IAS Visiting Fellow Dr Mrinal Bachute delivers a seminar on their research - Urban mobility systems are at a critical inflection point, driven by rapid urbanization, climate imperatives, and the need for equitable access. This talk explores how advanced Artificial Intelligence—particularly Generative AI, Agentic AI, and Graph Neural Networks—can transform urban transport into intelligent, adaptive, and sustainable ecosystems. Drawing from real-world deployments in global smart cities, the session showcases AI applications in real-time traffic optimization, demand-responsive transit, and active mobility planning. Emphasis is placed on practical AI architectures using digital twins, federated learning, and edge computing to ensure scalability and data privacy. The talk further outlines how autonomous AI agents can make real-time policy-aligned decisions to support net-zero and inclusive mobility outcomes. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias

IAS Residential Fellow Dr David Braithwaite delivers a seminar on their research - Mathematical reasoning often involves general statements, such as “The sum of any two even numbers is even.” Psychological theory implies that such reasoning should depend critically on knowledge of examples. This hypothesis was tested in a series of studies with university students (not specialized in maths). Students spontaneously referred to examples when engaged in logical reasoning about maths (Study 1), knowledge of relevant examples predicted accuracy in logical reasoning (Study 2), and a manipulation designed to increase knowledge of examples led to more accurate logical reasoning (Study 3). Ongoing work explores how examples affect individuals’ evaluations of general mathematical statements. Initial findings (Study 4) indicate that apparently confirming examples increase belief in true statements without affecting belief in false statements. I will discuss implications of this work for psychological theories and educational practice in maths. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias  

IAS Visiting Fellow Dr Changsheng Wu delivers a seminar on their research - The rapid aging of populations and COVID-19 pandemic have exposed critical healthcare shortcomings. Traditional healthcare remains offline and reactive, with intermittent clinical monitoring. Recent advancements in smart materials, wearables, AI, and IoT enable continuous, personalized digital health solutions. However, challenges persist in achieving advanced monitoring modalities and accessibility. This talk presents our progress in developing cost-effective, accessible sensing technologies for ambulatory monitoring of deep-tissue signals. I will introduce wireless, flexible near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) devices for measuring local hemodynamics and tissue oxygenation, mechano-acoustic sensors to decode tissue mechanics, and radio-frequency metamaterial sensors for non-contact vital sign detection. These accessible devices, powered by advanced signal processing, enable unique capabilities including ambulatory monitoring of hemodynamics and tissue stiffness alongside non-contact physiological assessment, offering promising directions toward pervasive healthcare. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias  

IAS Residential Fellow Dr Bibiana Oliveira Serpa delivers a seminar on their research - This seminar explores how feminist movements mobilize visual storytelling to advance reproductive justice and build transnational solidarities. Drawing on grassroots activism in Latin America and visual archives from the UK and beyond, the session examines how everyday objects, like pañuelos, protest signs, and hangers, become tools of memory, resistance, and feminist pedagogy. Rather than focusing on representation, we approach visual culture as a site of situated knowledge, rooted in bodies, territories, and collective struggle. Through this lens, we will reflect on how visual narratives challenge stigma, sustain political imaginaries, and foster cross-border connections. By centering feminist creativity and material practices often overlooked in academic discourse, the talk invites a dialogue on how design and visual culture can be reimagined toward an embodied practice of knowledge. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias

IAS visiting Fellow Professor Oleksandr Dluhopolskyi delivers a seminar on their research - In today’s world, grounded in the principles of inclusion, sustainability, and democracy, increasing attention is being paid to the issue of young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEETs). This social group is particularly vulnerable to social isolation, poverty, and marginalisation, posing significant challenges to sustainable societal development, economic growth, and long-term prosperity. The seminar will examine how the rising proportion of NEETs across various countries reveals deeper systemic problems within education systems, labour markets, and social protection frameworks. Drawing on international examples such as the UK government’s “Back to Work Plan”, the seminar highlights how flexible, regionally attuned public measures can promote inclusion and opportunity for marginalised youth. This paper investigates the structural and policy-based factors contributing to the NEETs challenge and proposes strategies for regional and national governments to support meaningful integration. The goal is to imagine, prepare, and plan for a more inclusive socio-economic future – one where no young person is left behind. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias  

A roundtable discussion as part of the IAS Spotlight 'Women in Sport' - Discussants: Dr Verity Postlethwaite, Dr Rebecca Grant, Dr Samantha Rowland, Dr Hannah Dugdale This closing session brings together the insights, provocations, and priorities emerging from the IAS Spotlight series to co-create a shared vision and actionable next steps. Drawing on themes of governance, leadership, innovation, and interdisciplinary research, this session will guide participants through a collaborative process to shape an actionable innovation roadmap. Framed by the expertise of contributors across the IAS Spotlight activities, including views from those working on breast health, return to movement, and cross-sport collaboration—this session will explore how to build a thriving, inclusive ecosystem for innovation around women’s sport and health research and practice. Participants will: Reflect on key insights from the roundtables on governance, events, and innovation in women’s sport. Engage with a draft Innovation Road Map structured around research, design, policy, and practice. Identify shared priorities, gaps, and opportunities for collaboration. Contribute to the co-creation of next steps, including research partnerships, funding pathways, and future convenings. This session will close with a collective commitment to action and an invitation to shape the next phase of activities, focusing on the 2026 Women in Sport, Exercise and Academic Network conference which will be hosted by Loughborough in July 2026.

A roundtable discussion as part of the IAS Spotlight 'Women in Sport' - Key Speaker: IAS Visiting Fellow Professor Deidre McGhee Discussants: Dr Rebecca Grant, Dr Aimee Mears, Dr Kelsie Johnson This session explores the critical intersection of breast health, sports bras, and protective innovation, highlighting how medicine and engineering are coming together to support women and girls in sport. From biomechanical research and clinical insights to cutting-edge design and material science, the conversation will delve into how tailored support solutions are being developed to enhance performance, reduce injury risk, and empower women of all ages. Special attention will be given to pregnancy and postpartum populations, addressing the unique physiological changes and support needs during these life stages, and how thoughtful design and evidence-based approaches can facilitate a safe and confident return to sport and physical activity. By bridging disciplines and centring female physiology, this work is redefining what it means to be truly supported in movement. Discussion Areas Will Include: How biomechanical and clinical research is informing the next generation of breast support technologies. How sports bra design can be reimagined through user-centred, evidence-based, and inclusive approaches. How pregnancy and postpartum transitions challenge conventional support paradigms—and what innovation looks like in response. How interdisciplinary collaboration can accelerate the translation of research into real-world products, policies, and practices. This session will highlight the importance of centring female physiology in sport science and design, and will explore how thoughtful, adaptive solutions can empower women to move with confidence, comfort, and safety—at every stage of life.

A roundtable discussion as part of the IAS Spotlight 'Women in Sport', fully titled "The Collaborative Ecosystem of Women’s Sport: A Roundtable Discussion on the Conceptualization, Research and Innovation Agenda" - Key Speakers: IAS Visiting Fellows - Dr Becca Leopkey, Dr Dana Lee Ellis, Dr Lucy Piggott Discussants: Dr Verity Postlethwaite  As women’s sport continues to grow in scale, visibility, and influence, there is a timely opportunity to explore how governance, leadership, and major events can shape its future. This academic roundtable brings together scholars, practitioners, and policy leaders to examine the evolving ecosystem of women’s sport and to co-develop a forward-looking research and innovation agenda. Building on the work of scholars such as Dr. Rebecca Leopkey (sport event governance and legacy), Dr. Dana Lee Ellis (strategic alliances and sport development), and Dr. Lucy Piggott (gender equity in sport leadership), this session will critically engage with the systems, structures, and power relations that underpin the development of women’s sport across disciplines and contexts. Discussion Areas Will Include: How governance and leadership models can evolve to reflect the values, needs, and ambitions of women’s sport. How major events can be leveraged not only for performance and commercial success, but also for cultural and structural transformation. How interdisciplinary research can support the sustainable growth of women’s sport, from grassroots to elite levels. How collaboration across sports, sectors, and institutions can accelerate innovation and amplify collective impact. This roundtable aims to spark dialogue, identify shared priorities, and lay the groundwork for a collaborative research ecosystem that supports the continued evolution of women’s sport in the UK and beyond.

IAS Residential Fellow Dr Sara Shaker delivers a seminar on their research - This seminar examines the role of comic journalism in archiving the Arab Revolutions/Uprisings, with a particular focus on the graphic narratives of Arabic artists like Deena Mohammed, Yazan Al Saadi, Hamid Suleiman, and Rawand Issa. By focusing on the visual artworks of What Factors Make You Insecure?, Lebanon is Burning, An Uprising in Sudan, Freedom Hospital, and Aasiya (The Insubordinate)—the seminar explores how these visual narratives operate as counter-archives that contest the official accounts disseminated/circulated Arab state regimes. These artists act as ethical witnesses who challenge prevailing dominant political narratives and uncover state-sanctioned violence and trauma by adopting the tools of comic journalism. The seminar showcases how Arab comic artists deploy the visual-verbal power of comics to document atrocity, foreground marginalized voices, and present unfiltered testimonies. It argues that the comic platform provides an unmediated form of history witnessing-one that combines activism, resistance, and documentation. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias

IAS Residential Fellow Dr Eefje Hendriks delivers a seminar on their research - Curious about when, where, and how assistance can truly strengthen disaster resilience in the Global South? Eefje Hendriks’ research addresses the urgent need for evidence on reconstruction decisions by vulnerable groups and the wider impact of reconstruction assistance. Reconstruction is often challenged by factors such as limited resources and technical knowledge. Eefje explores both generic and individual decision-making systems, measuring the impact of various types of assistance across diverse contexts. Her goal is to guide more effective, personalized humanitarian and governmental aid. Through case studies in Nepal and the Philippines, she reveals the complex choices disaster-affected households face. Her transdisciplinary approach bridges technical and social dimensions of post-disaster recovery. By using mixed methods and diverse analysis techniques, her work enhances understanding and ensures more people receive targeted, impactful support. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias

Joining Loughborough in 1998, Marsha has been a driving force behind many of the University’s initiatives, including the incredible Institute of Advanced Studies, which she became the Director for in 2018.   The Institute sits at the heart of our research, innovation, and internationalisation strategies, and its evolution and impact are direct reflections of Marsha’s leadership, creativity, and unrelenting commitment to excellence. In less than a decade, the facility has welcomed more than 420 Fellows from over 45 countries.    Last year, Masha’s dedication was honoured when she was awarded the title of Emeritus Professor. This University Medal adds to her list of prestigious accolades by honouring her visionary leadership and lasting impact on the University.   For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias

IAS Visiting Fellow Dr Vickie Shim delivers a seminar on their research, fully titled "When is the Brain Most at Risk? Predicting Vulnerability After Head Impacts Using Multimodal MRI and Mouthguard Sensors" - How long does the brain remain vulnerable after a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)? This critical question remains largely unanswered. The current 23-day stand-down period for clinically diagnosed concussions is under scrutiny, as it's unclear if this duration is truly sufficient for recovery. Furthermore, individuals experiencing repetitive subconcussive head impacts, such as contact sport players, face risks of long-term neurological damage, yet clear guidelines for their rest and recovery are lacking. mTBI is a widespread issue, affecting millions annually, especially in sports and military settings, with recovery complicated by varied symptoms and potential underreporting. Our four-year longitudinal study with high school rugby players aims to shed light on this. By measuring brain changes with advanced MRI and monitoring head impacts via instrumented mouthguards, we've developed a novel AI-based pipeline to detect microstructural brain alterations. In this seminar, I will present our findings, which contribute to developing a clinical tool for the early diagnosis and prognosis of mTBI, ultimately helping to determine appropriate recovery timelines. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias 

IAS Residential Fellow Associate Professor Cecilia González Tokman delivers a seminar on their research - Random and non-autonomous dynamical systems are flexible mathematical models for the study of complicated systems whose evolution is affected by external factors, such as seasonal influences and random effects. Multiplicative ergodic theory provides fundamental information for the study of transport phenomena in such systems, including long-term behaviour, mixing rates and coherent structures. In this talk, we will take a journey into random dynamical systems and multiplicative ergodic theory, guided in part by questions arising from the investigation of oceanic and atmospheric flows. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias

IAS Visiting Fellow Dr Jens Martin Turowski delivers a seminar on their research - The width of channel belts and fluvial valleys and its temporal evolution is important for the hydraulics, hydrology, and ecology of landscapes, and for human activities such as farming, protecting infrastructure, and natural hazard mitigation. The width of a fluvial valley is set by the river undercutting valley walls and evacuating the resulting sediment. We have recently developed a model for the temporal evolution and steady-state valley width on the assumption of a non-standard one-dimensional random walk of channel migration. The model connects valley evolution to reach-scale hydraulic parameters. Here, I introduce the model and summarize some key results and compare model predictions to observations of natural and experimental rivers. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias  

IAS Visiting Fellow Professor Bruno Charbonneau delivers a seminar on their research - Discussions about the consequences of climate change for security have so far emphasized how the climate crisis multiplies security threats or how it might lead to instability and war. They do not consider how war and military operations themselves might change or must change, given the socio-technological transformations that also come with climate change. The strengthening of net-zero emissions targets and the energy transition to renewables in response to the deepening climate crisis is forcing militaries to find answers to the question of how to wield force effectively within the constraints of a future low-carbon world. The prospect is one of significant changes to how militaries operate in the years ahead as the global energy transition unfolds. In other words, the consequences of climate change on security is not only about the geo- and biophysical impacts on human affairs and geopolitics—to which the military must adapt and prepare for. Planning the future of warfare must also consider how societies and the international system transform in response to climate change—and what the consequences of such transformations are for the future of the military and warfare. It is these socio-technological transformations that we aim and propose to study, in order to imagine, prepare, and plan for the future of war. This paper will do so by emphasizing the transformation of time; i.e. the specificity of the temporal politics under climate change conditions. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias

IAS Visiting Fellow Ms Ananya Bhattacharya (UNESCO Global Network of Facilitators) delivers a seminar on their research - Traditional knowledge systems, shaped by generations of ecological coexistence, offer critical insights into sustainability, ethical living, and sustainable resource management. Transmitted through oral traditions, rituals, crafts, and performances, these systems embody values and practices essential for ecological resilience. As global discourse delves into the post-2030 development agenda, integrating living heritage into sustainability frameworks is increasingly urgent. Storytelling, both live and digital, emerges as a vital tool in this process—preserving cultural memory, fostering intergenerational learning, and enabling communities, especially youth, to reinterpret heritage on their own terms. Digital storytelling enhances reach, democratises narrative authority, and connects local wisdom to global audiences. Cultural tourism, when shaped by community-led interpretation, becomes a platform of mutual learning and sustainability education. Drawing on case studies from India, this presentation highlights storytelling’s transformative potential for community empowerment, sustainability education, and inclusive, culturally rooted development pathways. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias  

IAS Visiting Fellow Dr Carmen Pérez González (UNESCO Chair in Educational Linkage Through International Sports) delivers a seminar on their research -  Traditionally, the international community has not fully recognized the capacity of sports as an enforcement tool within the realm of international law. Despite sporadic instances of sports-related boycotts and sanctions, its complete potential remains largely unrealized. However, the traditional notion of sports as apolitical has been challenged by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In response, sports organizations and public authorities have adopted a variety of coercive measures whose legal basis is complex and contested. Ultimately, this reaction illustrates that sports can serve as an effective instrument not only for diplomacy, peace, and the safeguarding of human rights, but also for compelling adherence to international obligations. This study scrutinizes various normative and institutional examples from both public and sporting authorities, with the ultimate objective of contributing to the debate on the possible redefinition of the concept of political neutrality in sport and, with it, the relationship between the sports movement and international law. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias  

Returning IAS Alumni Fellow from the 2023-24 academic year, Dr Yolandi Burger, organises a panel discussion featuring esteemed colleagues Professor Mike Wilson, Dr Robert Harland, Dr Taimaz Larimian, and Melinda Swift. This panel examines the intricate relationship between urban places and the narratives through which they are experienced, remembered, and reimagined. It explores how cities are not only physical environments but also repositories of collective memory, identity, and meaning. Discussion will focus on the ways in which spatial structures, visual communication, storytelling practices, and data representation contribute to shaping the narratives of urban life. Attention will be given to the intersection of heritage, sustainability, community engagement, and urban morphology, considering how narratives can both reveal and obscure the complexities of metropolitan regions. The panel interrogates how participatory approaches and graphic representations can democratise urban storytelling, fostering more inclusive and dynamic understandings of place. Through critical reflection, it aims to highlight new pathways for connecting urban design, research, and community voices, ultimately rethinking the role of narrative in sustaining and transforming contemporary urban environments. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias

IAS Visiting Fellow Professor Peng Zhang delivers a seminar on their research -  Droplet-droplet collision is a fundamental process in both natural phenomena and industrial applications, serving as a microcosm of multi-scale fluid dynamics. This talk unravels the intricate physics governing collision outcomes—coalescence, bouncing, and separation—beginning with the canonical case of identical droplets. We highlight the interplay between macroscopic droplet kinematics, internal flow dynamics, and microscale interfacial interactions (e.g., rarefied gas films and van der Waals forces), which collectively define the system’s multi-physics behaviour. Expanding beyond symmetric collisions, we explore complex scenarios involving unequal-sized droplets, non-Newtonian fluids, and dissimilar droplets, alongside analogous jet-jet collisions. By synthesizing these insights, we bridge fundamental fluid dynamics with predictive spray combustion modeling, emphasizing how microscale collision physics can constrain macroscale combustion efficiency and emissions—particularly for low-carbon fuels. This work provides a framework to improve the accuracy of spray combustion simulations, supporting the development of cleaner combustion technologies. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias  

IAS Residential Fellow Dr Andrey V. Ivanov delivers a seminar on their research - What is an empire? Prior to 1721, the Latin title of “imperator” belonged exclusively to the  Western, Eastern or Holy Roman political entities  This monopoly ended with the Petrine proclamation of the world’s first non-Roman imperium, and later, with similar proclamations by Napoleonic France, Iturbide’s Mexico, Braganza Brazil, and Wilhelmine Germany. “Empire” lost its narrow legal connotation, acquiring broader multivalent meanings. But it was Ukrainian archbishop Feofan Prokopovych (1677-1736), who initiated the concepts that got us to this point. An erudite polymath, Feofan served as the chief ideologist of first, Ukrainian Hetman Ivan Mazepa, and then, Peter I. As the seminar will demonstrate, forging the new empire was a direct product of the archbishop’s versatile scholarly breadth. Prokopovych godfathered the empire’s birth through an interdisciplinary endeavor that engaged with the political theories of the early European Enlightenment, Boylean physics, Holy Roman imperial  jurisprudence, and Lutheran theology. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias