News and features
Researchers study for the first time how children’s thinking skills change alongside brain development during first 5 years of life
11 April 2025
Why do some children struggle when starting school whilst others flourish? A new University of Bristol-led research project will investigate how a child’s brain develops, allowing them to learn new things, and how new experiences might shape brain changes during the first 5 years of their life. This is the first time changes in the brain and children's developing skills have been studied in a lab-based setting across early childhood in the same group of children.
- World of art and nature on show at the Botanic Garden 15 April 2025 Art and nature will be on display this weekend at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden annual Easter Sculpture and Arts Festival. The event will also celebrate 20 years of the garden being at The Holmes in Stoke Bishop.
- Study looks at impact of COVID-19 pandemic on rates of congenital heart disease procedures among children 14 April 2025 Major reallocation of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic meant that elective surgery in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) was significantly reduced, so that those needing urgent, lifesaving and emergency surgery could be treated. However, this prioritisation of the most severely ill children did not increase overall post-operative complications rates or death, a study led by the University of Bristol has shown.
- Pioneering research reveals Arctic matter pathways poised for major shifts amidst climate change 14 April 2025 A new study has shed unprecedented light on the highly variable and climate-sensitive routes that substances from Siberian rivers use to travel across the Arctic Ocean. The findings raise fresh concerns about the increasing spread of pollutants and the potential consequences for fragile polar ecosystems as climate change accelerates.
- Study estimates proportion of adolescents living with overweight and obesity in England has increased by 50% between 2008 and 2023 12 April 2025 The proportion of adolescents living with overweight or obesity in England has increased by 50% from 2008-2010 (22%) to 2021-2023 (33%) according to two new studies involving University of Bristol researcher, Dr Dinesh Giri. The research is being presented at next month's [11-14 May] European Congress on Obesity (ECO).
- Researchers study for the first time how children’s thinking skills change alongside brain development during first 5 years of life 11 April 2025 Why do some children struggle when starting school whilst others flourish? A new University of Bristol-led research project will investigate how a child’s brain develops, allowing them to learn new things, and how new experiences might shape brain changes during the first 5 years of their life. This is the first time changes in the brain and children's developing skills have been studied in a lab-based setting across early childhood in the same group of children.
- Landmark study identifies new genetic cause of neurodevelopmental disorders, bringing long-awaited answers to families 10 April 2025 A new genetic cause of neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) has been uncovered by an international team of researchers. The discovery, published in Nature Genetics [10 Apr] and led by the University of Bristol, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and KU Leven in Belgium, offers diagnostic certainty and hope to potentially thousands of families worldwide who have long been searching for answers.
- Students' AI football footage innovation wins share of £72,000 startup funding 10 April 2025 An invention that enables smartphones to film grassroots football matches by automatically following the play has won a share of £72,000 at a University of Bristol pitching competition.
- Study finds 'optimistic' medical detection dogs excel in tasks, while 'pessimistic' dogs shine in scent specificity 9 April 2025 A new study into medical detection dogs — which use their scent detection abilities to detect diseases or assist individuals with chronic health conditions — reveals that dogs displaying more "optimistic" responses in judgment bias tests tend to perform better overall in detection tasks. In contrast, "pessimistic" dogs exhibit greater scent detection specificity. The University of Bristol-led study, published in PLOS One, could offer valuable insights for improving the training, selection, and support of medical detection dogs.
- Relaxation techniques may help lower high blood pressure—at least in the short term 8 April 2025 Relaxation techniques may help lower high blood pressure—at least in the short term—but the longer term effects are unclear, finds a pooled data analysis of the existing research. The study, led by the Universities of Bristol and Exeter and published in BMJ Medicine, is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
- Scientists make water-repellent breakthrough to replace toxic ‘forever chemicals’ 8 April 2025 A team of international scientists has invented a substitute for synthetic chemicals, called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances), which are widely used in everyday products despite being hazardous to health and the environment.
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