Author Archives: Science Media Centre
radical new framework to classify drugs
A study published in the Lancet suggested a new method of classifying drugs based which would rate alcohol and tobacco as more harmful than many illegal drugs. The Science Media Centre invited the authors of this paper to speak to journalists about their research. read more
scientists and engineers react to carbon capture announcement in the 2007 Budget
Philip Greenish, CEO of The Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “Tackling climate change is one of the critical issues of … read more
scientists and engineers comment on the 2007 budget
The new budget raised excise duty on the most heavily polluting cars, and introduced grants for migrogeneration projects such as solar panels and mini wind turbines for individual homes. read more
adolescent vaccination – the big new challenge
The Science Media Centre brought together experts on vaccines and on adolescent health to discuss issues related to future developments in vaccination programmes for teenagers. read more
discovery of possible genetic link to schizophrenia
A professor of psychiatric genetics commented on the finding by US researchers that certain genes involved in inflammation and autoimmune disorders might be key in understanding the genetic basis to schizophrenia. read more
innovations in Gene Therapy
Speakers from the annual conference of the British Society for Gene Therapy spoke to journalists about developments in this field. read more
scientists and engineers react to the news of a new coal power plant
This follows announcements by two energy companies concerning the construction of coal-fired power plants in Essex and Kent. read more
scientists and engineers react to draft bill on climate change
The bill included proposals for legislation setting binding limits for greenhouse gas emissions, including five-yearly carbon budgets. read more
why experts need to speculate, without speculating
The Cumbrian train crash was just one in a long line of stories that saw me and my colleagues asking experts to … read more
international rock stars to map the world
The Science Media Centre invited geologists from the world’s largest ever mapping project to talk to journalists about their research. read more
can microgeneration solve our energy problems?
The Science Media Centre invited experts to talk to journalists about whether micro power generation can provide real benefits, and the options which are currently available to householders. read more
translational medicine
The six directors of the Medical Research Council’s new translational medicine centres spoke to jounalists about the benefits which these are hoped to bring to the field of biomedical research. read more
scientists and engineers comment on news of contaminated fuel
This was in light of ongoing investigations into whether contaminated petrol was behind a problem which affected the engines of hundreds of cars across Britain. read more
scientists react to evidence supporting ‘soft’ IVF
The Science Media Centre asked an expert on obstetrics and gynaecology to comment on this paper published in the Lancet. read more
scientists react to Prince Charles’ call to ban McDonald’s
The comments follow claims made by Prince Charles that McDonald’s should be banned to encourage healthy eating. read more
engineers react to the train crash in Cumbria
The Virgin train travelling through Cumbria slid down a 40ft embankment. One person died and 22 were seriously injured. read more
genetic modification of human embryos for research
The Science Media Centre asked scientists to respond to comments made by the pressure group Human Genetics Alert, which expressed concern over the creation of genetically modified human embryos for research purposes. read more
HFEA decision on altruistic egg donation for research
The Science Media Centre asked scientists to comment on the ruling by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority that women can donate their eggs for altruistic reasons to aid research using stem cells. read more
scientists react to news of research council funding cuts
This follows an announcement by the DTI that funding to science research councils would be reduced by £68 million over the next three years. read more
mesothelioma: a ticking time bomb
Experts in cancer research spoke to journalists about the fatal lung cancer mesothelioma, to mark the British Lung Foundation’s campaign to increase awareness of this disease. read more