Cardiff Met’s role in a national artificial intelligence research programme has been recognised in an independent evaluation highlighting the positive impact of AI research placements for students.

Delivered by the Royal Academy of Engineering with support from Google DeepMind and the Hg Foundation, the Research Ready programme provided paid summer AI research placements for 132 students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds across 12 UK universities in 2025, including ten students at Cardiff Met.

The evaluation found that participants developed valuable AI research skills, expanded their professional networks and gained greater awareness of postgraduate study and career opportunities in the sector. More than 85% of students reported gaining practical experience of AI research and careers through the programme.

Cardiff Met was highlighted in the report for its innovative ‘venture studio’ approach, which combined AI research with entrepreneurship and start-up development. Evaluators noted that the model helped students understand how research can be translated into real-world applications and business opportunities.

The University was also one of only two institutions selected for an in-person site visit as part of the evaluation, allowing researchers to gather detailed feedback from students and staff on the programme’s delivery and impact.

Professor Sheldon Hanton, Pro Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation said:

“We are pleased to see the positive impact that Research Ready has had on our students. The programme provided valuable opportunities to develop advanced AI research skills, gain insight into future career pathways and explore how innovative research can be translated into practical solutions with real-world impact. The evaluation highlights the strength of Cardiff Met’s approach and our commitment to widening access to opportunities in emerging technologies.”

The Royal Academy of Engineering has confirmed that Research Ready will continue in 2026, with future delivery informed by the findings of the evaluation.

New research co-authored by Cardiff Metropolitan University highlights growing concerns over infant food insecurity, parental wellbeing and safe feeding practices.

The study, Infant formula affordability negatively impacts parental wellbeing, financial security and safe feeding practices in the UK, has revealed the devastating toll that rising infant formula milk prices are having on families across the UK, forcing some parents into debt, unsafe feeding practices and severe emotional distress.

The study was funded by the Medical Research Council and provides the first comprehensive UK evidence of how the affordability of infant formula is affecting parents and babies.

Researchers examined the experiences of 281 parents through surveys and in-depth interviews and found that escalating formula prices are placing families under immense financial pressure while negatively affecting mental health and infant feeding decisions.

They found that almost all parents who took part reported adverse impacts on their mental wellbeing, with feelings of anxiety, guilt and isolation widespread among respondents. Some parents described experiencing such severe distress that they questioned their ability to cope, while others reported feelings of regret linked to the financial pressures of caring for a baby.

Among the key findings:

• Nearly 40 per cent of parents reported using potentially unsafe feeding practices, including watering down formula, reusing leftover milk and reducing sterilisation procedures.
• More than a third (37 per cent) left their homes unheated, while 43 per cent fell behind on household bills.
• Almost half (47 per cent) had accumulated debts they expected to struggle to repay.
• Twenty-one per cent of mothers reported returning to work earlier than planned because of financial pressures.
• Forty-eight per cent introduced solid foods earlier than recommended, while 45 per cent switched to cheaper milk products intended for older babies.
• Ten per cent reported taking infant formula from a shop without paying as a last resort.

The research comes against a backdrop of significant price increases in the infant formula market. Researchers note that formula prices rose by as much as 45 per cent between 2021 and 2023, while demand remains high, with more than half of babies in the UK receiving formula within their first week of life and 88 per cent receiving some formula by six months of age.

Dr Rhiannon Phillips, Deputy Associate Dean of Research at Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences and co-author of the study, said:

“These findings paint a concerning picture of the challenges facing families across the UK. No parent should be placed in a position where financial pressures force them to make impossible choices about how to feed their baby.

“Our research highlights the far-reaching consequences of formula affordability, not only for infant nutrition and health, but also for parental wellbeing, financial security and family life as a whole.

“The study reinforces the urgent need for action to ensure that all families have access to affordable infant feeding options, alongside high-quality support for those who want to breastfeed.

“Giving every child the best possible start in life must remain a public health priority. We need for coordinated action from policymakers, healthcare providers and industry to support families and safeguard infant food security, especially during the critical early months of life.”

Researchers are calling for a more holistic approach to infant feeding support, including greater investment in breastfeeding support services alongside measures to ensure formula-fed infants have reliable access to affordable nutrition.

The study was led by Swansea University in collaboration with Cardiff Metropolitan University, the University of Hertfordshire, First Steps Nutrition Trust, Leicester Mammas, the Independent Food Aid Network and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

A unique scientific network setup to better understand soil erosion in Europe will draw on Cardiff University expertise.

EUROSION brings together 24 partners from 13 countries to establish the first pan-European dynamic soil erosion monitoring network.

The large-scale research and innovation project relies on 14 monitoring sites, stretching from Norway to Tunisia, which will act as open-air laboratories and cover water, wind and farming-related erosion processes.

Erosion is a major threat to processes involving soil, such as nutrient cycling, food provision and water purification.

Better monitoring and analysis of its on- and off-site effects is required according to the multi-national team.

“On-site effects refer to impacts on the land where erosion occurs such as loss of topsoil and reduced soil fertility),” explains Dr Zhuoli Zhou, from Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

“While off-site effects are impacts elsewhere, for example sediment entering rivers or dust from wind erosion affecting surrounding areas.

“So, this network will provide valuable data to better understand these impacts arising from soil erosion processes, supporting more effective land management across Europe.”

The network aims to expand, improve and harmonise existing data, knowledge, and monitoring approaches.

These advances will enable partners to assess soil erosion status and trends across geographies and over time.

The team says doing so will help to reduce soil erosion by promoting best practices to agricultural land managers and decision-makers.

Launched by the European Union (EU) with €11.49 million support, the project will directly contribute to the European Soil Strategy and the European Green Deal by providing integrated, harmonized, and dynamic understanding of soil erosion.

The project also aligns with EU goals for sustainable agriculture and climate resilience, supporting evidence-based decision-making for soil protection across the continent.

Cardiff University scientists are leading  research into the development of a potential universal bowel cancer vaccine, thanks to new support from the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK.

The Fund – established in 2022 to continue the legacy of the late Dame Deborah James – has surpassed a £20m milestone and has announced two new major research investments, including a Cardiff University-led project that aims to revolutionise future treatment and prevention of bowel cancer.

Professor Andrew Godkin and Professor Awen Gallimore, based in Cardiff University’s School of Medicine, will lead research to explore designing an accessible and scalable cancer vaccine for bowel cancer.

Current bowel cancer vaccines in clinical trials must be individually tailored to each patient, making them expensive, complex and out of reach for many. The Cardiff University team aims to overcome these barriers by modifying specific antigens produced by bowel cancer cells so they can be more easily recognised and destroyed by the immune system.

This approach seeks to create an “off‑the‑shelf” universal vaccine capable of treating far greater numbers of patients. If successful, the team hopes their findings could also be used to prevent bowel cancer in high‑risk individuals and pave the way for pioneering new vaccines for a range of other cancer types.

Professor Godkin and Professor Gallimore, who run a joint laboratory, are internationally recognised for their research into T-cell biology.

Professor Godkin said: “We, and the team, are incredibly humbled by the support shown to us by Dame Deborah James’s family. Our research is focused on helping the body’s immune system better recognise cancer. We do this by slightly changing certain proteins made by cancer cells, to make them more visible to the immune system. Because these proteins are found in many types of cancer, we hope this approach could work for a wide range of patients, rather than needing a different treatment for each individual. We’re still in the early stages, but the results so far are very encouraging.”

Dame Deborah James, known as Bowelbabe, was just 35 years old when she was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer in December 2016, which went on to become stage 4. The initial fundraising goal was  £250,000, but within the first 24 hours, it reached over £1m. Now, almost four years on, the total raised stands at an incredible £20.5m.

Chief executive of Cancer Research UK, Michelle Mitchell, said: “Reaching this £20m milestone is a true testament to Deborah’s incredible legacy. With the help of everyone who has donated, fundraised or helped to spread vital health information, as well as the tireless efforts of Deborah’s family, her impact on the lives of people affected by cancer will continue to be felt for years to come.”

Thanks to research, more than half of people diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK will survive the disease. But there is still much more to do. These new projects announced today are another example of the hope and progress being fuelled by research in Dame Deborah’s name.

Chief executive of Cancer Research UK, Michelle Mitchell

Dame Deborah James’ mother, Heather James, said:“Deborah would be absolutely over the moon if she were here today to see this. I don’t think any of us ever imagined reaching the £20m milestone when she first set up the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK almost four years ago.

“She was so passionate about supporting research that would help give more people affected by cancer more time with their loved ones. Thanks to the wonderful generosity of everyone who has donated, walked, ran or even danced for Deborah, we’ve been able to come together once again as a family to choose another round of projects to support. I can almost feel her excitement in the room each time we do.

“And I know exactly what she’d be saying now: ‘Right, how can we raise even more?’ That was Deborah to the core, always wanting to do more and we’re so proud to be continuing what she started.”

Tomos Lewis appointed Chairperson of Cardiff Met FC’s Board of Directors.

Cardiff Met Football Club Ltd has confirmed the appointment of its newly established Board of Directors following a rigorous recruitment process.

The eleven-member Board comprises eight Non-Executive Directors, two University-appointed Directors and the Club’s Chairperson. Members bring significant experience across governance, elite sport, commercial strategy, finance, communications and performance.

The move forms part of a refreshed governance framework aligned to the Club’s Five-Year Development Plan and the Football Association of Wales’ strategic pillars.

Members include:

Chairperson

• Tomos Lewis, Partner at a national law firm and former Welsh Gymnastics Non-Executive Director

Directors

• Ben O’Connell, Director of Sport at Cardiff Metropolitan University
• Professor Katie Thirlaway, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at Cardiff Metropolitan University

Non-Executive Directors

• Dr Kerry Harris, Senior Lecturer and former Cardiff Met Women’s Football Club Performance Director
• Ian Davis, commercial leader at Glamorgan Cricket and former FAW Chief Commercial Officer
• Joanna King, HR leader at the Welsh Rugby Union
• James Williams, Chief Executive of Welsh Athletics
• Emma Smith, strategic communications specialist
• Gwyn Derfel, former General Manager of the JD Cymru Premier
• Adrian Coles, growth finance and board advisor
• Russell Hullett, UEFA A Licensed coach and former Premier League academy leader

Commenting on the establishment of the new Board, Chairperson Tomos Lewis, said:

“The breadth of knowledge and experience across our Board will be instrumental in supporting the continued growth of Cardiff Met FC. The Club holds tremendous potential, and I am honoured to represent it at such a defining period for Welsh domestic football.”

Dr Chris Baker, Director of Football Systems at Cardiff Metropolitan University, added:

“The establishment of this Board represents a defining moment for Cardiff Met FC. Professionalising our structures and processes is central to unlocking the Club’s significant untapped potential.”

The Board convened for the first time last week in Cardiff and will work closely with Club leadership to advance commercial growth, community engagement, operational excellence and performance development.

Further information, including full Board biographies, is available via the Club’s website. 

Researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University are exploring how illustration can strengthen communication between healthcare professionals and patients, improving understanding and supporting more effective shared decision making (SDM).

Shared decision making is a collaborative process in which healthcare professionals and patients work together to make informed treatment decisions. The approach relies on clear communication and accessible information to ensure patients fully understand their options, risks and benefits.

Led by Amelia Huw Morgan, alongside colleagues from the University’s Health Sciences department, researchers have been investigating how illustration can play a crucial role in enhancing SDM. This project, supported by the Welsh Government, focused on co-producing visual information resources designed to support patient understanding in clinical settings.

As part of the initiative, Master’s students worked alongside patients and healthcare professionals in clinical settings to develop illustrated materials covering:

• The correct administration of hydrocortisone injections (for reducing pain and inflammation)
• Effective steroid management (for example to patients with asthma or eczema)
• The risks and benefits associated with sodium valproate (used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder)

The co-produced resources were designed to be clear, accessible and patient-centred, ensuring that complex medical information could be more easily understood during consultations.

Findings from the project demonstrate that well-designed illustrations can significantly reduce misunderstandings between patients and healthcare professionals. By providing supportive visual materials, clinicians are better equipped to explain treatment options, while patients gain greater confidence in participating in decisions about their care.

Amelia Huw Morgan, Senior Lecturer of Illustration in the School of Art and Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University, said:

“Shared decision making depends on clarity, trust and mutual understanding. Our research shows that illustration can act as a powerful bridge in clinical conversations, helping patients grasp complex information and feel more confident about the decisions they are making.”

The research highlights the potential for interdisciplinary collaboration between health sciences and creative disciplines to improve patient outcomes and experiences, which is being explored further in a fully-funded PhD studentship. The team hopes the findings will inform future healthcare communication strategies across Wales and beyond.