The Peter Harrison Centre has recently been collaborating with the Lakeshore Foundation based in Alabama. James Rimmer, Ph.D., is set to become head of the Lakeshore Foundation/UAB Research Collaborative and the Lakeshore Foundation Endowed Chair in Health Promotion and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions. For more details, please visit www.lakeshore.org

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Loughborough to help deliver physical activity legacy for London 2012 Paralympic Games thanks to The Coca-Cola Foundation - updated 01/12/11

Loughborough University has received almost £300,000 to use the London 2012 Paralympic Games as a platform to increase physical activity rates amongst young adults with a disability, as well develop sporting excellence towards 2016.

The Coca-Cola Active Healthy Living Grant, which was awarded to the Loughborough University Development Trust, will be accessed by researchers in the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport to explore the pathways to encourage people to become ‘fit for life, fit for sport and fit for success’.

Click here for more details

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Promotion of Dr Vicky Tolfrey - updated 16/11/11

The members of the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport congratulate Dr Vicky Tolfrey on her well-deserved promotion. This month it was announced that Vicky’s application for promotion had been successful and her new title is ‘Reader in Applied Disability Sport’.

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GB rowing - looking for the next Paralympic champion - updated 25/10/11

Have you got gold in you? If you have a disability and like rowing (or like to try it out), click here to read up on GB rowing. Talents are being sought for London 2012 and Rio 2016. It may be that some athletes previously didn't realise they were eligible, or have never had the opportunity to row before. Contact helen.blamey@gbrowingteam.org.uk to find out more.

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Success for GB wheelchair rugby - updated 11/10/11

The Peter Harrison Centre congratulates the GB wheelchair rugby men, who won an excellent silver medal in the European Championship in Switzerland, beating Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Poland, and Belgium during the course of the tournament, and being defeated by Sweden in the Gold medal match. Please visit the GB wheelchair rugby website for more information.

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Success for GB wheelchair basketball - updated 03/10/11

The Peter Harrison Centre congratulates the GB wheelchair basketball Men, who are now the Champions of Europe after defeating Germany 76-65 in a great display of wheelchair basketball in Nazareth Israel. This win broke a 16 year drought for the Bulldogs at the European Championships. We also congratulate the GB wheelchair Basketball women, who won a fantastic Bronze medal in the European Championships, defeating France 60-47. We are now looking forward to the squad visiting our laboratory for their physiological testing in the beginning of October. For more information on wheelchair basketball results, please visit: http://www.gbwba.org.uk/gbwba/

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BASES 2011 Fellowships awarded to Dr Vicky Tolfrey for her work in Disability Sport and mentorship of others in this area - updated 13/09/11

The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) has awarded Dr Vicky Tolfrey with a fellowship in September 2011. This fellowship should be considered an accolade that individuals aspire to and an honour that people are proud of and is valued. For 'FBASES' to be placed after someone's name, it should denote a passion and commitment for BASES and sport and exercise sciences. It is also expected that BASES Fellows will act as leaders and ambassadors for the Association. For more information about this award and other 2011 recipients then please visit: http://www.bases.org.uk/News/BASES-2011-Fellowships-Awarded

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Congratulations to Prof Lucas van der Woude - updated 07/09/11

Prof Lucas van der Woude received the Paralympic Scientific Award at the Closing Ceremony of the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) VISTA 2011 conference. Lucas won the award for his work on the restoration of mobility during the rehabilitation in spinal cord injured patients. The Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport has been collaborating with Lucas on a number of projects, and Dr Barry Mason recently submitted his PhD thesis which was supervised by him alongside Dr Vicky Tolfrey. We congratulate Prof Lucas van der Woude and hope to work with him in future projects.

Prof Lucas van der Woude receiving the award

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Prizes for School students at the 10th Symposium of the International Society of Exercise and Immunology (ISEI)- updated 0709/11

Academic staff and research students from the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences attended the 10th ISEI Symposium. The school was delighted with the success of a number of research students, who received prizes and comendations for their work.

Representing the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, Christof Leicht (supervised by Dr Lettie Bishop and Dr Vicky Tolfrey) was highlighted for commendation for his work on immune function and exercise in individuals with spinal cord injury.
Read abstract

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The Peter Harrison Centre is saying good-bye to Charlotte Greasley - updated 08/08/11

The information officer of the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, Charlotte Greasley, is leaving the Centre for a new challenge at Loughborough University. Charlotte, many thanks for your effort during the past few years, and all the best in the future!

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Congratulations to Dr Barry Mason and Dr David Purdue - updated 03/08/11

Congratulations to Barry Mason and David Purdue who have succesfully graduated on July 21st and can now officially call themselves Doctors of Philosophy!

Left: Dr Barry Mason with supervisors Prof Lucas van der Woude and Dr Vicky Tolfrey

Right: Dr David Purdue with supervisor Dr David Howe

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Dr. David Howe & Dr Vicky Tolfrey have been appointed members of the editorial board of the Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly- updated 13/06/11

Congratulations to Dr. David Howe and Dr Vicky Tolfrey who have been appointed as members of the editorial board of the Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly from July 2011 for a period of 3 years.

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2nd July - Inclusive Bike Ride, Much Wenlock to Stoke Mandeville - updated 07/06/11

The National Spinal Injuries Centre are hosting an inclusive bike ride on Saturday 2 July 2011, to raise much needed funds for a new sports facility.

The event is split into 2 sections:

90 mile ride form Much Wenlock in Shropshire to Oxford
and a 25 mile ride from Oxford to Stoke Mandeville

The event is an all inclusive bike ride and encourages families to come along and enjoy the outdoors together.

There will be an after party on the day and cyclists get free entry.

Please support this amazing charity and bring your friends and family along to enjoy a great day out!

If you are interested in doing this bike ride please fill in the application form asap!

For further details about the event please open the poster at this link.

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Ass. Professor Katerina Papadimitiro Visits PHC - updated 06/06/11

The PHC was pleased to welcome Ass. Professor Katerina Papadimitirou to the PHC during a one day visit of the labs and research facilities on Friday 3rd June. Katerina is visiting the UK from the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece, where she works in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science.

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Prof. Thomas Janssen Visit to the PHC from MOVE Research Institute in Amsterdam- updated 09/05/11

The PHC is pleased to announce that Professor Thomas Janssen and his colleague, Arjen Spanninga, visited the PHC on the 11-12 May 2011. Prof. Janssen works in the Faculty of Human Movement Sciences at the MOVE Research Institute at the VU University in Amsterdam. The goal of Prof. Janssen's visit was to exchange ideas about collaboration in the field of scientific research and to learn more about the PHC's expertise on testing and advising athletes with a disability.

Prof. Janssen & Arjen Spanninga commented on the trip saying:

'We want to greatly thank the PHC for their welcoming reception and invite colleagues of the PHC to come and visit our facilities in Amsterdam. We are looking forward to a successful and pleasant collaboration in the next years to come'.

To find out further information about MOVE please visit their website at: http://www.move.vu.nl/

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Opportunity as Head Coach to Ghanian Paralympic Elite Squad - Voluntary Position- updated 10/05/11

The organisation Right to Dream is providing a once in a lifetime opportunity to live in West Africa and be a part of an innovative programme as head coach, contributing to the long term development of disabled athletes in Ghana.

Right to Dream is a non-profit making agency in Ghana which offers talented, underprivileged children the opportunity to reach their true potential in life and claim a better future for Africa.

To find out further information please see the job descriptionand refer to the overview of the Paralympics programme. Further information about Right to Dream can be found on thier website at: http://www.righttodream.com/.

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De Montfort University Offering a PhD Studentship in Sport, Learning Disability and the European Union - updated 21/03/11 - Applications now closed

The International Centre for Sports History and Culture (ICSHC), at De Montfort University, in Leicester is currently offering a PhD studentship covering tuition fees in ‘Sport, Learning Disability and the European Union’.

The aim of the project is to write a contemporary history of the relationship between sport, learning disability and the European Union between c.1960 to 2005. It will investigate the evolution of EU policies regarding the provision of sport and exercise for people with learning disabilities.

For further information please see the website:

http://www.dmu.ac.uk/research/humanities/scholarships-2011/phd-scholarship-learning-disability-european-union.jsp

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Open Call for Parallel Sessions: (ICSEMIS 2012) July 19-24th 2012, SECC Glasgow - updated 28/02/11

The 2012 International Convention on Science, Education and Medicine in Sport (ICSEMIS 2012) will take place on the 19-24th July 2012, at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow, Scotland. The event will occur just before the Opening Ceremonies for the 2012 Olympic Games and will be the largest sport science and medicine conference in the world attracting delegates from across the globe..

Following the nominations of keynotes and parallel sessions from the IOC, IPC, FIMS, members of ICSSPE, and National and International bodies of sport the organisers are opening the call for parallel sessions to all interested parties from every branch of sport and exercise.

Submissions are to be made by 1st May 2011.

For further information click here.

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Call for Papers: Special Edition Paralympics and Disabilty Sport featuring in Qualitative Research in Sport & Exercise - updated 21/0211

Call for papers for a special edition on the Paralympics and Disability Sport to be featured in Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise edited by Dr Brett Smith.

Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise is a leading international journal dedicated to the advance of sociological and psychological qualitative research in sport, exercise and health.

This special edition, in conjunction with the PHC, seeks to bring together voices from sociology, sport policy, and psychological research, concerned with opening up new theoretical and empirical understandings on issues relating to the Paralympics and Disability Sport. The substantive concerns of this edition, therefore, are intentionally eclectic. They are also timely. The special edition will be produced in July 2012, a month prior to the beginning of the Paralympic Games in London. Empirical qualitative papers that deepen our understandings of the Paralympics are welcomed, as are theoretical or methodological papers that will significantly add to the continued development of disability sport, health, and wellbeing.

Submission Process

All submissions should be a maximum of 8,000 words including references. All papers will be subject to blind review by a minimum of two referees. Neither acceptance nor place in the special edition is guaranteed. If necessary the special edition will run over two QRSE issues. All submissions should be made online at the Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise ScholarOne Manuscripts site (http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/RQRS).

The deadlines for submission are as follows.

Full papers submitted for review August, 2011.

Final papers submitted to editor January 15th, 2012

Final copy to Routledge March 15th, 2012.

Intended Publication Date July 2012

Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Brett Smith – Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, Loughborough University

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Dr Brett Smith has New Book Published - updated 16/02/11

Dr Brett Smith has edited a book on 'The world of physical culture in sport and exercise: Visual methods for qualitative research', published on the 16 February 2011 and is available to buy from Amazon.

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PHC Welcomes New Research Associates Barry Mason and David Purdue - updated 01/02/11

The PHC is delighted to announce that Barry Mason and David Purdue have accepted the positions of Research Associates at the PHC. They will officially start on the 1st February 201, whereby Barry has joined the Sports Science research strand led by Dr Vicky Tolfrey and David is the Research Associate for Physical Activity, Health and Disability Sport and will span the Health and Well-being research strand and the Sports Culture and Policy research strand.

Barry Mason, shown above at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008 during his time as an associated PhD student at the PHC. On receiving his new position Barry says:

“I am absolutely delighted about becoming a Research Associate within the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport. I have thoroughly enjoyed working over the past four years with Paralympic athletes and cannot wait to further the research that has already been conducted, particularly at such an exciting time for disability sport in the UK with the London 2012 Paralympic Games just around the corner”

David Purdue comments on his new position as Research Associate.

"I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to become part of the talented team of researchers based here at the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport. In particular I’m looking forward to exploring the relationship between physical activity, health and the role that sport can play in the development of identity for individuals with impairment. I am enthusiastic about continuing to generate and disseminate nationally and internationally significant social research findings into physical activity, health and disability sport, as currently occurs within the ‘Sport, Culture and Policy’ and ‘Health and Well-being’ strands of the Peter Harrison Centre, led by Dr David Howe and Dr Brett Smith respectively. I am keen to harness the growing anticipation and excitement surrounding the upcoming London 2012 Paralympic Games, so that the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport can be at the forefront in contributing to a sustainable legacy for individuals."

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PHC Staff Congratulate Richard Whitehead on Winning the 200m Gold at the IPC World Championships - updated 01/02/11

Staff and students from the PHC would like to congratulate Richard Whitehead for an amazing win at the IPC Athletics World Championships in New Zealand. On the 24 January 2011, Richard stormed to victory winning the 200m gold in a new lifetime best and Championship Record of 25.88 (+1.8m/s).

Richard is the current world record holder for leg amputees in both the half and Olympic marathon distances and regularly visits the lab here at Loughborough for physiological testing.

For more information on Richard's win click here and for further information on the IPC Athletics World Championships click here.

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Performance-enhancing Paralympic Technology Raises Hopes and Concerns - updated 18/01/11

As the Paralympics embrace innovation, some quarters of the sporting community have raised concerns about the introduction of performance-enhancing systems. Their argument is that engineering should help to provide a level playing field in sport rather than create an unfair advantage. Read the full article in The Engineer with comments from Dr Vicky Tolfrey, accessible from here.

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