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

• Fathers who undertook solo caregiving became more confident and capable parents.

• Early childcare experiences helped fathers better understand the emotional, practical and mental load of caring for children.

• Mothers were often able to return to work earlier or pursue career progression because they had confidence in their partner's caregiving abilities.

• Couples were more likely to view childcare as a shared responsibility rather than primarily the mother's role.

• Many fathers continued to organise work around family responsibilities years after their leave ended.

• Some fathers became more open about caregiving responsibilities at work and more willing to prioritise family life over career progression.

Rethinking careers and parenting

"Our research shows that fathers' solo caregiving can have long-lasting effects on how couples organise work and family life years later,鈥� said Professor Emma Banister from the Work and Equalities Institute at Alliance 水多多导航 Business School. "The fathers we spoke to developed confidence and skills through caring for their child alone, and those experiences continued to shape their decisions about work and parenting long after their leave had ended."

Challenge to traditional gender roles regarding paid and unpaid work

The study also found evidence that fathers who had taken sole responsibility for childcare were more likely to challenge traditional expectations about parenting and work.

Several participants reported openly discussing childcare commitments with colleagues and managers, rejecting the idea that caregiving should be hidden or secondary to paid work.

The researchers argue that organisations and policymakers should do more to support fathers who want to take an active role in childcare.

Implications for parental leave policy

The researchers say the findings strengthen the case for expanding dedicated leave for fathers.

While Shared Parental Leave was introduced in the UK in 2015 to encourage more equal parenting, uptake remains relatively low because of affordability, eligibility restrictions and the way the system is structured.

The study suggests that creating more opportunities for fathers to undertake solo caregiving could help promote greater gender equality both at home and in the workplace.

"The benefits we observed weren't simply about fathers spending more time with their children - it was the experience of taking responsibility for childcare independently that appeared to make the difference,鈥� said Professor Ben Kerrane of 水多多导航 Metropolitan University. 鈥淭hat experience helped reshape how couples thought about parenting, careers and family responsibilities, with effects that were still visible five years later.鈥�

Publication details

The study was published in journal Human Relations.

DOI:

This new Long Baseline Multistatic Radar (LBMR) capability for real-time space object characterization transforms existing radio-frequency infrastructure, including radio telescopes and satellite communications antennas, into a powerful dual-use system for Space Domain Awareness.

As the number of satellites being launched every year grows towards the tens of thousands, space is becoming increasingly congested. At the same time our reliance on services provided from space is becoming increasingly clear. For these reasons it is essential to boost our capabilities of monitoring, tracking and characterising objects in orbit.

Radar is a powerful tool for monitoring objects in orbit, but observing distant regions such as geostationary orbit (36,000 km) requires high power transmitters and the most sensitive receivers. Radio telescopes like the Lovell Telescope and e-MERLIN are designed to detect the faint natural radio emissions from stars and galaxies, while large deep-space communications antennas routinely receive extremely weak signals from distant spacecraft. By using these assets as geographically distributed radar receivers, the sensitivity of existing radar systems can be increased by more than tenfold ,enabling the detection of smaller objects at much greater distances.

To make this capability useful for space operations, the radar echoes received at the radio telescopes need to be collected, processed and analysed in real time. This has now been demonstrated in a new project funded by the UK Space Agency at a live event recently held at the European Space Agency at Harwell, in the UK.

Key stakeholders from the government, defence and industry in the UK and Australia were able to see the radar detections and measurements live on screen. This is a world first for this type of radar technique and a major milestone in moving LBMR from research towards operational capability, reflecting the shared leadership and complementary expertise of partners across the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.

The University of 水多多导航 is a key member of this project, and the use of the 76-m Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank is central to obtaining the sensitivity improvement which this approach offers. Using additional e-MERLIN antennas (supported by STFC) adds flexibility, resilience and the future potential for real-time orbit determination.

This project was funded by the UK Space Agency through its International Bilateral Fund and led by the University of Birmingham. Originating from within two NATO- Research Task Groups (STO SET-293 and SET-340), which have involved the University of 水多多导航 from the outset in 2020, the project has brought together partners from the three nations to overcome key challenges in synchronisation, distributed sensing and real-time processing. Beyond proving a new capability for monitoring space objects, LBMR provides a platform for continued innovation, international collaboration and the development of the specialist skills needed to help protect critical space infrastructure and ensure the safe, secure and sustainable use of space.

Dr Chris Blount at the UK Space Agency said: 鈥淭he Long Baseline Multistatic Radar (LMBR) project has been a fantastic example of innovation and collaboration by incredible UK and international talent, and an exemplar case of the capability multiplication through collaboration the International Bilateral Fund (IBF) seeks to achieve. The LBMR team have taken the thorny challenge of real time on-demand monitoring of space objects on geostationary orbit, and through proactive partnering and an innovative application of existing world class UK assets, have been able to demonstrate a state of the art, dual use by design, capability. This has been achieved without the extensive investment, time, and effort a dedicated facility would have otherwise needed, and even surpasses the capability such a facility would yield. This is exactly the innovation and engineering excellence UKSA and the IBF seeks to promote, and is a key step towards a capability to make the UK and our international partners safer and better able to respond to the challenges of a congested and contested space.鈥�

Professor Simon Garrington, a radio astronomer at the Jodrell Bank Observatory, University of 水多多导航, UK, said: 鈥淭he 76-m Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank makes a superb radar receiver for this type of work. We are very keen to realise its full potential in contributing to monitoring objects in orbit, protecting UK assets in space, and making space safer. Our e-MERLIN array is also being used in this work and is a unique UK capability for high precision measurements of objects in orbit鈥�.

Professor Gaven Smith, CB FREng 鈥� University of 水多多导航 and former CTO, GCHQ, UK said: 鈥淭his is a compelling example of how research facilities and skills can be applied to the challenge of protecting important UK assets in space against a range of natural (eg space debris) and potentially hostile threats. The need for these capabilities is becoming increasing urgent, and this application of radio telescopes shows how powerful capabilities can be developed rapidly and cost-effectively within the UK, by leveraging our research base.鈥�

Prof Marco Martorella, LBMR project leader, Chair in RF and Space Sensing at the University of Birmingham, UK, said: "The successful demonstration of the Long Baseline Multistatic Radar marks an important step towards an operational Space Domain Awareness capability. Beyond its immediate operational potential, LBMR provides a unique platform to advance radar technologies, validate new sensing concepts, and train the next generation of RF and radar engineers. Building and retaining this expertise is essential to developing the capabilities needed to detect, track and identify space objects, helping to protect critical space infrastructure and ensure the safe and sustainable use of space for the future.鈥�

Chris Saunders, a senior mission concepts engineer at UK-headquartered space company, Goonhilly, said: 鈥淭his project has been a fantastic demonstration of multi-national collaboration across academia and industry, demonstrating the value of leveraging existing satellite communications infrastructure to protect our critical assets in space. Goonhilly looks forward to building upon the successful LBMR concept, as it continues to develop day/night, all-weather, RF-based Space Domain Awareness capabilities.鈥�

Mr. Gregory Hogan, Chair of NATO SET 鈥楲BMR for Space Domain Awareness鈥� Research Group, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, US, said: 鈥淭his multi-nation live demonstration highlights the advanced capability that can be achieved through Allied partnership. By augmenting US radars with partner nation radiotelescopes significant increases were achieved in sensitivity for detecting and characterizing satellites at Geosynchronous distances, greatly enhancing the SDA mission.

Ken Smart, Space Domain Awareness Lead at CSIRO, Australia, said: 鈥淭he success of the Long Baseline Multistatic Radar demonstration relied on bringing together complementary capabilities from across the United Kingdom, United States and Australia. CSIRO's contribution of the Mopra radio telescope and expertise in radio astronomy and signal processing extended the geographic reach of the network and provided an independent receiving capability from the Southern Hemisphere. Together, the partners demonstrated how existing scientific and communications infrastructure can be combined to deliver a powerful new approach to Space Domain Awareness, while strengthening international collaboration on the technologies needed to help ensure the safe, secure and sustainable use of space.鈥�

Phoebe Ryder, PhD Student at University of 水多多导航, UK: 鈥淔or me as a young scientist, it has been really valuable to join an international team which brings together experts in space radar, satellite communications and radio astronomy. This project has been a great opportunity to combine curiosity-driven research with real world needs to produce a demonstration of a useful and novel capability. Working with the UK Space Agency, and other stakeholders, has given me invaluable insight into the applications of this research, and hopefully some opportunities for a future career in this really interesting and important area.鈥�

Dr. Jason Guicheteau, Chair of NATO Sensing Technology (SET) Scientific Technical Committee, US, said: 鈥淭he successful live demonstration of the LBMR is a testament to the power of allied collaboration, showcasing the transition of foundational science into a tangible, operational capability originating out of NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) research task groups."

• Multiple agencies share responsibility for tackling economic crime, in some cases creating uncertainty over leadership and accountability

• Competing priorities and budget pressures can limit organisations' ability to devote resources to economic crime investigations

• The broad and evolving nature of "economic crime" makes it difficult to define priorities and measure success

• Outdated technology and poor data-sharing arrangements continue to hamper investigations and intelligence gathering

• The UK's response relies heavily on cooperation between organisations with different responsibilities, cultures and objectives

Economic crime has become one of the UK's biggest crime threats

The researchers say economic crime encompasses a vast range of offences, from online fraud and investment scams to money laundering, bribery and sanctions evasion.

However, a key issue identified by the study was ambiguity surrounding the term 鈥榚conomic crime鈥� - which lacks clear boundaries and scope - and how different threats should be prioritised.

The research found that political priorities and major world events can rapidly reshape which forms of economic crime receive attention and resources. As a result, agencies can find themselves responding to an ever-expanding range of threats, stretching already limited resources.

The authors argue that while the broad label of economic crime helps attract political attention and funding, it can also obscure important differences between offences that require very different responses.

Outdated systems slowing investigations

Participants in the study also highlighted concerns about the technological tools available to investigators. Some reported that basic collaboration and data-analysis capabilities lag behind those available in the private sector, with information-gathering processes that should take days sometimes taking months.

The researchers found that these limitations can make it more difficult to identify emerging threats, share intelligence and coordinate action across agencies.

What is needed

The researchers say the enabling conditions needed to tackle the problem are:

• A shared definition of economic crime, clear enough to guide prioritisation yet flexible enough to serve both political and operational purposes

• Data-sharing arrangements and intelligence infrastructure that allow partners to act and build understanding simultaneously

• Clear incentives and dedicated resourcing that allow partners to commit meaningfully beyond their core organisational mandates

• Clear delineation of roles and responsibilities across agencies, with recognised leadership

• Formalised but flexible accountability arrangements that create soft mechanisms for ensuring participation without undermining partner autonomy

Why this matters

Fraud is now one of the most common crimes affecting people in the UK, while money laundering enables a wide range of serious criminal activity, from organised crime to corruption.

The findings also have wider relevance for governments around the world that are increasingly relying on multi-agency partnerships to tackle complex forms of crime that cross organisational and national boundaries.

What the researchers say

"The National Economic Crime Centre was created to bring together the many organisations involved in tackling economic crime, recognising the need for a collective response鈥� said Professor Nicholas Lord. 鈥淗owever, coordinating agencies with different responsibilities, priorities and resources is not straightforward, and certainly needs more than goodwill.鈥�

"What emerges from this study is a picture of a system that depends heavily on cooperation between organisations,鈥� added Professor Elisa Bellotti. 鈥淭he challenge is not simply understanding economic crime itself, but creating the conditions that allow different institutions to work together effectively in responding to it.鈥�

Publication details

The study was published in the Journal of Economic Criminology.

DOI:

The scroll was formally presented to the University during a visit by two of Rutherford鈥檚 great grand-daughters. The historic Rutherford gift has also inspired new named physics chair at 水多多导航

The gift strengthens the University's connection with one of the most influential scientists in history and the continuing leadership in the fields he helped create.

To mark the gift, the University has established the Ernest Rutherford Chair in Physics, a new named professorship within the Department of Physics and Astronomy. The chair will recognise leading researchers working in fields closely associated with Rutherford's scientific achievements, including nuclear, particle and accelerator physics. The new chair joins a distinguished group of named professorships in Physics at 水多多导航, including the Langworthy Chair, one of the oldest physics chairs in the world, the Regius chair in Physics established by royal patronage, and the Lovell Chair in Astrophysics.

Rutherford is widely regarded as the 鈥渇ather of nuclear physics鈥�. During his time at 水多多导航 between 1907 and 1919, he transformed the University's Physics Laboratory into one of the world's leading centres of scientific discovery.

Among the breakthroughs achieved in 水多多导航 were the discovery of the atomic nucleus, the identification of the proton and the first artificial nuclear reaction, which is often referred to as 鈥渟plitting the atom鈥�. These achievements laid the foundations of our modern world, gave rise to the fields of nuclear and particle physics and led to innumerable technological, industrial and societal impacts

Professor Chris Parkes, Head of The University of 水多多导航 Physics and Astronomy Department, said: "Rutherford's years in 水多多导航 changed our understanding of the physical world forever, shaping our understanding of atoms. The discoveries made here have shaped our world today and continue to influence scientific research more than a century later.

"We are delighted that Lord Rutherford's descendants have chosen 水多多导航 as the home for this important historical document. It is a powerful recognition of the University's role in preserving and celebrating Rutherford's remarkable legacy and our continuing world leadership in research in the fields of nuclear and particle physics"

Jenny Joy and Caroline Roberts descendants of Rutherford, added: 鈥淲e wanted this scroll to be seen and used as part of his legacy as it has hardly ever seen the light of day, and it is a valuable stunning historical document in its own right鈥�

During their visit, members of Rutherford's family took a tour of the Physics department, including seeing his original desk and visiting modern facilities that continue the 水多多导航 tradition of cutting-edge research in his areas of interest.

It was in the University's former Physics Laboratory 鈥� now known as the Rutherford Building 鈥� that Rutherford led a team of pioneering scientists whose work revolutionised our understanding of the atom.

His influence extended far beyond his own discoveries. Rutherford鈥檚 work established 水多多导航 as an international centre of scientific excellence, allowing the University to attract many renowned scientists to continue his legacy. He is also well known for mentoring many of the leading physicists of the twentieth century. The historic scroll will be preserved within the University's collections, ensuring that future generations can continue to learn about the scientist whose discoveries in 水多多导航 changed the world.

She added: "While I welcome the child-focused courts that the government has introduced, the family justice system has an opportunity to move from seeing children as passive recipients of adult decisions to recognising them as active participants. If children's voices are consistently heard, respected and acted upon, family courts will be better protect their safety, wellbeing and long-term health."

Recommendations

The researchers are calling for major reforms to private family law proceedings, including:

• Ensuring children's voices are routinely and meaningfully heard throughout family court proceedings.

• Embedding the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child more fully into domestic law.

• Reforming family court practice so children's views genuinely influence decisions affecting them.

• Providing specialist training for judges, legal professionals and safeguarding practitioners on children's rights, trauma, coercive control and child sexual abuse.

• Introducing stronger safeguards against technology-facilitated abuse, including the misuse of children's medical information.

• Expanding access to child-centred, trauma-informed interventions such as play therapy and specialist counselling.

The authors conclude that meaningful reform will require not only legislative change but also a cultural shift across the family justice system towards recognising children as equal rights holders whose lived experiences should guide judicial decision-making.

Publication details

The paper was published in the Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law.

This study was supported by a grant from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Participatory Research Fund to Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno, Principal Investigator. The findings remain the responsibility of the research team.

DOI:

In December 1990 Makagbeh Princess Sesay crossed into neighbouring Guinea (Guinea-Conakry ) in a truck with her family after fighting forced them to flee their home during the Liberian civil war.

Her father died in Liberia, not long after the civil war began. After that, she also lost her mother in a small Guinean border town called Koyama, located near the Liberia鈥揋uinea border.

Left to navigate life as a refugee, she grew up in communities hosting thousands of displaced Liberians in the towns of Macenta, Gu茅ck茅dou and Kissidougou.

She witnessed first-hand the hardships faced by refugee families, including poverty, food shortages, poor sanitation, limited access to healthcare and disrupted education.

In Gu茅ck茅dou, she witnessed vicious attacks by Liberian rebel forces in 2000 and many people died across the whole town in appalling circumstances.

Yet those experiences would ultimately inspire her future career.

While living in Columba refugee Camp in Guinea Princess (Makagbeh) volunteered with humanitarian organisations helping some of the world鈥檚 most vulnerable people.

She worked with Action Against Hunger on health education, hygiene campaigns, nutrition programmes and community surveys.

She also received training through the International Rescue Committee, which supported refugee education and health projects.

Meanwhile, she worked with CARE International, helping coordinate food distributions that provided vital support to thousands of displaced families.

Seeing the difference these organisations made sparked a lifelong interest in improving health and wellbeing.

After over 10 years in Guinea, Princess was resettled to Norway in 2003 through a United Nations refugee programme.

The move offered a fresh start and the chance to continue her education.

Determined to give back, she chose to study public health after seeing how access to clean water, nutrition, healthcare and health education could transform lives.

That journey eventually brought her to 水多多导航 College in 2015, where she got a distinction in level three health and social care.

After a few years working as a carer, she started in 2023 at The University of 水多多导航, where she has now graduated with a BSc in Public Health.

Her studies allowed her to connect her personal experiences with academic research into global health inequalities.

She said: 鈥淢y journey has taken me from fleeing a civil war in Liberia to living in a refugee camp in Guinea and now graduating from The University of 水多多导航.

鈥淟osing both of my parents at a young age was incredibly difficult, but the support I received from humanitarian organisations and the communities around me gave me hope and determination.

鈥淕rowing up as a refugee showed me how important healthcare, education, sanitation and nutrition are to people's lives. 水多多导航ing Public Health has helped me understand these challenges in greater depth and strengthened my desire to support vulnerable communities and work towards reducing health inequalities around the world.鈥�

Now a University of 水多多导航 graduate, Princess hopes to use her education and experiences to improve public health and support disadvantaged communities both in the UK and internationally.

That might include going back to refugee camps in Africa or elsewhere.

Her lecturer and academic advisor Sam Aston from The University of 水多多导航, said: 鈥淧rincess鈥檚 remarkable journey is a testament to her resilience and determination to fulfil her dream at 水多多导航. The passion and compassion that she has shown for public health have driven her to turn her experiences into a purposeful education.

鈥淲e are immensely proud of her achievement and excited to see the difference she will make in improving health for vulnerable communities.鈥�

• Princess serving meals to children alongside a French representative from the humanitarian organization Action Contre La Faim (Action Against Hunger).
• Princess standing beside cooking oil boxes wearing blue cap during a refugee food distribution exercise.
• Princess besides a CARE truck

The awards were presented during this summer鈥檚 graduation celebrations in Whitworth Hall, bringing together students, staff, alumni and civic leaders to celebrate achievement, leadership and service.

Honorary degrees are the University's highest awards, recognising individuals whose work reflects our values and creates meaningful impact locally, nationally and globally. This year's honorary graduands have made significant contributions across fields including journalism, music, higher education, business leadership, social justice and international development.

As a global-civic university, The University of 水多多导航 is committed to advancing social responsibility, inclusive growth, equality and innovation. This year's honorary graduates exemplify those ambitions through their leadership, creativity and dedication to improving lives and communities.

Honorary graduates 2026
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Tim Booth

Tim Booth is an acclaimed singer-songwriter, performer and author best known as the frontman of the band James. Over a career spanning more than four decades, James has sold more than 25 million records worldwide and earned recognition as one of Britain's most successful and enduring bands, receiving the Ivor Novello Legendary Award for songwriting. A former drama student in 水多多导航, Booth has also worked as an actor and novelist. His creative work across music, literature and performance has inspired audiences around the world.

Nick Robinson

Nick Robinson is one of Britain's best-known political journalists and broadcasters. A presenter of BBC Radio 4's Today programme since 2015, he previously served as Political Editor for BBC News and ITV News. Over a distinguished career spanning several decades, he has become renowned for his political analysis and incisive interviewing. Beyond journalism, Robinson has made a significant contribution to charitable causes in the North West through his support for East Cheshire Hospice, helping to raise millions of pounds for services supporting patients, families and carers.

Michelle Cox MBE

Michelle Cox MBE is a nationally recognised healthcare leader, race equality consultant and former community nurse who has spent more than 30 years improving patient outcomes and tackling health inequalities across the NHS. Awarded an MBE in 2026 for services to nursing, she is a Queen's Nurse and Fellow of both the Queen's Institute of Community Nursing and the Royal College of Nursing. Through her consultancy work, she supports organisations to embed inclusive leadership, address systemic inequalities and strengthen workplace culture. Her influence extends internationally through nursing development initiatives in Africa and she continues to be a powerful advocate for equity in healthcare.

Dr John Cater CBE

Dr John Cater CBE is one of the most influential figures in UK higher education. As Vice-Chancellor of Edge Hill University for more than 30 years, he led its transformation into one of the country's most successful modern universities, overseeing significant academic growth and investment. A respected national voice on higher education and teacher training, he has played a leading role in shaping sector policy and governance. He was appointed CBE in 2015 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to higher education and public service.

Sarfraz Manzoor

Sarfraz Manzoor is an award-winning journalist, author, broadcaster and screenwriter whose work has explored identity, belonging and contemporary Britain for more than three decades. A graduate of The University of 水多多导航, he has written for leading national media organisations including the BBC, The Guardian and The Times. His memoir Greetings from Bury Park inspired the internationally acclaimed film Blinded by the Light, which he co-wrote. Through his writing and broadcasting, he has helped foster understanding across cultures and communities and is widely recognised as one of Britain's leading contemporary commentators.

H.E. Bineta Diop

H.E. Bineta Diop is a globally respected advocate for women's rights, peace and security whose work has influenced policy and practice across Africa and beyond. Founder and President of Femmes Africa Solidarit茅, she has spent more than four decades championing women's participation in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and leadership. A former Special Envoy of the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security, she has helped shape landmark agreements and frameworks promoting gender equality. Her achievements have earned international recognition, including being named among TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People.

Sue Sanders

Sue Sanders is a pioneering educator and equality campaigner whose work has transformed LGBT+ inclusion and education in the UK. As CEO of Schools OUT UK, she has spent decades promoting inclusive curricula and challenging prejudice. In 2004, she co-founded LGBT History Month, which is now recognised nationally and internationally. She has also developed educational resources, advised government and policing bodies on hate crime and co-founded the international OUTing the Past festival. Her contribution to equality, diversity and education has been recognised through numerous national awards.

A shared commitment to impact

Together, this year's honorary graduates demonstrate the power of leadership, creativity, scholarship and service to create positive change. Their achievements reflect many of the values that underpin 水多多导航 2035, including social responsibility, inclusive growth, global engagement and the pursuit of knowledge for public benefit.

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听 (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 TEMPEST trial led by University of 水多多导航 researchers tested the drug 鈥� called trientine - in 154 adults with the condition in a year鈥憀ong, placebo鈥慶ontrolled .

The trial was funded by a partnership between the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) supported the trial.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - which affects around 1 in 500 people worldwide- causes thickening and scarring of the heart muscle.

The condition is sometimes asymptomatic, but other patients suffer from breathlessness, fatigue, chest pain and blackouts.

A small minority of people have an increased risk of developing a dangerous heart rhythm, which can lead to sudden death.

In the trial, treatment with trientine led to a reduction in heart muscle thickening. The effect was greater in patients with greater heart muscle thickening at the beginning of the trial.

It is a potentially new way of treating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and potentially heart muscle thickening caused by other conditions.

However, the researchers say, larger studies are required to confirm how well it works and whether it improves how people feel and function.

from The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淭his trial suggests trientine may be a promising option for people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

鈥淧eople with more advanced disease seemed to benefit the most, but larger studies are needed to confirm this.

鈥淭here were few side effects, and the drug was generally well tolerated.鈥�

Copper is an essential mineral involved in key processes in the heart muscle, including energy production, protection cells from damage, and controlling scarring.

When copper levels are low in cells, the heart struggles to make energy and the heart muscle can thicken. At the same time, loose copper outside cells can cause harmful stress on the cells and trigger scar tissue to form.

Trientine has been used for more than 50 years to treat a rare inherited condition that affects how the body handles copper. It improves the availability of copper within cells and binds and removes copper outside cells.

This study follows earlier research in animals showing that trientine improves the heart鈥檚 energy production, reduces harmful stress on cells and reduces heart muscle thickening and scarring.

In a previous small study in people with diabetes related heart problems, trientine led to a reduction in heart muscle thickening.

First author and PhD student, from The University of 水多多导航 added: 鈥淭hese findings provide the first evidence that targeting copper could open a new chapter in treating all patients with this condition.鈥�

The trial is part of the NIHR 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre鈥檚 (BRC) , which aims to develop new ways to diagnose and treat heart disease.

Professor Danny McAuley, Scientific Director of NIHR Programmes, said:
"These promising results offer hope to patients, demonstrating how Trientine - a drug targeting copper metabolism - can treat this potentially fatal inherited heart condition.

鈥淥nce again this shows how MRC and NIHR's key partnership can drive life-changing research. Together we are addressing complex clinical challenges and translating cutting-edge ideas into evidence-based treatments as part of the government鈥檚 mission for fewer lives to be lost to the biggest killers."

• The paper Trientine for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: a phase 2 trial, published in European Heart Journal is published in the .

The week-long Festival will celebrate and听showcase听the people, partnerships and ideas that are helping to shape the future through research,听enterprise听and collaboration. 听

Through hands-on workshops, live demonstrations, awards, talks and networking opportunities, attendees will have the chance to explore 水多多导航鈥檚 vibrant and globally connected innovation ecosystem and discover how ideas are translated into real-world impact. 听

Professor Aline Miller, Associate Vice-President for Enterprise at The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淚nnovation happens when brilliant people, ideas and partnerships come together. The University of 水多多导航 Innovation Festival is an opportunity to听showcase听the extraordinary innovation taking place across our听University听and to connect our researchers, students, entrepreneurs,听partners听and investors with new opportunities to collaborate. 听

鈥淎ligned with our 水多多导航 2035 strategy - From 水多多导航, for the World - the听Festival听reflects our ambition to turn world-leading ideas into real-world impact that delivers benefits for people, places and communities locally and globally." 听

Whether developing a new idea, looking for collaborators, exploring investment opportunities or simply curious about innovation, attendees will be able to connect with experts, innovators, students, funders听and partners from across the University and beyond. 听

Registration details,听speakers听and the full programme will be announced in the coming months. 听

Register your interest and sign up for updates at /collaborate/innovation-festival/听

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

outlines how partners can work more closely together to better understand local skills needs, create clearer routes into employment, and ensure learners can access the opportunities that are right for them. It has been developed alongside Greater 水多多导航's Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) and coincides with the United Nation鈥檚 World Youth Skills Day.

Drawing on the first combined analysis of further education, higher education and employer demand data across Greater 水多多导航, the report provides a detailed, evidence-based picture of current and future skills needs across the city-region.

Professor John Holden, The University of 水多多导航鈥檚 Vice-President for Civil Engagement and Innovation said: "This report is an important step forward in developing a more connected skills system for Greater 水多多导航. It is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when universities, colleges, employers and public sector partners work together.

鈥淎t The University of 水多多导航, developing the skills and talent our city region needs is central to delivering our 水多多导航 2035 strategy. By working with partners to strengthen pathways into learning and employment, we can play our part in creating a more inclusive and prosperous Greater 水多多导航, ensuring that more people and businesses can benefit from the opportunities being created in our city region.

鈥淲e look forward to continuing to work with our partners across Greater 水多多导航 to turn the report's recommendations into action."

Andy Dainty, 水多多导航 Metropolitan University's Vice Provost and Pro-Vice Chancellor Education, who co-led the project, said: 鈥淥ur new report sets out practical recommendations to help ensure that post-16 education and training provision is shaped by local demand, supports priority sectors and responds to the changing needs of employers and learners.

鈥淎t its heart, this work is about increasing options at Level 4 and 5 (advanced vocational qualifications that build specialist skills), strengthening pathways into skilled employment, and ensuring people can access learning that is right for them.

鈥淕rounded in evidence and developed alongside the Local Skills Improvement Plan, this collaboration brings post-16 providers together around a common goal 鈥� to deliver skills provision that is rooted in local need, responsive to employer demand, and focused on improving outcomes for learners and communities.鈥�

Julia Heap, Chair of GMColleges, said: 鈥淭his report is an important step towards creating a more joined-up skills system for Greater 水多多导航. By bringing together partners from across education, employers and the public sector, it sets out a shared approach to developing the skills our economy needs.

鈥淕MColleges is proud to have supported this work, which recognises that collaboration is key to creating clearer pathways into skilled employment and supporting inclusive growth across the city region.鈥�

The report鈥檚 recommendations are centred on four priorities:

1. A single, integrated data system: Creating a shared, Greater 水多多导航-wide view of learner journeys from education into employment, to enable better planning and accountability.

2. A coordinated approach to careers and pathways: Providing a single source of truth for learners, improving understanding of both academic and technical routes and supporting informed choices.

3. Employer voice embedded throughout the system: Moving to a more systematic, region-wide approach to employer involvement in curriculum design, delivery and progression.

4. Flexible, modular pathways across institutions: Enabling learners to move between colleges and universities, build skills over time, and access short, industry-aligned learning.

The recommendations are designed to support Greater 水多多导航's ambitions for good growth by helping learners access opportunities in key sectors while ensuring employers can recruit and retain the talent they need.

They are closely aligned with the overarching priorities of the LSIP, ensuring that post-16 education and training provision responds effectively to local skills needs. In particular, the recommendations address employer-identified challenges around increasing employer engagement with the skills system and training uptake, and enhancing careers education, information, advice and guidance (IAG).

As set out in the report, learners currently face disjointed pathways and unclear progression routes, particularly for non-traditional Level 6 options; curriculum can struggle to keep pace with rapidly changing employer skills needs; data is inconsistent and disconnected, limiting system-wide insight; and alternative pathways at Levels 4 and 5 remain small in scale.

At the same time, analysis shows strong foundations to build on. University enrolments in priority sectors have grown 29% since 2019/20 and an average of 40% of graduates remain in city region 鈥� retaining more Greater 水多多导航 graduates than any other region attracts. These graduates go on to secure full-time employment within 15 months of graduation.

Nicola McLeod, Director of Education, Work and Skills at Greater 水多多导航 Combined Authority, said:听鈥淕reater 水多多导航 has a clear ambition: we want residents to gain the skills they need to move into good jobs, while supporting employers听to build the workforce they need to grow.听

鈥淭his report reflects听Greater 水多多导航听at its best, bringing together employers, colleges,听universities听and partners behind a shared vision for how we develop the skills, education and training our city region needs.听听

鈥淏y听listening to what businesses need听and acting on the same evidence, we can align learning with听real jobs, give residents clearer routes into听good careers and ensure听even听more people听benefit听from the opportunities being created across our city region.鈥澨�

Emma Holt, President and in-coming CEO of Greater 水多多导航 Chamber of Commerce said: 鈥淕reater 水多多导航 Chamber of Commerce is delighted to be a partner in this important piece of work. As the Employer Representative Body for the region鈥檚 Local Skills Improvement Plan, we are acutely aware of the skills challenges businesses and employers face, and the need for continued action to solve these issues, which is fundamental to the prosperity of the city region.

鈥淭his report is another example of collaboration between key stakeholders, and, aligning with the Local Skills Improvement Plan, includes the systematic embedding of the employer voice as a core recommendation.鈥�

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

The University of 水多多导航 has launched a new responsible AI competition in partnership with the Jeremy Coller Foundation, offering a 拢100,000 equity investment to support one promising early-stage venture from its global community of students,听staff听and alumni.听

Applications are now open for the Coller AI Competition, which is designed to help innovators听develop听ventures with real-world potential听鈥撎齟nsuring technology empowers rather than excludes. The competition will support solutions that use AI in ways that are fair, transparent,听sustainable听and focused on social听benefit.听The winner will听benefit听from the opportunity to work closely with听the听Jeremy听Coller Foundation team to develop their venture.听

The听initiative听forms part of the University鈥檚听Challenge Accepted听campaign, which champions ideas with the potential to tackle major global challenges.听听

Backed by 水多多导航 alumnus and philanthropist Jeremy Coller, the听competition听brings together the University鈥檚 research strength, entrepreneurial听talent听and commitment to responsible innovation. It aims to听identify听and support founders developing AI solutions that are not only commercially听promising but听designed to听benefit听people and society.听

Finalists will听pitch听their ventures at the听University鈥檚听Innovation Festival听in October, where the winner will be selected to receive the 拢100,000 investment.听

Professor Aline Miller, Associate Vice President (Enterprise)听at The University of 水多多导航, said:听鈥淭his is an exciting opportunity to back one early-stage venture with the support and investment needed to develop responsible AI with real-world potential.听We鈥檙e听looking for founders who want to build something purposeful,听practical听and capable of making a positive difference.鈥澨�

Jeremy Coller said, 鈥淭he AI revolution is already changing and shaping our world at a dizzying speed. Used smartly and responsibly AI can be the key that unlocks solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing this planet, and the Coller AI Competition will help 水多多导航 students, staff and alumni turn that potential into reality.鈥澨�

听is the philanthropic vehicle of private equity entrepreneur Jeremy Coller. The Foundation works to create positive impact on globally significant issues with a focus on education, entrepreneurship, pensions innovation and the transition to a more sustainable food system. By supporting ambitious ideas, the Foundation helps drive lasting change and empower the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers.听

Application timeline听鈥� 2026听

The competition is open for applications from any students,听staff听or alumni from across the University who are working on an AI-driven business. At least one founder in each team must be within one of these categories.听听

• 14^th听July 鈥� applications open
• 1^st听September 鈥� applications close
• 21^st听September 鈥� finalists notified
• 9^th听October 鈥� final pitches and award听听

Find out more and apply now听鈥撎�听听

Join us for a week-long celebration of innovation, from Monday, 5 to Friday, 9 October 2026.

The University of 水多多导航 hosted the launch of the new Defence Universities Alliance (DUA), a major UK-wide partnership designed to strengthen collaboration between universities, government and industry on research, innovation and skills.

The announcement was made at the University by Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP. The Alliance brings together 35 universities from across the UK as founding members and will create a long-term framework for collaboration between higher education institutions, the Ministry of Defence, the UK Armed Forces and the Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser.

The launch event, held at the University, featured representatives from universities, industry and government. Also in attendance were researchers and students from different aspects of the defence field, and businesses which the University partners with.

The DUA aims to help universities and defence organisations work more closely together across research, innovation and workforce development, creating new opportunities for students and researchers while addressing future national security challenges. The alliance will support collaboration in areas including artificial intelligence, cyber security, robotics, aerospace engineering, behavioural science and health.

Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of 水多多导航, said: "The UK鈥檚 top universities have always played an important role in helping society respond to the challenges it faces. Today, that means working closely with government and industry to strengthen national security, develop new ideas and technologies, and deliver the skills needed in related industries.

"The Defence Universities Alliance will deliver a more strategic approach to the contribution higher education makes. By working more closely together, we will better align with government and industry and create more opportunities for researchers and students, for the benefit of our region and the UK as a whole."

As one of the UK's leading research-intensive universities, The University of 水多多导航 works with organisations across a wide range of sectors, including defence and security, while maintaining its commitment to academic freedom, transparency and compliance with UK law and international obligations.

Professor Tim Dafforn, Chief Scientific Advisor, Ministry of Defence, said: 鈥淭he Defence Universities Alliance represents a genuinely transformative step forward in how Defence partners with the UK鈥檚 world-leading academic sector. By bringing together our shared expertise, ambition and innovation, the Alliance will help us tackle some of the most complex challenges facing Defence at a strategic level. I am incredibly excited about the opportunities this creates. The DUA will fundamentally change the way Defence, universities and industry work together - strengthening our national security, creating strategic advantage and supporting growth to deliver better outcomes for the UK.鈥�

Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said: 鈥淎s we prepare for warfighting readiness, working with universities, students and innovators boosts skills and helps keep our country safe. The Defence Universities Alliance will create meaningful connections between students, academia and defence, boosting research, skills and defence expertise across the UK to strengthen industry. Universities play a key role in innovating and supporting defence, and the DUA helps marshal those efforts.

鈥淚n this new era of threat our 拢182 million defence skills package is helping to create opportunities for students, apprentices and young people, making sure our historic 拢298 billion defence investment is an engine for growth across the UK, and building on the more than 272,000 industry jobs supported by MOD spending.鈥�

Research and innovation have an important role to play in addressing complex global challenges, reflecting the ambitions of the University鈥檚 水多多导航 2035 strategy, helping to turn research and innovation into practical impact by strengthening partnerships with government and industry.

As well as supporting economic growth, developing new technologies and creating opportunities for students and graduates, the DUA will help strengthen links between academia, government and industry, supporting the development of the highly skilled workforce needed for the future.

Our work with defence and security organisations

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

路        Understanding how AI works and where it can make mistakes

路        Making good judgements in complex situations

路        Thinking about the ethical consequences of decisions

路        Communicating and working effectively with others

路        Adapting to new technologies and ways of working

Rather than producing technical AI experts, the paper argues universities should prepare graduates who can question AI-generated information, recognise its limitations and apply human judgement to real-world problems.

Looking beyond plagiarism concerns

The study also argues that universities have focused too heavily on concerns about cheating and AI-generated coursework.

Instead of relying mainly on AI detection tools, the paper calls for assessment methods that better test students' thinking, judgement and understanding.

Suggested approaches include oral examinations, reflective accounts of how AI was used, collaborative projects and exercises based on real-world challenges.

According to the study, these approaches are better suited to assessing the skills that remain distinctly human and are increasingly valued by employers.

AI should be discussed across degree courses

The paper argues that AI should not be treated as a specialist topic limited to technology courses. Instead, universities should help students understand how AI is affecting issues such as government, public services, inequality, employment and international development.

The study warns that graduates entering careers in government, charities, international organisations, consultancy and public services are likely to encounter AI-powered systems throughout their working lives, regardless of whether they have a technical background.

What the researcher says

鈥淭he debate about AI in universities has often focused on whether students are using chatbots to complete assignments,鈥� said Dr Kelechi Ekuma. 鈥淲hile those concerns are understandable, they risk missing a much bigger transformation. AI is changing how knowledge is created, how decisions are made and how many jobs are carried out - universities need to think carefully about how they prepare students for that future.鈥�

"The skills that are likely to matter most are those that AI struggles to replicate, such as critical thinking, ethical judgement, communication and the ability to understand complex social issues."

Publication details

The paper was published in journal Frontiers in Education.

DOI:  

• The pronunciation of the "happy vowel" remains one of the strongest indicators of social class in 水多多导航
• Middle-class speakers tend to use a tenser vowel (more like 鈥渉appee鈥�) than working-class speakers (closer to 鈥渉appeh鈥�)
• The feature has remained remarkably stable across generations despite major social and economic change
• Researchers also identified differences linked to ethnicity among working-class speakers
• Speakers showed little difference between formal and informal speech, suggesting they are largely unaware of the variation

A small sound with a big social meaning

Analysing recordings from people of different ages, genders, ethnicities and social backgrounds, the researchers found that pronunciation of this vowel remains one of the clearest markers of social class in the city's accent.

Middle-class speakers were more likely to produce a pronunciation closer to "happee", while working-class speakers tended to use the traditionally broader 水多多导航 pronunciation, closer to "happeh".

The researchers also found differences linked to ethnicity, with working-class South Asian Mancunians generally producing a tenser vowel than their White and Black working-class peers.

A feature that has resisted change

Despite the dramatic social, economic and cultural changes 水多多导航 has experienced over recent decades, the researchers found no evidence that this aspect of the city's accent is disappearing.

Instead, the pronunciation has remained strikingly stable across generations, making it an unusual example of a speech feature that has resisted change over time.

The study also found that speakers changed this feature very little between formal and informal speech, suggesting that many people are largely unaware they are using it.

What the researchers say

"Our findings show that one of the most distinctive features of the 水多多导航 accent has remained remarkably resilient, even in a city that has undergone enormous social transformation," said Dr Maciej Baranowski, Senior Lecturer in English Sociolinguistics at The University of 水多多导航.

"The way Mancunians pronounce the 'happy' vowel is influenced by factors such as social class and ethnicity, but interestingly not by age. That tells us it is a stable feature of the accent that has been passed from generation to generation, rather than one that is changing over time.

 

"Looking at how accents are distributed tells us a lot about society,鈥� said co-author Dr Danielle Turton, Senior Lecturer in Sociolinguistics at Lancaster University. 鈥淎lthough people sometimes change aspects of their speech as they move into different social or professional environments, many retain strong connections to the way they grew up speaking.

"It's important because it shows that local working-class speech isn't simply being washed away by regeneration or social change. These local ways of speaking remain an important part of 水多多导航's identity."

What accents tell us about society

The researchers argue that accents continue to reflect wider patterns of inequality and opportunity, challenging the idea that social class has become irrelevant in modern Britain.

At the same time, they suggest growing exposure to different regional accents through podcasts and social media may be helping to reduce traditional prejudices about how people sound.

The study is based on acoustic analysis of recordings from 109 水多多导航-born speakers, making it one of the largest detailed investigations of this aspect of the city's accent.

Publication details

The paper was published in journal Language Variation and Change.

DOI:

• 鈥楻agebait鈥� is an increasingly popular strategy for generating attention online

• Content creators are engineering confrontations to provoke emotional reactions

• Audiences are drawn to feelings of moral superiority and catharsis

• Online 鈥榓ccountability鈥� is often reduced to spectacle rather than real change

• The trend reflects a shift in how public shaming operates in digital culture

Why this matters

From callout videos to viral confrontations in public spaces, outrage has become a powerful currency in today鈥檚 attention economy.

Dr John鈥檚 research examines the widely viewed 鈥楥art Narcs鈥� video series, where members of the public are confronted - and often provoked - for failing to return their shopping trolleys to storage bays in supermarket car parks.

While such content appears to promote accountability, the study argues that its real appeal lies in carefully staged conflict.

鈥淩agebait works because it blurs the line between entertainment and morality,鈥� says Dr John. 鈥淚t invites viewers to feel they are witnessing justice being done, while actually consuming a highly controlled and repeatable form of provoked outrage.鈥�

Entertainment disguised as accountability

The study identifies a formula behind successful ragebait content - creators construct predictable scenarios, provoke emotional reactions, and then frame themselves as morally justified.

This allows audiences to experience what researchers describe as 鈥榓ccountability entertainment鈥� which stages wrongdoing and its punishment, but without any meaningful consequences beyond the screen.

Rather than encouraging broader social change, the research suggests this format focuses attention on individuals instead of systems.

鈥淰iewers are encouraged to judge and condemn, but not to engage with the wider social conditions that shape people鈥檚 behaviour,鈥� Dr John explains. 鈥淎ccountability becomes something you watch - not something you do.鈥�

The politics of outrage

The research also highlights how ragebait repurposes elements of callout culture 鈥� something which is originally rooted in social justice activism - into monetised entertainment.
In doing so, it shifts power dynamics - instead of challenging powerful figures, creators often target ordinary individuals, amplifying their mistakes for mass audiences.

This creates what the study describes as a form of 鈥榓tomised politics鈥�, where collective action is replaced by individual judgement and fleeting moments of online outrage.

What needs to change

The study calls for greater awareness of how emotionally provocative content is produced and consumed, particularly as platforms continue to reward engagement-driven formats.

Understanding the mechanics behind ragebait, says Dr John, is key to recognising its broader social impact.

Publication details

The research is published in Information, Communication & Society.

DOI:  

• The importance of publisher C. W. Daniel in helping relaunch Lawrence's literary career after the First World War

• Previously unknown information about planned editions of Lawrence's work

• Evidence of writing projects and publishing plans that have not previously been documented

• New details about the professional relationship between Lawrence and Daniel 鈥� indeed it is the only known letter we have from Lawrence to Daniel

• The extent of connections between prominent literary figures and Britain's anti-war and radical cultural networks

Crucial figure in Lawrence's comeback

D. H. Lawrence is today best known as the author of Lady Chatterley's Lover, Sons and Lovers and Women in Love. However, the newly discovered letter highlights the challenges he faced in the years before he became one of Britain's most influential twentieth-century writers.

After The Rainbow was prosecuted for obscenity in 1915 and withdrawn from circulation, Lawrence's literary career suffered a major setback. The discovery sees Lawrence acknowledging that Daniel played a far more important role in helping the writer rebuild his reputation and publishing career than has previously been recognised.

Dr Booth explained that Daniel published Lawrence's first prose book in nearly four years. It helped provide a route back into print and a 拢15 advance against royalties 鈥� a significant sum of money in those days.

What the researchers say

"The letter shows how important Daniel was to Lawrence's post-war relaunch after the suppression of The Rainbow in 1915, being ordered out of Cornwall under the Defence of the Realm Act in 1917 and wartime poverty," said Dr Howard Booth.

Dr Booth is currently completing a book on Lawrence and politics, and plans to explore the significance of the letter in further detail.

Revealing Britain's overlooked anti-war literary networks

Beyond its significance for Lawrence scholarship, the discovery also provides a new perspective on the networks of writers, publishers and activists involved in Britain's anti-war culture during and immediately after the First World War.

Daniel was a prominent pacifist and radical publisher whose activities brought him into conflict with authorities during the war. His archive offers a unique window into the literary and political communities that challenged mainstream attitudes towards war and conscientious objection.

Dr Hanson said: "It's exciting to have discovered it, and it shows the extent not only of C. W. Daniel's contacts and clients but also of the network of well-known writers contributing to Britain's radical anti-war culture, which is often depicted as marginal."

Why this matters

The discovery demonstrates the continuing value of archival research in uncovering new evidence about major literary figures.

More than ninety years after Lawrence's death, previously unknown documents are still emerging that can reshape our understanding of his life, work and professional relationships.

The letter also offers fresh evidence of how radical publishers and anti-war campaigners helped sustain literary culture during a turbulent period in British history, revealing connections that have remained hidden for more than a century.

Published today, sets out what that contribution looks like in practice, and how the Civic University Agreement is working to make universities鈥� civic activity more visible and consistently felt across the city region.

A Year of Progress

This year marked the first update to the agreement's shared priorities since 2021. Developed alongside the GMCA and shaped by what residents across all ten boroughs told the Greater 水多多导航 Citizens' Panel matters most, the four refreshed priorities 鈥� Opportunity & Prosperity, Health & Wellbeing, Culture and Environment 鈥� reflect where GM's universities can make the greatest collective difference. For The University of 水多多导航, this work is closely aligned with 水多多导航 2035 and our ambition to be a great civic university for the 21st century: values-led, socially responsible and committed to co-creating solutions with partners and communities, particularly with people and places higher education has not always reached. They also connect directly to the refreshed Greater 水多多导航 Strategy, launched last summer, which recognises universities as a central part of the city region's ambitious ten-year vision.

Speaking at the time, then Mayor of Greater 水多多导航 Andy Burnham said:

鈥淕reater 水多多导航鈥檚 universities make a massive contribution to our city region, one that goes far beyond educating students. These refreshed civic priorities reflect the breadth of our universities鈥� impact across our society and economy, from creating jobs and supporting business innovation to enriching our culture. We recently set out our vision for Greater 水多多导航鈥檚 next decade of growth and we know our universities have a vital role to play in our continued success.鈥�

Behind the Figures

Between 2022 and 2027, GM's universities will train an estimated 9,500 nurses, 3,500 doctors and 8,500 teachers, the professionals our public services and communities depend on. But their contribution doesn't stop at graduation. Across all disciplines, 40% of graduates remain in Greater 水多多导航, building careers and putting their skills to work in the city region they studied in. To put faces to those figures, our universities worked with the to share the stories of five of them, whose careers show what the civic mission looks like in practice.

A safeguarding nurse supporting vulnerable teenagers, a GP who came to university through a widening participation programme and pledged his digital health technology to 水多多导航 for free, a community physiotherapist helping people stay at home rather than going into hospital . All five studied here, and all five are now putting their skills to work for the city region which helped shape their careers.

Looking Ahead

The Greater 水多多导航 Post-16 Skills Pathways project, developed in partnership with further education colleges, the GMCA and employers, will provide new insight into how learners move through the city region's education and skills system and where barriers to progression remain. Building on this, the Board will develop a five-year implementation plan over the coming year to turn its refreshed priorities into practical action.

As the agreement enters its next phase, the focus is not just on what Greater 水多多导航's universities achieve together, but how they communicate it. By working more visibly and with a collective voice, the universities can better champion the region鈥檚 strengths on a national stage, while ensuring their day-to-day impact remains firmly rooted in local priorities and genuinely felt across Greater 水多多导航. This matches The University of 水多多导航鈥檚 ambition to be the partner of choice for those who share commitment to excellence and to turning knowledge into impact for the public good: open, values-led and focused on making a difference in the North and beyond.

See

• Ancient Egyptian funerary texts were not fully standardised during this period, and varied between tombs
• Tomb decoration involved the choices and priorities of the tomb owner or commissioner
• Religious practices and funerary fashions could change within a single generation
• Local traditions shaped how beliefs were expressed in places such as Saqqara
• Egyptian religion was flexible and evolving rather than completely fixed over time

Why this matters

Ancient Egypt is often portrayed as a civilisation governed by rigid traditions and unchanging religious beliefs lasting thousands of years.

However this research challenges that perception, revealing a society in which religious ideas and funerary practices adapted over time, even across the span of a single lifetime.

Rather than being rigid, Egyptian religious culture responded to changing tastes, priorities and local traditions.

A human story told through tombs

At the heart of the book is the idea that tombs were highly personal spaces.

The decoration, inscriptions and arrangement of funerary texts within tombs at Saqqara reflected the involvement of those commissioning them. While these tombs drew on established religious traditions, they also reveal changing fashions and evolving approaches to the afterlife.

Two tombs built only a generation apart could already show noticeable differences in style, emphasis and religious presentation.

What the research found

Drawing on archaeological evidence from Saqqara, the study shows that:

• Funerary texts and images differed between tombs during this period
• Tomb decoration reflected individual commissions rather than a single rigid template
• Religious styles and practices evolved noticeably over relatively short periods of time

The findings challenge the long-standing image of Egyptian religion as static and entirely controlled from the top down by priests and kings.

Why Saqqara matters

Saqqara, the necropolis of ancient Memphis, provides an unusually rich record of religious and artistic change.

The book demonstrates how local traditions shaped tomb decoration and funerary expression, revealing how broader religious beliefs could be adapted differently within particular communities.

A different view of ancient religion

The research presents ancient Egyptian religion as:

• Evolving rather than fixed
• Influenced by local communities and changing fashions
• Shaped through personal commissions and lived experience

In short, the study suggests that ancient Egyptians were not simply preserving ancient traditions unchanged - they were continually adapting them for new generations.

Publication details

The Transmission of the Book of the Dead in New Kingdom Tombs at Saqqara will be published in paperback by on June 25^th, but is also currently available to read online via .

The survey will explore issues including:

• Experiences of travelling as a driver, passenger, pedestrian, cyclist or public transport user

• Feelings of safety and confidence while travelling

• Worries about road safety and personal security

• Barriers that influence travel choices

• Ideas for improving safety and accessibility

• Evidence to support future changes

The survey is the first part of a wider research project being delivered by The University of 水多多导航 on behalf of the Safer Roads Greater 水多多导航 Partnership Board.

Alongside the survey, participants will have the opportunity to take part in follow-up focus groups to provide more detailed insights into their experiences.

The findings will be presented to the Greater 水多多导航 Safer Roads Partnership Board later this year.

The researchers hope the project will help ensure women's perspectives are better reflected in future road safety policies, interventions and transport planning.

By capturing the insights of women from a wide range of backgrounds, ages and travel habits, the study aims to create a stronger evidence base to support safer, more inclusive streets across Greater 水多多导航.

鈥淚t is vital that everyone feels safe travelling on foot, by bike or in a vehicle, and we need to understand specifically how women experience Greater 水多多导航's roads so we can continue to address barriers they may face,鈥� said Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner for Greater 水多多导航. 

"Women use roads and transport networks every day, but their experiences are not always fully reflected in the evidence that informs road safety policy and planning,鈥� said Dr Miles. 鈥淲e know that concerns about safety can influence how, when and whether people travel, yet there has been relatively little research exploring these issues from women's perspectives.

鈥淏y listening to their experiences, we can build a clearer understanding of the challenges women face and identify where improvements could make the greatest difference.

"Road safety is about more than preventing collisions - it's also about ensuring people feel confident and secure when moving around their communities,鈥� said Professor Broad. 鈥淭he insights gathered through this research will help us understand what helps women feel safe, what creates barriers or concerns, and what practical changes could improve their experiences. 

鈥淲e want the findings to support evidence-based action that makes Greater 水多多导航's roads and transport systems safer and more inclusive for everyone.鈥�

Women interested in taking part can complete the survey by .

The University of 水多多导航, working with partners across the Greater 水多多导航 region and beyond, has played a leading role in securing 拢50m investment from UK Research and Innovation鈥檚 Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) that drives innovation-led growth across Greater 水多多导航.  

The University is lead delivery partner on two projects and will be a delivery partner on the remaining three across the wider funding programme, .  

Together the whole portfolio is worth 拢50m and covers nationally significant sectors including advanced materials & manufacturing, digital, cyber & AI, health innovation & life sciences, and low carbon technologies. These projects will attract private investment, create skilled jobs, support business growth and strengthen Greater 水多多导航鈥檚 position as a globally competitive innovation region.  

The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) is a flagship UK government programme - delivered through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) - investing up to 拢500 million to strengthen regional innovation economies across the country. 

Forming a central pillar of the government's modern Industrial Strategy and Plan for Change, the Fund brings together local leaders, businesses and research organisations to build on regional strengths to create new jobs, drive innovation-led productivity and attract further public and private investment into communities across the UK. 

Atom Valley Innovation District 

The University is lead delivery partner in the 拢16.4m invested in the Atom Valley Innovation District, (AVID) a nationally significant advanced materials and manufacturing cluster. 

The investment will help to activate the innovation ecosystem needed to support the growth of materials-focused companies at Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale.  

Through the Centre of Expertise in Advanced Materials and Sustainability (CEAMS) within the new Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Centre (SMMC), the programme will provide technical support, business services and access to specialist expertise to help companies scale up and adopt sustainable materials and advanced manufacturing technologies. 

By connecting businesses with national research centres, universities and industry, the programme will accelerate collaboration, unlock new supply chain opportunities and strengthen the region鈥檚 ability to attract and grow innovative businesses.  

The project is delivered in partnership with the Rochdale Development Agency, and the delivery consortium provides comprehensive access to the national advanced materials innovation ecosystem through the Henry Royce Institute, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), : NCC and CPI. The University of Greater 水多多导航 will support the delivery of industry-ready skills packages.   

Together, these activities will drive private sector investment in the Atom Valley Innovation District, generating skilled jobs, and build long-term economic resilience for the region. 

GROW AI 

The University will also play a key role in GROW AI (拢12.8m). The project will be jointly led by the Centre for Enterprise at 水多多导航 Metropolitan University and the Turing Innovation Catalyst at the University of 水多多导航.  

GROW AI will rapidly scale the responsible and secure adoption of AI across Greater 水多多导航, unlocking faster commercialisation of research and delivering inclusive, high-value economic growth. Involving collaboration with the University of Salford, Lancaster University and numerous private sector partners, the initiative will fuse startup and research commercialisation with AI adoption by SMEs across priority sectors, bringing together the public, private and academic sectors to focus on key challenges at pace.  

Utilising the networks, delivery expertise and academic excellence of the partner organisations, it builds on the region鈥檚 existing assets and is designed for rapid deployment. GROW AI develops the regional cluster at scale, supporting both new AI firms and existing businesses, so the wider economy can benefit from the AI opportunity. The project will also support the continued growth of the tech community at Sister, a new innovation district which is a joint venture between The University of 水多多导航 and Bruntwood SciTech. 

The University's innovation arm,  鈥� a function designed to unleash the institution's full innovation potential 鈥� has supported the development of these two projects.   

Delivery partner on three projects 

The University of 水多多导航 is also the delivery partner for indoor air quality and sustainability assessments in the Retrofit Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Centre (拢8.56m) led by the University of Salford, the GM Wearables and Remote Monitoring Innovation Cluster (拢5.5m) led by 水多多导航 University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Greater Data Accelerator (拢6.7m) led by Health Innovation 水多多导航. 

Professor Duncan Ivison, President & Vice-Chancellor of The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淭his shows what Greater 水多多导航 can achieve through collaboration between universities, industry and the public sector. We鈥檙e very proud to play a central role in this, working alongside our partners to turn research into innovation that supports business growth, builds new ventures and strengthens the economy.  

"Our research, partnerships and innovation activity will increasingly create globally competitive clusters that attract investment, generate high-value jobs and position Greater 水多多导航 as a leader in advanced materials, manufacturing, health innovation and AI. This is about connecting talent, ideas and industry - which ultimately means long-term, inclusive growth is felt across our communities.鈥� 

Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of 水多多导航 City Council and Greater 水多多导航 Portfolio Lead for Economy, Business and Inclusive Growth, said: 鈥淭hrough this significant investment in five pioneering projects we will translate world-class research and innovation into new jobs and opportunities that benefit Greater 水多多导航鈥檚 businesses and residents. 

鈥淏y focusing on advanced materials and manufacturing, health innovation and AI, we are building on the strengths that already set our city region apart and creating the conditions for more businesses to innovate, scale and succeed here. This is the kind of investment and collaboration that helps us deliver long-term, inclusive growth, strengthening our economy and ensuring the benefits of innovation are felt right across Greater 水多多导航.鈥� 

Andrew Hodgson, Chair of the Innovation Greater 水多多导航 Board, said: 鈥淚 am delighted that Greater 水多多导航 has secured such a significant investment and is the first region to have all its projects approved.  

鈥淭his is testament to the maturity in Greater 水多多导航 and the strong partnership that exists across the region. I would like to thank the partners for their support in the process. At IGM we look forward to continuing to collaborate with UKRI, supporting deployment of world-class innovations that impact lives throughout the region and beyond.鈥� 

The charity鈥檚 annual investment into the will increase from 拢11m to more than 拢17m this year - putting the city at the heart of its mission to beat cancer.

The boost in funding will be used to recruit up to eight senior researchers who will build on the Institute鈥檚 expertise and advance cancer research in areas including immunology, data science and AI.

Once fully established, their labs will attract up to 100 world leading researchers and research staff to join 水多多导航's fast-growing research community.

The investment will also help to develop the next generation of clinician scientists - funding two new positions in partnership with The Christie. This will further help to combine world-class research with placing patient care at each stage of the research journey.

Bringing new knowledge into the 水多多导航 research ecosystem will be matched with investment in cutting-edge research and computational technologies.

These will allow the Institute鈥檚 world leading facilities to study cancer under closer detail than ever before and build a platform to ensure the long-term emergence of new discoveries.

The Cancer Research UK 水多多导航 Institute sits in the Paterson building in Withington and is part of The University of 水多多导航.  The building is directly connected to The Christie which allows cells and samples from patients to be taken to the research lab in a matter of minutes.

Recently appointed Director of the Cancer Research UK 水多多导航 Institute, hugely welcomes the boost in funding.

She said: 鈥淗aving recently left London to move to 水多多导航, I am delighted that Cancer Research UK recognises the level of expertise at the Institute and the power of our cancer research partnerships in 水多多导航.

鈥淭he extra investment will make a huge difference moving forwards and will help us continue to attract the brightest minds to the city.

鈥淲hile we are living in an exciting time for research, nearly 1 in 2 people.* are set to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, so there鈥檚 still much more to do. Patients will be at the very heart of everything we do and the Institute will be a real engine room for discovery."

Sharon Quennell, from Chadderton in Oldham, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 at the age of 36 after noticing a lump on her left breast. She underwent surgery followed by 12 weeks of chemotherapy treatment.

Now 62, she celebrated a quarter of a century free of cancer last year. Sharon works at North 水多多导航 General Hospital and is a single mum to Ryan, aged 31, who has autism and learning disabilities.

She has visited the laboratories in the Institute many times.

Sharon said: 鈥淭he extra investment is amazing news for 水多多导航.

鈥淎s a former cancer patient, I am always humbled to hear about the exciting research work happening on my doorstep.鈥�

Professor Ashley Blom, Vice President and Dean of Biology, Medicine and Health at The University of 水多多导航 said: 鈥淭he CRUK 水多多导航 Institute sits at the heart of the city鈥檚 cancer research strength, uniting world鈥慶lass scientists under one mission. Its teams push the boundaries of discovery, from understanding the biology of cancer to developing treatments that change clinical practice. So this increase in funding is great news for the University and the city, which holds a pre鈥慹minent place in global cancer research, driving discoveries that shape the future of treatment. This welcome news will create more opportunities for scientists to turn bold ideas into breakthroughs that can change what鈥檚 possible for patients.鈥�

Professor Fiona Blackhall, Director of Research and Innovation and Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, comments:  鈥淲hat makes 水多多导航 such an important hub for cancer research is that our research facilities are located on the site of one of Europe鈥檚 leading cancer hospitals, The Christie. This means we can carry out research at every stage 鈥� from basic science to trials involving patients 鈥� all on one site.

鈥淭his increase in investment reflects the level of expertise we have here in 水多多导航 and the difference that we鈥檙e making for our patients.

鈥淐ancer research is a collaborative effort and we at The Christie are proud to work with our partners in the Cancer Research UK 水多多导航 Institute and The University of 水多多导航 to find new and better ways to detect, diagnose and treat cancer.鈥�

Every year, around 45,800 people are diagnosed with cancer in the North West. **

Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, Cancer Research UK has helped double cancer survival in the UK over the past 50 years and is the world鈥檚 largest charitable funder of cancer research.

* See CRUK website
** Based on the average annual number of new cases of cancer excluding non-melanoma skin cancer (ICD10 C00-C96 excluding C44) diagnosed in the North West in 2021-2023. 

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.

• Temporary accommodation has existed in different forms for nearly two centuries

• Many of the problems seen today have deep historical roots

• Poor conditions, lengthy stays and placements away from communities have been repeated over time

• Fragmented responsibility has consistently made accountability difficult

• People living in temporary accommodation have often had limited opportunities to challenge poor conditions or unfair decisions

• Temporary accommodation has frequently operated outside the standards expected of other forms of housing

• A new enforceable framework is needed to ensure temporary accommodation is short, safe and healthy

A crisis with deep historical roots

The report identifies a long-running pattern in which certain groups have faced greater barriers to support than others, rooted in ideas about who is considered 鈥榙eserving鈥� of assistance.

It argues that while major reforms have changed the legal framework around homelessness, longstanding patterns of exclusion, unequal treatment and poor-quality accommodation have repeatedly reappeared in different forms.

The research also highlights how fragmented responsibilities across government departments, local authorities and providers have often made it difficult to identify poor practice, enforce standards or learn from successful approaches.

Lessons from nearly 200 years of history

The report calls for three major reforms:

• Make unequal harms visible - better monitoring is needed to understand who is being placed where, in what conditions and for how long, enabling policymakers to identify and address unequal outcomes.

• End fragmentation - temporary accommodation requires clearer statutory coordination, stronger oversight and greater accountability across the system.

• Create an enforceable framework - temporary accommodation should be subject to baseline national standards, backed by meaningful enforcement.

Better temporary accommodation is possible

The report also identifies examples showing that better temporary accommodation can be delivered when there is political will and investment.

One example is the 1944 Temporary Housing Programme, which funded more than 150,000 prefabricated bungalows following the Second World War. Designed with comfort, privacy and family life in mind, the programme demonstrated that temporary accommodation could provide safe and dignified housing rather than merely emergency shelter.

What the researchers say

"Many of the problems experienced by people living in temporary accommodation today have appeared again and again for nearly two centuries,鈥� said Dr Jessica Field. 鈥淲hat emerges from this research is a story of recurring patterns rather than isolated failures - poor conditions, long stays, family disruption and displacement from communities have persisted across very different political and policy contexts. Understanding how these problems developed helps us see why piecemeal reforms have often struggled to deliver lasting change.鈥�

"Temporary accommodation may seem like a current crisis, but it has been part of our lives for nearly 200 years - yet the experience for many people living in temporary accommodation today remains painfully similar to what it was in the nineteenth century,鈥� said Simon Gale, Chief Executive of Justlife.

"Poor conditions, long stays, people being moved away from their communities, and families left in uncertainty are not new problems. Lifelines shows they are part of a much longer pattern. That matters because we cannot keep responding to temporary accommodation as if each problem is new, isolated or unavoidable.鈥�

"If we are serious about ending the harm caused by temporary accommodation, we need a clear national framework, proper standards, stronger accountability and a housing policy that stops temporary solutions becoming long-term realities."

Publication

was authored by Dr Jessica Field and published by Justlife.

 commissioned from , the CBI鈥檚 economic consultancy division, has revealed the enormous opportunities for UK growth, regional development and productivity that can come from aligning business needs, universities and government policy.

The report, which is based on survey and interview data from 610 businesses and university stakeholders, reveals a system that is working well in some areas with eight out of ten businesses surveyed recognise the positive contribution of working with universities. However it is also failing to make the most of talent and the ability to innovate.

Ultimately this is stunting growth, preventing new work being carried out, or forcing businesses to shift operations overseas.

The report shows that this is particularly acute in the UK鈥檚 priority 鈥榝rontier sectors鈥�, crucial for delivery of the government鈥檚 Industrial Strategy, including advanced manufacturing, digital technologies and life sciences. Compared with firms outside of these sectors, surveyed frontier sector firms are around seven times more likely to report relocating activity outside of the UK if universities were less able to supply skilled graduates or collaborate with business.

The findings also present a significant opportunity 鈥� the UK has world-leading universities, strong research capability and businesses operating at the technological frontier. The UK can build on these by strengthening talent pipelines, improving collaboration and aligning policy with business needs.

Talent and skills

Businesses reported that the constraint on talent and skills is largely one of availability, not quality.

Survey responses indicate that around one in five businesses (19%) are currently experiencing a graduate skills shortage or gap, with shortages more pronounced among firms operating in frontier sectors.

The findings show that international talent is filling targeted skills gaps rather than displacing domestic workers.

Addressing this talent gap this will require strengthening the scale and alignment of the domestic skills pipeline, while maintaining access to international talent, where gaps persist.

University-business collaboration

The other significant way in which universities and businesses collaborate is in research and innovation. This, the report finds, delivers benefits including commercial product development and productivity gains, access to specialist facilities and research expertise, that businesses would not be able to invest in themselves.

However, businesses also highlight that it is difficult to find the right contacts, and there are differing timescales and multiple funding streams which complicate engagement.

One SME described how establishing initial engagement with a university could take several months, from securing the right contact through to progressing discussions. This contrasted sharply with their experience in other countries, where similar partnerships could be initiated within days.

Recent University of 水多多导航 initiatives point to the types of practical steps universities can take. This includes plans to offer all undergraduates meaningful real-world experience, such as placements, internships, live employer projects or work with public and community organisations, and the launch of the five-year, 拢5m, Future of Work Alliance with BNY, focused on responsible human-led AI.

The report calls for clearer incentives and simpler funding routes from government, with universities doing more to speed up and simplify access for businesses.

Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of 水多多导航, said: 鈥淓conomic growth depends on our ability to turn talent and ideas into new products, services, and industries. The countries that do this best will lead the global economy.

鈥淲e need to be more ambitious, more responsive and more outward-looking in how we work with employers and entrepreneurs. The issue is not whether the UK produces highly skilled people. It is whether those skills can be connected quickly and effectively to the places, sectors, communities, and businesses that need them most.

鈥淎s this report makes clear, by strengthening skills pipelines, removing barriers to collaboration and backing innovation wherever it emerges, we can unlock far more of what universities and businesses can achieve together. This is what the country needs and what we are committed to delivering.鈥�

Adriana Curca, CBI Economics Director, said: 鈥淥ur research shows that universities are a critical part of the infrastructure that supports business growth, providing access to talent, research capability and innovation expertise. This is particularly important in the UK鈥檚 frontier sectors where firms rely on advanced skills, research capability and innovation to grow and compete.鈥�

鈥淲hile many examples of collaboration are already delivering tangible benefits, there is a significant opportunity to do more. Better connecting business needs with talent, research and innovation capability could help unlock growth in the sectors that will shape the UK's future economy.鈥�

• Just 4% of patients in the dataset were offered social prescribing between 2019 and 2024

• Patients living in the least deprived areas were significantly more likely to be offered social prescribing than those in the most deprived communities

• Women were substantially more likely than men to be offered social prescribing

• Older patients and people with multiple long-term conditions were more likely to receive offers

• More than three quarters (77.7%) of those offered social prescribing received a referral

• Ethnic minority patients were generally as likely - or more likely - to accept referrals

What else did the study find?

The researchers analysed anonymised NHS primary care records from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), one of the largest healthcare datasets in England.

The study explored which groups of patients were offered social prescribing and which went on to receive referrals after offers were made.

Social prescribing schemes aim to support people whose health may be affected by wider social issues such as loneliness, poor housing, financial stress or isolation by linking them with non-medical community services through dedicated NHS link workers.

Clear inequalities

Patients in more affluent areas consistently had higher odds of being offered social prescribing than those in deprived areas, despite evidence that poorer communities often experience worse health outcomes and greater levels of long-term illness.

Women were also more likely to be offered referrals than men across almost every age group examined.

The study found strong links between long-term illness and social prescribing access, with patients suffering multiple health conditions far more likely to receive offers and referrals.

Why it matters

Researchers say the findings are significant because social prescribing has become a major part of NHS plans to reduce pressure on healthcare services and improve public health.

Since 2019, thousands of social prescribing link workers have been recruited across England through the NHS Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme.

The researchers warn that unequal access to these services could risk widening existing health inequalities if patients in deprived communities are less likely to benefit. However, the study also found encouraging signs once offers had been made.

Patients from ethnic minority backgrounds were often more likely than white patients to accept referrals, while deprivation itself did not appear to reduce uptake after an offer was made.

Researchers say this suggests the key inequality may lie in access to offers rather than willingness to engage.

Men and older patients less likely to engage

The study also found important differences between being offered social prescribing and accepting referrals.

While older patients were more likely to be offered support, they were less likely to go on to receive referrals once offered. Male patients were consistently less likely than women to both receive offers and proceed to referral.

Researchers say more work is needed to understand why some groups may be underrepresented or less likely to engage with social prescribing services.

What the researchers say

鈥淚t is concerning that the patients most likely to benefit from social prescribing support appear to be among the least likely to be offered it,鈥� said Research Fellow Anna Wilding. 鈥淧eople living in deprived communities are more likely to experience long-term illness, financial hardship, isolation and poor mental health - the very issues social prescribing is designed to help address.鈥�

鈥淥ur findings suggest the biggest challenge is not whether people will engage with social prescribing once offered support, but ensuring disadvantaged communities are not left behind in the first place.鈥�

Publication details

The study was published in journal PLOS One.

DOI:

• Elite football increasingly relies on investment from fossil fuel-rich states and companies, including sponsorships and ownership models linked to Gulf nations and energy firms.
• FIFA鈥檚 partnership with Saudi oil giant Aramco is singled out by the authors, who claim football has become central to a wider strategy of sportswashing by fossil fuel interests.
• The expanded 48-team format for the 2026 Men鈥檚 World Cup will significantly increase emissions due to the greater number of matches and the vast travel distances across North America.
• The tournament will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities spanning the entire continent. The last Men鈥檚 World Cup in 2022, Qatar, saw 64 matches played across the 32-team tournament.
• FIFA鈥檚 environmental policies are scrutinised, with the research team accusing the organisation of promoting sustainability rhetoric while simultaneously expanding competitions and strengthening ties with fossil fuel sponsors.

The study highlights concerns over future tournaments, noting that Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034 World Cup while the United States withdrew from the Paris climate agreement under President Donald Trump.

Why this matters

The researchers say the expanded 48-team format for the 2026 Men鈥檚 World Cup will significantly increase emissions due to the greater number of matches and the vast travel distances across North America.

The tournament will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities spanning the entire continent. The last Men鈥檚 World Cup in 2022, Qatar, saw 64 matches played across the 32-team tournament.

FIFA鈥檚 environmental policies are also scrutinised, with the research team accusing the organisation of promoting sustainability rhetoric while simultaneously expanding competitions and strengthening ties with fossil fuel sponsors.

The study also highlights concerns over future tournaments, noting that Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034 World Cup while the United States withdrew from the Paris climate agreement under President Donald Trump.

What the researchers say

Lead researcher, Dr Mark Doidge, Reader in Sociology of Sport at Loughborough University, said: 鈥淔ootball is the world鈥檚 most popular sport, and probably the most popular activity. It is for this reason that football authorities, like FIFA, continue to exploit it for commercial profit."

鈥淔ootball is also a cultural powerhouse with millions of fans, volunteers, and players trying to make the sport better. Football can, and should, use its influence to mitigate against climate change.鈥�

Dr James Jackson, Lecturer at The University of 水多多导航, said: 鈥淒espite the last World Cup offering a preview of what football would be like in a significantly warmer world, FIFA has remained indifferent to better regulation. Rather than being proactive and ensuring football helps mitigate against the worst impacts of climate change, they are - at best - pursuing meagre adaptation measures for things which affect fans and players."

Dr Oscar Berglund, Senior Lecturer in International Public and Social Policy at the University of Bristol, said: 鈥淔IFA has made elite men鈥檚 football the primary target of Petrostate sportswashing. This World Cup, with the ridiculous Trump Peace Prize and having Saudi Aramco, the world鈥檚 largest polluter, as its main sponsor, reaches new levels.

鈥淚t has been a key strategy of Petrostates to use football鈥檚 unrivalled cultural influence globally. They don鈥檛 need to convince us that fossil fuels are good, just that they are inevitable. So, as we watch and love our beautiful game, we come to accept the necessary evil of fossil capital.鈥�

Club sustainability and commercial pressure

As part of the study, researchers interviewed sustainability managers working in football clubs across Europe, many of whom described tensions between environmental targets and the commercial demands of the modern game.

According to the report, sustainability initiatives are often only approved if they do not disrupt football鈥檚 core product, including the scheduling and broadcasting of matches.

Some interviewees said clubs remained more focused on increasing revenues than reducing environmental costs, despite the growing financial risks posed by flooding, heatwaves and fixture disruption.

Recommendations

The investigation proposes a series of recommendations aimed at reducing football鈥檚 environmental impact.

• FIFA should stop awarding tournaments to Petrostates.
• Restrictions should be placed on fossil fuel ownership of clubs.
• Fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship should be banned in football.
• Football authorities should halt the expansion of competitions.
• Sustainability managers should be embedded into all levels of club decision-making rather than operating in isolated compliance roles.

FIFA response

FIFA has previously defended its sustainability strategies and said major tournaments can drive investment, infrastructure and development in host nations. The organisation has also said that expanding competitions increases global participation and opportunities for smaller footballing nations.

Publication details

To read the full report, . The findings will form part of Football and Climate Change: The Unsustainability of the Beautiful Game, due to be published in 2027.

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 Woodward is a geomorphologist and geoarchaeologist whose research spans river systems, microplastics in river catchments, Mediterranean geomorphology, Ice Age environments and long-term environmental change. His work explores how landscapes and river systems respond to environmental pressures over timescales ranging from the deep past to the present day.

The group, backed by House of Lords peer Baroness Natalie Bennett, say the UK urgently needs a new national strategy to tackle fungal antimicrobial resistance 鈥� a growing and often overlooked threat to human health, food production and the environment.

In a new paper published in Nature NPJ Antimicrobials and Resistance, they reveal how widespread use of fungicides in agriculture could be undermining life鈥憇aving medicines used to treat patients.

Calling for sweeping changes, including a powerful cross-government body to coordinate action, they argue for a nationwide system to monitor resistance in both the environment and clinics, and stricter regulation of fungicides linked to resistance.

Dr Michael Bottery, co-author of the study from The University of 水多多导航, said: 鈥淔ungal resistance is a silent and underestimated threat. The same substances helping to protect crops are also reducing the effectiveness of essential medicines. If we fail to act, we risk losing critical treatments and putting lives at risk.鈥�

The concern centres on so鈥慶alled 鈥渄ual-use鈥� fungicides 鈥� chemicals used in both medicine and farming. In the UK, these are applied to around 94 per cent of arable crops, exposing fungi in the environment to the same compounds relied upon in hospitals.

Over time, this exposure allows fungi to evolve and develop resistance, making infections harder to treat when they infect humans. Some resistant strains have already been detected in clinical settings, raising fears that treatments could become increasingly ineffective.

Fungal infections already pose a major global threat, killing an estimated 2.5 million people each year. They disproportionately affect vulnerable patients, including those undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplants, or intensive care treatment.

Despite this, researchers warn that the UK鈥檚 current response is fragmented, with responsibility split between agriculture, healthcare and environmental regulators, and limited coordination between them.

They argue that without better surveillance, dangerous resistance trends may go unnoticed until it is too late. More coordinated data-sharing, they say, could allow earlier intervention and more effective policymaking.

Speaking in parliament Baroness Bennett added that tackling the issue requires recognising the close links between human health, farming and ecosystems.

Dr Bottery added: 鈥淲ithout urgent action, the UK risks sleepwalking into a crisis that could threaten not only public health, but also food security, as resistance undermines crop protection and agricultural productivity.鈥�

The full paper, 鈥淎ddressing the Dual-Use of Antifungals and Fungal Antimicrobial Resistance (fAMR) through a One Health Approach鈥�, is open-access and .

• The image was created with AI

• Psychological therapy is often assessed using research models originally developed for medicines

• Unlike drugs, therapy is typically personalised, open-ended and shaped by the therapist鈥揷lient relationship

• Heavy reliance on RCT evidence may narrow treatment options in public healthcare and insurance systems

• Short-term symptom measures may miss broader outcomes such as improved relationships, stability and self-understanding

• A broader evidence base is needed, including real-world outcomes and patient experience

Why this matters

RCTs are commonly used to decide which treatments receive funding, policy backing and public provision.

The editorial argues that this has had significant consequences in mental healthcare, where therapies with strong trial evidence - particularly CBT - have become dominant in many systems.

In England鈥檚 NHS Talking Therapies programme, only a small minority of high-intensity practitioners offer non-CBT approaches, according to evidence discussed in the article.

Why therapy is different from drugs

The article highlights key differences between medicines and psychological therapies.

While drugs can typically be standardised and tested under controlled conditions, therapy is more fluid. Sessions evolve in response to the individual, progress can be non-linear, and meaningful change may include outcomes that are harder to quantify.

What current evidence may miss

The editorial argues that many therapy studies are relatively short, often capturing early symptom improvement but missing longer-term change, setbacks or deeper psychological development.

It also suggests that recovery is often more complex than a single score or endpoint, and may involve ongoing change over time.

To illustrate this, the author uses a fictional case study showing how different therapy models can lead to very different long-term outcomes, even where short-term symptom improvement appears similar.

Towards a broader understanding of evidence

Rather than rejecting trials altogether, the editorial calls for a more pluralistic approach to evidence, including:

• Real-world service data from routine NHS and community settings

• Research into how therapy works, including the role of relationships and context

• Greater emphasis on patient perspectives and lived experience

What the researcher said

鈥淲e have become so used to treating Randomised Controlled Trials as the gold standard that we rarely stop to ask whether they are the right tool for every intervention,鈥� said Dr Sahanika Ratnayake, philosopher of psychiatry at The University of 水多多导航.

鈥淭his editorial is not based on a new experiment, but on analysing the strengths and limits of the existing evidence base. Therapy is not a pill - it is a human relationship shaped by trust, timing, context and individual need.

Why it matters now

Demand for mental health support is rising, while services face pressure over waiting times, staffing and budgets.

The article argues that policymakers need evidence systems that better reflect how therapy is actually practised, and what patients themselves value from care.

Publication details

The editorial was published in BJPsych.

DOI:

The research found that large-scale tree planting, restoration schemes and expanding plantations have likely transformed woodland cover across parts of the country over the past decade.

But the study also warns that headline gains can hide a more complicated picture, with native woodlands still being lost in some areas even as overall tree cover increases.

Key findings

• India gained around 2.1 million hectares of tropical dry woodland between 2014 and 2024

• Government forest lands saw major gains linked to restoration and afforestation programmes

• Many woodland increases outside government lands appear likely to be linked to timber and tree-crop plantations

• Researchers also recorded continued woodland loss in some important native forest areas

• Scientists say national tree-cover figures can mask important differences between natural forests and plantations

What did the study find?

The study mapped changes in India鈥檚 tropical dry woodlands - which cover vast areas of the country, but have received far less scientific and conservation attention than tropical rainforests - over a ten-year period using high-resolution satellite imagery.

The researchers found a large overall increase in woodland cover across the country, driven partly by major government-backed restoration efforts including the Green India Mission, the Compensatory Afforestation Fund and the National Afforestation Programme.

The findings suggest these schemes are having a visible impact on the landscape.

Where are the new woodlands appearing?

The study found contrasting patterns inside and outside government-managed forest land.

Within state-administered forest areas, researchers say gains are likely linked to restoration and conservation programmes aimed at increasing forest cover and meeting climate goals.

Outside government lands, however, many gains appear to come from commercial timber plantations and tree crops in agricultural landscapes.

Why this matters

India鈥檚 tropical dry woodlands are among the country鈥檚 most important but overlooked ecosystems.

They support wildlife, store carbon and provide livelihoods for millions of people, especially in poorer rural regions.

Researchers say understanding exactly what kind of woodland is increasing - and where - matters for biodiversity, climate policy and local communities.

Tree cover is not always the same as forest recovery

The researchers warn that national statistics showing rising tree cover do not always mean natural forests are recovering.

Some native dry woodlands inside protected or government-managed areas continued to experience losses during the study period.

Scientists say plantations can provide economic and climate benefits, but they may not fully replace the biodiversity and ecological value of long-established natural woodlands.

How researchers tracked the changes

The team used satellite imagery to reconstruct changes in woodland cover across India between 2014 and 2024 at very high detail.

This allowed them to identify where woodland was expanding, where it was being lost, and how those patterns differed across landscapes and land ownership types.

What the researchers said

鈥淥ur study shows that India has seen substantial gains in dry woodland cover over the past decade,鈥� said lead author Dhanapal Govindarajulu. 鈥淎 lot of this appears linked to major restoration and afforestation programmes, which demonstrates the scale of change that government policy can achieve - but we also found that not all woodland gains are the same.鈥�

Why it matters now

Countries around the world are pledging large-scale tree planting and forest restoration as part of climate and biodiversity targets.

Researchers say the study highlights the importance of looking beyond headline numbers to understand whether restoration efforts are protecting natural ecosystems, supporting wildlife and benefiting local communities.

Publication details

The research was published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

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

鈥淢ore young people are reporting good wellbeing, loneliness is falling and emotional difficulties are reducing 鈥� which are encouraging findings 鈥� but the picture is not the same for everyone. Significant inequalities remain, particularly for LGBTQ+ young people and those with special educational needs, and that remains a major challenge.鈥�

Report details

The latest #BeeWell findings report can be found .

The research, published in Biological Conservation, found that more than 493,000 square kilometres of land - an area larger than Spain - has been damaged by deforestation and fires in the vital transition zone between the Amazon rainforest and the Cerrado savanna in Brazil.

The team - led by Dr Chuanze Li from The University of 水多多导航 - say the findings reveal a major conservation crisis in a region that helps protect the wider Amazon, stores huge amounts of carbon and supports exceptional biodiversity but has very little formal protection.

Key findings

• Researchers mapped more than 35 years of environmental damage using AI and satellite imagery

• At least 493,000 km虏 of land has been affected by deforestation or fire

• Large areas damaged by fire still had not recovered even after a decade

• Only around 2% of the study region currently has formal protection

• Repeated human-caused fires may be permanently changing ecosystems

What did the study find?

The research focused on the Cerrado-Amazon transition (CAT) zone in Brazil, a vast area where rainforest and savanna meet.

Using decades of Landsat satellite images combined with artificial intelligence, researchers tracked how forests and vegetation changed between 1986 and 2020.

They found widespread damage caused by both large-scale forest clearing and repeated fires linked to farming expansion and cattle ranching.

Why this region matters

This area is one of the world鈥檚 most important ecological frontiers, and acts as a buffer protecting the Amazon while supporting unique wildlife and storing carbon that would otherwise contribute to climate change if released.

But despite its importance, the region has received far less attention and protection than the Amazon rainforest itself.

Fires leave long-lasting scars

One of the study鈥檚 most striking findings was how slowly vegetation recovered after fire. Researchers found that even ten years later, many affected areas had still not returned to their previous condition.

The damage was particularly severe in parts of the Cerrado, where repeated human-driven burning appears to be weakening the ecosystem鈥檚 natural ability to recover.

A hidden protection gap

The study also exposed a major lack of protected areas across the region. While around 28% of the Amazon biome overall is protected, only around 2% of the Cerrado鈥揂mazon transition area studied falls within protected zones.

Researchers warn that large areas facing repeated destruction currently have little or no legal safeguard.

How AI helped uncover the damage

The team combined satellite imagery with advanced artificial intelligence tools capable of detecting different types of environmental disturbance over time.

This allowed researchers to distinguish between forest clearing and fire damage across an enormous area spanning more than one million square kilometres.

What the 水多多导航 researchers said

鈥淭he tools we used enabled us to produce the first wall-to-wall, multi-decade picture of what has actually happened to vegetation across this entire area,鈥� said lead author Dr Chuanze Li.

鈥淲e were particularly struck by the recovery data,鈥� said Dr Angela Harris. 鈥淭he conventional view is that Cerrado vegetation bounces back after fire. What this study shows - at a regional scale and across 35 years - is that it often does not, at least not within a decade.鈥�

"Repeated fires are eroding the very resilience these ecosystems evolved to have - this is a warning that we cannot ignore."

"This study gives policymakers something they have not had before: a precise, long-term map of where the CAT has been damaged, how badly, and how well, or how poorly, it is recovering,鈥� added Dr Polyanna da Concei莽茫o Bispo. 鈥淭his is the empirical foundation that conservation planning in this region has been missing. The protection gap we document is not acceptable, and the tools now exist to close it."

Why it matters

Researchers say the maps created by the study could help governments and conservation groups identify areas most urgently in need of protection, fire prevention and restoration.

They also warn that continued destruction in the transition zone could have consequences far beyond Brazil, affecting biodiversity, climate stability and the future health of the Amazon rainforest itself.

Publication details

The study was conducted by researchers at The University of 水多多导航 (UK),  Professor Beatriz Marimon and Professor Ben Hur Marimon at UNEMAT 鈥� Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (Brazil), and Dr. Ricardo da Silva at CTREES (USA). Field data from the Plant Ecology Laboratory at UNEMAT, a reference network spanning the CAT since 1994, underpinned the classification and validation of satellite-derived disturbance maps.

The paper was published in the Biological Conservation journal.

DOI:

The breakthrough could help explain why millions of people develop sight鈥憈hreatening conditions such as age鈥憆elated macular degeneration (AMD), as well as rarer inherited eye diseases.

The research is published in today.

Epidemiological research predicts that AMD, a leading cause of visual impairment in adults , will affect 288 million people worldwide by 2040.

And rarer inherited  eye disorders  which  interfere with cells in the retina that sense light and send visual signals to the brain include  Stargardt disease, retinitis pigmentosa, and cone鈥憆od dystrophy.

The researchers analysed whole鈥慻enome sequencing data alongside RNA profiles from 201 donated human eyes.

That allowed them to study two key tissues involved in vision: the neurosensory retina, which captures light, and the retinal pigment epithelium, which supports and nourishes it.

By comparing DNA differences with gene activity in these tissues, the researchers found over 1.4 million genetic signals that influence how genes are turned on or off, known as expression quantitative trait loci, or eQTLs.

The signals influence how nearly 10,000 genes behave in the retina and almost 4,000 genes in the retinal pigment epithelium.

Many of the genetic effects were found in regions of the genome that act as regulatory switches, helping to turn genes on or off.

The study also identified hundreds of individuals whose retinal gene activity was unusually high or low compared with typical patterns.

Among these 鈥渆xpression outliers,鈥� the researchers pinpointed nearly 300 rare genetic variants that could plausibly explain the unusual gene activity.

These variants included rare changes in parts of DNA that don鈥檛 code for proteins, as well as bigger structural shifts and differences in how many copies of certain DNA segments a person has.

Together, they accounted for around 28% of the outliers, offering new leads for understanding how rare mutations contribute to eye disease.

The findings provide an unprecedented resource for scientists studying the genetic roots of vision disorders, and are available to other researchers for

They also offer a roadmap for future research into personalised treatments and earlier diagnosis.

Author , from The University of 水多多导航,  said: 鈥淥ur study marks a major step toward decoding the complex genetic architecture of the human eye.

鈥淎nd it opens the door to new strategies for protecting and restoring vision in the future.

鈥淚t reveals how both common and rare genetic differences shape the way they are expressed in the human retina.

鈥淏y understanding these patterns, we move closer to uncovering the biological mechanisms that drive heritable vision loss and to developing more targeted therapies.鈥�

PhD Student at The University of 水多多导航, Jacob Sampson, who performed the extensive computational analysis reported in the study, added: 鈥淲e hope this dataset will accelerate discoveries across ophthalmology, genetics, and precision medicine.

鈥淎nd we hope it will support efforts to identify individuals at risk of sight鈥憈hreatening disease before symptoms appear.

Prof Simon J. Clark from the  University of T眉bingen in Germany, said: 鈥淭hese sorts of fundamental discoveries are only possible by using very well characterised human donor material.

鈥淲e are incredibly lucky to have access to one of Europe鈥檚 largest human eye donor repositories, founded originally in 水多多导航 back in 2015.

鈥淲e remain forever grateful for the generosity of all those donors and their families who contributed over the years.鈥�

The team included scientists from The University of 水多多导航, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, University of T眉bingen, University of Southampton, Universitas Riau, 水多多导航 University NHS Foundation Trust, and the European Bioinformatics Institute.

• The research was supported by the Macular Society, Fight For Sight, the Medical Research Council and the NIHR 水多多导航 Biomedical Research Centre.
• The paper Paired DNA and RNA sequencing uncovers common 1 and rare genomic variants regulating gene 2 expression in the human retina is published in nature Communications and available . DOI https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72979-4 

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

Thousands of holes are appearing in the Pennine hills, as part of efforts to by restoring damaged peatland.

Peat itself is carbon rich and so as it grows it will help to capture the CO鈧� that is produced by that is .

Meanwhile, damaged or turn into a carbon source, releasing greenhouses gases themselves. About 15% of the world鈥檚 peatlands have been drained, making these kind of restoration projects essential.

But now a new project is attempting to bring these wetlands back to life. On Holcombe Moor in the West Pennines, , with a further 700 in 2024 as part of Natural England鈥檚 Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme. Improvements are already starting to be seen.

What鈥檚 the history here?

The hills of the West Pennines are no stranger to holes, with a long history of lead and coal mining stretching back to the .

Coal fired the mills nearby during the industrial revolution in cities such as 水多多导航, Leeds and Sheffield. Smoke drifted back to the hills, carrying the heavy metal impurities of lead and arsenic from coal burning.

The industrial legacy remains visible in the elevated near the soil surface, which made it difficult for most plants to survive. Areas were stripped of all vegetation, leaving expanses of exposed soil. In the most affected places, these cut deep into the surface, turning places like Kinder Scout into a moonscape.

What was exposed and eroded so quickly had taken over to form. Much of the Pennines are covered in blanket peatland, a type of bog made through the slow accumulation of partially decayed plant matter (the type of soil we call peat).

The , with the water table maintained high enough to limit the decomposition of plant matter, while still allowing plants to grow. Not just any plant can tolerate these harsh growing conditions. One species is truly specialised to bog life and forms the main building block of peat itself 鈥� Sphagnum.

Finding a super moss

Sphagnum moss is the key ecosystem engineer in peatlands, holding up to in water to maintain the saturated conditions needed for its growth.

When in a healthy state, new Sphagnum grows up through the older moss, raising the water table with it to leave the older moss submerged, partially decayed, which forms the peat itself. Bogs grow only millimetres per year, but over millennia this can build several metres of peat.

The organic nature of peat means it is carbon rich, so much so that UK peatlands store over , around ten times more than all .

Restored wetlands could also help protect the area from wildfires at the UK starts to see more .

Human pressure and pollution

With human pressures, including past industrial pollution, . Sphagnum has disappeared from these peatlands.

Now, peatland restoration efforts are under way. From the early 2000s organisations including Moors for the Future Partnership have spent decades blocking gullies to raise water tables, reseeding bare peat and , transforming the worst affected peatlands from dark .

Though blocking erosional gullies with stone or timber dams has in deeply eroded peat, restoring flatter moorland plateaux presents a different set of challenges. Namely, how to restore the wet conditions required to encourage more Sphagnum moss to grow. However, this hasn鈥檛 stopped restoration organisations from trying a novel restoration method which might work to restore flatter peatlands.

Five years on from the start of the project, the original bunds are covered with grasses and many pools are now brimming with Sphagnum moss, looking more like natural bog pools.

are crescent-shaped pools, created by digging shallow scrapes in the peat surface using special low impact excavators. The aim is to capture surface water which would otherwise run quickly off the hill after rainfall. The water stored in at the bog surface for Sphagnum moss to re-establish and grow on moorland plateaus.

The National Trust, in partnership with the University of 水多多导航, is undertaking long-term research to understand the potential for bunds as a peatland restoration method.

The followed one of the driest springs in England for over .

It provided the first test of extreme weather in this peat bund experiment. Preliminary monitoring during the 2025 drought suggests bunded areas remained wetter for longer than unrestored peat, helping to maintain wetter conditions near the peat surface for longer 鈥� the .

The excavator machines up on the hills today don鈥檛 signal a return to the industrial past, but an attempt to restore the damage it left behind.

, Honorary Research Associate in Peatland Hydrology,

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons licence. Read the .

路        Small and statistically insignificant drop in hotel prices on major online platforms and hotel websites
路        Prices fell by around 5% for bookings made directly with hotels offline
路        Customers shifted away from online travel agents towards direct booking
路        Offline bookings 鈥� the largest channel at the time 鈥� increased their relative sales share
路        Total consumer savings were meaningful, but modest relative to the overall market

Why this matters

Online platforms like Booking.com and Expedia play a major role in how people find and book hotels.

For years, many of these platforms used 鈥榩rice parity clauses鈥� to prevent hotels from offering cheaper deals elsewhere, including on their own websites. 

Policymakers expected that banning these rules would lead to lower prices across the board. However, the study suggests the reality is more complicated, and that headline online prices may not tell the full story.

Hidden cheaper rooms

For most travellers, booking a hotel is simple - search the internet, compare prices and click - but this research suggests that the best deal may not always be the one you see.

Instead, customers willing to call, email or walk into a hotel directly were more likely to find lower prices after the policy change. In other words, the cheapest room may be the one that never appears online.

What actually changed

The study focuses on France, which in 2015 became the first country to fully ban price parity clauses in the hotel sector. Researchers analysed data from 166 hotels across Europe, comparing France with countries where the rules were still in place.

They found:

路        Online prices showed small decreases of around 1鈥�2%, but these are not statistically distinguishable from zero
路        Offline prices dropped significantly, around 5% or 鈧�8.50 per booking
路        Bookings shifted away from online platforms towards direct offline channels

Why online prices didn鈥檛 fall

One reason may be that online platforms still have powerful ways to influence hotel behaviour. Hotels that offer lower prices elsewhere risk being pushed down search rankings, making them less visible to customers.

As a result, many hotels appear to have avoided cutting prices on visible online channels, even after the rules were removed. Instead, they offered discounts where platforms were less able to monitor - in direct, offline bookings.

What customers may be missing

The findings suggest that:

路        Not all price competition is visible online
路        Some of the best deals require extra effort to find
路        Consumers who rely only on platforms may miss cheaper options

At the same time, many users continue to use online booking tools for the convenience and additional services they offer 鈥� such as price comparison, guest reviews, and streamlined booking 鈥� even if it means paying slightly more.

A mixed success 

The policy did lead to more competition between booking channels, lower prices for some consumers and a shift away from platforms.

But overall, the impact was smaller than expected, especially on the highly visible online prices policymakers hoped to change.

Why it matters now

The findings are particularly relevant as new regulations, including the EU鈥檚 Digital Markets Act, aim to curb the power of large online platforms.

Understanding how businesses respond in practice is crucial to ensuring these policies deliver real benefits for consumers.

Publication details

The paper was carried out by economists from The University of 水多多导航, the University of Oxford, the European Commission鈥檚 Joint Research Centre and partner institutions across Europe. It was published in The Economic Journal.

DOI:

Professor Neil Humphrey, academic lead of #BeeWell, said: 鈥淎ttendance matters, but these findings show that it should not be viewed in isolation. Young people also need to feel that they belong, that they are noticed, and that they have supportive relationships with adults in school. Through #BeeWell, we are working with partners across Greater 水多多导航 to ensure that responses to attendance challenges also support young people鈥檚 mental wellbeing 

Publication details  

This research was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.   

DOI:   

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

The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness was established to champion journalism that sheds light on one of Britain鈥檚 most enduring social challenges. The prize recognises reporting that is person-centred, data-driven or policy-focused.

Chair of judges Michael Gove said: 鈥淭he Orwell Prize attracts some of the most powerful and most exciting journalism being produced in Britain today. Homelessness is a huge social evil, but it has also inspired some great reporting and fantastic analysis. It has been a joy to spend time both with this work and with my fellow judges, who have brought a huge amount of passion and authority to the business of sifting some brilliant entries.鈥�

The Orwell Foundation, which runs the awards, promotes the values associated with George Orwell鈥檚 writing, including integrity, courage and fidelity to truth.

The winners of the 2026 Orwell Prizes will be announced on 25 June at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London.

- Countries with higher climate vulnerability attract fewer international students
- Strong climate adaptation readiness significantly boosts student inflows
- Major climate summits such as COP15 and COP21 marked a turning point in student decision-making
- Economic factors still matter, but students increasingly weigh climate risk and resilience
- China, India and other emerging hubs could gain market share through stronger climate action and growing academic strength

What did the study find?

The study examined global student mobility patterns over two decades. Researchers found that a destination country鈥檚 climate vulnerability significantly reduced its attractiveness to prospective international students.

By contrast, countries with stronger climate adaptation readiness - meaning they are better prepared to respond to climate risks such as extreme weather, heat and infrastructure disruption - saw significantly higher student inflows.

Why climate now matters to students

Traditionally, international students have been drawn by factors such as prestigious universities, stronger economies, language links and career opportunities - but the study found this picture has changed.

Major global climate summits, including the Copenhagen Accord (COP15) in 2009 and the Paris Agreement (COP21) in 2015, acted as key turning points. After these moments, student choices increasingly reflected a country鈥檚 climate readiness and vulnerability, not just its economic strength.

A new competition for global talent

The findings suggest countries are now competing for students not only on education quality, but also on resilience, liveability and long-term stability. This could reshape the global higher education market in the years ahead.

Researchers found that proactive climate adaptation, combined with rising university capacity, could help emerging destinations such as China and India capture a larger share of international students.

Who could lose out?

The study suggests some traditional destinations could face growing pressure if climate vulnerability worsens or if progress on adaptation stalls.

Researchers say climate preparedness may increasingly influence how students judge future safety, quality of life and opportunity in a host country.

What the researchers said

鈥淚nternational students are making one of the biggest decisions of their lives when choosing where to study,鈥� said Dr Haoyu Hu.

鈥淥ur findings suggest they are not only thinking about degrees and careers, but also about what kind of future a country offers - whether it feels safe, stable and prepared for climate change.鈥�

Dr Hu is based at The University of 水多多导航, which has been recognised globally for its social and environmental impact and is the only university in the world to rank in the top ten of both the QS World University Sustainability Rankings and the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. 

The rankings recognise universities鈥� contributions towards the United Nations鈥� Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including research, teaching, public engagement and campus operations aimed at creating a healthier, fairer and more sustainable future. 

Why this matters

International students contribute billions to economies, strengthen research systems and help fill skills gaps.

The researchers say governments and universities may need to treat climate resilience as part of their international education strategy - from greener campuses and better infrastructure to stronger public climate policy.

They also say support is needed for climate-vulnerable countries, so global talent flows do not become even more unequal.

Publication details

The study was published in the Nature Portfolio journal Communications Sustainability.

DOI: