鈥淭his research provides a clear roadmap for change, underscoring that where a young person lives really matters,鈥� said co-author Dr Emma Thornton. 鈥淧olicymakers should prioritise proactive, upstream investments in affordable housing, improving local green spaces, and boosting accessible community support schemes. These interventions can make a tangible difference, helping to prevent mental health issues before they escalate and reducing long-term burdens on vital services.鈥�

In the first ever study of its kind, tennis fan Dr Liam Blything analysed the impact of timeouts using from the world鈥檚 top 250 players between 2013 and 2023. 

Players at this year鈥檚 Wimbledon Championships will be watching closely how their opponents take a bathroom break, in light of the study. 

The paper follows years of speculation by journalists and sports people that the practice amounts to gamesmanship, bestowing an advantage for players taking a bathroom break by disrupting the rhythm of their opponent. 

However, proponents of the bathroom break argue that timeouts are a useful and acceptable way to help players reset.

 In response, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) introduced a rule for the 2022 season to restrict timeouts to a maximum of 3 minutes, alongside limitations on when and how often they can be deployed. 

Published in the peer reviewed International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, Dr Blything found that 71% of time outs were taken when a player lost the previous set. 

And in normal circumstances, 33% of players recover the next set after losing the previous one. This, however, rose to 47% if they took a bathroom break. 

The data analysed by Dr Blything showed there were 1,928 breaks in play in the study period, though when medical and other breaks were accounted for, he was left with 366 bathroom timeouts. 

Dr Blything said: 鈥淭here has been much argument in the media over recent years about the formalisation of gamesmanship in tennis, with the taking of bathroom breaks. 

鈥淭his study for the first time used real data to check the validity of those concerns. 

鈥淭here is now clear evidence a well-timed bathroom break in play confers an advantage to the player taking the break by regathering him or herself and disrupting the flow of the opponent..鈥� 

Dr Blything also carried out follow up analyses on the extent to which unforced-errors contributed to the forms of points won and lost. 

The overall decrease in the opponent鈥檚 winner-shots was offset by an equivalent decrease in the strategist鈥檚 unforced errors, preserving the proportion observed in the baseline data. 

That showed timeout advantage is a combination of both the strategist benefitting from the opportunity to personally reset, and a disruption of the rhythm of the opponent, rather than being disproportionally driven by one player. 

Psychological theory also supports the notion that taking a break can confer advantages by interrupting momentum. 

Theorists argue an interruption disrupts perceptions associated with positive momentum for players who are on a roll, which is in turn difficult to regain. 

The timeout also potentially affords the opportunity for a losing player to refocus from that negative thinking spiral about prospective outcomes, for example by using self-talk and mental imagery techniques. 

Dr Blything added: 鈥淭hese pioneering findings uniquely inform players and tennis governing bodies about the influence of timeouts and, more broadly, elucidate the role that stoppages can play in sport for altering momentum. 

鈥淚t would be useful understand if this effect is relevant  in other sports. Snooker players, for example, seem to take a lot of bathroom breaks.鈥� 

Examples of comments from players:

Andy Murray on a Stefanos Tsitsipas bathroom break after Murray won the 4th set 2-2 in the 2021 US Open 1st round. He went on to lose 3 - 2. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just disappointing because I feel it influenced the outcome of the match. I鈥檓 not saying I necessarily win that match, for sure, but it had influence on what was happening after those breaks.鈥�

Roger Federer who took a bathroom break after losing the 4th set 2-2 in the 2017 Australian Open semifinal. He went on to beat Wawrinka 3-2. 鈥淚 think they're more mental than anything else. I only really did take the timeout because I thought, 'He took one already, maybe I can take one for a change'. Because I'm not a believer in any way that we should be allowed to take a lot of timeouts. But I took it after the set break. People know I don't abuse the system. I hope it's going to stay that way in the future for me, too.鈥�

Stefanos Tsitispas, who鈥檚 opponent Novak Djokovic took a bathroom break after losing 2nd set to make it  0-2 in the 2021 French Open Final. Djokovic recovered to beat Tsitsipas 3-2: 鈥淚 don't think I changed much, I just kept the same pace. I kept the things that were working for me. He left the court after two sets to love down, and he came back to me like a different player suddenly. I don't know. I have no idea.鈥�

On the same match, Djokovic said: 鈥淭he bathroom break was the turning point. Sometimes in these kind of circumstances where not much is happening positively for you on the court in terms of tennis and the other guy on the court is dominating the play, sometimes these things are necessary. A little break, a little pep talk, and try to recuperate and re-gather the thoughts and reassemble everything that you have and [counter] your opponent with the best possible game.  Maybe it's the experience, maybe it's the toilet break, maybe it's everything combined, but I'm just glad I'm through.鈥�

The paper psychological (ab)use of timeouts in professional tennis is available DOI: 10.1080/24748668.2024.2436271:

The excavation of the site by Amgueddfa Cymru 鈥� Museum Wales and Heneb 鈥� The Trust for Welsh Archaeology and the careful lifting of the chariot grave components has revealed tanatalising glimpses of its potential: a rich suite of decorated chariot gear and weaponry, interred with someone who lived through the Roman conquest of Wales, and was buried in a moment of dramatic ritual. 

Whilst we know of many isolated artefacts and even hoards containing chariot gear, this find is currently the only complete chariot known from Wales - and also the 鈥榣ast鈥� chariot burial known from northern Europe, making this an internationally important find. 

This once-in-a-lifetime discovery now needs archaeological investigation and conservation to preserve and display these finds for the people of Pembrokeshire and Wales. Working with local organisations and school groups, particularly rural, traveller and conflict-migrant communities based in west Wales, the project will shape the story of the charioteer through an exciting programme of creative workshops and public performance events, alongside a three-year programme of conversation-led research into the finds and the burial site.

Led by Professor Melanie Giles from 黑料网吃瓜爆料, the project will draw on the skills of Iron Age curator Adam Gwilt and his expert conservation and curatorial team at Amgueddfa Cymru, alongside members of Heneb: Dyfed Archaeology, who were all involved in the original excavation. A workshop and public conference will help launch and celebrate this discovery, learning from other chariot discoveries in Britain, Ireland and the near Continent, such as the recent stunning Iron Age hoard finds from Melsonby (North Yorkshire). 

The results will then be used by expert chariot maker and wheelwright, Robert Hurford, to construct two full-sized chariot reconstructions 鈥� one to test in the field and use at public events, the other to display as part of an exhibition at both Oriel y Parc (St Davids) and St Fagans: National Museum of History. The whole process will be recorded as a film with many other resources hosted through the project website. A key theme of the project and the Welsh curriculum is cynefin 鈥� how knowledge of places and their past can deepen senses of belonging 鈥� and the team will host a special workshop with Welsh teachers to help shape new resources for schools in Pembrokeshire and beyond. 

This ambitious partnership project draws together Welsh heritage, community and creative partners as contributors. Cadw (Welsh Government鈥檚 historic environment body responsible for the care and protection of Wales鈥檚 cultural heritage) is a funding partner, while Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority will be an event and exhibition host at its Oriel y Parc, St David鈥檚 and Castell Henllys reconstructed Iron Age village venues. Heneb 鈥� The Trust for Welsh Archaeology will contribute staff expertise to help craft the final publication of the site in its regional setting whilst PLANED (the Pembrokeshire-based community-led social enterprise charity) will help co-design and deliver the public engagement programme, alongside the stunning creative skills of Pembrokeshire based Span Arts.  

Adam Gwilt, the Co-project Lead at Amgueddfa Cymru 鈥� Museum Wales said: 鈥楾his unique chariot discovery has wonderful potential to captivate, inspire and engage with communities, helping us to tell rich new stories about Iron Age peoples living in western Britain at the time of the Roman invasion. This project, and our grant funding news, is a great success story for Amgueddfa Cymru, for our partners and for archaeology in Wales. I am really pleased that the team鈥檚 dedication and efforts so far, and in coming together to create this distinctive and collaborative project, have been recognised at UK level. It is really exciting that we can now begin to present this national treasure together in many ways, exploring meanings, connections and community responses, past and present.鈥�

John Ewart, of PLANED said: 鈥楶LANED has been supporting communities for almost forty years and we are honoured to be working alongside so many culturally significant organisations on this incredible find. We are eager to be part of the next chapter in the story of the chariot and its location.鈥�

Bethan Touhig-Gamble, Director of SPAN Arts said: 鈥楽PAN Arts is thrilled to be part of this exciting project, using creativity to connect the community to this important work.鈥�

Richard Nicholls, Chief Executive of Heneb 鈥� The Trust for Welsh Archaeology said: 鈥榃e were delighted to work in partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru, Cadw and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to excavate the first Celtic chariot burial site to be found in Wales. This new funding will ensure there is wider recognition of the importance of the find and we hope it will inspire future generations to connect with our shared heritage.鈥�

Kathryn Roberts, Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings, Cadw said: 鈥榃e are delighted to support this project to learn more about the Pembrokeshire chariot burial and share its fascinating discovery more widely.   This project combines the specialist skills of archaeologists and conservators with craftsmen and storytellers in a unique mix that will explore the world of the charioteer and help people of all ages learn more about the life in Iron Age Wales.鈥� 

James Parkin, Director of Nature and Tourism at the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority commented: 鈥榃e are thrilled to be playing an integral part in this incredible partnership project showcasing the history, culture and rich archaeological legacy of this internationally important discovery. The project provides an opportunity for a diverse cross-section of Pembrokeshire communities to be involved in co-creating the stories linked to the charioteer, to deepen their connection, understanding and sense of place. We鈥檙e extremely pleased that Castell Henllys Iron Age Village, the only Iron Age site in Britain reconstructed on the exact site where our ancestors lived 2,000 years ago, will play a part in recreating the rich tapestry linked to this exciting discovery. We look forward to working together with partners to host the Cynefin exhibition at Oriel y Parc, National Park Discovery Centre in St Davids, showcasing the culmination of the project鈥檚 extensive research, engagement and creative collaborations.鈥�

Designed by the undergraduate Physics Society, the sculpture is based on the telescope鈥檚 original engineering blueprints, ensuring a high level of accuracy and detail. Student James Ruxton spent six months perfecting the design using computer software to model and test different structures, producing a 4,000-page instruction manual. He even custom-designed some Lego pieces, using a 3D printer to create bespoke bricks. 

James and fellow Physics Society members began building the sculpture in late April. The finished model weighs 30kg, with 12.5kg attributed to the dish alone. Due to its weight, the dish had to be reinforced with a steel pole鈥攎irroring a real-life engineering challenge faced during the telescope鈥檚 original construction eighty years ago. 

The sculpture serves as a tribute to the University鈥檚 pioneering role in astrophysics and engineering. It will be on permanent display in the Schuster Building, housed in a specially modified cabinet alongside a Lego model of a Large Hadron Collider detector鈥攂uilt by students a decade ago. 

A unique feature of the sculpture is a brick which was signed by Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell - the physicist who discovered Pulsars - during her visit to the University to deliver this year鈥檚 annual Bragg Lecture in March.  

The sculpture arrives in time to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Jodrell Bank, a site of immense significance to 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and to science in the UK.  

Professor Chris Parkes, Head of the Physics and Astronomy department, has been supporting the students with their project. He reflected: 鈥淛odrell Bank has always been a symbol of bold innovation - pushing the boundaries of science and engineering from its earliest days.  

In December 1945, physicist Bernard Lovell travelled from 黑料网吃瓜爆料 to a quiet field in Cheshire hoping to explore the use of radar in cosmic ray detection. Instead, this became the start of the Physics Department's world-famous Jodrell Bank radio astronomy observatory.  

Over the following 12 years, Lovell and his team constructed the telescope that now bears his name. Its global importance was confirmed in 1957 when it became the only instrument capable of tracking the rocket carrying Sputnik 1, launched by the Soviet Union during the Space Race.  

Since then, the Lovell Telescope has stood at the forefront of astronomical research. In 2019, the Jodrell Bank Observatory was granted UNESCO World Heritage status, further cementing its legacy as a beacon of scientific innovation. 

The event is a joint collaboration between the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料, Athlete鈥檚 Journey Home and Drug Science and is supported by the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 

The event will feature world experts in the psychedelics field:  Prof David Nutt from Imperial College London and Prof Sara Tai from 黑料网吃瓜爆料. 

Three elite athletes: former professional rugby player, Rory Lamont; former professional ice hockey player, Daniel Carcillo; and former mixed martial artist, Ian McCall will talk about their own healing experiences. 

Organised by Jo Neill Professor of Psychopharmacology, from 黑料网吃瓜爆料, the event will explore scientific and real world evidence to show that psychedelic assisted therapy (PAP) may be able to alleviate some harmful effects of trauma in elite athletes. 

Clinical studies, fieldwork and personal accounts from across the world are now finding that PAP can induce neuroplasticity - the ability of the brain to reorganise and make new connections throughout life. 

And that may treat the cognitive decline, early dementia, severe headache and pain which are so common in brain injuries. 

Prof Neill said 鈥淭his is particularly relevant to elite athletes in sports such as rugby, football, ice hockey, horse riding, mixed martial arts and boxing. 

鈥淚n addition to injury, athletes experience emotional trauma from the high pressure environment of competitive sport, and gruelling training regimes, most evident when they leave that sport. 

鈥淏耻迟 psychedelic assisted therapy is known to reduce the emotional and physical impact of these forms of trauma and is even starting to be used by elite athletes for their mental and physical health in countries where it is legal. 

鈥淧AP is increasingly being recognised as a safe treatment though patients must always adhere to the law, and be well prepared in a very safe setting when taking the psychedelic medicines. They must also receive appropriate and extensive integrative therapy afterwards.鈥� 

The event takes place at the University鈥檚 Nancy Rothwell Building on Wednesday 2nd July at 2PM. 

Dr Grace Blest-Hopley and Nige Netzband, experts on Traumatic Brain Injury who work with psychedelics will also speak to the conference. 

Professor Neill added: 鈥淲hile most people find it extremely beneficial and indeed life-changing, PAP can be a very challenging and difficult experience for many. It is not be a medicine to be taken lightly. The treatment paradigm is 1-3 high doses in combination with therapy. Some people may not need to take this treatment again. This is very different from the current approach where people need to take a medicine every day which can have a significant side effect burden. 

鈥淚n spite of all the clinical and scientific evidence for their medicinal properties, particularly for disorders where nothing else works, they remain illegal Class A, Schedule 1 drugs in the UK. 

鈥淭he law is not evidence based and it enacts the harshest penalties for unlicensed manufacture, possession and supply. 

鈥淐linicians and scientists who want to conduct research require a controlled drugs licence from the Home Office, an expensive, bureaucratic and extremely time-consuming process. This must change.鈥� 

Tickets available here, free for BAP members.

黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 involvement continues to shape global narratives of Egypt鈥檚 forgotten cities, bringing the ancient Delta back into view one discovery at a time.

In addition to Dr Nicky Nielsen, the excavation team comprised Dr Hamada Hussein (University of Sadat City), Dr Diana T. Nikolova (University of Liverpool), Matei Tichindelean (UCLA), Kylie Thomsen (UCLA), Omar Farouk, Jamal el-Sharkawy, Ahmed Fahim and Ali Bashir.

鈥淚t鈥檚 encouraging to see 黑料网吃瓜爆料 climb to 7th in the world for international research collaboration,鈥� said Professor Colette Fagan, Vice-President for Research. 鈥淭he University鈥檚 research excellence is rooted in a culture of curiosity, collaboration and purpose, and the international collaborations of our academics across the globe is crucial for advancing research and tackling some of the major issues facing the world today.鈥�

The University鈥檚 social and environmental impact is ranked in the top ten globally with the university being the only institution in the world in the top 10 in for both the  and ). In 2025, the University was ranked in first place in the UK and Europe and second in the world for benefitting society and the environment by Times Higher Education for the third year running. 

For further information, visit the website.

The University鈥檚 unique commitment to addressing the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is world leading. 黑料网吃瓜爆料 is the only university in the world to rank in the top ten for social and environmental impact in all seven years of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. 

The 17 SDGs are the world鈥檚 call to action on the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing humanity and the natural world, and 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 consistent top ranking is recognition of its leading role in tackling them. 

In this year鈥檚 assessment, more universities than ever were ranked with 2,318 institutions from 130 countries being ranked against how they are addressing the most pressing challenges facing our planet.  

The ranking, is the world鈥檚 only one that measures universities鈥� contributions to the UN SDGs and assesses their commitment to sustainability across four broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach and teaching. 

Dr Julian Skyrme, Executive Director of Social Responsibility and Civic Engagement at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, who leads the institution鈥檚 entry to the ranking, said: 鈥淓ach year, we submit a wealth of evidence demonstrating how we embed social responsibility across all areas of our work鈥攆rom sustainability and cultural engagement to research impact, widening participation and the student experience. This continued recognition highlights the dedication of our entire University community to making a positive difference locally and globally.鈥� 

黑料网吃瓜爆料 came top in the world for SDG11 鈥� Sustainable Cities and Communities. Significantly contributing to this is the investment made in four public-facing cultural institutions. 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Museum has recently been recognised as one of Europe鈥檚 leading museums after winning .  

The annual prize is one of the most prestigious museum awards in the world and 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Museum is the first university museum to receive it, earning recognition for the way it balances globally-significant academic research with community engagement and social responsibility.  

The University has also directly addressed the energy impact of its campus in a landmark deal to see up to 65% of its electricity demand supplied via a new renewable project. In support of SDG7 鈥� Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG12 鈥� Responsible Consumption and Production, the University is building a 104,000 solar panel farm to generate green energy and also create a significant biodiversity enhancement to previously low-grade farmland. 

The University was ranked second in the world for SDG15 鈥� Life on Land. Particularly key contributions towards this goal have come from for his climate research on restoring grasslands in the UN鈥檚 Decade on Ecosystem Restoration initiative. Alongside this is leading research on socially driven reforestation policies to better protect our environment. 

President and Vice Chancellor, 黑料网吃瓜爆料, Professor Duncan Ivison said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a tremendous achievement for our University community to once again be recognised as the UK and Europe鈥檚 top-ranked university - and second in the world - in this year鈥檚 THE Impact Rankings. This reflects not only the depth of our commitment to social responsibility but also the passion and dedication of our staff, students, and partners who bring that commitment to life every day. 

"As we prepare to launch our new strategy, 黑料网吃瓜爆料 2035, this recognition is a powerful reminder of the role we can play, both here in 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and around the world, in leading on addressing the major challenges of our time: advancing sustainability, tackling inequality, and supporting inclusive growth.鈥� 

黑料网吃瓜爆料 has also, this week, been ranked 35th in the annual QS World University Rankings which evaluate over 8,000 institutions around the world. The results reflect the University鈥檚 international profile and continued excellence in research, with other standout performances in indicators such as the International Research Network and International Students.

Read more about 黑料网吃瓜爆料's rankings.

The project conducted research across five diverse schools - two secondary, two primary and one alternative provision 鈥� with each the subject of a comprehensive case study.

鈥淐hallenges such as inadequate facilities, socio-economic barriers and gender disparities were found to hinder participation,鈥� MacQuarrie and Hennessey explain. 鈥淵et the study recognised schools鈥� creativity in addressing these issues through tailored programs, community partnerships and student-centred approaches.鈥�

Students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) face 鈥渦nique challenges鈥� including limited access to appropriate and properly funded facilities.  But the authors add: 鈥淚nclusive practices - such as adapting sports to accommodate diverse abilities - demonstrate the potential for PESSPA to serve as a vital bridge in reducing inequities and promoting inclusive practice.鈥�

The study revealed 鈥渃oncerning trends in prolonged sedentary behaviour鈥� with 43% of pupils surveyed found to be spending over four hours daily on screens and 23% engaging in 鈥渆xtended sedentary activities.鈥�  Further, 7.2% of pupils reported feeling lonely often or all of the time compared to , with pupil happiness at 6.4 compared to .

鈥淧hysical activity offers a powerful counterbalance to these challenges, enhancing mood, reducing feelings of loneliness,鈥� MacQuarrie and Hennessey argue. 鈥淪chools should actively address concerns by integrating engaging, movement-based activities into daily routines. Programmes that emphasise the fun and social aspects and create comfortable and accessible opportunities for physical activity can shift behaviours and cultivate healthier lifestyle patterns among students.鈥�

In their article, the academics set out a series of recommendations for policymakers and educators to harness 鈥渢he transformative potential of PESSPA to uplift communities and catalyse generational change.鈥�

These include advice to the Department for Education to 鈥減rioritise safe, versatile and inclusive facilities for all schools.鈥�  This could be achieved, they suggest, by launching a consultation to gauge the views of 鈥渆ducators, practitioners and school leaders to build a national picture of how this infrastructure in schools needs to be developed and maintained at scale.鈥�

To embed physical activity in school culture, the Department is encouraged to 鈥渋ntegrate PESSPA across curricula and extracurricular activities, recognising its role in fostering holistic development.鈥�  MacQuarrie and Hennessey continue: 鈥淐ommunity assets can also be leveraged here, and local authorities should support schools to strengthen partnerships with local sports organisations to enhance reach and impact.鈥�

To promote equity, they urge policymakers to offer tailored programmes for underserved groups, including girls and children with special educational needs. They add: 鈥淎s the Children鈥檚 Wellbeing and Schools Bill progresses, there is opportunity to embed this into legislation.鈥�

And to tackle sedentary behaviours, the authors advocate 鈥渢he development of policies and programmes to drive awareness regarding screen time and promote active lifestyles that are valued by children and young people.鈥�

 by Dr Sarah MacQuarrie and Dr Alexandra Hennessey is available to read on the Policy@ 黑料网吃瓜爆料 website. It was included in the Youth Sport Trust's recent , along with which identified locations across England where access to play and sport need more support and encouragement.

The research, which included more than 270,000 people, found no such link between asthma and working nightshifts in men.

The study was by Dr Robert Maidstone from the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料, UK, and colleagues. He said: 鈥淎sthma disproportionately affects women. Women generally have more severe asthma, and higher rate of hospitalisation and death from asthma compared to men.

鈥淚n our previous research we found a higher risk of moderate or severe asthma in nightshift workers, so we wanted to see whether there were further differences between the sexes.鈥�

The researchers used data from the UK Biobank. They included a total of 274,541 working people and found that 5.3% of these had asthma, with 1.9% suffering with moderate or severe asthma (meaning they were taking an asthma preventer inhaler and at least one other asthma treatment, such as an oral steroid). They categorised these people according to whether they worked only during the day, only nightshifts, or a combination of the two.

Their analysis revealed that, overall, women who work shifts are more likely to have asthma. Women who only work nightshifts are around 50% more likely to suffer with moderate or severe asthma compared to women who only work in the daytime.

The risk of asthma in men did not alter according to whether they worked days or nights.

Dr Maidstone said: 鈥淭his is the first study to evaluate sex differences in the relationship between shift work and asthma. We found that permanent night shift-workers had higher odds of moderate-severe asthma when compared to corresponding day workers.

鈥淭his type of research cannot explain why shift work and asthma are linked; however, it could be because shift work disrupts the body clock, including the levels of male and female sex hormones. High testosterone has previously been shown to be protective against asthma, and so lower testosterone in women could play a role. Alternatively, men and women work different types of shift jobs, and this could be a factor.鈥�

In postmenopausal women, the risk of moderate or severe asthma was almost doubled in night workers, compared to day workers, in those not taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Dr Maidstone added: 鈥淥ur results suggest that HRT might be protective against asthma for nightshift workers, however further research is needed to test this hypothesis in prospective studies and randomised controlled trials.鈥�

The researchers plan to study whether sex hormones play a role in the relationship between shift work and asthma by using data from the UK Biobank and from Our Future Health, a new health research programme in the UK population. 

Professor Florence Schleich from the European Respiratory Society鈥檚 expert group on airway diseases, asthma, COPD and chronic cough, based at the University of Li猫ge, Belgium, and was not involved in the research. She said: 鈥淎sthma is a common, long- term condition that affects millions of people worldwide. We know that women are more likely to have asthma, to have worse asthma and more likely to die from asthma, but we do not fully understand why.

鈥淭his research suggests that working nightshifts could be a risk factor for asthma in women, but not in men. The majority of workers will not have an easy option of switching their shift pattern, so we need further research to verify and understand this link and find out what could be done to reduce the risk for women who work shifts.鈥�

Maidstone RJ, Ray DW, Liu J, et al. Increased risk of asthma in female night shift workers. ERJ Open Res 2025; in press .

In recognition of its longstanding commitment to sustainability, the University will represent the UK as one of the founding members of the International Green Learning and Skills Accelerator, a Times Higher Education initiative set up as part of the

The Pact is run by three UN agencies 鈥� the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organization and the UN Children鈥檚 Fund, UNICEF - and was established to help tackle the green skills deficit and 鈥渁dvance the just transition to a low carbon and circular economy鈥�.

The Accelerator, and a related research project, will advance this mission by bringing together universities, industries, and policymakers from around the world to share best practice and to develop a globally recognised framework for green skills and learning.

This initiative aims to define, standardise, and promote the green skills necessary for the net-zero economy, aligning education and employment to meet the challenges of the climate crisis.

Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淏eing invited to help shape the Green Learning and Skills Accelerator as a founding member is a powerful recognition of the University鈥檚 long standing leadership in sustainability 鈥� and of the expertise, creativity and collaborative spirit of our staff and students.  This initiative brings together universities, city partners, industry and global institutions to tackle one of the most urgent challenges of our time.  It鈥檚 a unique opportunity to co-create a scalable, inclusive approach to green learning that supports the transition to a net-zero future 鈥� here in 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and around the world.鈥�

Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Times Higher Education, added: 鈥淚t is fantastic to witness 黑料网吃瓜爆料 joining the Green Learning and Skills Accelerator programme as a founding partner representing the UK. This once more reinforces the University鈥檚 commitment to sustainability as witnessed by their participation in the top ten each year of our .  Times Higher Education鈥檚 mission is to connect people, data and insights to help universities make the world a better place and this is a prime illustration of this in practice as we move towards a green economy.鈥�

One of the primary objectives of the project is to offer a consistent definition and taxonomy of what constitutes 'green skills' for the net-zero economy and how to measure it. The initiative is also in support of the Green Jobs for Youth Pact, that has seen a number of governments sign up and show their support at the UN Summit of the Future.

黑料网吃瓜爆料 will work alongside a select group of other global institutions to co-develop a new framework that will guide universities and employers, ensuring they have the skills and knowledge needed teach young people from the offset or re-train the current workforce the skills they need to drive the green economy.

Professor Jennifer O鈥橞rien, Academic Lead for Sustainability Teaching and Learning, who has been leading on the project, said: "Universities are uniquely positioned to drive the green skills agenda through our world-class research, teaching, and partnerships. By engaging with our talented and diverse students and academics from not only our own community but across the globe, alongside our cross-sector collaborators, we are ensuring that green education is inclusive and has impact. This project will build on existing best practices and push us forward in creating thriving, sustainable futures for all, through transformative learning experiences."

As a globally connected, civic university, 黑料网吃瓜爆料 will use its connections to bring in alumni and partners from across the world have an input into the new framework. It also hopes to feed into city-wide plans to support its ambitious zero carbon goal for 2038.

The programme will involve extensive research and collaboration with universities, industries, and policymakers with the goal of creating an  inclusive, scalable Accreditation Framework to support, guide and give recognition to universities and colleges as Green Learning and Skills Providers.

Dr Julian Skyrme, Executive Director of Social Responsibility at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淎s one of the world鈥檚 leading universities for social responsibility and sustainable development we know that our students 鈥� as future citizens, leaders and skilled professionals 鈥� will play a key role in addressing the climate and nature crisis. We鈥檙e look forward to playing a leading role in the critical task of defining and championing the sort of education we need to create a more sustainable world.鈥� 

黑料网吃瓜爆料 has been consistently ranked as a leader in sustainability. It is the only university in the world to rank in the top ten for social and environmental impact in every year of the .

The University has set ambitious goals to reduce its environmental impact, aligning with its core mission of social responsibility. In 2022, it divested from coal, oil, and gas, reducing the carbon intensity of its investments by 37%. All the University鈥檚 degree programs are aligned with the , and its research platform, which includes the , combines world-leading research across disciplines to develop sustainable solutions for urgent environmental challenges. The University also recently signed a landmark deal that will see up to 65% of its electricity demand supplied through a brand-new renewables project.

路&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫; The unique Saint Christopher woodcut, dated 1423 鈥� the oldest known dated example of European printing.

路&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫; The Gutenberg Bible of 1454/55 - the first major book printed in Europe and a masterpiece that revolutionised the book world.

路&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫; The Mainz Psalters of 1457 and 1459 - two of the most beautiful books ever printed, both with handwritten musical notation.

路&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫; Fifteen very rare blockbooks - in which the images and text on each page were printed from a carved block of wood.

The release forms part of the ongoing Incunabula Cataloguing Project, which will eventually see all of the library's approximately 4000 15th century printed books fully catalogued, of which around 300 of the rarest and most important will be digitised and made available online. While of immense value to scholars of early print culture, the collection is also designed to engage curious members of the public with some of the most beautiful and significant books ever printed.

The Early European Print collection is part of a longstanding commitment by 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and the John Rylands Library to share cultural heritage with the widest possible audience through 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Digital Collections.

, Reader in Engineering for Net Zero, is one of ten finalists to be awarded 拢100,000 in seed funding to develop his solution for this year鈥檚 .  

In its second year, the 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Prize is looking for researchers with the most impactful and innovative artificial intelligence (AI) solution enabling the UK to accelerate progress towards net zero.  

Although AI technologies are advancing rapidly, their adoption in clean energy systems has not kept pace. The 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Prize aims to accelerate progress by encouraging the development of AI solutions that support the UK in achieving its ambition to lead the world in clean energy. 

Dr Papadopoulos鈥� solution, Grid Stability, uses AI to accelerate the analysis performed which ensures electrical power systems meet the specified stability, security and reliability criteria. 

Electrical power systems worldwide are going through unprecedented changes to achieve decarbonisation targets. This drive calls for new technologies, such as renewables, electric vehicles and heat pumps, which increases the complexity and uncertainty in power system operation. System stability is the cornerstone of power system operation, and if not carefully considered, it can lead to blackouts with high economic impact and fallout.  

The tool replaces slow, complex simulations with rapid, AI-driven assessments, enabling real-time monitoring, faster decision-making, and more confident planning. This helps grid operators maintain reliability while scaling up clean energy solutions and cutting emissions. 

Dr Papadopoulos aims to work closely with utility companies to enable safe and useful implementations of Grid Stability. 

Speaking about his solution, Dr Papadopoulos said: 鈥淕rid Stability uses machine learning to help bring lower, or zero, carbon technologies onto the grid faster and at the scale we need to hit net zero, but without compromising system stability.

鈥�Being named a finalist for the 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Prize is a huge boost; it not only validates the impact of our work but also gives us a platform to accelerate progress and collaborate more widely across the energy sector.鈥�

Dr Papadopoulos recognised that the computational cost and complexity of assessing stability and security made it difficult to support real-time awareness, decision-making and optimisation. As a result, system dynamics are often neglected or oversimplified. Grid Stability, using machine learning, offers a promising solution to addressing this challenge. 

The 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Prize will pick its winner in Spring 2026, and the winning innovator will receive a 拢1 million grand prize to continue developing their solution. The winning solution must demonstrate not only technical innovation, but also an evidenced road map to near-term (2030) adoption and scale.  

Announced and launched in 2023, the 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Prize is multi-million-pound, multi-year challenge prize, which is funded by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology. The Prize seeks to reward UK-led breakthroughs in AI for public good and continues to secure the UK鈥檚 place as a global leader in cutting-edge innovation. 

The 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Prize is named after the world鈥檚 first stored programme computer, nicknamed 鈥楾he Baby鈥�, which was built at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 in 1948. AI research at The University continues to build on this legacy, as shown by Dr Papadopoulos鈥� achievement. 

Announced by the Technology Secretary on Monday 9 June), the Sp盲rck AI scholarships, named after pioneering British computer scientist Karen Sp盲rck Jones, will provide full funding for master鈥檚 degrees at nine leading UK universities specialising in artificial intelligence and STEM subjects 鈥� from Edinburgh to 黑料网吃瓜爆料, and Newcastle to Bristol. 

Set to rival the likes of globally recognised Rhodes, Marshall and Fulbright scholarships, at least 100 talented undergraduates level students from the UK and abroad will see unparalleled access to industry partnerships, work placements and mentorship opportunities, including in the UK鈥檚 AI Security Institute as well as leading tech firms like Darktrace, Faculty and Quantexa. 

This will not only drive forward AI innovation that grows the UK economy but also gives young people a direct route into highly skilled jobs in the UK鈥檚 tech sector. 

By covering both tuition and living expenses, the scholarship could also be of interest to talent students from low-income backgrounds who might otherwise be unable to afford university 鈥� spreading opportunity across the UK. 

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: 鈥淲e are providing unique opportunities for talented young people to take up master鈥檚 degrees in AI, with fully funded tuition and unparalleled access to industry. 

鈥淪tudents will be able to go on to highly skilled jobs, building a workforce fit for the future and boosting economic growth as part of our Plan for Change. 

鈥淲e are also expanding our fellowship programme to bring top talent into our leading AI sector and drive forward transformational benefits to the public like new drug discoveries.鈥� 

Sp盲rck AI scholarships: Applications will open in Spring 2026, with the first cohort beginning their studies in October 2026.  

Universities participating in the Sp盲rck AI scholarship programme include: Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, UCL, Southampton, Edinburgh, Newcastle, 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and Bristol, who will co-design and co-fund the initiative. 

Companies signed up to participate in the scholarship programme include PolyAI, Quantexa, CausaLens, Flok, Beamery, Darktrace and Faculty. 

At a ceremony in the historic Whitworth Hall, he was presented with an honorary doctorate by the University鈥檚 Chancellor, Nazir Afzal. The award is in honour not only of his sporting success but for his inspirational work away from football, including through his family foundation, the Guardiola Sala Foundation.

Pep said: 鈥� 黑料网吃瓜爆料 means so much to me. I have spent nine years here and it has become home. The people, the culture, my incredible football club, my colleagues鈥� it is all so special to me and my family.  When I arrived here in 2016, I did not know how long I would spend here. The way this city embraced me made everything easy. My time here has been beautiful. 

鈥淚 know how important the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 is to our city. It鈥檚 the home to a lot of research and it has a history of discovery. So, honestly, to be honoured in this way by such an esteemed institution is an amazing feeling. I want to thank everyone at the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 for this moment 鈥� and I want to thank everyone at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 City for their constant support.鈥�

Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淧ep wasn鈥檛 born in 黑料网吃瓜爆料, but like me and so many others, the city has welcomed him and made it feel like home. That welcome and the way 黑料网吃瓜爆料 gets under your skin is why so many people feel a deep, lifelong connection with the city.

鈥淧ep is an innovator and a winner who has inspired millions of people through his success as a manager. He has played a huge role in making 黑料网吃瓜爆料 a global success story and we are honoured that he has chosen to accept this degree. I hope that this forges another important connection between him, the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料, and the city.鈥�

Honorary degrees are the highest awards the University can offer. The University recognises remarkable individuals that have made outstanding contributions to society that embody its values, improve the lives of people in local communities or have created significant impact in their field of work and often far beyond.

Widely regarded as one of the successful and innovative managers in the history of the game, Pep followed a trophy laden playing career by being appointed as manager of the Barcelona first team in 2008. He won the La Liga title in three of his four seasons at the Camp Nou and lifted the UEFA Champions League twice.

After Barcelona, he joined Bayern Munich whom he led to the last four of the UEFA Champions League in each of his three seasons, landing the Bundesliga three times and winning the league and cup double twice.

Guardiola joined City in 2016. In his second season he guided the Cityzens to the Premier League title and the Carabao Cup. He picked up four successive Manager of the Month awards and was voted the Premier League Manager of the Season and the LMA Manager of the Year.

He was again voted Premier League Manager of the Season after guiding City to four more trophies in 2018/19 to become the Club鈥檚 most successful boss ever with six trophies in three seasons.

City added the Carabao Cup and Community Shield to Pep鈥檚 list in 2019/20, but the Catalan won yet more silverware in 2020/21, with another Premier League title and Carabao Cup success. He also became the first City boss to take his side to a Champions League final in May 2021, taking his trophy haul to 10. 鈥�Guardiola鈥檚 incredible spell at the Etihad saw him claim a fourth Premier League title in five years in 2021/22 and a fifth in 2022/23.

And to top off another history-defining season under Pep鈥檚 tenure, a fifth league win and City鈥檚 FA Cup final win followed by victory in the Champions League final saw the club named Treble winners in 2022/2023.

On the final day of the 2023/24 season, City became the first club to win the Premier League in four successive seasons, confirming the title on the final day.

Pep鈥檚 leadership has not only elevated the club鈥檚 success but is a model for performance excellence and continuous improvement that has inspired leaders outside of football. Alongside this, the University wanted to recognise his contributions to 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 cultural and community life, and unwavering commitment to social responsibility and justice, through his family foundation - the Guardiola Sala Foundation. 

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫; Led by The University of Cambridge and 黑料网吃瓜爆料, and supported by the two Mayoral Combined Authorities, City Councils, alongside businesses and investors

A groundbreaking partnership between 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and The University of Cambridge has been awarded 拢4.8 million by Research England to accelerate inclusive growth and innovation collaboration. As the UK鈥檚 first cross-UK innovation partnership, it will pioneer a new model of place-to-place collaboration and help drive economic growth for the UK- setting an example for other cities to follow. With further investment from the two universities, the total funding for the partnership will be 拢6m.

The partnership will be led by Unit M and Innovate Cambridge - the universities鈥� respective innovation capabilities - with support from the two Mayoral Combined Authorities, City Councils, businesses and investors. It is a prime example of how a university-led, cross-UK innovation collaboration can enhance the UK's global competitiveness and foster innovation-driven growth.

This initiative responds directly to the UK government鈥檚 imperative for universities to support the delivery of the national Industrial Strategy and make a stronger contribution to economic growth.

Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice Chancellor of 黑料网吃瓜爆料, commented: "Our partnership with Cambridge marks a new model of collaboration between UK universities. It brings together the distinctive strengths of each of our universities and cities, connecting two of the great innovation ecosystems to scale up what we can achieve. This new approach to innovation accelerates the time between discovery and impact, getting ideas into the real economy and our communities even more quickly to drive inclusive growth.鈥�

Professor Lou Cordwell, Chief Executive of Unit M, said: 鈥淯niversities are increasingly taking a lead in convening and catalysing their innovation ecosystems. By bringing together investors, businesses, entrepreneurs, academics, and public sector agencies, this partnership will create new opportunities and stimulate investment into the innovation economy. We are proud at Unit M to be part of such a pioneering partnership, and look forward to continuing to work with Cambridge.鈥�

Professor Deborah Prentice, University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor, commented: 鈥淭his pioneering initiative brings together the combined strengths of Cambridge and 黑料网吃瓜爆料 to create something that is truly ground-breaking. By connecting our cities, we鈥檙e helping to build a more collaborative and dynamic environment in which innovative research can connect with industry, venture capital and entrepreneurs to drive economic growth and deliver real benefits for people and places across the UK.鈥�

Science Minister and Oxford-Cambridge Growth Champion, Lord Vallance, said: 鈥淭his pioneering partnership is proof that our ambitions for the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor can and will fire up economic growth across the length and breadth of the UK, which is critical to our Plan for Change.

鈥淐ambridgeshire and Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 are forging a path I hope others will follow. Science is always stronger when we work together, and stronger research ties between the UK鈥檚 great regions will only lead to more investment, more opportunities, and more breakthroughs, from health to clean energy and beyond.鈥�

Jessica Corner, Executive Chair of Research England, commented: 鈥淭his investment underscores our commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration across England. By connecting the vibrant ecosystems of Cambridge and 黑料网吃瓜爆料, we aim to drive significant economic growth and create a model for place-based innovation that can be replicated nationwide."

At the core of the partnership is the exchange of complementary innovation assets to ensure real-world impact. Both cities already have strong R&D capabilities and strengths in leading-edge sectors such as AI, life sciences, and advanced materials. Cambridge has deep investor networks but experiences growth constraints due to its small scale, higher costs, and lack of development land. 黑料网吃瓜爆料 provides that scale, affordability for start-ups and scale-ups, and a large talent pool - but has a less mature support ecosystem.

The Research England funding will be used in three key areas: ecosystem activation and integration; growing investment; and testing and learning.

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫; Ecosystem activation and integration: It will strengthen relations within and between the innovation ecosystems of the two cities, to create a vibrant and ambitious cross-city innovation network. This aims to create progressive new approach inclusive growth.

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫; Growing investment: It will harness the combined strengths of both universities and partner cities to support start-ups and scale-ups to secure funding and grow, attract innovation-intensive FDI to the UK, and stimulate investment into R&D.

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫; Testing and learning: It will pilot new approaches and share best practice for delivering ecosystem collaboration and inclusive growth. This will allow other cities, the wider higher education sector community, and local and national governments in the UK and internationally to learn from the partnership.

Recognised as both a City of Literature and a City of Lifelong Learning, 黑料网吃瓜爆料 joins a select group of global cities acknowledged for their commitment to education, creativity and cultural development. 

黑料网吃瓜爆料, 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Metropolitan University, and 黑料网吃瓜爆料 City Council came together yesterday to celebrate 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 dual status as a UNESCO City of Lifelong Learning and Literature. 

The celebration was held at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Metropolitan University, and 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 President and Vice-Chancellor Duncan Ivison delivered the event鈥檚 closing remarks. 

The UNESCO status of City of Lifelong Learning is an important accolade for 黑料网吃瓜爆料, as lifelong learning is one of the University鈥檚 key focuses.  

Lifelong learning provides the opportunity for access to a University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 education without the commitment of full-time on campus study, creating a more flexible and inclusive learning environment. 

Outside of the classroom, lifelong learning also provides support for learner鈥檚 personal and professional development, aligning with industry and employer needs by driving economic, social and cultural progress. 

The University is continuously working with students, alumni, businesses and strategic industry partners to make The University a Learning Partner for Life.   

Professor Ang Davies, Academic Lead for Lifelong Learning at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淲e are extremely proud to join the UNESCO family of Learning Cities and have already made many connections in the UK and beyond.鈥�

Mags Bradbury, Head of Social Responsibility & Civic Engagement at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淲e are proud to be part of this city-wide partnership, working with civic partners, supporting the ambitions of our city. It鈥檚 great that we can share what we are doing locally on lifelong learning through UNESCO, delivering in 黑料网吃瓜爆料 our commitment to the global UN Sustainable Development Goals.鈥�  

The UNESCO City of Lifelong Learning designation was given to 黑料网吃瓜爆料 last February. In a short period of time, the partnership has launched over 90 projects, delivered events reaching 14,000 learners and over 2,000 learning and skills specialists have attended professional development events. Three films, launched this week, showcase the impact of the designation on learners and providers.   

The event also showcased the projects from artists funded by the British Council鈥檚 International Collaboration Grant, who have been collaborating between 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and Nanjing - one of few other cities globally to have this prestigious dual designation. Yesterday鈥檚 event marked the culmination of a 9-month artistic exchange exploring the natural world through literature.  

Also showcased at the event was an exhibition of artwork and writing by young students, developed through a school engagement programme involving Year 3-6 pupils from 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and Nanjing schools. The work created by the artist exchange and schools programme will be open to the public as part of Festival of Libraries at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Central Library from 3 - 17 June 2025. 

Ivan Wadeson, Executive Director of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 City of Literature, says: 鈥淗uge thanks to Arts Council England and the British Council International Collaboration Grants for their support to make this happen, alongside the regular funders of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 City of Literature: 黑料网吃瓜爆料 City Council, 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Metropolitan University.鈥�

Jill Griffiths, Head of the School of Digital Arts and Academic Lead for Lifelong Learning at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Metropolitan University, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a privilege to host the event at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Metropolitan University in celebration of the UNESCO City of Lifelong Learning and City of Literature designations. 

鈥淲orking in partnership with 黑料网吃瓜爆料 City Council and 黑料网吃瓜爆料 to attain these designations is a reflection of the collaborative ethos of the city and 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Met, and this event, which also took place during the Festival of Libraries, was a vibrant celebration showcasing the breadth and depth of our creative and cultural offering alongside our commitment to making lifelong learning a reality for everybody within 黑料网吃瓜爆料.鈥�

To find out more about the artist exchange, exhibition and project please visit:  

To find out more about the British Council International Collaboration Grants please visit:  

Join us on Saturday 14 June, 11am - 4.30pm for a day of creativity, discovery and play. Our free community festival offers something for everyone with inspiring talks and performances, hands-on science experiments, art and crafts workshops, heritage tours and more.

One of the festival鈥檚 standout features is the Bee Curious programme, featuring thought-provoking talks and performances for all ages. Highlights include: exploring the science and art behind how our brains respond to everyday environments, people we see, and places we visit with Dr Sarah Fox and Dr Henry McPherson;  taking an interstellar journey to find out about other worlds with Dr Eamonn Kerins as the Jodrell Bank Alien; and exploring links between creativity and wellbeing to find joy in the everyday with 黑料网吃瓜爆料-based poet, Rebecca Hurst. 

Step back in time with Grant Collier and explore the roots of our revolutionary institution on a guided historic walking campus tour. Uncover the rich tapestry of history that makes our campus unlike any other. As the nation鈥檚 first 鈥榗ivic鈥� university, our unique identity has pushed us to global prominence and this tour offers a fantastic opportunity to learn about pioneering individuals and groundbreaking discoveries.

Try your hand at street art with local art collective Grit Studios, presenting The Art of Research, a vibrant showcase of artwork inspired by research at the University. There鈥檒l be a series of free drop-in workshops throughout Saturday, so release your inner artist and get creative with sprays and stencils.

Come plant with us! Pop along to our University community allotment a partnership between the University and Ardwick Climate Action and get hands-on with planting and sustainability.  Then visit the co-curated, community exhibition Blue Skies at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Museum, which asks a critical question: 鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 drink visibly dirty water, so why would you breathe invisibly dirty air?鈥�

Together we鈥檒l explore what makes for a greener, healthier and fairer world for everyone. Take part in over 80 interactive stalls. Uncover the mysteries of the human body as we take a closer look at our hands, hearts and minds. Interact with robot companions, step into a world of virtual reality and explore the wonder of space. Meet the makers of marvellous materials. Enjoy wellbeing and craft making activities, learn the art of calligraphy and don on a University graduation gown! There鈥檚 plenty to discover and do 鈥� with activities on offer for all ages. 

Be amazed by the power and joy of chemistry in our visually exciting Flash Bang Show with Dr Frank Mair. Expect fantastic colour changes, flashes and the occasional bang - get ready to hold on to your hats!

Our Universally 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Festival is taking place on our Oxford Road campus and is free and open to everyone.

Find out more about our family-friendly activities on the .

This milestone reflects The University鈥檚 strategic vision to expand access to education and foster inclusive, innovative learning environments. By becoming a member of EUCEN, 黑料网吃瓜爆料 aims to: 

• Enhance collaborative opportunities: Partner with a diverse network of European institutions to exchange knowledge and develop joint continuing education initiatives. 
• Influence educational policy: Contribute to shaping European policies that support lifelong learning and address the evolving needs of learners. 
• Promote innovation in learning: Embrace and share best practices and technologies that enable flexible, accessible learning pathways. 

Through active participation in EUCEN鈥檚 programmes and initiatives, The University seeks to help drive advancements in lifelong learning and implement responsive educational programmes that meet the needs of diverse populations. 

Founded in 1991, EUCEN is a leading association dedicated to university lifelong learning - the provision of educational opportunities, services, and research by higher education institutions to support personal and professional development throughout life. University lifelong learning also plays a vital role in driving social, cultural, and economic progress in communities and regions. 

Pascal Paschoud, President of EUCEN said: 鈥淓UCEN is truly delighted to welcome 黑料网吃瓜爆料 to our network. As a leading UK institution with a strong commitment to lifelong learning, their dedication to making a real impact aligns perfectly with our mission. We look forward to their active involvement and collaboration. Together, we can strengthen the role of university lifelong learning in building innovative, sustainable and inclusive economies and societies.鈥�  

EUCEN currently includes 163 member institutions across 36 countries. Its platform supports knowledge sharing, the development of innovative educational strategies, and policy advocacy in lifelong learning. 

Also inducted at the 2025 conference was Imperial College London, making 黑料网吃瓜爆料 one of only four UK institutions in the network鈥攁longside the Universities of Oxford, Sunderland, and Imperial. 

To mark its 60^th anniversary, Alliance 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Business School (AMBS) is bringing back its Festival of Business, expanding on the success of last year鈥檚 inaugural event.

Taking place across four days from the 16^th to 19^th June, the festival will bring together industry leaders, policymakers and academic experts to discuss the role businesses have to play in helping society respond to the pressing challenges and opportunities of our time.

Headlining the festival will be the 鈥業nnovate 2050鈥� day on Thursday 16^th featuring panel discussions exploring the future of media, finance and digitalisation.

Alongside an impressive line-up of AMBS鈥檚 leading thinkers, the day will see the likes of Siobhan Morgan, head of development at the producers of hit TV show, Adolescence, Warp Films; Kerris Bright, chief customer officer at the BBC, and Jess McCreadie, investment director at Northern Gritstone, coming together to discuss how their industries are innovating to respond to the world鈥檚 biggest challenges including the climate crisis and the emergence of new technologies like AI.

Alongside this, other events will be running throughout the festival focussing on themes including professional development, the future of the Third Sector and empowering entrepreneurs. The Festival of Business comes as AMBS celebrates six decades of empowering leaders, thinkers and visionaries across the globe to deliver transformative and innovative change.

Ken McPhail, Head of Alliance 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Business School, said: "We are currently living through a critical period as we face challenges including economic growth and regional disparities, global geopolitical upheaval and climate change. Rising to these challenges won鈥檛 be possible without business playing key leadership role in finding solutions and capitalising on opportunities."

Further details about the Festival of Business, along with information on how to get tickets to the events running throughout it, can be found .

Sarah joins the University from the Department for Transport where she has been Chief Scientific Adviser since 2021, seconded from the University of Nottingham. At the DfT she leads on many of the engineering and science challenges in transport, including decarbonisation, applications of artificial intelligence and cross-modal safety.

She is an international expert in the field of human factors and its application to engineering problems. Human factors is a scientific discipline which uses an understanding of human capabilities and limitations to design systems to support human performance, wellbeing and safety.

Sarah has previously held the roles the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and People (2018-2021) and Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange (Engineering) (2015-2018) at the University of Nottingham.

She has recently been appointed to the role of Deputy Chair of Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2029 Unit of Assessment Panel 12 (Engineering), was previously a member of EPSRC Council and Advance HE Athena Swan Governance Board and is currently the CSA member of ESRC Council.

She was President of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors 2015-2016 and her academic research, funded by industry and UKRI, has considered how complex systems bring people and technology together in the domains of transport, healthcare and manufacturing.

Sarah and her husband Craig are parents to two grown up children, and in her spare time, Sarah applies her passion for human-centred complex systems design to the hobbies of cooking and gardening.

Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor, said: 鈥淎s we develop our 2035 strategy, having Sarah join our leadership team is going to be a great asset to the University. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is critical to our ambition to be one of the world鈥檚 great universities by 2035, through research impact, innovation and modern, flexible teaching. I鈥檓 very much looking forward to working with her.鈥�

Sarah will join the Faculty in mid-September. Professor Peter Green will be interim Vice-President and Dean in the intervening period.

The charity Versus Arthritis has awarded 拢3m to bring world-leading experts from five UK universities together to accelerate clinical epidemiology research, which will help answer pressing questions from those living with arthritis. 

Professor Kimme Hyrich, Director of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Centre for Musculoskeletal Research will co-lead the consortium with Professor Christian Mallen, Executive Dean and Professor of General Practice and Public Health at Keele University. 

Professor Hyrich, a leading clinical epidemiologist and consultant rheumatologist, highlights the advantages of team science in epidemiological research: 鈥淭his award represents an exciting step-change in the way musculoskeletal epidemiology research is conducted in the UK, breaking down traditional research siloes and uniting minds, data and expertise to generate the evidence needed to support people living with arthritis and other painful musculoskeletal conditions."  

The new research consortium is part of the charity鈥檚 drive to harness 鈥榯eam science鈥� to better understand the causes and risk factors for arthritis and improve treatment options. Epidemiology 鈥� the study of how diseases occur in different people and why - is critical to designing better and targeted interventions using data.   

The consortium, made up of experts from the Universities of 黑料网吃瓜爆料, Keele, Oxford, Nottingham and Aberdeen, aims to close five gaps in our understanding of the debilitating disease and related conditions. They will consider menopause in relation to musculoskeletal health, inequalities in access to care, risks of long-term pain medications and determine the optimum levels of monitoring for those receiving immune drugs.  The researchers will also aim to identify those at higher risk of chronic pain sooner, given painful musculoskeletal conditions often begin in childhood. This holds the potential to explore ways to prevent or reduce persistent pain.  

Lucy Donaldson, Director of Research at Versus Arthritis, said: 鈥淭he Versus Arthritis Research Consortium: Musculoskeletal Epidemiology - Better lives, Safer journey is a major step forward in tackling the everyday realities faced by people living with arthritis and other painful musculoskeletal conditions.  

鈥淭his consortium will bring together leading researchers, clinicians, and people with lived experience from across the UK in a team science approach. Their aim - to find real, practical solutions to the problems faced by people with arthritis.鈥�  

The consortium will employ cutting edge analysis techniques on existing datasets to fill the identified gaps in our knowledge of arthritis and MSK conditions. Its findings will help to arm those living with arthritis to have informed conversations with clinicians about their care. It will also seek to improve clinical practice and policy around diagnosis, prevention and treatment.  

Professor Mallen, Keele University, said: "The new Versus Arthritis Research Consortium is an exciting new programme that will have a major impact on the lives of people living with painful conditions by uniting world-leading clinicians, academics, patients and policy makers.  

鈥淚t is a privilege to co-lead the consortium with Professor Hyrich and having strong representation from Keele University highlights the importance of primary care in improving outcomes for people living with arthritis and chronic musculoskeletal pain." 

The results will be shared through a broad range of partners including government, the NHS, clinicians and patient networks.  

More than 20 million people, of all ages, in the UK have problems with their joints, bones and muscles, which cause pain and impact all aspects of life including work and school.  

The Versus Arthritis Research Consortium: Musculoskeletal Epidemiology - Better lives, Safer journey is the first of six consortia to be announced by Versus Arthritis which is awarding 拢18 million of funding to this initiative over the next three years. 

The annual prize is one of the most prestigious museum awards in the world and 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Museum, part of 黑料网吃瓜爆料, is the first university museum to receive it, earning recognition for the way it balances globally-significant academic research with community engagement and social responsibility. 

Judges praised how 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Museum has 鈥榬eimagined its mission, acknowledging and addressing its complex history by redefining the role of its collections and public programmes.鈥� Its approach to co-curation was cited as part of this, working with local and diasporic communities to bring new perspectives to collections and challenge traditional narratives. The South Asia Gallery, a British Museum partnership, is a key element of this, co-curated with 30 inspiring community members from across the South Asian diaspora, who were able to tell their own stories in their own words and on their own terms. 

黑料网吃瓜爆料 Museum was also praised for 鈥榯houghtful, informed, and impactful community engagement, creating a truly inclusive space where all individuals, regardless of identity or background, can see themselves reflected and represented.鈥� The 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Museum Celebrates programme of events, created in collaboration with charities, faith organisations and community activists, aims to build understanding between cultures, bringing people together to celebrate culturally-significant events such as Lunar New Year, Vaisakhi, Africa Day and Iftar. 

Meanwhile, the Museum鈥檚 Top Floor has been transformed into a social and environmental justice hub, creating a space for collaboration with charities and non-profit organisations helping Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 communities take action on the issues they care about. It acts as the headquarters for Pinc College, a specialist creative education college for neurodivergent young people, aged 16 to 24. 

These initiatives are part of a wider, values-led transformation, underpinned by a 拢15 million redevelopment, which was completed in February 2023. 

Operated by the European Museum Forum (EMF), EMYA recognises new or redeveloped museums that showcase the best in excellence and innovation in their field. It aims to recognise museums that promote inter-cultural dialogue and community participation, demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, and show creative and imaginative approaches to the production of knowledge. 

Previous winners include S谩mi Museum Siida in Northern Lapland, Finland, Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, The Design Museum in London, and Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. 

黑料网吃瓜爆料 Museum won the main prize in the face of competition from 41 other shortlisted museums from across the continent. The award was presented on Saturday 25 May, during the EMYA2025 Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony at the Sybir Memorial Museum in Bia艂istok, Poland on 25 May 2025. 

Senior author Dr Ben Brown is a practicing GP and co-founder of Patchs, as well as a researcher at 黑料网吃瓜爆料. He said: 鈥淎I has the potential to reduce the heavier workload which is sometimes associated with eVisits in general practice.

鈥淒espite the potential, AI tools are not yet routinely used in primary care. This study is the first to ask if this use of AI would be acceptable to staff and patients.鈥�

Co-author Professor Niels Peek from The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute, University of Cambridge said: 鈥淭his work aligns with the government鈥檚 strategy to address the high workload that the NHS is facing with technology.

鈥淭he study demonstrates that there exist opportunities to streamline NHS services with AI in a way that is meaningful for, and would be welcomed by, patients and staff.鈥�

The conference on 29-30 May will bring together world experts in Dante studies, early print culture, and digital humanities. Attendees will explore groundbreaking interdisciplinary research, including the project鈥檚 pioneering use of artificial intelligence and computer vision to analyse page design and layout in early modern books - offering a new lens through which to view the evolution of print culture.

The JRRIL Dante Collection includes all but three of the known pre-1650 printed editions of the Divine Comedy, with highlights such as the very first Italian editions printed in 1472, richly illustrated editions from 1481 and 1487, and later translations in Spanish, French, English and Japanese. The collection also features 19th-century illustrations by Gustave Dor茅, and a giant hand-illuminated manuscript created in 1902.

The 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Digital Dante Library is hosted on 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Digital Collections, a state-of-the-art platform developed in partnership with Cambridge University Library and supported by the Research Lifecycle Project. It exemplifies a new model for digital scholarship, merging humanities research with advanced imaging techniques and setting a new standard for cultural heritage digitisation.

For more information on the conference, visit .

If you visit 黑料网吃瓜爆料, one of the first things you鈥檒l notice is the great number of bee images throughout the city. Born in the Industrial Revolution, the 鈥渨orker bee鈥� symbol captured the city鈥檚 tireless spirit and its legacy as a buzzing hive of industry. Today, the symbol is more often associated with collective resilience and remembrance following the 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Arena attack on May 22 2017.

The bee became a of the 鈥淢ancunian spirit鈥�, emerging almost instantly on murals, on bodies as tattoos and on public memorials. Over the last eight years, it has become a core part of 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 identity.

As part of my ongoing PhD research, I set out to understand why the bee is everywhere in 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and what it means to people. I interviewed 24 Mancunians who were living in the city at the time of the attack, including some who were directly affected.

Conducted in 2023, seven years after the attack, these interviews aimed to capture how the symbol鈥檚 meaning had evolved as the city continued to process and commemorate the event.

For many, the bee still stands as a symbol of resilience, a reminder of how the city came together in the face of tragedy. But for others, its presence throughout 黑料网吃瓜爆料 has become more of a burden than a comfort.

Appearing on buses, shop windows and public spaces, it serves as a constant and eerie reminder of the events and aftermath of the attack. Eight of my interviewees described these as memories of 鈥渢rauma鈥�. Over time, what once felt comforting has become more unsettling.

Fifteen of my interviewees expressed discomfort with how the bee has become more commercialised in the years since the attack. Some described feelings of 鈥渆xploitation鈥�.

Both independent businesses and large companies have embraced the symbol, integrating it into their branding in public spaces. Many sell bee-themed gifts and souvenirs, such as .

黑料网吃瓜爆料 city council has played a key role in this commercialisation, promoting the image through various initiatives, including the Bee Network transport system and the Bee Cup 鈥� a reusable launched in 2023.

In June 2017, shortly after the attack, the council moved to trademark several versions of the bee as an official city symbol. This was made public in March 2018, after the period for .

Initially, the council allowed people and businesses to use the symbol for free, but later introduced a . Now, anyone wishing to use the of the bee must apply for permission from the council, and commercial use comes with a 拢500 fee. Businesses that want to use the bee are also asked to donate to charity.

The council described the trademarking of the bee symbol as a way to protect its use and support local good causes, such as the , which helps fund community projects and youth opportunities across the city.

But some of my participants noted that this transformed the bee from something personal and meaningful to something more corporate. In their view, it is as if the city itself is commodifying the attack rather than honouring it.

This can be viewed as an element of 鈥渄ark tourism鈥�, which involves visiting places where tragedy has been memorialised or commercialised. this manifests not through visits to the attack site but through the bee symbol, which has been commodified in murals, merchandise and public spaces. Tourists buy into collective grief through consumption, turning remembrance into a marketable experience and the bee as a managed and profitable commodity.

Some 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Arena bombing survivors I spoke to feel that their personal grief has been repackaged into a public identity, one that does not necessarily reflect the complexity of their experiences.

The use of the bee in products and souvenirs raises questions about how the city commercialises its identity, especially when considering the layered histories that the symbol carries.

Uncomfortable history

For some, the discomfort around 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 bee goes even . Today, the bee symbolises resilience and unity, but it originally represented hard work during 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 industrial boom.

This era wasn鈥檛 just about progress 鈥� it also involved especially through cotton by enslaved people in the Americas. 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 role in the industrial revolution would have never been possible without slavery.

My participants pointed out this hidden history, noticing that these stories rarely appear in 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 public commemorations in the city. The bee鈥檚 visibility today reveals how cities tend to highlight positive histories, while uncomfortable truths .

A painted window in 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 Victoria station. Ashley Collar

Focusing solely on resilience risks creating a simplified version of 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 past. , overlooking how historical injustices, like the city鈥檚 links to the transatlantic slave trade, still shape their lives today.

This selective storytelling makes it harder for some communities to commemorate 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 identity. They can鈥檛 do so without acknowledging past legacies of slavery and the city鈥檚 history of division.

While some see the bee as a proud symbol of unity, others feel it erases their history. As the bee continues to dominate public spaces, 黑料网吃瓜爆料 faces an important challenge: making sure this symbol genuinely acknowledges the varied experiences and histories of all residents.

This might be through dedicated plaques or exhibits that explore some of these hidden histories, and the bee鈥檚 complex meaning. Only by confronting its past can the city ensure that commemoration includes everyone.

, PhD Candidate in Sociology at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and Associate Lecturer in Criminology at MMU
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The Ideas With Impact Prize, which is supported by philanthropic donors to the University, aims to award 拢300,000 in its first funding round this summer. 

Scaling up support for founders 

Delivered by Unit M and the Innovation Factory, Ideas With Impact Prizes will provide individual awards of 拢100,000, 拢50,000, and 拢20,000 to entrepreneurs at the early stages of their founder journey. These awards will empower projects that address pressing local and global challenges, ensure 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 best technologies move out into the world more quickly, and create tangible economic growth.  

In addition to financial support, winners will receive access to experienced mentors, networking opportunities, and guidance in translating research into viable business ventures. 

Donors at the heart of our innovation ecosystem 

The Prize is the latest development in the University鈥檚 Ideas With Impact partners鈥� programme, which has previously provided 拢400,000 to early-stage research spinouts. Successful projects include the development of a home-testing kit for the early detection of lung cancer, as well as Plant Organelle Technologies 鈥� a new spinout developing targeted techniques to tackle drought and herbicide resistance in plants. By reaching a wider range of founders, the Prize launch will maximise the impact of gifts to the programme. 

Donors have already made a great difference to the University鈥檚 innovation ecosystem, and will play a vital role as we scale up our ambition to become Europe鈥檚 leading innovation university. Ideas With Impact is more than a funding initiative. It's a celebration of the partnership between philanthropists and the University in driving innovation-led growth. 

A call to budding founders and innovators 

Got a great idea with commercial promise? Applications are now open!   

Ideas With Impact is open to any student, staff member, or recent graduate (within three years of graduation) of 黑料网吃瓜爆料, who have the ambition to turn their research and ideas into enterprises that change lives. Key dates below: 

• 20 June 2025: Applications close. 
• 27 June 2025: Finalist announcement. 
• 14 July 2025: Finalist Pitching Competition and networking event. 

Learn more about the Ideas With Impact Prizes and the application process on the University鈥檚  

Philanthropic Support 

Interested in supporting brilliant future founders and ensuring entrepreneurship for all? We鈥檇 love to explore opportunities with you. 

Contact Olympia Kennard to begin a conversation: Olympia.Kennard@manchester.ac.uk. 

Our innovation ecosystem 

• Read more about Unit M here:  
• Read more about the Innovation Factory here:   
• Read more about the Innovation Academy here:  

The PACE programme marks a major shift in how UK policing engages with science and evidence. The initiative will create a collaborative, nationwide research infrastructure that reflects policing鈥檚 Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) - from public protection to digital transformation. Each centre will act as a gateway to independent academic advice, helping forces to navigate complex issues and adopt effective, ethical strategies that serve diverse communities.

As the UK faces fast-changing demands on its police services, the launch of the PACE network signals a long-term commitment to smarter, safer, and more responsive policing - backed by the best that British academia has to offer. 

鈥淭his is about making sure policing decisions are grounded in the best available knowledge,鈥� said Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, NPCC Chair. 鈥淚t strengthens our commitment to evidence-based practice and shows our determination to be more transparent, accountable and effective.鈥�

Stian Westlake, Executive Chair of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), said: 鈥淭he Policing Academic Centres of Excellence will forge closer relationships between police forces and researchers, providing the police with data and evidence to make the justice system work better.

鈥淏y bringing experts in policing practice together with social scientists and data scientists across the country, the centres will provide knowledge and insights to drive service improvement. These centres of excellence demonstrate our commitment to reducing crime and making Britain a safer place.鈥�

Inclusion of families is a key part of guidance to universities on conducting such reviews but the study found that in most cases it did not happen. Some families described feeling the university was defensive and reluctant to answer important and painful questions. 

The study found the commitment to suicide prevention in universities is strong. However, it recommends reviews are more responsive to families and proposes a 鈥渄uty of candour鈥� should be developed and adopted by the higher education sector. 

Most of the serious incident reviews identified potential stressors and experiences that could have contributed to suicide risk. Mental ill-health and academic problems including exam stresses were the most common factors. Around three-quarters of students had been in contact with university support services. Many had experienced adverse life events, including relationship problems, problems with housing, family relationships, their peers, or finance. 

The serious incident reports showed that 13% of the students, five female and five male, were reported to have been victims of violence, including sexual or physical assault, harassment or threats of violence. In three, the gender of the student was not reported. 

Over two-thirds (53, 67%) of the 79 reports of suspected suicide detailed how the university responded to the death, known as postvention.

Postvention to fellow students was documented in 32 (41%) of the 79 serious incident reports but just 7 (9%) said the student鈥檚 family received support. The figure was 14 (18%) for staff impacted by the death.

A total of 107 students at 73 English universities were suspected to have lost their lives to suicide in the 2023/2024 academic year. 62 incidents of non-fatal self-harm were also reported in the same period. Of the 169 cases, serious incident reports were submitted for 104 (62%) of them. And of the 104 reports, 79 (74%) were for suspected suicide and 25 (40%) for incidents of non-fatal self-harm.

, Director of the into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淎 single life lost to suicide is an immeasurable tragedy. The main aim of this national review is to improve learning from these tragic incidents to help prevent future deaths. We found an excellent response from universities to this national review and, on such a sensitive issue, this is a welcome sign for prevention.

鈥淗owever, the families we spoke to provided moving accounts of feeling excluded from the process of finding out what happened to their loved ones, and some had a perception the university was evasive and reluctant to answer important and painful questions.

鈥淭hat is why input from bereaved families should be a key part of the serious incident investigation process, and their questions should be answered as far as possible.

鈥淲e suggest a version of the duty of candour should be introduced to the HE sector. This would have the aim of, ensuring openness and transparency with families after a suspected suicide. This should be developed and shaped by the sector itself to ensure it is appropriate to the HE setting.鈥�

from 黑料网吃瓜爆料 said: 鈥淢ental-ill health was frequently identified in the serious incident reports we examined, sometimes there were clear indications of risk through mental illness or self-harm, but other reports identified students who were experiencing less severe problems with mental well-being. We suggest mental health awareness and suicide prevention training should be available for all staff in student-facing roles, and include recognising and responding to risk and neurodiversity.

鈥淎nd students who are struggling academically should be recognised as potentially at risk, with enhanced support being offered at key points in the academic calendar. Access to mental health and other support should also be reviewed, particularly for those at additional risk, such as those who have experienced violence or other adverse life events.鈥�

• The study is published on the  DfE

鈥淚t鈥檚 rare to see a project where everyone - researchers, artists, students, and audiences - walks away changed,鈥� says Helbig. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not just making theatre. We鈥檙e co-creating new ways of thinking, feeling, and connecting across difference.鈥�

Each play is infused with the distinctive voice of its creators - from poetic monologues to ensemble movement, to satire and sensory storytelling. Following the performance, audience members are invited to stay for a candid conversation with the creators, discussing the themes, the process, and what it means to tell stories across cultures.

In a time of global complexity and cultural tension, it offers a rare chance to pause, reflect and connect. It celebrates the diversity of lived experience and invites audiences to engage directly with the kinds of questions anthropology is uniquely positioned to ask. 

Tickets for the event can be purchased at . 

Tiny Human Dramas is part of an expanding vision - the team is currently developing a short documentary film about the creative process and exploring opportunities to take the project to national festivals, including the Edinburgh Fringe and the ESRC Festival of Social Science.

Building upon his 2024 book, , the unsettling history of role-playing in 鈥榗onstructed situations鈥� is explored through his commentary on the performative dynamic of the experiment and its wider societal implications. Students from the School of the Arts, Languages & Cultures also feature in the reenactments shown in the series. 

To mark the UK premiere, the , in partnership with , will be hosting an in-conversation event on Wednesday 4 June titled 鈥�鈥�.&苍产蝉辫;

Professor Stephen Scott-Bottoms will be joined by from the , who is also among the expert commentators featured in the series, alongside , Director of the docuseries. An internationally recognised expert on social identity, collective behaviour, intergroup conflict, and leadership influence, Professor Stephen Reicher co-led the BBC鈥檚 partial reconstruction of the Stanford Prison study,  

The event will feature behind-the-scenes insights into the making of the series, a discussion on the enduring relevance of the Stanford study and a live audience Q&A. It is open to the public and promises a compelling dialogue on truth, myth, and morality in psychological research.

Register for

The documentary series, The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth, is set to air on .

The treaty suspension reflects a growing regional trend: South Asian countries are increasingly treating water as a strategic asset rather than a shared resource amid rising mistrust, climate stress and geopolitical competition.

The region is home to nearly a quarter of the global population, and relies on huge transboundary rivers fed by Himalayan glaciers 鈥� the so-called of freshwater reserves. A breakdown in water diplomacy could trigger environmental collapse, humanitarian crises and geopolitical instability. The weaponisation of water must be urgently addressed as a global climate justice issue.

A flashpoint occurred in August 2024 when devastating floods affected in Bangladesh. Some Bangladeshi officials accused India of releasing excess water from a large dam upstream without warning. India , citing extreme rainfall and standard dam operations. Nevertheless, the incident reignited longstanding tensions between the two countries.

Complicating matters further is China recently approving the construction of the on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet, which becomes the Brahmaputra in India. This massive project has about China鈥檚 ability to exert control upstream, and the ecological risks for India and Bangladesh downstream.

China hasn鈥檛 signed formal water-sharing agreements with its neighbours, but its growing presence in regional water infrastructure signals a dramatic shift in south and east Asian hydro-politics.

Climate change is making things worse

Recent climatic trends are making transboundary rivers an increasing focus of geopolitical friction. These trends include accelerated , , and intensifying extreme weather.

While melting glaciers will temporarily boost the flow of rivers, the long-term prognosis is bleak. If emissions and warming trends continue, many glacier-fed rivers 鈥� including the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra 鈥� could see by the end of the century. This will directly affect hundreds of millions of people who depend on them.

The crisis is being intensified by changes in the Himalayas. The region is warming faster than the global average, with a shift from snowfall to rainfall that disrupts the timing and volume of water that flows down from the mountains to the fields and cities below.

At the same time, has pushed South Asia鈥檚 reserves of underground water toward collapse, threatening both food and water security.

A dangerous precedent

A collapse or suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty could set a dangerous precedent. Importantly, the threat is less about India cutting off water flows 鈥� an unlikely and technically challenging act 鈥� and more about the erosion of trust, transparency and data sharing.

One of the treaty鈥檚 most valuable features has been the routine sharing of data on things like water levels, river flow and dam operations. Pakistan needs this data to forecast floods and droughts, plan its irrigation, generate hydropower effectively and manage its drinking water, yet India is indicating it will no longer honour these obligations.

But India鈥檚 strained water relations are not limited to Pakistan. Bangladesh and Nepal have often felt sidelined or pressured in negotiations, and India鈥檚 indication that it may reconsider longstanding treaties raises concerns in both countries.

This is especially the case as the Ganges Water Treaty nears its 2026 expiration: the vast Ganges river flows through India and irrigates much of Bangladesh 鈥� and the treaty guarantees Bangladesh a minimum river flow.

Other key agreements, such as the and with Nepal, and the with Bangladesh, remain largely unimplemented, breeding mistrust. These failures undermine confidence in regional water diplomacy and cast doubt on India鈥檚 commitment to equitable cooperation.

None of this is helped by India, Pakistan and Bangladesh all continuing to rely on outdated irrigation methods that mean they use more water than necessary. As climate change intensifies floods, droughts and glacial melt, there is an urgent need to reform existing water treaties to reflect present-day climate, hydrological and geopolitical realities.

The Indus Waters Treaty, negotiated in the 1960s before the emergence of modern climate science, no longer accounts for these transformations. Indeed, most water treaties in the region remain rooted in technocratic, engineering-centric frameworks which fail to address extreme climate variability and its cascading impacts.

The upcoming expiration of the Ganges Water Treaty, and the pending negotiation of other basin agreements, present a critical opportunity to rethink water governance in South Asia.

Though the Indus flows through India before Pakistan, in other basins, India is downstream. This is the case with the Brahmaputra, where it demands upstream cooperation from China.

Undermining the Indus treaty could weaken India鈥檚 own position in future negotiations and strain its relations with Nepal and Bangladesh, while giving China more influence in South Asian hydro-politics. China is already expanding its footprint by offering billions in loans to Bangladesh and strengthening ties with Nepal, particularly around water infrastructure.

Weaponising water is a perilous strategy that may backfire. The weakening of water diplomacy in South Asia is not just a regional threat; it endangers global climate security.

In the face of escalating climate change impacts and recurring disasters, updating transboundary agreements like the Indus Waters Treaty, Ganga Water Treaty, and Kosi and Teesta accords is no longer optional 鈥� it is an urgent necessity with enormous consequences.

, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Geography,
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Taking place in 黑料网吃瓜爆料 - the birthplace of KTP - the event will mark the pinnacle of national 50^th year celebrations, bringing together the KTP community for a programme of guest speakers, workshops and seminars. 

Since their launch in 1975, the UK Government has funded over 14,000 groundbreaking KTPs, uniting top businesses with researchers and graduates to solve real-world challenges, adding billions to the UK economy.  From 2010 to 2020 alone, Innovate UK invested 拢200m in 2,000 projects, adding 拢2.3bn to the UK economy. 

The Innovate UK KTP Awards will showcase this year鈥檚 finalists, alongside the KTP Golden Awards - these special honours will highlight legacy projects, partnerships and people that have profoundly shaped the UK economically, socially and environmentally over the last five decades. Registration for the conference and awards is now open, with early bird pricing available until Monday 30 June 2025. 

Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, Lord Vallance, said: 鈥淜nowledge Transfer Partnerships have long supported collaboration between our renowned universities, UK innovators and thriving businesses 鈥� from helping household brands to produce their goods more efficiently through to unleashing new discoveries that improve lives.  

鈥淭hey also demonstrate the benefit of public investment, with ambitious, Innovate-UK-backed projects across the country having added billions of pounds to our economy in the previous decade alone. I look forward to these partnerships supporting the next generation of cutting-edge innovations.鈥�  

KTPs are a UK-wide programme designed to foster innovation by linking businesses with academic institutions. With funding and support provided by Innovate UK, the scheme enables companies to access cutting-edge research and specialist knowledge to solve strategic challenges, develop new products and enhance their competitive edge. Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 was part of the original pilot of the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships scheme when it launched in 1975.  

In a joint statement, the Vice-Chancellors of the three host universities - the University of Salford, 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Metropolitan University and 黑料网吃瓜爆料 - said: 鈥淭ogether, we are proud to be co-hosting the KTP 2025 Conference and Awards in the birthplace of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. For 50 years, KTPs have exemplified the power of collaboration between universities and industry - driving innovation, supporting economic growth and tackling real-world challenges.  

鈥淭his milestone celebration is not only a tribute to the enduring impact of the programme, but also a springboard for shaping the next era of research-driven partnerships that benefit society locally, nationally and globally.鈥� 

Richard Lamb, KTP Programme Manager at Innovate UK, said: 鈥淐elebrating 50 years of the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme offers a valuable opportunity to recognise its enduring impact on UK innovation and economic resilience. By bridging academia and industry, KTP has extended vital opportunities to businesses and academic partners across the UK, reaching beyond London and the Southeast to drive innovation in fields ranging from STEM to the creative industries and pioneering areas like AI and quantum technology.  

鈥淭his collaborative model has not only boosted productivity and growth but has empowered organisations of all sizes to innovate and thrive on a local and national scale. This 50th anniversary is the perfect occasion to reflect on the impressive impact achieved through the programme and its lasting legacy.鈥�  

The KTP 2025 Conference is aimed at KTP associates, practitioners, academics and funders, whilst the Awards will bring together business, associate, academic and practitioner teams behind the UK鈥檚 most transformative projects. 

Find out more about the conference and reserve your place:  

The  groundbreaking research, led by Dr Matthew J. Kibble, used a state-of-the-art 3D printing technique called bioprinting to replicate the complex structure and environment of human spinal discs. 

In a study published in the journal today, they reveal tissue stiffness and oxygen levels significantly impact the production of vital biological materials, including collagen and hyaluronic acid, by human disc cells. 

The insights could ultimately lead to new treatments for back pain, a condition affecting hundreds of millions of people across the world. 

Bioprinting is a cutting-edge technique that uses living cells and biological materials to create complex 3D structures that accurately mimic the structure of human organs. 

The new bioprinted discs will allow scientists to study how different conditions affect disc cell behaviour and contribute to tissue degeneration and back pain.

Most bioprinters work in a similar way to plastic 3D printers, extruding material through a nozzle under pressure to build structures.

However, rather than printing plastic, bioprinters use cells and gel-like inks made from cell-friendly materials such as collagen, cellulose or gelatin.

The scientists prepared the cells and materials needed for bioprinting and designed a digital model of a human spinal disc. For this study, the bioprinted discs were made from gels containing collagen combined with alginate, a protein derived from seaweed.

They used state-of-the-art 3D bioprinters capable of depositing multiple types of cells and materials, layer-by-layer, to create sophisticated models where the different biological, chemical, and mechanical characteristics of the human disc could be modelled.

The bioprinted tissues were then stored in controlled conditions so they could grow, mature, and develop their biological functions.

Dr Stephen M. Richardson, from 黑料网吃瓜爆料, corresponding author of the study said: 鈥淭his work represents a step towards the automated creation of realistic whole organ models and brings us closer to understanding the root causes of disc degeneration.鈥�

鈥淥ur findings provide important insights into the factors driving disc degeneration and pave the way for the development of more effective regenerative therapies, for example through incorporation of stem cells.鈥�

Bioprinting has been used to fabricate models of different tissues including skin, brain, nerve and heart, kidney and tumour.

However, fully functional tissue engineered organs are still  decades away; current models are mostly used for investigating biological processes in the lab but may act as replacements for lab animals.

As part of his PhD research at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, Dr Kibble developed the bioprinted discs to explore the impact of tissue stiffness on the two cell types that inhabit different parts of the adult spinal discs:  nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus cells.

In future disc models the scientists plan to incorporate cells found in healthy, young developing discs, alongside stem cells or gene-edited cells to create even more advanced models of health and disease. This will enable them to understand how healthy tissue is formed and whether stem cells can be used to produce healthy tissue and treat back pain.

Dr Kibble said: 鈥淥ver 600 million people worldwide suffer from lower back pain. Our bioprinted intervertebral disc models are an exciting opportunity to inform better regenerative therapies.

Our research has shown that tissue stiffness and oxygen levels have a significant impact the production of vital biological materials.

There have been many attempts to engineer discs so that we can understand their biology and develop models for testing different therapies or transplanting them into animals. But as well as being very difficult to do, this is also extremely time consuming.

Our work allows us to produce biologically functional disc models at scale and will allow us to make desperately needed advances in our understanding  of disc disease.鈥�

The study was funded by the UKRI EPSRC/MRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Regenerative Medicine, the Wellcome Institutional Strategic Support Fund, and the Medical Research Council.

The authors also acknowledge the support of the national Henry Royce Institute EPSRC grants and the Bioprinting Technology Platform.

A video of the bioprinted in action is available, as are images of the bioprinted discs, and graphics.

The paper,  Suspension bioprinted whole intervertebral disc analogues enable regional stiffness- and hypoxia-regulated matrix secretion by primary human nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus cells is published in Acta Biomaterialia and is available.

黑料网吃瓜爆料 is globally renowned for its pioneering research, outstanding teaching and learning, and commitment to social responsibility. We are a truly international university 鈥� ranking in the top 50 in a range of global rankings 鈥� with a diverse community of more than 44,000 students, 12,000 staff and 550,000 alumni from 190 countries.  Sign up for our e-news to hear first-hand about our international partnerships and activities across the globe. 

In a Wellcome funded study published today (01/05/25) in Science - one of the world鈥檚 leading scientific journals 鈥� the researchers challenge conventional wisdom taught in schools for over 100 years.

Students are currently taught that during cell division, a 鈥榩arent鈥� cell will become spherical before splitting into two 鈥榙aughter鈥� cells of equal size and shape.

However, the study reveals that cell rounding is not a universal feature of cell division and is not how it often works in the body.

Dividing cells, they show, often don鈥檛 round up into sphere-like shapes. This lack of rounding breaks the symmetry of division to generate two daughter cells that differ from each other in both size and function, known as asymmetric division.

Asymmetric divisions are an important way that the different types of cells in the body are generated, to make different tissues and organs.

Until now, asymmetric cell division has predominantly only been associated with highly specialised cells, known as stem cells.

The scientists found that it is the shape of a parent cell before it even divides that can determine if they will round or not in division and determines how symmetric, or not, its daughter cells are going to be.

Cells which are shorter and wider in shape tend to round up and divide into two cells which are similar to each other.  However, cells which are longer and thinner don鈥檛 round up and divide asymmetrically, so that one

daughter is different to the other.

The findings could have far reaching implications on our understanding of the role of cell division in disease. For example, in the context of cancer cells, this type of 鈥榥on-round鈥�, asymmetric division could generate different cell behaviours known to promote cancer progression through metastasis.

Harnessing this information could also impact regenerative medicine, enabling us to better manufacture the cell types needed to regenerate damaged tissues and organs.

Scientists may one day be able to influence the function of daughter cells by simply manipulating their parental cell shape.

Co-lead author Dr Shane Herbert, a senior research fellow at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 said: 鈥淭he phenomenon of mitosis - or cell division - is one of the fundamentals of life and a basic biological concept which is taught from school age.

鈥淪tudents learn that when a cell divides, it will generate a uniform spherical shape. Our study, however, shows that in real living organisms, it is not as simple as that.

鈥淥ur research suggests that the shape of the cell before it divides can fundamentally direct whether a cell rounds, and importantly, if its daughters are symmetric or asymmetric both in size and function.鈥�

The scientists used real time imaging to study the formation of blood vessels in 1-day old transparent zebrafish embryos.

Growing blood vessels and other tissues are made of strands of collectively migrating cells.

Each new vessel is led by a special fast-moving cell at the front with slower cells following behind.

When the fast moving 鈥渢ip鈥� cell divided, the study showed, it didn鈥檛 鈥渞ound-up鈥� as expected. In doing so it was able to divide asymmetrically and generate the new fast 鈥渢ip鈥� cell at the front and a slower following cell behind it.

Co-lead author Dr Holly Lovegrove, a lecturer at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 said: 鈥淯sing transparent 1-day old zebrafish embryos allows us to study a dynamic process like cell division inside a living organism.

鈥淲e are therefore able to make movies of this fundamental cell behaviour and in doing so reveal exciting new aspects of how tissues grow.鈥�

The team also used a technique using human cells called micropatterning.

Co-First author Dr Georgia Hulmes, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 said: 鈥淢icropatterning allows us to generate specifically shaped microscopic patches of proteins that cells can stick to.

鈥淭he cells will then take the shape of the patch. This therefore allows us to change the shape of the cells and test how these shapes impact on the subsequent cell division.鈥�

The micropatterning system used by the scientists is called PRIMO by Alv茅ole. This system allowed the scientists  to manipulate cells into different shapes at tiny resolutions of less than a tenth of the width of a human hair. A UV laser is used to burn specific shapes onto a non-sticky surface. Cells are then seeded onto the surface and will only be able to stick down in areas where the UV laser has printed a shape. The cells then spread out into the laser patterned shape and this allowed the scientists to create the precise shape of cell they desire.

• Video shows cells with membrane and nucleus labelled undergoing division, copyright University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料
• The paper Interphase cell morphology defines the mode, symmetry, and outcome of mitosis, is published in Science.

黑料网吃瓜爆料 is globally renowned for its pioneering research, outstanding teaching and learning, and commitment to social responsibility. We are a truly international university 鈥� ranking in the top 50 in a range of global rankings 鈥� with a diverse community of more than 44,000 students, 12,000 staff and 550,000 alumni from 190 countries.  Sign up for our e-news to hear first-hand about our international partnerships and activities across the globe. 

Key Findings

• Contrary to common belief, and consistent with other recent large-scale studies, loneliness decreases with age. 29% of Gen Z feel lonely compared to 14% of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation. Yet, most interventions still focus on the elderly 鈥� highlighting a gap for products, services, and workplace cultures that prioritise belonging amongst young people.
• Perhaps surprisingly, more than 50% of people find positive alone time a helpful way of overcoming loneliness 鈥� revealing a powerful opportunity for businesses to design environments, products, and experiences that support solitude, not just social interaction.
• 14% of people who completed the survey say they have nowhere to go when they feel lonely, but want to connect with others 鈥� a clear opportunity for businesses to create connection-friendly spaces in places such as caf茅s, retail stores, and offices.
• 60% report experiencing 鈥榬elational鈥� or 鈥榗ollective鈥� loneliness, not just 鈥榠ntimate鈥� loneliness 鈥� opening the door for brands to design experiences that foster everyday social connection.
• People not belonging to a group are 1.6x more likely to feel lonely 鈥� giving businesses a chance to build community through memberships, loyalty programs, and shared identity experiences.
• Dissatisfaction with income doubles the likelihood of loneliness, regardless of actual earnings 鈥� suggesting companies can drive loyalty and retention among their workforce by improving perceived financial well-being, not just financial status.

The report launch invites purpose-driven business leaders to join the Business vs. Loneliness change platform, working together with public and non-profit partners to help create a more connected world through business.

To access the report and for more information, visit . 

For over 30 years Professor Itzhaki, professorial fellow emerita, University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and visiting professorial fellow, University of Oxford, has pursued the idea that HSV1, the herpes virus that causes cold sores, is a precursor to the development of AD. 

The 2025 STATUS List features 50 influential people shaping the future of health and life sciences across biotech, medicine, health care, policy, and health tech. 

The list is wide-ranging: from the biotech and health system executives who lead the market, to scientists developing AI technologies and breakthrough therapies, to patient advocates and activists.  

At  the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料, Professor Itzhaki鈥檚 team discovered that HSV-1 DNA is present in the human brain in a high proportion of older people - the first microbe to be detected definitively in normal human brains.

The researchers later indicated that the virus when in the brain, in combination with a specific genetic factor, confers a high risk of developing AD.

She recently co-authored a that suggested that repeated head injuries could reawaken dormant HSV1 virus in the brain, triggering the onset of the disease.

The research team found that even mild brain trauma can trigger this chain reaction, leading to harmful changes associated with memory loss and cognitive decline.

The idea is winning purchase as the 鈥渁myloid hypothesis鈥� 鈥� which proposes that Alzheimer鈥檚 is caused by a protein buildup in the brain 鈥� loosens its grip on the scientific community.

The researchers hope their work will pave the way for new treatments to protect against neurodegeneration, particularly for those at high risk due to repeated concussions.

Professor Itzhaki said: 鈥淚 am delighted to be included in this year鈥檚 STATUS list. It is a great honour and a recognition that my work is finally being accepted by the scientific community.

鈥淢ost people now accept that dormant Herpes Simplex Virus in the brain  can become reactivated and in so doing can trigger the symptoms of Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease.鈥�

鈥淭he other circumstance for unwanted behaviour was while they were working in their first part-time job as a teenager, with adult male customers making sexual or otherwise inappropriate comments to them while they were working. A young girl working her first job probably isn鈥檛 going to feel able to challenge this behaviour or speak to someone about it.鈥�

Ms McFalone also carried out interviews with affected women. One told her she was 13 years old when she first was 鈥渃at-called in a school uniform鈥� by 鈥渇ully grown men.鈥� Another said: 鈥淚 worked for a pizza place as my first job 鈥� surprisingly the worst sort of male attention I got, which was borderline illegal, was when I was 15.鈥�

The researchers suggest that policymakers should increase funding so that deprivation is taken into account as a factor in general practice funding to address income disparities between GPs in more deprived and less deprived areas.

Published in the today (22/04/25) and funded by the , the researchers analysed data from over 8,500 GPs between 2015 and 2021 in the GP work life

They looked at the relationship between deprivation of practice population and job pressures, job satisfaction, reported income, working hours, and intentions to leave direct patient care.

The lead researcher is , an NIHR Clinical Lecturer at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and practicing GP.

He said: 鈥淭his study shows how the socioeconomic deprivation of practice populations in England is adversely linked to the working conditions of the GPs that work there.

鈥淲e highlight a clear and persistent challenge in ensuring equitable healthcare provision.

鈥淲ithout targeted investment and policy interventions, the difficulties faced by GPs in deprived areas will only continue to worsen, exacerbating health inequalities.鈥�

Key Findings also included:

• GPs in the most deprived areas earn less than those in wealthier areas with an average difference of 拢5,525 less per year.
• Despite higher job pressures, there were no differences in overall job satisfaction, hours worked per week, or intentions to leave patient care between GPs working in more deprived and less deprived areas.

from 黑料网吃瓜爆料, senior author of the study, added: 鈥淭hough deprived populations have higher needs for GP services, we know these areas have the most difficulty recruiting and retaining GPs.

鈥淥ur study is the first to examine how working in deprived areas affects the working lives of GPs. Addressing their concerns about increased job pressure and decreased resources would help reduce health inequalities.鈥�

According to the researchers, the findings explain why working in areas of greater deprivation is less attractive to GPs, exacerbating workforce recruitment and retention issues.

Dr Anderson added: 鈥淎longside financial incentives, non-financial incentives such as enhanced career development opportunities including fellowships that incorporate time for additional training, research, and leadership responsibilities could be a useful lever to promote GP recruitment and retention in areas of greater deprivation鈥�.

鈥淲e also think it鈥檚 important to acknowledge we find no differences in hours worked per week, job satisfaction, and intention to quit direct patient care in more deprived and less deprived areas.

鈥淒espite the challenges experienced by GPs working in areas of greater deprivation, this suggests that there are many rewarding aspects of working in areas of greater deprivation.  A broader recognition by the GP community of the potential advantages of working in areas of greater deprivation would therefore be helpful to promote recruitment and retention.鈥�

This article reports the findings from independent research commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care and carried out by the Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Systems and Commissioning (PRUComm). The research was conducted by the Health Organisation, Policy, and Economics (HOPE) group within the Centre for Primary Care & Health Services Research at 黑料网吃瓜爆料. The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Policy Research Programme, NIHR, or the Department of Health and Social Care

• Deprivation and General Practitioners鈥� working lives: Repeated cross-sectional study is published in the  Journal of the , DOI: JRSM-24-0273.R2 and is available here.

#BeeWell is a youth-centred programme led by 黑料网吃瓜爆料, The Gregson Family Foundation and Anna Freud. The #BeeWell survey listens to the voices of thousands of young people in secondary schools every year to understand and improve their wellbeing.

China recently of the world鈥檚 largest hydropower dam, across the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet. When fully up and running, it will be the world鈥檚 largest power plant 鈥� by some distance.

Yet many are worried the dam will displace local people and cause huge environmental disruption. This is particularly the case in the downstream nations of India and Bangladesh, where that same river is known as the Brahmaputra.

The proposed dam highlights some of the geopolitical issues raised by rivers that cross international borders. Who owns the river itself, and who has the right to use its water? Do countries have obligations not to pollute shared rivers, or to keep their shipping lanes open? And when a drop of rain falls on a mountain, do farmers in a different country thousands of miles downstream have a claim to use it? Ultimately, we still don鈥檛 know enough about these questions of river rights and ownership to settle disputes easily.

The Yarlung Tsangpo begins on the Tibetan Plateau, in a region sometimes referred to as the world鈥檚 third pole as its glaciers contain the largest stores of ice outside of the Arctic and Antarctica. A series of huge rivers tumble down from the plateau and spread across south and south-east Asia. Well over a billion people depend on them, from Pakistan to Vietnam.

Yet the region is already under immense stress as global warming melts glaciers and changes rainfall patterns. Reduced water flow in the dry season, coupled with sudden releases of water during monsoons, could intensify both water scarcity and flooding, endangering millions in India and Bangladesh.

The construction of has historically disrupted river flows, displaced people, destroyed fragile ecosystems and increased risks of floods. The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Dam will likely be no exception.

The dam will sit along the tectonic boundary where the Indian and Eurasian plates converge to form the Himalayas. This makes the region particularly vulnerable to earthquakes, , and .

Downstream, the Brahmaputra is one of south Asia鈥檚 mightiest rivers and has been integral to human civilisation for thousands of years. It鈥檚 one of the world鈥檚 most sediment-rich rivers, which helps form a huge and fertile delta.

Yet a dam of this scale would trap massive amounts of sediment upstream, disrupting its flow downstream. This could make farming less productive, threatening food security in one of the world鈥檚 most densely populated regions.

The Sundarbans mangrove forest, a Unesco World Heritage Site that stretches across most of coastal Bangladesh and a portion of India, is particularly vulnerable. Any disruption to the balance of sediment could accelerate coastal erosion and make the already low lying area more vulnerable to sea-level rise.

The Brahmaputra eventually flows into a region of fertile fields and mangrove forests. Sk Hasan Ali / shutterstock

Unfortunately, despite the transboundary nature of the Brahmaputra, there is no comprehensive treaty governing it. This lack of formal agreements complicates efforts to ensure China, India and Bangladesh share the water equitably and work together to prepare for disasters.

These sorts of agreements are perfectly possible: 14 countries plus the European Union are parties to a , for instance. But the Brahmaputra is not alone. Many transboundary rivers in the global south face similar neglect and inadequate research.

Researching rivers

In our recent study, colleagues and I analysed . We wanted to assess how much academic research there was on each, what themes it focused on, and how that varied depending on the type of river. We found that, while large rivers in the global north receive considerable academic attention, many equally important rivers in the global south remain overlooked.

What research there is in the global south is predominantly led by institutions from the global north. This dynamic influences research themes and locations, often sidelining the most pressing local issues. We found that research in the global north tends to focus on technical aspects of river management and governance, whereas studies in the global south primarily examine conflicts and resource competition.

In Asia, research is concentrated on large, geopolitically significant basins like the Mekong and Indus. Smaller rivers where water crises are most acute are often neglected. Something similar is happening in Africa, where studies focus on climate change and water-sharing disputes, yet a lack of infrastructure limits broader research efforts.

Small and medium-sized river basins, critical to millions of people in the global south, are among the most neglected in research. This oversight has serious real-world consequences. We still don鈥檛 know enough about water scarcity, pollution, and climate change impacts in these regions, which makes it harder to develop effective governance and threatens the livelihoods of everyone who depends on these rivers.

A more inclusive approach to research will ensure the sustainable management of transboundary rivers, safeguarding these vital resources for future generations.

, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Geography,
This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the study on mice shows that the brain鈥檚 hypothalamus controls how the immune system adapts during fasting, through a handful of highly specialized neurons responsible for making animals hungry.

Published today (04/04/25) in 鈥攐ne of the world鈥檚 leading immunology journals鈥攖he study shows the brain鈥檚 perception of hunger or fullness, rather than actual eating or caloric restriction, is enough to drive changes in the body鈥檚 immune cells.

The findings cast doubt on the current view that a lack of nutrients alone controls how the immune system responds to fasting, indicating the brain has a critical role, beyond the simple absence of food.

By artificially switching on specific brain neurons in mice鈥攚hich typically signal low energy levels鈥攕cientists induced a synthetic sense of hunger. Remarkably, within hours, they saw a fast reorganization of immune cells in the blood, with a noticeable drop in inflammatory monocytes. These artificially hungry mice looked, from an immune perspective, just like mice that had fasted for real.

This discovery could have important implications for developing new therapies to treat a range of inflammatory diseases as well as for treating wasting syndromes seen in cancer, in which individuals lose weight despite eating normally.

It may also explain why obesity often accompanies inflammatory conditions and why malnourished individuals are more prone to infections and inflammation.

The lead senior researcher, Dr Giuseppe D鈥橝gostino, who coordinated the study, said: 鈥淥ur perceptions can shape our bodies in ways we don鈥檛 always notice. It鈥檚 easy to see how thoughts guide our actions, but this study reminds us that even our internal body adjustments that are not under conscious control respond to the brain鈥檚 signals.

鈥淭his study underlines how important the brain is in regulating the immune system. But if internal or external factors alter the brain鈥檚 perception, these processes can go awry, reminding us how deeply the mind and body are鈥攁nd should remain鈥攃onnected.

"In addition to BBSRC who funded the work, we are grateful to the Medical Research Council for providing early-stage seed funding that helped the lab explore completely novel areas 鈥� a small but truly visionary contribution that still resonates today."

Collaborator and 黑料网吃瓜爆料 immunologist Professor Matt Hepworth added: 鈥淭his work challenges the long-standing view that fasting鈥檚 immunological impact is driven purely by nutrient levels. It highlights the nervous system鈥檚 profound influence on how the immune system adapts during fasting.鈥�

Lead author Dr Cavalcanti de Albuquerque said: 鈥淏y showing how the brain exerts top-down control over immune cells, we can further explore when and how fasting might deliver health benefits. It also opens up potential ways to treat infectious, inflammatory, metabolic, and psychiatric conditions.鈥�

The paper Brain Sensing of Metabolic State Regulates Circulating Monocytes   is available

Ali Oliver MBE, Chief Executive at Youth Sports Trust said:  
 
"At the Youth Sport Trust, we know a child's wellbeing is the foundation for their success, both in and out of the classroom, and physical activity including PE, sport and play is vital to their physical, social, and emotional development. When children are healthy and happy, they are ready to learn. It鈥檚 encouraging to see through these results more parents are recognising the critical link between wellbeing and academic and personal development, with many now prioritising it when choosing a secondary school. We believe measuring wellbeing can help track progress as well as ensuring support is targeted towards those with the greatest needs. 

鈥淭hrough our development of the Well School and Well School Trust movement, a growing collection of schools and trusts taking positive action to improve education outcomes by supporting the health and happiness of their staff and pupils, we are committed to helping make this a reality. In June, we鈥檙e introducing a free Well check service for schools which will help parents easily identify schools committed to nurturing wellbeing, while also supporting schools in creating environments where every young person can thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally."  

Ben Levinson OBE, executive headteacher at Kensington Primary School and chair of the Well school collective, said:

"As a parent, headteacher and chair of the Well School Collective, I have always been a strong advocate for prioritising children's wellbeing within schools. Supporting positive mental and physical health has been at the heart of my approach at Kensington Primary School, and I鈥檓 proud to say that this focus has played a key role in our Outstanding Ofsted grade. By establishing strong wellbeing practices in primary schools, we help parents see the importance of continuing this focus as they look ahead to secondary education. Wellbeing and school excellence are not competing priorities; they are complementary, essential elements that drive success. That is why it鈥檚 so encouraging to see more parents recognising this; when we support wellbeing, we鈥檙e creating the conditions for every young person to flourish, and it鈥檚 vital that schools and parents work together to make this a priority." 

The experts also say that investing in wellbeing is not just a moral imperative - it also makes economic sense. They point to research from  which highlights the substantial financial benefits of prioritising wellbeing, estimating that tackling low wellbeing among young people could deliver billions  
 
To find out more about the national wellbeing measurement programme campaign, visit .  

鈥淭hrough her work, Jackie has foregrounded disability inclusion, ensuring that disabled staff and students have a voice in shaping a more inclusive culture,鈥� said Vicki Baars, Head of Culture Transformation at Culture Shift. 鈥淪he truly leads by example and lives the principle of 鈥楴othing about us without us鈥� -  her work remains a vital force for creating lasting change at the university.鈥�

Also named as a Fellow is Professor Toni Haastrup, a leading expert in feminist international studies. Her work has explored contemporary Africa-EU relations, feminist foreign policy and the Women, Peace and Security agenda. With over 80 published works, her work seeks to bridge theory and practice, which has led to collaborations with UN agencies and EU institutions. Passionate about inclusion in the sector, Toni is currently chair of the . Her contribution to feminist knowledge in Europe was recognised with an Emma Goldman Award in 2022. She is also a mid-career fellow of the Independent Social Research Foundation.

鈥淚 am deeply honoured to be recognised by the Academy of Social Sciences,鈥� Toni said. 鈥淭his recognition further validates the importance of feminist perspectives within the humanities and social sciences, at a time we are increasingly seeing a backlash within and outside the academy. Yet, this work is essential to addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time, and I am grateful to the colleagues and collaborators who have supported my work over the years.鈥�

Our final new Fellow is Professor Sophie Woodward, a distinguished sociologist who carries out research into material culture, consumption and everyday life. Sophie is the author of several books including Why Women Wear What They Wear (2007), Blue Jeans: The Art of the Ordinary (2012), Birth and Death: experience, ethics and politics (2020) and Material Methods: Researching and Thinking with Things (2019) who co-directs the , as well as serving as Vice-Director of the National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM). She is also one of the founding editors of the new Journal of Creative Research methods. 

鈥淚 am delighted to be made a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences - it is wonderful to receive recognition like this,鈥� said Sophie. 鈥淚 look forward to working with other fellows at a time when the world needs social science methods, perspectives and critiques more than ever. I look forward to continuing to develop critical engagements with methods and the data they can generate and my research into everyday lives.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 delighted to welcome these outstanding social scientists to the Academy鈥檚 Fellowship, whose research and practice are helping to develop solutions to pressing societal issues,鈥� said Will Hutton, President of the Academy. 鈥淲e look forward to working with them to further promote the vital role the social sciences play in all areas of our lives.鈥�

The scientists also found slightly less, but still significant levels of microplastics in other organs of both male and female turtles, including the heart, kidney, liver and spleen, as well as skeletal muscle, subcutaneous fat, stomach and intestines.

They studied the bodies of 10 stranded loggerhead sea turtles, recovered by the Oceanogr脿fic Foundation of Valencia, that suffered drowning and exhaustion when they were accidently caught up in commercial fishing nets. 

The findings, published in the journal , could spell disaster for the majestic creatures already found in declining numbers in the world鈥檚 oceans.

It is the first study to show that microplastics from the gut can translocate in sea turtles, opening up the possibility of different organs  especially the reproductive system -  being directly affected.

The scientists believe microplastics may also lead to systemic inflammation  in the animals.

The largest median particle size  of around 25 microns was found in the intestines and fat, and the smallest median particle size  - of around 15 microns was found in the stomach and reproductive organs.

Lead author Leah Costello, a PhD researcher from 黑料网吃瓜爆料 was funded under a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Doctoral Training Studentship. 

She said: 鈥�Microplastics are a pervasive marine environmental pollutant, on a par with other global threats such as climate change and ozone depletion. 

鈥淥ur study is the first to show direct evidence of the presence of microplastics in the reproductive and other organs of loggerhead sea turtles.

鈥淪ea turtles already face many pressures from human activity and although we have been aware that they ingest plastic throughout their range, the finding of microplastics in almost every tissue sample was quite shocking.

鈥淭hese findings show that even seemingly healthy individuals could be under physiological stress, impacting the reproductive success of vulnerable and recovering populations.鈥�

Foreign microparticles were identified in 98.8% of all samples, of which around 70% were  microplastics. 

Analysis revealed that polypropylene, polyester fibres, and polyethylene were the most common microparticle types. 

Polypropylene is used in include food packaging, clothing, bottle caps, ropes, personal care products, fishing gear and twine. 

Loggerhead turtles are regularly reported to ingest plastic bags  - made from polyethylene -  who misidentify them as  jellyfish and algae. 

Polyester is another dominant microfiber releasing large numbers of microfibres into the oceans and seas. 

And further analysis provided direct visualisation of cotton microfibres embedded in loggerhead heart tissue.

 Three million tonnes of primary microplastics are released into environment every year, with a further 5.3 million tonnes of larger plastic items that can degrade into secondary microplastics over time.

Because plastics can remain in the gut for up to four months in sea turtles, the scientists speculate that microplastics can cross biological barriers from the gut to organs via the circulatory system contributing to a suite of adverse biological effects.

Co-author Professor Holly Shiels from the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料  added: 鈥淢icroplastic accumulation is likely to be associated with organ damage and toxicity in these incredible marine reptiles that can live for 70 years.

鈥淥f particular concern is the impact on reproduction, with implications on growth, development and viability of offspring which could spell trouble for the stability of these already vulnerable sea turtle populations. 

鈥�However, further studies are required to more broadly assess the biological and health impacts of microplastic on sea turtle reproduction.鈥�

• Images: fibre lodged in sea turtle heart; microplastics found in the turtles; drawing of sea turtle by Eve Boswell 
• Microplastics accumulate in all major organs of the Mediterranean loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is published in Marine Environmental Research  

According to their study published today (25/03/25), satisfaction levels were lower in practices that rely more both on telephone appointments and consultations with non-GP staff.

Advanced nurse practitioners, physician associates, practice-based pharmacists and even paramedics, are among the roles who over the past few years have increasingly worked in place of GPs.

The study also theorises that patient satisfaction could increase by 1% when 10 additional face to face GP appointments per 1000 patients per month are added.

The findings are released amid recent changes to Government policy which aims to place more emphasis on non-GP roles to fill gaps in primary care provision.

However, critics of the policy argue that the new roles can be a cheap substitute which blur the lines between doctors and non-doctors.

The study is the first to use national appointment data to investigate the complex relationships between patient satisfaction, access, preference for a specific GP, and support for managing long-term conditions against appointment volume, modality (telephone or face-to-face), and practitioner type.

The data set of over half a million English patients from 5,500 practices was taken from the General Practice Patient Survey (GPPS) and  NHS Digital's practice level appointment data, covering August 2022 to March 2023.

The study found that 69.5% of appointments were face-to-face and 27.2% were on the telephone. Only 29.6% of appointments were face-to-face with a GP and 18.4% were GP telephone appointments.

The researchers also found that practices with a larger amount of telephone consultations had less satisfied patients. This dissatisfaction was still present and decreased only slightly when telephone calls were carried out by GPs, rather than non-GP staff.

The  correlation coefficient between face-to-face appointments and overall satisfaction was 0.096, showing that  practices with a greater percentage of face-to-face appointments were  more likely to have patients with higher overall satisfaction.

However the figure for GP face-to-face appointments was 0.167 showing that GP face-to-face appointments have an even stronger correlation.

The study also found that:

• Practices offering more on the day appointments had reduced satisfaction with access compared to practices that offered appointments days or weeks in advance.
• Greater numbers of appointments of any type with any staff member overall resulted in improved patients satisfaction.
• Greater numbers of GP appointments at a practice were associated with reduced unmet health needs.

Dr Patrick Burch is an academic clinical lecturer at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and a practising GP.

He said: 鈥淭his study of appointments from over 5,500 practices showed that more appointments, particularly with face-to-face with GPs, tended to be associated with more satisfied patients who were better able to meet their health needs.

鈥淲hile telephone and IT assisted appointments have an important role to play in general practice, we would cautiously welcome an overall increase in the proportion of face-to-face consultations.

鈥淯ntil recently, simply employing more GPs was not seen as feasible. However, given six out of 10 job-seeking GPs have to find a vacancy to apply for over the past year, this may now be a potential option.

鈥淲e would also welcome measures that free up GP time to enable more patient appointments.鈥�

He added: 鈥淎 greater proportion of telephone appointments were associated with decreased satisfaction in general, especially when provided by non-doctor roles.

鈥淣on-GP clinicians employed in primary care since 2019 has increased by 21,600 full time equivalent staff members.

鈥淎s primary care funding has not gone up significantly, arguably this cash is now being used to pay other less expensive clinicians rather than GPs.

鈥淭he reasons for the findings behind this study are likely to be complex, but there is undoubtedly an important role for non-GP clinicians in primary care.

鈥淧atient satisfaction is not the only measure of success in general practice but it is important that policy makers take note of the link between patient satisfaction and numbers of appointments with GPs.鈥�

In the paper, appointments were only divided into GP or non-GP, with no other categories used. As a proportion, if one goes up, the other goes down.

The paper What is the relationship between the volume and type of appointments in general practice and patient experience? An observational study of general practice in England is published in the British Journal of General Practice . DOI: