A new £1.4 million award from the Wellcome Trust will help researchers at the University of Exeter understand the processes that link a pregnant mother’s obesity with health problems for her and her baby.
Obesity is known to be one of the most common risk factors for complications of pregnancy and birth. Now, Dr Rachel Freathy, at the University of Exeter Medical School, has been awarded a Wellcome Senior Research Fellowship to study human genetics data in babies, mothers and fathers to understand the mechanisms involved in causing these health problems, with a view to improving...
People of all ages are being given the opportunity to spend time in the company of insects, through a series of fascinating new poems.
Award-winning poet Fiona Benson and sound artists Mair Bosworth and Eliza Lomas release their new collection of poetry sound pieces called In the Company of Insects , to the public from Monday, June 8th.
Each poem is dedicated to a different insect – from crickets to glowworms, fireflies to cockroaches. The poems have been recorded and the world of the insect brought to life through immersive sound design, field recordings made on...
Creating sustainable plastics is vital for the future of our environment, a new report says .
It calls for urgent research on the impacts that plastic has on the living world right across its lifecycle, from the carbon footprint of the factories that produce it, right through to the impacts it has when discarded into the natural world as waste.
Chemical advances mean it is now possible to produce better, safer plastics, using more eco-friendly production methods, designing plastics that can be fully recycled and even by developing plastics that “degrade on demand” after...
The University of Exeter has received £2.5 million to establish one of two evidence review facilities dedicated to ensuring that government health and care policy is informed by the highest quality research.
The funding, from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme (PRP), will bring together academics from a range of disciplines within the University of Exeter Medical School. The programme of work involves producing evidence syntheses to inform policy development and evaluation across the full policy remit of the Department of Health and Social...
Empowering people to intervene when they witness unacceptable behaviour can help to prevent domestic violence and abuse, a new study has found.
Specific training for bystanders makes them “significantly” more confident to take action when they see or hear wrongdoing related to domestic abuse in their community, according to the research.
A total of 81 per cent of participants reported being more likely to intervene when they saw wrongdoing after the training, this increased to 89 per cent four months later.
This is the first academic study to examine a bystander...
The impact of coronavirus on Britain’s crucial food supply chains will be tracked as part of a new study which will show how the current crisis has affected the journey from farm to plate.
Experts will investigate the disruption caused by the pandemic for producers, manufacturers, distributers and retailers. Their work will help those in the food supply chain as they restructure rapidly, as well as inform government policymaking.
Representatives from industry bodies will share their experiences as part of the study, with findings disseminated as quickly as possible. The...
Medical Imaging students from the University of Exeter Medical School who opted to graduate early had an online ceremony to qualify as diagnostic radiographers during the COVID-19 crisis.
32 final year Medical Imaging students joined the online graduation, some even fashioned home-made mortarboards and gowns, to celebrate their graduation on the virtual platform with peers and lecturers.
By graduating early, students will be able to relieve pressure on other more experienced colleagues currently working in the fight against COVID-19, starting their jobs in health trusts...
A rising research star from the University of Exeter has won £100k to launch her work into depression as part of a prestigious grant scheme.
Dr Valentina Mosienko, a Lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School, has received the grant from the Academy of Medical Sciences’ £4.9million Springboard scheme, designed to support promising early career researchers.
The funding will allow Dr Mosienko to investigate the underlying biological causes of depression by looking at the influence of star-shaped brain cells – known as astrocytes - on depression.
An online study of 25,000 people is recruiting participants to help study the impact of COVID-19 isolation on the health and wellbeing of older people, and find new ways to support them.
People aged 50 and over are being invited to join the PROTECT study , an innovative online platform run by the University of Exeter and King’s College London, which already has 25,000 people signed up. Now, a new arm of the NIHR-funded study will track both mental and physical health impacts of lockdown policy on older people, by incorporating a questionnaire to seek the experiences of the cohort...
University of Exeter Vice Chancellor Sir Steve Smith has been announced as a Patron of Exeter College, becoming just the second person to be awarded the prestigious title.
Exeter College awards patronages in recognition of exceptional achievements of distinguished friends of the College and Sir Steve joins renowned Chef Michael Caines MBE in receiving the honour.
Sir Steve has been instrumental in shaping the education landscape within Exeter and the wider region. Together, the University of Exeter and Exeter College are co-sponsors of both the Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust...
