Author Archives: Science Media Centre
scientists react to Hwang revelations
South Korea’s top human cloning scientist Hwang Woo-suk has apologised and resigned after his colleagues announced that he had fabricated results in his stem-cell research. Several UK-based experts in the field have reacted to the news. read more
earliest Record of Human Activity in Northern Europe
Revolutionary dating techniques have suggested that a collection of stone tools from East Anglia show human activity in Northern Europe 200,000 years earlier than scientists previously thought. With results published in ‘Nature’ this week, researchers explain how this challenges the current understanding of how humans moved from Southern Europe to colonise areas of Northern Europe including the UK. read more
Buncefield oil explosion – rapid reaction
Science Media Centre fielded enquiries and provided experts on the health and environmental effects of the Buncefield oil explosion. read more
scientists react to Home Office Animal Research Statistics 2005
Professor Colin Blakemore, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council (MRC), said: “The increased use of genetically modified animals, the … read more
stem cellbanks – an alternative to cloning?
Recent progress in stem cell research has fuelled hopes of stem cells becoming a treatment for a wide range of diseases from Alzheimer’s disease to spinal chord injury. Scientists briefed the media on new research published in the ‘Lancet’ which looks at the feasibility of an alternative to cloning – to use stem cell banks instead. read more
Oxford University announces…
Oxford University has resumed building work on its new laboratory complex on South Parks Road. The University’s Registrar, Mr David Holmes briefs the press on this controversial new biomedical research facility. read more
could the Atlantic current switch off?
To coincide with new data published in a ‘Nature’ article, researchers from the UK’s National Oceanography Centre brief the media on the weakening of currents derived from the Gulf Stream, which could cool European weather within decades. read more
scientists react to Oxford University announcement
Oxford University has resumed building work on its new laboratory complex on South Parks Road. Top scientists comment on what this means for medical research in the UK. read more
experts react to Tony Blair’s speech on energy
Prime Minister Tony Blair has launched a review of UK energy needs which could pave the way for a new generation of nuclear power stations. We provide further reaction from the energy and nuclear power community. read more
children and mental health
To coincide with the conference ‘The Child is Father of the Man: Lifespan Perspectives In Psychiatry’, at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, we brought six of the leading experts to talk on a wide range of issues including whether treatments like anti-depressants and double psychotherapy should be given to children and whether ADHD is under or over diagnosed. read more
scientists react to Professor Hwang Woo-suk’s resignation
UK stem cell research leaders comment on the resignation of Professor Hwang Woo-suk, a cloning pioneer from South Korea, who today apologised for using human eggs from his own researchers. read more
energy experts have their say in the UK nuclear debate
Alan Johnson, the trade and industry secretary, is briefing the Commons Environmental Audit Committee tomorrow and is expected to deny the government’s energy review has a nuclear bias. Energy experts comment for us on this decision. read more
food experts respond to FSA announcement on traffic light coding for food labelling
The government’s food watchdog says traffic light coding is the best way for consumers to pick healthy options, our nutritionists and food scientists give their views. read more
genomics research
To announce the results of a £multi-million programme to accelerate genomic applications of healthcare, four recipients of funding briefed the press on the Applied Genomics LINK Programme which has provided £30 million between 21 projects and is sponsored by the BBSRC, DTI and MRC. read more
plugging the UK Energy Gap
Can Renewables fill the gap, or does nuclear power have to be back on the agenda? The Geological Society of London hosted a conference on the impending energy gap, and the SMC held a briefing for journalists on the resulting report, detailing suggestions for UK governmental energy policy. read more
scientists comment on HPA report on electrosensitivity
Journalists reporting on the Health Protection Agengy (HPA) electrosensitivity report needed more information, so we found scientists to add their comments to the debate. read more
future of manned space travel
Since the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003, successive UK governments have decided against taking part in human spaceflight, but now the Royal Astronomical Society commission re-examines the evidence and presents its findings in the report “The Scientific Case for Human Space Flight”. read more
scientists comment on spread of avian flu to Turkey
The news that avian flu had hit Turkey prompted weeks of media coverage, and the SMC found virologists, bird migration experts, vaccines and antiviral specialists and infectious disease professors to carry out dozens of interviews on this issue. read more
tissue regeneration
The Science Media Centre and the Healing Foundation brought together leading experts in plastic and reconstructive medicine to discuss the implications of their research for the future of medical science. read more
developing world disease – are we getting our priorities right?
Tropical disease researchers announced research concluding that because the “big three” infections-AIDS, TB and malaria-have caught the world’s attention countless other disabling and fatal infectious diseases in Africa have been pushed into the shadows. read more