News in May
- Scientific evidence that informed UK Government’s response to COVID-19 31 May 2021 Scientific evidence that was used to inform the UK government’s key policies impacting millions of people during the first wave of COVID-19 including the rule of six and the first national stay-at-home order is published today [31 May] in the journal of the Royal Society. The Special Theme issue is compiled and guest edited by SPI-M scientists including infectious disease modellers Drs Ellen Brooks Pollock and Leon Danon at the University of Bristol.
- Subjects taught at Bristol ranked among best in the world 28 May 2021 Research and teaching at the University of Bristol is among the best in the world, new figures have revealed.
- Award for student engineer building bridges with girls 28 May 2021 A student inspiring the next generation of female engineers has been honoured with a special award.
- Many of us could carry extra fat due to a change in a single gene 27 May 2021 New research has found that one in every 340 people might carry a mutation in a single gene that makes them more likely to have a greater weight from early childhood and, by 18 years of age, they could be up to 30 pounds heavier with the excess weight likely to be mostly fat.
- Smoking during pregnancy associated with child’s risk of having congenital heart disease 27 May 2021 Children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy were at increased risk of having congenital heart disease, a new study published today [27 May] in the Journal of the American Heart Association has found.
- New £6.3M deep tech incubator set to open in Bristol 27 May 2021 A new 30,000 sq. ft Science Creates deep tech incubator is set to open in the heart of Bristol thanks to a £6.3 million investment from the University of Bristol, Research England, and private investors. Construction works on the new facility, that will house some of the city’s most innovative science and engineering companies, have reached the final phase.
- Bristol first to host series of workshops focusing on 6G research in the UK 26 May 2021 The Minister for Digital Infrastructure has launched a series of events based on 6G research in the UK, the first hosted by the University of Bristol.
- Award for student fighting the loneliness ‘epidemic’ among Bristol’s elderly 26 May 2021 A selfless student who organised for 150 Christmas cards to be sent to lonely Bristol pensioners has been honoured with a special award.
- Pfizer’s Vaccine Centre of Excellence launches at the University of Bristol 25 May 2021 The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the Rt. Hon. Matt Hancock MP, today [25 May] visited the University of Bristol for the official launch of a new Pfizer Centre of Excellence for Epidemiology of Vaccine-preventable Diseases.
- Patient reporting of possible cancer symptoms to GPs fell during first wave of pandemic 25 May 2021 The number of patients aged over 50 reporting possible cancer symptoms to their GPs fell during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a study at the University of Bristol published in BMJ Open today [25 May] has found. The reduction in reporting was most pronounced for common symptoms, which rarely indicate cancer. It was also significant for 'alarm' symptoms, which are more likely to indicate cancer in older age groups, though most of the time they don’t.
- First UK women’s urinal wins top prize in the University of Bristol’s New Enterprise Competition 25 May 2021 PEEQUAL, a student start-up whose mission is to pioneer pee-equality for women, is the winner of this year’s University of Bristol New Enterprise Competition, securing £15,000.
- Black Lives Matter – a message from the Co-Chairs of our Anti-Racism Steering Group on the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder 25 May 2021 We are all too aware that racism is very real for many people, including members of our university community and we must all make the effort to learn, understand and take action to bring about change.
- Researchers find Greenland glacial meltwaters rich in mercury 24 May 2021 New research shows concentrations of the toxic element mercury in rivers and fjords connected to the Greenland Ice Sheet are comparable to rivers in industrial China, an unexpected finding raising questions about the effects of glacial melting in an area that is a major exporter of seafood.
- Exploring how the legacy of the transatlantic slavery continues to impact Bristolians 24 May 2021 A new project, led by the University of Bristol, will work with local citizens and communities in Bristol to build a fuller understanding of how the city’s legacy of transatlantic slavery is still impacting on society today.
- New study shows flies mutant for schizophrenia-associated genes respond well to anti-psychotics 19 May 2021 Scientists at Bristol have successfully treated flies displaying behavioural problems linked to newly discovered schizophrenia-associated genes in humans, using common anti-psychotics.
- University group joins appeal to ‘help India breathe’ 19 May 2021 The Bristol Indian Society has joined a widespread movement of young Indians living and studying abroad looking to help their country as it battles COVID-19.
- Study reveals huge pressures on anaesthesia and critical care workforce and hospitals during winter wave of COVID-19 pandemic, and devastating drop in surgical activity 19 May 2021 New research published in Anaesthesia, a journal of the Association of Anaesthetists, shows the huge pressure anaesthesia and critical care staff in the UK have been under throughout the winter wave of COVID-19, as the number of newly admitted infected patients surged and most planned surgeries, including a substantial number of critical cancer operations, were cancelled.
- Fascination of Plants Day: What are the important questions for plant science research? 18 May 2021 What are the most important challenges for plant science research? Today [18 May] is the first-ever virtual Fascination of Plants Day and researchers from the University of Bristol and The New Phytologist would like to find out from members of the public and academia, farmers, policy makers, funding bodies and industry what issues plant science research should tackle.
- New world food court opens in Senate House after major refurbishment 18 May 2021 Senate House has reopened with a new world food court, space for Bristol SU and a soon-to-open bar.
- Gordon Clarke, 1929-2021 18 May 2021 Gordon Clarke, who retired from the University’s Mechanical Engineering Department in 1994, sadly passed away recently at the age of 93. Colleagues in the School of Civil, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (CAME) offer this remembrance.
- Study finds increased emotional difficulties in children during the pandemic 17 May 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic may be associated with continuing emotional and behavioural difficulties in children after the age of two, a new study out today [17 May] from researchers at the University of Bristol has found.
- Study shows online gambling soared during lockdown, especially among regular gamblers 17 May 2021 Regular gamblers were more than six times more likely to gamble online compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research.
- The Keen, the Concerned, the Content: the three groups anticipating the return of normal life post-Covid 16 May 2021 The UK population is made up of three distinct groups, each with different levels of concern and eagerness about going back to normal life after the Covid-19 pandemic, a new study has found. The study was carried out by King’s College London, the University of Bristol and the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emergency Preparedness and Response, and is based on Ipsos MORI survey data.
- Herbivores developed powerful jaws to digest tougher plants following the Mass Extinctions 14 May 2021 The evolution of herbivores is linked to the plants that survived and adapted after the ‘great dying’, when over 90% of the world’s species were wiped out 252 million years ago.
- Experts highlight advanced satellite data as vital tool in tackling climate change as countdown to COP26 continues 14 May 2021 Earth observation satellites provide the most comprehensive real-time check on the health of the planet and are playing a crucial role in the fight against global heating now and increasingly in future, according to leading climate scientists.
- Antarctic ice sheet retreat could trigger chain reaction 13 May 2021 The Antarctic ice sheet was even more unstable in the past than previously thought, and at times possibly came close to collapse, new research suggests.
- University of Bristol students to showcase innovative research in interactive online festival 13 May 2021 Control tiny robots, design a house on Mars and explore medieval manuscripts - these are just some activities on offer at this year’s Research without Borders: The University of Bristol’s Public Festival of Postgraduate Research, which returns on Wednesday 19 May in a new online format.
- Over a fifth of all child deaths in England could be avoided by reducing deprivation, new report finds 13 May 2021 Around 700 child deaths that occur in England each year might be avoided by reducing deprivation, finds a new NHS England-funded report published today [13 May]. The University of Bristol National Child Mortality Database (NCMD)-led analysis identified a clear association between the risk of death and level of deprivation for children in England, for all categories of death except cancer.
- Quantum satellite mission represents new frontier in space-based encryption technology 12 May 2021 A scheme using quantum technology to encrypt messages from space is to be tested on a satellite in a programme involving University of Bristol researchers.
- Students: Get paid to research your passion this summer 12 May 2021 Students can get paid to research fascinating subjects with world-leading experts this summer.
- Scientists pioneer creation of programmable artificial tissues from synthetic cells 12 May 2021 Scientists have created new artificial tissues that mimic some of the complex characteristics and abilities of living tissues, paving the way towards unprecedented advances in medicine, soft-robotics, and micro-engineering.
- University professors join Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowship 12 May 2021 Professor Jane Blazeby and Professor Jonathan Sterne have been elected to The Academy of Medical Sciences’ respected and influential Fellowship.
- Bristol and Digital Catapult launch South West innovation partnership 11 May 2021 A new partnership between Digital Catapult and the University of Bristol promises to cement the city’s status as one of the most innovative places in the UK.
- Sarah Jane Reed, 1968-2021 10 May 2021 Sarah Jane ('Sara') Reed, a member of the cleaning team in Site Services, passed away on 16 April. Her supervisor Jo O’Donnell offers a remembrance.
- Get inspired: Our Alumni Festival starts tomorrow 10 May 2021 Hear from a renowned scientist, an award-winning entrepreneur and a celebrated jurist at the University of Bristol’s Alumni Festival.
- 1,000 runners get set for virtual Bristol race 7 May 2021 Nearly 1,000 people have signed up to a virtual running race organised by the University of Bristol.
- Aerosol generating procedures: are they of relevance for transmission of SARS-CoV-2? 7 May 2021 Emerging evidence indicates that many currently defined aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) are unlikely to play any significant role in the generation of infectious aerosol that poses a risk to hospital staff. In a comment article published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine today [6 May] a research team from the University of Bristol discusses AGPs and the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a healthcare setting.
- Rooted tree key to understanding bacterial evolution, new study suggests 6 May 2021 An international team of researchers led by Dr Tom Williams from the University of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences have found a new way to interpret the evolution of bacteria.
- New study sheds light on the deep evolutionary origins of the human smile 6 May 2021 The origins of a pretty smile have long been sought in the fearsome jaws of living sharks which have been considered living fossils reflecting the ancestral condition for vertebrate tooth development and inference of its evolution. However, this view ignores real fossils which more accurately reflect the nature of ancient ancestors.
- Professor of Hydrology elected as Fellow of the Royal Society 6 May 2021 The University of Bristol’s Professor of Hydrology, Paul Bates, has been elected as a Fellow of the world's most eminent scientific academy, the Royal Society, for his exceptional contributions to science.