Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to surveillance on California dairy farms revealing multiple possible sources of H5N1 influenza virus transmission
A paper published in PLOS Biology looks at surveillance on California dairy farms that reveals multiple sources of H5N1 virus transmission. Dr … read more
expert reaction to hantavirus situation on cruise ship heading from Argentina to Cape Verde
Scientists comment on the hantavirus situation on a cruise ship that travelled from Argentina to Cape Verde. Dr Benjamin … read more
expert reaction to study on airborne microplastics and nanoplastics and global warming
A study published in Nature Climate Change looks at global warming contributions from airborne microplastics. Dr Ria Devereux, Environmental Research Fellow, … read more
Review of the impacts of deep-sea mining on ocean ecosystems
The deep sea contains a wealth of mineral resources including cobalt, nickel and copper, widely used metals that are particularly … read more
expert reaction to an RCT for semaglutide in patients with alcohol use disorder and comorbid obesity
A randomised controlled trial published in The Lancet looks at the use of semaglutide in patients with alcohol use disorder and comorbid … read more
expert reaction to study evaluating performance of a large language model on the reasoning tasks of a physician
A study published in Science evaluates the performance of large language models (LLMs) on the reasoning tasks of a physician. Prof … read more
expert reaction to the death of J. Craig Venter
Scientists comment on the death of American scientist Craig Venter. Prof Sir John Hardy, Professor of Neuroscience and Group … read more
expert reaction to OBSCORE – a tool to identify individuals at highest risk of obesity-related complications
A study published in Nature Medicine looks at a new tool (OBSCORE) to prioritise individuals at high risk of obesity-related complications for … read more
OBSCORE – a tool to identify individuals at highest risk of obesity-related complications
Obesity is a major global health challenge, with 60-70 per cent of adults in the western countries living with overweight … read more
expert reaction to an RCT on a-cTBS targeting left primary motor cortex for children with autism spectrum disorder
A randomised controlled trial published in The BMJ looks at accelerated continuous theta burst stimulation (a-cTBS) targeting left primary motor cortex for … read more
expert reaction to RCT which looks at semaglutide and motivation in depression
A randomised controlled trial published in JAMA Psychiatry looks at semaglutide use and motivation in depression. Prof Ciara McCabe, Professor of … read more
expert reaction to a paper showing associations between prenatal air pollution exposure and altered neurodevelopmental outcomes in early childhood
A study published in The Journal of Physiology looks at associations between prenatal air pollution exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood. … read more
Cancer rates in younger adults in England – What could be driving the trends?
There’s a current perception that we’re facing a ‘cancer epidemic’ of rising rates of cancer in younger adults. But does … read more
expert reaction to study looking at changes in rates of cancer in young people in England from 2001-2019
A study published in BMJ Oncology looks at changes in cancer rates in young people in England. Prof Paul Pharoah, Professor … read more
expert comments about social media restrictions after media report education minister Olivia Bailey said in the Commons the government would “impose some form of age or functionality restrictions” for under-16s
Scientists comment on Education Minister Olivia Bailey saying that the government would impose some form of social media restrictions for … read more
expert reaction to UK Biobank data breach
Scientists comment on a UK Biobank data breach where data was offered for sale online in China. Professor Ewan … read more
expert reaction to report from the Environmental Audit Committee on addressing the risks from perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
Scientists comment on a Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) Report that addresses the possible risks of PFAS. Dr David Megson, … read more
Study investigating whether bat alphacoronaviruses can enter human cells
As part of scientific research to monitor animal viruses and viral reservoirs globally, scientists from The Pirbright Institute, the University … read more
expert reaction to study looking at whether a bat alphacoronavirus can enter human cells
A study published in Nature looks at whether a bat alphacoronavirus can bind to human receptors and enter cells. Prof Jonathan … read more
expert reaction to online survey of friends and relatives of recipients of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
Survey results published in Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice looks at friends and relatives of recipients of electroconvulsive therapy … read more