Influential research at the forefront of Loughborough University’s new Game Changers campaign

A project looking into new technologies and systems that will revolutionise the way emergency services tackle chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear incidents is among the pioneering research initiatives included in a new Loughborough University campaign.

The Loughborough Game Changers campaign, launched today (19th June), has been developed to raise the profile of the University’s innovative work that is making a real difference to society.

“Our university has a truly global reach, with the potential to influence the most pressing issues facing us today,” says Professor Robert Allison, Loughborough’s Vice-Chancellor and President.

“Through ground-breaking research and creative innovation, Loughborough is helping to drive forward our understanding of the world and the many challenges we all face. Our work influences national and international policy, leads to changes in industry practice and brings about improvements to the quality of people’s lives. 

“Our Game Changers campaign will help us to showcase the impact our staff students and alumni are having on the world.”

The TOXI-triage project – which is just one of the research initiatives included in the first phase of the campaign – seeks to set the new global ‘Gold Standard’ for how emergency services should tackle a chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear (CBRN) incident.

Funded by the European Commission, TOXI-triage, which is led by Loughborough, brings together 19 teams from across Europe, spanning the emergency and health services, defence, industry, and university academics.

Paul Thomas, Professor of Analytical Science from Loughborough’s Department of Chemistry, is leading the project. He said: “Over the last four years some of the strongest teams across Europe have been working together to help ensure society can respond to and tackle a CBRN incident in the best possible way.

“We live in a time where CBRN terrorism is a real threat, and incidents such as the Birling Gap gas cloud and Japan’s Fukushima nuclear crisis illustrate how CBRN incidents can and do occur as a result of human error or a natural disaster.

“The emergency services need to have the best possible information when a CBRN incident occurs, in the quickest time possible without having to put further lives at risk. TOXI-triage has created new hot zone assessment, diagnostic, communications and track and tag triage technologies, along with an integrated system that pulls all the information together in real time.

“TOXI-triage is truly revolutionary and sets to rewrite the way a CBRN incident is managed.” 

To see more of Loughborough’s game-changing research and initiatives, go to lboro.ac.uk/gamechangers

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: PR 19/85

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Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2019 QS World University Rankings, University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2019 and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.

Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

Loughborough staff, students and alumni make a real difference. They challenge convention, think creatively and find solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing society today and in the future.

Meet the #LboroGameChangers at lboro.ac.uk/lborogamechangers

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