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The University of Leeds has a long-established reputation for research into the identification of stamps used by potters on terra sigillata (`samian ware'), a key dating indicator for archaeological excavations on sites in the western Roman empire.
Publication of the illustrated index of these names in nine volumes, complemented by the ongoing release of the data to an online database, has made this research more accessible.
The index has given archaeologists — primarily community and commercial archaeologists beyond academia — a powerful resource for identifying samian pottery and dating the strata where it is found. It has also provided a valuable tool for museums' educational work.
Research carried out at the University of Leeds has been used to develop data sets that are now routinely used in offshore oil exploration to identify prospective areas faster, and with reduced cost. New techniques applied to satellite altimeter data have been used to compute gravity anomalies in marine areas with increased accuracy and reliability relative to earlier products. These anomalies have been developed during the REF period in association with a University of Leeds spin-out company (Getech) into a global data set, which has been sold and licensed extensively within the hydrocarbon exploration industry. The global data set has delivered economic and reputational benefits to Getech, and has been employed by oil companies in more than 50 exploration projects per year. Shell values the improved gravity data at $2.5M per project.
Re-use of wastewater for irrigation is essential to secure global food security, but it poses serious health risks. Research at the University of Leeds into the effectiveness of wastewater treatment in pathogen removal and the subsequent development of quantitative microbial risk analysis (QMRA) methods now enable governments, regulators and NGOs to assess risks and identify cost-effective re-use strategies. World Bank policy documents and country-level analysis strongly recommend the QMRA approach developed at Leeds. These policy guidelines and analyses have subsequently impacted on many countries' ability to reduce the costs of wastewater treatment and grow more food safely. This impacts food grown for local consumption and export.
Two large multicentre clinical trials designed and led by researchers and clinicians in Leeds have resulted in major changes to treatment for patients with multiple myeloma. Myeloma VII clearly established the use of high-dose melphalan supported by autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) following chemotherapy. Myeloma IX, the largest randomised controlled trial ever in myeloma, showed that zoledronic acid, in addition to reducing skeletal damage, showed an overall survival benefit and introduced the use of thalidomide as an effective yet less toxic therapy. Adoption of these treatment regimens has produced significantly improved outcomes throughout the developed world.