Explore every episode of the podcast The Policy Pod
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| By sea swimmers, for sea swimmers: benefits and barriers of sea swimming around the Isle of Wight | 16 Oct 2024 | 00:47:22 | |
In this episode, researchers Fiona Middleton and Dr. Giulia Champion at the University of Southampton discuss their work with the Isle of Wight sea swimming community, exploring the benefits of – and barriers to – sea swimming. In a project supported by the New Things Fund, Fiona and Giulia hosted participatory workshops to identify conditions for more, safer sea swimming on the Island. They’re joined by Sue Barker and Victoria Thorneton-Field of Swim the Wight, a community interest company that runs regular supervised swims and promote sea swimming education, to discuss their plans for an accessible, eco-friendly tidal sea pool on the Isle of Wight. You can find out more about the sea pool at @isleofwightseapool on Instagram. | |||
| Policy making for emerging technologies: responsible research and innovation | 15 Oct 2024 | 00:45:36 | |
In this episode of The Policy Pod, we discuss about emerging technologies and the importance of pre-emptive discussions for policy making and public engagement with Dr Rafael Mestre and Abdul Afzal from the University of Southampton. Rafael and Abdul will bring their knowledge and expertise on this topic while talking about three different projects:
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| Transformational Coasts Part 3: Coastal communities | 09 Nov 2022 | 00:54:29 | |
In this final special episode on Transformational Coasts, we hear from three experts about the changing coastlines in the east of England.
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| Transformational Coasts Part 2: Challenges and opportunities in coastal adaptation | 09 Nov 2022 | 00:49:43 | |
In the second special episode on Transformational Coasts, we hear from three experts about the changing coastlines of England, with specific consideration of south coast locations.
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| Transformational Coasts Part 1: Sustainable adaptations for climate resilience | 09 Nov 2022 | 00:51:55 | |
In the first special episode on Transformational Coasts, we hear from three experts about the changing coastlines of England and around the world.
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| EPPiGen: Ethical Preparedness for Genomic Medicine | 28 Sep 2022 | 00:31:58 | |
Dr Lisa Ballard joins us to talk about the EPPiGen research project in this episode of the Policy Pod. Genomic approaches to diagnosis and treatment are becoming more embedded within the UK health care system. This provides a unique opportunity to examine how genomic medicine is understood by those providing and engaging with the service. Dr Ballard discusses "ethical preparedness" as terminology, how genomics is portrayed in the media, ethical issues experienced in labs and more. | |||
| Preconception in the Inter-Pregnancy Period | 25 Aug 2022 | 00:37:52 | |
Dr Chandni Maria Jacob, Dr Mark Hanson and Dr Daniella Watson discuss the importance of effective policy to improve health outcomes for prospective parents and their children. They talk about the need to look at population health, generational health and how to improve hollistic wellbeing alongside reducing risk factors such as alcohol and smoking, including for those who are not actively planning for pregnancy. | |||
| Learning Inequalities During the COVID-19 Pandemic | 01 Aug 2022 | 00:34:40 | |
Dr Nic Pensiero and Dr Christian Bokhove join us for the first episode of a brand new season of The Policy Pod. They discuss the UK Understanding Society 2020 and 2021 data, which is the largest longitudinal study of its kind and allowed crucial insights into household dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data indicates that existing learning inequalities were exacerbated during the first school closure, and whilst these didn't worsen during the second, our guests question why they did not altogether reduce. Answering this may lie in considering the role of the home in addition to provisions from schools. Also discussed are the National Tutoring Programme, learning loss, the examinations fiasco, teacher assessed grades and...breathing patterns. Bokhove C. and Pensiero N., (2022), Learning Inequalities During the Covid-19 Pandemic, The Policy Pod, University of Southampton, DOI: 10.5258/SOTON/PP0005 | |||
| Redo: TAVI | 19 Jul 2021 | 00:15:54 | |
In this episode of 'Policy Pod' Giles talks to Professor Neil Bressloff about TAVI, transcatheter aortic valve implantation used in the treatment of aortic heart valve disease. Degenerative heart valve disease is a growing problem in the ageing populations of Europe and North America. Also, tens of millions of people in low- and middle-income countries of the global south, experience valve failure following bacterial throat infections. Importantly, so-called, rheumatic heart valve disease affects large numbers of adults of all ages in these poorer parts of the world. Tap into our channels above and listen to Prof. Neil and about this research. | |||
| WorldPop data to support fight against COVID-19 | 05 Jul 2021 | 00:15:32 | |
In this episode of 'Policy Pod' the Director of Public Policy office, sits together with Professor Andy Tatem, Professor of spatial demography and epidemiology at the University of Southampton and is the Director of WorldPop - an open Spatial Demographic Data and Research. Tune in to learn more how WorldPop data and research methods, helped decision makers during the COVID-19 pandemic. | |||
| A Recovering World Economy | 30 Jun 2021 | 00:44:44 | |
In this episode of 'Policy Pod' - The Podcast from Public Policy at the University of Southampton - we present Dr Ganeshan Wignaraja as Chair of the Global Economy Programme for the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute, Sri Lanka and presentation on 'A Recovering World Economy and the Roles of China and India'. Presented at a visit to the University of Southampton on the 23rd May 2018. Additional material: Presentation: bit.ly/PPSLKIPresentation Dr Ganeshan Wignaraja: www.lki.lk/people/dr-ganeshan-wignaraja/ | |||
| A Career from BBC Computers to Artificial Intelligence | 28 Jun 2021 | 00:23:04 | |
In this episode of 'Policy Pod' we discuss the career of Professor Dame Wendy Hall, how universities can support early career researchers, how working with media can help engage with the government, and what it is like to work on a major policy piece for government. | |||
| Dr Wassim Dbouk's reflections on COP28 | 17 Jan 2024 | 01:04:18 | |
Dr Wassim Dbouk from Public Policy|Southampton and Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute attended COP28 as part of the Lebanese delegation. In this interview podcast, he shared his reflections on his experience at the summit, highlighting the challenges which the research community faces in engaging with the COP process. Read his blog here.
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| The RESIN Project | 28 Jun 2021 | 00:24:13 | |
In this episode of 'Policy Pod' we sit down with Dr Michael Head, to discuss the ResIn (Research Investments in Global Health study)project, through its growth and development. BMC Proceedings: bmcproc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.…9-016-0065-2 ResIn Public Policy Page: www.southampton.ac.uk/publicpolicy/w…-diseases.page | |||
| The Cultural Manifesto | 28 Jun 2021 | 00:40:55 | |
In this episode of 'Policy Pod' we take to God's House Tower in Southampton's City Centre to discuss The Cultural Manifesto, and the impact of culture across the city. Hosted by Gareth Giles, with four influential guests; Andrew Pinnock from the University of Southampton, James Gough the director of the Southampton Cultural Development Trust, Satvir Kaur cabinet member for communities, culture and leisure and Southampton graduate Catherine Laws. Additional material: The challenge of marketing the Arts to a university student audience in Southampton: drive.google.com/open?id=112fBFgP…IWapIf3F7K6EL1_V The Cultural Manifesto: drive.google.com/open?id=1D-FtTHJ…7UXHAVQ5NM3LC_ic | |||
| Introducing the Cleaner Air Partnership | 28 Jun 2021 | 00:18:06 | |
In this episode of 'Policy Pod' Giles, the director of PPS, talks about the University of Southamptons Fledgling Cleaner Air Partnership, the signs available at the University of Southampton, the challenge presented by the city and potential reach forward conducted by the University of Southampton. | |||
| RESIN project – Analysis describing COVID-19 research funding | 21 Jun 2021 | 00:33:57 | |
In this episode of 'Policy Pod' Giles, the Director of Public Policy | Southampton, sits down with Dr Michael Head, co-creator of RESIN, Research Investments in Global Health Study. This project systematically maps the global landscape of research funding, comparing levels of investment with burden of disease, and giving valuable insight to policymakers, funders and researchers on areas of research strength, knowledge gaps and future priorities. COVID-19 has been a challenging year, with many researches and projects put on hold due to funding cuts. To find out more about the funding environment during the pandemic, tune into this episode. | |||
| Green Recovery featuring Dr Jagannadha Pawan Tamvada | 07 Jun 2021 | 00:25:40 | |
Green Recovery has been adopted as a term proposing a package of environmental, regulatory and fiscal reforms to recover the prosperity after the COVID-19 pandemic. In the fourth episode of 'Policy Pod', Giles talks to Dr Jagannadha Pawan Tamvada, Associate Professor at the Southampton Business School. Pawan explains the role of microentreprenurship and why gong green links with a better company performance. He is a co-founder of iPowerz, the global entrepreneurship platform that serves to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit worldwide and author. His book 'Microentreprenurship in a Developing Country' examines the nexus between the entrepreneur, the firm, and the region for drawing a comprehensive picture of entrepreneurship in a developing country context. | |||
| Teens Experiences of COVID-19 (Tec-19) | 24 May 2021 | 00:30:00 | |
In the third episode of ‘Policy Pod’ Giles is talking to Professor Mary Barker, Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Science at the University of Southampton. Mary has been working on young people's mental health and wellbeing over the last year. The project TEC-19 have made clear how challenging the pandemic has been for young people's mental health. TEC-19 has expanded to mirror studies in India, Ghana, Ethiopia and Canada. To learn more about the study, tune into the podcast and visit TEC-19 project, Instagram page. | |||
| ENABLE | 10 May 2021 | 00:25:41 | |
In the second episode of ‘Policy Pod’ Giles is talking to Dr Lynn Calman, Deputy Director Macmillan Survivorship Research Group, about ENABLE study which aims to understand the importance of self-management support in people living with cancer. Advances in treatments have massively impacted lives of people living with advanced cancer. On the other hand, it is important for patients to acknowledge what impacts their wellbeing. To learn more about the study, tap into our channels above and listen to Lynn and Macmillan Group work.
Find more information about the project here: https://bit.ly/3m2twUe , or stay up to date with Macmillan Research group on Twitter: @MacmillanUos @HORIZONS_MSRG | |||
| QuantMig: Quantifying Migration Scenarios for Better Policy | 19 Apr 2021 | 00:17:48 | |
In the first episode of ‘Policy Pod’ Giles is talking with Jakub Bijak, Joint Head of Social Statistics and Demography and Professor of Statistical Demography, about QuantMig project which tackles the problem of complex and uncertain migration. Across Europe, migration is a top policy area, where many policy actions and decisions are taking place. The project aims to achieve the understanding of European migration flows by advancing the methodology of scenario generation. Find more information on the project website: quantmig.eu, or follow the project on Twitter: @QuantMig
The project QuantMig: Quantifying Migration Scenarios for Better Policy has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 870299. | |||
| Welcome to Public Policy|Southampton 'Policy Pod' | 17 Mar 2021 | 00:01:21 | |
| The MELD-B Project 2nd Episode | 25 Sep 2023 | 01:02:03 | |
In this podcast, we explore the MELD-B project, a pioneering study on early-onset burdensome multimorbidity. Learn about its origins, the significance of "burdensomeness," and how stakeholders from patients to policymakers view and tackle this issue. Discover how types of burden are identified and grouped, revolutionizing our approach to complex health challenges. Join us for a deep dive into MELD-B's transformative research. Learn more about the project here: Multidisciplinary Ecosystem to study Life Course Determinants and Prevention of Early-onset Burdensome Multimorbidity (MELD-B) A recent publication to read: A conceptual framework for characterising lifecourse determinants of multiple long-term condition multimorbidity | |||
| FEVER - Future Electric Vehicle Energy networks supporting Renewables | 09 Sep 2023 | 00:42:54 | |
In this illuminating episode of 'Policy Pod', Giles engages in a captivating conversation with Professor Andrew Cruden, who is a member of the Institute for Life Sciences, Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute, and Energy Technology Group. Professor Cruden introduces to us their groundbreaking FEVER project, which is dedicated to the development and demonstration of a fully autonomous, cost-effective, and socially embraced electric vehicle charger powered by renewables.
Get ready to be inspired as Andrew opens up about his educational journey and career trajectory in the fields of mathematics and physics, providing a unique perspective that sets the stage for this enthralling discussion. For a deeper dive into the FEVER project, make sure to visit their official website at FEVER | |||
| Welcome to series 4 of Policy|Pod - meet (some of) the team | 08 Sep 2023 | 00:48:06 | |
For the 4th series of Policy|Pod, we thought we'd shake up the format and introduce you to some of the Public Policy|Southampton team to learn more about their journey to PPS and the role they perform within the team. Keen to know more? You can find about team members (and their favourite catchphrases) here: MEET THE TEAM; ABOUT US
PLUS we would love to hear from you about topics you would like to be briefed on contact us with your briefing request on: publicpolicy@soton.ac.uk | |||
| The Meld-B project | 19 Jan 2023 | 00:59:33 | |
In this episode Dr Emilia Holland and Dr Simon Fraser talk about how their research will help in understanding when multiple long-term condition multi-morbidity (MLTC-M) becomes ‘burdensome’ and the best opportunities for intervention. Background A growing number of people are living with several long-term health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, depression or dementia. We call this multiple long-term condition multi-morbidity (MLTC-M). Many things throughout a person’s life influence the chances of developing health conditions. This includes their biology (e.g. age, ethnicity), things that happen to them (e.g. infections, accidents), behaviours (e.g. smoking, diet) and broader experiences (e.g. the environment people grew up in, their education, work, income). People from more disadvantaged backgrounds and/or certain ethnicities are more likely to develop MLTC-M and to develop it earlier. The impact (or ‘burden’) of MLTC-M, and the order that people develop conditions, also vary. The project page: Research project: Multidisciplinary Ecosystem to study Lifecourse Determinants and Prevention of Early-onset Burdensome Multimorbidity (MELD-B) New publication: A conceptual framework for characterising lifecourse determinants of multiple long-term condition multimorbidity | |||
| ActMed: Improving access to medicines to support palliative care at home: challenges and opportunities | 05 Dec 2022 | 00:18:04 | |
Dr Natasha Campling and Professor Sue Latter discuss ways to improve access to medicines and support palliative care at home. Background- Patient and carer access to medicines during the last 12 months of life (end-of-life) is critical for control of symptoms, including pain and distress, and for reducing urgent, unplanned use of healthcare services. However, data from our previous studies suggested that prescription, dispensing, supply and associated information given about medicines are experienced by patients as often difficult, demanding, lacking co-ordination, and involves a multiplicity of professionals. Although evidence is suggestive of patient and carer access problems with traditional service delivery systems, including General Practitioner care, little is known about this. Additionally, there are indications that critical sectors of the end-of-life workforce – palliative care nurse specialists and community pharmacists - are currently under-utilised. Furthermore, whilst there are some promising innovations in end-of-life care models, the impact of these on patient access to medicines, as well as their cost-effectiveness comparative to more traditional delivery models, remains largely un-evaluated. Our recent research also suggests that the supply chain ‘upstream’ may be a contributing factor to the complexity and problems with access experienced by patients.
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| Primary prevention of cytomegalovirus in pregnancy: addressing the gaps | 05 Dec 2022 | 00:21:09 | |
In this episode Dr Chrissie Jones talks about how traditionally, pregnant women have been excluded from research regarding interventional trials and educational strategies related to preventing infections during pregnancy. | |||
| Just and Unjust riots | 05 Dec 2022 | 00:19:15 | |
In this episode of ‘Policy Pod’ we are joined by Professor Jonathan Havercroft to discuss his project on just and unjust riots and how it has developed throughout his career. He discusses how riots throughout history are received differently depending on the political climate, and how this affects subsequent policy developments. Moreover, he discusses how this is relevant in informing the current landscape with the rise in protest surrounding Black Lives Matter and Climate Justice campaigns. | |||
| Storm Surge Barriers | 25 Nov 2024 | 00:45:36 | |
In this episode, Prof Ivan Haigh and postgraduate researcher Sunke Trace-Kleeberg discuss their work, which is helping storm surge barrier teams around the world better prepare for the impacts of climate change on the management, maintenance and operation of their barriers. They are joined by Andy Batchelor from the Environment Agency, who was the former operations manager of the Thames Barrier and associated gates that projects London and communities along the Thames from flooding. Andy is also the chair of I-STORM, the international storm surge barrier network. The podcast is hosted by Dr Wassim Dbouk, a policy research fellow at the University of Southampton. | |||
| Leakage Border Adjustment Mechanism (LBAM) | 20 Dec 2024 | 00:40:49 | |
In this episode, Dr. Chiara Forlati from the University of Southampton and Professor Alessia Campolmi from the University of Verona present their collaborative project—joint work also with Harald Fadinger, Sabine Stillger, and Ulrich J. Wagner—on the Leakage Border Adjustment Mechanism (LBAM). The LBAM is a trade policy designed to prevent carbon leakage induced by decarbonization policies. To enhance the project's impact, Dr. Forlati organized a roundtable discussion in London with policymakers and industry representatives, supported by the New Things Fund. Further information about the project can be found here. | |||
| AHRC Hub for Public Engagement with Music Research | 17 Dec 2024 | 00:41:35 | |
In this episode, collaborators Dr Erin Johnson-Williams and Dr Benjamin Oliver from the Department of Music at the University of Southampton discuss the launch of the new AHRC Hub for Public Engagement with Music Research, which they run together with a team of independent experts (external co-lead Lisa Tregale), public engagement professionals (Caz Creagh, alongside training from Southampton’s PERu), and support on policy development from Public Policy Southampton. This Hub is hosted by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and run through the Centre for Music Education and Social Justice. Over two years, the Hub will fund 4 large ‘spoke’ projects that will involve collaborations between academics and non-academics along the lines of social justice, music research and public engagement. Erin and Ben talk about their careers in music and academia, the challenges of demystifying academic funding processes, and how social justice played a role in their vision for the Hub. | |||
| Dr Wassim Dbouk - insights from COP29 | 06 Dec 2024 | 00:30:53 | |
In this episode, Dr Wassim Dbouk, marine and maritime policy research fellow at the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute reflects on his experience as a negotiator as part of the Lebanese delegation during COP29. He shares insights he gained from his experience and talks us through his main responsibilities and activities during this COP. He highlighted support he received on his journey from the UUCN, the Women and Gender and YOUNGO constituencies, the Youth Negotiators Academy, and individuals he collaborated with on his PPS New Things Fund project "Shaping Tomorrow: A Playbook for Coaching Leaders in Sustainable Decision-Making and Policy. You can find out more by reaching out to Wassim on w.dbouk@soton.ac.uk" | |||
| And Towns: Understanding the role of culture in place-based decision-making | 28 Mar 2025 | 00:52:04 | |
In this episode of The Policy Pod, we discuss And Towns, a series of AHRC-funded projects that develop culture-led solutions by working with places and communities. Dr Joseph Owen and Isaac Fravashi bring their knowledge and expertise on place-based approaches in the discussion of four different projects:
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| Southampton Coproduction Corner | 28 Feb 2025 | 00:43:52 | |
In this episode, Professor Lucy Green, Head of Engagement in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton and Rebecca Kinge from Southampton Voluntary Services talk about Southampton Coproduction Corner. Coproduction is a term that is being used more and more these days; it is all about working together as equals to develop policy, and to design and deliver services, “doing with” rather than “doing to.” Lucy and Rebecca reflect on how this Community of Practice evolved, creating a space for people to share knowledge and develop their confidence around coproduced approaches. They mention the range of people that have been involved in Southampton Coproduction Corner and how everybody worked together to identify key principles and recommendations that are published in the Making Coproduction Meaningful Policy Brief. This work has received funding from the Centre for the South’s New Things Fund, HDRC Southampton, and has been possible thanks to the goodwill of many people who have given their time and energies to the project. | |||
| The Shaping Tomorrows Playbook - for everyone working at the intersection of climate science, policy, and leadership | 23 May 2025 | 01:02:55 | |
In this episode of the Policy Pod, we spotlight the Shaping Tomorrows Playbook - the main output of the Shaping Tomorrows Project, a project led by the Climate Coaching Alliance and funded by our New Things Fund. This episode features two of the Playbook’s key contributors - Dr Ruby Campbell, executive coach, leadership consultant, author, and chief editor and project lead of the Shaping Tomorrows project; and Dr Wassim Dbouk, marine and maritime policy research fellow at the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute, project finance lead, and co-author. Together, they discuss the Playbook’s evidence-based approach and its value for climate coaches, researchers, and anyone working at the intersection of climate science, policy, and leadership, and how our universities can support their inner development process. The Shaping Tomorrows Playbook introduces a structured, six-step framework designed to help readers navigate the political and organisational complexities of climate action by guiding them to develop the inner skills and capacities needed for effective leadership and change. It offers practical tools and reflective exercises grounded in current research to support impactful leadership and decision-making in sustainability contexts. The Playbook also encourages critical reflection, theory of change development, and interdisciplinary collaboration - key priorities for today’s research community. Download the Playbook here. Whether you are a climate coach, a researcher, or a professional working to advance sustainability and climate action, we invite you to listen to this discussion to explore how the Shaping Tomorrows Playbook can enhance your engagement with policymakers, and support the translation of evidence into meaningful climate action. | |||
| Rehabilitating Probation: Rebuilding culture, identity, and legitimacy in a reformed public service | 20 Jun 2025 | 00:40:22 | |
In this episode of the Policy Pod, we spotlight the ESRC funded project Rehabilitating Probation and discuss it with Professor Harry Annison from the University of Southampton, Dr Matthew Millings from Liverpool John Moores University, and Cassia Rowland from the Institute for Government. Rehabilitating Probation explores the experiences and consequences of the unification of probation services in 2021 for managers, practitioners, partners, and service users. The research team has examined the lessons that emerged about how to rebuild culture, identity, and legitimacy in a reformed public service. They have conducted 340 interviews, across three annual sweeps, and run research-led workshops in and beyond their case study region. Read all the publications from the team here and find more details about their project on their website. snip | |||
| Mapping Southampton's food system: Towards a healthier and more sustainable future | 06 Aug 2025 | 00:33:39 | |
In this episode of The Policy Pod, we discuss Mapping Southampton's food system a Centre for the south funded collaboration between the University of Southampton School of Biological Sciences and Southampton City Council. This work intended to shine a light on food inequalities at a local level, mapping the food system and listening to the voices of the community to inform policy. Dr Jenny Baverstock and Lucy Scullard discuss this work highlighting: The economic, health and environmental impacts of the local Food system in Southampton. They discuss the fact that locally, almost 1 in 3 businesses in Southampton are part of the food system. These provide over 6,700 jobs and contribute up to £487.3 million to Southampton’s economy per year (Figures as of 2024). However, over 40% of local people have reported experiencing food insecurity (Figure for 2023) and rates of childhood obesity are significantly higher in Southampton than the average for England 2022/23. Whilst the food system is also linked to a third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. The Mapping Southampton's food system: Towards a healthier and more sustainable future set out recommendations and has led to the formation of a city wide Southampton food partnership which has, since 2024, become a member of the Sustainable Food Places network.
For further information of the work discussed get in touch Email: J.Baverstock@soton.ac.uk and publichealth@southampton.gov.uk or Sotonfoodmap@soton.ac.uk
Get involved Southampton Food Partnership welcomes new members as it is very much an evolving group. Please get in touch to be added to the distribution list and receive updates and invites to meetings. sotonfoodpartnership@gmail.com
For further information discussed in the Podcast please see the links below: | |||
| C-Floor: Managing shelf sea carbon cycle and greenhouse gas release from physical disturbance of the seafloor | 05 Nov 2025 | 00:26:06 | |
In this episode of the Policy Pod, we spotlight the NERC funded project C-Floor and discuss this project, alongside ongoing complementary research, and implications it has on future ocean use and policy with Professor Martin Solan and Professor Susan Gourvenec from the University of Southampton. C-Floor explores how human activities disturbing the seafloor can affect the carbon cycle in the ocean and knock on impacts like the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere. The project focuses on single activities like bottom trawling and then explores the cumulative impact of several activities, including climate change pressure, happening together. With team members from a range of background (marine ecologists, social economists, geotechnical engineers, policy officers) the project will also explore what society values when managing the marine environment, coastal community impacts, and how we can continue fishing sustainably to deliver a tool to policymakers to support evidence-based decisions. Read more about the project and the interdisciplinary team on the C-floor webpage. Read more about the related project, Bowie, investigating how fixed offshore wind (OW) farm impact the marine ecosystem: https://ecowind.uk/projects/bowie/ | |||
| Air Quality and recent policy impact by University of Southampton researchers | 22 Apr 2026 | 00:37:46 | |
In this episode we discuss air quality and the consequences of air pollution with Professor Sir Stephen Holgate, Clinical Professor of Immunopharmacology, and Doctor Natasha Easton, Air Quality Researcher and Specialist Policy Officer for the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences. Their engaging conversation explores the major steps taken so far to mitigate the acute effects of air pollution, as well as ongoing concerns related to long-term, life-course exposure and its role in accelerating disease and inflammatory processes. Nat also highlights the risks posed by this largely invisible form of pollution, which she brought to the attention of the Environmental Audit Committee in December 2025, subsequently securing a new Parliamentary Inquiry into air pollution. Stephen and Nat discuss emerging research frontiers, including ultrafine particles, non-exhaust emissions, indoor air pollutants, and findings from a recent study on port emissions. They also mention potential developments in air quality monitoring systems in the Southampton area. In addition, they address issues of inequity, examining how poor air quality disproportionately affects disadvantaged communities, and outline key recommendations for urban design. This is a particularly rich episode, in which our guests share their expertise to inform and empower the public, as well as stakeholders involved in raising awareness and shaping policy on air quality and environmental change. A central theme of the discussion is how to engage effectively with policymakers, combining academic research with public policy engagement to generate meaningful impact. The episode also emphasises the importance of early collaboration, sustained engagement, and the development of strong storytelling and communication skills. As Professor Sir Stephen Holgate reflects at the end of the episode: “It’s important not to let opportunities miss you by. There will always be opportunities along the way – whether it’s talking to school children or participating in science festivals. Whatever the particular opportunity, you can’t go wrong by having a go, because everybody fails at times. What you may consider as failure can often be viewed as success through another pair of spectacles. Don’t be afraid to go out there and project yourself and say it like you would like to say it because you will be surprised what impact it can make”.
Read more about these topics below: Nat Easton’s pitch to the Environmental Audit Committee: https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/caad4680-d514-44f8-9b31-277b7e13090e Nat Easton’s blog on securing the Parliamentary Inquiry: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/publicpolicy/dr_nat_easton_secures_aq_parliamentary_inquiry.page University of Southampton response to the Environmental Audit Committee call for evidence – Air Pollution in England: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/publicpolicy/Air_Pollution_in_England_University_of_Southampton_Respo… Mums for Lungs website: https://www.mumsforlungs.org/ | |||