Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to NHS Digital report on childhood vaccination coverage
Reactions to a report published by the NHS from Public Health England (PHE) on the decline in coverage of childhood vaccinations.
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expert reaction to conference abstract on paracetamol in infants and asthma in teenagers
Reaction to the conference abstract from the European Respiratory Society International Congress that shows evidence of association between early life paracetamol use and decreased lung function in adolescence. read more
expert reaction to schizophrenia and immune cells in the brain
Research published in Molecular Psychiatry that identifies immune cells in greater amounts in the brains of some people with schitozophrenia. read more
expert reaction to three studies looking at aspirin use in healthy old people and bleeding, disability-free survival, cardiovascular events and death
Researchers, publishing in the New England Journal of Medicine, report that there was high mortality rates among healthy older adults who received daily aspirin than among those how received a placebo.
expert reaction to study looking at BPA (Bisphenol A) replacements in plastics and potential reproductive problems in lab mice
Research published in Science that shows the use of a plastic additive (Bisphenol A) is linked to potential reproductive problems in mice. read more
student suicide – what does the science say?
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in adolescents and young adults in the UK and there is currently alarm about suicides amongst university students. read more
expert reaction to study looking at dairy consumption, cardiovascular disease and death
A study published in The Lancet that shows dairy consumption is associated with a lower risk of mortality and major cardiovascular disease events in a multinational cohort. read more
expert reaction to HFEA report on trends in egg freezing
A Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) report on the value, success rate and increase of egg freezing. read more
expert reaction to greenhouse gas removal report
A joint report by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society presents an ambitious plan for how the UK can lead the way in deploying greenhouse gas removal (GGR) technologies to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. read more
foundation for responsible robotics report on drones in the service of society
Like all new technologies drones can be used for good or ill. Drones are frequently used to target militants in conflict, but they can also find and save casualties during environmental catastrophes. The Foundation for Responsible Robotics turned their attention to the risks and benefits of drones and to that end published a consultation report in the Hague. read more
Water, weather and climate change
This summer’s much vaunted hosepipe ban was called off at the eleventh hour as was the SMC’s emergency briefing on the ban. The briefing was adjusted to discuss broader issues including the likelihood of future bans, the influence of climate change and what is being done to protect water resources. read more
expert reaction to reported cases of monkeypox
Expert reaction to the first reported case of monkeypox in the UK as confirmed by Public Health England. read more
greenhouse gas removal – a joint report
A joint report by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society presents an ambitious plan for how the UK can lead the way in deploying greenhouse gas removal (GGR) technologies to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It is the first time that a range of GGR technologies have been assessed for their real-world potential in being used together to meet climate goals in the UK over the next 30 years. read more
expert reaction to study on use of statins in older people
Researchers, publishing in the BMJ, have reported that statins do not have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease in healthy adults between the ages of 75 and 84. read more
expert reaction to potential new antibiotic
Researchers, publishing in Nature Communications, reported a potential new antibiotic candidate called albomycin δ2. read more
air pollution and death
Researchers, publishing in PNAS, looked at global estimates of mortality associated with longterm exposure air pollution. A roundup accompanied this Before the … read more
expert reaction to air pollution and death
Researchers, publishing in PNAS, looked at global estimates of mortality associated with longterm exposure air pollution. read more
expert reaction to children born through ivf and risk of hypertension as published in journal of the american college of cardiology
Researchers, publishing in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, reported that adolescents who were born through assisted reproductive technologies had higher blood pressure than those who were conceived naturally. read more
expert reaction to using cripsr/cas9 genome editing to target duchenne muscular dystrophy mutations in a canine model
Researchers, publishing in Science, reported that they were able to restore the expression of dystrophin using genome editing in a canine model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. read more
expert reaction to implant for stopping seizures in mice
Researchers, publishing in Science Advances, reported that they had implanted an ion pump into the brain of a rodent model of epilepsy which was able to prevent seizures. read more