Research

Researchers identify a genetic cause of intellectual disability affecting tens of thousands of people

31 May 2024

A neurodevelopmental disorder, caused by mutations in a single gene, affecting tens of thousands of people worldwide, has been identified by researchers. The work, published today [31 May] in Nature Medicine, was conducted by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Bristol, KU Leuven, Belgium; and the NIHR BioResource (currently based at the University of Cambridge).

What are the prospects for sustaining high-quality groundwater?

19 December 2011

New research led by the University of Bristol’s Department of Civil Engineering has looked at nitrate transport from agricultural land to water in the Thames basin.

Trailblazing Bristol mathematician and first-time mum scoops ‘Oscar of Science’ stateside

16 April 2024

A talented Bristol mathematician took a break from motherhood to mingle with A-list celebrities and world-leading academics at an awards ceremony in America to receive a prestigious accolade in recognition of her pioneering research.

Blood pressure drug could double up as first treatment for common form of dementia

10 December 2013

Alzheimer’s Society and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have announced the beginning of a major new £2.25 million clinical trial to test whether a widely prescribed blood pressure drug could double up as a first treatment for a common form of dementia.

App can help people reduce their alcohol intake

25 March 2024

A free smartphone app, Drink Less, can help people who would benefit most from reducing their alcohol consumption to do so successfully, according to a large randomised controlled trial led by UCL researchers and involving University of Bristol academics.

Prenatal exposure to air pollution associated with increased mental health risks

28 May 2024

A baby’s exposure to air pollution while in the womb is associated with the development of certain mental health problems once the infant reaches adolescence, new research has found. The University of Bristol-led study, published in JAMA Network Open today [28 May], examined the long-term mental health impact of early-life exposure to air and noise pollution.

Cognitive behavioural therapy is effective in reducing depression in people whose symptoms have not responded to treatment with antidepressants

7 December 2012

Antidepressants are the most widely used treatment for people with moderate to severe depression. However, up to two thirds of people with depression don’t respond fully to this type of treatment. New findings, published in The Lancet, have shown cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)*, provided in addition to usual care, can reduce symptoms of depression and help improve patients’ quality of life.

Award-winning new film chronicles Dylan Thomas’s relatively unknown journey through Iran

28 May 2024

Many people are familiar with Dylan Thomas as a popular Welsh poet whose most famous work was the ‘play for voices’ Under Milk Wood, produced just before his death in 1953. But he is perhaps less well known for his film work.

Shakespeare’s sister: how using digital archives revealed hidden insights into world famous playwright’s unknown sibling

21 March 2024

By analysing digital copies of an incredibly rare and obscure 17th century Italian religious text, a University of Bristol academic has revealed that a long-lost document previously thought to have been written by William Shakespeare’s father belongs in fact to his relatively unknown sister Joan.

Can science predict a hit song?

17 December 2011

New research by academics in the University of Bristol’s Intelligent Systems Laboratory has looked at whether a song can be predicted to be a ‘hit’