Faculty of Health Sciences

Powerful new synthetic vaccines to combat epidemics

25 September 2019

A new type of vaccine that can be stored at warmer temperatures, removing the need for refrigeration, has been developed for mosquito-borne virus Chikungunya in a major advance in vaccine technology. The findings, published in Science Advances today [Wednesday 25 September], reveal exceptionally promising results for the Chikungunya vaccine candidate, which has been engineered using a synthetic protein scaffold that could revolutionise the way vaccines are designed, produced and stored.

Cardiologist elected to post with the European Society of Cardiology

15 September 2015

A Bristol cardiology consultant lecturer has been elected to a prestigious post with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

New translational research centre celebrates its topping-out

15 September 2015

A new national research facility aligned to NHS standards is currently under construction in the University of Bristol, for researchers across the UK. Its role is to get research out of the laboratory and ensure patients worldwide can access ground-breaking treatments as quickly as possible.

Scientists discover link between childhood IQ and bipolar disorder

19 August 2015

New research by scientists at the Universities of Glasgow, Bristol, Cardiff and Texas suggests that serious disorders of mood such as bipolar disorder may be the price that human beings have had to pay for more adaptive traits such as intelligence, creativity and verbal proficiency. The findings are published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

New insight into bacterial infections found in the noses of healthy cattle

16 August 2019

New research led by academics at the University of Bristol Veterinary and Medical Schools used the 'One Health' approach to study three bacterial species in the noses of young cattle and found the carriage of the bacteria was surprisingly different. The findings which combined ideas and methods from both animal and human health research could help prevent and control respiratory diseases.

Poor diet can lead to blindness

3 September 2019

An extreme case of "fussy" or "picky" eating caused a young patient’s blindness, according to a new case report published today [2 Sep 2019] in Annals of Internal Medicine. The University of Bristol researchers who examined the case recommend clinicians consider nutritional optic neuropathy in any patients with unexplained vision symptoms and poor diet, regardless of BMI, to avoid permanent vision loss.

Study casts doubt on effectiveness of named GP scheme

23 September 2019

An NHS scheme to give every patient aged 75 and over in England a named GP responsible for their care has failed to deliver hoped-for improvements, according to a study by researchers at the University of Bristol's Centre for Academic Primary Care.

Rare variants in health and disease: latest Nature findings from UK10K project published

14 September 2015

A detailed study of the genetic data of nearly 10,000 individuals — one of the largest analyses of its kind to date — has been carried out in an effort to explore how rare differences in our genes contribute to human disease. The main findings, led by an international team including researchers from the University of Bristol’s MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, are reported in two papers published in Nature and Nature Communications [14 September 2015].

Bristol jumps up four places in Good University Guide 2020

20 September 2019

The University of Bristol has jumped up four places to 15th out of 134 UK universities in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 [published Sunday 22 September].

Scientists reveal how a faulty gene leads to kidney disease

15 August 2019

New insights into why a faulty gene involved in a devastating form of a kidney condition called nephrotic syndrome leads to disease in some patients have been identified in new Kidney Research UK-funded research led by the University of Bristol. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), could pave the way for new ways to prevent or treat the condition, by revealing new targets to intervene in the process. Around 1 in 50,000 children are diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome each year.