Author Archives: Science Media Centre
physical weakness and premature death
A cohort study of one million participants, published in the BMJ, found low muscle strength in adolescence was strongly associated with a greater risk of early death from several major causes. read more
expert reaction to physical weakness and premature death
A cohort study of one million participants, published in the BMJ, found low muscle strength in adolescence was strongly associated with a greater risk of early death from several major causes. read more
expert reaction to spinal cord regeneration in dogs
Researchers publishing in the journal Brain have shown it is possible to restore co-ordinated limb movement in dogs with severe spinal cord injury, using a unique type of stem cell to regenerate the damaged part of the dogs’ spines. read more
expert reaction to meningitis B vaccine recommendation
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended for approval a meningitis B vaccine from Novartis. This would be the first vaccine to be licensed for this strain of meningitis, whichaccounts for the vast majority of cases in the UK. read more
expert reaction to new research into probiotic worm treatment of monkeys with colitis
A study, published in PLoS Pathogens, showed monkeys with chronic diarrhoea could be treated by microscopic parasite worm (helminth) eggs. The similarity of the condition to inflammatory bowel diseases provides hope for developing human treatments. read more
alcohol consumption during pregnancy
A study published in PLoS ONE suggested drinking one or two glasses of wine a week during pregnancy can have a negative impact on a child’s IQ. read more
expert reaction to new research into alcohol consumption during pregnancy
A study published in PLoS ONE suggested drinking one or two glasses of wine a week during pregnancy can have a negative impact on a child’s IQ. read more
civilian unmanned aircraft
Could Civilian Unmanned Aircraft (CUA) herald the next major aerospace revolution? Ideally suited to doing jobs that are ‘dull, dangerous or dirty’, they could help safeguard the environment, critical national infrastructure, our security and quality of life without putting aircrews at risk and at lower cost than conventional aircraft and satellite systems. read more
controlling infection through DNA sequencing
New, faster sequencing technologies have revolutionised our understanding of genomes, exemplified, for example, in the work of the ENCODE Consortium that described new exploration of the human genome. But it is in tackling infectious agents that widespread application of new sequencing technologies is likely to be used most quickly and comprehensively for healthcare improvement. read more
Schizophrenia Commission findings
Schizophrenia affects over 220,000 people in England and an estimated 1 in 6 people will experience some symptoms of psychosis at some stage in their lives. read more
expert reaction to study on drought
Simplified models of drought have led climate researchers to overestimate its severity for the last 60 years, according to a study published in Nature. read more
expert reaction to study of beating/insulting children and developing diseases in adulthood
A paper in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine found adults with diseases were more likely to report they had been verbally or physically abused as children. read more
in praise of Richard Black
There was a cry of anguish from environment scientists and journalists alike at the news that Richard Black has left … read more
expert reaction to announcement of rotavirus vaccine
The Department of Health announced that babies in the UK are to be vaccinated against rotavirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea, with the vaccine being made available from September 2013. read more
reaction to the Chancellor’s speech at the Royal Society
At a speech at the Royal Society in London Chancellor George Osborne announced an increased spending on space technology by £60m per year over the next two years. read more
expert reaction to the ‘dementia friends’ initiative
The Government announced plans to train one million ‘Dementia Friends’ by 2015 to help spot signs of the illness. read more
expert reaction to research on biopolar disorder treatments and pregnancy outcomes
A study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) discussed how bipolar disorder treatments affect pregnancy outcomes. read more
tea consumption and prevalence of type-2 diabetes
Research examining a link between tea consumption and prevalence of type-2 diabetes was published in BMJ Open read more
human enhancement and the future of work
Technologies that enhance human functions such as memory, hearing and mobility could dramatically change how people work over the next decade, according to four of the UK’s national academies. read more
Ash dieback and other threats to Britain’s trees
Ash dieback – Chalara fraxinea – has been found in the UK and comparisons are already being made with the devastation of Dutch elm disease in the 1970s. read more