University’s new Research Strategy 2020, launched this year, addresses three major societal challenges – building inclusive societies, promoting healthy lives and nurturing sustainable environments at UK and international level.

Professor Mike Mannion said: “We recognise the deep connections between these challenges and the interdisciplinary work needed across GCU to solve them.

“Our REF results, along with a 20 per cent increase in research income in the past year, and an increasing number of postgraduate research students, highlight our continuing journey towards world-class research across our key research themes. We look forward to sharing this research with our partners and guests on Research Day 2015.”

To register for free, visit Research Day. Our Research Day will showcase work including:

• Collaborative and interdisciplinary research in sedentary behaviour, healthy ageing and the management of conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis and diabetes.
• A low cost technology which could be used to optimise the light shining through windows to generate electricity in homes the world over.
• One of Europe’s largest ever investigations into the diagnosis and treatment of knee osteoarthritis, a painful condition which affects around 500,000 people in Scotland.
• The Centre for Climate Justice, which has expertise in gender responsive wheat based systems and improving access to water among the poorest and most vulnerable groups.
• Funded by the Digital Health & Care Institute, GCU is working on smart insoles to prevent falls and sensors to help dementia patients have independent lives.
• Expertise in researching the role of the police in rape and sexual offence cases and in analysing the links between alcohol, football and domestic violence.
• The Women in Scotland’s Economy (WiSE) team has significant impact in promoting and making visible women’s contribution to boosting Scotland’s economy.
• Researchers are working with Doble Engineering to improve the measurement and assessment of the condition of high voltage power systems, the identification of new opportunities to enhanc