Preschoolers’ eating, activity and sleep behaviours were impacted during first COVID-19 lockdown, study suggests14 December 2020Preschool children’s eating, activity, and sleep routines were disrupted during the spring COVID-19 lockdown, which may be detrimental to child health and development a study suggests. Parents of children (aged three- to five-year-old) due to start school in September 2020 shared their children’s experiences of the spring lockdown with academics from the Universities of Bristol, Birmingham and Glasgow.
Testing memory over four weeks could predict Alzheimer's disease risk11 December 2020New research suggests testing people's memory over four weeks could identify who is at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease before it has developed. Importantly, the trial found testing people's ability to retain memories for longer time periods could predict this more accurately than classic memory tests, which test memory over half an hour.
Increased risk of domestic violence over Christmas10 December 2020Domestic violence and health experts from the University of Bristol are urging men in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gwent (South Wales) to get in touch if they are worried about being abusive or controlling in their relationships with women.
New study to investigate COVID-19 and misinformation7 December 2020Researchers at the University of Bristol and King's College London are leading a major new study to investigate COVID-19 perceptions and misperceptions, lockdown compliance and vaccine hesitancy.
PReCePT: Prevention of Cerebral Palsy in PreTerm Labour shortlisted for the 2020 HSJ Awards1 December 2020On 18 November 2020 it was announced that PReCePT, a quality improvement (QI) programme led by clinicians at University Hospitals Bristol & Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) and at the West of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN), has been shortlisted for Workforce Initiative of the Year at the 2020 Health Service Journal Awards.
Bristol Neuroscience Grey Walter Prize for best journal publication by a PhD student winner announced1 December 2020Neuroscience research at Bristol has made an impact around the world, from synaptic and circuit function to robotics, and Bristol Neuroscience recognises the contribution of Early Career Researchers to the field by running a competition named in honour of William Grey Walter who conducted basic and applied neurophysiological research at the Burden Neurological Institute in Bristol.
Exceptional challenges of bereavement during the pandemic highlighted in interim findings1 December 2020Interim findings of a survey of people bereaved in the UK since March, led by researchers from the univerities of Bristol and Cardiff and the Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Centre, show the difficulties and distress experienced by those who have lost a loved one, both prior to the death and in their grief.
Treatment for drug addiction - how do patients cope in lockdown?28 November 2020There are encouraging signs that people in treatment for drug addiction can manage their medication when they are entrusted with a substantial quantity of opiate substitutes and told to take it in small daily doses, finds a new ‘early insight’ report from researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Bath.
Spread Germ Defence, not the virus!25 November 2020With Covid-19 infections still high and people preparing for Christmas gatherings, it is vitally important to try to reduce the spread of infection in people's homes as this is where infections are now most likely to be transmitted. Research suggests people who follow the advice from Germ Defence are less likely to catch flu or other viruses and less likely to pass it on to members of their household.
Young people's anxiety levels doubled during first COVID-19 lockdown, says study24 November 2020The number of young people with anxiety doubled from 13 per cent to 24 per cent, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown 1, according to new research from the University of Bristol. The study, using Bristol’s Children of the 90s questionnaire data, showed that young people (27-29 years) reported higher levels of anxiety during the early phases of the pandemic in the first national lockdown and this was higher than their parents.
Combined intimate partner violence that includes sexual violence is common and more damaging16 November 2020Women who experience sexual violence combined with other forms of intimate partner violence suffer greater damage to their health and are much more likely to attempt suicide, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care published today [12 November] in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
Launch of new neurodevelopmental and neurodiversity network4 November 2020A new regional network between the GW4 universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter has launched which will focus on research into neurodiversity and conditions such as ADHD and autism. It will draw on world-leading expertise across GW4, including the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at Bristol, the Wales Autism Research Centre at Cardiff, and Egenis research groups at Exeter. While supported by GW4 – a research alliance bringing together the four universities - the network hopes to generate engagement from other researchers, clinicians, the public, and third sector organisations from around the region.
Research to use artificial intelligence to identify sick livestock2 November 2020The welfare of livestock could be improved thanks to a new research project that will use novel artificial intelligence methods combined with behavioural analytics to provide rapid and reliable insights to animal health for farmers across the UK. The research and commercial feasibility program, co-funded by Innovate UK, the UK's innovation agency, will be led by the Quant Foundry (QF) in collaboration with the University of Bristol Vet School and Agri-EPI Centre.
Multidisciplinary Bristol team receives £3m to investigate trustworthiness of future robots29 October 2020Would you trust a robot surgeon? What about a robot pilot, shop assistant or emergency responder? Would you trust them if they had the ability to adapt and change how they functioned? What would it take to make them trustworthy? These are some of the questions driving a team of social scientists, ethicists, computer scientists and engineers at the University of Bristol.
Neurological consequences of COVID-1920 October 2020On 20 October 2020 Drs Harriet Ball, Liz Coulthard, Tom Minton and Claire Rice presented a webinar, hosted by Bristol Neuroscience, on the Neurological consequences of COVID-19.
Bristol Cyber Security experts helping stop child exploitation19 October 2020Cyber Security experts at the University of Bristol are developing new technology to help law enforcement investigate child sexual abuse on the internet. The project will use AI to identify images, helping police to catch perpetrators and protect children.
Handbook helps explain how best to combat misinformation19 October 2020With the current flood of misinformation and "fake news" undermining democracies around the world, a consensus document that summarises the science of debunking has been published by a team of 22 prominent researchers of misinformation and its debunking.
Bristol researchers awarded Future Leaders Fellowships15 October 2020Four Bristol researchers have been awarded UK Research and Innovation's (UKRI) prestigious Future Leaders Fellowships. The awards, designed to establish the careers of world-class research and innovation leaders across the UK to help them tackle major global challenges, are announced today [15 October] by Science Minister Amanda Solloway.
New multi-million-pound centre to protect citizens online14 October 2020The University of Bristol will lead a team of the UK’s world-leading cyber security experts in the creation of a new, £8.6 million centre to protect citizens online.
Cameras that can learn14 October 2020Intelligent cameras could be one step closer thanks to a research collaboration between the Universities of Bristol and Manchester who have developed cameras that can learn and understand what they are seeing.
Researchers launch first study into COVID bereavement among BAME people13 October 2020A pioneering study into people's experience of bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic has been launched by researchers from the universities of Cardiff and Bristol. The study is calling for participants, particularly those from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds following the disproportionate effect COVID-19 has had on ethnic minority groups.
New emergency care research hub for Bristol launched12 October 2020The University of Bristol and UWE Bristol have joined forces with health care partners in the city to set up a collaborative research hub to improve the delivery of emergency care in Bristol and the surrounding area. The new hub, Research in Emergency Care, Avon Collaborative Hub (REACH), was launched today [Friday 9 October].
Battling with neighbours could make animals smarter7 October 2020From ants to primates, ‘Napoleonic’ intelligence has evolved to help animals contend with the myriad cognitive challenges arising from interactions with rival outsiders, suggest researchers at the University of Bristol in a paper published in Nature Communications today [Tuesday 6 October].
Risk of self-harm increases for boys and girls who experience earlier puberty6 October 2020Boys and girls who experience puberty earlier than their peers have an increased risk of self-harm in adolescence, a study funded by the National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Bristol BRC) and published in the journal Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences today [Tuesday 6 October] has found.
Presynaptic plasticity in hippocampal circuits2 October 2020Bristol Neuroscience was delighted to welcome Prof Christophe Mulle, Director of Research, School of Neurosciences at the University of Bordeaux as invited speaker for a webinar aired on 1 October 2020.
Bristol Neuroscience 4-year PhD studentship in Alzheimer’s Disease research 25 September 2020Dr. D.J. Stewart (BA Philosophy and Psychology, 1954) has made an extremely generous donation to Bristol Neuroscience (BN), enabling funding of a BN 4-year PhD studentship in Alzheimer’s Disease research. The project is also supported by the Faculty of Life Sciences.
The studentship is also supported by the Faculty of Life Sciences.
Do rats like to be tickled?21 September 2020Not all rats like to be tickled but by listening to their vocalisations it is possible to understand in real-time their individual emotional response, according to new research by the University of Bristol. The study, published today [21 September] in Current Biology, suggests that if this same relationship is observed for other situations, then it may be possible to use call patterns in rats to measure their emotional response and understand how best to improve their welfare.
Slower growing chickens experience higher welfare, commercial scale study finds18 September 2020Slower growing broiler chickens are healthier and have more fun than conventional breeds of birds, new evidence from an independent commercial scale farm trial has shown. The study carried out by researchers from FAI Farms, the University of Bristol and The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, is published today [16 September], in Scientific Reports.
