Autism at University – being an autistic student9 December 2020'Autism is one of my biggest strengths, and my greatest insecurity.' In this honest and eye-opening blog we hear from an Autistic student at Bristol about what life is like and how having autism at University affects her.
Genomics and Healthcare - New opportunities with Dame Sue Hill8 December 2020We were delighted to welcome Professor Dame Sue Hill virtually to Bristol for our 7th annual Elizabeth Blackwell Public Lecture on 30 November 2020. Dame Sue is Chief Scientific Officer for NHS England and Senior Responsible Officer for Genomics in NHS England and NHS Improvement.
Research response: COVID, culture and community18 November 2020Elizabeth Blackwell Institute Director, Rachael Gooberman-Hill, reflects on the pandemic so far, researchers’ response and the challenges we face now and in the future around equality.
Further funding and new collaborations for Bristol COVID-19 research17 November 2020Since March 2020 Elizabeth Blackwell Institute has funded over 80 research projects looking into COVID-19 and the impact of the pandemic. But it doesn’t stop there, the Institute continues to support COVID-19 research at Bristol beyond funding by connecting people and helping to forge new collaborations. In addition to this, many of these seed-funded projects have already secured additional funding for Bristol to continue this vital world-leading research. Here we highlight a few…
Neuropilin-1 drives SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, finds breakthrough study20 October 2020In a major breakthrough an international team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol, has potentially identified what makes SARS-CoV-2 highly infectious and able to spread rapidly in human cells. The findings, published in Science today [20 October] describe how the virus’s ability to infect human cells can be reduced by inhibitors that block a newly discovered interaction between virus and host, demonstrating a potential anti-viral treatment.
World Mental Health Day 202012 October 2020The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day (10 Oct) was ‘Mental health for all’. Here at Elizabeth Blackwell Institute we support research in mental health, with a particular focus on student and young people’s mental health. For this year’s international awareness day Dr Myles-Jay Linton, Elizabeth Blackwell Institute Vice-Chancellor's Fellow in Young People's Mental Health, spoke to Ruth Day, Student Living Officer for the University of Bristol's Student Union, and Olivier Levy, Chair of the Wellbeing Network for the Student Union.
GW4 Early Career Symposia Scheme 20206 October 2020The GW4 Alliance invites applications to its GW4 Early Career Symposia Scheme, now in its second year. The purpose of this award is to create a space for postgraduate researchers and early career researchers to showcase their research, develop their management skills, and raise their profile by leading a Climate or AMR online symposium.
Research suggests significantly less risk of COVID-19 transmission from anaesthesia procedures6 October 2020Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been much debate about the danger to hospital staff from anaesthetic procedures. Concerns include that placing a tube in the patient's airway (intubation) before surgery or removing it at the end (extubation) may produce a fine mist of small particles (called aerosols) and spread the COVID-19 virus to nearby staff.
How young people could play a part in a successful COVID-19 vaccination programme29 September 2020Vaccines are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently listed vaccine hesitancy as one of their top 10 biggest threats to global health. In our latest blog, Senior Research Associate, and Elizabeth Blackwell Institute awardee, Dr Harriet Fisher, discusses how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting young people and their thoughts on a possible COVID-19 vaccination.
Young adults needed to take part in digital technology study29 September 2020Digital technology can present both opportunities and harms to young people and their mental health. A new research project is asking for young adults to take part in a UK-wide online survey to identify the importance of adolescents' digital technology use to consultations about mental health.
COVID-19 in focus28 September 2020One week, 11 thematic sessions, 60 speakers and hundreds of attendees; 21-25 September was Elizabeth Blackwell Institute’s COVID-19 Focus Week, a chance to showcase and share some of the latest research on COVID-19 with University of Bristol staff, early career and postgraduate researchers, and NHS colleagues.
Discovery of a druggable pocket in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein could stop virus in its tracks22 September 2020A druggable pocket in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein that could be used to stop the virus from infecting human cells has been discovered by an international team of scientists led by the University of Bristol. The researchers say their findings, published today [21 September] in the journal Science, are a potential 'game changer' in defeating the current pandemic and add that small molecule anti-viral drugs developed to target the pocket they discovered could help eliminate COVID-19.
New mental health research at Bristol10 September 2020We are delighted to announce five new projects looking into different aspects of mental health. With support from the Rosetrees Trust and Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund (ISSF), the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute has funded new research that will address various aspects of mental health and wellbeing.
Genetic study of proteins is a breakthrough in drug development for complex diseases7 September 2020An innovative genetic study of blood protein levels, led by researchers in the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (MRC-IEU) at the University of Bristol, has demonstrated how genetic data can be used to support drug target prioritisation by identifying the causal effects of proteins on diseases.
Three quarters of patients report long-term effects of coronavirus24 August 2020Three quarters of a group of patients who received care for coronavirus at Bristol's Southmead Hospital were still suffering ongoing symptoms three months later, a study published on the pre-print server medRxi has found.
Practitioners who support young adults needed to take part in digital technology study29 July 2020Digital technology can present both opportunities and harms to young people and their mental health. A new research project is asking for practitioners who support young adults with their mental health to take part in a UK-wide online survey to identify the importance of adolescents' digital technology use to consultations about mental health.
People with diabetes needed for study to support people during COVID-1929 June 2020A new research project is asking for people with diabetes and their carers to take part in a UK-wide online survey that aims to identify how to best support people with the condition during the pandemic.
Research project to investigate low-cost, rapid, COVID-19 detection system23 June 2020The World Health Organisation has regularly said that rapid testing of patients with COVID-19 is critical to controlling the pandemic, especially with lockdown measures easing across the globe. A new research project will explore the development of a low-cost, rapid, COVID-19 diagnosis system using nanophotonic fluorescence enhancement.
Pioneering research reveals certain human genes relate to gut bacteria22 June 2020The role genetics and gut bacteria play in human health has long been a fruitful source of scientific enquiry, but new research marks a significant step forward in unraveling this complex relationship. Its findings could transform our understanding and treatment of all manner of common diseases, including obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, and Alzheimer's disease.
Signs of being prone to adult diabetes are already visible at age 8 years old19 June 2020Early signs of being more susceptible to type 2 diabetes as an adult can be seen in children as young as 8 years old, decades before it is likely to be diagnosed, according to a new study published in Diabetes Care (19 June 2020).
Global Public Health – an agile response to COVID-19 pandemic8 June 2020The COVID-19 pandemic is unquestionably the most significant event to occur within global public health in (at least) a generation. It will present serious challenges globally, well into the future, to equitable access to sustainable development, to sustainable economies and societies, and to the pursuit of human rights, good governance and social justice. The Elizabeth Blackwell Institute Global Public Health (GPH) research strand, which focuses on public health issues of global significance through interdisciplinary research, has adjusted its short-term priorities to respond to these challenges.
Children of the 90s help fight coronavirus3 June 2020When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the UK in March, Bristol’s world leading health study, the Children of the 90s was in a unique position. It could use its decades’ worth of mental and physical health data from 14,000 Bristol-born families to provide important context and then to help answer many critical public health questions.
Study to identify markers that could predict COVID-19 outcome20 May 2020COVID-19 is the UK's largest public health crisis since World War II. There is an urgent need to identify why some patients with the virus do very well whereas others need to be admitted to intensive care and may die from the disease. A new observational study aimed at identifying markers that predict how COVID-19 affects patients is being led by clinicians and academics at North Bristol NHS Trust and the University of Bristol.
Understanding mental health from every angle18 May 2020For this Mental Health Awareness Week (18-24 May) Professor David Gunnell, University of Bristol Epidemiologist and Public Health Physician, speaks about the importance of evidence-based research to understand what is really behind the rise in young people’s mental health problems. Without this understanding we won’t be able to implement effective strategies to reverse these trends and improve young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Study shows glaucoma could be successfully treated with gene therapy21 April 2020A new study led by the University of Bristol has shown a common eye condition, glaucoma, could be successfully treated with a single injection using gene therapy, which would improve treatment options, effectiveness and quality of life for many patients.
Bristol announces the first of many new research projects to tackle COVID-198 April 2020Diagnostic research to increase the UK’s testing capacity, new vaccine targets, understanding more about people who are asymptomatic, and digital support for people with diabetes, are some of the new projects announced by the University of Bristol today [8 April] that will undertake vital COVID-19 research to tackle the global health crisis.
A remarkable response to our COVID-19 rapid funding call26 March 2020On Tuesday 17 March we announced a rapid response funding call to support University of Bristol research relating to COVID-19/Novel Coronavirus. We wanted to hear of any ideas for research that we could support. Elizabeth Blackwell Institute Director, Professor Rachael Gooberman-Hill, explains the fantastic response we have received from University of Bristol researchers.
Return to research - welcoming our Daphne Jackson Fellow18 March 2020We are very happy to welcome Claire Woodall as our Daphne Jackson Fellow. Daphne Jackson Fellowships support individuals who want to return to their career in research following a break of two years or more taken for family, caring or health reasons. It’s aimed at scientists, engineers, technologists and mathematicians who will be conducting health-related research. Here Claire explains what the Fellowship means to her and describes what she will be studying.
Local response to a global crisis18 March 2020The global coronavirus situation is changing each day. Healthcare professionals are working night and day to prevent, prepare and care. Researchers are working to understand, prevent and help the clinical effort. The world hasn’t seen anything like this since the 1918 influenza epidemic, but COVID-19 is not flu. Rachael Gooberman-Hill, Director of Elizabeth Blackwell Institute, explains why research is so important and how we are helping locally with this global crisis.
Understanding the issues facing young people today4 March 2020Tomorrow it's University Mental Health Day (5 March), a day dedicated to inspiring conversations, taking action and creating change. Sarah Purdy, University of Bristol Pro Vice Chancellor for Student Experience and Chair of the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute Mental Health in Young People's research initiative talks here about student experience, the need for a university-wide approach, and the importance of research to help understand the issues facing UK students today.
