Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to alcohol, puberty, time until first pregnancy and breast disease in women
A study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute linked increased breast cancer risk to drinking between early adolescence and first full-term pregnancy. read more
expert reaction to brain organoids
A Nature paper described how human stem cells could be used to build a three dimensional tissue culture with the same structure as seen in the human brain. The ‘organoids’ open up new ways to study early human brain development. read more
expert reaction to global surface temperatures and Pacific cooling
A study published in Nature suggested the current hiatus in global warming is part of natural climate variability, due to recent cooling of tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures. read more
expert reaction to the badger cull beginning in Somerset
The long-proposed badger cull commenced in England, with controlled shootings going ahead in Somerset and Gloucestershire. read more
expert reaction to alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria
Syrian opposition activists claimed the military used chemical weapons in Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus, killing hundreds. read more
expert reaction to surveillance and pandemic potential of H7N9 avian flu
Analyses of the evolutionary history of recently emerged H7N9 influenza virus, published in Nature, indicate that additional H7 viruses potentially pose further threats and suggests long-term influenza surveillance is essential. read more
expert reaction to the radioactive water leak at Fukushima
300 tonnes of radioactive water has leaked into the ground at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant according to Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). read more
expert reaction to new study on predicting suicide
Findings from a small sample of men in Molecular Psychiatry showed blood biomarkers that may be associated with suicidal states, potentially providing clues about the biological mechanisms that underlie suicidal thinking and behaviour. read more
HIV and healthcare workers – plans to update HIV regulations
The Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies came to the SMC to brief journalist on plans to update HIV regulations. read more
expert reaction to obesity in mothers and heart health in their adult offspring
A study published in the BMJ found children of obese and overweight women had a higher risk of early cardiovascular death as adults. read more
expert reaction to sugar consumption, reproductive success and mortality in mice
Nature Communications published an animal study which found the consumption of comparatively low amounts of sugar decreases the competitive performance and reproductive output in the mice studied. read more
ash dieback fight-back: new Facebook game
The creation of a new Facebook game means members of the public will soon be able to help identify the clues needed to restore our ash woodlands to long-term health in the face of the ash dieback outbreak that is threatening to eliminate significant proportions of the UK’s ash tree population. read more
expert reaction to induced/augmented childbirth and autism
An analysis of birth and educational record in JAMA Pediatrics suggested that induction and augmentation (increasing the strength, duration, or frequency of uterine contractions) during childbirth appears to be associated with increased odds of autism diagnosis in childhood. read more
expert reaction to new study in rats of neurophysiology and the dying brain
A PNAS study found electrical activity in the brains of rats for a brief period after their hearts had been stopped, which the authors suggested could shed light on reports of near-death experiences in humans. read more
expert reaction to signs of MERS CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) in camels
Research, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, found antibodies specific to the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus virus in dromedary camels, suggesting they may be one reservoir of the virus that is causing MERS in humans. read more
why engage with the news media?
The news media could be described as one of the worst ways to explain science, given its fast turnover, tight deadlines and … read more
advice for researchers experiencing harassment
All researchers should expect their work to be scrutinised by the public, policy makers and campaigners. However, some researchers working on high-profile subjects … read more
expert reaction to journal correspondence on plans for gain-of-function experiments on H7N9
Plans for ‘gain-of-function’ experiments on the H7N9 bird-flu virus were announced by prominent influenza-virus researchers in both Nature and Science. read more
expert reaction to paper on person-to-person transmission of H7N9
The first report of probable person to person transmission of the H7N9 avian flu virus in Eastern China was published … read more
expert reaction to first public tasting of lab-grown cultured beef burger
Scientists from the Netherlands presented the world’s first lab-grown burger made from strips of muscle grown from cow stem cells. read more