Patients with chronic fatigue use additional areas of brain when using memory22 April 2013Scientists studying the brain scans of chronic fatigue patients have found they use additional brain regions to do simple tasks requiring attention. This may explain the problems many sufferers have with memory. The findings are just one of several new studies being presented today [22 Apr] at the launch of a new UK-wide research body to advance understanding and treatment into this debilitating condition which affects over 600,000 people in the UK.
Engineering research makes front-page news22 April 2013An article about pioneering research into energy and CO2 reduction, led by Professor Joe McGeehan in the University's Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, was the front-page story in the Bristol Post.
Random walks on DNA19 April 2013Scientists have revealed how a bacterial enzyme has evolved an energy-efficient method to move long distances along DNA. The findings, published in Science, present further insight into the coupling of chemical and mechanical energy by a class of enzymes called helicases, a widely-distributed group of proteins, which in human cells are implicated in some cancers.
Researchers reveal more effective way of testing therapies to treat depression18 April 2013Researchers have found a new method for studying depression in rats that mirrors an aspect of the mood-related symptoms of the condition in humans. Until now, the lack of animal models that can replicate the emotional symptoms of psychiatric disorders displayed in humans has been a major obstacle for the development of treatments. It is hoped this new technique, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, will improve the efficacy testing of new therapies.
New £743,000 study into whether after-school dance programme helps to increase physical activity and is cost-effective17 April 2013Researchers led by principal investigator, Professor Russ Jago in the University of Bristol’s School for Policy Studies have been awarded £743,000 of funding from the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) to conduct a large evaluation of the potential of an after-school dance programme to increase the physical activity of Year 7 girls.
Dr Churchill helps women take the lead16 April 2013Bristol’s School of Clinical Sciences has appointed Amanda Churchill, Consultant Senior Lecturer in Ophthalmology, to the new role of School Lead for Women in Science.
TEDMEDLive comes to Bristol16 April 2013Could the quantum computing revolution transform drug development, are there new approaches for improving sleep and do people benefit from being diagnosed with early-stage dementia? These are some of the questions that will be discussed at the first TEDMEDLive Bristol at the MShed on Thursday [18 April].
Nanoscopic cages for big applications15 April 2013Scientists have developed a new type of nanoparticle with potential applications in chemistry, biology and medicine. The findings, published in Science and led by a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Bristol, could potentially be used to deliver bioactive molecules, such as drugs, to cells and eventually diseased tissues in the body.
Conference targets women with complex and multiple needs15 April 2013Findings from a two-year study that looked at the experiences of women in the homeless service system will be presented at a national conference, hosted by academics at the University of Bristol, next week [24 April].
New study reveals the true cost of kinship care15 April 2013A major study published today [15 April] by leading children’s grant-giving charity, Buttle UK and the University of Bristol provides the most comprehensive picture to date of informal kinship care — children cared for informally by relatives and friends because their parents are no longer able to look after them.
Help shape Bristol’s future12 April 2013The University of Bristol is recruiting new lay members to join to the University Council and several of its committees.
Disappearing nannies force parents to accept their duties12 April 2013Large helpers (nannies) in a cichlid fish allow the dominant male and female to reduce their personal contribution to their offspring and territory, according to new research published today in Functional Ecology.
Update on capital programme11 April 2013Deputy Vice-Chancellor David Clarke provides staff and students with an update on capital building projects across the University.
National media coverage on news that donations to universities has hit record high11 April 2013Professor Eric Thomas, Vice Chancellor of the University of Bristol and Tania Rawlinson, Director of Campaigns and Alumni Relations at the University and Chair of the Ross Group - a network of higher education fund-raisers, have commented to national media on the results of a fundraising survey in the UK higher education sector.
Make a date with Google Calendar11 April 2013The second phase of the Google implementation will be taking place this week with the aim that all staff and postgraduate research students will use Google Calendar from Monday 15 April. This will replace the Oracle Calendar service.
Dr Tasker receives Petplan Charitable Trust Research Award10 April 2013Dr Séverine Tasker from the Bristol Veterinary School has become the 2013 recipient of the Petplan Charitable Trust Research Award, which recognises a person, or team, who has made an outstanding contribution in the field of veterinary research.
Findings reveal what factors contribute to outstanding fundraising programmes10 April 2013The findings from a year-long study that sought to identify what factors contribute to outstanding fundraising appeals are published this week. The Clayton Burnett-commissioned research, led by academics at the University of Bristol and Indiana University in the US, analysed the leadership, communication and structures behind some of the UK’s most successful fundraising programmes.
Student to embark on 3,200 mile cycle challenge across the US10 April 2013A University of Bristol student will embark on the challenge of a lifetime when he cycles across North America next month, pushing himself to the limit as he clocks up over 3,000 miles and crosses three mountain ranges in 50 days. Self-confessed ‘bike nut’ Marcus Farnfield, a third year Chemistry student, aims to cycle from Vancouver in Canada to Washington DC on the east coast of the US.
Reliability of neuroscience research questioned10 April 2013New research has questioned the reliability of neuroscience studies, saying that conclusions could be misleading due to small sample sizes. A team led by academics from the University of Bristol reviewed 48 articles on neuroscience meta-analysis which were published in 2011 and concluded that most had an average power of around 20 per cent – a finding which means the chance of the average study discovering the effect being investigated is only one in five.
Further potential insight into the complex neuropathology of Down’s syndrome7 April 2013Researchers at the University of Bristol have revealed new insight into the function of a key protein attributed to impaired learning and memory in Down’s syndrome. The findings, published online in Nature Cell Biology, offer further molecular insight into how the reduced level of this key protein termed ‘sorting nexin-27’ [SNX27] may contribute to learning and memory problems associated with Down’s syndrome.
Students flee from Bristol to Vienna in 36 hours5 April 2013An intrepid team of students from the University of Bristol ‘escaped’ 872 miles to Vienna as part of the Jailbreak challenge, which has raised over £7,000 for charity. Wilf Middleton and Leon Luithlen travelled through England, Belgium, Germany and Austria in 36 hours without spending any money to emerge victorious in the RAG event, organised by the University’s Students’ Union (UBU).
Kind-hearted students transform outlook for residential home3 April 2013Students from the University of Bristol have transformed the outlook for residents at a Clifton care home, painting an eye-catching mural to brighten up an otherwise boring wall. Staff at Carlton Mansions, on Apsley Road, already had a good relationship with student volunteers and decided to ask the University of Bristol Students’ Union (UBU) for their help in creating a fun scene.
Gmail has arrived3 April 2013Over the Easter weekend email for staff and postgraduate research students at the University of Bristol moved to Gmail.
Sonic lasso catches cells3 April 2013Academics in the University of Bristol’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and the University of Dundee's Institute for Medical Science and Technology have demonstrated for the first time that a “sonic lasso” can be used to grip microscopic objects, such as cells, and move them about.
Breadline Britain – special broadcast ITV [28 March]28 March 2013The first results from the largest and most authoritative study of poverty and deprivation ever conducted in the UK will be broadcast on ITV at 7.30pm on Thursday 28 March in a special Tonight programme on ‘Breadline Britain’.
Largest study into poverty reveals extent of deprivation in the UK28 March 2013Today 33 per cent of the UK population suffers from multiple deprivation — it was 14 per cent in 1983, and over 30 million people (almost half the population) are suffering some degree of financial insecurity. These are just some of the stark findings from the largest and most authoritative study of poverty and deprivation ever conducted in the UK.
Neuroscientist Jen wins pupils’ votes as science meets the X Factor28 March 2013A neuroscientist from the University of Bristol has emerged victorious in a competition which gives science lessons an X Factor makeover. Jen Todd Jones, a PhD student in the School of Experimental Psychology, won the science world’s equivalent of the popular music talent show by answering over 200 questions from inquisitive pupils as part of ‘I’m a Scientist: In the Zone’, an online education event part-funded by the Wellcome Trust.
Scientists identify brain’s ‘molecular memory switch’28 March 2013Scientists have identified a key molecule responsible for triggering the chemical processes in our brain linked to our formation of memories. The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Neural Circuits, reveal a new target for therapeutic interventions to reverse the devastating effects of memory loss.
How do we know what colour dinosaur feathers were?27 March 2013How do we know what colour dinosaur feathers were? Paleontologists are one step closer to solving this long-standing mystery thanks to recreating the fossilisation process to see what effect high pressure and temperatures have on the colour of feathers.
Women, the Arts and Globalization27 March 2013The first anthology to specifically explore the relationships between transnational feminism and women's art practices across a range of contemporary media, co-edited by Dr Dorothy Rowe in the Department of History of Art, is published this month.
Seeing happiness in ambiguous facial expressions reduces aggressive behaviour27 March 2013Encouraging young people at high-risk of criminal offending and delinquency to see happiness rather than anger in facial expressions results in a decrease in their levels of anger and aggression, new research from the University of Bristol has found.
High-tech scan for 320 million-year-old fossil26 March 2013A 320 million-year-old fossilised skull – found in Newsham, Blyth in Northumberland in the 18th century by a local grocer – has undergone state-of-the-art CT scanning by a University of Bristol researcher at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital.
Ocean cores reveal eruption dynamics26 March 2013Using information gathered from samples of deep sea sediments, researchers from the University of Bristol report new findings regarding the dynamics of the eruption of Mount Tambora, Indonesia in 1815 – one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the last 1,000 years. Interpretation and understanding of such past eruptions are important for the assessment of hazards related to future eruptions.
