Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to BBC Panorama programme on antidepressants and pregnancy
A BBC Panorama programme, ‘The Truth about Pregnancy and Pills’, suggested if a mother takes a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) in early pregnancy the risk of having a baby born with a heart defect increases from two in 100 to four in 100. read more
expert reaction to TB test-positive cattle entering the food chain
The Sunday Times broke a story about how cattle slaughtered after testing positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) were being sold for human consumption by Defra. read more
launch of new WHO guidelines ‘Towards 15 and Beyond: New horizons for HIV antiretroviral treatment’
New global guidelines from World Health Organization (WHO) on when to start taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV could avert an additional 3 million deaths and prevent 4 million new infections between now and 2025. read more
expert reaction to news that the government is expected to ban khat despite the advice of the ACMD
The Home Secretary was said to be likely to ban the legal drug khat despite the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs finding insufficient evidence to suggest the herbal stimulant causes health problems. read more
announcement on mitochondrial DNA transfer
Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies will outlined the government’s response to the advice and information provided by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority on new IVF techniques for the prevention of mitochondrial disease. read more
expert reaction to DH announcement on mitochondrial DNA transfer
The government have decided to move ahead with changing regulations to allow new IVF techniques for the prevention of mitochondrial disease, on the advice and information provided by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. read more
expert reaction to lithium reducing suicide in mood disorders
A review published in the BMJ found drug lithium to be an effective treatment for reducing the risk of suicide and … read more
expert reaction to the news that shale gas reserves in Lancashire and Yorkshire are greater than previously thought
UK shale gas resources may be far greater than previously thought with substantial reserves beneath Lancashire and Yorkshire, a report by the British Geological Survey has found. read more
expert reaction to heart attack risk and perception of effect of stress on health
Research published in the European Heart Journal found stress has an adverse impact on health through an increased risk of suffering a heart attack. read more
expert reaction to George Osborne’s Spending Review
George Osborne has outlined plans for government spending up to 2016 in his Spending Review to MPs. read more
expert reaction to nerve regeneration restoring bladder function in rats
Researchers reported restoring bladder function in paralyzed adult rats using a new technique to promote the regeneration of nerve cells after severe spinal cord injury, according to The Journal of Neuroscience. read more
expert comment on Obama’s climate change speech
In a speech at Georgetown University Obama launched his Climate Action Plan, introducing a spate of new regulations to help the US cut greenhouse gas emissions. read more
following the money misses the point
Speaking on Radio 4’s PM about Owen Paterson’s GM speech last week, food campaigner Joanna Blythman attacked the SMC for … read more
expert reaction to Ian Brady mental health tribunal
Moors Murderer Ian Brady spoke publicly for the first time in 47 years as he appeared before a mental health tribunal at Ashworth Hospital. read more
expert reaction to NICE guidance on preventative breast cancer drugs for ‘at-risk’ women
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said the NHS should now give tamoxifen or raloxifene as preventative drugs to women with a family history of breast cancer. read more
Nuffield Council on Bioethics report, ‘Novel neurotechnologies: intervening in the brain’
New technologies that intervene in the brain offer potential to help people with conditions that affect the brain such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, stroke, chronic pain and depression. Members of a Working Party, convened to write a report on the ethical issues raised, presented recommendations about the development, regulation, use and communication of novel neurotechnologies in a number of settings. read more
expert reaction to Owen Paterson’s speech on GM
Environment minister Owen Paterson gave a speech at Rothamsted Research, calling for the UK to adopt the use of genetically modified crops. read more
expert reaction to new research into prenatal alcohol exposure and childhood balance ability
The BMJ Open published research which suggested moderate drinking during pregnancy does not seem to harm foetal neurodevelopment, as indicated by the child’s ability to balance. read more
why I accepted an OBE
I met my future husband at a protest outside BBC Broadcasting House in 1989, called to mark the first anniversary … read more
expert reaction to study finding pesticides may harm more than bees
A new report published in the Journal of Applied Ecology indicated that a neonicotinoid pesticides, which have been linked to bee decline, may be harming other wildlife species. read more