14 GLOBAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Global health and wellbeing Research that gives new meaning to life Life is for living. That should be an option for all, no matter what adversity they have had to overcome. Thanks to donations from alumni and friends of the University, critical research is underway to look at traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and how they are diagnosed and treated, to ensure that individuals have the opportunity to get back to fitness, to work and live meaningful lives.
The support has part-funded a PhD which is investigating how individuals who have suffered a TBI can be rehabilitated quickly and effectively. Delivered in partnership with the Royal Defence Medical Services, the work will form part of a mini-Centre for Doctoral Training in Defence Medicine, which is being led by Professor Mark Lewis of the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences. So, why military personnel specifically? Members of the Armed Forces can pay a high price for serving their nation, and unfortunately TBI is the ‘signature injury of modern war’. This research will look at the understanding behind diagnosing and treating TBIs, focusing on early biomarkers, how nutrition
can support recovery, rehabilitation methods and technology. The research will be carried out at DMRC (Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre) Stanford Hall, which sits on the outskirts of Loughborough and offers the perfect environment for developing the knowledge that is needed. DMRC Stanford Hall gives Loughborough academics and researchers the unique opportunity to work directly with patients affected by TBIs. The facility also provides a further opportunity for this work to benefit the wider general public, as the National Rehabilitation Centre, a new clinical rehabilitation centre for NHS patients, is being built on the same site. Patients in both centres will benefit from shared expertise, knowledge and facilities in what will be known as the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC).
