December | News and features | University of Bristol

Tireless bat conservationist celebrated in King’s New Years Honours 31 December 2024 A University of Bristol alumnus and honorary research fellow has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in recognition of services to bat conservation spanning more than six decades.

Internationally acclaimed artists commissioned to create permanent artwork for University’s new campus 19 December 2024 Bristol-based artists John Wood and Paul Harrison have been commissioned by the University of Bristol to create a landmark artwork for the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC) which opens in 2026.

“Brilliant” University professors scoop major palaeontology prizes 19 December 2024 Two University of Bristol professors have been presented awards by the Palaeontological Association for their contributions to academia, outreach and human knowledge.

Bristol researcher awarded Women in Cell Biology Early Career Medal 2025 18 December 2024 Dr Helen Weavers, Associate Professor in Cell and Developmental Biology in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, has been awarded the Women in Cell Biology (WCIB) Early Career Medal 2025 by the British Society for Cell Biology (BSCB).

Bristol researchers to shape UK’s research after panel appointments 18 December 2024 Three University of Bristol professors have been appointed to a panel which will shape the UK’s academic research.

Coral reef nightlife becomes more predatory with artificial light 18 December 2024 Artificial light can wake sleeping fish and attract predators, changing nighttime coral reef communities, according to new research using novel underwater infrared cameras.

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.

New research reveals more people feel Budget tax rises were necessary than not, even if they think they will be worse-off 16 December 2024 New polling has found more than half (57%) of households think the Budget will leave them financially worse-off – and 80% would possibly support some further tax rises if necessary.

Oldest human DNA reveals family network that spanned Europe 12 December 2024 The oldest DNA ever recovered from modern humans shows they arrived as small groups in Europe more than 45,000 years ago and mixed with Neanderthals - but left no descendants.

A project investigating effects of ageing on circadian rhythms awarded £4.4 million BBSRC funding 12 December 2024 The research programme CircardiAgeing has been awarded £4,456,282 by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to investigate the role of circadian rhythms and clock excitability in healthy ageing.

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.

Smoking tobacco from childhood can cause premature heart damage 11 December 2024 Two-thirds of children who started tobacco smoking at 10 years of age continued until their mid-twenties, significantly increasing their risk of early heart damage

Pioneering research reveals growing dangers and repression of climate activism globally 11 December 2024 A new report has uncovered the many risks of participating in climate and environmental protests across the world – and how more countries are criminalising and repressing this activity in a bid to keep it in check.

New research unlocks jaw-dropping evolution of lizards and snakes 11 December 2024 A ground-breaking University of Bristol study has shed light on how lizards and snakes -the most diverse group of land vertebrates with nearly 12,000 species - have evolved remarkably varied jaw shapes, driving their extraordinary ecological success.

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 named 12th most sustainable university in the world 10 December 2024 The University of Bristol is the 12th most sustainable university in the world, according to the 2025 QS World Sustainability Rankings.

Patients to help set the agenda for food allergy research 10 December 2024 Food allergies affect one in five children in the UK. To help set the priorities for future research, University of Bristol researchers are asking children and young people with food allergies, their parents, and health care professionals who care for them for their views.

Climate change impacting freshwater fish species, study finds 9 December 2024 Freshwater fish populations that dwell nearer the poles are outperforming their equatorial counterparts, researchers have found.

New report suggests trust still broken in policing violence against women 9 December 2024 A report has revealed trust remains a key issue in the policing of violence against women and girls in Black and minoritised communities – and this type of crime is much less likely to result in offenders being charged compared to other offences.

Bristol graduate receives Diana Award for period poverty work 6 December 2024 A University of Bristol graduate has received The Diana Award, which is given to young people who undertake outstanding social action or humanitarian work.

Groundbreaking study shows that dogs can smell cancer in other dogs 6 December 2024 The results of a study into whether cancer detection dogs can smell bladder cancer in other dogs’ urine suggests that this could be an effective new way to diagnose the disease in dogs. The research, involving University of Bristol researchers, is published in Veterinary and Comparative Oncology.

University of Bristol research to improve the sense of touch in prosthetic arms earmarked for Government investment 6 December 2024 Two pioneering Bristol projects are amongst 100 new initiatives which will share £80 million investment from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Bristol neuroscientist awarded prestigious Sir Colin Blakemore Award 6 December 2024 A Bristol researcher has been recognised for her efforts in raising awareness and public understanding of research involving animals.

Government Minister learns more about University’s work on data, digital technologies and AI during visit to new research hub 5 December 2024 Government Minister Stephen Morgan MP visited the University of Bristol’s new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus to learn more about the institution’s sector-leading work around data, digital technology and artificial intelligence in education.

Discover Black history with University evening course 5 December 2024 Dr Edson Burton barely learnt any Black history at school – now he’s made it his mission to teach others about this often-neglected story.

Scientists and engineers produce world's first carbon-14 diamond battery with potential lifespan of thousands of years 4 December 2024 Scientists and engineers from the University of Bristol and the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and have successfully created the world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery.

Semiconductor Showcase Event highlights research that could be pivotal to realising UK’s Net Zero ambition 3 December 2024 REWIRE, the semiconductor Innovation and Knowledge research Centre (IKC) led by the University of Bristol, is hosting a Showcase Event this week to highlight the groundbreaking work happening to accelerate the UK’s Net Zero climate ambitions.

Launch of new Quantum Hub to support national security and critical infrastructure 3 December 2024 A new quantum technology hub to ensure the UK benefits from resilient position, navigation and timing advancements has been launched at the Royal Society.

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).

Meet Bristol’s incredible 2024 Doctoral Prize winners 3 December 2024 Can we improve the heart health of diabetics? How is static electricity vital for animals’ survival? Why are ancient goddesses making a comeback?

News in December