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.
The row over e-cigarettes has intensified since deaths and lung injuries were recently linked to vaping in the US. We … read more
Lyme disease is a relatively rare infection in the UK, with about 2,000 to 3,000 cases diagnosed per year. But … read more
Prof Didier Queloz, of Cambridge University, was announced as one of the winners of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics … read more
At the 2019 Tory Party conference, the Health secretary Matt Hancock responded to the figures showing a further decline in … read more
Jacob Rees-Mogg recently apologised to Dr David Nicholl after comparing him to Andrew Wakefield for suggesting that a No Deal … read more
SSRI antidepressants, such as sertraline, are the most commonly prescribed forms of antidepressants in the UK. Public concern, both about … read more
Targeted therapies have revolutionised cancer treatment – but are children with cancer missing out on precision medicine? Could they benefit … read more
New research to be published in Nature will show that babies born vaginally have different gut bacteria – their microbiome … read more
Up to 7% of the population suffer from a rare disease, many of which are life-changing and have poor treatment … read more
Hormone replacement therapy has been a controversial treatment for the last three decades, with different studies claiming complex benefits and … read more
Prof Edzard Ernst, Emeritus Professor of Complementary Medicine, is publishing a new book: ‘Alternative Medicine: A critical assessment of 150 … read more
There was no news story or study pegged to this briefing, but it was an opportunity for journalists to hear … read more
The majority of young people in the UK use social media and there are concerns around the potential harms to … read more
A selection of authors will be present at this briefing to discuss the conclusions of the IPCC Special Report on … read more
On Thursday 18th July the Home Office published its 2018 statistics on animals used in scientific procedures. Journalists came along … read more
When children and young people feel distress about their gender identity, how are they supported? The number of referrals to … read more
There’s still a lot we don’t know about dementia, but we do know there can be both genetic and lifestyle … read more
Treatment resistant depression effects a third of those with major depressive disorder. With limited treatment options available for these people, … read more
In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that bacteria in the gut contribute to a range of processes in … read more
It’s been 10 years since the HPV vaccine was first introduced in the UK. During these years the vaccine has … read more
