Dr Christopher Sherwin, 1962-2017
Dr Christopher Sherwin, Senior Research Fellow at Bristol Veterinary School before his retirement in 2012, died on 18 July. His colleague Mike Mendl offers a tribute.
News
UK ‘meat tax’ would cost economy almost £250 million a year
A 'meat tax' would cost the UK £242 million a year according to a new study, adding a surprising economic rationale to the National Food Strategy's dismissal of the idea on political grounds.
National Lottery funding to help children uncover Fantastic Mr Fox’s heritage
While most British children are likely to have heard of Fantastic Mr. Fox, very few adults, let alone children, may have heard of Reynard, the Dutch vulpine trickster who inspired Roald Dahl’s much-loved character.
Bristol study resolves dispute about the origin of animals
New research led by the University of Bristol has resolved evolutionary biology’s most-heated debate, revealing it is the morphologically simple sponges, rather than the anatomically complex comb jellies, which represent the oldest lineage of living animals.
Bristol named as UK’s smartest city
Bristol has overtaken London as the UK’s leading 'smart city' according to the second UK Smart Cities Index, commissioned by Huawei UK and conducted by Navigant Consulting. The report is based on evaluations of 20 cities and their strategies, key projects and overall readiness in using digital technology to improve crucial civic services from transport infrastructure to healthcare.
Tobacco and alcohol may increase likelihood of using illegal drugs, new study shows
The use of legal drugs (tobacco and alcohol) may lead to the use of cannabis, a new study led by the University of Bristol and published in the journal Addiction has found. The study also found evidence that cannabis use may lead to smoking initiation, and opioid dependence could lead to increased alcohol consumption. Additionally, there might be shared risk factors that influence the use of multiple substances.
Bristol partners with leading Australian university to offer first dual doctoral award
In a first for the University of Bristol, Vice-Chancellor Professor Hugh Brady today signed an agreement with Australia’s Macquarie University to offer a programme of Dual Doctoral Awards, providing cross-global training opportunities for post-graduate researchers.
Reluctance to be vaccinated against COVID-19 among social media users is explained by conspiracy suspicions and general attitudes to vaccination
New research has found that the most reliable indicators of willingness to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are rejection of conspiracy suspicions about COVID-19 and a positive attitude towards vaccines in general. The study by King's College London and the University of Bristol is published in the leading peer-reviewed journal Psychological Medicine.
Eyes that lie: protective deception of eyespots confirmed
The widespread occurrence of eyespots, from butterflies to fish, has intrigued biologists for years but the mechanism behind their function has, until now, remained unclear.
Staying on long-term antidepressants reduces risk of relapse
When people stop taking antidepressants after a long period of use, just over half (56 per cent) experience a relapse within a year, compared to 39 per cent of those who stay on medication, finds a new study led by UCL and involving researchers from the universities of Bristol, Southampton, York and McMaster University in Canada.