News in 2024
- Over 1 in 5 adults worldwide has a genital herpes infection 16 December 2024 Around 846 million people aged between 15 and 49 are living with genital herpes infections – more than 1 in 5 of this age-group globally - according to new estimates. At least 1 person each second – 42 million people annually - is estimated to acquire a new genital herpes infection.
- Child asthma deaths linked to air pollution, new report finds 12 December 2024 Of the 54 children who died of asthma between 2019 and 2023, more than 90 per cent were exposed to air pollution levels above World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, according to a new report published today [12 December] by the University of Bristol’s National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) team. The report uses the NCMD’s unique data on all child deaths in England to examine deaths due to asthma or anaphylaxis between April 2019 and March 2023.
- Reduce Blood Borne Virus (BBV) stigma: keep your organisation’s health and safety routines up to date 11 December 2024 People living with Blood Borne Viruses (BBVs) such as HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C frequently experience stigma at work and in the community (Aghaizu et al. 2023). Most people remain unaware that there have been extraordinary advances in treatments that make it possible to cure Hepatitis C completely, and make it impossible for people on HIV treatment to pass it on (Britain Thinks, 2021). This is reflected in continued fears of BBV exposure, despite very low to zero risk of transmission in most day-to-day interactions.
- New targets for diabetic kidney disease could prevent end stage kidney failure 10 December 2024 New potential therapeutic targets have been identified for diabetic kidney disease (DKD) - the leading cause of kidney failure in the world - that could see patients treated with new gene and drug therapies preventing the disease’s progression into end stage kidney failure. The study is published in Nature Communications.
- Bristol researchers contribute to House of Lords report on obesity and diet 4 December 2024 "The Government needs a plan to fix our broken food system and turn the tide on the obesity public health emergency, says Lords committee.". This is the key conclusion reached by the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee in a report published today. The report, ‘Recipe for health: a plan to fix our broken food system’, finds that obesity and diet-related disease are a public health emergency that costs society billions each year in healthcare costs and lost productivity.
- Bristol’s 2024 Doctoral Prize winners 3 December 2024 Each year, more than 500 University of Bristol students are awarded doctorates for their ground-breaking and fascinating research. And each year, a panel of senior University academics have the difficult task of picking six of the best theses to receive Doctoral Prizes.
- Three University of Bristol projects awarded European Research Council Consolidator Grants 3 December 2024 A total of more than £5 million of funding has been awarded to three University of Bristol projects through the European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grants announced today (Tuesday 3 December 2024).
- No ‘one size fits all’ treatment for Type 1 Diabetes, study finds 27 November 2024 Factors beyond carbohydrates have a substantial influence on blood glucose levels meaning current automated insulin delivery systems miss vital information required for glucose regulation, a new study has found.
- Global research partnerships to address global health challenges 26 November 2024 There is a major need to understand the changing global health landscape due to the social and economic effects of globalisation. Many factors, including increases in migration, urbanisation, climate change and world-wide instability, call for an interdisciplinary approach to research and a need to develop international partnerships to tackle the many issues of human health that can only be addressed in a global context.
- Community pharmacies could expand PrEP access to help prevent HIV 20 November 2024 A new study has found that community pharmacies could play a significant role in expanding access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a highly effective pill for preventing HIV infection. The researchers found that pharmacies could provide a more convenient and discreet option for those who are underserved by the current model of PrEP delivery through sexual health clinics in England.
- Over £1 million awarded to investigate Type 1 Diabetes onset in people with early disease markers 14 November 2024 Two new studies to understand more about type 1 diabetes and how it develops in people who already have early markers of the disease in their blood are announced today [14 November] on World Diabetes Day. The awards, totalling over £1 million will help University of Bristol researchers find out how the disease, which affects up to 400,000 people in the UK, could be prevented in future.
- Bristol receives share of £80M funding for research to protect health of the nation 13 November 2024 A £5.5 million award for research that will help protect the public from health threats has been secured by the University of Bristol’s Health Protection Research Unit in Evaluation and Behavioural Science (HPRU-EBS).
- University of Bristol spinout Purespring Therapeutics announces £80m fund to transform the treatment of kidney diseases 9 October 2024 A University of Bristol spinout company focused on transforming the way kidney diseases are treated has announced an £80m fund raising to help realise the development of a pivotal new therapeutic treatment.
- RCGP Research Paper of the Year Award for IBS study 3 October 2024 A trial that showed a cheap and widely available prescription drug can improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in patients seen in GP surgeries has been awarded Research Paper of the Year by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).
- Common Ambition Bristol shortlisted for two national awards 17 September 2024 These national awards celebrate the very best and brightest in the field of patient experience. Common Ambition has been shortlisted in two categories: ‘Commissioning for Patient Experience’ and ‘Partnership Working to Improve the Experience’.
- Researchers discover new blood group system - MAL 16 September 2024 The discovery of a new blood group, MAL, has solved a 50- year-old mystery. Researchers from NHS Blood and Transplant (Bristol), NHSBT’s International Blood Group Reference Laboratory (IBGRL) and the University of Bristol identified the genetic background of the previously known but mysterious AnWj blood group antigen. The findings allow identification and treatment of rare patients lacking this blood group.
- Pioneering report exposes worsening health threats of climate change in UK 5 September 2024 A new report has revealed for the first time the wide-ranging and increasing health dangers posed by long-term weather extremes in the UK, as the effects of climate change deepen.
- Study of 18 million people finds increased mental illnesses incidence following severe COVID-19, especially in unvaccinated people 21 August 2024 A new study that examined health data on 18 million people reveals higher incidence of mental illnesses for up to a year following severe COVID-19 in unvaccinated people. Vaccination appeared to mitigate the adverse effects of COVID-19 on mental illnesses. The University of Bristol-led study, published in JAMA Psychiatry today [21 August], investigated associations of COVID-19 with mental illnesses according to time since diagnosis and vaccination status.
- Incidence of heart attacks and strokes was lower after COVID-19 vaccination, finds study of 46 million adults 31 July 2024 A new study involving nearly the whole adult population of England has found that the incidence of heart attacks and strokes was lower after COVID-19 vaccination than before or without vaccination. The research, involving University of Bristol researchers, is published in Nature Communications today [31 July].
- Bristol spinout lands patent for pioneering point-of-care technology 26 July 2024 A University of Bristol spinout company developing fast and accurate point-of-care testing for Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) has taken a significant step forward after having a key patent granted.
- Bristol researcher awarded share of UKRI’s £104 million flagship fellowships grant 23 July 2024 A University of Bristol academic has been awarded a share of the UKRI’s £104 million flagship fellowships grant.
- New study identifies two proteins that may contribute to stroke recurrence 22 July 2024 People who experience an arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic stroke (TIA) are at an increased risk of suffering a second stroke or other major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), making it critically important to identify risk factors and treatments to prevent these subsequent occurrences. The new study, led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and University of Bristol researchers, has identified new genetic and molecular risk factors that may reveal new pathways for treating patients after they experience their first stroke.
- New films set to boost effective adoption of Health Impact Assessments 18 July 2024 Expert voices from planning, health, government and consultants have shared their insights of using Health Impact Assessments as a force for good to create healthier new communities.
- Time to act on kidney health inequalities, report reveals 16 July 2024 Kidney health inequalities due to age, sex, education, location or lack of wealth persist, despite widespread awareness of the barriers some people face, a new report by Kidney Research UK has revealed.
- Over-the-counter nasal sprays could keep coughs, colds and flu at bay and reduce antibiotic use 12 July 2024 Widely available over-the counter nasal sprays could keep upper respiratory tract infections - like colds, chest infections, flu, sore throat, and sinus infections - at bay, and prevent full-blown symptoms from developing, one of the largest trials to date to test their effectiveness finds. The research, which analysed data from nearly 14,000 adults, found overall they reduced the days of illness by around 20 per cent, and also reduced the number of days with severe symptoms, time off work or normal activities, and antibiotic use.
- From the canine world to exploring human immunology 1 July 2024 New research could give hope to patients with blood disorders such as leukaemia, thanks to a £1.7 million grant from Cancer Research UK.
- Community-based early HIV testing and treatment could successfully manage and prevent emerging HIV outbreaks among people who inject drugs, study suggests 17 June 2024 Community-based testing and treatment response to Glasgow’s HIV outbreak among people who inject drugs (PWID) successfully brought the 2015 outbreak under control, modelling led by academics at the University of Bristol suggests. The study’s findings, published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases (JID), indicate that approximately three times as many people would have been infected by 2020 if these interventions had not been implemented.
- Boosting key protein in eye cells could prevent age-related vision loss, finds international team 5 June 2024 Increasing the levels of a key protein in the cells at the back of the eye could help protect against the leading cause of vision loss among older adults, finds a new discovery made by researchers from the UK, US, Germany and Australia. The University of Bristol-led findings are published today [5 June] in Science Translational Medicine and featured on the front cover.
- Children exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in womb or as newborns may face increased social and respiratory problems 23 May 2024 Children who were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) while in the womb or as newborn babies may face greater difficulties with social skills and have more respiratory symptoms than non-exposed children, according to a new University of Bristol-led study published in eClinicalMedicine.
- New quarantine scheme could reduce risk of rabies reintroduction in the EU following Russian invasion, study finds 26 April 2024 Rabies is a major concern to both human and animal health, with rabies in dogs and cats widespread in Eastern Europe, and there are concerns the war in Ukraine could pose a greater risk of rabies being reintroduced to the European Union (EU). A four-month period of home isolation of dogs and cats could reduce this risk, new University of Bristol research has shown.
- Scientists discover higher levels of CO2 increase survival of viruses in the air and transmission risk 26 April 2024 A new study has revealed for the first time the vital role carbon dioxide (CO2) plays in determining the lifespan of airborne viruses – namely SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
- New Centre for Applied Excellence in Skin and Allergy Research at Bristol 25 April 2024 A new Centre for Applied Excellence in Skin and Allergy Research (CAESAR) is to be set up at Bristol.
- Bristol spin-out Dynamic Therapeutics wins prestigious Blavatnik Prize for U-RHYTHM technology 25 April 2024 Dynamic Therapeutics, a University of Bristol spin-out, has today [25 April] been awarded a prestigious Blavatnik Prize by QantX, a leading venture capital firm, for its pioneering U-RHYTHM technology. The award recognises the scientific advances and future potential of the UK's most innovative scientists and engineers.
- New £10.4M research centre will unlock new tests, treatments and cures for people living with rare kidney diseases 23 April 2024 Thousands of people living with rare kidney disease will get access to improved diagnostics, treatments and potentially cures, thanks to the creation of a new research centre, involving experts from the University of Bristol.
- Dentist and researcher awarded prestigious international fellowship 8 April 2024 Dr Cher Farrugia from Bristol Dental School has been awarded an International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) STAR Network Academy Fellowship 2024.
- Call to reduce repeat 'within-episode' antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory tract infections in primary care 8 April 2024 A new study exploring the use of repeat antibiotic prescriptions for the same respiratory tract infection (RTI) episode – known as repeat 'within-episode' prescriptions – in primary care has found high rates of their use in England, despite evidence that they are of little benefit. The study authors, from the Universities of Bristol, Bath, King's College London, and University Medical Center Utrecht, are calling for a reduction in their use and to make them a target for antimicrobial stewardship interventions.
- Report warns performing arts under threat from future global shocks unless lessons are learned from pandemic 28 March 2024 Live performing arts are facing an existential threat from a range of potential global shocks unless there is significant and sustained investment in resilience planning, according to a new international study.
- Researchers a step closer to a cure for HIV 28 March 2024 A new study involving University of Bristol researchers has shown a virus-like particle (HLP) can effectively 'shock and kill' the latent HIV reservoir.
- Study highlights potential new approach for early intervention for diabetic patients at risk of kidney disease 27 March 2024 Researchers at the University of Bristol have uncovered a mechanism by which a hormone can protect the blood vessels in the kidneys from the damage caused by diabetes. In doing so, the team has identified a potential early treatment strategy to prevent or slow progression of kidney disease in people with diabetes.
- University of Bristol and UCL to lead support hub for UK's longitudinal population studies 27 March 2024 The University of Bristol and UCL will lead the Population Research UK (PRUK) co-ordination hub, part of an existing strategic investment from the UKRI Infrastructure Fund.
Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research has appointed Professor Pat Kehoe as new Director
Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research has appointed Professor Pat Kehoe as new Director it was announced today (Thursday 23 May 2024).
EBI are delighted to announce that Professor Pat Kehoe has been formally appointed as the Director of the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute. Pat’s research expertise is in dementia research, and he brings a wealth of experience in interdisciplinary health research through his role as Health and Life Science Faculty Research Director. Professor Pat Kehoe will take up the post of Institute Director from 1 August 2024.
Read the full story here: https://bristol.ac.uk/blackwell/news/2024/new-ebi-director.html