Rapid Reactions: responding to breaking news. The demands of the 24-hour media machine mean that news journalists often don’t have the luxury of time to track down the best scientists when a science story lands on their desks, so availability can sometimes win out over expertise. This is where the Science Media Centre steps in. When a story breaks – whether it’s the latest flu epidemic, health scare or a potential nuclear crisis – the SMC persuades leading experts to drop everything and engage with the story, then contacts journalists at all the major news outlets to offer those experts for interviews or immediate comment.
Roundups: putting new research into context. One of the other ways the SMC ensures that the media have easy access to scientists and their views is by offering journalists a variety of comments from scientists reacting to the latest research. This service differs from our ‘Rapid Reactions’ as scientists have time to react before new research is announced, rather than in response to breaking news.
With access to embargoed journals before publication, we can pick stories of most interest to journalists, asking third party experts to provide comments and information to put research into context before it appears in the media. The SMC’s unique Roundups help busy journalists critically analyse the strengths and weaknesses of new research, and highlight when studies are very preliminary or display a correlation that should not be read as causation. Equally, when leading scientists are excited about a significant study this can reassure journalists that the study should feature strongly in their coverage.
Scientists comment on the Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report for 2025: Infections. Professor Arne Akbar, Chair of the British Society for … read more
Scientists comment on the launch of an independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and … read more
A study published in Community Mental Health Journal looks at perinatal experiences and mental health among new parents. Dr Kyla Vaillancourt, … read more
A study published in PLOS Biology looks at a trio supplement and the reversal of autism-linked behaviours in mice. Dr Tobias … read more
Scientists comment on a Government announcement on a UK-US pharmaceuticals deal and changes to NICE’s cost-effectiveness thresholds. Francis Ruiz, … read more
Scientists comment on new WHO guidelines for GLP-1 medications for the treatment of obesity, published by JAMA. Dr Marie Spreckley, … read more
A meta-analysis and systematic review published in eBioMedicine looks at nitrous oxide for the treatment of depression. Prof Hamish McAllister-Williams, … read more
experts comment on the draft recommendation (targeted screening programme should be pursued for men with a confirmed BRCA1 and BRCA2 … read more
A study published in BMC Medicine looks at polyphenol rich diets and cardiovascular disease risk. Tracy Parker, senior dietician at the … read more
Experts comment on the Autumn Budget. Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: … read more
Scientists comment on the Government’s North Sea Strategy. Dr Anupama Sen, Head of Policy Engagement at the Oxford Smith … read more
An observational study published in BMJ Mental Health looks at coffee consumption and biological ageing in those with severe mental disorders. … read more
*Quotes from our friends at SMC Spain* José C. Perales, professor in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University … read more
Experts comment on news from Novo Nordisk that semaglutide does not reduce Alzheimer’s Disease progression. Prof Paresh Malhotra, Group … read more
James Bamborough, Sustainability and Net Zero Policy Manager at the Institution of Engineering and Technology said: “COP30 in Belém has … read more
Experts comment on the PATHWAYS trial of puberty suppression in young people with gender incongruence having received all necessary regulatory … read more
experts comment on the closing stages of COP30 Dr Hannah Hughes, Senior Lecturer International Politics and Climate Change at Aberystwyth University, … read more
Comments focusing on paper 1 but also giving some comments more widely on the series: Prof Martin Warren, Chief Scientific … read more
Experts comment on the a Cloudflare outage. Prof Alan Woodward, Professor of Cybersecurity, University of Surrey, said: “Cloudflare provides … read more
A momentary assessment study published in JAMA Pediatrics looking at digital technology use and child well-being. Dr Jun Zhao, … read more
