Author Archives: Science Media Centre
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
scientists respond to report on complementary medicine commissioned by Prince Charles
As a report into complementary medicine commissioned by Prince Charles was released, we put up scientists to comment on the science behind it. read more
psychology of disfigurement
The Healing Foundation announced a new national research project aimed at better understanding why some cope with disfigurement and serious appearance concerns better than others. read more
controversial cloning work – rapid reaction
Panos Zavos of the Andrology Institute of America was in town again to announce his second unsuccessful attempt to clone a human and John Gonzalez was there to recruit sperm donors. We found experts to comment. read more
health effects of pesticides report – Rapid Reaction
After a report from the Royal Commission of Environmental Pollution, we asked scientists to question and comment on the science. read more
the science of verifying nuclear tests
Experts come to explain the science behind an International Monitoring System developed by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation to monitor whether countries are breaking the ban on nuclear testing. read more