Latest Population Health Sciences News

Light drinking during pregnancy not linked to developmental problems in childhood

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Pregnant woman

Light drinking during pregnancy is not linked to adverse behavioural or cognitive outcomes in childhood, suggests a new study published today.

Study finds strong genetic component to childhood obesity

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Obesity

Childhood body weight is strongly influenced by genes according to new research published today in the International Journal of Obesity.

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

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Studying brain-cooling for birth asphyxia

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Sudhin Thayyil

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.

UCL Open Access Guidelines and Publishing Guide

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UCL guidelines on open access and a publishing guide are available to UCL researchers.

The RCUK Policy on Open Access introduces, with effect from 1 April 2013, new open access requirements for research papers funded by the Research Councils.

Alcohol consumption higher than reported in England

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Beer glass by Tim Dobson on Flickr (square)

Alcohol consumption could be much higher than previously thought, with more than three quarters of people in England drinking in excess of the recommended daily alcohol limit, according to a new paper in the European Journal of Public Health.

Study questions effectiveness of genetic testing strategy for inherited high cholesterol

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Prof Steve Humphries

A substantial proportion of individuals with a clinical diagnosis of Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) inherit a combination of small-effect changes in several genes (polygenic) rather than a large-effect mutation in a single gene (monogenic), according to a new paper in The Lancet.

Collaboration points way towards improved treatment for women's cancers

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Prof Martin Widschwendter

UCL researchers have recently commenced an academic-industrial collaboration – EpiFemCare – to develop new methods for screening, diagnosing and personalising treatment of breast and ovarian cancers.

Improvement in child cancer survival rates threatened by lack of new drug development

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Kathy Pritchard-Jones

Some of the biggest challenges to the improvement of cancer care for children and young people are set out in a series of studies published in today's Lancet Oncology.

Stress at work very unlikely to cause cancer

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Stressball from Yuri on Flickr

Work-related stress is not directly linked to the development of colorectal, lung, breast or prostate cancers, but can cause other contributing factors, according to a new study published on bmj.com

Doctors 'should give lifestyle advice' to cancer patients

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Dr and patient (from Alex E. Proimos on Flickr

More than 80 per cent of cancer patients’ close friends and family think that doctors should give their cancer patients lifestyle advice on eating habits, weight-loss and exercise, according to a new study in the British Journal of Cancer.

Obesity leads to vitamin D deficiency

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Vitamin D the sunshine vitamin

Obesity can lead to a lack of vitamin D circulating in the body, according to a study led by the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH). Efforts to tackle obesity should thus also help to reduce levels of vitamin D deficiency in the population, says the lead investigator of the study, Dr Elina Hypponen.

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

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Global Health marque

Friday 8 February, 9am-5pm
Denys Holland Lecture Theatre

British ‘stiff upper lip’ may prevent early presentation for cancer symptoms

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Doctors sign from Victoria Reay on Flickr (square)


Embarrassment and not wanting to waste their doctors’ time are more frequently reported by British people than in other countries, according to new research led by UCL and King’s College London. This may be holding British people back from presenting early with symptoms of cancer.

€6 million for research in to fetal growth restriction

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Baby with severe fetal growth restriction

UCL researchers in a successful academic-industrial collaboration have been awarded an EU Framework Programme 7 Grant of almost €6 million to develop a therapy for fetal growth restriction.

Health Survey for England reveals a nation in pain

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Quad

Today's Health Survey for England reveals more than 14 million sufferers of chronic pain - pain which has lasted for more than three months. The study found that pain is more common among some groups than others, pain incurs significant costs and has serious mental health and wellbeing implications.

Record number of Marie Curie Fellowships for research at UCL

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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.

Cycling safer than driving for young people

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bike

Researchers from UCL have found that cycling is safer than driving for young males, with 17 to 20 year old drivers facing almost five times greater risk per hour than cyclists of the same age.

More babies survive before 27 weeks, but severe disability rates unchanged

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Premature baby from kqedquest on Flickr


The number of babies born before 27 weeks’ gestation who survive and leave hospital increased between 1995 and 2006, but the proportion who experience serious health problems into childhood remained largely unchanged, according to new research published in the British Medical Journal.

Developing cities face perfect storm of environmental risks

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New research hope for teenagers with arthritis

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Quad

The charity Arthritis Research UK today launches the world’s first research centre dedicated to understanding how and why arthritis affects teenagers.

EU awards grant to develop new drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

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Francesco Muntoni

An international team of scientists led by Professor Francesco Muntoni of the UCL Institute of Child Health has won an EU grant to develop and test a novel drug treatment for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

UCL Grand Challenges £5,000 grants available

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UCL Grand Challenges

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

Web info on 'designer vagina' procedures poor and often inaccurate

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Surgeons

The quality of internet information available for women opting for “designer vagina” procedures is “poor,” and in some cases, inaccurate, reveals a small study led by academics at the UCL Institute of Women's Health.

11th MINAP Public Report

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 Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP) has published its 11th  Annual Public Report reporting on performance against national standards for hospitals that admit patients with a heart attack.

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