Author Archives: Science Media Centre
iodine in pregnancy
Although iodine deficiency is more often thought to be a problem of developing countries, concern is increasing that iodine deficiency has returned in some groups in the UK, such as pregnant women and those of childbearing age. Authors of a study published in the Lancet assessed whether iodine deficiency in pregnant women could be having an adverse effect on their children’s cognition. read more
expert reaction to new research into iodine and pregnancy
A study of around 1000 UK mothers and their children, published in The Lancet, revealed that iodine deficiency in pregnancy may have an adverse effect on children’s mental development. read more
iodine and pregnancy
A study of around 1000 UK mothers and their children, published in The Lancet, revealed that iodine deficiency in pregnancy may have an adverse effect on children’s mental development. read more
expert reaction to the tornado in Oklahoma
A gigantic tornado hit a suburb of Oklahoma City in the USA. read more
expert reaction to new research on using a type 2 diabetes drug to treat Parkinson’s disease
Research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation investigated the use of a drug approved for diabetes care, Exenatide, in patients with Parkinson’s. Patients receiving Exenatide displayed improved cognitive ability and motor skills. read more
mainstreaming cancer genetics: getting the most out of genetic testing
An individual’s genetic blueprint holds vital information that can be used to improve their clinical management should they ever get cancer, and to provide better information and risk-reducing strategies for their relatives. The SMC invited four experts from genetics and oncology to brief journalists on the challenges and opportunities of bringing genetic testing into routine cancer care. read more
expert reaction to new study of climate sensitivity
The downturn in the rate of climate warming over the past decade does not significantly change estimates of the eventual temperature rise in response to doubled atmospheric CO2 concentrations, according to a study published in Nature Geoscience. read more
has psychiatry gone too far?
With the release of the latest guidelines on what is and isn’t a psychiatric disorder (DSM-5) the debate is raging over whether psychiatry has gone too far. The SMC gathered some of the top UK experts from psychology, psychiatry and beyond to preview DSM-5 and discuss everything from drugs to classification to environmental causes and the evidence behind therapies. read more
expert reaction to new IVF study on time lapse imaging
Approximately 70% of embryos produced, either naturally or through IVF, are lost before birth. A study published in Reproductive Biomedicine Online looks at a new time-lapse imaging approach to selecting embryos through IVF and examines for the first time whether it can be used to classify the risk of abnormality in developing human embryos. read more
time lapse approach to selection of embryos in IVF
Approximately 70% of embryos produced, either naturally or through IVF, are lost before birth. A study published in Reproductive Biomedicine Online looks at a new approach (IVF time-lapse imaging) and examines for the first time whether it can be used to classify the risk of abnormality in developing human embryos. read more
establishing the cause of a child’s death: post-mortem MRI
Despite the importance of autopsy following the death of a baby or young child, parents often object to them and consent rates for both neonatal and foetal autopsy are falling. It has previously been suggested that post-mortem MRI may offer an effective alternative to autopsy, and new research in The Lancet reports the first large prospective study of post-mortem MRI in foetuses, infants and children. read more
expert reaction to human embryonic stem cells derived by somatic cell nuclear transfer
A team of scientists, for the first time, published research in Cell describing how they used somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) to produce human embryonic stem cells. SCNT is a technique which generates embryos that are almost an identical genetic match to a chosen individual. read more
ice2sea – final report on projected sea level rise
Ice2sea is an EU-funded project whose goal is to produce state of the art projections of sea level rise. Four of the lead UK scientists came to the SMC to discuss the project’s conclusions, including global mean sea-level rise to 2100 and beyond and the impact on Europe’s coastline. read more
expert reaction to new study on proximity to main roads and kidney function
Research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health suggested living close to a major road may impair kidney function and so help contribute to the known impact of air pollution on cardiovascular risk. read more
expert reaction on novel coronavirus
The WHO announced identification of a laboratory-confirmed case of infection with the novel coronavirus in France, which appeared to have been transmitted person to person. read more
expert reaction to new research on air pollution and insulin resistance in children
Research published in Diabetologia shows that growing up in areas where air pollution is increased raises the risk of insulin resistance in children. read more
expert reaction to new research into eating red peppers and Parkinson’s disease
Research in Annals of Neurology found that Solanaceae, a family of plants including peppers and tomatoes may provide a protective effect against Parkinson’s disease due to the plants containing low levels of nicotine. read more
red peppers and Parkinson’s disease
Research in Annals of Neurology found that Solanaceae, a family of plants including peppers and tomatoes may provide a protective effect against Parkinson’s disease due to the plants containing low levels of nicotine. read more
expert reaction to new research into red hair and skin cancer risk
Research published in BioEssays claimed the synthesis of the pigment pheomelanin, which gives red hair its color, is carcinogenic. This stands apart from the widely held hypothesis that it is poor protection from UV light which puts people with pale skin and red hair at greater risk of cancer. read more
expert reaction to maternal influenza and bipolar disorder
Maternal influenza during pregnancy may be a risk factor for bipolar disorder in their offspring, suggested a study published in JAMA Psychiatry. read more