Research voices features people from across the Manchester Met research community sharing their experiences working and researching within the University. Jemma, a doctoral student, talks about her research with the deaf community

“Be prepared, read about AI, always question it… and realise that humans are still in control.” In this final episode of the MetCast digital mini-series, Professor Keeley Crockett, expert in computational intelligence at Manchester Met, explores the evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence - what it really is, how it’s being used, and why ethical considerations matter more than ever. From concerns around job automation and copyright to the rise of deepfakes and misinformation, the episod...

“It blows my mind that today somebody can stumble online and listen to the life’s work of a band in an evening…what we’re discovering through generative AI is this archive of Dead Already.” Thrash metal meets academia in this second episode of our AI-themed mini-series. You’ll hear from leading digital arts researchers about an innovative project that uses generative AI to bring long-forgotten fictional band Dead Already back to life. Showcased by our School of Digital Arts (SODA) at Te...

“Austin is a very progressive, creative and technologically forward-thinking city, which is exactly what Manchester is.” Join us as we talk all things South by South West (SXSW), the trailblazing Texas arts and tech festival. You’ll hear why Manchester Met joined the cool crowd of musicians and artists this year, how our School of Digital Arts (SODA) is pushing boundaries, and why Manchester – like Austin, Texas – likes to stay weird.

Welcome to this special festive edition of MetCast. First, we step back in time to uncover a long-held Christmas tradition: the telling of ghost stories. From gothic Victorian tales and the enduring magic of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, we discover how the festive season once embraced the spooky and the supernatural – and how this convention has been updated for modern audiences. Then, we turn to the sparkle of festive fashion - and its impact on the planet. With insights f...

As part of our ongoing celebration of Manchester Met’s 200th anniversary, in this edition of MetCast, we are exploring our final area of strength: Tackling Inequalities. We hear from psychology student, inclusivity model and coach, Kai Da’Costa. Kai’s life took an unexpected turn after a motorbiking accident left him without the use of his left arm. But his journey didn’t stop there. Thanks to the support of the University’s Manchester Movement Unit and its cutting-edge physiotherapy cl...

In case you hadn’t heard, it’s our 200-year anniversary here at Manchester Met, and we’re celebrating two centuries of proudly driving progress. One of our key areas of strength is sustainability, and that’s what we’re talking about this month. We’ve been a top three sustainable university for over a decade, prioritising the environment in everything we do – whether that’s geography, printing, or poetry. In this episode, we hear how a top poet from our Manchester Writing School responded to c...

In this September episode of MetCast, we continue our 200-year anniversary celebrations here at Manchester Met and we’re turning our attention to our next theme, sustainability. As a top three sustainable university, protecting the environment is key to everything we do. In this edition, we hear how a graduate’s vital conservation work is helping to protect one of the natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef. We explore how our Manchester Fashion Institute is combatting fast...

Welcome to our August edition of MetCast. As we gear up for the Paralympic Games later this month, we catch up with Manchester Met visiting professor and honorary graduate Dame Sarah Storey, who is part of the Paralympic cycling squad for Paris 2024. Dame Sarah has made history with 17 gold, eight silver, and three bronze medals. From her rise to stardom at just 14 in Barcelona 1992, to her unstoppable success as a para cyclist, Sarah's journey is nothing short of extraordinary. ...

In the July edition of MetCast, we turn our focus to the excitement of the Olympic Games, which will begin at the end of this month in Paris. With Manchester Metropolitan’s world-class Institute of Sport offering state-of-the-art facilities and supporting elite athletes and top-class teams, it’s no surprise to hear that our impactful research is not only relevant, but provides vital insight to help Olympians prepare for the games. In this edition, we meet Irish track cyclist, Ol...

In the June edition of MetCast, we continue to champion Creative Excellence and explore how Manchester Metropolitan innovates and shapes the film, media, fashion, literature, art and design industries. First up, we explore how we are making our mark at the box office. We meet creative writing lecturer, Andrew Hurley, and senior filmmaking lecturer, Loran Dunn. They share more about their involvement in writing and producing for film and discuss how it feels to see your work come to life...

In this special UEFA Euro 2024 episode of Metcast, we spoke to top English referee Anthony Taylor, ahead of the tournament in Germany, about his preparations at the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport. In the weeks before the tournament where he is one of 19 referees officiating - and part of a cohort of eight English officials in Germany - he made use of the Institute's world-class facilities and expertise to complete acclimation training to help ensure he is in peak ...

In the May edition of MetCast, we continue our 200-year celebrations focusing on how Manchester Met is harnessing imagination to drive innovation for creative excellence. In this edition, we hear how using design to develop a storytelling game has helped to boost the confidence and wellbeing of people with dementia. We also explore how cutting-edge technology has played a key role in a captivating theatre performance. Finally, we find out how a researcher has taken their art i...

In the March edition of MetCast, we continued our 200 year celebrations and focused on how we are transforming health, helping people to live longer, healthier and happier lives. In this edition, we continue that theme and start with how we are closing the gender health gap, through a pioneering collaboration that aims to help people with endometriosis communicate their pain more confidently and effectively. We also meet Olivia, who graduated last year from the Manchester Fashion Inst...

On this month’s episode, we focus on how we transform health: helping people to live happier, healthier and longer lives. We look at how we are leading the way for new life, through IVF. We meet Alexandra and Luke, to learn about their IVF journey and find out more about our exclusive NHS partnership to train reproductive scientists. Continuing our health theme, we investigate the ground-breaking research that helps us understand more about Parkinson’s disease. We speak t...

In this month’s episode we’re looking at the ways Manchester Met drives economic growth. It’s our 200-year anniversary and we’re celebrating two centuries of supporting innovation and progress through excellent education and research. Key to that is boosting skills, increasing employability, and supporting wider prosperity by helping businesses get off the ground, and thrive. We discover how a Manchester Met graduate’s fabulous new fashion business has been helped by our start-up incubator I...

On this month’s episode, we look at a very special celebration – 200 Years of Manchester Metropolitan University. With roots dating back to 1824 at the Manchester Mechanics Institution, our bicentenary gives us the opportunity to reflect on two centuries of proudly driving progress and transforming lives. We recently kicked off the celebrations with a fantastic light display across the city. We’ll also be looking to the future and how the University is Driving Economic Growth: starting...

In this month’s episode, we’re embracing Christmas and everything the Festive season has to offer. First, we investigate healthy eating and how making positive choices can keep those post-holiday blues at bay. We also discuss sustainability at Christmas and the small changes we can make to reduce our impact on the environment during the festive period. Finally, we look to January and the inevitability of New Years Resolutions. Easy to keep and even easier to break, we disc...

In November's episode, we investigate the causes of diabetes and new treatments. And as Christmas is round the corner, we also find out why the new retail sales season has become so popular in the UK and what to expect with changing spending habits. Finally, we take a look at the impact remote working is having on wellbeing and productivity.

In this month’s episode, we speak to Oscar award-winning film director Danny Boyle and students from our School of Digital Arts who are working together on a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration. We also find out about a new study that has revealed how children who have been in care are disproportionately likely to have been involved in the youth justice system. And finally, we explore healthy ageing and speak to academics from our Institute of Sport who are answering the question - how c...