Author: Alexia Jeayes // Editors: Emily Barrett & Federica Spaggiari We often assume that more research in digital mental health means better answers... But what if it isn’t giving us the answers we need? The evidence researchers generate must be relevant, transparent, and shaped by the needs of everyone who relies on it to make … Continue reading What Counts as Good Evidence? Making Sense of Digital Mental Health Trials
Author: Nina Wycech // Editors: Neve Diggle and Emily Barrett Even if you are not studying science, you have likely heard about genetic predispositions. We intuitively assume that we’re more likely to experience a disease that our ancestors had. Although not always true, many conditions run through generations, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention … Continue reading Polygenic risk scores: calculating the likelihood of complex diseases
Author: Emily Barrett // Editors: Federica Spaggiari and Sophie Alshukri What does the word ‘radiation’ make you think of? In physics, the definition is broad: Any kind of emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or moving particles, including the light we use to see. But for many people, ‘radiation’ is synonymous with ionising radiation, with … Continue reading Proton Therapy: Precise Cancer Treatment at What Cost?
Author: Dalia Aziz // Editor: Nithya Eswaran You have likely come across the term “endocrine disruptor”, particularly on social media, which got me wondering - what is an endocrine disruptor? How do they work, and are they truly as harmful as people say? According to the Endocrine Society, there are nearly 85,000 synthetic chemicals in the … Continue reading What’s Hiding in Your Cosmetics Bag? A Closer Look at Parabens as Endocrine Disruptors
Author: Nina Wycech // Editor: Erin Pallott The time has come for me to start my Master’s project in Bioinformatics, and to do so, I need a big dataset ready to analyse. But how do I get it in time, and most importantly, without collecting it myself in the clinic? Thankfully, there is a shared … Continue reading Have you heard about UK Biobank?
Author: Jenny Doak // Editors: Elan Shellard & Rashmi Danwaththa Liyanage What is Homelessness? For most people, the term ‘homeless’ conjures up images of a person sleeping on the streets. However, rough sleeping is only one form of homelessness. Crisis explains that other forms of homelessness include living in temporary accommodation, ‘hidden homelessness’ and statutory … Continue reading Why Does a Person’s Life Expectancy Drop by 30 Years if they don’t Have a Home?
Author: Sarah Charlin Klingberg // Editors: Erin Pallott & Catarina Cruz “I used to be such an avid reader!” Maybe this resonates with you, given that I heard this from many of my peers and friends when I told them I started reading fiction again. Being an avid reader as a child and teenager, I … Continue reading A Chapter a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: Fact or Fiction?
Author: Erin Pallott // Editors: Nithya Eswaran & Vicky McIntyre I enjoy browsing social media under hashtags relating to my research fields. There are so many talented and dedicated scientists making science publicly accessible. However, tags like #parasite are being bombarded with something else entirely. Millions of posts across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are … Continue reading Selling the Disease to Sell the Cure: Parasite Cleanses of Social Media
Author: Rashmi Danwaththa Liyanage // Editor: Erin Pallott A Mother's Journey I woke up in the gloom and I could see some black and white pigeons huddled together on a neighbour’s roof embracing the warmth and serenity, a sheer contrast to my inner disarray. Just days after the Southport tragedy, and riots occurred a few … Continue reading Between Two Worlds: Understanding if discrimination and social identity causes psychosis among ethnic minorities in the UK
Author: Dalia Aziz // Editor: Erin Pallott Photo by Karolina Kaboompics on Pexels.com If you’ve been on social media recently, you may have heard widespread concern about metals in tampons, based on the 2024 study by a group from the University of California, Berkeley. The detection of 16 different metals raised alarms among consumers, who are now … Continue reading Metals in Tampons: A Health Risk or Social Media Hype?
Research Hive 