Author Archives: Science Media Centre
publication of Review of Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions
Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS Medical Director, led a Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions and members of the Review Committee came to the SMC to brief journalists about their findings and recommendations to Government. read more
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – unravelling the controversy
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS; also known as ME) is an incredibly controversial field, not just in terms of public perception, diagnosis and treatment but even for the very researchers trying to help, who have experienced campaigns of harassment from some patients. However, the new UK CFS/ME Research Collaborative is being launched to bring together many of the best researchers in a bid to understand and, ultimately, find treatments for this debilitating disease. read more
the measles epidemic, plus new paper on vaccines and teenagers
After sustained media interest in the South Wales measles epidemic, the SMC invited speakers in for a background Q and A session, and to hear about a paper on teenagers’ understandings of and attitudes towards vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases. read more
Nuffield Council on Bioethics report ‘Donor conception: ethical aspects of information sharing’
Donor-conceived people born as a result of donations made after April 2005 will be able to contact their donor, if they wish, when they reach the age of 18. This report addresses if, how and when information about donor conception should be shared between donor-conceived people, parents, donors, and health professionals. read more
expert reaction to the results of tests for horse DNA and bute in meat
The European Commission published test results on EU-wide testing for horsemeat DNA and phenylbutazone, finding less than 5 % of the tested products had horse DNA and that about 0.5 % of the equine carcasses tested were found to be contaminated with bute. read more
expert reaction to the Iran earthquake
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Iran, close to the Pakistani border. read more
expert reaction to continuing measles outbreak
The outbreak of measles in South Wales reached over 750 cases. read more
expert reaction to resting heart rate and risk of death
Research published in the journal Heart tracked the cardiovascular health of just under 3000 men for 16 years, and found that after controlling for other health factors including fitness level, men with higher resting heart rates had a higher risk of death. read more
resting heart rate and risk of death
Research published in the journal Heart tracked the cardiovascular health of just under 3000 men for 16 years, and found that after controlling for other health factors including fitness level, men with higher resting heart rates had a higher risk of death. read more
expert reaction to new research into the taste of beer and the desire to drink more
A study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology suggested the flavour of beer alone may activate a brain region that provokes the urge to become intoxicated, and futhermore that this effect may be stronger in people with a genetic predisposition for alcoholism. read more
food for the future: the potential of GM animals
The SMC invited one of the UK’s leading experts on GM animals, Professor Helen Sang, to describe some of the on-going applications of GM technologies in farm animals and the issues around regulation and public acceptance. read more
expert reaction to all major supermarkets except Waitrose withdrawing ban on GM-fed birds
The supermarket chains Tesco and the Co-operative announced that their poultry would no longer be reared on feed that was guaranteed non-GM, following similar decisions already taken by Morrisons and Asda. read more
expert reaction to death of IVF pioneer Bob Edwards
Sir Robert Edwards died aged 87. In the 1970s Edwards and colleagues developed the first IVF technique which led to the birth of Louise Brown, the first ‘test tube baby’. read more
expert reaction to news of bute found in corned beef products
Asda announced that it was recalling its budget corned beef after low levels of phenylbutazone – the veterinary pain killer known as bute – were detected. read more
expert encounter with Professor Sir John Beddington
The Science Media Centre invited Professor Sir John Beddington into the SMC for a valedictory on his time as Chief Scientific Advisor to Government. read more
BNA festival of neuroscience: the moody brain
The Science Media Centre and British Neuroscience Association joined together to run a pre-conference briefing on research being presented at the BNA Festival of Neuroscience at the Barbican Centre in London. read more
expert reaction to new research on red meat and cardiovascular disease
Nature Medicine published a study suggesting the nutrient l-carnitine, found in red meat, is associated with cardiovascular disease, but that gut … read more
expert reaction to emergence of new strain of bird flu in China
Further cases of infection with the H7N9 bird flu virus have been reported. read more
expert reaction to the Environmental Audit Committee’s Pollinators and Pesticides report
Parliament’s cross-party Environmental Audit Committee has recommended introducing a precautionary moratorium on three neonicotinoid pesticides linked to the decline of pollinators. read more
expert encounter: Ian Boyd on bees and neonicotinoids
On 15 March 2013, Britain abstained in the EU vote on suspension of neonicotinoids. More recently a Defra assessment including new results from a study carried out by FERA has concluded that available evidence is not currently sufficient to warrant a change in the law on use of this class of insecticide. read more