News Releases

What has long been seen as a frustrating invasion of Caribbean coastlines may soon become part of an exciting new environmental solution.

A research project at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus has secured international funding to transform sargassum seaweed into renewable bioplastic, opening the door to new possibilities for sustainable manufacturing in the region.

The initiative, From Marine Waste to Bioplastic: Sargassum-Derived Sodium Alginate for Sustainable Packaging and Plastic Alternatives, is led by Dr. Srinivasa Popuri, Senior Lecturer in Analytical Chemistry in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences.

The regional and international academic community is mourning the passing of Dr Tomlin Paul, a respected physician, medical educator, and academic leader and Deputy Principal, The UWI Mona Campus. His career spanned more than three decades of service to the health profession, education, public health, and institutional development.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, reflecting on his passing, said, “Our university was greatly enriched by the presence of this remarkable man. Humane, collegial, and decent to the core, Dr Paul was a pillar of the principle-driven institution we all hold most dear.  During troubling days when dark clouds threatened, he called upon us to see the bright light of hope. We are all beneficiaries of his enlightenment.”

Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Mona Campus, Professor Densil A. Williams, said, “It is with profound sadness and a deep sense of loss that I eulogise my colleague and dependable deputy principal, Dr Tomlin Paul. Dr Paul was no ordinary member of the UWI family. He was a giant among us as he championed student success, a portfolio that was close to his heart. Deputy Principal for student success was not only a vocation but also a devotion he had. It was Tomlin’s life’s desire to ensure that all students who entered our beloved campus were able to succeed at whatever their hearts desired. He was painstakingly thorough as he built out the student success portfolio at the Mona Campus to ensure that we not only delivered a world-class teaching and learning experience to our students but also ensured the future competitiveness of the UWI brand in the higher educational marketplace.”

In the wake of the emerging CARICOM–African Union solidarity and commitment to deep economic and cultural collaboration, The University of the West Indies (The UWI) welcomed to its Regional Headquarters in Jamaica, a delegation of 23 newly appointed Vice-Chancellors from the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU). Over three days, The UWI Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles and his team of five Campus Principals, three Pro Vice-Chancellors and other executives engaged the academic leaders in wide-ranging discussions central to university management, including strategic planning, global partnerships, financial efficiency and accountability, programme quality, accreditation, and university rankings.

More than two decades after the Assembly of Caribbean Community Parliamentarians quietly faded from the regional landscape, a new generation of Caribbean leaders has revived its democratic spirit, this time from within the Cave Hill campus of The University of the West Indies. Launched in January 2026, the Caribbean Parliamentary Assembly (CPA) marks the first time in the history of The UWI that students are debating regional issues through a formally constituted parliamentary body.  Unlike debating clubs or mock parliaments, the assembly operates within a structured framework, complete with a speaker and deputy speaker, departments that mirror the machinery of government across the region, like Department of Health and Wellness and the Department of Labour.

As Barbados continues to face periodic fluctuations in egg supply linked to high temperatures and increased demand from the tourism and cruise sectors, a new initiative from the Centre for Agricultural Research and Innovation (CAGRI) at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus is aiming to put a measure of food production directly into the hands of households.

During AgroFest 2026, the research unit unveiled its Climate-Smart D-Frame Layer Cage System, offering Barbadians a practical method of producing their own eggs at home, even in small or landless spaces.

The introduction of the system comes as Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) and local producers continue efforts to stabilise production following recent heat-related output declines and shipment disruptions that have contributed to temporary shortages and increased reliance on imports.

The link between diet and mental health is becoming harder to ignore, according to new research emerging from the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.

Public Health PhD candidate Catherine Brown says what people eat may be influencing more than physical health outcomes such as obesity and chronic disease. Her work suggests that diet also has a measurable impact on emotional wellbeing across the Caribbean.

The road to recovery from diabetic foot, a condition involving infection, ulceration or destruction of foot tissue in a person living with diabetes, may be less about income and education than previously believed.

A recent study found no measurable socio-economic influence on healing outcomes, while identifying hypertension as a significant predictor of readmission and recurrence.

The research, conducted under the Barbados Diabetic Foot Study (BDFS), was co-authored by Dr. Laura Lovell, Dr. Peter Chami, Professor Nachiappan Chockalingam, Nina Davies and Dr. Natalie Greaves. The wider BDFS initiative has already informed the development of a diabetic foot ulceration guide for primary care, along with a learning module. Both were piloted within the public primary healthcare system in 2025 to address gaps in clinical management and practitioner knowledge.

At the 13th Annual Faculty of Medical Sciences Graduate Symposium in January, Dr. Lovell, who is pursuing a PhD in Public Health, presented findings from a component of the research titled The Use of Machine Learning to Evaluate Risk Factors of a Cohort of Diabetic Foot Ulceration.

Last week, the Caribbean and Africa struck another high note in their ongoing bridge‑building agenda. A team of 20 recently appointed Vice-Chancellors arrived at The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Headquarters in Jamaica from Nigeria, hosted by Vice‑Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles.

The initiative originated in a request from the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) as part of its plan to expose emerging university leaders to The UWI’s success and legacy in dealing with the relations between national and global issues. All universities, especially in the Global South, are forging survival and sustainable strategies in the international higher education sector.

Nigeria has some 140 public universities and a similar number of private institutions. The UWI is recognised as a highly successful and respected brand, ranked by the Times Higher Education (THE) among the top 3.6% of the world’s 33,000 universities.

PhD student Shamelle Rice has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Award for Excellence in the category of Public and Civic Contributions.

Shamelle is a fierce and vibrant leader who exemplifies feminist transformational leadership. She founded and directs Jabez House, Barbados’ flagship organisation which serves women sex workers and their families, one of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in Barbados who disproportionately experience gendered and sexual violence, poverty and social and economic marginality.

From economic empowerment to psychosocial support, community building to skills training, Jabez House prioritises the needs of sex-working women from across the Caribbean, affirming their right to be, their right to a good life and to decent work.  This is life-giving and sustaining work to which Shamelle has been committed since 2012, and which has reached over 800 women from several Caribbean countries.

As Barbados joins the rest of the world in marking World Cancer Day, new national data reveal that nearly 1,000 Barbadians are diagnosed with cancer each year, with too many cases still being identified at a late stage—when treatment is more difficult and survival rates are lower.

According to the latest findings from the Barbados National Registry (BNR), covering the years 2013 to 2022, cancer incidence in Barbados remains higher than the global average. In 2022 alone, 983 new cancer cases were recorded, affecting approximately one in every 300 people on the island.

The report shows that breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers continue to be the most common and the deadliest. Prostate cancer accounts for nearly half of all cancers diagnosed among men, while breast cancer remains the leading cancer among women. Colorectal cancer affects both sexes and continues to be a major cause of illness and death.  Although slightly more women are diagnosed with cancer overall, men experience higher cancer rates, largely driven by prostate cancer.