News and features: 2012

May | Apr | Mar | Feb | Jan

May

New scheme for Centres for Global Health Research The Wellcome Trust today launches a new £3.5m fund to support Centres for Global Health Research, to offer career support for researchers in public health and tropical medicine and foster exchange between institutions. 18 May 2012 Archives from the pioneers of modern genetics to be brought together for the first time The Wellcome Library is to bring the papers of the pioneers of modern genetics together in one place for the first time as part of a ground-breaking digitisation project, 'Modern Genetics and its Foundations'. 17 May 2012 NHS set to benefit from UK-led technologies Video games, pioneering gene therapies and new medical devices are set to transform treatments on the NHS, with support from the Health Innovation Challenge Fund from the Department of Health and the Wellcome Trust. 17 May 2012 Virtual reality allows researchers to measure brain activity at unprecedented resolution Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to measure brain activity during behaviour in large populations of nerve cells at the resolution of individual cells. 10 May 2012 94 elements to be explored in new film project A new web-based filmmaking project launched last week, bringing together award-winning filmmakers and emerging talent to create original films about the ways in which the 94 naturally occurring elements affect our lives. 10 May 2012 Why women wiggling in high heels could help improve prosthetic limbs and robots People walking normally, women tottering in high heels and ostriches strutting all exert the same forces on the ground despite their very differently shaped feet, according to research. 09 May 2012 Applications open for third round of global health trials initiative Applications are now open for the third round of an initiative to fund late-stage global health trials of health interventions designed to improve health in low- and middle-income countries. 09 May 2012 'Superhuman' coming to Wellcome Collection in July From Icarus to i-limbs, Wellcome Collection's major summer exhibition, 'Superhuman', explores the extraordinary ways people have sought to improve, adapt and enhance their body's performance. 04 May 2012 Delirium mouse model helps researchers understand the condition's causes A new mouse model of delirium developed by Wellcome Trust researchers has provided an important insight into the mechanisms underlying the condition, bringing together two theories on its causes. 02 May 2012 Translation Award investigates new therapy to prevent type 1 diabetes A project to develop a new therapy for type 1 diabetes launches today. The new therapy is designed to target the immune response that underlies the condition and, if successful, could prevent the disease from developing. 02 May 2012 Wellcome Trust's 'Focus on stroke' blog series launched Throughout May - the Stroke Association's Action on Stroke Month - the Wellcome Trust blog will run a series of feature articles, infographics, interviews and films about this common, disabling condition. 01 May 2012
April

Leading investments industry figure joins Wellcome Trust Board of Governors Alan Brown, a leading figure in the investments community, is to join the Board of Governors of the Wellcome Trust, it is announced today. He will take up his position on 1 May. 27 Apr 2012 Feature Deceptive appearances: engineering cartilage Researchers have been engineering cartilage for 15 years, but it doesn't function properly in human joints. Now, they are taking a new approach to making laboratory-created cartilage more like the tissue our bodies make. 26 Apr 2012 Report outlines challenges and opportunities facing malaria research Research to improve proven interventions to reduce the burden of malaria must go hand-in-hand with studies to understand its biology and develop new tools, a report from the Wellcome Trust has concluded. 25 Apr 2012 Study reveals how ancient viruses became genomic 'superspreaders' Scientists have uncovered clues as to how our genomes became riddled with viruses. The study, supported by the Wellcome Trust, reveals important information about the so-called 'dark matter' of our genome. 24 Apr 2012 New centre aims to understand how intelligence arises from brain's circuits A new research centre opens today at Oxford University to investigate how intelligence arises in the brain from the physical interaction of nerve cells that are wired into circuits. 23 Apr 2012 Standard & Poor's reaffirms Wellcome Trust's AAA credit rating The Wellcome Trust announced today that its AAA (stable) credit rating has been reaffirmed by Standard & Poor's. The Trust continues to be rated Aaa (stable) by Moody's Investors Service (Moody's). 20 Apr 2012 Improved flexibility of Wellcome Trust senior biomedical schemes The Wellcome Trust is increasing the flexibility of its senior level schemes, aligning its Principal and Senior Research Fellowships with its Investigator Awards to increase the opportunities to apply for funding. 12 Apr 2012 Feature Arts Awards: Body of work Inspired by the fact that unwanted tissues are an important source of adult stem cells, artist Gina Czarnecki and scientist Professor Sara Rankin from Imperial College London started the 'Wasted' project. 12 Apr 2012 Two weeks left to enter the Science Writing Prize 2012 Don't miss the opportunity to join a new generation of science writers. You have just two weeks to enter the Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize 2012, in association with the 'Guardian' and the 'Observer'. 11 Apr 2012 Feature Advances with wolves: Professor Tim Coulson When the testing of his model of environmental change was delayed by ethical issues about using human data, Professor Tim Coulson from Imperial College London turned to wild wolves as a model population. 10 Apr 2012 Emergence of artemisinin resistance on Thai-Myanmar border raises spectre of untreatable malaria Evidence that the most deadly species of malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is becoming resistant to the frontline treatment for malaria on the border of Thailand and Myanmar is reported in the 'Lancet' today. 05 Apr 2012 Feature Appliance of Science: "There's a strong correlation between comedy and nerdiness" There has been a groundswell of geeky comedy over the last few years, and it seems that huge numbers of people are demanding intelligent entertainment and cerebral comedy. 05 Apr 2012 Have your say on 'Big Picture' The Wellcome Trust is evaluating its educational magazine 'Big Picture' and would like to hear from you. 04 Apr 2012 Research uncovers genetic basis of effective cancer treatment Research published in 'Nature' last week has revealed new information about why not all patients with the same type of cancer respond to the same drugs. 03 Apr 2012 Feature Dr Samson Kinyanjui: how I got into training and capacity building As head of training at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kenya, Dr Kinyanjui has overseen rapid growth in support for young African scientists. He talks to Michael Regnier about his vision for the future. 03 Apr 2012
March

UK Biobank opens to researchers A unique data resource of the health and lifestyles of half a million Britons - including 26 000 people with diabetes, 41 000 teetotallers and 11 000 heart attack patients - becomes available for research today. 30 Mar 2012 Genome study confirms immune system link to disfiguring leg swelling Genetic variants in a region of the genome linked to our immune response have been linked to an increased risk of podoconiosis, a disfiguring leg swelling caused by an abnormal reaction to minerals found in soil. 29 Mar 2012 Feature From the Archive: Henry Wellcome's cats Jo Maddocks and Sharon Messenger give us an insight into Henry Wellcome's devotion to his pets. 29 Mar 2012 Brains: The mind as matter Wellcome Collection's major new exhibition (29 March to 17 June 2012) explores what humans have done to brains in the name of medical intervention, scientific enquiry, culture and technological change. 28 Mar 2012 Feature Nuts and Bolts: Mitochondria Hailed as the 'powerhouses' of the cell in thousands of textbooks, mitochondria rightly have a reputation as essential pieces of cellular machinery. Find out more with this quick guide by Chrissie Giles. 27 Mar 2012 Gene can make mild influenza a life-threatening disease A new finding could help explain why influenza becomes a life-threatening disease for some people but has only mild effects in others. Research has identified a gene that influences how we respond to influenza infection. 26 Mar 2012 The impossible staircase in our heads: how we visualise the world around us Our interpretation of the world around us may have more in common with the impossible staircase illusion than it does the real world, according to research published today in the open access journal 'PLoS ONE'. 23 Mar 2012 'Face to Face with Sports Science' begins today in Manchester Researchers from the School of Sport and Exercise Science at Liverpool John Moores University are bringing the science of London 2012 to life in a series of free events across the North-west of England. 23 Mar 2012 People with autism have a greater ability to process information People with autism have a greater than normal capacity for processing information and are better able to detect information defined as 'critical', according to a study published today. 22 Mar 2012 New online game launched ahead of 'Brains' exhibition Ahead of the opening of the new exhibition 'Brains: The mind as matter', Wellcome Collection has launched 'Axon', a free online game in which gamers explore the anatomy of the brain and grow a neuron. 22 Mar 2012 Feature Wellcome-Beit Fellowships Launched in 2009, the Wellcome-Beit Prize Fellowships recognise the best researchers to gain intermediate-stage Wellcome Trust research fellowships. We meet three researchers to find out more. 22 Mar 2012 Wellcome Trust to launch £200 million investment business for healthcare and life sciences The Board of Governors of the Wellcome Trust has approved the creation of a new business that will invest in emerging businesses and technologies in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. 20 Mar 2012 Spring 'Wellcome News' out now The latest 'Wellcome News' is out now, bursting with stories about the people, projects and research that we support. In this issue, we hear from people working in a variety of fields about what motivates them. 20 Mar 2012 Feature Respiratory genetics: joined-up thinking In late 2011, Professors William Cookson and Miriam Moffatt became the Wellcome Trust's first Joint Senior Investigators. Anjana Ahuja went to talk asthma, genetics and the secrets of a successful working relationship. 20 Mar 2012 Scientists map hotspots for genetic exchange in chimpanzees Scientists at the University of Oxford and the University of Chicago have constructed the first genetic map in chimpanzees of recombination - the exchange of genetic material within a chromosome that makes us all unique. 16 Mar 2012 Sanger Institute researcher scoops The Brain Prize Professor Karen Steel from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute has been awarded The Brain Prize 2012 for her work investigating the molecular basis of hereditary deafness. 15 Mar 2012 Join a new generation of science writers Building on last year's inaugural competition, we're pleased to announce the launch of the Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize 2012. This is your opportunity to join a new generation of science writers. 15 Mar 2012 London 2012-inspired science experience debuts at Big Bang Fair in Birmingham Young people from around the UK will get a hands-on insight into how their bodies work during exercise, movement and rest when the Wellcome Trust's In the Zone initiative arrives at the Big Bang Fair in Birmingham next week. 14 Mar 2012 Big Bang Fair arrives in Birmingham The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair - the biggest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths for young people in the UK - arrives in Birmingham this week. 14 Mar 2012 Award to develop new drug against Chagas' disease The DNDi has received a Strategic Translation Award from the Wellcome Trust to develop a promising drug to treat Chagas' disease. The Award will take the project to the end of phase II clinical trials. 13 Mar 2012 Feature Plague in Kazakhstan Researchers are exploring the dynamics of plague in the wild in Kazakhstan to understand where it is and what is happening when it seems to disappear. Their aim is to develop an early warning system for outbreaks. 13 Mar 2012 Prizes awarded for new research improving animal welfare in the life sciences Wellcome-Trust funded scientists at the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh, the Sanger Institute and the Institute of Cancer Research have received prizes for innovations that reduce the use of animals in research. 12 Mar 2012 The treasures of Henry Wellcome From a pair of wax hands to a shrunken head, a new display of photographs by Thom Atkinson in the windows of the Wellcome Trust celebrates the remarkable collection of treasures amassed by Sir Henry Wellcome. 09 Mar 2012 Unique project aims to measure impact of mass media on saving lives A new initiative underway in Burkina Faso aims to save thousands of lives by using 60-second radio adverts and radio phone-ins to change the behaviour of pregnant women and new mothers. 09 Mar 2012 Publication of the gorilla genome opens window onto human evolution The sequence of the gorilla genome is published today, providing a unique perspective on our own origins and an important resource for research into human evolution and biology, as well as gorilla biology and conservation. 08 Mar 2012 Prestigious postdoctoral fellowships now awarded twice a year Building on the success of the Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme and the achievements of the Fellows supported so far, applications will now be accepted twice a year, giving candidates greater flexibility. 08 Mar 2012 Strategic Translation Award boosts neglected tropical disease research at the University of Dundee The University of Dundee has received a five-year Strategic Translation Award from the Wellcome Trust to further the fight against some of the world's most neglected parasitic diseases. 07 Mar 2012 Feature Parallel evolution: cystic fibrosis Researchers are examining the evolution of P. aeruginosa over time in the lungs of ten people with cystic fibrosis to understand why it persists in these patients and why its response to antibiotics is so varied. 06 Mar 2012 Health Innovation Challenge Fund takes flexible approach Changes to the Health Innovation Challenge Fund will now make it easier for organisations and groups to submit research proposals for projects that will further the development of innovative healthcare products. 05 Mar 2012 Nearby chimpanzee populations show much greater genetic diversity than distant human populations Chimpanzee populations living in close proximity are substantially more different genetically than humans living on different continents, according to a study published today in 'PLoS Genetics'. 02 Mar 2012
February

Clean delivery kits linked to substantial reduction in neonatal deaths in South Asia Providing clean delivery kits and improving birthing practices could halve the number of neonatal deaths following home births in South Asia, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust. 29 Feb 2012 'Wave' by Sigune Hamann Visitors and passers-by will find themselves greeted by unknown figures waving to them at Wellcome Collection this March as a new art installation takes over the building's foyer and windows. 28 Feb 2012 Wellcome Trust Assessment Framework Report 2010/11 and Strategic Plan update Published today, our Assessment Framework Report summary for 2010/11 and two-year Strategic Plan update provide an overview of what we have achieved and our emerging strategic priorities. 28 Feb 2012 Feature Metacognition: I know (or don't know) that I know Dr Steve Fleming is exploring the neural basis of metacognition: how we think about thinking and how we assess our mental performance. 27 Feb 2012 Art and health in the slums: exploring the health concerns of Mumbai's poorest communities Dharavi, one of the most disadvantaged areas of Mumbai, India, is to be home to an ambitious art exhibition - involving residents, artists and health professionals - expressing the health concerns of its residents. 24 Feb 2012 Early career clinical postdoctoral fellowship schemes open The Wellcome Trust is pleased to offer a portfolio of opportunities for talented clinicians wishing to undertake a period of postdoctoral training in the best research environments in the UK and overseas. 24 Feb 2012 Outstanding scholars receive inaugural Wellcome Trust Investigator Awards in Medical Humanities The Wellcome Trust today announces the first recipients of its Investigator Awards in Medical Humanities, awarded to world-class asking the most important questions at the interface of science, medicine and the humanities. 23 Feb 2012 Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst opens for business The UK's first open innovation bioscience campus, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, is now open for business with the first tenants having taken space in the new purpose-built facility. 23 Feb 2012 Here Comes Good Health! 'Here Comes Good Health!', a new display at Wellcome Collection, explores Bermondsey Borough Council's innovative public health work through leaflets, photos and the pioneering educational films they produced. 22 Feb 2012 Scientists identify link between size of brain region and conformity Every generation has its James Dean: the rebel who refuses to follow their peers. Now, a new study has found a link between the amount of grey matter in one brain region and an individual's likelihood of conforming. 21 Feb 2012 Royal Society and Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale Fellowships now open for application These fellowships provide support for outstanding postdoctoral scientists wishing to build their own UK-based independent research career addressing an important biomedical question. 21 Feb 2012 Feature A burst from the blue: is bulimia nervosa really a modern disease? Named in a scientific paper for the first time in 1979, bulimia nervosa has been studied extensively since - but the origins of the condition have attracted considerably less attention than its causes, diagnoses and treatment. 20 Feb 2012 Fatal devil cancer genome sequenced Researchers, including several from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge, have sequenced the genome of a cancer that is threatening the existence of the Tasmanian devil. 17 Feb 2012 Successful third round Investigators named The latest Investigator Awards in the biomedical sciences have been made. The eight Awards range in value from just over £900 000 to £1.9 million and will last between five and seven years. 17 Feb 2012 Computer programs may be able to identify individuals most at risk of anxiety and mood disorders Computer programs can be taught to differentiate between the brain scans of healthy adolescents and those most at risk of developing psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression. 16 Feb 2012 New lab model of Alzheimer's disease will help research A new way of studying Alzheimer's disease in the lab, developed by scientists at the Wellcome Trust and Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, will help researchers understand how the disease progresses. 16 Feb 2012 Ultrasound study provides first direct evidence of effect of malaria on fetal growth A study of almost 3800 pregnancies has provided the most accurate and direct evidence to date that malaria infection reduces early fetal growth. The research highlights the importance of preventing malaria in pregnancy. 10 Feb 2012 Wellcome Trust "creates science legacy" from London 2012 From today, pupils at every school and college across the UK will get the opportunity to learn how their bodies work during exercise, movement and rest with free experiment kits from the Wellcome Trust's In the Zone initiative. 09 Feb 2012 Feature Diamond light, brighter than the sun It's the size of five football pitches and generates light 10 billion times brighter than the sun. As the Diamond Light Source celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, Penny Bailey visits to see how it works. 07 Feb 2012 New scheme tackles orphan and neglected diseases A new funding scheme to support academic-industry partnerships for early-stage applied research and development projects in orphan and neglected disease areas launches today. 06 Feb 2012 Genetic variant increases risk of common type of stroke A genetic variant that increases the risk of a common type of stroke has been identified. This is one of the few genetic variants to be associated with the risk of stroke and opens up new possibilities for treatment. 06 Feb 2012 'Goldilocks' gene could determine best treatment for tuberculosis patients Tuberculosis (TB) patients may receive treatments in the future according to which version they have of a single 'Goldilocks' gene, says an international research team part-funded by the Wellcome Trust. 03 Feb 2012 Old drug shows new promise to treat leishmaniasis A study published yesterday shows that a drug called fexinidazole could potentially be used to treat visceral leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease that kills 50 000 to 60 000 people a year in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 02 Feb 2012 Testosterone makes us less cooperative and more egocentric Testosterone makes us overvalue our own opinions at the expense of cooperation, recent research has found. The findings may have implications for how group decisions are affected by dominant individuals. 01 Feb 2012 First award under Irish partnership examines links between obesity, diet and heart disease Dr Fiona McGillicuddy from University College Dublin has become the first recipient of funding under the Science Foundation Ireland-Health Research Board-Wellcome Trust Biomedical Partnership. 01 Feb 2012
January

Feature A delicate balance: investigating intestinal inflammation Professor Fiona Powrie has made significant contributions to our understanding of the immune system in the gut and inflammatory bowel disease. Michael Regnier spoke to Fiona about her research and career. 31 Jan 2012 Genetics study reveals how bacteria behind serious childhood diseases evolve to evade vaccines Genetics has provided surprising insights into why vaccines used to combat serious childhood infections can eventually fail. The study has implications for how future vaccines can be made more effective. 30 Jan 2012 Wellcome Trust and Cambridge University Press work together to secure the future of 'Medical History' Cambridge University Press has announced that it will publish the leading journal 'Medical History', an international journal for the history of medicine and related sciences, from January 2012. 30 Jan 2012 Genetics study boosts search for better ways to treat human African trypanosomiasis The findings of a genetic screening study reported in 'Nature' have identified how the parasite that causes human African trypanosomiasis interacts with the drugs currently used to treat the disease. 26 Jan 2012 New malaria maps to guide battle against the disease A new suite of malaria maps has revealed the current global pattern of the disease in unprecedented detail, allowing researchers to see how malaria has changed over several years. 24 Jan 2012 Feature Opinion: "The only way is Wikipedia" In a world in which anti-science appears to be on the increase, it is imperative that scientists improve how they engage with the general public about their research and do not simply preach to the converted. 24 Jan 2012 Comedy tour exposes the maths of death The critically acclaimed comedy tour 'Your Days are Numbered' is embarking on a national tour with support from a Wellcome Trust People Award. 23 Jan 2012 Ways to prevent mitochondrial diseases to be assessed in new £5.8 million Wellcome Trust centre Research that could pave the way for IVF treatment to prevent mitochondrial diseases will take place at the new Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University thanks to a £5.8m funding boost. 19 Jan 2012 Feature Nuts and Bolts: the neuron Neurons are highly specialised cells that conduct and process information in animals, enabling thought, perception and control of movement. Here, Lydia Harriss presents a quick guide to these remarkable cells. 19 Jan 2012 Feature Appliance of Science: "There's no such thing as a non-science story" Science is part of absolutely everything. I hate science being confined to science programmes and science festivals and science pages. To me, science isn't a domain but a way of looking at things. 17 Jan 2012 Counterfeit and substandard antimalaria drugs threaten crisis in Africa Hopes of controlling malaria in Africa could be dashed by the emergence of poor-quality and fraudulent antimalarial medicines, warn experts. Unless urgent action is taken, millions of lives could be put at risk. 16 Jan 2012 Scientists find link between gene and sensitivity to emotional environment Researchers at the University of Essex have shown that a genetic variant could make some people more sensitive to their emotional environment - and more susceptible to anxiety disorders - than others. 13 Jan 2012 Artist collects false memories at free event Have you ever remembered something a certain way, only to find that it never happened? Artist Alasdair Hopwood is inviting you to contribute your false memories to a new project called the False Memory Archive. 12 Jan 2012 Spasticity gene finding provides clues to causes of nerve cell degeneration The discovery of a gene that causes a form of hereditary spastic paraplegia may provide an important insight into what causes axons, the stems of our nerve cells, to degenerate in conditions such as multiple sclerosis. 10 Jan 2012 Feature Professor Clare Williams: how I got into medical sociology As a professor of medical sociology at Brunel University, Clare Williams looks at the social forces that shape the use of medical technologies and how they might affect clinicians, scientists and patients. 10 Jan 2012 New guide to boost science media relations in African institutions A new guide for media relations practitioners working in African institutions aims to encourage better practice and to help the media officers position African research in the global arena. 09 Jan 2012 Wellcome Trust initiative links science to the Olympic and Paralympic Games for everyone in 2012 As the world focuses on the feats of human performance that will take place in London next summer, the Wellcome Trust is leading an initiative to engage the public with the science of how their own body works. 06 Jan 2012 Feature Neglected tropical diseases: a new handle on old problems Neglected tropical diseases cause long-term suffering among the world's poorest people. Research into NTDs has been happening for decades, but the fruits of this research have not always reached the people most in need. 06 Jan 2012 Inquiry-based learning Three education experts, with differing viewpoints, will offer their opinions on the role of inquiry-based learning in science education at an event at the ASE annual conference in Liverpool tomorrow. 05 Jan 2012

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