Science Media Centre - Press Briefings

Our briefings for journalists fall into three categories - Horizon Scanning, News-Related Backgrounders and News Briefings.

These briefings fit well with the Centre's brief on a number of levels: helping us to provide the media with access to accurate, evidence based information about controversial subjects; enabling scientists to be more pro-active and on the front-foot about issues likely to arouse public concern; and helping journalists to scan the horizon and get background information on stories they will be covering in the coming months.

Having initially planned to hold a briefing per month, the Centre now has on average one a week. All are well attended by the national media and despite often being offered as backgrounders, most have resulted in positive media coverage. When the Centre solicited the media reaction to our first year's activities, the briefings won a huge vote of confidence with over 20 journalists from the national media saying that the briefings were consistently high quality and extremely useful for background and good stories.

The subjects for these briefings emerge from the on-going dialogue that the Centre's staff have with scientists, science press officers and journalists.

One of the advantages of the Centre's independence is our ability to bring scientists from different scientific institutions onto the same platform. For example our briefing on the science behind waste brought together four scientists funded by four different Research Councils; our briefing on the Hashmi case saw the family sharing a platform with the HFEA, the BMA and the IVF specialist form Nottingham.

Although stem cells are widely believed to offer tremendous hope for treatments in the future, so far no stem cell medical treatments have received market authorisation. Leading scientists are alarmed that a growing number of patients are spending large sums of money going abroad to access unregulated and unproven stem cell treatments which offer little or no benefit and at worst can be detrimental to health.

Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London have pioneered a new approach to reduce problematic drinking and drug abuse in secondary school children. Their research showed that teaching teenagers coping skills based on personality traits such as anxiety, negative thinking and impulsivity, reduced the amount of alcohol consumed and binge drinking, and that a similar approach also reduced cocaine use.

The Zoological Society of London has been facing a difficult decision over whether to introduce a new male gorilla to its group. The death of the previous male left three females, one pregnant, whose welfare may suffer in the absence of a male. However, with the introduction of a new male comes a risk of infanticide for the pregnant female’s offspring. Experts from ZSL came to the SMC to announce the result of their decision.

The 2009 State of the Climate report was published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Wednesday 28 July. As part of this report, climate scientists at the Met Office Hadley Centre compiled data from multiple independent analyses directly related to surface temperature. The scientists came to the SMC to discuss trends revealed by the data.

A new edition of the diagnostic 'bible' for mental health medicine is a highly anticipated event, but with the latest draft guidelines expanded to now include temper tantrums among toddlers and heartache over a lost spouse, some experts are asking whether anyone can now be classified as normal. The authors of a special issue of the Journal of Mental Health came to the SMC to discuss these concerns.

In what is now an annual event, the SMC invited the Home Office to announce the numbers of animals used in research in 2009 and to publish their inspection report, while leading scientists who use animals in their research reacted to the figures and put them into the context of scientific developments.

With the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) currently the subject of much media interest, the SMC invited its Chief Executive, Andrew Dillon, to answer journalists' questions and explain what NICE really do, and why they do it.

In this background briefing, UK experts on engineering, security, data protection and consumer engagement discussed smart meters and grids as a means of managing supply and demand of electricity in the UK, in the context of government plans to "establish a smart grid and roll out smart meters."

Ahead of his first major speech as Science Minister, given at the Royal Institution, David Willetts gave a short briefing to UK national science journalists to summarise his views on directions for UK science.

California-based international stem cell and regenerative medicine expert Professor David Warburton talked about the landscape of stem cell research funding in California and the rest of the US, his previous breakthroughs in stem cell research and his current work.

The SMC hosted this Nature press briefing on the discovery of new fossil evidence regarding early humans settling in Norfolk.

The Independent Climate Change E-mails Review (ICCER), chaired by Sir Muir Russell, presented its final report into the emails hacked from computers at the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit last December.

In their new report, Geological Disposal: Steps towards implementation, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) presented early plans for development of a deep geological storage facility for nuclear waste, subject to selection of a suitable site.

Earlier this year, the Dutch Environment Agency (PBL) was asked to look into the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report on human influences on climate change, following the identification of an incorrect figure for the proportion of the Netherlands that is below sea level. At this briefing the IPCC authors involved responded to the PBL findings.

The SMC ran this briefing in advance of this year's Forum of European Neuroscience, featuring several top scientists talking about their latest research which will be reported at the conference. Topics included what yeast and mice can tell us about the human brain, identifying brain activity markers for mental health disorders, and using robots to understand human interactions.

Huntington's Disease (HD) is an incurable hereditary disorder of the central nervous system which affects muscle co-ordination and cognitive functions. Every child of someone with HD has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease; this level of genetic certainty medical science a chance of finding the key to unlocking the door for a whole range of more common neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons. The SMC ran this background briefing to coincide with a new study in the Lancet revealing unexpected new figures on the prevalence of the disease, the launch of an All Party Parliamentary Group on Huntington’s Disease.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has huge environmental, political and financial implications. For the 8 weeks since the start of the leak scientists have been striving to assess its size, nature and toxicity in order to work out just how much damage is being done. Various methods have been suggested to not only stem but also clean up the spill, each with huge consequences of its own. The SMC gathered experts in various aspects of this subject to brief journalists on the background to the spill, its size, its impact and what can be done to prevent similar accidents in the future.

This informal briefing was run to coincide with the annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). Leading experts from the British Fertility Society came to the SMC to discuss the leading research topics being presented at the conference and talk about the scientific background.

Pollinating insects such as honeybees, bumblebees, hoverflies and moths pollinate one third of the agricultural crops across the world, but they are vulnerable to threats including pests, diseases and environmental change, all of which have increased over the last five to ten years. This raises significant concern about our ability to feed a growing population set to reach 9 billion by 2050. Nine new projects totalling up to £10M are being funded by a consortium of public and charity funders, and leading researchers came to the SMC to discuss the challenges involved and the work being done to tackle them.

A major new study by Cardiff University and Ipsos MORI has examined public perceptions of climate change and future electricity generation options, as well as for the first time beliefs about energy security. It is the first major piece of independent academic research on British public attitudes to climate change following the recent climate controversies. Lead authors of the research came to the SMC to brief journalists on their findings.

Professor Sir David King, Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment and former Government Chief Scientific Adviser, discusses how we can reduce carbon emissions without reducing mobility ahead of the Smith School World Forum, the theme of which this year is 'Low Carbon Mobility: Land, Sea and Air'.

Researchers from the University of Bath briefed journalists on their findings of research into the impact of smokefree legislation on the rates of hospital admissions for heart attacks in England.

To mark the start of the greatest footballing show on earth, the SMC brought together some top experts on the science of football, including the man who tests the balls in wind tunnels, the expert who plans the training to deal with the heat, humidity and altitude; the doctor who cares for the metatarsals of the Premiership elite; the psychologist who can talk about what's going on in the minds of the players; and a researcher who has studied England's nemesis, the penalty...

The new coalition government appears enthusiastic about electric cars, indicating early its intention to build a national charging network. But a new report from the Royal Academy of Engineering has highlighted the challenge faced by the UK in ensuring that the electricity supply system can cope with charging tens of millions of vehicles and still reduce carbon emissions from power generation. Lead authors on the report came to the SMC to discuss the problems - and great potential - in mass adoption of electric vehicles.

The Motor Neurone Disease Association has announced its biggest ever funding for its first stem cell programme which will enable scientists to perform detailed studies on human motor neurons containing known causes of motor neuron disease (MND). Four leading scientists involved came to the SMC to tell journalists about the programme and its aims.

This briefing was run in collaboration with the Academy of Medical Sciences and looked at the regulation of healthcare research in the UK and its effect on patients and their access to new medicines.

The new Science Minister David Willetts came to the SMC to meet the UK's national science journalists and to discuss the new government's position on key issues.

Increasing mobile phone use has led to public concern about possible cancer risks. Interphone is an interview-based, case-control study of mobile phone use in adults and focuses on the two main types of brain tumour, glioma and meningioma. It was coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and carried out in 13 countries, of which much the largest contribution was from the UK. The UK researchers came to the SMC to talk about their findings.

This briefing, run in collaboration with The Lancet, launched a major new study of the mental health of the UK armed forces, covering issues such as the prevalence of mental health conditions like post traumatic stress disorder, patterns of alcohol misuse and the effect of multiple deployments on metal health.

The SMC hosted the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) for this briefing celebrating the 50th anniversary of the laser, and looking at what current research is taking place with lasers and what future applications the technology may bring.

Colorectal cancer is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide, and a major cause of death, but the value of screening programmes continues to be a source of much debate. In new research published in The Lancet, researchers have announced the findings of a UK-based trial, which started 16 years ago, to assess the merit of a single sigmoidoscopy lower bowel examination in patients aged 55-64 years to screen for colorectal cancer.

A new decades-long study, the cohort study on mobile communications (COSMOS) has been launched to investigate whether there is a link between the use of mobile phones and long-term health problems such as cancer. The UK arm of COSMOS is being led by a research team from Imperial College London, who came in to the SMC to talk about the research.

Swine flu was the biggest health story of last year, but for most people it only resulted in a mild illness. The SMC amassed some of the best experts in swine flu to talk various aspects of last year's outbreak, including what we knew and didn't know, whether the reaction was appropriate, how far we've come since then and whether we're now prepared for the next big virus that comes our way.

This briefing launched a consultation run by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics on how to respond to the high demand for human organs and tissue for donations and research, and the ethics of how to encourage more people to donate bodily materials such as organs, eggs and sperm.

An alliance including the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) has conducted an enquiry into the factors propelling us toward a global water crisis, and how engineering can help to avoid it. The resulting report, Global Water Security, looks at the various responses already being applied around the world as well as making recommendations for new approaches, both globally and UK-specific.

This briefing presented the report of the Science Assessment Panel chaired by Lord Oxburgh following its assessment of the integrity of the research published by the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia. This was followed by the University of East Anglia's response to the report.

Researchers from Newcastle University have succeeded in using a DNA transfer technique to remove damaged mitochondria (the energy-generating components of cells), thereby preventing a class of diseases caused by damage to the DNA carried by mitochondria, which is different to that present in the nucleus of the cell.

Although relatively little is known about the brain and the way it works, advancing technology is giving us vital clues about how we can begin to tackle brain damage. This briefing featured leading experts discussing topics including the use of stem cells to fill the cavities caused by stroke and inducing damaged neurones to regenerate.

The SMC hosted the House of Commons Science & Technology Committee for this briefing to present the report of its inquiry into the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit, following on from the leaking of emails from UEA servers last November.

The European Space Agency's CryoSat-2 mission is designed to accurately measure the shape and thickness of Arctic and Antarctic ice and will allow scientists to assess how melting polar ice affects ocean circulation patterns, sea level and global climate. Key scientists involved with the mission came to the SMC to talk about its key aims ahead of the launch.

This briefing was run in collaboration with the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution to launch its latest report on how UK institutions should adapt to climate change and initiate action to build adaptive capacity.

The subject of vitamin D is a controversial one that has been clouded with loud voices concerned with the health impacts from not getting enough, versus a strong message against excessive exposure to sunlight. The SMC amassed some key experts to discuss what impact vitamin D has on the immune system, asthma, type 2 diabetes, tuberculosis and what the latest epidemiological studies show on who's getting enough and who isn't.

Antibiotic resistance is a growing health problem; health experts now only have a few antibiotics left that they can rely on and even these are now at risk. However, publicly-funded research has led to a new chemical pathway that could lead to new types of antibiotics. Experts from the John Innes Centre in Norwich discussed the new research.

With the enactment of the Climate Change Bill on 26 November 2008, the UK has committed itself to at least 80% reduction of greenhouse gases by 2050. In a new report, Generating the future: UK energy systems fit for 2050, the Royal Academy of Engineering has considered how this revised target can be delivered.

In a new report, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) argues that, to ensure a secure and reliable power supply, the UK faces a choice: as well as pursuing the large-scale deployment of renewables, we must either sustain (or increase) our reliance on fossil fuel generation, or commit to a second wave of nuclear build from 2025 onwards. Key authors of the report came to the SMC to discuss the report and the decisions that we face on nuclear new build.

A new review of the latest climate research, led by the UK Met Office, was published this week in Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Climate Change. The paper falls between IPCC Assessment Reports and reviews progress on detection and attribution since AR4 (2007) with a particular focus on regional changes, and drawing conclusions about human influence over various aspects of climate. Two of the authors presented their findings at the SMC.

It's a poorly kept secret that the NHS is not good at dealing with pain - especially of the long term chronic type that causes misery to millions worldwide. The SMC discovered that there is frenetic activity in the field of pain research and clinical practise, and invited five of the UK's top pain researchers and clinicians to bring journalists up to date on the latest developments.

An analysis of the future of land use in the UK by Foresight, the futures think tank based in the Government Office for Science, covers the whole spectrum of land use from urban to rural. It looks at the major challenges in land use across the UK over the next 50 years, including climate change, flooding and water shortages.

The Catlin Arctic Survey 2010 is a scientific mission to assess how rising acidity is affecting the balance of life in the Arctic Ocean. Setting off in March 2010, it will involve nine weeks of extreme field work and long range expedition. Research teams from Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche and the Institute of Ocean Science (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) will be joining a shoreline Ice Base to conduct their own 'acid test' programmes to improve understanding of the state of the Arctic Ocean itself and the impact of rising CO2 absorption on essential forms of marine life.

With livestock diseases posing a real and growing threat to global food security and livelihoods in developing countries, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Department for International Development (DFID) have announced £13M of major new research projects to tackle the livestock disease threat. The Chair of the initiative came to the SMC along with leading scientists to launch the programme and discuss the threats posed by livestock disease.

The SMC hosted the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee for this briefing to launch the Committee's report on homeopathy, including the evidence for its effectiveness and whether it should be made available through the NHS.

The independent Climate Change Email Review was announced in December 2009 after emails from the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit were hacked and published online. Sir Muir Russell, Chair of the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland and former Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, was appointed to lead the review. At this briefing Sir Muir introduced members of the team, explain the remit of the review and clarify the issues that it will be investigating.

Prof Sir Michael Marmot was asked to lead an independent review into the perceived widespread persistence of health inequalities in England, and to give an evidence-based strategy for future policies. With the Review now completed, key authors of the report announced their conclusions at the Science Media Centre.

New research published in the journal PLoS ONE examines the long-term effects of badger culling and its effectiveness in reducing the transmission of cattle TB by wild badgers. Lead authors of the research presented their work and addressed some of these issues.

Following the controversy over leaked emails from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit, along with a cold winter and an underwhelming summit meeting in Copenhagen, public perception of climate science and scientists is at a low ebb. The SMC organised this briefing with three senior scientists to review the evidence provided by climate science and talk about any uncertainty in science, what damage has been done by recent scandals and where we go from here.

PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluoroctane sulphonate) are byproducts formed in the manufacture of non-stick surfaces, flame-resistant and waterproof items. There is evidence from animal models that this family of chemicals (PFCs) can cause thyroid hormone imbalance and previous studies have also suggested workers exposed to very high PFOA may have changes in their thyroid hormone levels. In this first study of its kind, experts have investigated whether there is any evidence of such a link in the general population. To coincide with publication, the authors came to the SMC to brief journalists on their findings.

The Royal Academy of Engineering has published a new report detailing the challenges facing the built environment in the 21st century, including meeting 2050 targets to cut carbon emissions from buildings and to make all buildings carbon-neutral by 2020. The speakers outlined the emerging discipline of building engineering physics, which enables designers to manipulate the characteristics of buildings to improve energy efficiency, and argued for government to prioritise the training of skilled people to carry out essential engineering work.

The Science Media Centre hosted the media launch of David Nutt's new Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs, following his sacking from the governments Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). Four scientists, including Professor Nutt, briefed journalists on the background to the new council and its plans.

The potential of stem cells as a treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) has been widely reported, but whether they will fulfil that potential remains unclear. A new £1million partnership between the MS Society and the UK Stem Cell Foundation (UKSCF) will, for the first time, provide specific funding for stem cell research in MS. Experts in the field briefed journalists on what the future holds, in particular, the promise of neural stem cells and the possibilities for repairing the damaged central nervous system.

The SMC hosted members of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee for this briefing on the use of nanotechnology in the food industry, how these technologies are likely to develop and whether, and where, regulation might be necessary. The briefing launches the Committee's report on the issue.

Following on from a recent paper published in Science, which purported to show a link between chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and a particular virus, researchers at Imperial College London analysed blood samples from 186 CFS patients and found that none carried the virus, casting doubt on the previous findings. The new findings are published in the journal PLoS One.

The Mental Health Foundation has published a new report on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), a relatively new therapy which has been proven to cut relapse rates for those who experience more than two episodes of depression, and has been recommended for recurrent depression by NICE since 2004. However, access for GPs and their patients remains low. The authors of the report came to the SMC to talk about what MBCT involves, its benefits and evidence base, and how to make it more easily available.