Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to draft guidance from NICE recommending wider use of statins
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued draft guidance which recommends that doctors lower the threshold for prescribing statins for preventative treatment of cardiovascular disease. read more
expert reaction to continued flooding
Further commentary on the flooding situation in the UK, particularly related to climate change. read more
the science of flooding
Hydrologists and geologists working at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) and the British Geological Survey (BGS) came to the SMC to talk about the science behind flooding, including analysis of historic hydrological patterns, how scientific research is used to help predict floods, and examine possible future scenarios under climate change. read more
EU rules are denying children new cancer drugs
Current EU rules do not incentivise pharmaceutical companies to test cancer drugs in children, even though some childhood cancers have similar genetic and biochemical properties to some adult cancers. The Institute of Cancer Research, London (ICR), is calling for changes to the current system in the EU, to encourage pharma companies to test more of their drugs in children. read more
expert reaction to continued flooding
As storms continue to sweep into the UK and flooding in the Somerset Levels and many other areas worsen, experts comment on what impact dredging could have made, how rare this prolonged bad weather is, how we can expect conditions to develop, and the role of climate change. read more
expert reaction to new paper on temperature ‘slowdown’
An article published in Nature Climate Change looked at how strengthened Pacific trade winds can account for much of the recent slowdown in … read more
expert reaction to Government announcement on animal research
The Government outlined how it will work to reduce, replace and refine the use of animals in research. read more
Government announcement on animal research
The Government announced a Delivery Plan which explains how they are going to meet their commitment to work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research. read more
CBT for schizophrenia
Treatments for mental health have had a bumpy ride. Many people do not trust the drugs, whilst the evidence for non-pharmaceutical therapies can be very varied. Publishing in The Lancet, UK researchers have investigated whether Cognitive Therapy (also known as CBT) is a viable alternative therapy. read more
expert reaction to CBT for schizophrenia
Publishing in The Lancet, UK researchers have investigated whether Cognitive Therapy is a viable alternative to pharmaceutical therapies for schizophrenia. read more
expert reaction to a hand prosthesis equipped with artificial sensors
Science Translational Medicine published the results of a one-man clinical trial of a prosthetic hand that enabled an amputee who had lived without the sensation of touch for ten years to feel differences in the shape and stiffness of objects again. read more
expert reaction to study of first human death from new flu virus H10N8
The Lancet reported on the the world’s first confirmed death by infection with a new avian influenza A H10N8 virus of a 73-year-old Chinese woman. read more
expert reaction to climate change and deaths from temperature extremes
Research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health estimated the effect climate change could have on deaths resulting from hot or cold weather in the UK up until 2080. read more
climate change and deaths from temperature extremes
Research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health estimated the effect climate change could have on deaths resulting from hot or cold weather in the UK up until 2080. read more
expert reaction to new research into added sugar and cardiovascular disease
A study in JAMA Internal Medicine reported consumption of added sugar, found in processed and prepared foods, was associated with increased risk for death from cardiovascular disease. read more
expert reaction to Mount Sinabung eruption
Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra, Indonesia, erupted multiple times killing at least 16 people. read more
expert reaction to brain immune cells and social behaviour
An animal study in Nature Neuroscience found that defects in an early developmental process in the brain were associated with alterations … read more
expert reaction to detection of radiation at Sellafield
The Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria is partially closed after unusual levels of radioactivity were detected. read more
expert reaction to oral immunotherapy for children’s peanut allergies
Results of a phase II clinical trial, published in the Lancet, suggested children with peanut allergies could benefit from a treatment in which peanut protein is consumed in increasingly larger amounts on a regular basis to build up tolerance. read more
expert reaction to new paper on the impact of imidacloprid on bees
Neonicotinoid pesticides can impact bumble bees’ ability to collect food, even at low levels, of contamination, according to research published in the journal Ecotoxicology. read more