In this case study, we hear from Guilin Luo, a PhD student in the School of Geography, who has been harnessing BEAR’s advanced computing resources to investigate how temperate forest soils respond to climatic change. By integrating high-resolution environmental monitoring data from the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) site, and using workflows in R … Continue reading “High-Resolution Soil Hydrology Analysis Enabled by BlueBEAR”
BEAR helps delve into the infant gut and malnutrition
In this case study we talk to Leon, a PhD student in the Department of Microbes, Infection and Microbiomes, who is using bioinformatics of microbes that encompass the human gut microbiome. The human gut is inhabited by trillions of microbial cells and most of those cells have very important roles in human health. My work … Continue reading “BEAR helps delve into the infant gut and malnutrition”
BEAR Challenge 2025
Over the three days of 24-26 June, we welcomed 90 undergraduate and postgraduate taught students to #BEARChallenge2025. In an attempt to meet demand for places, this year we expanded to allow 15 teams but demand also rose at a pace, with 31 teams registering their interest! It is great to see the level of interest … Continue reading “BEAR Challenge 2025”
Using BEAR to peel back the layers on potato genetics
In this case study we talk to Jack, a PhD student in Biosciences, who is using bioinformatics to understand plant genetics. I am a PhD student working in plant sciences supervised by Dr Lindsey Compton. My research focuses on using bioinformatics to understand plant genetics. Canopy architecture traits, like height and area, impact photosynthesis, drought … Continue reading “Using BEAR to peel back the layers on potato genetics”
Do restaurants care about consumers’ ratings?
In this case study we talk to Zhuangchen Wu, a final year PhD student in Economics, he is also the winner of the best presentation at the BEAR Conference 2025. Zhuangchen is investigating customer anger and consumer ratings. Consumer anger or fair pricing theory (Rotemberg 2005, 2011) proposes that firms have stable prices because they … Continue reading “Do restaurants care about consumers’ ratings?”
How I used BEAR to understand investor behaviour in FinTech markets
In this case study we talk to Mohammad B M A J Aldoub, a PhD student in Economics, who is investigating how investors react to negative shocks in peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms. My research examines how investors react to negative shocks in peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms, with a particular focus on belief dispersion during uncertain times. P2P lending refers … Continue reading “How I used BEAR to understand investor behaviour in FinTech markets”
June 2025 BEAR Newsletter
Birmingham Environment for Academic Research (BEAR) Newsletter Whilst June has seen several of the team head out to conferences and events, including ISC High Performance 2025, we are busy preparing for our own event next week to welcome 15 teams of taught students to the heavily oversubscribed BEAR Challenge 2025, part of the UoB Xtra series of events. … Continue reading “June 2025 BEAR Newsletter”
Reflections from the BEAR Conference 2025
The 14th annual BEAR Conference, a vibrant event organised by postgraduates for postgraduates, took place on 22 May 2025 at the Alan Walters Building—and what a fantastic day it was! With 55 attendees, the conference was packed with insightful talks, lively discussions, and a strong sense of community. Dietmar Heinke, Chair of the BEAR User … Continue reading “Reflections from the BEAR Conference 2025”
Modelling defects in inorganic phosphor crystals
In this case study we talk to Maryia Shymanovich, a PhD student in Chemistry, whose project focuses on the computational analysis of the defects in inorganic phosphor materials for solid-state lighting applications. I am a second-year PhD student in Professor David Scanlon’s (School of Chemistry) group, and my research project focuses on the computational analysis of … Continue reading “Modelling defects in inorganic phosphor crystals”
What makes things go BOOM! – from vibrations to detonation
In this case study we talk to Jakob Hein-Paar, a PhD student in the Michalchuk Group, Chemistry, who looked into the effects of phonons on the reactivity of energetic materials. My research deals with vibrational metallization of metal azides, a group of energetic materials or explosives, investigating energy transfer within their crystal structures. As “vibrational” implies, … Continue reading “What makes things go BOOM! – from vibrations to detonation”