Author Archives: Science Media Centre
vitamin B and cognitive decline
New research published in PLoS ONE investigated the impact of vitamin B supplements on the rate of brain atrophy in people with mild cognitive decline, an early indicator of potential Alzheimer’s disease onset in later life. read more
comments on European vote on and review of EU Directive on animal research
The European Parliament reviewed and voted on the EU Directive designed to clarify regulation of animal research. read more
expert reaction to Vince Cable’s speech on science
The business secretary gave his first major speech on science and its future funding priorities. read more
expert reaction to research published in PLoS ONE on B vitamins and cognitive decline
The research investigated the impact of vitamin B supplements on the rate of brain atrophy in people with mild cognitive decline, an early indicator of potential Alzheimer’s disease onset in later life. read more
expert reaction to research into smoking and sperm, to be published in Human Reproduction
Two papers published in the journal Human Reproduction examine the evidence around the effect of smoking on sperm production and fertility. read more
expert encounter: violent crime and mental illness
High profile cases of violence by people with a mental illness regularly hit the headlines and 36% of the public think that someone with a mental health problem is prone to violence. In this briefing Dr Seena Fazel, a leading expert on the epidemiology of violence and mental illness and the associated risk factors, answered questions on how closely related mental illness and violence really are, and the role played by illegal drugs and alcohol. read more
a tale of toxicities: should we ban bisphenol A?
Bisphenol-A is a controversial and widely-used chemical that has been banned in some countries, and there have been some calls for it to be banned in the UK. Various studies have yielded no definitive conclusion, and the Food Standards Agency is currently conducting a review, to be published soon. Here, leading experts discussed all areas including toxicity, endocrine disruptors and the latest research on bisphenol A. read more
expert reaction to Stephen Hawking’s statements on the creation of the universe
Prof Hawking claimed in his latest book that there is no requirement for God in models of the origins of the universe. read more
stem cell tourism – unproven therapies, patient optimism and predatory clinicians
Although stem cells are widely believed to offer tremendous hope for treatments in the future, so far no stem cell medical treatments have received market authorisation. Leading scientists are alarmed that a growing number of patients are spending large sums of money going abroad to access unregulated and unproven stem cell treatments which offer little or no benefit and at worst can be detrimental to health. read more
expert reaction to research into bisphenol A to be published in Environmental Health Perspectives
The paper shows a possible association between exposure to bisphenol-A, a chemical widely used in food and drinks packaging, and hormonal changes in men. read more
prevention of drug and alcohol use in teenagers
Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London have pioneered a new approach to reduce problematic drinking and drug abuse in secondary school children. Their research showed that teaching teenagers coping skills based on personality traits such as anxiety, negative thinking and impulsivity, reduced the amount of alcohol consumed and binge drinking, and that a similar approach also reduced cocaine use. read more
expert reaction to PNAS study on virus sequences found in blood of chronic fatigue syndrome patients
This research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences purports to find a link between a virus and chronic fatigue syndrome, although this is not the same virus as that implicated in similar recent discoveries. read more
expert reaction to research investigating subsurface oil from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, to be published in ScienceXpress
The paper addresses the possibility of oil accumulating below the surface of water in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the recent oil spill. read more
expert reaction to new research on drug-resistant bacteria, as published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases
This paper looked at the development of a new class of drug resistant bacteria. read more
expert reaction to study to diagnose autism in adults using brain scans
Researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London have developed at simple brain scan that they say can be used to detect autism in adults with 90% accuracy. read more
expert reaction to research linking temperature with heart attacks, to be published in the BMJ
A study of hospital admissions data across England and Wales suggested that a drop in temperature is associated with an increased rate of heart attacks. read more
expert reaction to news that three quarters of the oil spilled in the Gulf has been dispersed/removed
Several months after the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in one of the biggest oil spills in US history, much of the oil has apparently been either removed or dispersed through natural means. read more
expert reaction to further coverage of cloned cow
In further developments on the cloned cow story, it has emerged that meat from the offspring of cloned cows has been sold and eaten in the UK. read more
gorilla in the midst
The Zoological Society of London has been facing a difficult decision over whether to introduce a new male gorilla to its group. The death of the previous male left three females, one pregnant, whose welfare may suffer in the absence of a male. However, with the introduction of a new male comes a risk of infanticide for the pregnant female’s offspring. Experts from ZSL came to the SMC to announce the result of their decision. read more
expert reaction to announcement on milk from the offspring of a cloned cow
Reports have emerged that milk from a cow that was bred from a clone has been on sale in the UK. read more