Author Archives: Science Media Centre
pre-conference briefing: fertility experts discuss research at ESHRE
This informal briefing was run to coincide with the annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). Leading experts from the British Fertility Society came to the SMC to discuss the leading research topics being presented at the conference and talk about the scientific background. read more
expert reaction to the epidemiological study into mobile phone masts and early childhood cancers, as published in the British Medical Journal
Researchers at Imperial College London have published a study looking at the possible relationship between exposure to mobile phone masts during pregnancy and early childhood cancers in offspring. read more
insect pollinators – why are they declining and what can we do about it
Pollinating insects such as honeybees, bumblebees, hoverflies and moths pollinate one third of the agricultural crops across the world, but they are vulnerable to threats including pests, diseases and environmental change, all of which have increased over the last five to ten years. This raises significant concern about our ability to feed a growing population set to reach 9 billion by 2050. Nine new projects totalling up to £10M are being funded by a consortium of public and charity funders, and leading researchers came to the SMC to discuss the challenges involved and the work being done to tackle them. read more
expert reaction to the meta-analysis on blood pressure treatments and cancer, as published in Lancet Oncology
Researchers in the US have found a possible link between a certain class of blood pressure drugs and the risk of developing cancer, after a review of 13 previous trials of the drugs. read more
on Ben v Jeremy
Given the history and role of the SMC I’m afraid I can’t stay out of the debate that has broken out this … read more
GB energy and climate change survey
A major new study by Cardiff University and Ipsos MORI has examined public perceptions of climate change and future electricity generation options, as well as for the first time beliefs about energy security. It is the first major piece of independent academic research on British public attitudes to climate change following the recent climate controversies. Lead authors of the research came to the SMC to brief journalists on their findings. read more
how do we reduce emissions without reducing mobility?
Professor Sir David King, Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment and former Government Chief Scientific Adviser, discusses how we can reduce carbon emissions without reducing mobility ahead of the Smith School World Forum, the theme of which this year is ‘Low Carbon Mobility: Land, Sea and Air’. read more
expert reaction to the meta-analysis on short people and heart disease, as published in the European Heart Journal
A review of existing studies carried out by scientists at the University of Tampere has found that people of short stature may be at greater risk of coronary heart disease. read more
expert reaction to new research on smokefree legislation and hospital admissions for heart attacks, as published in the BMJ
New research from the University of Bath examines the impact of smokefree legislation on rates of hospital admissions for heart attacks in England. read more
smokefree legislation and heart attacks
Researchers from the University of Bath briefed journalists on their findings of research into the impact of smokefree legislation on the rates of hospital admissions for heart attacks in England. read more
the science of the world cup
To mark the start of the greatest footballing show on earth, the SMC brought together some top experts on the science of football, including the man who tests the balls in wind tunnels, the expert who plans the training to deal with the heat, humidity and altitude; the doctor who cares for the metatarsals of the Premiership elite; the psychologist who can talk about what’s going on in the minds of the players; and a researcher who has studied England’s nemesis, the penalty… read more
expert reaction to Easyjet’s ash radar
Easyjet have announced plans to test equipment to detect ash in the air during flights, allowing them to avoid potentially dangerous ash clouds. read more
expert reaction to research on link between eating burgers and risk of asthma and wheezing, published in Thorax, a BMJ Specialist journal
Researchers have found a link between high consumption of burgers and risk of high lifetime asthma prevalence in schoolchildren. read more
expert reaction to the news that two teenagers whose deaths were linked to mephedrone had not taken the drug
The deaths of two teenagers in March 2010 were linked to the ‘legal high’ drug mephedrone, prompting the government to ban the drug. However toxicology tests published today show that they did not have traces of the drug in their system. read more
expert reaction to research on treating heroin addiction, to be published in The Lancet
A trial of 127 persistent heroin addicts has shown that treatment using injectable methadone resulted in a significant drop in the use of street heroin after six months. read more
electric vehicles
The new coalition government appears enthusiastic about electric cars, indicating early its intention to build a national charging network. But a new report from the Royal Academy of Engineering has highlighted the challenge faced by the UK in ensuring that the electricity supply system can cope with charging tens of millions of vehicles and still reduce carbon emissions from power generation. Lead authors on the report came to the SMC to discuss the problems – and great potential – in mass adoption of electric vehicles. read more
Andrew Wakefield struck off by GMC – experts respond
Andrew Wakefield, the doctor who proposed a link between the MMR vaccine and autism which has since been comprehensively discredited, has been struck off the medical register by the General Medical Council, which ruled that he was guilty of serious professional misconduct. read more
major new research programme on stem cells for MND
The Motor Neurone Disease Association has announced its biggest ever funding for its first stem cell programme which will enable scientists to perform detailed studies on human motor neurons containing known causes of motor neuron disease (MND). Four leading scientists involved came to the SMC to tell journalists about the programme and its aims. read more
background briefing on independent review of UK research regulation and governance
This briefing was run in collaboration with the Academy of Medical Sciences and looked at the regulation of healthcare research in the UK and its effect on patients and their access to new medicines. read more
expert reaction to the announcement of the first cell to be controlled by a synthetic genome, as published in Science
The American geneticist and entrepreneur Craig Venter has announced that his team has succeeded in assembling an artificial genome from scratch and inserted it into the cell,which then took on the characteristics of the transferred genome and passed these on to its progeny. read more