science wire

Family history -- a significant way to improve cardiovascular disease risk assessment
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Neuroscientists join major EU consortium dedicated to advancing new Alzheimer’s disease therapies
Two Bristol University neuroscientists have become the only UK-based academic members of a major European Union-funded consortium dedicated to accelerating the next generation of Alzheimer's disease research and drug discovery.

Under the Microscope #10 – Mouse tail skin
Through the work that I am completing, I hope that I can also gain a perspective as to what goes wrong in disease processes such as skin cancer." —Claire Cox Claire Cox: “

Recession increases work-related stress by 40 per cent, study finds
One in four workers experience work-related stress in times of recession — and work-related stress increases by 40 per cent overall, according to new research. A study, published in the journal Occupational Medicine , also found that the number of staff taking time off due to job stress increased by 25 per cent during an economic downturn.

King’s Health Partners proposes single organisation
King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is developing a business case for the creation of a new, single academic healthcare organisation which would provide both physical and mental healthcare.

Pluripotent stem cells: medical dream or ethical nightmare?
Paul Fairchild, University of Oxford, to give a public seminar tomorrow, 21 February, discussing this topical issue.

Anatomy in a new dimension
Anatomy studies at Warwick Medical School have been given a technological boost as the University launches a world-first 3D anatomy learning resource in collaboration with its NHS Trust partner, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW).

Nano discs pose potential health risk
A revolutionary material that is used in computer technology could pose health risks to those involved in its manufacture.

How quickly things spread
Understanding the spread of infectious diseases in populations is the key to controlling them. If the UK was facing a flu pandemic, how could we measure where the greatest spreading risk comes from? This information could help inform decisions on whether to impose travel restrictions or close schools.

The balancing act between protection and inflammation in MS
Scientists have discovered a molecular mechanism that could help explain how multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases can be exacerbated by the onset of an infection. MS is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system which affects approximately 100,000 people in the UK. The research, directed by Bruno Gran at The University of Nottingham , focused on a population of cells of the immune system known as regulatory'T cells, which control and regulate the behaviour of other immune cells.

Nano-enabled nasal spray for osteoporosis
The University of Nottingham spin-out company, Critical Pharmaceuticals, has announced a £545,000 collaboration with the University to develop a nano-enabled intranasal formulation of teriparatide for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Many young people still underestimate how much they drink
Many young people still underestimate how much they drink A new University of Sussex-led study reveals that many young people still lack the knowledge and skills required to follow the government's guidelines for responsible alcohol consumption.

Reducing salt in crisps without affecting the taste
Food scientists have found a way of measuring how we register the saltiness of crisps which could lead to new ways of producing healthier crisps — without losing any of the taste. The research by scientists at The University of Nottingham could lead to significant salt reduction in all snack foods.

Nursing course first to receive accreditation from national general practice body
A Plymouth University course designed for nurses new to working in general practices has become the first nursing programme to be accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).

Making the leap from ’theory to theatre’
A Leeds professor is one of eight of the UK's most promising leaders in medical health research to be awarded a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) professorship.

Libyans ’would prefer one-man-rule over democracy’
The first ever National Survey of Libya suggests that Libyans would still prefer one-man-rule over alternatives like democracy. The publication of the survey of over 2,000 Libyan people coincides with the anniversary of the first protests triggered by rebel forces against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Pioneering South Yorkshire launches new drug for heart attack victims
Pioneering South Yorkshire launches new drug for heart attack victims Ticagrelor, a new drug that could prevent one in five heart attack deaths, has this month been launched as a new treatment for heart attack victims across South Yorkshire, replacing the standard treatment clopidogrel for many patients admitted to hospital.

Professor Muffy Calder appointed as Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland
Background Professor Calder will formal take up her post on March 1. Muffy Calder is Professor of Computing Science and Dean for Research in the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Glasgow.

The mathematics of a heart beat could save lives
What we perceive as the beating of our heart is actually the co-ordinated action of more than a billion muscle cells. Most of the time, only the muscle cells from the larger heart chambers contract and relax. But when the heart needs to work harder it relies on back-up from the atrial muscle cells deep within the smaller chambers (atria) of the heart.

Getting the measure of MRI
A method for imaging the brain that has largely been confined to neuroscience labs may now find its place as a proper tool for medical diagnosis. Oxford University scientists have come up with a new approach that turns functional magnetic resonance imaging ( fMRI ) from something that produces pictures of changes in brain activity into a full numerical measure of how the brain is working.

Imperial signs up to strategic partnership with BBSRC
By Simon Levey Friday 10 February 2012 Scientists hope to deliver advances in biosciences - including food security, bioenergy, ageing and synthetic biology - faster and more cost effectively

Challenges to the NHS from ’health tourism’ going unrecognized
The rise of medical tourism presents significant challenges for the NHS according to new work from academics at the Universities of Birmingham and York.

Cutting ’unnecessary’ antibiotic prescriptions
A major University study which led to long-term reductions in the number of antibiotic prescriptions by Welsh GPs could see 'unnecessary' prescriptions cut by 1.6M per year, if replicated across the UK. The Stemming the Tide of Antimicrobial Resistance or STAR programme was designed by and implemented by experts from the University's School of Medicine's Institute of Primary Care and Public Health and South East Wales Trials Unit (SEWTU) to cut the number of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for common conditions such as acute cough and sinusitis.

Midges 'actively spread' bluetongue epidemic
The midges that spread bluetongue, a devastating livestock disease, across Europe in 2006 weren't ‘passengers' on the wind but actively transported the disease, Oxford University scientists have found. Bluetongue is a non-contagious virus that causes symptoms such as drooling, and swelling of the neck, head and tongue in sheep, cattle, goats, deer and other ruminants.

Director appointed for inflammation research centre
The University of Manchester, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and AstraZeneca have appointed Professor Tracy Hussell as Director of the new Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research (MCCIR).

Defeating dementia in Down’s syndrome
A £1m brain-imaging study has just been launched at the University of Cambridge to investigate why people with Down's syndrome (DS) are at such high risk of Alzheimer's disease.

QRISK2 international app released for the iPhone/iPad
PA 41/12 A new smartphone app designed to identify patients at risk of heart disease has been launched by researchers at The University of Nottingham and medical software company Clinrisk Ltd.

Researchers rank best online advice for postnatal depression
Researchers rank best online advice for postnatal depression Researchers at the University of Sussex have identified the top five internet sites offering support for women struggling with postnatal mental illness such as depression or anxiety.

Brain cells created from patients’ skin cells
This approach gives us the ability to study human brain development and disease in ways that were unimaginable even five years ago." —Dr Rick Livesey of the Gurdon Institute and Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge Cambridge scientists have, for the first time, created cerebral cortex cells - those that make up the brain's grey matter – from a small sample of human skin.  The researchers' findings, which were funded by Alzheimer's Research UK and the Wellcome Trust, were published today .

Under the Microscope #6 – Killer T-cells
—Professor Gillian Griffiths Under the Microscope is a collection of videos that show glimpses of the natural and man-made world in stunning close-up.

A Spoonful of Sugar or a Bitter Blocker?
Hannah Newton, an historian of science with an interest in how previous generations coped with childhood illness, digs up some 17th century tips for making medicine taste better and finds evidence for common sense and compassion among the doctors of the day.

Celebrating the life of Lister

£4.5M biomedical research boost
Leading university neuroscience and immunology research which helps translate new knowledge into improved clinical practice and treatments for the benefit of patients is set to receive a £4.5M funding boost. Cardiff University has secured funding from the Wellcome Trust's new Institutional Strategic Support Fund (ISSF) - a new fund designed to support major scientific research.

£4m boost for asthma research
The Medical Research Council (MRC) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have co-funded a groundbreaking programme of asthma research at the MRC-Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma.

Adversity can be a catalyst for positive change
Tragedy, natural disasters, terrorism, divorce; 75 per cent of us will experience some form of trauma in life. But the experience can be a catalyst for positive change. In a ground-breaking new book an expert from The University of Nottingham , who has spent the last twenty years working with the survivors of trauma, challenges the conventional wisdom about trauma and its aftermath and demonstrates that rather than necessarily ruining one's life, a traumatic event can often improve it.

Children test the air for pollutants in Brighton science project
by Simon Levey Wednesday 1 February 2012 Children from Brighton have been testing the air quality in their school playgrounds to monitor how pollution from neighbouring roads might affect them and their environment.

‘Picture This #14′ Polymelus, Museum of Zoology
All British thoroughbred racehorses, including Polymelus, are descended from three stallions - the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian and the Byerley Turk.

Partnership gives a voice to pressure ulcer patients
A new survey aims to give patients and carers a voice in the search to find the most effective prevention and treatment for pressure ulcers.

Protein study helps superbug battle
Scientists have shed light on the way superbugs such as MRSA are able to become resistant to antibiotics. Researchers have mapped the complex molecular structure of an enzyme found in many bacteria. These molecules - known as restriction enzymes - control the speed at which bacteria can acquire resistance to drugs and eventually become superbugs.

Food crops damaged by pollution crossing continents
Man-made air pollution from North America causes Europe to lose 1.2 million tonnes of wheat a year, a new study has found. The research, led by the University of Leeds and co-authored by the University of York, shows for the first time the extent of the Northern Hemisphere's intercontinental crop losses caused by ozone - a chemical partly produced by fossil fuels.

Project to improve radiotherapy planning
A collaborative project between physicists, oncologists and computer scientists at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, launched last month, will develop improved tools for the planning of high precision radiotherapy.

Stem cell awareness

Research into acute asthma attacks boosted with £4m award
Research into acute asthma attacks has been boosted with a £4m award from the Medical Research Council (MRC) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

Making a ‘contract’ with society: GlaxoSmithKline’s research and development head discusses the company’s ethos
By Tanya Gubbay Wednesday 25 January 2012 The Chairman of Research and Development at one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies last night shared his insights into the philosophy behind its work, in a distinguished guest lecture at Imperial College Business School.

Fiona Powrie wins top European prize for medicine

Spin-out targets better cancer treatment
A new Oxford University spin-out firm, Oxford Cancer Biomarkers Limited, is to develop technology to ensure that only patients who are likely to benefit from anti-cancer drugs will receive them and that the best treatment for each person can be quickly identified. Isis Innovation, the University's technology transfer company, has licensed the CancerNav biomarker technology to Oxford Cancer Biomarkers Limited (OCB).

Revolutionising the early detection of cancer
The world's first centre of excellence specialising in pioneering research into the early detection of cancer will be officially opened at The University of Nottingham on Thursday January 26 2012. The Centre of Excellence for Autoimmunity in Cancer (CEAC) will lead research into the early detection and management of cancer and push forward the introduction of a blood test which can pick up the first signs of cancer as much as five years before a patient presents with any symptoms.

1.66m to explore the challenges and opportunities of making science public
Climategate, Nuttgate, opposition to GM crops, the MMR and BSE health scares: over the last 30 years high profile political crises surrounding the integrity of research, the status of expert advice a

UK government backs Imperial researchers in drive to eliminate neglected tropical diseases
By Sam Wong Renewed support from the British government will enable research groups based at Imperial College London to distribute an additional 100 million treatments for schistosomiasis in Africa.

University’s TV ’sperm race’ helps to unlock mysteries of procreation
University of Birmingham reproductive medicine expert Jackson Kirkman-Brown invites a group of male students to take part in an experimental ‘Sperm Race' to explore what it takes to be the best out of millions in the BBC3 documentary How Sex Works tonight. Five obliging young men aged 19-25 rise to the challenge, providing samples which are ‘raced' through an appropriate clinical medium at Kirkman-Brown's state-of-the-art laboratories.

What the Olympic Games have done for us
The genuine scientific benefits that have emerged from the modern Olympic Games have often been lost in the hype surrounding these high profile international events.

Challenging the thinking on drugs

T-rays technology could help develop Star Trek-style hand-held medical scanners
A*STAR and Imperial College London news release For immediate release Friday 10 January 2012 Scientists have developed a new way to create electromagnetic Terahertz (THz) waves or T-rays - the technology behind full-body security scanners. The researchers behind the study, published recently Photonics, say their new stronger and more efficient continuous wave T-rays could be used to make better medical scanning gadgets and may one day lead to innovations similar to the 'tricorder' scanner used in Star Trek.

London 2012 unveils Anti-Doping Laboratory
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today unveiled the WADA accredited anti-doping laboratory which will operate during the London 2012 Games. LOCOG, laboratory service providers GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and laboratory operators King's College London, welcomed Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics for a tour of the facility which is based in Harlow, Essex.

Dying at home is on the rise
Although around two thirds of us would prefer to die at home, in the developed world the trend in recent years has been for the majority to spend their final days in an institutional setting, such as a hospital or hospice.

Verandas and egg shell examination could improve hen welfare
New research to help farmers improve the health of free-range hens has found verandas for the birds and the early scrutiny of eggshells could improve their welfare.

Anatomy museum opens doors to public
A facial cast of mass murderer William Burke taken shortly before his execution is to form part of an exhibition of medical artefacts.

Stem cell genetic ’switch’ offers Alzheimer’s hope
PA 14/12 Scientists at The University of Nottingham are leading a £1.3 million research project to develop new treatments to replace brain cells lost during dementia.

Fake malaria drugs threaten crisis in Africa
Source: Wellcome Trust The emergence of fake and poor quality anti-malarial drugs could dash hopes of controlling malaria in Africa, warn experts writing in the Malaria Journal . Millions of lives could be put at risk unless urgent action is taken, they argue. The international team led by Oxford University researchers report cases where medicines are on sale in Africa that have been deliberately counterfeited by criminals or are of poor quality resulting from factory errors.

Computer models that predict crowd behaviour could be used to prevent the spread of infections at mass gatherings
Understanding the movement and behaviour of crowds is essential to minimising health hazards at mass gatherings (MGs).

Tackling the temptation of illegal cheap tobacco
A pioneering programme to tackle the use of illicit tobacco in the North of England has had a positive impact and offers a blueprint for similar programmes both nationally and internationally, research by the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies has shown. ‘ Tackling Illicit Tobacco for Better Health' is a pilot scheme which was launched in 2009 to improve the health of people in the North West, North East and Yorkshire and Humber by trying to reduce the supply of and demand for illegal cigarettes and tobacco.

Scientists: they are surprisingly normal
One in four of us suffer from mental illness at some point in our lives - but the stigma surrounding mental health has proved hard to shift.

Hadyn Ellis Building takes shape
Construction of the University's Hadyn Ellis Building is making significant progress at the Maindy Park site.

Poverty and poor housing leaves Traveller population similar to that of a developing country
Research from the University of Warwick suggests the Traveller community has become a public health concern with a population profile similar to developing countries.

Half of care home patients suffer drug errors
Errors in administration of medication are a serious problem in long-term residential care.

Two embryos is optimum number for safe and effective IVF treatment, say researchers
A study by scientists at the University of Glasgow has shown that IVF treatment is most effective and safest when no more than two embryos are used – particularly for older women. Currently in the UK, women over 40 years old are allowed to have three embryos used in an IVF treatment cycle, but the research published in The Lancet says the chances of success are no greater than for two while the risk of complications is higher.

Testing vitamin D levels in most patients is ’costly, confusing and without credibility’
A study by scientists at the University of Glasgow has shown that IVF treatment is most effective and safest when no more than two embryos are used – particularly for older women. Currently in the UK, women over 40 years old are allowed to have three embryos used in an IVF treatment cycle, but the research published in The Lancet says the chances of success are no greater than for two while the risk of complications is higher.

A million NHS users are suffering preventable or inadequately treated pain
At any one time a million people in England are living with long term pain which could have been prevented or be being significantly better treated, according to joint UCL School of Pharmacy and UK Clinical Pharmacy Association report published today.

For crying out loud!: Baby cries get a speedy response
The sound of babies crying is uniquely able to get adults to react at speed, Oxford University researchers have found. They compared the scores of 40 volunteers on the classic arcade game 'Whack-a-mole' after listening to babies crying with their scores after hearing sounds of adults in distress or birdsong similar in pitch and variability to infants' cries.

Researcher suggests new design kitemark for homes that make us healthier and happier
A University of Warwick professor is proposing a new kitemark for housing developments to ensure your new home will not make you unwell or depressed. Professor Libby Burton, Professor of Sustainable Building Design and Wellbeing at the University of Warwick's School of Health and Social Studies, claims living in houses that are badly designed in areas that do not have enough space or greenery can seriously affect our health and wellbeing.

EMMA promises better cancer therapy
The first results from a new type of particle accelerator suggest how smaller, cheaper therapy machines, which could revolutionise cancer treatment, could be built. The prototype accelerator EMMA (Electron Model for Many Applications), which was constructed at the Science and Technology Facilities Council's (STFC) Daresbury Laboratory, was designed by an international team including Oxford University scientists.

Purchase deal over Hepatitis drug
American pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb has agreed the purchase of US biotech company Inhibitex, in a $2.5Bn (£1.6bn) deal which includes the promising new anti-hepatitis C drug INX-189, first designed and prepared in Cardiff University.

East Midlands to lead the way in sports medicine
PA 07/12 A unique £10 million centre for sport and exercise medicine is to be set up in the East Midlands as part of Olympic-year government plans to promote health and fitness, announced today by the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.

HRH The Princess Royal to help celebrate 25 years of Nottingham occupational therapy research
PA 06/12 HRH The Princess Royal will hear how 25 years of work by Nottingham occupational therapy researchers has helped to lessen the impact of disease and disability on everyday life and deliver innovation in patient rehabilitation during a visit to the city later this week.

Warwick joins £2.2m Anglo-Canadian quest for new weapons in war against antibiotic resistance
University of Warwick researchers have teamed up with Canadian scientists on a £2.2 million project to search for new antibiotics which will beat resistance in deadly “superbugs”.

Leeds genetic research ’blueprint’ for NHS
The approach to genetic research established at the University of Leeds could serve as a blueprint for how the NHS could make more of the advances new genetic technologies can deliver. The UK Government has set up a Human Genomics Strategy Group to improve new advances in genetic medicine in the health service.

Professor Dermot Kelleher named as Principal of the Faculty of Medicine
Professor Dermot Kelleher FMedSci, one of Ireland's foremost medical leaders and a pioneer in the field of immune response and infectious disease, has been appointed Principal of Imperial's Faculty of Medicine.

From Brighton to Leicester Square

New Year’s Honours 2012

Scientists reassess weight loss surgery for type 2 diabetes
Weight loss surgery is not a cure for type 2 diabetes, but it can improve blood sugar control, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Surgery. Whereas some previous studies have claimed that up to 80 per cent of diabetes patients have been cured following gastric bypass surgery, researchers at Imperial College London found that only 41 per cent of patients achieve remission using more stringent criteria.

MBE for Nottingham stroke expert
PA 02/12 A Nottingham professor who has dedicated her professional life to helping to rehabilitate people affected by stroke has received royal recognition for her work.

Simple online tool to aid GPs in early ovarian cancer diagnosis
PA 01/12 The lives of hundreds of women could be saved every year, thanks to a simple online calculator that could help GPs identify women most at risk of having ovarian cancer at a much earlier stage.

‘Picture This #11’ – Horses’ teeth, Whipple Museum
The models demonstrate the appearance of horses' teeth at different ages, the effects of wind sucking and crib biting.

New Year Honours for members of the University of Cambridge

School of Pharmacy merges with UCL
The School of Pharmacy, University of London, today merged with UCL. The School is now a part of UCL Faculty of Life Sciences, and will officially be known as the UCL School of Pharmacy.

School of Pharmacy merges with UCL
The School of Pharmacy, University of London, today merged with UCL. The School is now a part of UCL Faculty of Life Sciences, and will officially be known as the UCL School of Pharmacy.

‘Extreme Sleepover #5’ – a night in the life of a shift-working medic and clock biologist
In the fifth of a series of reports contributed by Cambridge researchers, medic and scientist Ak Reddy describes the challenges of disrupting our circadian programming.

Ethnic differences for heart disease risk
Scots of Indian and Pakistani origin also have much greater levels of hospital admissions for both conditions than people of white Scottish ethnicity. University researchers found that Sots of Pakistani origin were twice as likely to be admitted to hospital with chest pain compared with white Scots.

Treating sleep problems may be important in schizophrenia
A study of schizophrenia patients has found profound disruptions in their sleep patterns, with half also having irregular body clocks that are out of synch with the pattern of night and day. The Oxford researchers argue that the extent and severe nature of these long-term sleep problems should be considered for treatment along with the other symptoms of schizophrenia, as they have such a strong impact on mood, social function, mental abilities and quality of life.

£2 million grant for brain study
21 Dec 2011 University of Manchester scientists have been awarded £2 million to explore the brain processes involved in ‘semantic cognition' and the different ways in which it can break down in various neurological conditions, such as stroke and dementia.

Developing nursing leadership and a support for nurses is crucial to the quality of patient care
Ward sisters/Charge nurses need to be a given a more prominent leadership role in hospitals if standards of acute nursing care are to be improved according to a new paper from the University of Birmi

Making a difference to women
Improving the quality of care for childbearing women and their families is the focus of a new Professor of Midwifery appointment at the University.

Wolfson Foundation awards £20million to UCL for experimental neurology centre
A new centre dedicated to the understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases will be established at UCL following the award of a £20million grant from the Wolfson Foundation, it was announced today.

Master of Trinity College, Cambridge

Patient-practitioner partnerships not yet realistic
Much more work must be done to reduce the gap between the policy ideal and the practical reality of shared decision-making between patients and clinicians, according to new research from King's College London.

Formula for success in increasing smoke alarm use
PA 392/11 The most effective strategy to encourage more people to have a working smoke alarm in their homes has been revealed by a team of healthcare researchers. A combined approach of offering education, free or low-cost equipment and a home safety inspection is likely to have the most impact, the study by a research team involving academics from the Universities of Leicester, York and Nottingham has discovered.

Low iron levels in blood give clue to blood clot risk
Image: Computed tomography (CT) scan of the lungs of a patient with a large pulmonary embolus. Blood vessels should appear white, but the grey material is a blood clot which is blocking the flow of blood to the left lung. People with low levels of iron in the blood have a higher risk of dangerous blood clots, according to research published in the journal Thorax today.

UK and Indian researchers unite to fight global tuberculosis epidemic
University of Birmingham academics from the School of Biosciences are joining forces with peers from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (IISc) in a new research partnership focused on tackling tuberculosis (TB). Combining the complementary strengths of both institutions in this area, the research will take a novel approach in studying the biology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB, with the aim of developing new treatments and diagnostics.

Simple test to help diagnose bowel and pancreatic cancer could save thousands of lives
PA 387/11 A simple online calculator could offer family GPs a powerful new tool in tackling two of the most deadly forms of cancer, say researchers.

Can Wales resist market healthcare?

Research aims to reduce risk of nerve damage in leprosy patients
An honorary senior research fellow from the University of Birmingham in the UK is collaborating with Brazilian and Dutch researchers in the fight against leprosy in Brazil.

An early Christmas present for Nottingham’s Neonatal babies
The University of Nottingham's highly specialised incubator — worth more than £200,000 — will be used to transport babies from the Neonatal Unit to the MRI scanner at the hospital.

Better and more affordable treatments for sufferers of autoimmune diseases
From Addison's disease to Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn's disease to Multiple Sclerosis — the list of crippling autoimmune diseases is long and they affect millions of people world-wide.

New approach needed for flu vaccination campaigns aimed at nurses
Future flu vaccination campaigns aimed at nurses and other healthcare workers should be reviewed to address common misconceptions and misgivings, according to new research findings from the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery at King's College London. The investigation, carried out in partnership by King's College London and the Second Military Medical University of Shanghai in China, revealed that nurses' influenza vaccination behaviours are complex and influenced by several factors, including knowledge and risk perception.

£1 million drug treatment study launched
08 Dec 2011 University of Manchester researchers have been awarded £1 million to investigate the effectiveness of the Department of Health's ‘Payment by Results' (PbR) schemes in the treatment of addiction.

Tiny electric currents may aid stroke recovery
Tiny electric currents applied across regions of the brain can improve hand movements in recovering stroke patients for a short period, an Oxford University study has demonstrated. The researchers are hopeful that developing this brain stimulation technique may provide a useful addition to standard physiotherapy in helping the recovery of stroke patients.

'Most poor people don't live in the poorest countries'
An Oxford University study of 1.65 billion of the world's poor shows that over twice as many live in 'middle-income' countries as in 'low-income' countries. Researchers used a poverty measure which assesses a range of deprivations in health, education and living standards at the household level to uncover vast numbers of poor people in middle-income countries.

Research centre to combat devastating effects of roadside bombs
Gaining a better understanding of the injuries caused by roadside bombs and improving both treatment and the means of protection are key aims of a new £8 million research centre launched today. Designing ‘intelligent' combat boots to deflect the impact of a roadside bomb and diagnosing damage more quickly in the injured to reduce future medical problems are two potential benefits.

Achievement in health innovation
University scientists have been recognised for innovation in health and social care with awards presented by the First Minister of Wales.

Impact of injuries in the UK more than two and a half times higher than estimated
PA 378/11 Injuries in the UK are having a much greater impact on peoples' lives than previously estimated, a study has found. The research, involving academics from The University of Nottingham, used data direct from patient experiences combined with information on the number of patients treated in emergency departments and admitted to hospital to reveal that the true impact of injuries in the UK is actually 2.6 times higher than experts believed.

Leading neurosurgery research
The University's first Professor of Neurosurgery to help lead the next generation of neurosurgeons and neurosurgery research has been appointed.

Sussex pledges to attract, support and retain female scientists

Chemotherapy reduces breast cancer deaths by a third
Today's chemotherapy treatments reduce deaths from breast cancer by around a third in a wide range of patients, a giant new analysis of data from over 100 different clinical trials has shown. That's the main finding from a new analysis led by Oxford University researchers published in the Lancet medical journal.

Parents views sought on childhood obesity risk
PA 377/11 A new website has been launched to help raise awareness of work being done in the East Midlands region to tackle childhood obesity and to seek the views of parents and healthcare professionals.

Professor Dominiczak appointed Editor-in-Chief of Hypertension
The American Heart Association has appointed Professor Anna Dominiczak as editor-in-chief of its journal Hypertension .

Children’s health
Children and young people who have chronic health conditions or need operations don't always have access to the high-quality, child-friendly information they need to understand what is happening to them. That is the key finding of a three-year study funded by the National Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and Organisation (NIHR SDO) programme and led by Bangor and Cardiff Universities.

Improving older people’s hospital care
Action to tackle the sometimes shocking standards of hospital care for older people was priority at a high-level University-hosted conference.

University staff can really pack a punch

Choral tribute to inspirational medical scientist
A leading medical scientist from The University of Nottingham Medical School is to be honoured by a new choral work commissioned in his memory.

Watching living cells in action
Leading experts from around the globe are to gather at The University of Nottingham's China campus to discuss breakthroughs in technologies that help scientists to see inside living cells with unprecedented detail and also to look within the human body at a microscopic level.

University and Trust sign up to historic health partnership
Julie Moore, Chief Executive of UHB with Professor Charlie Craddock who will be Transitional Director of the BHP and Professor David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor of the University.

Blood clot risk halved for patients checking their own warfarin dose
Patients who monitor their own treatment with warfarin or other blood-thinning drugs reduce their risk of developing blood clots by half, an Oxford University study has found.

Groundbreaking for research institute
King's College London on Monday broke ground on an innovative facility that will accelerate neuroscience research, with a goal to fast-track the development of treatments for people suffering from disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and epilepsy. The £37 million Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, located at the College's Institute of Psychiatry on its Denmark Hill Campus, will be Europe's leading research centre focussing on neurological and psychiatric illnesses.

The communicative brain
What is it about the human brain that makes language possible? Two evolutionary systems working together, say neuroscientists Professor William Marslen-Wilson and Professor Lorraine Tyler. " The ability to communicate using language is fundamental to the distinctive and remarkable success of the modern human.

University celebrates Wellcome Trust’s seventy fifth birthday
Four renowned experts are to celebrate 75 years of the Wellcome Trust today (28 November) at The University of Manchester at an event to debate the ethics of biomedical research involving animals containing human material.

Research explores relaxed approach to anxious children
Research explores relaxed approach to anxious children Do anxious parents pass on their fears to their children?

Health and Safety rules will be overhauled
Ragnar Löfstedt, Professor of Risk Management at King's College London, has recommended a suite of health and safety regulations be axed to reduce the red tape of legislation and ease the burden on business, in a review for Government published today.

Academy of Medical Sciences honour

‘Left-handed iron corkscrews’ point the way to new weapon in battle against superbugs like MRSA
Scientists at the University of Warwick have taken inspiration from corkscrew structures found in nature to develop a new weapon in the fight against infections like E-coli and MRSA.

Widening participation in Dentistry

Plans for partnership in North West London aim to bring innovations to healthcare
Imperial College London and healthcare providers in North West London today announce plans to form a new partnership to improve the health and care of the local population of 1.9 million people.

Vice-Provost begins Presidency of the Academy of Medical Sciences
Professor Sir John Tooke, Vice-Provost (Health) at UCL, has today begun a five year term as President of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Major cancer stem cell appointment
Cardiff's pioneering European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute (ECSCRI) is to be greatly strengthened with the arrival of Matt Smalley.

Pioneering international partnership honoured
Cardiff's ground-breaking cancer research partnership work with China has won the International Collaboration category at the annual Times Higher Education awards.

Study will help guide women’s choices in where to give birth
Women with straightforward pregnancies can choose whether they'd like to give birth in a hospital obstetric unit, a midwifery unit or at home, knowing that giving birth is generally very safe. But there are some important differences between these birth settings in benefits and risks for the mother and baby, the Birthplace in England study has shown.

Queen's Anniversary Prize for WildCRU

Improved cancer genetic testing hope
WELSH patients are among the first taking part in a pioneering initiative to demonstrate how genetic tests could help match NHS cancer patients to the most appropriate treatment.

New guidance for longer-term management of self-harm issued
The healthcare guidance body NICE has today published a new clinical guideline on the longer-term care of adults, children and young people who self-harm.

Rule-breaking, risk-taking and road safety
Cardiff researchers have discovered that culture and the attitudes of road users towards risk are fundamental in explaining road traffic safety in the UK and around the world. The research compared rates of death and injury caused by road incidents with the willingness to follow the rules across different countries.

College base for cycling paramedics
Paramedics in Cambridge are now using a bicycle to beat the traffic congestion and improve response times with the introduction of a Cycle Response Unit based at Sidney Sussex College, opposite Sai

Chicken virus gives insight into cancers
Fresh discoveries about a disease commonly found in chickens could improve our understanding of some types of cancers in people. The study into Marek's disease could also have major implications for the poultry industry, making it possible to breed birds with greater resistance to the disease. Analysing genes Scientists analysed thousands of genes to pinpoint those that play a role in Marek's disease - a viral infection that costs the global poultry industry more than £1.4 billion a year.

Plymouth University to manage Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre
Plymouth University has been confirmed as the operator of the new multi-million pound international innovation facility focussed upon the health and wellbeing sector in Cornwall.

A consequence of the thalidomide disaster
It is some fifty years since the thalidomide disaster when several thousand children around the world were born with severe limb defects after their mothers had been given thalidomide as sedative and remedy for morning sickness.

UN warns cassava virus, first identified by Bristol researchers, nearing an epidemic in Africa
A virus that attacks the cassava plant - estimated to be the world's third most important staple crop - is reaching epidemic proportions in parts of Africa, UN scientists warned today.

Self-harm study
Study finds 1 in 12 teenagers self-harm but most stop by their twenties Despite self-harm being one of the strongest predictors of completed suicide, 90% of young people who self-harm as adolescents cease self-harming once they reach young adulthood. However, those who start self-harming as young adults will have often experienced mental health problems as adolescents, such as anxiety or depression, which should be treated.

Smart listeners and smooth talkers
Human-like performance in speech technology could be just around the corner, thanks to a new research project that links three UK universities.

Childhood obesity - what are the health risks?
It is widely suspected that the current wave of obesity among children will result in greater rates of cardiovascular disease and diabetes over the next few decades. But a second systematic review of research into childhood obesity and metabolic disease in adult life has shown there is little evidence of a direct link and suggests that treating obesity during childhood will remove any risk of lasting harm.

Achieving Recognition and Support for Carers
Carers could benefit from gym membership, laptops or short holidays to help keep them well when giving a high level of care to sick, frail or disabled relatives, a major study has found. Researchers led by Professor Sue Yeandle of CIRCLE (the Centre for International Research on Care, Labour and Equalities) at the University of Leeds studied the impact and effectiveness of 25 multi-agency projects set up to explore new ways of supporting some of England's most hard-pressed carers.

Vaccine offers hope to poorest farmers
A new approach to vaccinating cattle could help farmers worldwide, research suggests. Scientists have developed a technique using a harmless parasite, which lives in cows but has no effect on their health, to carry medicines into the animals' bloodstream.

Search for new cancer treatment
University scientists have been awarded £216,500 by the charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research to investigate mutations that cause the development of leukaemia.

New treatment for multiple sclerosis: Cambridge University translates research at the bench into a drug at the bedside
New treatment for multiple sclerosis: Cambridge University translates research at the bench into a drug at the bedside CARE-MS2 represents the culmination of many years clinical and laboratory research aimed at demonstrating the potential for alemtuzumab as a highly effective treatment for multiple sclerosis and understanding mechanisms involved in the complex natural history of the disease." —Professor Alastair Compst

Burns app could save lives at the touch of a button
A former soldier has developed an app which could save the lives of burns victims, both in combat and in hospitals around the world.

Study on infant pneumonia deaths
About one in four of all infants who die from flu-related pneumonia live in India, according to a new University study.

University’s Historic Clock Tower to be Lit up for Diabetes Day
The 110 metre high clock tower will be one of a number of iconic buildings across the world turning blue as part of the day's events.

J K Rowling marks start for clinic
The author J K Rowling will bury a time capsule to mark the start of building work on a new research clinic.

Research indicates obesity and diabetes risk is determined in the womb
New research from Warwick Medical School indicates some of your risk of developing obesity, diabetes and heart conditions is pre-determined whilst in the womb and by improving the pregnant mother's diet and vitamins intake you can shape your baby's future metabolism for the better.

Launch of collaborative infection research institute
The Bloomsbury Institute for Pathogen Research (BiPR), a joint venture between UCL and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), was launched this week.

Stem cell approach primes immune system to fight cancer
Stem cell techniques have been used in the lab as a new way of priming the body's own immune cells to attack cancer, in a proof-of-principle study by Oxford University scientists. The technical advance opens up the possibility of using stem cells derived from a patient's skin as a source of key immune cells, called dendritic cells, which can orchestrate an immune response against a tumour.

£2M boost for schizophrenia research
A £2.3M funding boost designed to help scientists pinpoint which genes can put people at increased risk of schizophrenia has been awarded to a team of leading University scientists.

Scientists defuse the Vietnam time bomb
Scientists defuse the Vietnam time bomb A key mechanism by which a bacterial pathogen causes the deadly tropical disease melioidosis has been discovered by an international team of scientists. The findings are published today (Thursday 10 November 2011) and show how a toxin produced by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei kills cells by preventing protein synthesis.

Research promises five-fold reduction in footrot among sheep
Researchers at the University of Warwick have shown that proper management of footrot could cut lameness from one in ten to one in fifty sheep.

Drug hunters aim to rebuild our bones
Researchers at The University of Nottingham are taking the first steps towards developing new drugs which could end the suffering of thousands of patients affected by osteoporosis or other bone diseases and fractures.

University partnership spreads benefits across the North
University partnership spreads benefits across the North A ground-breaking partnership between two of the country's top universities is helping to attract significant funding for scientific work in the North.

Nobel Laureate opens international cancer conference
Nobel Laureate Sir Tim Hunt opened the first ever international meeting on bacterial infection as a cause of cancer, held at King's College London recently.

Frog trade linked to emergence of killer fungus
Adapted from a news release issued by the Natural Environment Research Council. Photo: Matthew Fisher Monday 7 November 2011 The global trade in frogs, toads and other amphibians may have accidentally helped create and spread the deadly fungal disease, chytridiomycosis. Researchers say that unless the trade is regulated, even deadlier strains of the disease may soon emerge, further devastating amphibian populations worldwide.

Warwick begins diabetes study on pregnant mums in Malawi
Warwick Medical School has built up one of the UK's leading diabetes educational and research programmes over the past ten years.

Scans to predict result of psychotic episodes
Computer analysis of brain scans could help predict how severe the future illness course of a patient with psychosis will be, according to research led by Paola Dazzan at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's. The findings could allow doctors to make more accurate decisions about how best to treat individual patients.

Cervical cancers rise in young women
The incidence of cervical cancer in women in their 20s has risen by more than 40 per cent between 1992 and 2006 in England, despite the overall incidence of cervical cancer dropping by 30 per cent, according to research presented at the National Cancer Research Institute's (NCRI) annual conference in Liverpool which started yesterday (Sunday).

Team picks up Cancer Research UK prize

Commercial weight loss services more effective than primary care
Commercial weight management programmes are more successful and cost less than those offered by primary care facilities such as GP surgeries and pharmacies, according to research from the University of Birmingham published on online by the British Medical Journal today (November 4).

University of Birmingham expert spearheads campaign to boost antibiotic research
A top UK microbiologist from the University of Birmingham is championing a major campaign calling for urgent new investment in antibiotic research.

Researchers awarded grants to help sick babies and children
Three leading research teams at the University of Bristol have been given more than £400,000 in grants to carry out studies which aim to help reduce the suffering of sick babies and children.

English diet could save 4,000 Scottish, Welsh and Irish lives
Around 4,000 deaths could be prevented every year if the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish adopted the average diet eaten in England, Oxford University researchers have calculated.