Research Student Conference celebrates outstanding postgraduate research

Postgraduate researchers showcased innovative work across health, inclusion and sustainability at this year’s Beyond Futures Research Student Conference.

More than 200 student and staff researchers came together at the University’s annual Beyond Futures Research Student Conference, held at City Campus in early October 2026, to celebrate postgraduate research, achievement and innovation.

The conference featured an engaging programme of keynote presentations, exhibitions and research talks exploring how collaboration and enterprise can drive progress in Health and Social Care, Inclusive Communities, and Green Innovation and Sustainability.

A packed programme of 80 oral and poster presentations highlighted the breadth and quality of research being undertaken by the University’s postgraduate research community.

Delegates gained valuable insights from keynote speakers Dr Andrew Gacoyne, who discussed the ethical use of artificial intelligence in research, and Dr Martin Khechara, who explored the value of public and community engagement in research practice.

Alongside the academic programme, participants took part in a creative zine-making workshop, using visual storytelling to reflect on and communicate their research ideas. They explored the basics of zine-making and used a range of materials to design and create their own unique zine.

The conference concluded with awards recognising outstanding oral and poster presentations, celebrating the exceptional quality, originality and impact of research taking place across the postgraduate community.

^{(Abdulhakeem Ekun, Zakiyyah Ahmed and Prince Kwadwo Osei accept awards and certificates from the Dean of Research Culture & Postgraduate Research, Professor Laura Caulfield)}

Oral Presentation Winners

• Winner: Best Oral Presentation 2026 - Abdulhakeem Ekun - AI-Augmented Firmware Security for Connected Embedded Devices 

• 1^st Runner-Up - Zakiyyah Ahmed - When Inclusion Excludes: Belonging, Participation and Intergenerational Practice Among South Asian Older Adults in the Black Country

• 2^nd Runner-Up - Amisha Budhiraja - Gene mutations - Driver for breast-to-brain metastasis

• 3^rd Runner-Up - Naomi Frost - Informing best practice in zoo animal welfare assessment

Posters Presentation Winners

•  Winner: Best Poster 2026 - Prince Kwadwo Osei - Digital Transformation and Green Innovation for Sustainability

• Runner-Up – Nazia Aga - FN3K Regulation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Cardiovascular Disease

• People's Choice Award Winners

  •  Winner - Best Poster: Clarity of Message - Ritika Joon - Impact of Probiotics on the Gut Microbiome in Healthy Individuals

  • Winner - Best Poster: Visual Impact - Martin Ballantyne - Regional Comic Cons as Participatory Cultural Spaces

  • Winner - Best Poster: Importance to Society - Sushma Adhikari - Understanding cardiometabolic risk factors and barriers to health screening in the South Asian community of Wolverhampton.

 ^{(Ritika Joon, Martin Ballantyne and Sushma Adhikari accepting certificates)}