Research news

Students looking around the new Passivhaus development

Loughborough University students preview first campus Passivhaus development

Students from the School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering enjoyed a preview of the newly completed SportPark Pavilion 4.
Photograph of Dr Ishara Dharmasena with Jane Hunt, MP for Loughborough

Loughborough University researcher among STEM for Britain finalists

Dr Ishara Dharmasena attended the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee’s STEM for Britain 2023 presentation which took place at the Houses of Parliament on 6 March.
Close up of RAAC concrete

Expert explainer: What is Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and why are people concerned about it?

In the wake of recent news items warning of school buildings in England being at risk of collapse, Professor Chris Goodier, an expert in Construction Engineering and Materials, explains what ‘RAAC’ is, why it is considered a safety risk, and what is being done nationally to address the issue.

Respiratory disease in early childhood linked to higher risk of death in adulthood

Contracting a lower respiratory tract infection in early childhood is associated with a higher risk of dying from respiratory disease as an adult, according to new research.
Image shows diffusion of an element at a solar cell interface. It was captured using a scanning electron microscope with cathodoluminescence capabilities.

Loughborough awarded £2.6m to open national facility that will allow unique nanoscale imaging of solar cells

Loughborough University has been awarded £2.6m to open a new national facility that will increase our understanding of how solar cells and other electronic devices that interact with light work.

wheelchair rugby

Loughborough research will aim to increase female participation in wheelchair rugby

Loughborough University is set to collaborate with World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR), Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby (GBWR), and UK Sport on a study that researchers hope will increase female participant levels in the sport.

El Morgan

How nuns’ urine, frogs, and hamsters are helping me make sense of my relationship with my frozen embryos and view IVF differently

If you walk into El Morgan’s solo exhibition at the Castlefield Gallery you’ll be met by a bubbling cauldron of fake urine, pictures of frogs that birth young through their backs, and maggots dancing to swan lake.

Experts in Sport: FIFA's new licensing model for football agents

In the latest episode of the “Experts in Sport” podcast, host Martin Foster sits down with Sports Law expert and lecturer Dr Serhat Yilmaz, to discuss the recent regulation changes on licensing sports agents, as well as the consequences and reasoning behind them.

The Meaning of Home podcast: Loughborough University Doctoral Researchers launch podcast about Home and Homelessness

Loughborough University’s HOME CDT PhD researchers have launched a new podcast series called ‘The Meaning of Home’, which aims to generate conversations to rethink experiences of home and homelessness in the UK.

View them as a "Child First”: Loughborough Professor publishes book on principle that is shaping a new youth justice system

Young people that break the law should be viewed as ‘children’ first, rather than ‘offenders’ if we want positive outcomes for the individual and safer communities.
a lizard

Who reigns supreme in the sporting animal kingdom?

For thousands of years, humans have pushed their physical abilities to the limits in the name of sporting success.

An illustration of an EV vehicle charing from a house.

Study to explore if electric vehicles can power homes and help meet the UK’s energy demands while plugged in

Loughborough University is part of a new collaborative project exploring if electric vehicles (EV) could be used to power drivers’ homes and help meet UK energy demands while on charge.
CarbonVue project partners (left to right): Chris Clemmow (SupplyVue), Claire Bailey (Tata Steel UK), Jan Godsell (Loughborough University Dean of Business and Economics), Andy Birtwistle (SupplyVue), Tim Stephenson (Tata Steel UK)

Loughborough University triumphs at LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards

Loughborough University’s research and innovation activities enjoyed outstanding success at the LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards, receiving six awards including five of the 10 categories, as well as the overall Innovator of the Year – a closed category selected from all winners.
children in a PE lesson

Support needed to enhance PE provision for young people not in mainstream schooling – new study

New research has found that physical education (PE) provision away from the mainstream schooling system may not be supporting young people as effectively as it might, leading to them potentially missing out on positive developmental opportunities.

African researchers are ready to share more work openly – now policy must make it possible

Librarians are the curators of creativity. They collect success stories and share it with the world. Traditionally, the success was from published authors, which libraries shared with the local community. More recently, the model has been flipped: libraries have started to collect from the local community to share with everyone.

Living or Surviving? - Benefits, barriers and opportunities for young people transitioning out of homelessness

New research highlights the growing impact of low income and the social security system on young peoples’ living standards and their opportunities to transition out of homelessness.

Experts in Sport: The power of human evolution in sporting success

In the latest episode of the “Experts in Sport” podcast, host Martin Foster sits down with ultra-endurance athlete and multiple world-record holder Dr Danny Longman, to discuss his research on the role of sport in understanding human evolution, adaptation, and function in challenging environments.
a pregnancy kit

New research to offer guidance to athletes supporting pregnant partners

Researchers from Loughborough University will spearhead a new project looking at how athletes can better support their partners throughout pregnancy.

Man picking litter on the beach

Exploring how beach litter has changed over the past 50 years using drones and phone apps

Loughborough University researchers will assess how coastal litter from the ocean has changed over the past half-century in a unique project that brings together local heritage, drones, and mobile phone apps.

Photograph of Jonathan Wagner in the lab

Loughborough University awarded funding to support UK green growth and net zero ambitions

Loughborough University is among 14 research institutions to receive funding from the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre to support innovative work to reduce carbon emissions.

LUinc. members – some of whom will be appearing at events during the Festival - sitting and chatting round a coffee table

Innovation Festival celebrates Leicestershire’s vibrant business community

Loughborough University is once again a sponsor and partner of the Leicestershire Innovation Festival.
(L-R) Jane Hunt MP, Stuart Andrew MP, Professor Mark Lewis, Professor Nick Jennings, Brett Gosper (Head of Europe & UK for the NFL), Professor Andy Harland.

Minister for Sport Stuart Andrew MP visits NFL Academy at Loughborough

Stuart Andrew MP – Minister for Sport, Tourism and Civil Society – visited both Loughborough University and Loughborough College on Thursday 19 January to see first-hand the positive impact the National Football League (NFL) Academy is having on the region.
Innovation in Sustainability finalists Plastic Energy at the global company’s R&D base at Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park

Twelve nominations for University research and innovation in LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards

Loughborough University has 12 nominations across eight categories in the 2023 LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards.

How to talk to policymakers about research

A new report published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (www.hepi.ac.uk), with support from Loughborough University, looks at how policymakers currently interact with research and how researchers lobby policymakers.

Creative industries in India have “huge potential”, researchers conclude in first-of-a-kind report

The creative industries in India are “growing fast” and have “huge potential”, researchers have concluded in a new report that maps the sector for the first time.