The Science Media Centre is not restricted to reacting to the headlines, and has helped scientists to more proactively set the agenda by bringing new science or evidence to journalists. This comes from our regular briefings, which take a variety of forms and cover a wide range of topics. Many are background briefings introducing journalists to the best experts and science on controversial issues like nuclear waste, nanotechnology, emerging diseases, or animal research, for example. They may also be news briefings where the SMC works with scientists to give the national media a new story on developments within science, whether it’s a report on climate change, a paper on stem cells being published in a leading journal, or science funding cuts in the latest budget. In addition, the SMC encourages leading experts to ‘speak out’ to the media about developments they believe may pose a threat to scientific research – not something science has been renowned for.
Scientists from Great Ormond Street Hospital and UCL have created the first lab-grown oesophagus and have implanted it in pigs, … read more
Pregnant and breastfeeding women have historically been excluded from most clinical research. Despite this, 80% of women in the UK … read more
The food landscape is changing, with cell cultivated meat, edible insects and even 3D food printing becoming more of a … read more
Research from the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at Oxford Population Health has looked at vegetarian, vegan, pescetarian, poultry-eating and meat-eating diets … read more
Expert Encounter with Dr Lade Smith, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Dr Lade Smith was elected President of … read more
It was announced today that Waymo plan to launch a pilot driverless taxi service in London in April this year, … read more
Cardiovascular disease results in around 20 million deaths worldwide and causes around a quarter of all deaths in the UK. Statins are highly effective drugs … read more
UKRI is the UK’s largest investor of taxpayers’ money into research and innovation (R&I), with an annual budget of more than … read more
There are many strong opinions on whether the UK should implement a ban on social media for young people. The … read more
Over the last 25 years, the Public Attitudes to Science (PAS) studies have provided data on what people in the … read more
Last year, Trump caused a stir by suggesting that taking paracetamol during pregnancy might increase the risk of autism among … read more
What happens to body weight and measures of cardiometabolic health after people stop taking obesity drugs? A new systematic review … read more
The SMC ran a press briefing with some of the UK’s leading flu experts tomorrow. To allow journalists to ask … read more
Antidepressants are an effective treatment for moderate to severe depression and anxiety. Once patients are better, they may choose to … read more
Climate change and extreme weather are stressing our bridges and flood defences. Our aging roads and water systems are strained from rising demand. Many … read more
The Chief Medical Officer’s reports have been released annually for over 150 years, providing an independent assessment of the state … read more
Over the past year, there has been significant debate regarding whether the UK should introduce a national screening programme for … read more
STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) Fusion is the UK’s flagship programme to deliver a prototype fusion energy plant by … read more
Cochrane are publishing two new reviews looking at the HPV vaccine. Together, they provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date … read more
A new clinical trial assessing the use of puberty suppression in young people with gender incongruence is being set up … read more
