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.
A final regulatory approval decision on the Jackdaw gas field and Rosebank oil field is expected in the coming weeks … read more
To protect against shingles which causes painful rashes to spread over the body, the recombinant Shingrix vaccine is available on … read more
Cochrane have published an update of their review looking at trials examining smoking cessation tools – including vaping, nicotine gums, … read more
While the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) initial report into the Lewes train crash reports “a track geometry irregularity existed on the … read more
Traffic-related air pollution is a risk factor for lung disease. Clean air zones are public health policy interventions aiming to … read more
Scientists are publishing phase 1 results from a trial of the world’s first fridge-free vaccine – a tetanus-diphtheria vaccine, developed … read more
The State of the UK Climate 2025 report provides the latest comprehensive review of the UK’s changing climate based on … read more
One of the things the UK’s Chief Medical Officers produce is guidelines on the amount and type of physical activity people should … 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
Shigella is a bacterium that causes shigellosis, bloody or prolonged diarrhoea that can lead to severe dehydration. It has historically … read more
We know from previous evidence that obesity generally increases the risk of cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks and stroke. … read more
A genome editing technique called CRISPR/Cas9 has been used to correct genes in children and adults with conditions like Sickle … read more
Against the backdrop of the London Climate Action Week 2026, the Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), … read more
In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) add-on therapies are optional, additional extras offered to patients undergoing IVF which are intended to improve success … read more
We assembled a panel of scientists and engineers to try to cover everything journalists wanted to know about this week’s … read more
On Monday 15th June, the UK Government announced that a social media ban for under 16’s would come into play … read more
Medicines data, patient characteristics, and medical outcomes aren’t routinely linked, so healthcare professionals and policymakers can’t fully track how medicines … read more
Indicators of Global Climate Change 2025 is the fourth in a series of annual updates on the state of the … read more
Bovine TB is still one of the biggest problems facing cattle farming. For many years it has been a fraught … read more
Last year the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) conducted an updated review of evidence for prostate cancer screening to … read more
