UCL in the media
‘Stay away’ from Cheltenham races if you have ‘cold-like’ symptoms, health chiefs warn amid fears of measles ‘explosion’
Professor Helen Bedford (UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health) explains key information about the MMR vaccine.
One million adults smoke menthol-flavoured cigarettes despite ban
One in seven adults who smoke in Great Britain report using menthol-flavoured cigarettes despite UK legislation that aimed to curb their use, according to a new study by UCL researchers led by Dr Vera Buss (UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care).
Read: Daily Mail; More: The Times (£), Independent, Wales Online, Mirage News, Ipswich Star, UCL News
Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape
Imported giant sequoia trees are well adapted to the UK, growing at rates close to their native ranges and capturing large amounts of carbon during their long lives, finds a new study led by UCL researchers, led by Ross Holland (UCL geography) with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Read: BBC News; More: The Times (£), Independent, The Telegraph (£), The Herald, Guardian, New Scientist, The Conversation, Mail Online (1), Mail Online (2), Express, Evening Standard, UCL News; Watch: BBC One ‘Breakfast’ (from 3 hr, 39 min, 11 sec), BBC One ‘BBC News at Six’ (from 25 min, 54 sec); Listen: BBC 5 Live ‘5 Live Breakfast’ (from 2 hrs, 55 min, 18 sec), BBC World Service ‘The Newsroom’ (from 17 min, 10 sec), BBC Radio 4 ‘Today’ (from 2 hr, 9 min, 9 sec), BBC Radio 2 ‘The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show’ (from 32 min, 17 sec)
A 'game-changer' drug can prevent chronic urine infections... yet many women are still not being given it
Professor Jennifer Rohn (UCL Renal Medicine) said: “It only looks for a few of the bacteria that we know cause UTIs. So if a dipstick comes up negative, the doctor might send you home without antibiotics and think that you're not sick.”
Proposed shake-up of cabinet government
Professor Robert Hazell (UCL Political Science) argues in favour of an ‘inner cabinet’ in government, but critiques Whitehall’s previous use of non-executive boards.
I've eaten no chocolate or ultra-processed food in two months — here's what I've learned about food
Dr Chris Van Tulleken (UCL Infection & Immunity) said: "If it's wrapped in plastic and it contains at least one ingredient that you don't typically find in a domestic kitchen, then it's ultra-processed food."
What intermittent fasting, Ramadan style, does to your body
Alex Ruani (IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society) explains the health benefits of fasting. She said: “Ramadan fasting has shown many favourable cardiometabolic effects in healthy people, including lower blood levels of LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol, triglycerides".
Joe Biden uplifting boy with stutter resurfaces after Trump mocks condition
Dr Brian Klaas (UCL School of European Languages, Culture and Society) shares a video on X of President Joe Biden interacting with a child who has a stutter.
World-first cancer treatment saves man given nine months to live
A trial led by Dr Paul Mulholland (UCL Cancer Institute) saw 41-year-old cancer patient Ben Trotman cleared of his glioblastoma, the most common type of brain tumour. Dr Mulholland said: “We need to intervene early to give patients the best chance for longer-term survival.”
Read: The Times (£), More: Express, The Guardian, The Scottish Sun, Mirror, Times of India; Listen: BBC Radio 4 ‘The World Tonight’ (from 37 min, 19 sec)
Extra one-minute check can stop some babies being born prematurely
Women who have a c-section in the late stages of labour are at increased risk of preterm birth in subsequent pregnancies. But UCL research led by Dr Amrita Banerjee & Professor Anna David (UCL EGA Institute for Women's Health) have now found a way to prevent this from happening.