Author Archives: Science Media Centre
Foresight: migration and climate change
This briefing launched the latest report from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ Foresight programme, examining how the profound changes in natural and human environments across the world will influence and interact with patterns of global migration over the next 50 years. read more
expert reaction to HFEA meeting on compensating egg and sperm donors
The meeting held by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority discussed whether egg and sperm donors should be compensated more than they currently receive. read more
expert reaction to new research into the use of steroids to treat premature babies, as published in the journal Science Translational Medicine
New research assessed the value of using steroids to treat premature babies. read more
expert reaction to study of Facebook networks and brain structure
A new study revealed an association between the size of certain brain regions and the number of friends a person has on social network sites. read more
expert reaction to European Court of Justice decision on patents on embryonic stem cell research
A ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union stated that research processes involving stem cells produced from human embryos cannot be patented. read more
expert reaction to series of papers on miscarriage diagnosis
Four new papers investigated the diagnosis of miscarriage. read more
diagnosing miscarriage
Four new studies investigating the diagnosis of miscarriage were published in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology; two of the lead authors briefed journalists on their findings and the implications. read more
expert reaction to Department of Health’s Obesity strategy
The Government set out a new plan to tackle obesity. read more
expert reaction to new research into pancreatic cancer and mouth bacteria, as published in Gut
Research drew a link between levels of oral bacteria and risk of developing pancreatic cancer. read more
expert reaction to the final report from the Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations following the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident
The report from Dr Mike Weightman found no significant safety concerns in the UK’s nuclear programme and gave no reason to prevent the building of new nuclear reactors in the UK. read more
exploring Lake Ellsworth
A British engineering team went to Antarctica this October for the first stage of a scientific mission to collect water and sediment samples from a lake buried beneath three kilometres of solid ice, and attempt to uncover clues about the evolution of life on Earth and other planets, and about the Earth’s past climate. read more
human bodies: donation for medicine and research
This briefing, run in collaboration with the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, launched their new report Human bodies: donation for medicine and research. The report considered how far we should go in trying to encourage people to donate their bodily material. read more
expert reaction to study of dietary supplements and mortality in older women
A new study looked at the potential long-term health consequences of dietary supplements in older women. read more
expert reaction to new research on cold northern European winters during a solar minimum, as published in Nature Geoscience
Researchers showed how changes in solar activity resulted in varying patterns in warm and cold weather during the past winter. read more
expert reaction to BMJ editorial on Coroners’ verdicts and suicide statistics in England and Wales
A BMJ editorial suggested that official statistics on suicide rates may have omitted some cases because of changes in the way that they are recorded. read more
expert reaction to new research into UVA and skin cancer, as published in Nature’s Journal of Investigative Dermatology
New research looked at the effect of UVA light and sunbeds on the risk of skin cancer. read more
expert reaction to the 2011 Nobel Prize for Chemistry
The Nobel Prize for chemistry was awarded to Prof Danny Shechtman for his discovery of quasicrystals, metallic alloys with very unusual structures. read more
expert reaction to new research on human embryonic stem cells, as published in Nature
New research used somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) to produce early-stage embryos with three sets of chromosomes, which increased the efficiency with which stem cells could be derived. read more
expert reaction to European Brain Council report on costs of mental illness in Europe
The report assessed the economic costs of mental health disorders within Europe. read more
expert reaction to announcement of the Nobel Prize for Physics
This years Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to Saul Perlmutter, Brian P. Schmidt and Adam G. Riess “for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae”.
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