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’s 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.

For details about forthcoming briefings, please contact Simon Levey smc@sciencemediacentre.org / 0207 670 2980.

Here is a list of the briefings we held in 2006 and 2007:

**Please note, this part of the site is undergoing redevelopment and we do not have the latest details. For more information, contact us at smc@sciencemediacentre.org

23 April 2007
More human than humans: can we have robots with morals?

18 April 2007
Risks to UK stem cell science

17 April 2007
The way we farm: pros and cons

3 April 2007
Depression and the body

2 April 2007
Radiation risks to human health

27 March 2007
Nanotechnology: has the Government done enough?

26 March 2007
Privacy in a surveillance society

21 March 2007
Radical new framework to classify drugs

20 March 2007
Adolescent vaccination: the big new challenge

16 March 2007
Innovations in gene therapy: news from the British Society for Gene Therapy Annual Conference

13 March 2007
Fighting superbugs

8 March 2007
International rock stars to map the world

5 March 2007
Can microgeneration solve our energy problems?

2 March 2007
Translation medicine: an introduction to the MRC’s 6 new centres and their directors

20 February 2007
Mesothelioma: a ticking time bomb

19 February 2007
The science of health economics

12 February 2007
Connecting for Health: Will e-health make us healthier?
Leading medical and computer experts presented their thoughts on the major benefits to medical research and patient care that they believe should be brought about by the much criticised NHS Connecting for Health and the National Programme for IT.

6 February 2007
Long term nuclear waste management: The next steps?
The Science Media Centre invited key authors of this major international report on nuclear waste management to brief journalists on their recommendations in light of the UK Government's CORWM report of 2006. They discussed the suitability of the various potential sites for burial, the prospect of sealing the repositories and made recommendations for future action by the Government.

29 January 2007
Forensic Science and Technology
Forensic techniques are now widely used in crime cases and new techniques are even being used retrospectively to solve old crimes. The Science Media Centre invited scientists to brief the press on the current issues in forensic science, DNA technology, and new technologies for solving crimes.

18 January 2007
Research provides tools to measure farming’s impact on our environment
The Science Media Centre invited the authors of an important piece of research (published this week in Science) that has developed an entirely new system for measuring the impacts of novel ways of farming on biodiversity. The paper describes what is in effect a ‘crystal ball’ for biodiversity that allows us to predict how farmland biodiversity might look in 20-30 years time in response to decisions about farming taken today.

9 January 2007
Crop science – exploiting genetics for better crops
A press briefing run jointly with the BBSRC to announce £13.3M of funding for 17 of new projects which will exploit genetics to improve the sustainability of agriculture and help to address various issues for farming, food processing, nutrition and biofuels.

4 January 2007
Stem cell breakthroughs under threat?
As pointed out in our press release reacting to the DH White paper (Review of Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act) published before Christmas, leading scientists fear that the Government may be planning to ban procedures which propose to transfer human genetic material into host animal eggs for research (otherwise known as chimeras) because of public concerns voiced in response to the DH consultation. The Science Media Centre has invited representatives of the three groups who are applying to the HFEA for a license to do this research to brief journalists on why they believe it is essential and voice their concerns about any moves to delay or ban it. Speakers included Professor Ian Wilmut, (Edinburgh) Dr Lyle Armstrong (Newcastle), Professor Stephen Minger (Kings College London), Professor Chris Shaw (Kings College London) and Professor Anne McLaren (Cambridge).

18 December 2006
News from the British Pharmacological Society Winter Conference
Scientists briefing journalists in advance of the British Pharmacological Society Winter meeting discussed gender differences in cardiovascular disease (with specific reference to the role of HRT in protecting against CVD in post-menopausal women) and also the development of bacterial resistance to drugs and novel approaches to tackle this problem.

12 December 2006
Weatherall Report launch
The Weatherall Report examines the scientific basis for recent, current and future use of non-human primates in biological and medical research. Sir David Weatherall FRS, chair of the working group, came to the Science Media Centre to present the recommendations and outlined the key issues highlighted in the report.

11 December 2006
Asthma and allergy research
Leading experts from the MRC-Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma to brief journalists on their latest research and questions on increasing asthma occurence and the most promising treatments in development.

7 December 2006
Launch of Duff report
The Northwick Park clinical trials tragedy was probably one of the biggest science stories of 2006 with many questions raised about what went wrong and how such an incident could be prevented in future. The Science Media Centre invited Professor Gordon Duff, Chair of the Expert Scientific Group, to brief journalists about their recommendations.

4 December 2006
Behaviour and health – What makes a difference?
The Science Media Centre invited key speakers from the United Kingdom Society of Behavioural Medicine 2nd Scientific Meeting to brief the press on their findings on how behaviour can affect obesity, fitness and activity levels.

1 December 2006
Using Gene Therapy to treat Cystic Fibrosis
In the week that Gordon Brown's son was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, the Science Media Centre brought together leading experts to talk to the media about using Gene Therapy to treat this common genetically inherited disease. Topics included how it works, what progress has been made so far and when would this treatment be available.

28 November 2006
A morning with James Lovelock: Global heating
The SMC invited leading environmentalist, Professor James Lovelock, brief journalists ahead of him delivering 5th John Collier Lecture for the Institution of Chemical Engineers. Lovelock, who is well-known for his ‘Gaia Theory’ addressed the consequences of climate change and argued that the widely used expression ‘global warming’ fails to convey the scale of the potential tragedy facing humankind.

21 November 2006
Psychosis and ethnicity – New research from the AESOP study
Scientists from the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, briefed the media on new research coming out of their longitudinal ‘AESOP’ study. They discussed new observations about the link between psychosis and ethnicity and explained that there is good evidence that long term separation from one or both parents is one of many contributing factors.

15 November 2006
Critical care decisions in fetal and neonatal medicine: ethical issues
Advances in medicine mean that families and health professionals can be faced with very difficult decisions about the care of extremely premature or seriously ill babies. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics panel briefed the media on the scientific issues raised, ahead of the report launch.

1 November 2006
Location technology: Savior or stalker
Scientists from both sides of the Atlantic with expertise in computer and information technology came together to discuss the pros and cons of location technology in front of journalists from the Sunday papers. Unfortunately the report on surveillance and privacy from the Information Commissioner’s office gesumpt this briefing. We lifted the embargo to allow for coverage by BBC Online and BBC World Service. And fortunately The Observer was still able to run the article.

31 October 2006
Nuffield Council on Bioethics: Forensic use of DNA
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics briefed the media on the launch of a working group which will examine the ethics around the forensic use of DNA. This includes the National DNA database, which has been a topic of controversy in the media in recent times.

30 October 2006
Arctic climate change: What’s to gain?
During the IMarEST ‘Arctic Workshop’ scientists took time out to brief journalists on the possible consequences of climate change for the artic region – the negative ecological consequences but also some economic advantages. Some strong positive outcomes for the fishing and sea transport industries as well as for oil and gas exploration arose from the discussion, all of which add further controversy to the issue of climate change.

24 October 2006
From the lab to the plate: Nanotechnology and food
In conjunction with the Institute of Nanotechnology ‘Nano and Microtechnologies in the Food and Healthfood Industries conference’ scientists briefed the media on nanotechnologies for the food industry.

18 October 2006
HFEA independent experts report on IVF and multiple births
The Science Media Centre ran the press launch for the report of the independent Expert Group on Multiple Births after IVF. This group was set up to report back to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority on recommendations to reduce the number of multiple births after IVF treatment.

12 October 2006
Techology vs. Terrorism: The science of security
Experts from the UCL Centre for Security and Crime Science and the EPSRC briefed the media on up and coming technologies aimed at avoiding security threats.

2 October 2006
The science of abortion time limits
The Science Media Centre brought together three leading scientists in the field to brief journalists on the current state of science on foetal viability and to answer questions about the science surrounding time limits on abortion.

21 September 2006
Met Office Winter forecast
Met Office experts came to the Science Media Centre to offer their weather forecast for winter 2006/7. They discussed the possibilities for the coming months and the likelihood of a warmer/colder than average or wetter/drier than average winter. The odds were pretty even for all outcomes this year so as tradition has it, anything could happen with regard to the British weather! The forecasters also discussed the imminent consequences of Hurricane Gordon.

18 September 2006
New research on acne drug and depression
A researcher from Bath University, Dr Sarah Bailey, gave a short media briefing where talked journalists through the findings of her research into the link between a commonly used acne drug and depression. To date, the only evidence for a link has come from individual patients and is mostly anecdotal. Dr Bailey's work with mice in a laboratory provides the first scientific evidence and provides a useful model for future research.

30 August 2006
Commencement of the Human Tissue Act on 1 September 2006
In a briefing hosted by the Science Media Centre, members of the Human Tissue Authority briefed the media on changes heralded by the Human Tissue Act which was about to come into action. This generated a tremendous volume of coverage, particularly of the story stating that the wishes of the deceased will take priority with regard to organ donation.

22 August 2006
Could a Hurricane Katrina style flood happen in the UK?
Climate change, flooding, flood risk and flood defense experts came together at the Science Media Centre to outline the future risks to UK populations of flooding. They described how the coincidence of several weather and tidal phenomena could put certain parts of the UK at extreme risk of severe floods.

7 August 2006
Probiotics – what do we know about 'friendly bacteria'?
In a briefing held jointly with the Society for Applied Microbiology, experts on bacteria in the gut explained the importance of balancing bacteria, discussed examples where ‘good’ bacteria can help treat serious disorders, and emphasised the importance of the quality and quantity of bacteria in probiotic food products.

1 August 2006
Biofuels – the end of our addition to oil?
In the context of rising emissions and depleting oil reserves, experts on biofuels discussed the possibilities for the future.

31 July 2006
Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) final report launch
Science Media Centre hosted a press briefing with members of the CoRWM committee to present their final report on storage and disposal of radioactive waste.

24 July 2006
Statistics of scientific procedures on living animals
Science Media Centre hosted a press briefing to allow the Home Office to inform the media of the details of the annual statistics on the use of living animals in scientific procedures. The report was laid before parliament at the same time, and the briefing was an opportunity for journalists to ask questions about the statistics, how they are compiled and what they mean.

24 July 2006
Storage and use of newborn babies’ blood spots
Blood spots from the heels of newborn babies are an amazing resource for scientists, providing them with DNA to use as a baseline for important medical research on diseases like HIV and Leukaemia; screening for some rare but serious conditions; public health monitoring and helping the police for forensic purposes. The Science Media Centre has invited some of the UK’s leading experts on the results of a major public consultation on the storage and use of bloodspots.

18 July 2006
‘Drugs Rumble’ to mark 75th anniversary of British Pharmacological Society
The Science Media Centre invited five of the UK’s leading pharmacologists to answer questions on the hot topics in pharmacology now and into the future including their views on: the future of clinical trials; drug safety and issues raised by controversies over Vioxx and anti-depressants; animal testing; and concerns raised over prescription errors by trained practitioners in the UK's hospitals.

17 July 2006
New studies from Twins Research Unit
Scientists launched the results of two studies, from the Twins Research Unit, St Thomas' Hospital, London. One linked low socio-economic status and higher rate of white-blood-cell telomere attrition; a factor known to affect life expectancy. The second study investigated whether the psychological identities of twins are more attributed to genetic likeness or environmental similarity.

27 June 2006
Will the Colombia Shuttle disaster happen again?
As British-born astronaut Piers Sellers prepares for Space Shuttle Discovery's launch on July 1, the reasons behind the Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster are still being investigated and rectified. The manager of NASA's Failure Analysis and Materials Evaluation Branch presented new findings into the shuttle disaster.

26 June 2006
Epigenetics - the post-genomic era
Background briefing on 'epigenetics' - a phenomenon that adds a new level of complexity to the way genes are turned on and off, hinting at how our environment can change the way genes are expressed and may have a lasting impact on future generations.

14 June 2006
Preimplantation genetic haplotyping - a paradigm shift for embryo diagnosis
Professor Peter Braude and his collaborators at Guys and St Thomas' Hospital presented their work on preimplantation genetic haplotyping (PGH) and answered questions on how this new type of PGD will allow them to use the technique to avoid more genetic diseases.

12 June 2006
Epidemic planning - Avian Flu and Foot and Mouth Disease
The DEFRA Science Advisory Council subgroup on Epidemic Diseases (SAC-ED) briefed the media on their latest recommendations for Avian Flu contingency planning and the science behind policy on foot and mouth disease.

8 June 2006
Draft guidance on Herceptin
Cancer experts answered questions from journalists about the draft guidance published by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) on Herceptin for use in early breast cancer.
Also see our Round up on this announcement.

6 June 2006
How to build a nuclear power station - The realities of nuclear new build
Scientific experts briefed journalists on the realities of building new nuclear power stations, what they look like, issues surrounding the building of new reactors in the UK and how will the new breed of nuclear power stations be any different?

2 June 2006
Primate Research
Leading scientists talked about their research on primates and the launch of a new booklet published by the Wellcome Trust and MRC (Medical Research Council) which is aims to provide the public with an accurate insight into why and how primates are used in medical research.

18 May 2006
Consultation launch - ethical issues in public health
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics launched a four-month consultation on ethical issues surrounding public health and members of the Working Party briefed the media in advance of the public launch.

15 May 2006
Mental health of UK personnel deployed in 2003 Iraq war
Psychiatrists presented their new research published in the Lancet investigates the mental health of soldiers deployed in the 2003 Iraq War, based on extensive interviews with soldiers who were deployed to Iraq for the war and subsequent tours of duty.

9 May 2006
Former Soviet weapons scientists visit the UK
Former weapons scientists are being supported by the International Science and Technology Centre in Moscow to use their research skills for peaceful aims. A group of these scientists briefed the media on their current work.

4 May 2006
Nanotechnology on the high street
Following a huge scare in Germany a few weeks ago when an apparently new nano cleaning product was withdrawn after over 100 people were rushed to hospital after using it, the SMC invited leading nanotechnology producers and scientists to discuss the impact of that health scare and answer other questions about this new science.

25 April 2006
Human Tissue Legislation - what does it mean for professionals and the public?
The new Human Tissue Authority (HTA) opens for business, and issues its first ever licence today. Key members of the Authority and clinical professionals briefed the media on the development of the legislation, the scope of the Authority's regulatory powers and the effect on research, medicine, patients and the public.

19 April 2006
Launch of People's Petition
The Science Media Centre hosted the launch of the People's Petition, a pro-animal research petition started by the Coalition for Medical Progress.

6 April 2006
Avian Flu - infected swan confirmed in the UK
A whooper swan found dead in Cellerdyke, Scotland has tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu. Leading scientists Dr Bob McCracken, Dr Jim Robertson, Dr Alan Hay and Dr Azra Ghani answered questions from the media on what this means for the UK.
Also see our Round up on this announcement.

4 April 2006
Launch of new report on animal suffering
Both the Nuffield Foundation and the House of Lords select committee on animal research called for a new system of measuring suffering in animal research. Science Media Centre launched a report published by the Animal Procedures Committee (APC) and the Laboratory Animal Science Association (LASA), which includes the results of a pilot exercise.

27 March 2006
50th anniversary of the contraceptive pill
Together with our friends in the Society for Endocrinology, the Science Media Centre has brought together some of the UK's leading experts to brief the media on current and future developments in contraception.

22 March 2006
Latest research into childhood leukaemia
Leading scientists arrived in the UK to attend a conference that will focus on new and revised treatments and the latest ideas regarding the causes and epidemiology of childhood leukaemia. Key speakers brief the media on some expected outcomes of the conference.

21 March 2006
Mapping the underworld - don't dig there!
New projects funded by the DTI and EPSRC will create 3D sub-surface maps, trial new sensor technologies for finding pipes and tagging systems for newly buried pipes to ensure that they never get lost again. Top engineers brief the media on the improvements this could bring.

17 March 2006
Are clinical trials safe?
In the wake of the Parexel clinical trial tragedy, the SMC is bringing some of the UK's leading experts on clinical trials to answer the big questions raised regarding safety of biological treatments (like monoclonal antibodies) and the use of laboratory testing.
Also see our Round up on this announcement.

16 March 2006
Launch of new report by ACRE
In response to a request from the Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs, ACRE (Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment) is publishing their report on the wider implications of the Farm Scale Evaluations of genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops. Scientists propose a detailed approach to regulating new technologies and present case studies of how it could work in practise.

13 March 2006
UK Biobank - controversial project finally takes off
After years of planning, the start-up phase of one of UK science's most controversial projects - the gathering and storage of information and biological samples from half a million British people - gets underway mid-March. The project leaders briefed the media about its objectives, its design and its ethics.

3 March 2006
Avian Flu - if it hits the UK....
With the imminent infection of UK bird populations, experts brief the media on questions such as: Is it safe to eat chicken and eggs? How will this affect the UK poultry industry? What measures should the person in the street take to avoid avian flu? Who is most at risk? What does it mean for wild birds?

24 February 2006
Stem cell policy and practice
The world's leading stem cell scientists and bioethicists from 14 different countries attended a conference in Cambridge to explore the challenges that scientists, universities and scientific journals face across national boundaries. The SMC invited several attendees to brief the media on the main conclusions of the conference and the formation of the new 'Hinxton Group' for stem cell policy.

23 February 2006
UK Drought 2006 - what does the future hold?
Two hydrologists and an ecologist from the NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) briefed the media on the potentially dramatic consequences of this winter's dry spell for the UK's ecology.

20 February 2006
Avian Flu - which treatments work?
There is a vast array of products out there from elderberry extracts to mega doses of vitamin C to sauer kraut, oregano oil, colloidal silver, aloe vera, and garlic. Each one claims efficacy against H5N1 avian flu, but do any of them actually work? Experts explain whether these wild and wonderful treatments work, as well as conventional anti-viral drugs.

2 February 2006
Nanotechnology and human health: an inventory of risk-related research
Over the next decade, there will be an onslaught of nanotech products that hold great promise for revolutionizing how we manufacture products, communicate with each other, and treat disease. But with this technology comes a number of uncertainties about health, safety and environmental impacts. Dr Andrew Maynard briefed journalists on his recently compiled inventory on government-funded nanotechnology research.

23 January 2006
Alzheimer's community react to NICE decision on drugs
In a briefing held jointly with the Alzheimer's society, researchers and charities gave their first reaction to the NICE announcement on the provision of dementia drugs.

20 January 2006
Mobile phones and gliomas
A new study published in the 'British Medical Journal' shows that there is no link between mobile phone use and glioma - the most common form of adult brain tumour. Two of the scientists who carried out the study presented their findings and explained how the data fits into the context of past and future research into mobile phone safety.

17 January 2006
Accessing Personal data for medical research
The SMC ran a press briefing to launch a report by the Academy of Medical Sciences. The report highlighted bureaucracy, confusing regulations and constraints on researchers' access to health data. Three authors of the report presented their findings.

16 January 2006
Climate change and energy: Does the public see a need for new nuclear power?
As the Government began its new review on the future of UK energy, we revealed the results of an extensive survey of British public attitudes and discuss what they say about public support for nuclear, renewables and the need to tackle climate change.

12 January 2006
The impact of Hwang Investigation findings on UK cloning research
As investigations from South Korea confirm the scientific community's worst fears about the level of fraudulent data from Hwang's team, the SMC has responded to the media's requests for a background briefing about the impact of the crisis on cloning research. The following scientists answered questions from journalists on cloning research in the UK: Alison Murdoch, Stephen Minger, Chris Shaw, Robin Lovell-Badge, Anne McLaren.

5 January 2006
Fertility Rumble
Journalists were given the chance to question leading fertility experts on procedures currently under review or public consultation by the DOH or HFEA. These topics included sex selection, regulating IVF, PGD for late onset disorders, single-embryo transfer, the post-code lottery on access and on quality.

4 January 2006
Infectious disease - challenges for the future
At a major international conference organised by the Society for Applied Microbiology, scientists have been addressing questions on the impact of climate change on infectious disease; pandemic flu planning; and improvements in TB vaccines. Key speakers briefed journalists on the major conclusions as the conference draws to a close in London.