However, the advantage depends on the emotional context, and a key ingredient for effective support 鈥� offering specific, actionable guidance 鈥� can boost the quality of support from both humans and AI alike.

鈥� published in the journal 鈥� compared messages of emotional support generated by large language models (LLMs) and humans in everyday, non-clinical contexts.

The research comprised five studies involving a total of 1,233 participants. Across the studies, the team compared emotional support messages generated by three leading LLMs 鈥� ChatGPT 4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Gemini 1.5 Pro 鈥� with messages written by human participants responding to everyday emotionally charged scenarios, such as being passed over for a promotion or coming home to find their shared house untidy.

Participants were not told if the messages they received came from a human or an AI. Although many were able to correctly identify the source, those in studies where LLM messages were rated as more supportive did not show reduced benefit 鈥� suggesting that awareness of an AI source does not necessarily undermine its effectiveness.

Key findings:

• LLM-generated responses largely mirrored strategies used by humans to manage others鈥� emotions, particularly for ChatGPT, which showed the highest similarity with human patterns.

• In situations involving anger and fear, LLM responses were seen as more emotionally supportive than those written by people. In addition, LLM messages helped people feel more positive (such as feeling calm or happy). For sadness situations, LLM and human responses worked equally well.

• Simply acknowledging someone鈥檚 feelings (e.g., 鈥淚 totally understand why you feel sad鈥�) did not fully explain why LLM responses were sometimes more effective. Adding or removing this emotional validation did not make a difference to how helpful the messages were.

• What mattered most was 鈥淎ctionable support鈥� 鈥� clear practical suggestions that people could use (such as breathing techniques, step-by-step reframing, or practical next steps). These specific suggestions improved emotional outcomes regardless of whether the message came from a human or an AI.

Co-author , Lecturer in Psychology at The University of 水多多导航, said: 鈥淥ur findings suggest that what makes emotional support effective is less about who provides it, and more about how it is delivered. Providing people with specific, actionable steps, rather than general reassurance, is a key ingredient for effective support, whether that comes from a person or a chatbot.

She added: 鈥淲hile a human might typically suggest going for a walk or making a cup of tea, an AI chatbot tends to go further, for example acknowledging the person鈥檚 feelings and offering step-by-step strategies such as breathing techniques or specific ways to reframe a thought. Training human supporters 鈥� whether professionals or members of the public 鈥� to provide this kind of structured, actionable guidance could meaningfully improve the quality of everyday emotional support.鈥�

Co-author , a PhD researcher at The University of 水多多导航, said: 鈥淲e found that AI can emulate the supportive strategies that humans use, and at times even outperform human supporters in improving a person鈥檚 emotional state 鈥� though this is not universal. The effect depends on the type of emotion and what outcome you are looking at.鈥�

She added: 鈥淲e are not saying that humans should or can be replaced by AI. But our findings do show that when people choose to use AI for emotional support, it can be genuinely helpful, and understanding why it works can help us improve how both humans and AI provide that support.鈥�

The research comes amid growing public interest in AI as an emotional resource. Recent surveys suggest that 66% of 25- to 34-year-olds in the UK have turned to AI chatbots instead of loved ones to discuss emotional problems, and in the US, 20% of young adults aged 18鈥�21 have used ChatGPT to manage their emotions, with 92.7% of those users finding the advice helpful.

Dr Sarah Walker, co-author of the study from Durham University's School of Education, said: "What's key here is that we're not suggesting AI should replace human support. But when people do turn to it, it can help, and understanding why tells us something useful. Concrete, actionable steps work better than general reassurance, and that is something all of us can get better at offering. However, we also need to think about the human cost of actionable support as well.

鈥淲hen AI suggests a walk or a breathing exercise, the suggestion is where its involvement ends. When a person offers the same thing, it usually comes with their presence as well. We don't just suggest the walk, we go on it. That kind of support takes real time and effort, and the people closest to us are often stretched thin. So to me, this work is less about AI replacing us and more of a reminder that what we want from each other in hard moments is often more than the people we love can give."

• 鈥� DOI 10.1037/emo0001712

Claims in the study that people affected by parental alienating behaviours showed greater signs of stress, PTSD and depression are also challenged by the team from The University of 水多多导航 and the University of New Brunswick.

Lead author doctoral researcher Nic Robson, along with Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno, both from The University of 水多多导航, and Professor Linda Neilson from The University of New Brunswick, have published a in the Journal of Family Trauma, Child Custody and Child Development of February's study led by Professor Ben Hine.

The researchers found a lack of evidence in the Hine study that the behaviours were identified by a dependable sample of the UK public, and a lack of evidence that the identified parenting behaviours were actually connected to parental alienation.

The authors of the rebuttal contend that methodological standards typically associated with academic or scientific research were not met. Other limitations identified by the researchers included:

• Reliance on online responses submitted to a marketing agency.
• Use of discredited or outdated measures, or selection of items from established psychological scales without validation.
• Limited reporting on methodology, sampling and data collection procedures.
• Absence of research methods that would enable analysis of cause and effect.
• Methodologies that failed to establish that behaviours attributed to parental alienation were not actually connected to family conflict or abuse.the first half of your story here.

The Hine study, covered by calls for policy and legal reforms, including the development of school programmes to teach children how to identify so-called 鈥減arental alienating behaviours.鈥�

The study has also been cited within official raising questions about the robustness of the evidence appraisal and guideline development process of the guidance, particularly given the methodological concerns with the Hine study that have since been identified.

"The Hine study states that parental alienating behaviours cause children to become allied strongly with one parent, rejecting the other without justification during a high-conflict separation or divorce," said lead author Nic Robson, a PhD researcher from the University of 水多多导航. 鈥淗owever, the assertion is based on a controversial concept of parental alienation which has been criticised by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls, the Family Justice Council in the UK, and other bodies.鈥�

Previous by Dr Dalgarno showed many parents accused of parental alienation are often female victims of domestic abuse who often report being subjected to biased family court proceedings.

The women in Dr Dalgarno's study said parental alienation claims were raised against them when they attempted to safeguard their children.

"The authors of the Hine study also acknowledged a correlation between the alleged parental alienating behaviours and domestic abuse among parents, yet no investigation appears to have occurred to determine if there was a causal relationship between the two," Robson said.

This points, Robson, Neilson and Dalgarno say, to a flawed report that identifies negative behaviours of parents reported by a group of online respondents that may or may not have been associated with behaviours the Hine study researchers were attempting to measure.

Robson added: 鈥淯nfortunately, while the authors presented some selected data, they did not provide adequate information about the scales they used, the survey questions, the complete dataset, or an in-depth analysis of their results.

鈥淐onsequently, it is difficult to work out if the omissions were intentional, indicative of selective reporting, or a reflection of the limitations of the survey.鈥�

Dr Neilson said: 鈥淲e strongly urge professionals and policymakers to base decisions on scientifically validated methods and rigorously tested evidence.

鈥淎nyone reading the report of the Hine study should exercise caution, however especially in connection with policies and practices that shape clinical or legal work.鈥�

Dr Dalgarno added: "The concept of parental alienation remains highly contentious due to its lack of scientific validation and empirical evidence supporting its reliability as both a psychological construct and a measurable phenomenon.

Allegations of parental alienation are frequently employed by fathers with histories of abuse as a legal strategy to dismiss or deflect serious claims of child sexual abuse, domestic violence, and coercive control."

• Dalgarno and Robson are both core voluntary members of the , a global research collective exploring the health, social, human rights and economic impacts of domestic abuse and violence on women and children. Linda Neilson is Professor Emerita and a research associate of the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research at the University of New Brunswick, Canada.
• The paper Methodologies and Moon Landings: A critical review of parental alienating behaviour research, is published in the , DOI:

In a new , researchers found unusually high levels of urea 鈥� a waste chemical normally flushed out in urine 鈥� in the brains of people with frontotemporal dementia聽 (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The study, published in this month鈥檚 edition of the journal Molecular Omics and mainly funded by the Lee Trust in New Zealand, raises fresh questions about how the brain clears harmful substances.

Previous work by the same group had already shown this 鈥榯oxic waste鈥� build-up in five other dementias, including Alzheimer鈥檚 and Parkinson鈥檚-related dementia, but this is the first time it has been confirmed in FTD and ALS.

Frontotemporal dementia typically affects people under 65 at a rate of around 15.1 cases per 100,000 each year, while ALS is rarer at about 2.1 new cases per 100,000, yet both conditions are incurable and often fatal.

FTD is the second most common form of early-onset dementia and affects areas of the brain linked to behaviour and personality, while ALS attacks the nerve cells that control movement, leading to progressive muscle weakness.

Despite their differences, the two diseases are closely linked, with studies suggesting up to 15 per cent of ALS patients also develop FTD and around half show some level of cognitive problems.

Scientists also know the diseases share key biological features, but exactly what drives them remains unclear and there are still no effective treatments. the first half of your story here.

Using highly sensitive lab techniques, the team measured urea levels in different parts of the brain and compared people with the diseases to those without in people who had donated their bodies to scientific research after death.

They discovered that in people with FTD, this 鈥榯oxic waste鈥� was not just in the most damaged areas but spread in both damaged areas and relatively sparred areas, while in ALS it was mainly concentrated in regions controlling movement.

The scientists say the findings suggest the brain may struggle to get rid of waste properly, potentially poisoning nerve cells over time and worsening disease.

The results add to growing evidence that the same problem has already been seen in several other conditions, hinting at a shared weakness in how the brain handles waste.

鈥淭his is exciting because it suggests we might be looking at a common problem underlying several different brain diseases, rather than separate conditions with completely different causes,鈥� said the study鈥檚 lead author from The University of 水多多导航.

He added: 鈥淚f we can work out why this waste is building up and how to clear it, we may be able to slow or even stop these diseases, opening the door to new treatments for conditions that currently have very few options.鈥�

• The paper Elevated urea levels in human frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis post-mortem brain tissue: evidence of a multi-dementia pathogenic mechanism is published in ,

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded study found people who received a prompt visit or contact from community health services after discharge were far less likely to end up back in hospital within a month.

The findings offer fresh evidence that early support at home can ease pressure on overstretched hospitals while helping patients recover safely.

Community health teams can help patients manage medication, monitor symptoms, identify complications early and provide reassurance during the vulnerable period immediately after discharge.

Around one in seven NHS patients are readmitted to hospital within 30 days of discharge, are thought to be preventable.

However, the researchers say faster follow-up care at home could help tackle the problem.

Despite community health services providing millions of patient contacts each year, evidence on their impact remains limited 鈥� until now.

The study analysed records from 63,019 patients referred to 11 NHS Community Trusts in England after leaving hospital between April and December 2019.

Patients were aged 72 on average, had multiple health conditions, and represented a group at high risk of needing further hospital care.

More than half received support from community health services within one day of discharge.

A further one in five were contacted within two to seven days.

However, more than a quarter had no contact at all within the first month after leaving hospital.

The researchers compared the outcomes of the groups to see whether speed of follow-up made a difference.

Patients contacted within 24 hours had 33 per cent lower odds of attending A&E within 30 days than those who received no support.

They also had 38 per cent lower odds of being readmitted to hospital as an emergency.

Even when contact occurred between two and seven days after discharge, patients had 20 per cent lower odds of attending A&E and 22 per cent lower odds of emergency readmission compared with patients who received no follow-up care.

The research suggests the sooner support is provided, the greater the impact.

Lead author , a research fellow from The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淥ur findings show that the period immediately after patients leave hospital is a critical window for preventing avoidable emergency care.

鈥淲e found that people who received contact from community health services within one day of discharge were significantly less likely to attend A&E or be readmitted to hospital in the following month.

鈥淲hile support delivered within a week was still associated with meaningful benefits, the greatest reductions were consistently seen when care was provided within 24 hours.

鈥淭hese results highlight the important role community health teams play in supporting recovery, improving patient outcomes and reducing pressure on busy hospitals.鈥�

She added: 鈥淐ommunity health services are central to NHS plans to move more care out of hospitals and into people's homes.

鈥淔aster follow-up after discharge could cut avoidable A&E visits and readmissions for thousands of patients. But delivering these benefits may require extra funding and staff to tackle longstanding workforce shortages in community care services.鈥�

• The paper The impact of timely community health services contact following hospital discharge on subsequent hospital use in England: retrospective observational study is available here https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-026-05015-3

The University of 水多多导航 clinician scientists found that indoor tanning can trigger serious and sometimes debilitating skin reactions when ultraviolet (UV) radiation interacts with common medicines, foods, cosmetics and underlying health conditions.

The team are also based within the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and Northen Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

The review revealed cases ranging from painful blistering disorders and severe rashes to flare-ups of autoimmune diseases and allergy-like reactions occurring within minutes of UV exposure.

Some patients became so ill they required hospital treatment, specialist care and, in a small number of cases, surgery.

The researchers analysed 34 scientific studies published up to May 2025 and identified 67 documented cases of photosensitivity reactions linked to recreational sunbed use.

While sunbeds are already recognised as a cause of skin cancer, the researchers say many users remain unaware that UV exposure can also trigger unexpected reactions in susceptible individuals.

The study found that a wide range of common medications were linked to adverse reactions following sunbed use.

These included antibiotics, blood pressure medicines and painkillers, alongside creams and topical treatments applied directly to the skin.

Surprisingly, everyday foods were also implicated: compounds found naturally in celery, parsnips and lime juice were associated with painful skin reactions when handled or eaten before exposure to sunbed UV radiation.

In several cases, a visit to a tanning salon triggered the first sign that a person had an undiagnosed medical condition.

One of the most commonly reported disorders was pseudoporphyria, a blistering condition that closely resembles rare diseases caused by problems in the body's response to sunlight.

Researchers also identified cases of solar urticaria, a rare condition sometimes described as a sunlight allergy, which can cause hives and swelling within minutes of UV exposure.

The review found evidence that sunbed use may worsen symptoms in people living with systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus, a long-term autoimmune disease known to be aggravated by ultraviolet radiation.

Young women accounted for most reported cases, although the researchers stress that anyone using a sunbed could potentially experience a photosensitivity reaction if they are vulnerable.

Professor of Dermatology and Photobiology and principal investigator said: 鈥淢ost people know that sunbeds increase the risk of skin cancer, but our review shows that this is only part of the picture.

鈥淲e found evidence that UV radiation from sunbeds can trigger a surprisingly wide range of photosensitivity reactions, including severe blistering disorders, autoimmune flare-ups and reactions linked to commonly prescribed medicines. Some patients became ill enough to require hospital treatment.

鈥淧erhaps most strikingly, sunbed exposure sometimes revealed an underlying health condition for the first time.鈥�

Professor Rhodes, who is also lead for the Photodermatoses research programme within the NIHR 水多多导航 BRC鈥檚 Dermatology Theme, added: 鈥淭hese findings underline the need for stronger public warnings and better education for both consumers and sunbed operators.

鈥淎nd the public needs to be made aware of possible interactions between UV radiation and medicines, cosmetic products, foods and existing health conditions before deciding to use indoor tanning devices.

鈥淓ven a short sunbed session may be enough to provoke a serious reaction in susceptible individuals, highlighting yet another reason to think twice before seeking an artificial tan.鈥�

• The paper Community sunbed use and photosensitivity reactions: a systematic review is published in the journal doi 10.1007/s43630-026-00928-7

Egg donation is a lifeline for families, offering hope to women with conditions like early menopause, older mothers, and men without a female partner pursuing surrogacy.

Across Europe, around 8 per cent of fertility treatment cycles rely on donated eggs, underlining just how crucial donors are to modern family-building.

Yet behind the scenes, the research team 鈥� which is also from Cryos International and The University of Ghent - show the path to becoming an egg donor is far tougher than many realise.

In their study of 2,443 women applying to be egg donors at Cryos, a commercial US egg bank, just 2.5 per cent were accepted and went on to have their eggs frozen and banked ready for donation.

This shows that recruiting egg donors is far more challenging than it might seem, with roughly only one in 40 women making it through what the authors describe as an exceptionally thorough recruitment process.

More than half of all applicants (51 %) were rejected almost instantly for failing to meet strict enrolment criteria such as age or body mass index.

A further 26.36 % dropped out during the process, missing appointments or simply failing to respond to the clinic.

Nearly one in five (19.69 %) were later ruled out after health problems were uncovered in their family history or they failed medical screening tests.

鈥淲hile there is clearly strong interest in donating eggs, only a very small proportion of applicants ultimately meet the requirements, which has important implications for the availability of donor eggs in fertility treatment,鈥� said lead author from The University of 水多多导航.

鈥淎dvances in egg freezing have enabled global egg banks to emerge, allowing frozen donor eggs to be shipped worldwide.

鈥淗owever, from initial eligibility checks through to detailed medical screening, the process is designed to ensure that only donors who meet very specific safety and quality standards are accepted.

鈥淚t is striking that more than half of applicants are excluded at the very first step, and that a significant number also withdraw or disengage before completing the process, presumably as they find out more about it and realise it鈥檚 not for them鈥�.

In a previous study investigating the recruitment of sperm donors at the same sperm and egg bank during the same time-period, the team found that only 1.03% of men who initially applied to be sperm donors were finally accepted.

Interestingly whether men applying to be a sperm donor chose to be ID-release or not had an impact on his likelihood of being recruited, this was not seen in the study of egg donor applicants.

The researchers say this contrast cannot be explained by motivation, as a previous surveys at the same clinic show sperm and egg donors report remarkably similar reasons for volunteering.

Co-author Anne-Bine Skytte, Medical Director at Cryos International who ran the egg bank where the study took place commented: 鈥淒espite similar motivations between sperm and egg donors, the recruitment pathways function quite differently. Egg donation involves a surgical procedure, whereas sperm donation typically requires repeated visits over an extended period. Therefore, whilst egg donation is more medically invasive, our findings show more success in recruiting egg donors suggesting that the surgical procedures do not necessarily put women off from donating.鈥�

鈥淲e also saw that many women became more open to becoming ID-release as they progressed through the screening, with more than half switching from anonymous to ID-release.鈥�

The authors suggest that counselling during the recruitment process may help donors feel more comfortable with the idea of future openness and contact

• The paper An analysis of the outcome of 2,443 women applying to be donors at a commercial egg bank in the US, is published in DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-026-01578-1

On Sunday 19 July, Ben Moorhouse (43) will spend hours walking the fully exposed central track of the ancient stadium at Monte Smith, where temperatures are expected to reach 35鈥�40掳C. With no shade, relentless sunshine and intense heat radiating from the ancient stone beneath his feet, the challenge will push him to his absolute physical and emotional limits.

The stadium, once used by athletes in ancient Greece, will become the setting for a deeply personal journey of remembrance, endurance and hope.

Every one of the 260 lengths has a meaning.

The number honours the birthday of Ben and Gaynor's daughter, Kallipateira Rodothea Moorhouse, who was stillborn on 26 October 2018 at 37 weeks of pregnancy, just two weeks before her due date. Like many stillbirths, her death was preventable. The couple also suffered a miscarriage at nine weeks in May 2019.

Holding his daughter in his arms, Ben made her a promise.

"As I held Kallipateira, I promised her that I would make sure she did not die for nothing."

Eight years later, that promise continues to drive everything he does.

Since Kallipateira's death, Ben has dedicated himself to raising awareness of stillbirth, supporting bereaved families and funding research that is helping save babies' lives.

The challenge also represents hope.

In May 2020, Ben and Gaynor welcomed their rainbow baby, Apollon Alexandros Moorhouse, after receiving specialist care from Alex Heazell, Professor of Obstetrics at The University of 水多多导航, based at the  Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre. professor Heazell is also  Honorary Consultant Obstetrician at Tommy's Rainbow Clinic at St Mary鈥檚 Hospital in 水多多导航.

"Like Kallipateira, most stillbirths are preventable. These are beautiful, healthy babies who should be alive. Our son Apollon is here today because of Professor Alexander Heazell and his team's pioneering research. Without that research, he would not be here today."

The challenge itself has been carefully designed.

The relentless repetition of 260 lengths, the brutal summer heat, physical exhaustion and mental endurance symbolize both the ancient Olympic spirit of the stadium and the lifelong endurance required to live with the loss of a baby.

Overlooking the stadium stands the Temple of Apollon - a remarkable personal connection, as Ben's six-year-old son was named after the Greek god.

Ben is no stranger to extraordinary endurance challenges. In 2021, he became the only person ever to walk around the entire island of Rhodes nonstop, covering 150 miles continuously to raise awareness and funds for stillbirth research. He has since completed further history-making challenges on the island.

During this year's challenge, the 53rd length will be dedicated to Ben's close friend, Lawrence Mann, who sadly passed away earlier this year.

Ben said: "I am incredibly proud to take on this extreme challenge at the beautiful and historic Ancient Stadium of Rhodes. I hope it creates another small piece of history on the island while ensuring Kallipateira's legacy continues to save babies' lives.

The heat will be relentless. The conditions will be unforgiving. Every step will test me physically and mentally. But nothing compares to the pain of holding your dead baby in your arms. Every single one of those 260 lengths will be walked out of pure love.

"As I held Kallipateira, I promised her she would not die for nothing. On 19 July I will keep that promise once again. This challenge is for Kallipateira, for Apollon, for Lawrence, and for every family whose baby should have come home. I look forward to returning to my second home, the island of Rhodes, where I will honour my beautiful daughter."

Professor Alexander Heazell said: "Ben's determination to face the extreme heat and relentless monotony of 260 lengths in the Ancient Stadium of Rhodes is a profound testament to his endurance and his love for Kallipateira. The grueling training he has put his body through all year shows the lengths he will go to break the silence surrounding stillbirth.

鈥淭he funds raised will make a huge difference to our team's medical research. Ben's extraordinary resolve is actively helping us pioneer the science that saves babies' lives and prevents other families from the devastation of stillbirth. He carries the thoughts and gratitude of our entire team with him to Rhodes."

All funds raised will support Professor Alexander Heazell and his team in 水多多导航, helping to reduce the number of preventable stillbirths and save babies' lives.

• All funds raised will support Professor Alexander Heazell and his team in 水多多导航, helping to reduce the number of preventable stillbirths and save babies' lives.

Donations:

The research throws new light on sleep  -  one of the body鈥檚 most basic needs, which can trigger problems with mood, memory, metabolism, and long鈥憈erm health when disturbed.

There is already strong laboratory evidence showing that light can shift sleep timing and alter the balance of sleep stages.

We also know that sleep resets our internal body clock each morning and helps control when we feel alert, when we feel tired, and how deeply we sleep.

But scientists have long suspected that these effects also play out in everyday life. To test this, the team collected real鈥憌orld data using a simple wearable setup.

Eighty鈥憂ine adults wore a light sensor capable of capturing melanopic light 鈥� the type of light that most strongly affects the body clock 鈥� alongside a consumer sleep tracker. They also filled in daily sleep diaries.

The devices produced more than 500 days of data, showing:

• People who spent longer in brighter daytime light tended to fall asleep earlier and wake earlier.
• Those with steadier, less chaotic light patterns across the week also showed healthier sleep timing.
• Participants with more regular light exposure 鈥� and fewer sharp swings between dim and bright light 鈥� experienced stronger deep sleep -  vital for memory, recovery, and overall health -  during the first part of the night.

The findings echo a growing concern about modern indoor life when most people spend their days in lighting far dimmer than natural daylight and their evenings in lighting far brighter than their bodies expect.

This mismatch has been linked to chronic health problems and higher mortality risk.

The new study shows these harmful patterns can be detected in everyday life and that good light habits 鈥� bright days 鈥� are linked to better sleep even outside the lab.

The researchers also found that people鈥檚 own reports of their sleep generally matched their wearable data.

But when sleep was more disrupted 鈥� with less deep sleep or less REM sleep 鈥� the gap between how people thought they slept and what their devices recorded grew wider.

The team also found that the most stable light patterns were linked to deeper sleep concentrated in the early part of the night.

Lead author from The University of 水多多导航 and the Izmir Institute of Technology in Turkey said: 鈥淥ur findings show that brighter days and steadier light routines aren鈥檛 just nice to have 鈥� they may be fundamental for healthier sleep.

鈥淏y simply getting more consistent daylight exposure, people could meaningfully improve how they sleep at night.鈥�

鈥淭his study highlights the power of naturalistic research, showing that everyday environments can be measured using affordable consumer devices.

鈥淚t also points to a simple public health message: brighter days may lead to better nights.

鈥淎nd keeping light exposure stable 鈥� avoiding chaotic patterns of dim and bright light 鈥� could help strengthen the body鈥檚 internal rhythms.鈥�

• The study was published in on  10/07/26 bst. It was funded by the Wellcome Trust. Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Izmir Institute of Technology Research University Support Fund. DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s44323-026-00087-z

Understanding Animal Research (UAR) has published a of the ten organisations, which includes the University of 水多多导航,  that carried out the highest number of animal procedures 鈥� those used in medical, veterinary, and scientific research 鈥� in Great Britain in 2025. These statistics are freely available on the organisations鈥� websites as part of their ongoing commitment to transparency and openness around the use of animals in research. 

This list coincides with the publication of the Home Office鈥檚 on the statistics of scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain in 2025. 

The ten listed organisations were responsible for 1,347,667 procedures, 53% (more than half) of the 2,537,507 procedures carried out on animals for scientific research in Great Britain in 2025*. Of these 1,347,667 procedures, more than 99% were carried out on mice, fish, rats, and birds and 82% were classified as causing pain equivalent to, or less than, an injection. 

The ten organisations are listed below alongside the total number of procedures they carried out in 2025. Each organisation鈥檚 name links to its animal research webpage, which includes more detailed statistics. Case studies explaining how animal research has been used in recent medical research are also provided in the Notes to Editors section. This is the eleventh consecutive year that organisations have come together to publicise their collective statistics and examples of their research.

Sixty-nine organisations have proactively published their 2025 animal research statistics

69 organisations in the UK that have publicly shared their 2025 animal research statistics. This includes organisations that carry out or fund animal research.

All organisations are committed to the ethical framework called the 鈥�3Rs鈥� of replacement, reduction and refinement. This means avoiding or replacing the use of animals where possible, minimising the number of animals used per experiment and optimising the experience of the animals to improve animal welfare. However, as institutions expand and conduct more research, the total number of animals used can rise even if fewer animals are used per study. 

All organisations listed are signatories to the , which commits them to being more open about the use of animals in scientific, medical and veterinary research in the UK. More than 130 organisations have signed the Concordat, including UK universities, medical research charities, research funders, learned societies and commercial research organisations.

Hannah Hobson, Head of Communications and Engagement at Understanding Animal Research, said: 鈥淎nimal research remains a small but vital part of the quest for new medicines, vaccines and treatments for humans and animals. Alternative methods are increasingly being phased in but, until we have sufficient reliable alternatives available, it is important that organisations that use animals in research maintain the public鈥檚 trust in them. By providing this level of information about the numbers of animals used, and the experience of those animals, as well as details of the medical breakthroughs that derive from this research, these Concordat on Openness signatories are helping the public to make up their own minds about how they feel about the use of animals in scientific research in Great Britain.鈥�

Dr Maria Kamper, Strategic Director of the Biological Services Facility at The University of 水多多导航, said: 鈥淪cientific research involving animals remains a cornerstone of our ability to understand complex diseases and develop life-saving medical breakthroughs. At The University of 水多多导航, we recognize that the privilege of conducting this research carries a profound responsibility 鈥� not only to the animals in our care but to the public we serve. Our commitment to the Concordat on Openness is reflected in our award-winning digital platforms, where we share the reality of our work through virtual tours, detailed case studies, and transparent data. However, transparency is only possible because of our foundational 'culture of care鈥�. By prioritizing exceptional animal husbandry, staff wellbeing, and ethical accountability, we ensure that our scientific excellence is always matched by our integrity. As we share our latest statistics, we remain dedicated to a sustainable research environment where open communication and world-class welfare standards go hand-in-hand to benefit society as a whole.鈥�

Case study: University of 水多多导航 Why older mice have smaller offspring 鈥� and how sex may play a role

A study by University of 水多多导航 scientists has revealed some of the mechanisms which may explain why older mice are more likely to give birth to offspring that have not grown to their full potential in the womb.

The study in older animals showed that the placentas of male but not female offspring had increased cell damage from a biological state called oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress occurs when harmful molecules called free radicals build up faster than the body can clear them.

It is associated with a range of pregnancy complications including fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia, both of which increase the risk of stillbirth.

The study demonstrated reduced weight in both female and male fetuses in older mice, but the placental alterations were sex-specific.

The scientists are conducting further studies in mice to confirm these findings and also carrying out a parallel study to see if similar sex differentiated mechanisms exist in human placentas from mothers of advanced maternal age (AMA), defined as age 35 and over.

The study, published in the journal Reproduction also discovered placental mitochondria 鈥� the biological batteries that power cells 鈥� were working at a reduced rate in the placentas of both male and female pups but that there were more of them.

Mitochondria are a major source of free radicals. Reducing their rate of activity at the same time as increasing their numbers is a way they adapt to prevent further oxidative stress while maintaining the supply of energy needed for cells to work properly.

This could mean that the adaptation in placentas from females was more successful than in placentas from males because oxidative stress was not increased in placentas from females of older mice.

A study published in , focuses on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) which accounts for around 20% of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Mutations in the KRAS gene are one of the most common causes of NSCLC. The findings reveal that a subgroup of KRAS mutations known as KRAS codon 13 mutations, including KRAS G13C, behave differently from more common KRAS mutations such as KRAS G12C, creating an opportunity for a new precision medicine approach which is particularly effective.

Historically, researchers and oncologists could not effectively target KRAS mutations to treat NSCLC. While major advances have been made for the more common KRAS G12C mutation, patients with KRAS codon 13 mutations have had few targeted treatment options. Although KRAS codon 13 mutations account for a relatively small proportion of lung cancers (around 5% to 7% of KRAS-mutant NSCLC), researchers estimate that survival outcomes of up to 11,400 patients globally per year could be improved if they had access to targeted therapies developed specifically for these tumours.

This new research led by Dr Colin Lindsay from The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and at The University of 水多多导航 shows that KRAS codon 13 mutations, while being weaker KRAS mutations, interact with other aggressive genetic alterations, including mutations in BRAF, NF1, STK11 and KEAP1, to help tumours grow and spread.

The research team, including Dr Will McDaid and Dr Helen Adderley, at the 水多多导航 Cancer Research Centre worked in collaboration with US biotech company Revolution Medicines to investigate a new experimental drug called RMC-8839, which is a KRAS G13C-selective inhibitor designed to specifically target tumours carrying the KRAS G13C mutation by turning off the signals that tell the cancer cells to grow. In the laboratory, RMC-8839 successfully blocked KRAS G13C activation and reduced tumour cell growth.

The most striking finding was that KRAS G13C tumours appeared unusually sensitive to chemotherapy compared with other KRAS-driven cancers. When researchers combined RMC-8839 with chemotherapy, the results were significant, dramatically shrinking and eradicating tumours in cancer models, suggesting a potentially effective treatment combination for this genetic subtype.

Dr Colin Lindsay, consultant oncologist from The Christie NHS Foundation Trust said. 鈥淥nce we understand these changes and develop the first drug to target them, moving from the lab into the clinic usually happens quite quickly. What has been particularly exciting about this research is that it started from an observation that we made in the clinic, leading to over five years of scrutiny from multi-disciplinary scientists across academia and industry, all dedicated to the cause of cracking KRAS.鈥�

Professor Angeliki Malliri, Professor of Cell Biology at The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淭he findings of this study add to the growing trend towards precision oncology, where treatments are increasingly tailored to the exact genetic makeup of a patient鈥檚 cancer rather than the organ in which it originated.鈥�

Clinical trials will now be needed to determine whether the combination of RMC-8839 and chemotherapy can improve survival in patients with KRAS G13C-mutant lung cancer.

This study is supported by Cancer Research UK, The Christie Charity and the 水多多导航 Cancer Research Centre. It was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and by Revolution Medicines. Data was provided by Genomics England.

• Targeting KRAS codon 13 mutations using direct combination approaches in non-small cell lung cancer is available

MyWay Diabetes, an NHS-supported online platform and app - which lets users view their diabetes health records, track results, and access simple education courses and advice - was rolled out across Greater 水多多导航 during the COVID鈥�19 pandemic.

The analysis followed 507 users for up to two years and showed clinically significant reductions in blood sugar alongside lower systolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels, compared with more than 10,000 similar patients who did not use the platform.

The team also concluded that the digital approach was cost鈥慹ffective and may even reduce NHS spending over time.

Lead author from the University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淢anaging type 2 diabetes requires people to make complex day-to-day decisions about their health.

鈥淥ur findings suggest that accessible digital tools such as MyWay Diabetes can support people in improving important risk factors linked to long-term diabetes complications.

鈥淢yWay Diabetes was even able to provide benefit to real-world population during a particularly challenging period for healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic.鈥�

Luke Paterson lead health economist on the study while at The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淥ur analysis suggests digital diabetes self-management support can deliver health benefits at relatively low cost, and may even reduce long-term NHS spending.

鈥淓ven modest improvements in blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol across large populations can translate into meaningful reductions in future diabetes-related complications.鈥�

Senior author from The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淒igital self-management tools are likely to become increasingly important as health systems face growing pressures from long-term conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

鈥淲hat is particularly encouraging is that we observed improvements not only in blood glucose control, but also in blood pressure and cholesterol - changes that, at a population level, could translate into reductions in diabetes-related complications.

鈥淭he findings also suggest that scalable digital approaches may provide good value for financially constrained healthcare systems.鈥�

Unlike many digital interventions, MyWay Diabetes links directly to NHS primary care records, giving users access to personalised results and educational resources in one place.

The researchers emphasised that although the study was observational, the large real鈥憌orld dataset strengthens confidence in the results and highlights the need for further evaluation across more diverse UK populations.

The study, Clinical and cost鈥慹ffectiveness of the digital intervention, MyWay Diabetes, in people with type 2 diabetes living in Greater 水多多导航 during the COVID鈥�19 pandemic, is published in the journal PLOS One .

• The research was funded by Innovate UK, NHS England and the Greater 水多多导航 Strategic Clinical Network.

Led by researchers at The University of 水多多导航 and 水多多导航 University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), the study investigated the efficacy of a urine test which detects the presence or absence of blood pressure lowering medications 鈥� known as chemical adherence testing, or CAT.

They tested the hypothesis that the test would help in regular administration of blood pressure lowering medications and bring their blood pressure under control after its results were discussed with patients.

Known as the study, it was the largest randomised trial of its kind bringing together 12 recruitment centres in the UK.

The study was funded by the British Heart Foundation and is published in on 16/06/26

CAT uses a special technique called liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to detect specific drugs or their metabolites in blood or urine samples.

It is mainly used in hospital hypertension and renal/cardiology clinics when doctors want to verify medication adherence in patients with resistant hypertension - the medical name for high blood pressure.

The researchers recruited 130 adults with hypertension who were taking at least two blood pressure medicines but were found to be non鈥慳dherent after their urine was tested using CAT.

Participants were randomly assigned either to receive their CAT results alongside a personalised discussion about why they were missing doses, or to continue with usual care.

After a median follow鈥憉p of nearly three months, average systolic blood pressure - 鈥� the pressure in your arteries when the heart contracts and pumps blood out - was not significantly different between the two groups.

While the adjusted systolic blood pressure in those who received the CAT intervention was approximately 5 mmHg lower than in the standard of care group, this difference did not reach the level of statistical significance.

Those who received the intervention, however, became more adherent to the prescribed blood pressure lowering medications 3 months after the intervention.

This showed a promising sign that it may improve medication adherence.

The findings highlight the challenges of tackling hidden non鈥慳dherence, a problem that affects up to one in three people with high blood pressure and costs the NHS millions of pounds in unnecessary tests and treatments.

The authors argue that larger trials are urgently needed to understand whether CAT鈥慴ased interventions could play a role in improving long鈥憈erm outcomes for people with hypertension.

They also add that the technology may yet prove valuable as part of a personalised approach to managing chronic conditions where missing medications is common.

The Chief Investigator of OUTREACH is , Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at The University of 水多多导航 and Honorary Consultant Physician at 水多多导航 University NHS Foundation Trust.

He is also Integrative Cardiovascular Medicine Co-Theme Lead at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), which partly supported the research.

He said: 鈥淪haring the results of the CAT with the patients and the discussion for the reasons behind missing their blood pressure lowering medications appears to help in improving adherence.

While there was a trend for this improved adherence to favour lower blood pressure, we could not detect a statistically significant signal in blood pressure.

Hidden non鈥慳dherence remains a major and costly problem in hypertension care, and our findings underline the need for larger, longer鈥憈erm trials to understand where CAT鈥慴ased approaches might still add value.鈥�

Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation and senior author on the study, said: 鈥淗igh blood pressure is the leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease in the UK, where it is associated with 50 per cent of heart attacks and strokes. This means it is crucial that people take medications to treat it as advised by their doctor.

鈥淲e hope that this personalised approach to monitoring adherence can help address the many reasons why people may not be taking their medication properly, and support them to do so in future. This study showed signs that this strategy may help improve adherence, but to properly judge its effectiveness, a larger study is needed.鈥�

• The paper: Chemical adherence testing-guided intervention versus standard of care in patients with hypertension who are non-adherent to antihypertensive treatment in the UK (OUTREACH): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial is available . DOI

Joint workshops with academic and policy experts, and subsequent consultation within the GMCA and MCC, has led to the development of 13 ARIs which will support with the delivery of long-term strategic goals.

The ARIs have been modelled on elements of the  and the  and focus on two priorities: good growth and prevention.

The pilot aims to:

• Inform policymaking and test the ARI model at local government level;

• Build stronger partnerships between policymakers and academic experts;

• Support effective processes for identifying and prioritising research questions;

• Broaden the range of voices shaping GM policy, supporting the region鈥檚 commitment to equality and inclusion.

Launched in early June via the , the pilot will run for six months and academics are strongly encouraged to respond. It will help policymakers to access expertise and evidence, with ARIs operating successfully in various branches of government for almost a decade.

More information is available via the Policy@水多多导航 and the .

Using different types of health data - from body measurements to genetics - the authors have built on evidence that there is a potential future where simple, high street eye scans could be used as a measure of how the rest of the body is functioning. 

Using 鈥淯K Biobank鈥� data, a  UK volunteer-based study, the researchers developed an AI tool called 鈥淩et-AAE鈥� to explore the links between the eye and disease risk, blood test results, and the appearance and function of different organs, across over 68,000 people.

The study showed that the associations between the eye and body are incredibly broad, identifying that the appearance of the eye is linked to risk of heart failure, high blood pressure, heart attack, Parkinsons disease, dementia and more.

Two types of scan were used in the study - 3D scans of the inner lining of the eye called 鈥渙ptical coherence tomography鈥� (OCT), and simple photographs of the back of the eye called 鈥渃olour fundus photographs鈥�.

Both scan types are widely available at optometrists across the UK, with several million scans already captured every year by high street providers 鈥� making them a highly accessible health marker.

The team showed the two scan types might reveal complementary signals about our future health, with OCT more strongly linked to neurological traits and CFP having broader associations with cardiovascular traits.

Further analysis showed that the eye contains several signals that are captured by AI systems and reveal information about health 鈥� including the appearance of blood vessels and the nerves which connect the eye to the brain.

Some of the patterns the system picked up were caused by cataracts or natural differences in eye colour, showing that researchers might need to account for age and ethnicity when analysing the images.

One of the key contributions of the study is the work around the biological pathways that might link the eye to disease in the brain, blood vessels and heart.

Genetic analyses showed that eye features are linked to genes involved in neurodegenerative disease pathways, including those related to Parkinson鈥檚 disease, dementia, and broader neurodegeneration.

Physiological analyses linked eye features to blood pressure, blood vessel stiffness, and the function of the heart.

鈥楻adiomic analyses鈥� -  which turn medical images into measurable data - showed associations between eye features and the size of the brain, as well as tiny changes in the brain鈥檚 tissue structure detected using MRI scans.

By studying the tiny molecules in the blood, the researchers also found several connections between features in the eye and fat鈥憆elated molecules in the body, which may link the eye to general health.

Lead author Medical Research Council Clinical Research Training Fellow, is an eye doctor and researcher at the University of 水多多导航 and 水多多导航 Royal Eye Hospital, part of 水多多导航 University NHS Foundation Trust.

He said: 鈥淥ur findings show that the eye can reveal a remarkably broad picture of whole鈥慴ody health, offering a way to identify those at risk of heart and brain disease before they occur.

鈥淥ur study advances the use of deep鈥憀earning鈥慸erived eye traits in large鈥憇cale biomedical research.鈥�

Dr , Wellcome Clinician Scientist, Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant,  from The University of 水多多导航, who oversaw this interdisciplinary work alongside FREng, also from the University, said: 鈥淲hile more work is needed before these tests could arrive on the high street - we hope and believe that routine eye tests will one day be used as part of health screening for disease prevention.鈥�

Professor Frangi is also a RAEng Chair and Digital Infrastructure Programme Co-Lead at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre鈥�.

He said: 鈥淯sing scans available on every high street, an eye test may become much more than a way to check your glasses prescription.鈥�

鈥淭his work shows the interdisciplinary work ongoing in 水多多导航 thanks to generous support by various translational structures, including the NIHR 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre, and the BHF 水多多导航 Centre of Research Excellence, among other funders鈥�.

• Multi-omic analysis of deep learning-derived phenotypes links ophthalmic imaging to cardiovascular and neurological traits is published in on  Tuesday 16  June at 4pm UK time. DOI
• Funders included: the Medical Research Council; the Wellcome Trust; the British Heart Foundation; the Royal Academy of Engineering; and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre.

The study led by the Indian Childhood Collaborative Leukaemia (ICiCle) group, which includes University of 水多多导航 researchers, treated over 3000 children with acute B鈥慶ell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) at six major centres across India.

ALL is a fast鈥慻rowing blood cancer that starts from very early B鈥慶ells in the bone marrow. It is the most common form of ALL, especially in children.

Publishing in the Lancet Regional Health 鈥� Southeast Asia, the researchers compared the standard four鈥憌eek continuous steroid course with a pulsed schedule given in weeks one, two and four.

Children on the pulsed schedule had far fewer early deaths, with rates falling from 3.5% to 1.3%.

Most leukaemia related early  deaths are currently caused by severe infections linked to continuous steroid use - a major challenge in low鈥� and middle鈥慽ncome countries.

Crucially, the shorter steroid exposure did not affect how well treatment worked, with remission rates of around 98% in both groups.

Survival outcomes were also similar, showing that the safer approach does not compromise cure.

The trial also found that using a powerful and highly effective class of chemotherapy drugs called anthracyclines early in treatment increased the risk of treatment鈥憆elated deaths.

The findings come from the ICiCle鈥慉LL鈥�14 trial, the first multicentre randomised paediatric oncology trial conducted in India.

Childhood leukaemia now has survival rates above 90% in many wealthy countries.

But children in low鈥� and middle鈥慽ncome countries still face far higher risks of dying during treatment, often because infections strike early on.

Since 2013, the ICiCle group team has been working to bring a consistent, modern treatment approach to children with leukaemia across India, rolled out to centres across India.

Professor Vaskar Saha from The University of 水多多导航 and Tata Medical Center, is lead author and founder of the ICiCle group.

He said: 鈥淲e show for the first time that a simple change in how we give steroids can save lives. By reducing continuous exposure, we appear to lessen the risk of severe infections without compromising the effectiveness of treatment. This is a practical, low鈥慶ost intervention that could be adopted widely, particularly in settings where treatment鈥憆elated mortality remains high.鈥�

Professor Venkatraman Radhakrishnan of the Cancer Institute (WIA) said: 鈥淭he study provides robust randomised evidence that steroid scheduling itself is a modifiable determinant of induction mortality. The lack of any detriment in MRD response or survival makes this a particularly compelling practice change.鈥�

The study was funded by the National Cancer Grid, Indian Council of Medical Research, DBT-Wellcome India Alliance and Tata Consultancy Services.

The participating centres were:

• BR Ambedkar Rotary Cancer Hospital 鈥� All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
• Department of Pediatrics, PGIMER Chandigarh 鈥� Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research
• Department of Pediatrics, AIIMS New Delhi 鈥� All India Institute of Medical Sciences
• Department of Pediatric Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital Mumbai 鈥� National cancer centre
• Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Tata Medical Center Kolkata 鈥� Tertiary paediatric cancer service
• Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute (WIA) Chennai 鈥� One of India鈥檚 oldest cancer institutes

Functional precision approach in patients with very high risk acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in India: a single-centre cohort study is published in DOI: 

Professor Z眉hlke is also honorary professor at The University of 水多多导航 and Vice President of the South African Medical Research Council.

The award was given in  recognition for her work with children with heart conditions especially rheumatic heart disease (RHD) that disproportionately affects children living in poverty.

Zuhlke鈥檚 research repositioned RHD as a socio-political issue tied to health system deficiencies and inequities.

In a press release, UNESCO said her dedication to scientific excellence, leadership in global health, and capacity building activities have improved the lives of vulnerable children with cardiovascular disease.

The five researchers will be recognized for their pioneering contributions to life and environmental sciences ON  11 June at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

This year's selection highlights their major roles in tackling global health and environmental challenges, from revolutionary tissue engineering and genomic research to agricultural innovation and the impact of nutrition on mental health.

The programme, now in its 28^th year, reflects the growing excellence of women in science worldwide.

The Laureates were selected from a record 504 nominations representing 89 countries, and now join the more than 5,000 women who have been recognized by the programme.

That includes 142 International Award Laureates, among whom seven have received a Nobel Prize in science.

This selection was conducted by an independent international jury chaired by Professor Brigitte L. Kieffer, Research Director Emeritus at the National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) France, Member of the French Academy of Sciences and former Laureate of the L鈥橭r茅al-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards.

Professor Z眉hlke  said: 鈥� I am deeply humbled by this immense honour. Childhood-onset heart disease remains not only globally neglected but also serves as a stark barometer of inequality and inequity, with profound differences in survival, outcomes, and quality of life. My sincere thanks go to all those working tirelessly in this field, as well as to the exceptional support from my academic institutions, including the University of 水多多导航, and to my collaborator of over a decade, Professor Bernard Keavney. This equitable partnership has really extended our work and improved our science, but also served as a source of capacity development for all in the team鈥�.

BHF Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine , a longterm collaborator with Prof Z眉hlke at The University of 水多多导航, said: 鈥淭his well-deserved award reflects Liesl鈥檚 huge contributions to the cardiovascular health of children and young people in poor countries. Liesl is a truly remarkable and inspiring woman.鈥�

The NHS programme called 鈥淗ealthy Living for people with type 2 diabetes鈥� is a website containing written articles, videos, self-assessment quizzes and tools.

It supports people to live well with T2D by providing information and advice about eating well, becoming more active, living with diabetes, and emotional wellbeing.

Published today in PLOS One, the study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The research team analysed data from people with T2D who activated a Healthy Living account and found they experienced better health outcomes at one year than those who did not take part.

They examined who was most likely to use the programme (uptake) and how engagement related to changes in HbA1c 鈥� a blood test used to measure average blood sugar levels - blood pressure, body mass index, insulin use, and completion of essential diabetes care processes.

The findings show, uptake of the programme was highest among women, people from least deprived areas (vs. most deprived areas), and people of White ethnicity, and current smokers (vs. never smokers).

To assess clinical outcomes, the study compared 4,940 Healthy Living users with 24,685 similar individuals who did not register for the programme. After a year, Healthy Living users saw an average HbA1c drop of 1.3 mmol/mol, alongside small but steady dips in BMI and blood pressure, all pointing to better day鈥憈o鈥慸ay control of their diabetes.

They were also 1.6 times more likely to complete the routine yearly MOT that helps spot problems early, keeping on top of the vital checks that protect the eyes, feet, heart and kidneys in the long run.

However, the study highlights that even small average improvements can translate into meaningful reductions in T2D鈥憆elated complications when applied across large populations.

It also underscores the need to address inequalities in uptake, with notably lower participation among Asian and Black communities despite higher T2D prevalence.

Lead author Dr said: 鈥淲hat this study shows, in the plainest possible terms, is that a free, nationally available NHS educational programme can help people with T2D make measurable improvements to their health, even when used in the complex reality of everyday life.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a silver bullet, but it is a practical tool that works 鈥� and the challenge now is ensuring that everyone who could benefit has the opportunity to do so.鈥�

鈥淲e feel Healthy Living offers a scalable, accessible option for supporting type 2 diabetes self鈥憁anagement, particularly for people who face barriers to attending in鈥憄erson diabetes education programmes.

鈥淚mproving uptake among underserved groups will be essential to ensuring the programme reduces existing health inequalities.鈥�

Co-author , Principal Investigator and an Honorary Reader at The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淧eople鈥檚 outcomes were better for those who attended more of the Healthy Living programme, so it would be worthwhile for the NHS to find ways to encourage people to attend for longer, such as improved signposting and motivational messages鈥�

• The paper Examining the uptake, retention, and effectiveness of a national online type 2 2 diabetes self-management intervention in England (Healthy Living): a retrospective 3 cohort study is available DOI

The findings show that virtual wards can provide a safe alternative to hospital care for some patients, allowing people to recover at home while still receiving clinical oversight. However, patients and carers often take on more practical and emotional responsibility than may be recognised as they assume duties that would normally be carried out by clinicians in hospital settings. This includes monitoring symptoms, managing equipment and responding to signs of deterioration, especially overnight or outside normal working hours.

The study, published in the journal and led by researchers at The University of 水多多导航, is funded by the NIHR Greater 水多多导航 Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC) and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Greater 水多多导航 (ARC-GM).

Using qualitative methods, including observation work and interviews with patients and carers, the researchers evaluated virtual wards services across four sites in North-West England. Their findings show that safety in virtual wards does not rely on technology alone, but is strongly shaped by the relational and emotional support provided to patients, carers and clinicians.

Dr Kelly Howells, Research Fellow at The University of 水多多导航 and the NIHR GM PSRC, said: 鈥淰irtual wards can help people receive acute care safely at home, but our study shows safe care depends on more than technology.

鈥淧atients, carers and clinicians all play a role in managing risk, with patients and carers often taking on important practical and emotional responsibilities, particularly outside normal working hours. Health services need to recognise and better support this work.鈥�

The researchers suggest that hospital at home services that combine technology with in鈥憄erson home visits could help make care safer, more flexible, and accessible for a wider range of patients. Recognising and supporting the work undertaken by patients and carers is essential to ensure virtual wards are safely delivered.

As virtual wards expand as a key component of NHS policy to shift acute care from hospital to community settings, practice must ensure there is space for relational and training support for clinicians, patients, and carers so that remote acute care can be safely implemented across health systems.

The paper Shifting boundaries of risk-work in virtual wards in North-West England: a multisite qualitative evaluation is available . DOI  

This study builds on earlier work by the NIHR GM PSRC and ARC-GM exploring virtual wards through the perspectives of patients, carers and staff, helping to deepen understanding of how virtual ward services operate in practice.

Read more in

• The image was created with AI 

Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company that is reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet, will continue to fund the renowned Dental Health Unit (DHU) at the University.

Selling its health and hygiene products in more than 200 countries and territories, Colgate-Palmolive is the global leader in toothpaste and manual toothbrushes.

The global leader in oral health has been working with The University of 水多多导航 since 1968, amounting to the University鈥檚 longest ever business partnership. The DHU has been a leading centre for oral health research for almost 60 years.

Initially carrying out clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of Colgate products in collaboration with Colgate鈥檚 Research & Development team, the DHU has quickly evolved into a public health-focused program working collaboratively to mentor PhD candidates and to develop leaders in dentistry throughout the UK and beyond.

The extension of the funding will support high-quality clinical and behavioural research to generate real-world evidence for policy and practice. It will also allow the DHU to run a Fellowship Program 鈥� training the next generation of oral health researchers. The first awards to train future leaders have been announced with funding available for early career researchers in Europe and North America.

Anne-Marie Glenny, Professor of Health Sciences and Associate Dean for Research and Innovation at the School of Medical Sciences, said: 鈥淔or over 50 years, the Dental Health Unit and our proud, historic association with Colgate Palmolive has reaped real health impacts, carrying out world -leading oral health research and supporting the development of research and policy leaders.

鈥淭he next chapter for the Dental Health Unit aims to enhance our impact in areas such as dental public health, behavioural science and clinical study management by building a robust network of collaborations with leading academic institutions.

"We will strategically expand our PhD program across renowned universities throughout the UK, Europe and North America.

"By fostering alliances with leading researchers, we are committed to advancing innovation and shaping thought leadership in oral health and behavioural insights.鈥�

Professor Jan Clarkson, Academic Director at the DHU said: 鈥淭his collaboration between the University and Colgate-Palmolive aims to establish the DHU as a strategic hub for advancing oral health behaviour change, leveraging behavioural insights, and innovative oral health research to deliver impactful, scalable outcomes that improve public health policies and oral health globally.

鈥淭his long standing private-public collaboration endeavours to advance global oral health research and education, leveraging industry and academic expertise to drive international excellence in scientific innovation, improve patient outcomes, and shape public health policies.鈥�

Maria Ryan, DDS, PhD, Executive Vice President Chief Clinical Officer, Colgate Palmolive, said: 鈥淐olgate-Palmolive鈥檚 purpose is to reimagine a healthier future for all. We are proud of the accomplishments of our longstanding partnership with the University of 水多多导航 through this Dental Health Unit. The pioneer DHU at the University of 水多多导航 has advanced oral health through innovative, multidisciplinary research streams for more than half a century, breaking down silos between academia, clinicians, industry, policy makers and the communities that we all serve. And our collaboration has served as a model for others globally, with our more recent DHUs based in Latin America and India.鈥�

The study was carried out by University of 水多多导航 and 水多多导航 University NHS Foundation Trust  researchers.

The discovery was made when researchers looked at early data from volunteers in the ongoing community-based EARLY-HF study in Greater 水多多导航. When heart scans were offered to the 550 volunteers aged over 50 with cardiometabolic issues, researchers discovered that nearly one in 10 people (nine per cent) had already suffered a heart attack without realising it.

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) had undetected or poorly managed heart or circulatory problems which required medical attention.

To take part in the study, people had to have at least two health issues from a list of seven which affect millions of people in the UK. These included high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, the lung condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the heart rhythm problem atrial fibrillation, obesity and chronic kidney disease.

The most common issues for study participants were pre-existing high blood pressure, which had already been diagnosed in 88 per cent of the study group, and obesity, which affected 70 per cent. Meanwhile 42 per cent of the volunteers had diabetes.

Led by Consultant Cardiologist at 水多多导航 University NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at The University of 水多多导航, researchers wanted to understand the rate of hidden illness which had been unrecognised and untreated in this group.

They discovered almost two-thirds (60 per cent) had high blood pressure which was not under proper control or being effectively managed, raising their potential risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Among the study volunteers, 34 per cent were classified as living in an area that is among the top 20 per cent most deprived in England,¹ while 28 per cent lived in an area among the 20 per cent least deprived. There were more men than women in the study, with males making up 59 per cent of volunteers.

The researchers suggest the rates of undetected health problems found in Greater 水多多导航 are likely to be reflected in communities across the UK.

British Heart Foundation Research Fellow at 水多多导航 University NHS Foundation Trust and The University of 水多多导航, helped to run the study and presented the findings at the BCS conference in 水多多导航. He said:

鈥淢y colleagues and I were shocked by just how much unrecognised disease we found. While our study involves people who would be considered at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, finding so many people who had experienced a heart attack and didn鈥檛 know it was not something we ever anticipated going into this study.鈥�

The Detecting EARLY Heart Failure in Greater 水多多导航 (EARLY-HF) study aims to detect people at risk of developing heart failure earlier, within socioeconomically and ethnically diverse communities who may have reduced access to healthcare.

Heart attacks and other heart and circulatory issues, like those discovered in the study so far, can lead to heart failure 鈥� a condition which affects more than a million people in the UK and means the heart cannot pump blood properly, which can cause severe breathlessness and fatigue.

Most study participants (81 per cent) were recruited via their GP surgery, with another 12 per cent signing up after seeing a social media advert, and others recruited through community events or signposted to the project by family and friends.

Everyone involved in the study had blood tests, an ECG and a cardiac MRI scan, and answered questions about their health and medical history. These tests revealed that 125 people out of 550 (23 per cent) had a heart or circulatory issue that required medical attention.

On cardiac MRI scans, signs of scarring suggested that 46 people (nine per cent) had previously had a suspected heart attack. These diagnoses were confirmed by a consultant cardiologist, who looked over every scan. Letters were sent to people鈥檚 GPs, and they were then referred on for further tests and treatment.

Researchers found that 331 people in the study (60 per cent) had a blood pressure reading of 140/90mmHg or higher 鈥� the usual threshold for a diagnosis of high blood pressure (hypertension).

While 27 of these were undetected cases of high blood pressure, 304 people (92 per cent of them) were known to have it when they joined the study, with 224 already taking blood pressure-lowering medication. The researchers say this suggests their treatment plan was inadequate, as it had not brought their blood pressure down to a normal level.

Blood tests revealed 162 people (30 per cent) had elevated levels of the protein NT pro-BNP - a sign that their heart was under strain.

The study continues to recruit people in Greater 水多多导航 with at least two cardiometabolic conditions 鈥� related to the heart, blood vessels or metabolism.

Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, said:

"These shocking findings should ring alarm bells for our healthcare leaders. They show that our current approach to prevention isn鈥檛 fit for purpose, and too many people are slipping through the gaps as a result.

鈥淎ll too often we see patients too late, when years of living with treatable risk factors like high blood pressure or high cholesterol have built up leading to heart attacks or heart failure. We have made huge strides in our ability to treat cardiovascular disease over the past 65 years, but right now we鈥檙e missing opportunities to prevent it in the first place. The picture this study paints won鈥檛 improve without a radical shift in how we identify and treat people at risk of cardiovascular disease.鈥�

Professor Chris Miller, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Consultant Cardiologist at The University of 水多多导航 and 水多多导航 University NHS Foundation Trust, who leads the EARLY-HF study said: 鈥淭hese findings underscore the need to address disparities in cardiovascular disease detection, healthcare access, and outcomes, including by engaging people through non-traditional channels such as text messaging and social media.鈥�  

• Theis supported by Innovate UK Greater 水多多导航 Innovation Accelerator, AstraZeneca, and British Heart Foundation. The sponsor of the study is 水多多导航 University NHS Foundation Trust.

Lead researchers and will trial the new course which has been shown to improve the way carers and people with dementia communicate with each other across England.

Difficulties communicating can result in a person with dementia losing confidence, withdrawing during interactions, or feeling disconnected from and devalued by the other person.

However, University of 水多多导航 led research has shown that interventions focusing on communication can improve the person with dementia鈥檚 communication and behavioural symptoms.

Carers reported positive experiences of using the method called , a detailed study of the experience of 15 carers published in the journal showed.

And a second NIHR-funded study, published in found it was possible to measure participants psychological health, quality of life and service use when trialling the course.

Now the research team are able to progress to a multi-centre trial of the method across three proposed sites in England, thanks to the NIHR funding. The course will be offered across Greater 水多多导航 with Greater 水多多导航 Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust as the lead site.

The course, pioneered by 水多多导航鈥檚 Dr Lydia Morris and Professor Warren Mansell brings a glimmer of hope to the 700,000 people supporting a family member, partner, or friend with dementia.

Empowered Conversations uses evidence based psychological and communication theories to support carers to improve relationships and reduce stress.

For example, it uses Mentalisation Theory, which is about understanding our own thoughts and feelings while recognising that others have their own minds with different perspectives.

Professor Berry from The University of 水多多导航 is also Mental Health Co-Theme Lead at the NIHR 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre and Co-Director of the Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit at Greater 水多多导航 Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

She said: 鈥淚n dementia care, relationships often change dramatically, for example, a child may become the carer of a parent, or a spouse may shift from partner to caregiver.  Carers often face a painful conflict between remembering the person as they used to be and coping with who they have become.

鈥淪eeing someone who looks the same physically but has changed in memory, personality, and communication can feel confusing, distressing and bring a sense of loss and grief.

鈥淪tress associated with these changes in close relationships can make it harder to understand and interpret another person鈥檚 thoughts and feelings.  While some carers adapt by adjusting their expectations and priorities, this kind of coping does not happen easily or automatically. This is where learning skills in mentalisation can help.鈥�

Among the positives, carers said the course resulted in changes to themselves, their relationships, and their communication skills.

Participants also described letting go of their expectations of what the person should be able to do and replacing that with more realistic goals.

Dr Morris, who is a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Clinical Psychologist at the University, added: 鈥淚n a landscape where provision of post-diagnostic dementia support is variable or limited, it appears that Empowered Conversations can offer carers an intervention that is appreciated and accessible.

鈥淐ommunication difficulties are associated with increased carer stress and burden and can contribute to the breakdown of the interpersonal relationship between the carer and person with dementia.

鈥淭raining does exist, but it focuses on practical communication skills without addressing the emotional and relational contexts of care and communication.

鈥淗owever, the carers we worked with reported positive experiences of participating in Empowered Conversations and valued meeting people who, despite sometimes different circumstances, shared their understanding of supporting someone with dementia.

鈥淭he course supported participants to rethink communication and have a greater appreciation of the other person鈥檚 perspective during everyday interactions.鈥�

• Image is AI generated

The report, was partly based on research evidence submitted by  the University of 水多多导航鈥檚  .

Cited in the report, Professor of Primary Care and Community Health  at the University of 水多多导航 told the Committee: 鈥淓vidence-based exercise programmes, particularly resistance training, could both prevent frailty from developing and reverse it. Exercise programmes to prevent frailty could decrease the risk factors linked to developing conditions associated with ageing, including dementia.鈥�

Boosting resilience to illness, frailty and falls through physical activity will be key to keeping the country鈥檚 ageing population healthy and living independently for longer., the MPs said.

This change will be fundamental to the Government鈥檚 objective of switching the NHS鈥檚 focus from treating illness to preventing it 

The report follows the cross-party Committee鈥檚 and recommends:

• Advice and social prescribing of physical activity should become a core, routine offering to older people from their GPs and other clinicians.
• Stronger links between local NHS services with leisure providers and community groups to make exercise more accessible.
• The Care Quality Commission should be charged with checking that exercise programmes are being provided to residents in care homes. 

The Committee also called for a national conversation and a cultural shift in the way that ageing is perceived and talked about in society. Negative stereotypes can leave older people feeling resigned to becoming inactive, at the point in their lives when a sedentary lifestyle can have serious consequences, including increasing risk of falls.

Health and Social Care Committee Chair, Layla Moran MP, said: 鈥淗ealthcare experts and the Government are all agreed that staying physically active can help older people to live not just longer, but healthier, happier, more sociable lives.

鈥淧romoting active lifestyles among older people would also tackle two policy objectives at once 鈥� shifting the NHS鈥檚 focus to prevention, and bringing services closer to home, not the nearest hospital. Experts told us that exercise can be more effective than medication, and these changes would also cut the NHS鈥檚 vast expenditure on drugs. It鈥檚 a win-win, and this report sets out how the Government can make it happen.

Key facts

• Being physically active cuts the risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, musculoskeletal conditions, and some cancers.
• By 2035, 68% of people aged over 65 are expected to have two more serious health conditions, up from 54% in 2015. This causes lower quality of life, increases the chance of hospital admission and creates more complex care needs.
• In 2022, there were around 12.7 million people in the UK aged 65 or over, approximately 19% of the population. This is expected to rise to 22.1 million people (27% of the population) by 2072.
• The ONS and Health Foundation have shown that the average healthy life expectancy of children born in the most deprived areas of England is around 18 years lower than those born in the most affluent.
• In the UK, physical inactivity is associated with one in six deaths and is estimated to cost 拢7.4 billion annually.

Led by The University of 水多多导航 and The University of Huddersfield, they combined traditional EEG brain鈥憌ave analysis with cutting鈥慹dge machine鈥憀earning tools to probe how people with a history of alcohol dependence learn from rewards and punishments.

The researchers used a reward-learning game 鈥� which they asked 20 abstinent alcohol-dependent and 26 healthy volunteers to complete while their brain activity was recorded.

The team found that both groups performed the task just as well as each other, however their brain signals told a different story.

A key brain response called feedback鈥憆elated negativity (FRN)- which reflects how we react to mistakes or bad outcomes - was reduced in people with a history of alcohol dependence.

This blunted signal appeared after both good and bad outcomes and did not vary with how long someone had been abstaining from alcohol.

The scientists say this could be a stable trait of alcohol dependence, reflecting underlying reward processing differences in people who are at risk of alcohol problems.

The study also looked at another signal, the feedback鈥慞3, which shows how strongly your mind reacts when you get important feedback and starts updating what you鈥檝e learned.

Overall, it did not differ between the groups, but for people recovering from alcohol dependence, this signal was largest in the early stages of abstinence, and after many years appeared more similar to that of healthy people.

Researchers say this may reflect a brain change linked to abstinence itself.

To dig deeper, the team used a machine learning method called tensor decomposition to uncover hidden patterns in the EEG signals.

In the people with alcohol dependence, this revealed unusually early and strong activity in centro鈥慺rontal brain regions near the top and front of the head.

This early surge was most pronounced in those in the earlier stages of recovery and could reflect, the scientists say, heightened sensitivity to feedback or a compensatory mechanism helping people maintain performance despite alcohol鈥憆elated brain changes.

They also found that healthy volunteers showed a different pattern, with a later burst of activity in the brain鈥檚 parietal lobe, linked to processing sensory information before evaluating reward value.

The researchers used unsupervised machine learning - a method that finds patterns without being told what to look for - to break down the large amounts of EEG data.

This helped discover overlapping brain signals would have been difficult to spot using traditional methods alone.

Lead author from The University of 水多多导航, who is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) as part of its , said: 鈥淎lcohol dependency is a complex and challenging health condition, and many people have difficulties maintaining recovery despite treatment and support.

鈥淲e believe our findings offer fresh insight into how alcohol dependence can influence the brain systems involved in learning and reward.

鈥淟arger, long鈥憈erm studies are now needed to understand if the EEG markers we identified here could one day help track recovery or identify those people who might need extra support.

Researchers conducting the study are funded by the is UKRI Future Leaders Fund, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and the National Institute for health and Care Research (NIHR) 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre. It is published in the journal Clinical Neurophysiology.

• The paper Altered EEG markers of reward learning during abstinence in alcohol dependence: a probabilistic reversal learning study is available hereDOI

Professor of Psychiatry at the University of 水多多导航, he is one of 60 exceptional biomedical and health scientists, the latest cohort of Fellows have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to advancing medical science, through discovery research, translational work and the application of scientific knowledge in ways that deliver tangible benefits for patients and the wider public.

This year鈥檚 cohort reflects the Academy鈥檚 continued focus on evolving its Fellowship to be diverse, relevant and representative of the biomedical and health research community. Of the 60 new Fellows elected in 2026, 42% are women (25 Fellows) 鈥� the highest proportion ever elected in a single year.

The new Fellows are drawn from 28 institutions and represent eight nationalities, with representation from across the UK. The cohort includes three new Fellows from Wales, the first elected in four years, including the first Fellow ever from Bangor University, as well as the first new Fellow elected from Northern Ireland since 2021.

The new intake spans a wide range of sectors, disciplines and research pathways. It includes five new Fellows elected from industry, alongside recognition of expertise in traditionally under鈥憆epresented areas such as speech and language therapy, medical ethics, traumatic brain injury and the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

The Fellows elected this year join an esteemed Fellowship of over 1,500 researchers who are at the heart of the Academy鈥檚 work to nurture scientific talent and shape research and health policy in the UK and worldwide.

Professor Appleby was elected for his pioneering work in suicide prevention and mental health. An epidemiologist and psychiatrist, his research has brought new rigour to the study of suicide through innovative study designs that have demonstrated how targeted interventions can reduce suicide rates. His work has directly informed national policy, including the most recent suicide prevention strategy, and he has played a central role in advising the NHS and government on mental health for more than two decades.

He  said: 鈥淚鈥檓 delighted to become a Fellow of the Academy. I see it as recognition of the field I work in - suicide prevention - which not long ago was seen as a difficult subject, as bereaved families can tell us. At a time when people are exposed to an overload of health information online, the Academy has a vital role in setting the standards of evidence on which the public can rely.鈥�

Professor Andrew Morris CBE FRSE PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences: 鈥淚t is a privilege to welcome this outstanding new cohort to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Each of our new Fellows has been recognised by their peers for exceptional achievement for the influence their work has had in advancing medical science and improving health.

鈥淭he diversity of disciplines represented this year reflects the richness of modern medical science and the value of collaboration across fields. At a time when health challenges are increasingly complex, the Academy鈥檚 Fellowship provides a trusted, independent platform for scientific leaders to work together, champion excellence, and help ensure research delivers real benefits for people and communities.鈥�

The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a ceremony on Tuesday 30 June.

The population-based study of more than two million people showed individuals with an intellectual disability are more likely to develop bowel cancer, especially before the age of 50.

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater 水多多导航 Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC), the study is published in (20/05/26). The research team is supported by both the NIHR GM PSRC and the NIHR 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

People with an intellectual disability present to their GP more often with symptoms linked to bowel cancer, but are less likely to receive key investigations such as stool tests, urgent referrals, or endoscopy the team show.

They were less likely to be diagnosed through screening programmes and more likely to be diagnosed in emergency settings or even on the date of death.

And they were also more likely to be diagnosed at stage IV, when the cancer has already spread.

Among those with early-stage disease, rates of curative surgery were similar, but survival remained significantly worse for people with an intellectual disability.

For advanced bowel cancer, individuals with an intellectual disability were far less likely to receive systemic anticancer therapy, which may contribute to poorer outcomes.

The findings highlight multiple missed opportunities for earlier diagnosis, including lower use of stool tests used to check for early signs of bowel cancer and fewer urgent suspected cancer referrals.

The researchers used anonymised GP records from a large UK database containing information on about 50 million people.

The records were linked with national data on deaths, cancer, hospital care, ethnicity and deprivation to support the research.

The study also raises concerns that current screening programmes, which often begin at age 50, may not adequately protect people with an intellectual disability, given their higher risk at younger ages.

They also highlight that emergency diagnoses can limit the time available for coordinated treatment planning, which may contribute to poorer survival even when surgery is offered.

However, lifestyle factors linked to early-onset bowel cancer鈥攕uch as obesity, diet, and physical inactivity鈥攎ay be more common among people with an intellectual disability, potentially amplifying their risk.

And distinguishing concerning symptoms may be more challenging for people with learning disabilities, though the researchers caution that this does not fully explain the scale of under-investigation.

Lead author Clinical Lecturer at The University of 水多多导航 and The Christie said: 鈥淥ur findings show clear and avoidable inequalities in bowel cancer diagnosis and treatment for people with an intellectual disability, and they underline the urgent need for earlier screening and more proactive investigation of symptoms.鈥�

Jon Sparkes OBE, Chief Executive of learning disability charity Mencap, said: 鈥淭his study lays bare the stark truth that people with a learning disability are being diagnosed with bowel cancer too late, too often, and are missing out on chances for earlier treatment that could save lives. We need the NHS, government and cancer services to join us in making inclusive health a priority, acting on these findings and putting the right support in place at every stage of the cancer pathway.鈥�

Claire Coughlan, Clinical Lead at Bowel Cancer UK, said: 鈥淏owel cancer is treatable and curable, especially if it is diagnosed early. However, this study makes clear that people with an ID are not only at increased risk of developing bowel cancer; they also face considerable barriers which can lead to later diagnosis and treatment.鈥�

Lisa Every and her niece Chloe鈥檚 story

Chloe Every died aged 27 in 2019, not long after being diagnosed with an advanced form of bowel cancer. She had a learning disability and myotonic dystrophy, a muscle condition known to affect the heart and breathing.

For Chloe鈥檚 family, the fact that her cancer was only identified at such a late stage is central to everything that followed. Like many people with a learning disability, Chloe was diagnosed when the disease was already advanced, limiting treatment options and reducing her chances of survival. Her family believe there were missed chances to investigate symptoms earlier and to take her health concerns seriously before her condition deteriorated.

Once Chloe was admitted to Queen鈥檚 Hospital in Romford, those missed chances continued. Her aunt Lisa Every says that Chloe鈥檚 learning disability and underlying condition were not properly considered when decisions were made about her care. Despite the seriousness of her diagnosis, there was no clear, coordinated plan that took account of her complex needs.

Chloe was left in the hospital鈥檚 initial assessment unit for six days, far longer than was appropriate. This delay meant she did not receive consistent care under one consultant at a critical point in her illness and contributed to a lack of joined up decision making. At a time when urgent, proactive care was needed, Chloe鈥檚 treatment drifted.

Her pain was not adequately managed, and she was given medication without a clear clinical reason. Despite her myotonic dystrophy and the known cardiac risks associated with it, staff did not contact Chloe鈥檚 specialist, who had treated her for many years. This was another missed opportunity to ensure her cancer treatment was informed by her wider health needs.

During her hospital stay, Chloe suffered two cardiac arrests. Before the first, she was not observed in line with her needs by nursing staff. An irregular heartbeat was noted shortly before she was given an enema, but this was not escalated to a doctor. After she was transferred to a general ward, Chloe was again not properly monitored. She later experienced a second cardiac arrest. The causes of either cardiac arrest were never investigated.

Mencap supported Lisa to fight for an inquest into Chloe鈥檚 death and forced the NHS to revisit a request that had previously been ignored. The subsequent A Level 3 Serious Untoward Investigation by the NHS Trust identified a series of serious failings in Chloe鈥檚 care. These included poor pain management, lack of specialist input, failures in observation and monitoring, and the fact that the Trust鈥檚 Learning Disability Admission Pathway was not properly followed when Chloe was admitted.

For Lisa, the experience is marked by repeated moments where earlier action could have made a difference, from diagnosis through to end-of-life care.

鈥業 was told by the head of palliative care not to be distressed if Chloe was not in ITU because she was being moved to a ward, which I assumed would be a palliative ward,鈥� Lisa said.

鈥榃hen I arrived, Chloe was not on any medical support at all. The nurse in charge did not know Chloe had a learning disability until I told her.

鈥業 was told to go home because the nurse had 鈥�11 patients to look after鈥� and that Chloe was 鈥渇ine鈥�. Chloe was then left unmonitored until she was found unresponsive.鈥�

Chloe died shortly afterwards.

Her story reflects wider evidence showing that people with a learning disability are more likely to be diagnosed with bowel cancer late, more likely to experience delays and missed chances for investigation, and more likely to face fragmented care once diagnosed. For Lisa, speaking out is about showing the consequences of those missed chances.

鈥楥hloe was young and she was loved,鈥� she said.

鈥楽he should have had the same chance as anyone else to be diagnosed earlier and to have her needs properly understood and acted on.鈥檋alf goes here

• the paper Bowel Cancer Care in Individuals with an Intellectual Disability: A Population-Based Cohort 水多多导航 of Symptoms, Diagnostic Pathways, Treatment and Survival is available DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-026-04906-9

The launch event introduces Jay鈥檚 Personalised Safety Planning Toolkit, a co鈥慸esigned set of materials created with researchers, people with personal experience of suicide and self-harm, and healthcare professionals.

Inspired by the family of Jaymie Mart, known as Jay, who died by suicide in 2012 at the age of 32, the toolkit -which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) -  offers clear, practical guidance to help adults create and review personalised safety plans.

Jay鈥檚 mother Paula鈥檚 experiences have formed a key part of research looking at how better to support people at times of acute mental crisis and prevent deaths from suicide.

She said: 鈥淭he toolkit helps as a guide in understanding and setting up an individualised safety plan for people in difficult times. They  can help to change a mindset during times of crisis, that will hopefully keep them safe until they can get help,  if needed, from family, friends or mental health professionals.鈥�

Safety plans are structured tools that support people experiencing self鈥慼arm or suicidal thoughts by helping them identify strategies to stay safe during a crisis.

The resource is designed for families, friends, wider support networks, individuals themselves, and health and social care professionals.

The event is open to anyone interested in suicide prevention and safety planning, including practitioners, people who use safety plans, and those who support them.

The free full鈥慸ay programme runs from 9:30am to 3:30pm at the Whitworth Art Gallery on Oxford Road in 水多多导航.

The day features interactive sessions and workshops designed to introduce the toolkit and demonstrate how it can be used in real鈥憌orld settings, and includes a live performance about safety plans for suicide, from an theatre-arts company run by people with learning difficulties.

The event aims to strengthen community understanding of personalised safety planning and improve access to supportive, evidence鈥慴ased resources.

, Professor of Psychiatry and Population Health at the University of 水多多导航 is also Mental Health Theme co-lead at the NIHR Greater 水多多导航 Patient Safety Research Collaboration

He said: 鈥淪afety Plans can be a vital component of mental health care but it鈥檚 really important they meaningfully involve the person themselves.

鈥淚 am delighted to be part of this important event which will have co-production at its heart鈥�

• The toolkit was funded by the , and supported by the , and NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria. The research is a collaboration between the University of 水多多导航, Northumbria University, Newcastle, and Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR GM PSRC, NIHR ARC North East and North Cumbria, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

Publishing in one of the world鈥檚 leading scientific journals Cell, the researchers analysed 322 healthy people from Europe, East Asia and South Asia to build the most detailed picture yet of how genetic ancestry and environment shape our biology.

They used a sweeping 鈥渕ultiomics鈥� approach, measuring everything from genes and proteins to gut bacteria, metabolic chemicals and metals to understand how ethnicity and geography shape our biology.

By recruiting people of the same genetic ancestry living on different continents, the scientists were able to separate the effects of DNA from the influence of environment with unprecedented clarity.

Genetic ancestry refers  to the estimation of where your ancestors came from based on patterns in your DNA, inherited across generations.

They found that your ethnic background leaves a deep mark on your immune system, metabolism and gut bacteria no matter where you move.

South Asian volunteers showed signs of higher exposure to pathogens across multiple biological layers.

European participants had richer gut microbial diversity and higher levels of chemicals tied to heart disease risk.

But geography also rewired key molecular networks involved in cholesterol, inflammation and energy processing.

Moving continents was enough to shift major metabolic pathways and alter the balance of gut microbes.

The most dramatic finding was that geography appears to change biological age 鈥� the molecular measure of how old your cells look.

East Asians living outside Asia were biologically older than those who stayed in Asia.

Europeans showed the opposite pattern, appearing biologically younger when living outside Europe.

The researchers say this suggests environment and genetic ancestry interact in surprising ways that could speed up or slow down ageing.

The study also uncovered a never-before-seen link between a telomerase gene involved in cellular ageing and a specific gut microbe, connected through a lipid molecule called sphingomyelin.

This unexpected three-way link hints at a molecular chain reaction through which gut bacteria may influence how quickly our cells age.

The findings create a powerful new resource for precision medicine, highlighting the need for healthcare tailored to genetic ancestry and environment rather than a one-size-fits-all model.

The researchers say their open-access dataset will help scientists and clinicians develop more accurate diagnostics, treatments and prevention strategies tailored to genetic ancestry, environment and individual biology.

鈥淲hat this study shows, more clearly than ever before, is that our biology is shaped by a combination of both our genetic ancestry and the places we live,鈥� said co鈥慳uthor Professor from The University of 水多多导航.

水多多导航 carried out analysis of biological metals alongside the international groups looking at proteins, the immune system, metabolism and microbiomes to generate a massive integrated picture of human variability.

Professor Unwin added: 鈥淲e were struck by how consistently ethnicity influenced immunity, metabolism and the microbiome, even when people moved thousands of miles away.

鈥淗owever, it is equally clear that where we live can have substantial impacts on nudging key molecular pathways 鈥� even how our cells appear to age 鈥� in different directions depending on who you are. It proves that precision medicine must reflect real global diversity, not a single population.鈥�

Michael Snyder, Professor of Genetics at the Stanford School of Medicine who led the study said: 鈥淥ur study is special because for the first time we have deeply profiled people from around the world, including Asia, Europe and North America. This enables us to see what properties such as metabolites and microbes are associated with ethnicity and which ones with geography.

鈥淥ne interesting finding is the association of age with geography. East Asians that live outside of Asia have a higher biological age than those residing in Asia. For Europeans, those residing outside of Europe are younger.鈥�

• The paper A Comparison of Deep Multiomics Profiles Across Ethnicity, Geography, and Age is available DOI

According to The University of 水多多导航 researchers, medication can be disrupted at the point of release, especially when people are discharged at short notice or outside normal working hours, when services are least able to coordinate care.

The study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater 水多多导航 Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC), is published in the journal Health Expectations today(insert date).

It paints a picture of a system which needs to better coordinate to keep people safe during one of the most vulnerable moments in their lives.

Healthcare staff interviewed by the researchers described delays in transferring medical records between prison and community GPs, confusion over who is responsible for discharge planning, and staffing pressures that can leave little time to prepare people for release.

They also highlighted the lack of integrated IT systems, meaning important information can fail to follow people out of the prison gates, which can lead to missed doses, interrupted treatment, and increased risk of harm.

Lead author Research Associate at The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淭here are clear opportunities to reduce medication-related risks at the point of discharge. Discharge planning interventions developed collaboratively with prisoners and relevant services and which prioritise coordination and informational continuity are needed.鈥�

Co-author , Professor of Health Services and Mental Health at The University of 水多多导航 added: 鈥淢edication safety breaks down at one of the most vulnerable points in care鈥攚hen people leave prison. Our findings show that with better coordination, earlier planning, and improved information sharing, many of these risks are preventable.鈥�

The research team interviewed 12 professionals including GPs, pharmacists, and prison officers, analysing their insights using the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety framework (SEIPS) .

SEIPS is a model used in healthcare to understand how different parts of a work system affect patient safety and care outcomes.

They identified five major factors driving unsafe medication transitions: unpredictable release practices, poor communication between services, staffing shortages, outdated or incompatible IT systems, and patient-level challenges such as low health literacy, substance use, and unstable housing.

The study warns the pressures are intensified by the high turnover in prisons, with nearly half of all sentenced admissions in 2023 lasting under 12 months, and by the complex health needs of people in custody, who experience far higher rates of mental illness, chronic conditions, and substance dependence than the general population.

The researchers call for earlier discharge planning beginning at prison entry, electronic prescribing to ensure timely access to medication, better continuity of medical records, dedicated transitional discharge teams, and multi鈥慸isciplinary meetings to coordinate complex cases.

Dr Planner added: 鈥淭hese findings show that safer medication management is achievable but will require coordinated action across prison and community healthcare systems.

鈥淚mproving communication, clarifying responsibilities, and strengthening processes could significantly reduce avoidable harm for thousands of people leaving prison each year.鈥�

• The paper Exploring medication safety in transitions from prison to community: a qualitative study is available . DOI  

• Traditional consent models often rely on adult 鈥減roxies鈥� such as parents and schools

• Children and young people鈥檚 ability to make informed decisions is frequently underestimated

• Complex, legalistic consent documents can discourage participation

• Schools play a central but under-recognised role in shaping access to research

• Current systems can create 鈥渆pistemic injustice鈥�, limiting whose voices are heard

• A more flexible, participatory and culturally sensitive approach is needed

Why consent isn鈥檛 working for children

The paper argues that gaining consent in studies involving children is often treated as a legal formality, rather than a meaningful process.

Current systems tend to prioritise institutional requirements such as ethics approvals and documentation over children鈥檚 own understanding and experiences.

Children are frequently positioned as needing protection, but this can come at the cost of recognising their competence. Evidence shows that many children and adolescents are capable of understanding research and making informed choices, particularly as digital literacy increases.

The hidden role of schools

Schools play a crucial role in research, acting as gatekeepers between researchers, children and families.

They are often responsible for sharing information, managing communication and enabling access - but their capacity to do this varies widely depending on time, resources and infrastructure.

In many cases, researchers have little direct contact with parents, relying instead on school systems to distribute information. While this helps with logistics, it can dilute communication and affect how well families understand what participation involves.

When paperwork puts people off

The article highlights how long, complex consent forms, often shaped by legal and data protection requirements, can discourage participation.

For families, particularly those from diverse linguistic or cultural backgrounds, these documents can be difficult to understand and may even create unnecessary concern about risk.

This can lead to what researchers describe as 鈥渆pistemic injustice鈥�, where children and young people are effectively excluded from contributing to knowledge because the process itself is inaccessible.

Children as active participants - not passive subjects

The researchers argue that children should be recognised as capable social actors, able to express views and make decisions about research participation.

Rather than relying solely on parental consent, approaches should support children鈥檚 own understanding, including their right to agree - or refuse - to take part.

This aligns with wider principles that children have the right to be heard in decisions affecting them.

What needs to change

The paper proposes a shift towards a more flexible and inclusive model of consent, built around real-world relationships and contexts.

Changes researchers are calling for

• Consent as an ongoing process

• Consent should be revisited throughout a study, not treated as a one-off decision

• Better communication

• Materials should be clearer, shorter and accessible to both children and families

• Schools as partners

• Schools should be supported as collaborators, not just intermediaries

• Children鈥檚 voices at the centre

• Processes should actively include children鈥檚 views, including opportunities to dissent

• More culturally sensitive approaches

• Consent models should reflect diverse social and cultural contexts

Why this matters now

The researchers argue that improving consent processes is not just an ethical issue - it directly affects the quality, inclusivity and impact of research.

When children and young people are excluded or disengaged, important perspectives are lost, particularly from underrepresented groups.

More inclusive approaches could help build trust, improve participation and ensure research better reflects the realities of children鈥檚 lives.

What the researchers said

鈥淐urrent consent processes often prioritise systems and structures over the children they are designed to protect,鈥� said lead author Dr Sarah MacQuarrie.

They add that consent should be seen as 鈥渁n ongoing, relational process鈥� rather than a one-time administrative step.

Final word

The article concludes that traditional, standardised models of consent are no longer fit for purpose in research with children and young people.

Instead, it calls for a reimagining of consent as a flexible, inclusive and participatory process - one which ensures that children鈥檚 voices are not just heard, but are central to research itself.

Publication details

The article is a part of a special issue within the Methods in Psychology journal.

DOI:

The research partially answers a quandary puzzling scientists for decades on why squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) in the mouth, lungs, and skin often look similar under the microscope, but vary dramatically in how aggressively they grow and spread. Squamous cell carcinomas are a type of epithelial cancer.

Co-author from The University of 水多多导航 says the key to the difference lies not in the cancer cells themselves, but in the fibroblasts鈥攕upporting cells in the surrounding tissue鈥攖hat send powerful biochemical signals shaping how the cancer behaves.

The translational study published in Nature Metabolism is funded by Cancer Research UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Cancer Research.

According to the study, fibroblasts from the mouth and lungs have strikingly different patterns of fat metabolism, producing and transferring different types of fats to nearby cancer cells.

The transferred fats act as molecular cues that push SCC cells to become more invasive through a process known as epithelial鈥憈o鈥憁esenchymal transition, a change that allows cancer cells to move more freely and spread.

In oral cancers, fibroblasts supply cancer cells with sphingomyelins, a type of fat that activates the ceramide/S1P/STAT3 pathway, a chain of molecular events known to drive cancer cell migration and invasion.

In lung cancers, fibroblasts instead transfer another type of fat called triglycerides, which stimulate cholesterol production inside the cancer cells and fuel a highly invasive behaviour associated with poorer patient survival.

By contrast, fibroblasts in the skin contain far fewer fats, and as a result, cutaneous SCC tends to be less invasive than its oral or lung counterparts.

Dr Viros said: 鈥淭hese findings highlight that the tumour microenvironment鈥攑articularly the fibroblasts and the fats they produce鈥攑lays a decisive role in determining how dangerous a particular SCC will become.

鈥淚t suggests several promising therapeutic strategies, including blocking fat production in fibroblasts, preventing cancer cells from taking up these fats, or disrupting the pathways that break them down once inside the tumour. It is encouraging that many drugs that already exist approved for lipid disorders, like statins, can potentially be repurposed to prevent aggressive epithelial cancers鈥�.

Co-author Dr Timothy Budden from the University of Liverpool said: 鈥淭argeting these fat鈥慸riven interactions could slow or even halt the spread of oral and lung SCC, offering new hope for patients with these aggressive cancers.

鈥淪o we think this work opens the door to more personalized cancer treatments based on the biology of the tissue where the tumour arises, rather than treating all SCCs as a single disease.鈥�

• The paper Tissue-specific fibroblast lipid cues impose the rate of epithelial cancer invasion is available DOI:

The partnership will build  an  interdisciplinary team focused on the links between domestic violence, family courts and women鈥檚 health in South India.

That, they say,  will generate early frameworks that can inform future reforms, judicial training and survivor鈥慶entred practice, laying the foundation for long鈥憈erm community partnerships and multi鈥慶ountry research.

Domestic violence is widespread in India, with national surveys showing that almost half of Indian women have faced some form of spousal abuse.

The southwestern state  Karnataka alone recorded more than seventeen thousand cases in 2022.

Lead researcher from The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淎lthough India handles well over a million family disputes each year, there is still no systematic research on how these legal journeys shape women鈥檚 long鈥憈erm wellbeing.

鈥淎nd there is some evidence which shows that court processes can sometimes prolong stress, fear and control.鈥�

The project will initially focus on assessing the feasibility of the study and map how family court procedures actually work for the women who go through the system.

The team will also map key organisations in Karnataka, from women鈥檚 police stations to community health workers, to understand where survivors seek help and where systems may be falling short.

鈥淭his groundwork matters because India needs its own evidence base to make sure women are supported, not harmed, when they turn to the courts,鈥� added Dr Dalgarno.

The collaboration will provide opportunities for students in 水多多导航 and Karnataka interested in understanding   the intersection of law, health and gender鈥慴ased violence

is Clinical Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology and Head of the Division of Population Health, Health Services Research and Primary Care.

She said: 鈥淭his  partnership aligns closely with both our universities鈥� commitments to tackling inequality, strengthening international collaboration and improving outcomes for marginalised communities.

鈥淏y focusing on women鈥檚 health, domestic violence and legal systems, the project speaks directly to shared priorities around gender equality, prevention of harm and access to safe, trauma鈥慽nformed services.鈥�

Professor Arathi Rao from the Manipal Academy of Higher Education said: 鈥淔amily courts are often a crucial point of contact for women seeking protection from domestic violence. Legal processes, while designed to deliver justice, can also impact women鈥檚 health, safety, and well-being.

鈥淏y examining these intersections, we aim to inform more responsive, survivor-centred systems that truly protect and support women during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.鈥�

The findings - published in the International - emerge against a backdrop of rising mental health needs.

The researchers analysed Annual Population Survey data from more than 535,000 working鈥慳ge adults between 2015 and 2020 to examine whether regional differences in the supply of NHS Talking Therapies were linked to labour force participation.

They found that people reporting long鈥憈erm mental health problems were less likely to be in the labour force than otherwise similar adults without such conditions: a participation gap of 36% in the analysis sample.

After adjusting for a wide range of personal and local factors, the researchers found that increasing the volume of supply of talking therapies by one additional appointment offered per referral in the average region, equivalent to about 22% more appointments, was associated with a 0.92鈥憄ercentage鈥憄oint reduction in the labour force participation gap.

The association was strongest among people aged 45 to 65, those not claiming benefits, and men.

The researchers highlight how decades of evidence show that pharmacological and psychological therapies can reduce symptoms and improve productivity, absenteeism and labour force participation.

The NHS Talking Therapies programme, launched in England 18 years ago, is considered to be the first large鈥憇cale programme of its kind.

It was designed to expand the supply of evidence鈥慴ased psychological treatments, reduce stigma, and make it easier for people to seek help.

The service offers assessment appointments, tailored treatment plans and session鈥慴y鈥憇ession monitoring.

Although previous studies have shown these sorts of impacts in individual patients, this study examined the impact of differences in therapy provisions across areas.

The authors argue that the supply of therapy services may have indirect effects on economic activity by improving help鈥憇eeking behaviour, reducing stigma, and influencing how GPs manage mental health problems in primary care.

They note that only around one鈥慺ifth of working鈥慳ge adults with a mental health diagnosis receive a course of NHS Talking Therapies, suggesting that wider community鈥憀evel effects may be important.

Lead author is, a PhD researcher from The University of 水多多导航.

He  said: 鈥淥ur findings suggest that improving access to psychological therapies doesn鈥檛 just support people鈥檚 wellbeing 鈥� it may also help close the long鈥憇tanding labour market gaps experienced by those with mental health problems.

鈥淎s governments look for ways to boost labour force participation, mental health policy should be part of that conversation.

鈥淧olicymakers should consider the indirect economic effects of expanding psychological therapy services when designing future mental health strategies.鈥�

• The study was funded by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) and supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
• The paper Availability of psychological therapies and workforce participation of individuals with long-term mental health problems: a retrospective observational study鈥� is available DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-026-00706-z

Fifty researchers from institutions  around the world -  including the University of 水多多导航 - have issued the alert in calling for urgent action to stop fungal infections becoming untreatable.

They say fungi in soil, crops and hospitals are increasingly resistant to the medicines used to control them.

For most healthy people this poses little danger, but for patients with weakened immune systems the infections can be deadly.

Global strategies to tackle antimicrobial resistance have focused too heavily on bacteria and viruses while largely overlooking fungi, they argue.

To combat it, they have produced a five鈥憇tep plan to improve awareness, surveillance, infection control, responsible drug use and investment in new treatments.

The plan is intended to help shape the World Health Organization鈥檚 updated Global Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance later this year.

Scientists warn that several dangerous fungi are already spreading, including Trichophyton indotineae, which causes severe skin infections that are increasingly hard to treat.

Hospitals are also battling Candida auris, a fungus that can trigger life鈥憈hreatening bloodstream infections and kills around a third of those affected.

Another concern is Aspergillus fumigatus, a common mould that has developed resistance to widely used azole drugs in many countries.

Experts say much of this resistance begins not in hospitals but in the environment.

Fungicides used in agriculture are chemically similar to antifungal medicines used in human healthcare, allowing resistant strains to evolve in fields before reaching patients.

This link between environmental, agricultural and medical use 鈥� known as One Health 鈥� means resistance in crops can undermine treatments for people.

Researchers say coordinated action across science, farming, healthcare and policy is now essential to protect both global food supplies and patient safety.

They point to early initiatives, including the WHO鈥檚 fungal priority pathogen list and new One Health working groups, but warn these efforts must be embedded in global antimicrobial resistance policies.

The authors are urging governments and international bodies to prioritise antifungal resistance before more infections become untreatable.

鈥淔armers use huge amounts of fungicides to protect crops, and some of these chemicals stay in the environment for decades,鈥� said Professor from the University of 水多多导航.

鈥淭here is now clear evidence these chemicals are helping fungi evolve into strains that can no longer be treated in people, plants or animals.鈥�

鈥淚f we don鈥檛 act, we will see more infections that simply can鈥檛 be cured, which puts lives and food supplies at risk,鈥� he added.

Professor Paul Verweij from Radboud University Medical Center in the natherlands, said: 鈥淲e are already seeing a quiet rise in dangerous fungi, from Candida auris in intensive care units to moulds in the community that no longer respond to standard medicines.

鈥淯nless antifungal resistance is included in the WHO鈥檚 2026 global plan with proper funding and targets we risk repeating the same mistakes made with antibiotic resistance.

鈥淯sing the same types of antifungal chemicals in both farming and medicine is speeding up resistance, and what happens in the fields is now affecting what happens in hospital wards,鈥� added  Professor Michaela Lackner of the Medical University of Innsbruck.

• Image: aspergillus fumigatus. Credit Isabelle Storer
• Closing the gap on fungal resistance is published in  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-026-04334-5

The initiative, called KOKU Bladder, brings together evidence鈥慴ased education, pelvic floor muscle training, behaviour change techniques and gamification to support engagement and long鈥憈erm adherence.

The programme is designed for people to use independently at home while also complementing face鈥憈o鈥慺ace care delivered by healthcare professionals.

Pelvic health plays a vital role in healthy ageing, helping people maintain mobility, dignity, independence and overall quality of life.

Urinary incontinence affects more than 14 million people in the UK and between 55 and 60 million across Europe.

Around one in three adults over 60 experience urinary incontinence, rising to nearly half of those aged 80 and above.

Despite its scale and impact, incontinence remains one of the most under discussed and under treated health conditions, often hidden due to stigma, embarrassment and fragmented services.

Professor  Javier Jerez鈥慠oig from the University of Vic, Principal Investigator, said: 鈥淜OKU Bladder is not just another digital tool; it is a solution shaped directly by the people who will use it and the professionals who support them.鈥�

Professor  Emma Stanmore from The University of 水多多导航 is CEO of KOKU Health, a UK digital health company which originated as a research project at the University of 水多多导航 

As a university spin-out, KOKU translates academic research into a practical tool designed to reduce falls, improve mobility, and support people to live healthier, more independent lives at home.

She added: 鈥淏y embedding gamification within a clinically credible framework, we aim to make self鈥憁anagement both motivating and meaningful.鈥�

Although several digital pelvic health tools already exist, a recent review identified only four evidence鈥慴ased solutions that include people over 50, and none have been genuinely co鈥慸esigned with end users and professionals.

In 2025, a total of 54 people across Spain, Lithuania and the UK contributed to the co鈥慸esign of KOKU Bladder, including 31 potential users, 15 healthcare professionals and eight experts in pelvic health and ageing.

Participants highlighted the need for clinically trustworthy content, adaptive pelvic floor training, meaningful personalisation, multimedia guidance and embedded behaviour change techniques such as goal setting, self鈥憁onitoring and feedback.

KOKU Bladder is now in its pilot phase, with 75 participants testing the platform across English, Spanish and Lithuanian versions.

The next stage of the project will be an experimental study beginning this summer in 水多多导航, led by The University of 水多多导航 to formally evaluate feasibility, engagement and user experience.

• More information about the project is available at , where you can also register interest via the Contacts section

The study, published in PLOS Mental Health comes as Colombia has taken steps to expand healthcare access to some of the 2.86 million Venezuelans in the country, including offering temporary protection status.

However large numbers of the migrants are ineligible for protection, particularly those with irregular status who can only access emergency services or limited humanitarian programmes while discrimination and administrative barriers persist.

Led by GP Dr John Fitton, the study was adapted from his Master of Public Health dissertation at The University of 水多多导航. He is now a PhD student at University College London.

Nari帽o, on the Ecuadorian border, is a major crossing point for Venezuelan migrants fleeing economic collapse, political instability, food insecurity, and breakdown of health and social services.

That and the physical and emotionally exhausting nature of the journey itself contributed to their poor psychological condition.

Dr Fitton also says substance abuse-  particularly  among unaccompanied men in transit -  may be seen as self鈥憁edication for hunger, exhaustion and distress.

The drugs, he says, are cheap, widely available along routes, and may even be more accessible than food when resources are scarce.

The researcher interviewed frontline community workers, who explained how recent cuts in international aid to NGOs working in Colombia have intensified gaps in care.

The community workers reported that mental health services for irregular migrants in Nari帽o are now almost entirely provided by dwindling numbers of humanitarian and community organisations.

As the organisations start to withdraw through lack of funding, irregular migrants are likely to be left with no mental health support at all.

The community workers described how poverty, unstable housing, lack of transport and the pressures of constant movement make it nearly impossible for migrants to seek ongoing mental health treatment.

And there was, said Dr Fitton, confusion among some healthcare staff about migrants鈥� legal rights and documents conflicting views on whether discrimination affects access to care.

鈥淥ur findings show that community workers are doing everything they can, but the system in Colombia is simply not built to meet the mental health needs of people in constant transit,鈥� said Dr Fitton.

鈥淲e show a system under strain with community workers struggling to fill widening gaps in support.

鈥淐aught between hunger, exhaustion and exclusion, some migrants slide into a brutal spiral: substances numb pain but deepen isolation, bar them from shelter, fracture their dignity, and leave a mental health crisis untouched.

鈥淲hat begins as a will to survive has become a sorry tale of abandonment by systems and services.鈥�

• The paper Barriers to access and unmet needs in mental health care for Venezuelan migrants in a southern border region of Colombia: the experiences of community workers is available . DOI:
• Image: John Fitton at the Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia in Pasto, Nari帽o who hosted him.

Published in Science, the team demonstrated the first atomic鈥憆esolution imaging of atomic behaviour at solid鈥搇iquid interfaces in a broad range of non鈥慳queous (organic) solvents. Previous high鈥憆esolution liquid imaging techniques were largely limited to water, but the new technique works with a wide range of liquids beyond water, dramatically expanding the range of chemical processes that can be studied at the atomic scale, including key enabling technologies for the green energy transition.

Transmission Electron Microscopy is one of the only techniques that can image individual atoms, using a highly focused electron beam to probe inside structures, but it requires a high vacuum 鈥� making it impossible to study liquid processes. The 水多多导航 team overcame this long鈥憇tanding challenge by building 鈥渘ano鈥慳quariums鈥�: nanoscale liquid cells made by sealing tiny pockets of test liquids, each just 100 attolitres, a billion times smaller than a raindrop, between ultra鈥憈hin graphene windows just a few atoms thick. The graphene is strong enough to protect the liquid from the vacuum, yet almost completely transparent, allowing the electron beam to pass through.

Using an advanced electron microscope at the electron Physical Science Imaging Centre (ePSIC) national facility, the team captured videos of gold atoms at the graphene鈥搇iquid interface to compare five industrial solvents. The resulting videos show individual atoms hopping between sites, pairing up into groups of two and three, and clustering into larger nanoparticles with the measured behaviour sensitive to the choice of liquid. An AI鈥慹nabled automated analysis workflow allowed the researchers to individually 鈥渢rack鈥� more than a million gold atoms across the five solvents, enabling extraction of truly statistically significant information 鈥� a far cry from most atomic鈥憆esolution imaging papers, which typically draw conclusions by observing only tens or hundreds of atoms.

鈥淲atching individual atoms move in liquids is incredibly exciting, like having a front鈥憆ow seat to chemistry in action,鈥� said Sam Sullivan鈥慉llsop, postdoctoral researcher at 水多多导航 and first author. 鈥淏y tracking more than a million atoms, we can move beyond isolated snapshots and finally see how liquids shape atomic behaviour.鈥�

Our images are clear enough to resolve both the gold atoms and the graphene lattice beneath them,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hat lets us understand not just where the atoms move, but why: how they interact with the surface and why they tend to 鈥減air up鈥� into small clusters during their random motion.鈥�

A key innovation was sealing the cells while fully submerged in liquid using a thin ceramic cantilever to manipulate the graphene crystals. Previous approaches suffered from significant evaporation during the sealing step, causing huge fluctuations in the concentrations of test liquids. The new technique enables precise control of what goes inside 鈥� essential for making fair comparisons between liquids.

, who developed the fabrication process, explained, 鈥淭he trick is sealing the cells while they are submerged within the liquid itself. Doing it this way means you know exactly what sample you are looking at 鈥� and it works for nearly every solvent, not just water.鈥�

Individual gold atoms are a promising catalyst for green chemistry but preventing them 鈥渃lustering鈥� into bigger particles has always been challenging. Using their new platform, the team investigated how both the choice of solvent (which controls dispersion in the liquid) and the drying kinetics (which lock in the final structure) together determine whether the final catalyst contains the individually separated gold atoms required for high performance. In particular, acetone 鈥� a common solvent 鈥� combined low polarity with a low boiling point and surface tension, helping gold atoms remain separated during both the liquid phase and drying, whereas higher鈥慴oiling solvents (e.g., cyclohexanone) and water tended to yield larger particles. The structural findings were confirmed by catalyst testing by collaborators at the University of Cardiff鈥檚 Catalysis Institute.

However, the new technique has potential for significant impact in fields outside catalysis. Many crucial processes, from fuel cells and batteries to filtration and precious鈥憁etal recovery from e鈥憌aste, happen at solid鈥搇iquid interfaces. Until now, scientists mostly relied on ensemble measurements that can obscure atomic鈥憇cale complexity; watching individual atoms in liquids changes that.

, who led the research, commented, "It's remarkable how much we still don't understand about how atoms behave at solid鈥憀iquid interfaces, given how fundamental these processes are to modern technology. Now we can watch what's actually happening, understand why, and use that insight to design better materials and processes."

The research involved collaboration between The University of 水多多导航, Cardiff University, Sheffield University, and the ePSIC national microscopy facility at Diamond, combining expertise in electron microscopy, 2D materials fabrication, catalysis, and computational modelling. With the platform now established, the team is already applying it to questions in clean energy technologies and recovery of metals from e鈥憌aste.

This research was published in the journal Science.

Full title: Atomic-resolution imaging of gold species at organic liquid-solid interfaces.

DOI:

The new grant funded by an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Health Technologies Connectivity Award will assess the benefit and suitability of the software for use within the NHS.

The researchers hope the software, called (In Silico Assessment of pregnancy via Digital Integrated Environments) will help doctors tackle the stubbornly high prevalence of stillbirths. Late-term losses are especially hard to foresee, as clinicians continue to lack an accurate means of assessing a baby's oxygen supply before birth.

Around half of stillbirths are associated with fetal growth restriction (FGR), a condition caused by impaired placental function that limits the baby鈥檚 growth. Current ultrasound tools detect only around half of FGR cases, and even when identified, there is no treatment. Clinicians must instead make complex decisions about the timing of birth, balancing the risks of premature delivery against the danger of waiting too long.

from The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淭oday鈥檚 clinical decision-making relies on indirect indicators such as Doppler ultrasound, fetal movements and heart rate patterns. While umbilical artery Doppler has helped reduce stillbirth risk in premature babies, most stillbirths still occur in pregnancies where Doppler results appear normal. Crucially, no existing clinical test can directly assess fetal oxygenation 鈥� the primary driver of stillbirth risk.鈥�

Dr Michele Darrow from the Rosalind Franklin Institute said: 鈥淏y integrating computational physics-based modelling, imaging science and physiological insights, the software we have developed is able to generate real-time, actionable information.鈥�

The researchers are working with international partners at the University of Auckland to address the gap by rethinking how routinely collected clinical data are interpreted. The Auckland team鈥檚 work focuses on integrating physiological understanding with advanced physics-based modelling. This approach underpins the development of SADIE, which uses existing ultrasound technology and clinical data to predict fetal oxygen status in under 30 seconds. 

Dr Darrow added: 鈥淲hile the proof-of-principle results are promising, further work is needed before SADIE can be tested in large鈥憇cale clinical trials. This new funding aims to ensure the models can run reliably in real time and produce predictions that clinicians can rely on.鈥�

Working with clinicians and health system leaders, the team will also assess where SADIE will fit within current NHS care pathways. This step is essential to designing future clinical trials that can demonstrate whether smarter use of ultrasound data can reduce stillbirth while avoiding unnecessary early intervention.

By combining imaging science, computational modelling and clinical insight, this work reflects the researcher鈥檚 mission to develop transformative technologies that improve human health.

Published in the journal , the study shows that SAFER鈥慏em is highly inclusive and has the potential to provide safer, more coordinated transitions from hospital to community care, which supports the goals of the NHS 10鈥慪ear Health Plan for England.

The study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Three Schools Dementia Career Development Award and the .

Care bundles are a set of practical, evidence鈥慴ased interventions designed to improve the quality and safety of care for patients. The NHS Improvement SAFER patient flow bundle, for example, is a practical tool designed to reduce delays and improve patient safety in adult inpatient wards. The research team had already developed a care bundle called SAFER鈥慚ental Health (SAFER鈥慚H), which is an adapted version of the NHS SAFER patient flow bundle tailored to the specific needs of mental health settings.

By applying a co-designing approach, researchers worked with participants to redesign SAFER鈥慚H into a clearer, simpler, and more dementia鈥慽nclusive version, the SAFER-Dem.  

, Research Fellow at the University of 水多多导航, who led the study, said: 鈥淧eople with dementia often have difficult experiences when discharged from mental health hospitals. Many feel confused, unheard, or not involved in decisions about their own care. Staff also report challenges, such as lack of time, unclear communication and busy ward environments.

鈥淲e worked directly with people living with dementia, unpaid carers, and healthcare professionals to help improve the discharge process from hospital to community for people with dementia. Our study participants took part in workshops and interviews, where they tried out early versions of the SAFER鈥慏em materials and gave feedback. Altogether, 29 people participated.鈥�

Participants agreed that current discharge processes are often poor. Common problems included unclear communication, not receiving enough information, difficulty navigating busy environments, and a lack of involvement in planning. Medication information was a particular concern. As a result of the workshops and interviews, key changes were proposed to refine the dementia-inclusive discharge care bundle.

Overall, participants felt that SAFER-Dem could help improve conversations, support shared decision鈥憁aking, and make the discharge process feel more person鈥慶entred. However, they noted that people with more severe dementia may need more support or may not always be able to use the materials independently.

Co-author Professor Maria Panagioti from The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淥ur study shows that by improving the quality and consistency of discharge planning, SAFER-Dem has the potential to enhance patient safety, strengthen system resilience, and support more timely discharges where appropriate. It may also help reduce avoidable readmissions by ensuring that patients leave hospital with the right support in place.

鈥淭he SAFER-Dem intervention is not just about speeding up discharge, but about improving how discharge is delivered鈥攎aking it safer, more personalised, and more effective for both patients and the wider health system.鈥�

The researchers concluded that SAFER鈥慏em shows real promise for making discharge from mental health inpatient care safer, clearer, and more inclusive for people living with dementia. Further evaluation and testing will help determine how SAFER鈥慏em can be scaled across mental health services.

• The paper SAFER-Dem: generating co-designed adaptations to a discharge care planning bundle for people living with dementia, published in the BMJ Open is available . DOI: 

During an emotional visit to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in 水多多导航 and the 水多多导航 Cancer Research Centre, Kimberley met with scientists and researchers and witnessed first-hand how The Christie Charity Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal, set up at Sarah鈥檚 request and supported by the bandmates, is transforming lives.

At the heart of that impact is Annette Illing, a mum of three who had no symptoms, no family history of breast cancer, and no reason to suspect anything was wrong. But after taking part in a groundbreaking study to identify which women are most at risk of developing breast cancer in their 30s and backed by the Appeal, Annette received news that would change everything.

What began as a simple decision 鈥� 鈥淲hy not?鈥� 鈥� led to an early diagnosis that may ultimately have saved her life.

Annette鈥檚 dad and sister are both GPs, and the opportunity to better understand her breast cancer risk while contributing to vital research felt like a positive step. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 really see any negatives,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淚t would either be 鈥業鈥檓 fine鈥� and carry on as I am, or 鈥業鈥檓 at increased risk鈥� and might need to make some lifestyle changes.鈥�

At just 39 years old, and with no family history of breast cancer, Annette wasn鈥檛 overly concerned about having a genetic risk factor.

After researching the (Breast Cancer Risk Assessment in Young Women) study and learning it was supported by The Christie Charity Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal, () Annette decided to take part. The BCAN-RAY study is also funded by Cancer Research UK with support from the Shine Bright Foundation.

It was a decision that proved life-changing as in June 2025, after Annette had been identified as being at increased risk by the BCAN-RAY study, she had her first mammogram and was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.

She says: 鈥淚t was a huge shock as I don鈥檛 have a family history of breast cancer. It was scary to hear the word 鈥榗ancer,鈥� but there was hope. I鈥檇 rather know and have choices than not know. It was caught early, meaning it could be removed, and preventive treatment was available.鈥�

Without the BCAN-RAY study, Annette would have waited another decade for her first routine mammogram. 鈥淲hen the mammogram picked up my cancer, it was undetectable by any other means. If I鈥檇 waited, it would have grown and changed my prognosis. It could have been a completely different story,鈥� she says.

Dr from The University of 水多多导航, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and 水多多导航 University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), leads the BCAN-RAY study and said: 鈥淭his study was designed to identify women at increased risk of breast cancer. Annette鈥檚 experience shows exactly why this is so important. By detecting breast cancers at the very earliest stages, treatment is more straight forward and survival outcomes much better. We can also offer women approaches to prevent breast cancer to stop them developing the disease at all. Early detection may have saved Annette鈥檚 life, and we want to offer that same chance to many more women.鈥�

Annette from Withington, 水多多导航, underwent two surgeries at Wythenshawe Hospital, part of 水多多导航 University NHS Foundation Trust, followed by radiotherapy at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, and is now on preventive hormone therapy for five years. She will also have annual mammograms for peace of mind. She says: 鈥淚 feel very hopeful for the future. My cancer has been removed, and I鈥檓 in the best possible position to move forward.鈥�

As a mum to three daughters aged 13, 11 and 8 yrs old, Annette is particularly thankful to have been part of the BCAN-RAY study. She says: 鈥淚 am so grateful for this study and future studies like it, so that I know my daughters will be well looked after by the Breast Cancer Family History Risk and Prevention Clinic when the time comes.鈥�

She adds: 鈥淚 could not have got through the last six months without the support of my husband Mark, my daughters and my faith. To my family and friends who have picked me up when needed, listened to me and allowed me an outlet to process each step; to my group of ladies who I met during surgery and physio  sessions, who I have shared experiences with and understand what it's like to go through the treatment; to my employer and class team who have been incredibly supportive, I thank each and every one of them.鈥�

Annette now encourages others to take part in studies like BCAN-RAY and to perform regular breast checks. 鈥淢any women I鈥檝e met found their cancers by noticing changes. Please check your breasts regularly,鈥� she says.

Dr Dani Skirrow, Science Engagement Manager at Cancer Research UK, said: 鈥淓ven in the darkest days of her cancer journey, Sarah Harding was a fearless advocate for research. She bravely faced up to the pain the cancer caused her, undergoing treatment whilst thinking of ways to help other women in a similar position.

鈥淚t is a fitting tribute to Sarah that the study supported by her legacy has taken us towards smarter ways to identify women who have a high risk of getting breast cancer when they鈥檙e young. We鈥檙e getting promising insights into how we could provide tailored support to these women in their thirties, offering them access to early screening and prevention opportunities. Annette鈥檚 story illustrates the powerful impact this could have in the future.

鈥淔urther research will be needed to refine the tools created as part of this study before they can be rolled out more widely. But the progress made by the BCAN-RAY study moves us closer to a world where people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of breast cancer.鈥�

Research such as the BCAN-RAY study is central to The Christie Charity's commitment to supporting The Christie hospital鈥檚 vision of 鈥榣earning from every patient鈥� and trebling the number of patients participating in research by 2030. Studies have shown that cancer patients treated at research-intensive hospitals have better outcomes than those treated in hospitals with little or no research activity. The Charity has pledged to support and fund this goal with 拢30m over the next five years to accelerate research and innovation in 水多多导航, with the ultimate aim of bringing tomorrow鈥檚 treatments to patients faster.

• Find out how you can support innovative cancer research at The University of 水多多导航 here: Challenge Accepted
• Picture caption: Kimberley with members of the BCAN-RAY research team

A team of cancer genomics* scientists from The University of 水多多导航 and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, forensically examined the genetic make-up of tumours in 16 different cancers. Their findings, which have been published in , are the culmination of six years鈥� of research and could significantly increase the number of cancer patients eligible for targeted and immune-based treatments. 

This landmark study was co-led by Professor David Wedge at the 水多多导航 Cancer Research Centre and Professor Richard Houlson from The Institute of Cancer Research. It used whole-genome sequencing data from nearly 11,000 NHS patients with cancer, and is part of Genomics England鈥檚 100,000 Genomes Project, which is the largest single genomics study for cancer ever to be undertaken worldwide. 

The researchers analysed hundreds of millions of mutations in 11,000 tumours which covered the whole genome of a human being which consists of more than three billion bases and includes around 20,000 genes. From this they were able to identify the most comprehensive map to date of genetics 鈥榮cars鈥� left behind in cancer DNA. 

In total the team of 鈥榙ata detectives鈥� catalogued 370 million mutations and assigned them to 134 distinct mutational 鈥榮ignatures鈥� which are patterns of DNA damage that act like fingerprints of the processes that caused the cancer. Of these, 26 signatures were not previously included in the database of known signatures used by many scientists. 

The most significant finding was that many more patients may benefit from precision therapies than currently recognised. The study identified large numbers of tumours with evidence of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) which is a weakness in DNA repair that makes cancers vulnerable to PARP inhibitors and platinum-based chemotherapy. HRD was identified in 16% of breast cancer tumours and 14% of ovarian cancer tumours, so based on UK figures, researchers estimated that more than 7,700 breast cancer patients and over 1,000 ovarian cancer patients in the UK could benefit from HRD-targeted therapies which is much greater than are currently identified through standard genetic testing for mutations in genes such as BRCA1/BRCA2 alone. 

This study also supports the growing theory that toxins produced by particular strains of E. coli in the gut could be the potential cause of the rise in early-onset bowel cancer in younger people. The team found this signature occurs more in younger patients than older patients, in contrast with several other signatures that tend to increase with a patient鈥檚 age. 

, professor of cancer genomics and data science at The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淓very cancer develops because DNA is damaged over time. Different causes such as ultraviolet light, tobacco smoke or inherited gene faults leave different patterns in the genome. By reading these patterns we can now understand, in a larger proportion of cancers, what caused the cancer, when key mutations occurred, and which treatments are most likely to work.

鈥淯ntil now, most testing has focused on mutations of a single base (or 鈥榣etter鈥�) in a cancer鈥檚 DNA. By analysing the entire genome and examining more complex mutations that affect multiple bases, I hope our research contributes to better predictions of which treatment might benefit specific patients. This could enable better targeting of treatment to those patients most likely to benefit, given the genetic make-up of their tumours.鈥�

Professor Richard Houlston, head of cancer genomics at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: 鈥淭he scale of this study was very large, as we analysed samples from almost every tumour type. The quantity of data was enormous, and although laborious to work through, we have been rewarded with a very exciting outcome. This study provides one of the clearest demonstrations yet that reading the full genetic history of a tumour can unlock clues to better patient care.  The future of cancer treatment lies not just in finding mutations, but in understanding the story they tell.鈥�

Professor , Director of the 水多多导航 Cancer Research Centre, a partnership formed in 2006 by The University of 水多多导航, Cancer Research UK and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust said: 鈥淭his remarkable and comprehensive study demonstrates how 水多多导航 is leading the charge in the field of big data genomics. The world-class research coming out of the Wedge lab is pioneering, and will transform our understanding of the human genome and the potential for better cancer treatments for our patients.鈥�

The study is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre. 

* cancer genomics is the study of genetic changes in cancer cells to understand tumour development, progression and to guide personalised treatment.

• The study a Comprehensive repertoire of the chromosomal alteration and mutational signatures across 16 cancer types is published in https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02474-x

The recovery plan launched in January 2023 after one of the most testing years in NHS history with a perfect storm of pressures resulting in overwhelmed A&E departments, and significant numbers of patients waiting over 12-hours for beds.

Using national performance data, the 水多多导航 team show that initial improvements in the 4-hour and 12-hour waiting time targets and in the category two ambulance response times were achieved in the 12 months after the plan was announced. These initial performance improvements have since plateaued.

said: 鈥淎 core aim of the recovery plan was to bring people together to coordinate a unified whole system response to tackle urgent and emergency care performance. This has happened 鈥� though the complexity of meeting national targets, addressing local challenges and responding to rising demand means that many systems have been running to stand still.鈥�

The recovery plan set out a number of ambitions, including:

• Improve to 76% of patients being admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours by March 2024.

• Improve ambulance response times for Category 2 incidents to 30 minutes on average over 2023/24.

During the period the recovery plan was implemented, the trend of declining performance for 4-hour waits and 12-hour waits was arrested, and performance improved across 4-hour waits, 12-hour waits and Category 2 ambulance response time between February and September 2023.

However, following September 2023, initial rates of improvement were not maintained across the different indicators, and performance plateaued. The findings demonstrate that meaningful improvement towards the set targets takes time to deliver, especially in the context of rising volumes in ED, experienced over this period.

The 水多多导航 team found that successful and sustainable change depends not only on service developments but also on three broad enablers - improved communication, partnership working, and visible and present leadership - identified via in-depth key informant interviews conducted as part of the evaluation.

said 鈥淥ur real-time evaluation of the impact of the 2023 recovery has provided crucial insights that have informed current and future winter planning. This demonstrates the value of NIHR鈥檚 investment in independent, rapid and responsive evaluation to inform decision-making and future service delivery.鈥�

The report Independent evaluation of the 2023-2025 NHS Delivery Plan for Recovering Urgent and Emergency Care Services, including prioritisation of the high-impact initiatives is available .

The agreement to house the memorial at the University follows a commitment by Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater 水多多导航, to find a permanent and fitting home for it within the city-region. The memorial will now become part of the University鈥檚 collections, where it will be cared for as a place of remembrance, reflection and learning for generations to come.

Developed in collaboration with Inquiry participants, the memorial contains bottles with a message in each one written by someone affected by the scandal.

On display at the Infected Blood Inquiry until the publication of the Inquiry Report in May 2024, the memorial has been sited  in the . Its presence at the University will support research, teaching and public engagement, particularly in areas relating to patient safety, ethical practice in healthcare, trust, and health inequalities.

As a civic university rooted in 水多多导航, the University is committed to working alongside communities to acknowledge difficult histories and to create spaces where reflection and learning can take place with care and respect. Through exhibitions, teaching programmes and public events including the annual Universally 水多多导航 Festival, the memorial will remain accessible to the public, helping to ensure that the experiences of those affected continue to be heard and understood. 

By providing a permanent home for the Infected Blood Inquiry Memorial, the University hopes to honour those whose lives were changed forever, while supporting ongoing dialogue, understanding and learning that can help shape a more compassionate and responsible future in healthcare and public life.

Christine Burney, the widow of Peter Burney, who died of hepatitis following a blood transfusion said: 鈥淚 lost my husband Peter Burney in 2019 to liver cancer, after being given hepatitis C following a blood transfusion. The inquiry memorial holds deep personal significance. As I live on the outskirts of 水多多导航 I have visited it numerous of times since its arrival on the university grounds, finding solace in its presence.

It serves as a vital, permanent reminder of this tragedy for the medical professionals of tomorrow. My hope is that by including this history in their curriculum we ensure that the lessons of the past directly inform the care and ethics of the future.鈥�

Sir Brian Langstaff, Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry, said: 鈥淲e must never forget the devastating effects of what happened. Foremost among them is the anguish, suffering and profound loss, so eloquently highlighted by the messages carefully placed in this Memorial by people infected and affected.  I wish to thank the University of 水多多导航 for providing a permanent home for the Memorial. It stands now, and for the future, as a testament to all of those who fought so long to be heard.  The infected blood disaster was not an accident and its like must never happen again.鈥� 

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater 水多多导航, said: "This memorial is a powerful way to honour those thousands of people and their family members who suffered so much and those whose lives continue to be blighted by the infected blood scandal.  I hope this memorial provides some closure, and a place for reflection for all people fighting injustice.

鈥淚 pay tribute to the campaigners like Fred and Eleanor Bates from Wythenshawe who never gave in and helped me understand the scale of the injustice. I am proud that the memorial will be based here, in the centre of 水多多导航, and I know they would be too.鈥�

Professor Stephanie Snow, Professor of Health, History and Policy and Academic Lead for Public Engagement who is based at The University鈥檚  Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine said: 鈥淥ur stewardship will honour the Inquiry鈥檚 intention that the Memorial will be a permanent symbol of the human suffering and loss caused by the contaminated blood scandal.

鈥淢any thousands of NHS patients were infected after being given contaminated blood in what has been called the biggest treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.

鈥淎ccording to the inquiry, the victims had been failed "not once, but repeatedly", since 1948, the date when the risk of viral infections in blood products originated. This memorial is a fitting tribute and a powerful reminder of their story. We are honoured it is to become part of the University鈥檚 collections.

John McAuliffe, Associate Vice President (Cultural Portfolio) at The University of 水多多导航 and Director of was also part of the team who helped to bring the monument to 水多多导航.

He said: 鈥淥ur collections inspire and nurture world-class research, teaching and learning and this memorial will be of huge interest to writers, historians, social scientists, clinicians and scientists,  and others connected to the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine, and to the University鈥檚 research platforms, Creative 水多多导航 and Healthier Futures, which support interdisciplinary research, as well as to colleagues and students attached to the Justice Hub, the Centre for New Writing and the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology.

Professor Nalin Thakkar, Vice-President for Social Responsibility at The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淎s a civic university, we believe it is important to remember difficult histories with honesty, compassion and respect. The Memory Bank Memorial gives powerful voice to those affected by the contaminated blood scandal and stands as a reminder of the human impact behind it. 

鈥淚t is a privilege for the University to become its custodian, and we hope it will support reflection, learning and dialogue for generations to come, reflecting our commitment to social responsibility and to serving our communities in 水多多导航 and beyond.鈥�

• Image from left to right: Sir Brian Langstaff, Andy Burnham, Stephanie Snow, Christine Burney, Nalin Thakkar

Poorer communities often face additional difficulties to accessing consistent, proactive and clearly defined dementia support within general practice.

Based on 20 in鈥慸epth interviews with people with dementia and their carers, the researchers highlight how socioeconomic disadvantage  adds additional  complexity to their healthcare.

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR ) School for Primary Care Research, the study is published in the .

Participants were recruited from areas ranked in the lowest two quintiles of the ensuring that voices often absent from dementia research were highlighted.

The researchers analysed the interviews using reflexive thematic analysis, a qualitative research method used to identify, analyse, and interpret patterns of meaning.

It revealed four interconnected themes that shaped participants鈥� experiences:

• Proactive continuity of care is essential to helping people with dementia retain a sense of identity as the condition advances.
• Formal support often falls away just as care needs escalate, leaving families feeling abandoned at the most critical stages.
• Widespread difficulty navigating what respondents see as a fragmented and often bewildering primary care system.
• Uncertainty across general practice about who is responsible for ongoing dementia support, with many patients and carers unclear about where the condition sits within routine care.

While views varied, some participants felt local resources and individual social networks influenced the quality of care they received.

The findings suggest that clearer communication, proactive follow鈥憉p and more consistent relationships with primary care professionals could significantly improve the experiences of people with dementia.

The study also emphasises the need for a clearer definition of primary care鈥檚 role in dementia management, particularly as policy discussions increasingly point toward primary care鈥憀ed post鈥慸iagnostic support.

Lead researcher Dr from The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淚t was a real privilege to interview the people with dementia and the carers for this study, and I鈥檓 very grateful to them all.

鈥淥ur work shows that people with dementia in disadvantaged areas are navigating a system that often feels fragmented, reactive and unclear, at a time when stability and continuity matter most.鈥�

鈥淏y strengthening proactive contact and clarifying who is responsible for dementia care, primary care services can make a profound difference to patients and families.

鈥淎ddressing these gaps is essential to ensuring equitable, person鈥慶entred dementia care across the UK.鈥�

Co-author , director of the NIHR Greater 水多多导航 PSRC and professor at The University of 水多多导航, added: 鈥淭he themes we identified are an important insight into how people with dementia feel about the healthcare they receive from their primary care teams.

鈥淯nderstanding this is an important step to improving the post-diagnostic healthcare we offer for people with dementia in the community.鈥�

• The paper Experiences of primary care for people with 2 dementia from socio-economically 3 disadvantaged areas: a qualitative study, published in the British Journal of General Practice is available DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2025.0407

Delivered collaboratively by the Universities of 水多多导航, Bristol and Liverpool, the new PhD Programme will train 40 of the UK鈥檚 most promising scientists to move beyond disciplinary boundaries and adopt integrated approaches to heart鈥揵rain health.  Together, they will uncover the biological and societal drivers that link heart and brain diseases, develop new tools for early detection, create predictive digital models for personalised care, and design therapies that target shared pathways across both organ systems. This integrated approach reflects the growing need for preventative, system-level solutions as populations age and multimorbidity rises.

 Recognising the need for integrative research linking heart and brain diseases, the programme is centred on the principles of multidisciplinary. Students will work on ambitious cross-disciplinary projects spanning discovery bioscience, engineering, data science, imaging, epidemiology and behavioural science. Bringing these different perspectives together will enable new insights into complex disease processes and help drive innovative solutions to some of the biggest challenges in cardiovascular and neurological health.

Cohort-based training across all three universities, alongside strong industry partnerships and access to world-leading infrastructure, will provide students with a rich and collaborative research environment. Together, these opportunities will equip them with the skills, networks and experience needed to become the future leaders driving innovation in cardiovascular and neurological research, with real impact for patients and health systems alike.

The programme application was led by Dr Gina Galli (University of 水多多导航), Professor Deirdre Lane (University of Liverpool) and Professor Alastair Poole (University of Bristol), who will be Directors of the new programme. For 水多多导航, this sees a continuation of our sustained BHF-funded PhD programme that has been running successfully since 2009, training present and future generations of cardiovascular researchers.

Professor Ashley Blom, Vice President and Dean of Biology, Medicine and Health at The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淲e are delighted to be part of this national training programme which looks at  the links between heart and brain diseases, an important yet under-researched area of  cardiovascular medicine.鈥�

According to The University of 水多多导航 led on mice, published in the American Heart Association Stroke journal today (insert date) and funded by the Medical Research Council, the timing of anakinra must be adjusted to avoid reducing the benefits of the clot鈥慴usting therapy known as tissue plasminogen activator(tPA).

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and disability worldwide; experts estimate the number of people affected could rise by more than 80% over the next 25 years.

But despite decades of research and thousands of experimental drugs, the only approved medicines for treating the most common type of stroke 鈥� ischemic stroke 鈥� are clot鈥慴usting drugs known as plasminogen activators, like tPA.

Though tPA can be lifesaving for acute ischemic stroke, about 2鈥�6% of treated patients develop potentially fatal brain bleeding, according to the ECASS III trial of the early 2000s.

Though it must be given within 4.5 hours of symptom onset, many patients arrive too late or don鈥檛 know when symptoms started.

Scientists now know that inflammation plays a major role in worsening brain injury after a stroke, mostly driven by a molecule called interleukin鈥�1 (IL鈥�1).

Anakinra  - an interleukin鈥�1 receptor antagonist (IL鈥�1Ra) -  blocks IL鈥�1 and has shown promise in reducing inflammation in both laboratory and early clinical studies of stroke.

However, a  phase II clinical trial known as SCIL鈥慡TROKE based at The Northern care Alliance NHS foundation Trust found that IL鈥�1Ra did not improve patient recovery overall.

鈥淭he findings of SCIL鈥慡TROKE raise questions about whether the drug might interact negatively with standard clot鈥慴usting treatment, 鈥� said lead author , based at the University of 水多多导航.

Because nearly three鈥憅uarters of patients in the SCIL鈥慡TROKE trial received the clot鈥慴usting drug tPA before IL鈥�1Ra, the researchers set out to investigate whether the two treatments might negatively interact  with each other.

They re鈥慹xamined data from the SCIL-STROKE trial and discovered that patients who received tPA before IL鈥�1Ra had significantly lower levels of IL鈥�1Ra in their blood, suggesting the drug was being broken down.

Laboratory research confirmed that IL鈥�1Ra can be cut apart by plasmin, an enzyme produced during tPA treatment, meaning the anti鈥慽nflammatory drug may be degraded before it can work.

Researchers then tested the interaction in a mouse model of stroke, using dosing schedules that matched those used in the clinical trial.

When IL鈥�1Ra was given after tPA, no harmful interaction was seen, and the protective effects of tPA were preserved.

However, when IL鈥�1Ra was given at the same time as tPA 鈥� during the clot鈥慴usting process 鈥� the benefits of tPA were dramatically reduced, with brain damage shrinking by only 15% compared to 68% with tPA alone.

The mice receiving both drugs together also showed poorer blood flow in the brain, more inflammatory immune cells entering damaged tissue, and higher levels of harmful structures called neutrophil extracellular traps. This indicates that the drug interaction is also detrimental to the anti-inflammatory effect of IL-1Ra.

Dr Mosneag added: 鈥淥ur findings suggest that IL鈥�1Ra can interfere with tPA鈥檚 ability to dissolve clots when the two drugs are present in the bloodstream at the same time.

鈥淭he results also help explain why IL鈥�1Ra levels were lower in patients who received tPA first, as plasmin generated during clot鈥慴usting appears to break down IL鈥�1Ra.

鈥滺owever, the  effect of tPA on IL-RA -  the opposite order -  isn鈥檛 necessarily a problem  as IL-1RA was still active in reducing IL-6 in the SCIL-STROKE study, but this needs further evaluation.鈥�

Co-author Professor from The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淭his study  shows that timing is very likely to be a critical factor in the efficacy of  IL鈥�1Ra, which  will be beneficial if given after tPA rather than alongside it.

鈥淲e also need to test whether similar interactions occur with other clot鈥慴usting drugs such as tenecteplase, which may be less likely to break down IL鈥�1Ra due to its greater specificity.鈥�

Co-author from the University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淭his study has important implications for further development of IL-1Ra as a treatment for ischaemic stroke, where there remains a focus on maximising delivery of thrombolysis drugs to eligible patients as quickly as possible in clinical care.  Future studies will need to investigate the timing and effectiveness of IL-1Ra treatment after receiving tPA.鈥�

• The paper Timing-dependent cleavage of Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist by alteplase impairs neuroprotection in ischemic stroke is available

This pioneering study, led by scientists at the University of 水多多导航 and involving teams in Denmark, has been published in

In what is considered a major breakthrough in the battle against brain cancer, scientists have found early evidence that a pair of proteins in the blood may help identify glioblastoma with high accuracy and provide insights into how the disease responds to treatment.

Glioblastoma is notorious for late diagnosis, rapid progression, resistance to treatment and extreme biological complexity. At present, diagnosis and follow-up rely largely on MRI scans and invasive surgical biopsies, which can miss early changes and cannot be repeated frequently. As a result, clinicians often struggle to determine in real time whether a treatment is working or whether the tumour is beginning to return.

The new research shows that two blood-borne proteins 鈥� coagulation factor IX (F9) and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) 鈥� form a powerful 鈥渄ual-marker鈥� signature that distinguishes patients with glioblastoma from healthy individuals with high accuracy (more than 90%). In samples taken from patients during surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the markers showed dynamic changes, reflecting treatment response and disease progression.

Professor, The Brain Tumour Charity chair of Translational Neuro-Oncology at The University of 水多多导航, who led the study, said: 鈥淕lioblastoma is one of the most devastating cancers we face. Late detection is among the contributing factors to poor outcomes and a source of anxiety our patients face leading up to their diagnosis. The lack of reliable tests has been a major barrier to earlier diagnosis and treatment response monitoring. What is remarkable about our findings is that, despite these tumours being very different in genetic make-up, and constantly evolving, the signal in the blood is stable, robust and highly informative. We hope that once validated, this simple blood test may pave the way for earlier diagnosis and more precise monitoring of patients during and after therapy.

 鈥淥ur dual-marker blood test achieved diagnostic accuracy greater than 90 percent and continued to perform just as well when the disease returned. This opens the door to a future where we can follow the tumour鈥檚 behaviour through a simple blood sample, complement brain scans, and potentially recognise when the treatment isn鈥檛 working and the cancer returns much earlier than is currently possible. We still have a long way to go before we would see this used in clinic, but it鈥檚 a very promising and exciting development in neuro-oncology research.鈥�

Dr Simon Newman, Chief Scientific Officer at The Brain Tumour Charity, said: 鈥淲e are immensely proud to support Petra鈥檚 role as The Brain Tumour Charity鈥檚 Chair of Translational Neuro-Oncology through a grant worth 拢1.35 million. Early and accurate diagnosis is absolutely critical for people with brain tumours, yet current tools are limited and often invasive. This research therefore marks a significant step towards a simple blood test that could help clinicians detect glioblastoma and monitor how patients are responding to treatment in real time.鈥�

Professor Hamerlik, who is also the brain tumour lead for concluded: 鈥淲hile validation of this finding is ongoing with the generous contribution of UK patients who kindly donated their blood for this research, our results strongly support the development of a clinically accessible blood test for glioblastoma. Ultimately, this could help doctors make more informed treatment decisions, reduce the need for repeated invasive procedures, and, most importantly, give patients and families clearer, earlier answers.鈥�

The study was co-funded by The Brain Tumour Charity and conducted at The University of 水多多导航 and the 水多多导航 Cancer Research Centre (MCRC), reinforcing 水多多导航鈥檚 leading role in translational neuro-oncology research. The Danish Cancer Society and NovoNordisk Foundation in Denmark also part-funded this study.

• The paper Non-Invasive Detection and Monitoring of Glioblastoma Subtypes via Dual-Marker Plasma Proteomics DOI
• Philanthropic support has been central to enabling this research. The University is proud to partner with the Brain Tumour Charity and a number of individual donors who support Petra and her team's work. Find out more about how supporting 水多多导航 drives impact across our research here: Challenge Accepted

The research, published in is part of the Stroke IMPaCT study (Stroke 鈥� Immune Mediated Pathways and Cognitive Trajectory), a network of European and North American researchers who are working to discover how inflammation and immune responses contribute to post-stroke cognitive decline.

The team followed patients treated for an ischaemic stroke at Salford Royal Hospital, part of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. They measured levels of a protein called interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the days after stroke and again at both 6-9 and 18-21months. Participants also completed detailed tests of memory and thinking.

Interleukin-6 levels increased soon after stroke and, in most people, fell back to typical levels within 6-9 months. But in some patients, levels stayed high or rose again. These individuals were about eight times more likely to develop difficulties with thinking ability.

The researchers also saw differences between smokers and non-smokers. Smokers showed a different pattern of IL-6 change after stroke, with signs of longer-lasting inflammation. This ongoing inflammation was more strongly linked to problems with thinking and memory.

Lead author an MBPhD researcher at The University of 水多多导航, said: 鈥淚nflammation after stroke doesn't just happen once and disappear. By tracking this protein over time, we may be able to identify patients at greater risk of cognitive problems and eventually tailor support or treatments to them.鈥�

Professor Craig Smith, Professor of Stroke Medicine at The University of 水多多导航 and Consultant at Salford Royal, said: 鈥淥ur findings suggest it's not just the initial spike in inflammation that matters- it's whether it properly settles down after the stroke. Smoking appears to interfere with this recovery, leaving people more vulnerable to memory and thinking problems.

Professor Stuart Allan added: 鈥�When the immune system's recovery after stroke doesn't occur as expected, patients appear more likely to experience cognitive difficulties. If future studies confirm interleukin-6 is the cause, we might one day use medications that block it to protect brain health.鈥�

Co-lead author Harry Deijnen from the University of 水多多导航 added: 鈥淭hough it is clear that more research is needed, these results point towards new opportunities to improve long-term brain health by focusing on the body鈥檚 inflammatory recovery after stroke.鈥�

• The work  was funded by the Leducq Foundation, Kennedy Trust, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the British Heart Foundation. Philanthropic support has also been central to enabling this research. The University is proud to partner with donors in support of this work, including Louis and Amy Wong. Find out more about how supporting 水多多导航 drives impact across our research here: Challenge Accepted. It was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)鈥�
• The paper Longitudinal Plasma IL-6 and Post-Stroke Cognitive Outcomes: The Stroke-IMPaCT 水多多导航 is available DOI:

The findings partly explain why around 70% of rare diseases go undiagnosed, even in the UK, which arguably has the worlds most advanced genomic medicine service.

Led by a geneticist from The University of 水多多导航, the findings are published by the Editorial team at the Genetics in Medicine Journal (GIM)-  considered a world-leading clinical genetics journal -  in

It is frustrating news for the parents of the a year with rare genetic diseases, most of whom never receive a diagnosis, and many dying without the underlying cause being determined.

Correct nomenclature - as it is known- could also reduce the to the NHS of pursuing avoidable lengthy diagnostic journeys into rare genetic diseases -  thought to be over  拢3 billion per decade.

Miscommunication caused by inconsistent genetic naming has, over time, led to documented cases of incorrect clinical management.

The researchers found that every manuscript submitted to the Genetic in Medicine Journal (the journal of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), who develop global professional standards in Clinical Genomics),  contained one or more errors.

That, they say, substantially reduced the probability of finding variants during routine searches. Such searches are required to gather diagnostic evidence, but if the evidence cannot be found due to findability issues, then a diagnosis may be missed.

The research is being incorporated into a new ACMG-led professional standard, which is being collaboratively developed with all the major professional societies and quality assurance bodies across the US, EU, UK and Canada, to be announced later this year.

The standard will govern the minimal acceptable standards for variant data in clinical reporting, databases and literature.  

Such standards have been legally binding in the United States but there is no indication yet that the UK will follow suit; however, the quality bodies that control UK genomic medicine standards are part of the ACMG-led coalition.

Dr Freeman, formerly of the University of Leicester, and now based at The University of 水多多导航 devised a tool called to give each variant a standardised name, allowing diagnostic evidence to be shared and found.

Working with the , the Genetics in Medicine (GIM) editors assembled a technical editing team led by Dr Freeman to develop instructions for authors on proper variant reporting.

Hospital geneticists rely on published evidence to make diagnoses, but because of inconsistent variant naming, say the authors, they are often unable to locate relevant information, even if it exists.

Many geneticists, they say, are using simpler but less accurate nomenclature, preventing databases like ClinVar and the Leiden Open Variation Database (LOVD), and widely used AI discovery tools from identifying critical evidence and adding literature to ClinVar and LOVD records.

Dr Freeman, whose son has an undiagnosed genetic disorder, said: 鈥淭he language of genomics, which guides everything from discoveries of gene-disease associations to rare disease diagnosis, relies on an established standardized system of naming genomic variants.

鈥淭his study has revealed a shocking level of inaccuracy in the naming of genetic variants-  which has real-world consequences. Me and my team have yet to find a journal article which uses the correct nomenclature and did not require intervention.鈥�

He added: 鈥淒octors almost always describe DNA variants using various outdated or non-standard naming systems, or fail to accurately apply the current standard. This means they are publishing data which is less findable, so may be missed by others in the field attempting to reach a diagnostic decision, denying the possibility of treatment.

鈥淏ut even more importantly, for children like my son, not having a diagnosis means they cannot access the support services they desperately need to support their wellbeing and development.

鈥淣omenclature should accurately describe the changes in DNA sequencing observed when there is a genetic variant. But in many cases, this is simply not happening and is part of a complex set of problems that is causing miss or missed diagnoses.鈥�

The team recommend:

• Universally adopting gene/variant nomenclature guidelines within published works.
• Implementing robust peer review processes to enforce gene/variant nomenclature standards.
• Supporting automated submission of structured variant and classification data into publicly available repositories
• Work with publishers to educate production and copyediting teams.

What misnaming means for patients

In an infamous example over decades, laboratories and clinicians used conflicting naming systems for Factor V Leiden, a common inherited genetic mutation that causes ,

That resulted in misinterpretation of patients鈥� thrombosis risk and inappropriate treatment decisions.

In another example, inconsistent reporting of variants of the gene CFTR in cystic fibrosis  has contributed to misunderstandings of carrier status and disease risk, leading to errors in family鈥憄lanning counselling for affected couples.

• The paper Universal Presence of Gene/Variant Nomenclature Errors in Journal Manuscript Submissions is available   

The team found that growing a widely used magnetic alloy, permalloy, on ultra鈥憈hin MoS鈧� alters the film鈥檚 internal crystal structure, changing how and where energy is lost as magnetic spins move. By separating energy losses that occur at the surface of the film from those arising within its internal structure, the researchers provide new design insights for devices that use two鈥慸imensional (2D) materials to control magnetism more efficiently.

Crucially, the work uses large鈥慳rea, manufacturing鈥慶ompatible MoS鈧�, showing that these effects are not confined to laboratory鈥憇cale samples but are relevant for real, scalable spintronic technologies.

The study, published in , demonstrates that transition鈥憁etal dichalcogenides (TMDs) can alter the fundamental properties of magnetic films. The results highlight the importance of careful comparison with control materials when assessing the impact of 2D layers on magnetic behaviour.

Spintronics is an alternative to conventional electronics that uses not only the charge of electrons, but also their spin, to store and process information. This approach underpins emerging technologies for magnetic memory and has potential applications in energy鈥慹fficient, high鈥憇peed computing. A major challenge in spintronics, however, is energy loss: as magnetic spins move, some energy is inevitably dissipated as heat, limiting device speed and efficiency.

In this work, the researchers studied thin films of permalloy grown on top of large鈥慳rea MoS鈧� produced using industry鈥慶ompatible chemical vapour deposition. They found that the ultra鈥慶lean interface between permalloy and MoS鈧� reduces energy loss at the surface of the magnetic film. At the same time, subtle changes within the film鈥檚 crystal structure slightly increase internal energy loss.

By clearly separating these two effects, the team was able to explain why previous studies of 2D materials and magnetism have sometimes produced conflicting results.

To reach these conclusions, the researchers used ferromagnetic resonance, a technique in which a high鈥慺requency magnetic field causes spins inside a magnetic material to wobble, similar to a spinning top slowing down due to friction. By measuring how quickly this wobble fades, the team could determine how and where energy is dissipated. Varying the thickness of the magnetic layer allowed them to distinguish losses occurring at the surface from those within the bulk of the film.

The results point to new routes for designing lower鈥憄ower, faster spintronic memory, where material interfaces are engineered to minimise unwanted energy loss without sacrificing performance.

鈥淭his work is exciting because the fundamental effects a two鈥慸imensional material can have on magnetic thin films are still largely unexplored,鈥� said , lead author of the study and Research Associate in THz Spintronics at the University of 水多多导航. 鈥淲e鈥檝e shown how these changes affect energy loss, which is a crucial property for next鈥慻eneration memory technologies.鈥�

The study shows that 2D materials do not always increase energy loss and that, with the right interface, they can reduce it.

This research was published in the journal .

Full title: Separation of bulk and surface contributions to the damping of permalloy on large-area chemical-vapor-deposited 惭辞鈦鈧�.

DOI:

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of 水多多导航, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field 鈥� a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by 拢13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.