Global Health News

Blood pressure at night is higher than previously thought

George Wigmore — 2013-06-11T10:56:43Z

Scientists at UCL have developed new technology which reveals that blood pressure measured close to the heart is much higher during sleep than previously thought. Night time blood pressure is a strong predictor of both heart disease and stroke, with previous studies establishing that blood pressure measured over the arm falls at night during sleep. However these new data indicate that the night-time decline in blood pressure may be less extensive than previously thought.

Grassroots women’s groups could halve maternal death rate

David R Weston — 2013-05-17T10:53:57Z

Women’s groups can dramatically reduce the number of maternal and newborn deaths in some of the world’s poorest communities, according to a new meta-analysis published in The Lancet.

Global health policy fails to address burden of disease on men

David R Weston — 2013-05-16T13:55:00Z

Men experience a higher burden of disease and lower life expectancy than women, but policies focusing on the health needs of men are notably absent from the strategies of global health organisations, according to a Viewpoint article in this week’s Lancet.

Search for new antibiotics advanced by discovery of key processes within bacterial protein

Rosie Waldron — 2013-04-12T10:57:57Z

Scientists have discovered how bacteria transport the tiny hair-like strands, called pili, which cover their outer surface from the inside of the cell, where they are assembled, to the exterior. Pili are a key target for a new generation of antibiotics, as without them the bacteria are unable to group together and to stick to human cells causing infection.

Call for proposals: UCL–French Embassy science and technology workshops

Nicholas W Tyndale — 2013-03-26T16:27:19Z

UCL researchers are invited to submit funding proposals to run collaborative science and/or technology workshops as part of the UCL–French Embassy partnership.

Studying brain-cooling for birth asphyxia

David R Weston — 2013-03-20T11:40:09Z

In high income countries brain cooling is standard treatment for neonatal encephalopathy - unexpected, devastating brain injury due to low oxygen and blood in the baby’s brain at birth. This therapy reduces mortality and disability.

Global Food Security symposia: Creating resilience in the face of catastrophic climate change

Liz Almond — 2013-02-01T11:46:43Z

Across the world, farmers and communities are experiencing the impact of climate change. People living in the world’s poorest areas are most likely to be seriously affected, and least well prepared to withstand the impact of poor harvests and natural disasters.

Yale UCL Collaborative: 4D imaging transforms heart healthcare

George Wigmore — 2013-01-17T15:36:07Z

Modern cardiovascular surgery is being transformed by virtual imaging, according to a talk given at the Yale UCL Cardiovascular Device Innovation Summit.

Record number of Marie Curie Fellowships for research at UCL

Nicholas W Tyndale — 2012-12-18T12:42:31Z

23 postdoctoral researchers from 14 different countries have been awarded Marie Curie Individual Fellowships. The awards will enable researchers to spend up to two years working with research teams across all schools at UCL.

UCL Grand Challenges £5,000 grants available

Nicholas W Tyndale — 2012-12-06T14:58:01Z

The UCL Grand Challenges Small Grants Scheme invites applications to fund cross-disciplinary projects in Global Health, Sustainable Cities, Intercultural Interaction and Human Wellbeing.

UK funding for infectious disease research neglects key areas

David R Weston — 2012-11-08T11:49:57Z

UK funding for infectious diseases research is neglecting some of the diseases that result in the highest rates of death and disability, according to a paper published today by The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

New multi-million pound research hub for infection and immunity

David R Weston — 2012-11-06T18:07:03Z

Work is underway to create the first phase of a multi-million pound research centre which aims to give patients quicker access to the latest innovative therapies for a range of diseases.

Grand Challenges Explorations grant for research in global health

David R Weston — 2012-11-01T17:42:10Z

Dr Sudhin Thayyil (UCL Institute for Women’s Health) is a Grand Challenges Explorations winner, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He will pursue an innovative global health and development research project called HELIX (Hypothermia for Encephalopathy in Low Income countries).

Personalised feedback makes healthcare workers twice as likely to clean their hands

George Wigmore — 2012-10-24T15:30:21Z

A major three-year trial led by researchers at UCL, in partnership with the Health Protection Agency, has shown that giving one-to-one feedback to healthcare workers makes them twice as likely to clean their hands or use soap.

UCL Behaviour Change Month – November 2012

Nicholas W Tyndale — 2012-10-23T13:13:00Z

UCL Behaviour Change Month in November 2012 will comprise a series of cross-disciplinary talks, discussions and workshops, and lead up to a £10,000 research prize workshop in January 2013.

Obesity and under-nutrition prevalent in long-term refugees

David R Weston — 2012-09-27T12:46:31Z

A quarter of households in refugee camps in Algeria are currently suffering from the double burden of excess weight and under-nutrition. According to a study published in the journal PLOS Medicine, obesity is an emerging threat to this community, with half of women of childbearing age being overweight, whilst nutritional deficiencies such as iron-deficiency anaemia and stunted growth remain a persistent problem.

Pan-European study confirms link between work stress and heart disease

David R Weston — 2012-09-13T16:40:35Z

People who have highly demanding jobs and little freedom to make decisions are 23 per cent more likely to experience a heart attack compared with their counterparts without such work stress, according to a study of nearly 200 000 people from seven European countries.

HIV drug resistance rising in parts of Africa

David R Weston — 2012-07-25T14:39:02Z

Drug-resistant HIV has been increasing in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa since the roll-out of antiretroviral therapy (ART) nearly a decade ago according to new research led by UCL and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Most older pedestrians unable to cross the road in time

David R Weston — 2012-06-13T14:46:25Z

The ability to cross a road in time is one that most of us take for granted. A new UCL study published in the journal Age and Ageing, entitled ‘Most Older Pedestrians are unable to cross the road in time: a cross-sectional study’, has compared the walking speed of the older population in the UK (aged 65 and over) with the speed required to use a pedestrian crossing.

GACD members fund landmark research to reduce impact of hypertension

David R Weston — 2012-06-13T15:37:43Z

In June 2011 the UCL Institute for Global Health was selected to host the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) Secretariat, working to curb chronic diseases such as stroke, diabetes, chronic lung disease and heart disease throughout the world.

UCL News podcast: Royal Society summer science exhibition

George Wigmore — 2012-06-07T12:45:28Z

The UCL News podcast gives you the opportunity to listen to the latest news and research from around UCL every fortnight. Split up into three parts, you can either listen to the podcast all in one go, or save features for later listening.

Research reveals association between red hair gene and rare birthmarks

Ruth Metcalfe — 2012-05-11T12:20:29Z

Research carried out at the UCL Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital has identified that the gene causing red hair - melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R) - is more common in children with Congenital Melanocytic Naevi (CMN), a rare form of birthmark.

Five new UCL fellows of Academy of Medical Sciences

Ruth Metcalfe — 2012-05-10T09:23:37Z

Five medical researchers from UCL have been recognised for excellence in medical science by election to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

National hand-washing campaign improved hygiene and reduced infection

David R Weston — 2012-05-02T17:52:25Z

An evaluation of the national cleanyourhands campaign shows for the first time that an effective hand-hygiene campaign, undertaken in the context of a high profile political drive, can successfully reduce some healthcare associated infections, according to a new study published in the BMJ.

The gene that can transform mild influenza in to a life threatening disease

David R Weston — 2012-03-23T11:52:46Z

A genetic finding could help to explain why influenza becomes a life-threatening disease for some people, and yet has only a mild effect on others. Collaborative research led by scientists at UCL and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute found that people who carry a particular variant of the IFITM3 gene are significantly more likely to be hospitalised when they fall ill with influenza than those who carry other variants.