As part of the University’s ongoing civic commitment, festivalgoers can experience the best of research, teaching, and culture at the event on Saturday, June 13, 2026.

Discover, create and connect

From atoms to art, calligraphy to computing, and music to medicine there’s plenty to discover and do. With over 90 hands-on stalls, visitors will be encouraged to explore what makes for a greener, healthier and fairer world.

Find out how diverse cultures, creativity and wellbeing come together, discover fascinating stories of space, technology and engineering, or take a journey through the body and learn what makes us human.

Get moving with outdoor sporting challenges, featuring a range of fun activities designed to get everybody active and involved. Enjoy a quiet moment at the University Community Allotment, hosted in partnership with Ardwick Climate Action, a space to connect with nature.

Find out more about �εδ���app as a UNESCO City of Lifelong Learning and hear how the University is a key partner in helping to create a healthier and more inclusive city.

See the Flash Bang Show - a dazzling display of colour changes, flashes and the occasional bang.

Meet up with a heritage specialist to tour the campus on foot and hear how the University’s work has shaped innovation and society.

Vibrant cultural institutions

Visitors can take part in a lively mix of creative drop-in workshops hosted by the University’s cultural institutions in partnership with local community organisations. The Jodrell Bank engagement team are joining the University on campus to help answer some of the biggest questions about the universe. At the Whitworth, festivalgoers can immerse themselves in playful and artful spaces – get ready to build, explore and reimagine. Pop along to �εδ���app Museum to follow a language trail around the enchanting collections and stop off for a selfie with Stan the dinosaur.

Bee Curious

Our Bee Curious programme features thought-provoking talks and performances for all ages. Audiences will have the chance to meet with leading academics and explore curious questions ranging from What are asteroids made of? To How can we save the world’s frogs? And can you master the psychology to win The Traitors? Visitors can also join Afrocats musician Godfrey Pambalipe, in an entertaining and rhythmic drumming session. No experience needed – just bring your enthusiasm and have a go!

Find out more

Find out more about the free Universally �εδ���app Festival at The University of �εδ���app’s Oxford Road Campus on Saturday, June 13, from 11am to 4:30pm.

Take a look at the full programme here:

The NHS programme called “Healthy Living for people with type 2 diabetes” is a website containing written articles, videos, self-assessment quizzes and tools.

It supports people to live well with T2D by providing information and advice about eating well, becoming more active, living with diabetes, and emotional wellbeing.

Published today in PLOS One, the study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The research team analysed data from people with T2D who activated a Healthy Living account and found they experienced better health outcomes at one year than those who did not take part.

They examined who was most likely to use the programme (uptake) and how engagement related to changes in HbA1c – a blood test used to measure average blood sugar levels - blood pressure, body mass index, insulin use, and completion of essential diabetes care processes.

The findings show, uptake of the programme was highest among women, people from least deprived areas (vs. most deprived areas), and people of White ethnicity, and current smokers (vs. never smokers).

To assess clinical outcomes, the study compared 4,940 Healthy Living users with 24,685 similar individuals who did not register for the programme. After a year, Healthy Living users saw an average HbA1c drop of 1.3 mmol/mol, alongside small but steady dips in BMI and blood pressure, all pointing to better day‑to‑day control of their diabetes.

They were also 1.6 times more likely to complete the routine yearly MOT that helps spot problems early, keeping on top of the vital checks that protect the eyes, feet, heart and kidneys in the long run.

However, the study highlights that even small average improvements can translate into meaningful reductions in T2D‑related complications when applied across large populations.

It also underscores the need to address inequalities in uptake, with notably lower participation among Asian and Black communities despite higher T2D prevalence.

Lead author Dr said: “What this study shows, in the plainest possible terms, is that a free, nationally available NHS educational programme can help people with T2D make measurable improvements to their health, even when used in the complex reality of everyday life.

“It’s not a silver bullet, but it is a practical tool that works – and the challenge now is ensuring that everyone who could benefit has the opportunity to do so.”

“We feel Healthy Living offers a scalable, accessible option for supporting type 2 diabetes self‑management, particularly for people who face barriers to attending in‑person diabetes education programmes.

“Improving uptake among underserved groups will be essential to ensuring the programme reduces existing health inequalities.”

Co-author , Principal Investigator and an Honorary Reader at The University of �εδ���app said: “People’s outcomes were better for those who attended more of the Healthy Living programme, so it would be worthwhile for the NHS to find ways to encourage people to attend for longer, such as improved signposting and motivational messages”

• The paper Examining the uptake, retention, and effectiveness of a national online type 2 2 diabetes self-management intervention in England (Healthy Living): a retrospective 3 cohort study is available DOI

“More young people are reporting good wellbeing, loneliness is falling and emotional difficulties are reducing – which are encouraging findings – but the picture is not the same for everyone. Significant inequalities remain, particularly for LGBTQ+ young people and those with special educational needs, and that remains a major challenge.”

Report details

The latest #BeeWell findings report can be found .

Measuring around a metre in length and armed with pincers over 16 centimetres long, Praearcturus gigas would have been a formidable predator stalking floodplains around 415 million years ago. Remarkably, the fossils used to identify Praearcturus have been held in the Museum’s collection for more than 150 years.

The study, published in the journal, used modern analytical techniques and comparisons with newly described fossil species to suggest that Praearcturus is a scorpion, and a distinct species.

Dr Richard J. Howard, Curator of Fossil Arthropods at the Natural History Museum, London, and lead author of the study, said: “When we think of giant arthropods, people often picture Carboniferous rainforests with giant millipedes or dragonfly-like insects from later in Earth’s history. But Praearcturus lived at least 50 million years earlier, well before the evolution of trees, when life on land was only just getting started.

“Confirming that this animal is a scorpion fundamentally changes our understanding of how and when these creatures evolved to such extraordinary sizes.”

, Palaeontologist at The University of �εδ���app, added: “Praearcturus has puzzled us palaeontologists for more than a century. By bringing together material from several collections and using cutting edge imaging techniques , we've been able to build a clearer picture of the animal than was previously possible, which is really exciting.

“What makes Praearcturus so interesting is that it became enormous at a time when life on land was otherwise very small. But it was a world  that could somehow support a giant predator. To try and better understand this ancient world we compared the size of fossil scorpions with other animals alive at the time. To reach such extraordinary sizes, and conclude that perhaps it lived in water, where life was bigger.”

Praearcturus gigas lived during the Early Devonian. Small plants and fungi had only recently begun to spread across the landscape, and complex terrestrial ecosystems like forests had yet to evolve. This means that, unlike later giant arthropods, Praearcturus did not benefit from the high atmospheric oxygen levels associated with the rise of forests. Instead, its enormous size may reflect a world with relatively little competition from other large predators. This suggests that Praearcturus might have grown so big simply because there weren’t many other large animals around meaning it could dominate its environment in a way that wouldn’t be possible later on.

The fossils also hint that this giant scorpion may have led a partly aquatic lifestyle. Some specimens show flap-like structures on the abdomen similar to those found in modern crustaceans such as lobsters, suggesting it may have been capable of moving between water and land. Quantification of the wider arachnid fossil record, led by Dr Garwood and the team, shows that scorpions are unusually abundant in rocks of this age compared with other arachnids, supporting the idea that some early forms may have lived in freshwater environments where they are more likely to survive as fossils. This places Praearcturus at a pivotal moment in Earth’s history when animals were first experimenting with life outside the oceans.

 This places Praearcturus at a pivotal moment in Earth’s history when animals were first experimenting with life outside the oceans.

Dr Greg Edgecombe, Merit Researcher at the Natural History Musuem, London, and co-author of the study said: “The boundary between land and sea was much less defined at this time. Praearcturus gives us a fascinating glimpse into how early animals adapted to these changing environments.

“It may even represent a lineage that returned to the water after earlier ancestors had already begun living on land.”

First described in 1871, Praearcturus gigas was originally thought to be a giant crustacean, similar to a woodlouse. The known fossils fragmentary nature lacked key features such as a tail making it difficult to classify with confidence for more than a century.

The breakthrough came through comparison with better preserved fossils discovered in recent years, which revealed key anatomical features unique to scorpions. The discovery highlights the continuing scientific importance of museum collections.

Dr Howard added: “Specimens collected over a century ago can still hold entirely new insights. By revisiting them with modern techniques, we can uncover discoveries that reshape our understanding of life on Earth.”

The discovery of such a large scorpion so early in the history of life on land challenges assumptions about why prehistoric arthropods reached gigantic sizes. Rather than being driven solely by environmental factors such as oxygen levels, the findings suggest that ecological opportunity such as a lack of competition may have played a crucial role.

The findings show that virtual wards can provide a safe alternative to hospital care for some patients, allowing people to recover at home while still receiving clinical oversight. However, patients and carers often take on more practical and emotional responsibility than may be recognised as they assume duties that would normally be carried out by clinicians in hospital settings. This includes monitoring symptoms, managing equipment and responding to signs of deterioration, especially overnight or outside normal working hours.

The study, published in the journal and led by researchers at The University of �εδ���app, is funded by the NIHR Greater �εδ���app Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC) and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Greater �εδ���app (ARC-GM).

Using qualitative methods, including observation work and interviews with patients and carers, the researchers evaluated virtual wards services across four sites in North-West England. Their findings show that safety in virtual wards does not rely on technology alone, but is strongly shaped by the relational and emotional support provided to patients, carers and clinicians.

Dr Kelly Howells, Research Fellow at The University of �εδ���app and the NIHR GM PSRC, said: “Virtual wards can help people receive acute care safely at home, but our study shows safe care depends on more than technology.

“Patients, carers and clinicians all play a role in managing risk, with patients and carers often taking on important practical and emotional responsibilities, particularly outside normal working hours. Health services need to recognise and better support this work.”

The researchers suggest that hospital at home services that combine technology with in‑person home visits could help make care safer, more flexible, and accessible for a wider range of patients. Recognising and supporting the work undertaken by patients and carers is essential to ensure virtual wards are safely delivered.

As virtual wards expand as a key component of NHS policy to shift acute care from hospital to community settings, practice must ensure there is space for relational and training support for clinicians, patients, and carers so that remote acute care can be safely implemented across health systems.

The paper Shifting boundaries of risk-work in virtual wards in North-West England: a multisite qualitative evaluation is available . DOI  

This study builds on earlier work by the NIHR GM PSRC and ARC-GM exploring virtual wards through the perspectives of patients, carers and staff, helping to deepen understanding of how virtual ward services operate in practice.

Read more in

• The image was created with AI 

Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company that is reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet, will continue to fund the renowned Dental Health Unit (DHU) at the University.

Selling its health and hygiene products in more than 200 countries and territories, Colgate-Palmolive is the global leader in toothpaste and manual toothbrushes. With historic links to �εδ���app, the company’s former Colgate-Palmolive factory in Salford Quays, built in 1938, was redeveloped in 2005 into the famous landmark now known as .

The global leader in oral health has been working with The University of �εδ���app since 1968, amounting to the University’s longest ever business partnership. The DHU has been a leading centre for oral health research for almost 60 years.

Initially carrying out clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of Colgate products in collaboration with Colgate’s Research & Development team, the DHU has quickly evolved into a public health-focused program working collaboratively to mentor PhD candidates and to develop leaders in dentistry throughout the UK and beyond.

The extension of the funding will support high-quality clinical and behavioural research to generate real-world evidence for policy and practice. It will also allow the DHU to run a Fellowship Program – training the next generation of oral health researchers. The first awards to train future leaders have been announced with funding available for early career researchers in Europe and North America.

Anne-Marie Glenny, Professor of Health Sciences and Associate Dean for Research and Innovation at the School of Medical Sciences, said: “For over 50 years, the Dental Health Unit and our proud, historic association with Colgate Palmolive has reaped real health impacts, carrying out world -leading oral health research and supporting the development of research and policy leaders.

“The next chapter for the Dental Health Unit aims to enhance our impact in areas such as dental public health, behavioural science and clinical study management by building a robust network of collaborations with leading academic institutions.

"We will strategically expand our PhD program across renowned universities throughout the UK, Europe and North America.

"By fostering alliances with leading researchers, we are committed to advancing innovation and shaping thought leadership in oral health and behavioural insights.”

Professor Jan Clarkson, Academic Director at the DHU said: “This collaboration between the University and Colgate-Palmolive aims to establish the DHU as a strategic hub for advancing oral health behaviour change, leveraging behavioural insights, and innovative oral health research to deliver impactful, scalable outcomes that improve public health policies and oral health globally.

“This long standing private-public collaboration endeavours to advance global oral health research and education, leveraging industry and academic expertise to drive international excellence in scientific innovation, improve patient outcomes, and shape public health policies.”

Maria Ryan, DDS, PhD, Executive Vice President Chief Clinical Officer, Colgate Palmolive, said: “Colgate-Palmolive’s purpose is to reimagine a healthier future for all. We are proud of the accomplishments of our longstanding partnership with the University of �εδ���app through this Dental Health Unit. The pioneer DHU at the University of �εδ���app has advanced oral health through innovative, multidisciplinary research streams for more than half a century, breaking down silos between academia, clinicians, industry, policy makers and the communities that we all serve. And our collaboration has served as a model for others globally, with our more recent DHUs based in Latin America and India.”

The study was carried out by University of �εδ���app and �εδ���app University NHS Foundation Trust  researchers.

The discovery was made when researchers looked at early data from volunteers in the ongoing community-based EARLY-HF study in Greater �εδ���app. When heart scans were offered to the 550 volunteers aged over 50 with cardiometabolic issues, researchers discovered that nearly one in 10 people (nine per cent) had already suffered a heart attack without realising it.

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) had undetected or poorly managed heart or circulatory problems which required medical attention.

To take part in the study, people had to have at least two health issues from a list of seven which affect millions of people in the UK. These included high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, the lung condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the heart rhythm problem atrial fibrillation, obesity and chronic kidney disease.

The most common issues for study participants were pre-existing high blood pressure, which had already been diagnosed in 88 per cent of the study group, and obesity, which affected 70 per cent. Meanwhile 42 per cent of the volunteers had diabetes.

Led by Consultant Cardiologist at �εδ���app University NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at The University of �εδ���app, researchers wanted to understand the rate of hidden illness which had been unrecognised and untreated in this group.

They discovered almost two-thirds (60 per cent) had high blood pressure which was not under proper control or being effectively managed, raising their potential risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Among the study volunteers, 34 per cent were classified as living in an area that is among the top 20 per cent most deprived in England,¹ while 28 per cent lived in an area among the 20 per cent least deprived. There were more men than women in the study, with males making up 59 per cent of volunteers.

The researchers suggest the rates of undetected health problems found in Greater �εδ���app are likely to be reflected in communities across the UK.

British Heart Foundation Research Fellow at �εδ���app University NHS Foundation Trust and The University of �εδ���app, helped to run the study and presented the findings at the BCS conference in �εδ���app. He said:

“My colleagues and I were shocked by just how much unrecognised disease we found. While our study involves people who would be considered at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, finding so many people who had experienced a heart attack and didn’t know it was not something we ever anticipated going into this study.”

The Detecting EARLY Heart Failure in Greater �εδ���app (EARLY-HF) study aims to detect people at risk of developing heart failure earlier, within socioeconomically and ethnically diverse communities who may have reduced access to healthcare.

Heart attacks and other heart and circulatory issues, like those discovered in the study so far, can lead to heart failure – a condition which affects more than a million people in the UK and means the heart cannot pump blood properly, which can cause severe breathlessness and fatigue.

Most study participants (81 per cent) were recruited via their GP surgery, with another 12 per cent signing up after seeing a social media advert, and others recruited through community events or signposted to the project by family and friends.

Everyone involved in the study had blood tests, an ECG and a cardiac MRI scan, and answered questions about their health and medical history. These tests revealed that 125 people out of 550 (23 per cent) had a heart or circulatory issue that required medical attention.

On cardiac MRI scans, signs of scarring suggested that 46 people (nine per cent) had previously had a suspected heart attack. These diagnoses were confirmed by a consultant cardiologist, who looked over every scan. Letters were sent to people’s GPs, and they were then referred on for further tests and treatment.

Researchers found that 331 people in the study (60 per cent) had a blood pressure reading of 140/90mmHg or higher – the usual threshold for a diagnosis of high blood pressure (hypertension).

While 27 of these were undetected cases of high blood pressure, 304 people (92 per cent of them) were known to have it when they joined the study, with 224 already taking blood pressure-lowering medication. The researchers say this suggests their treatment plan was inadequate, as it had not brought their blood pressure down to a normal level.

Blood tests revealed 162 people (30 per cent) had elevated levels of the protein NT pro-BNP - a sign that their heart was under strain.

The study continues to recruit people in Greater �εδ���app with at least two cardiometabolic conditions – related to the heart, blood vessels or metabolism.

Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, said:

"These shocking findings should ring alarm bells for our healthcare leaders. They show that our current approach to prevention isn’t fit for purpose, and too many people are slipping through the gaps as a result.

“All too often we see patients too late, when years of living with treatable risk factors like high blood pressure or high cholesterol have built up leading to heart attacks or heart failure. We have made huge strides in our ability to treat cardiovascular disease over the past 65 years, but right now we’re missing opportunities to prevent it in the first place. The picture this study paints won’t improve without a radical shift in how we identify and treat people at risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Professor Chris Miller, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Consultant Cardiologist at The University of �εδ���app and �εδ���app University NHS Foundation Trust, who leads the EARLY-HF study said: “These findings underscore the need to address disparities in cardiovascular disease detection, healthcare access, and outcomes, including by engaging people through non-traditional channels such as text messaging and social media.”  

• Theis supported by Innovate UK Greater �εδ���app Innovation Accelerator, AstraZeneca, and British Heart Foundation. The sponsor of the study is �εδ���app University NHS Foundation Trust.

Lead researchers and will trial the new course which has been shown to improve the way carers and people with dementia communicate with each other across England.

Difficulties communicating can result in a person with dementia losing confidence, withdrawing during interactions, or feeling disconnected from and devalued by the other person.

However, University of �εδ���app led research has shown that interventions focusing on communication can improve the person with dementia’s communication and behavioural symptoms.

Carers reported positive experiences of using the method called , a detailed study of the experience of 15 carers published in the journal showed.

And a second NIHR-funded study, published in found it was possible to measure participants psychological health, quality of life and service use when trialling the course.

Now the research team are able to progress to a multi-centre trial of the method across three proposed sites in England, thanks to the NIHR funding. The course will be offered across Greater �εδ���app with Greater �εδ���app Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust as the lead site.

The course, pioneered by �εδ���app’s Dr Lydia Morris and Professor Warren Mansell brings a glimmer of hope to the 700,000 people supporting a family member, partner, or friend with dementia.

Empowered Conversations uses evidence based psychological and communication theories to support carers to improve relationships and reduce stress.

For example, it uses Mentalisation Theory, which is about understanding our own thoughts and feelings while recognising that others have their own minds with different perspectives.

Professor Berry from The University of �εδ���app is also Mental Health Co-Theme Lead at the NIHR �εδ���app Biomedical Research Centre and Co-Director of the Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit at Greater �εδ���app Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

She said: “In dementia care, relationships often change dramatically, for example, a child may become the carer of a parent, or a spouse may shift from partner to caregiver.  Carers often face a painful conflict between remembering the person as they used to be and coping with who they have become.

“Seeing someone who looks the same physically but has changed in memory, personality, and communication can feel confusing, distressing and bring a sense of loss and grief.

“Stress associated with these changes in close relationships can make it harder to understand and interpret another person’s thoughts and feelings.  While some carers adapt by adjusting their expectations and priorities, this kind of coping does not happen easily or automatically. This is where learning skills in mentalisation can help.”

Among the positives, carers said the course resulted in changes to themselves, their relationships, and their communication skills.

Participants also described letting go of their expectations of what the person should be able to do and replacing that with more realistic goals.

Dr Morris, who is a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Clinical Psychologist at the University, added: “In a landscape where provision of post-diagnostic dementia support is variable or limited, it appears that Empowered Conversations can offer carers an intervention that is appreciated and accessible.

“Communication difficulties are associated with increased carer stress and burden and can contribute to the breakdown of the interpersonal relationship between the carer and person with dementia.

“Training does exist, but it focuses on practical communication skills without addressing the emotional and relational contexts of care and communication.

“However, the carers we worked with reported positive experiences of participating in Empowered Conversations and valued meeting people who, despite sometimes different circumstances, shared their understanding of supporting someone with dementia.

“The course supported participants to rethink communication and have a greater appreciation of the other person’s perspective during everyday interactions.”

• Image is AI generated

Bangladesh has just approved one of the largest river engineering projects its history: the Padma Barrage, a vast river-control project intended to restore water in the country’s drought-prone southwest.

It comes at a dangerous moment for South Asia’s rivers. China is building the upstream on the Brahmaputra, India is accelerating its own , and the treaty governing Ganges water-sharing between India and Bangladesh expires in December 2026.

Rather than easing regional water insecurity, the Padma Barrage risks adding to a cycle of unilateral river engineering across the subcontinent. South Asia is entering a regional dam-building race – without the institutions needed to share its rivers.

Bangladesh’s water crisis

Supporters say the barrage is a pragmatic response to chronic water insecurity in Bangladesh. The country sits at the end of the vast Ganges-Brahmaputra river system, where rivers that originate in the Himalayas spread into thousands of channels before they reach the sea. Despite all this water, the main river channels are and some smaller rivers are disappearing rapidly.

The Farakka Barrage in India, and the proposed Padma Barrage downstream. 

Bangladesh did not create this problem alone. Since the 1970s, the Farakka Barrage, built across the Ganges upstream in India, has diverted water towards the huge city of Kolkata to flush sediment away from its port.

The consequences for Bangladesh are well documented. Its rivers have dried up and become less navigable. They have also become saltier, groundwater levels have declined, and severe riverbank erosion has occurred.

Farming has become more difficult and fish stocks have declined. These environmental pressures have forced many people to migrate out of the country.

Most critically, the reduced flow of freshwater has harmed — the world’s largest mangrove forest, shared between Bangladesh and India. There, elevated salinity has caused widespread among mangrove trees and significant biodiversity loss.

The promise – and risks – of Padma Barrage

When complete, the centrepiece of the Padma Barrage will be a huge dam more than two kilometres long. It is designed to store water during the monsoon season and release it in the drier months, helping reduce salinity intrusion by maintaining freshwater flows and pushing saline water further downstream during the dry season.

In theory, the barrage will revive a host of smaller rivers in western Bangladesh. The it will support irrigation across much of the country, while increasing rice and fish production.

The proposed Padma Barrage will span the Ganges river system’s largest channel in Bangladesh.

Yet the project raises a series of that deserve serious scrutiny.

The most immediate relates to silt, because the Ganges is an exceptionally sediment-heavy river. A dam or barrage causes the river water to lose speed and the energy required to carry sediment, which is dumped upstream.

This is already a severe problem . More than a million people have been displaced from over the past three decades, as banks have been eroded and floods have become more intense.

Constructing a second major barrier downstream – the Padma Barrage – risks compounding these effects, potentially trapping additional sediment loads between the two structures and intensifying flooding pressure.

The consequences downstream could be equally serious. The diversion of water into southwestern river channels — the stated objective of the project — implies reduced flows in the main river systems. If these flows aren’t strong enough to push back salty tidal waters, then parts of coastal Bangladesh, rather than benefiting from improved water security, could face accelerating salinisation.

There is a deeper irony here. Bangladesh is responding to the damage caused by India’s Farakka Barrage with a major barrage of its own.

Farakka was built to solve an economic problem upstream, but imposed major environmental costs downstream in Bangladesh. Those economic problems are still unsolved – Kolkata port still suffers from silt and needs constant dredging.

Critics fear the Padma Barrage could reproduce the same pattern: large environmental disruption without the promised benefits. In other words, the same engineering approach that damaged Bangladesh may soon be reproduced within that country.

A regional struggle over rivers

The project also depends on sufficient water continuing to flow into Bangladesh. But China – alongside planned hydropower projects across India, including plans to – could significantly reduce the volume of water entering Bangladesh in future. If that happens, the Padma Barrage may not have enough water to work as intended.

The timing also matters. The between India and Bangladesh expires in December 2026, and governs the same flows the Padma Barrage is designed to manage. Rather than strengthening Bangladesh’s position ahead of treaty talks, the project could weaken its case for demanding more water from India by signalling that it can cope with reduced flows.

Several rivers that the barrage aims to revive flow through both India and Bangladesh, meaning restoration will require cooperation between the two countries, rather than infrastructure alone.

That makes Bangladesh’s 2025 accession to the particularly significant. As the first South Asian country to join the treaty, Bangladesh now has a stronger legal basis to push for more equitable water-sharing, particularly as the Ganges treaty negotiations approach.

Dams cannot replace diplomacy

The Padma Barrage is not an inherently misconceived project. Bangladesh’s water crisis is real, and the political pressure to respond is genuine.

But without renewed water-sharing agreements and stronger cooperation with neighbouring countries, this new barrage risks repeating the pattern of unilateral river engineering that has already destabilised South Asia’s waterways.

Infrastructure that outpaces diplomacy is a familiar reason for failure in the region. The challenge for Bangladesh is to ensure the barrage becomes part of a strong legal and diplomatic framework for river cooperation – not another step in an escalating cycle of hydropolitical competition.

, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Geography, and , Associate Professor in Risk and Disaster Science,

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

A new study led by researchers at The University of �εδ���app has carried out the first full environmental life‑cycle cost analysis of using abandoned onshore oil and gas wells to generate geothermal electricity.

Published in Applied Thermal Engineering, the research assesses not only the financial costs of repurposing old wells, but also the often overlooked environmental and human health impacts, such as air pollution and climate damage.

The findings show that while repurposed geothermal systems currently produce electricity at a higher cost than conventional geothermal power, they deliver substantially lower environmental and health costs, particularly by avoiding new drilling and reducing pollution linked to fossil fuel infrastructure.

Turning legacy fossil assets into clean energy

Across Europe and globally, hundreds of thousands of oil and gas wells are approaching the end of their productive life. Safely sealing and monitoring these wells is costly, and poorly managed sites can pose long‑term environmental risks.

The �εδ���app team explored whether these existing wells could instead be given a second life as geothermal energy sources, using underground heat to generate electricity.

“Existing oil and gas wells already reach deep underground areas where heat from the Earth can potentially be used for geothermal energy” said , Research Associate at The University of �εδ���app. “Our research asks whether we can turn this legacy infrastructure into part of the climate solution, rather than treating it solely as a liability.”

The study analysed three repurposing approaches:

• using two fully abandoned wells
• converting a single abandoned well
• turning late-life wells that increasingly produce water rather than oil and gas

These were compared with a conventional, purpose‑drilled geothermal power plant.

Cleaner, but not yet cheaper

The analysis found that repurposed well systems can have dramatically lower environmental impacts, particularly for air pollutants that affect human health. In some cases, environmental damage costs were reduced by more than 80% compared with a standard geothermal plant.

However, because the assessed repurposed systems are typically small and generate relatively little electricity, their cost per unit of power remains high. Electricity generated from repurposed wells currently costs more than from large‑scale geothermal, wind, solar or nuclear power.

, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Chemical Engineering at The University of �εδ���app said “The challenge is not that repurposed geothermal is dirty or inefficient – it’s that it’s operating at pilot scale. When costs are spread over very small electricity output, the price per kilowatt‑hour inevitably looks high.”

Why environmental costs matter

A key innovation of the study is that it places environmental damage and human health impacts into monetary terms, allowing these costs to be compared directly with financial ones.

When these external costs are included, repurposed geothermal systems perform particularly well compared to fossil fuels. The study shows that coal and gas power impose environmental costs over 100 times higher than repurposed geothermal options.

What needs to change

The study stresses that repurposing oil and gas wells is not a silver bullet, but could play an important role in a diversified, low‑carbon energy system, especially if supported by the right policies.

Key recommendations include:

• Targeted incentives for early‑stage geothermal projects using existing wells
• Scaling up projects by clustering multiple wells together
• Clear rules on long‑term responsibility and well integrity
• Better integration of environmental and health costs into energy policy decisions

Crucially, the research suggests repurposing could help regions historically dependent on fossil fuels transition skills and infrastructure into clean energy, supporting a fairer, more inclusive energy transition.

A highly experienced consultant and chartered psychologist, Dame Robina Shah DBE has spent over 30 years working across healthcare, medical education, patient safety, public service, social justice, and inclusion.

She is currently Professor of Psychosocial Medicine and Medical Education at the University of �εδ���app Medical School and Director of the Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience.

Dame Robina’s contribution to patient care was recognised through her appointment as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, following her earlier MBE for services to academic research in learning disabilities.

Through her roles in a wide range of sports organisations, including the FA Council, FA Women’s Football Board, �εδ���app County FA, and Oldham Athletic Football Club, Dame Robina has also made a significant contribution to football governance, player welfare, disability football, women’s football, and widening opportunity through sport.

Dame Robina has been nominated for the Freedom by the City of London Corporation’s Deputy Policy Chair, James Thomson, and City Corporation Lead Member for Sport, Edward Lord.

Speaking after her Freedom ceremony, Dame Robina Shah said: “I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive the Freedom of the City of London. This unexpected recognition has touched me greatly.

“I thank my nominators, James Thomson and Edward Lord, and accept the Freedom with humility and appreciation, mindful of the many people who have guided, supported, and encouraged me throughout my life.

“The City of London has long held a special significance for me. Although �εδ���app is my home and the place where I was born, I have had the privilege, through my civic and public roles, of attending many events in the City and seeing first-hand its unique history, traditions and contribution to public life.

“This recognition of my contribution to the NHS, sport, particularly football, and governance is especially meaningful, because these areas have shaped much of my life’s work and public service. I wish to thank the many colleagues, patients, volunteers, community partners and organisations that I have had the privilege of working alongside over the years. Much of what I have been able to contribute has only been possible through collective effort, shared purpose and the generosity, trust and support of others.

“At this time, I also think warmly of my parents, whose values, kindness and humanity shaped the lens through which I have tried to serve others. They taught me to notice people, especially those who may otherwise go unseen, and nurtured in me a curiosity about people’s stories, lives and experiences, grounded in compassion, dignity and respect.

“I also want to acknowledge my family, Tariq, Zainab, Raabiyah and Sulaymaan, whose love, support and patience have been central to all my achievements.”

City of London Corporation Policy Chairman, Chris Hayward, said: “Dame Robina Shah’s Freedom of the City of London recognises her distinguished career and expertise in a wide range of fields, including healthcare, medical education, patient care, inclusion, and football governance.

“A very deserving recipient of the Freedom, I hope that Dame Robina and her guests will have very fond memories of her ceremony at Guildhall for many years to come.”

Deputy City of London Corporation Policy Chairman, James Thomson, said: "I am honoured to have nominated Dame Robina for the Freedom of the City of London.

“Robina's public service has been extraordinary, especially, in giving young people opportunity through education and skills, tackling inequality and hate crime, and supporting the most vulnerable in society and giving them a voice.

“Robina is an inspirational role model to so many and has a personal warmth that is infectious."

City of London Corporation Lead Member for Sport, Edward Lord OBE, said: "Dame Robina has made a demonstrable contribution to public life in Greater �εδ���app, and to the nation.

“In particular, her involvement in providing independent governance expertise to the Football Association and now, on the board of Oldham Athletic Football Club, marks her out as someone worthy of recognition.

“As a fellow Lancastrian, it was a genuine pleasure to support her nomination for the City Freedom."

The City Corporation’s  aims to make the Square Mile a global sports destination, by offering attractive and valued sport facilities, venues, activations, and events for residents, workers, and visitors.

One of the City of London’s ancient traditions, the Freedom is believed to have begun in 1237 and enabled recipients to carry out their trade.

As well as being nominated for, or applying for, the Freedom, it is also offered by the City of London Corporation to individuals as a way of paying tribute to their outstanding contribution to London or public life, or to celebrate a very significant achievement.  

Recent notable recipients include broadcaster and breast cancer charity ambassador, Gloria Hunniford; two-time Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarian, Cate Blanchett; novelist, Ken Follett; actor, Ray Winstone; and City of London Police Special Constable and TV presenter, Penny Lancaster.

Professor Chris Parkes, an experimental particle physicist at the University, and Professor Jeff Forshaw, a theoretical particle physicist, join over 90 other pioneers and leaders across a range of scientific fields, from astronomy and cancer research to mathematics and biotechnology.

In their election, they join the ranks of Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Lise Meitner, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and Dorothy Hodgkin.

Professor Parkes is Head of the Physics & Astronomy Department at The University of �εδ���app and is internationally recognised for his leadership in particle physics. He previously led the LHCb experiment at CERN - one of the world’s largest scientific collaborations. His research focuses on the search for new physics through studies of matter–antimatter asymmetries and the development of radiation-hard silicon detectors.

Professor Parkes has played a central role in the development of the next generation of LHCb experiments, serving as Principal Investigator and Project Manager for the UK’s contribution to the LHCb Upgrade, installed in 2023, and leading the design of the future LHCb Upgrade II programme. Last year, the LHCb collaboration was honoured by sharing the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. Parkes was also awarded the Institute of Physics High Energy Physics Group Prize in 2010.

Professor Forshaw is a theoretical particle physicist best known for his work on quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the theory of the strong force. His work has uncovered unexpected features of perturbative QCD and has contributed to the theoretical frameworks used to interpret high-energy particle collisions, with important applications at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and other major international experiments. 

Jeff is also a prominent communicator of science. Together with Brian Cox he has written a series of bestselling popular science books that have introduced a wide readership to the mathematical ideas underpinning modern physics. Through his books, lectures and broader public engagement he has brought the substance, and the joy, of fundamental physics to a wide audience. 

Jeff's research has been recognised by the Maxwell Medal of the Institute of Physics for outstanding contributions to theoretical physics, and his public engagement work by the Institute's Kelvin Medal for outstanding and sustained contributions to the public understanding of physics. 

Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, said: “I am delighted to welcome this newest group of exceptional scientists to the Fellowship of the Royal Society. 

“Their contributions reflect the highest standards of scientific endeavour. Whether advancing our understanding of vaccines or exploring the transformative potential of mathematics and computation, their work exemplifies the enduring value of curiosity, creativity and rigorous inquiry. 

“Our Fellowship is strengthened not only by individual distinction, but by the diversity of perspectives and experiences its members bring. This incoming cohort highlights the truly international character of contemporary science and underscores the vital role that plays in achieving breakthroughs that benefit us all.”

The full list of newly elected Fellows can be found on the

The study, published in , used a combination of high-resolution imaging, flow measurements, and mathematical modelling to examine fluid flows around corals that are driven by cilia – densely packed tiny hairs on the coral’s surface. The collective beating of the cilia contributes to the movement of fluid around the surface of the coral, regulating the animal’s immediate environment through the transport of particles such as oxygen.

The researchers found that heterogeneity in ciliary orientation—small variations in the direction individual cilia beat—can significantly boost transport efficiency. For substances that diffuse slowly through the fluid, this natural variability increased particle transport by more than 50% compared to perfectly aligned cilia. This contrasts with other biological systems, highlighting how coral cilia are uniquely adapted to their environment.

However, the study also found that strong external flows, such as ocean currents, can reduce the coral’s ability to exchange materials efficiently near the surface.

Researchers believe that the mathematical modelling used in understanding the behaviour and effectiveness of these coral-based cilia structures could be applied to ciliated tissues in humans, such as those found in the respiratory system and fallopian tubes.

Dr Draga Pihler-Puzovic, Reader at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at The University of �εδ���app, said of the study, “This work provides a powerful framework for understanding how coral surfaces operate across a wide range of environmental conditions. It also opens the possibility of applying the same mathematical models to human biology, offering new ways to investigate how cilia function in the body and how their dysfunction may contribute to disease.”

This paper was published in the journal:

DOI: 10.1103/fhfw-f1nv

The research, published in Biological Conservation, found that more than 493,000 square kilometres of land - an area larger than Spain - has been damaged by deforestation and fires in the vital transition zone between the Amazon rainforest and the Cerrado savanna in Brazil.

The team - led by Dr Chuanze Li from The University of �εδ���app - say the findings reveal a major conservation crisis in a region that helps protect the wider Amazon, stores huge amounts of carbon and supports exceptional biodiversity but has very little formal protection.

Key findings

• Researchers mapped more than 35 years of environmental damage using AI and satellite imagery

• At least 493,000 km² of land has been affected by deforestation or fire

• Large areas damaged by fire still had not recovered even after a decade

• Only around 2% of the study region currently has formal protection

• Repeated human-caused fires may be permanently changing ecosystems

What did the study find?

The research focused on the Cerrado-Amazon transition (CAT) zone in Brazil, a vast area where rainforest and savanna meet.

Using decades of Landsat satellite images combined with artificial intelligence, researchers tracked how forests and vegetation changed between 1986 and 2020.

They found widespread damage caused by both large-scale forest clearing and repeated fires linked to farming expansion and cattle ranching.

Why this region matters

This area is one of the world’s most important ecological frontiers, and acts as a buffer protecting the Amazon while supporting unique wildlife and storing carbon that would otherwise contribute to climate change if released.

But despite its importance, the region has received far less attention and protection than the Amazon rainforest itself.

Fires leave long-lasting scars

One of the study’s most striking findings was how slowly vegetation recovered after fire. Researchers found that even ten years later, many affected areas had still not returned to their previous condition.

The damage was particularly severe in parts of the Cerrado, where repeated human-driven burning appears to be weakening the ecosystem’s natural ability to recover.

A hidden protection gap

The study also exposed a major lack of protected areas across the region. While around 28% of the Amazon biome overall is protected, only around 2% of the Cerrado–Amazon transition area studied falls within protected zones.

Researchers warn that large areas facing repeated destruction currently have little or no legal safeguard.

How AI helped uncover the damage

The team combined satellite imagery with advanced artificial intelligence tools capable of detecting different types of environmental disturbance over time.

This allowed researchers to distinguish between forest clearing and fire damage across an enormous area spanning more than one million square kilometres.

What the �εδ���app researchers said

“The tools we used enabled us to produce the first wall-to-wall, multi-decade picture of what has actually happened to vegetation across this entire area,” said lead author Dr Chuanze Li.

“We were particularly struck by the recovery data,” said Dr Angela Harris. “The conventional view is that Cerrado vegetation bounces back after fire. What this study shows - at a regional scale and across 35 years - is that it often does not, at least not within a decade.”

"Repeated fires are eroding the very resilience these ecosystems evolved to have - this is a warning that we cannot ignore."

"This study gives policymakers something they have not had before: a precise, long-term map of where the CAT has been damaged, how badly, and how well, or how poorly, it is recovering,” added Dr Polyanna da Conceição Bispo. “This is the empirical foundation that conservation planning in this region has been missing. The protection gap we document is not acceptable, and the tools now exist to close it."

Why it matters

Researchers say the maps created by the study could help governments and conservation groups identify areas most urgently in need of protection, fire prevention and restoration.

They also warn that continued destruction in the transition zone could have consequences far beyond Brazil, affecting biodiversity, climate stability and the future health of the Amazon rainforest itself.

Publication details

The study was conducted by researchers at The University of �εδ���app (UK),  Professor Beatriz Marimon and Professor Ben Hur Marimon at UNEMAT – Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (Brazil), and Dr. Ricardo da Silva at CTREES (USA). Field data from the Plant Ecology Laboratory at UNEMAT, a reference network spanning the CAT since 1994, underpinned the classification and validation of satellite-derived disturbance maps.

The paper was published in the Biological Conservation journal.

DOI:

The three‑year project, REMOVE‑UM: REcovering MOlecular ValuE from Unrecycled Multi‑materials, funded by EPSRC and Defra will develop new technologies to tackle some of the most challenging waste products. 

Recycling has the potential to recover significant value from materials at the end of their life, playing a crucial role in building a more sustainable future. However, while current systems are effective for simple, single materials that can be easily sorted and cleaned, they struggle to deal with complex, multi-material products. 

Michael Shaver, Project Lead and Professor of Polymer Science at The University of �εδ���app, explains: “Recycling to recover value from materials at end-of-life is a tantalising component of a sustainable future. However, multi-material products – vapes, cars, batteries, furniture – comingle a host of plastics, metals, glass, ceramics and other materials designed to meet ever-increasing consumer demand for low-cost, high-performance, lightweight, aesthetically pleasing consumer goods. These staggeringly complex multi-materials are reaching their end-of-life with no strategy to facilitate the (re)integration of their components, materials or molecules into a circular economy.  

“Developing an economically viable and environmentally advantageous end of-life for multi-materials is vital. However, to achieve this in a just manner, it is essential we understand economic, societal, and environmental outcomes, coupling systemic approaches to ambitious fundamental research.” 

The REMOVE‑UM project will take a fundamentally new approach, developing methods to break down these materials at a molecular level and recover valuable components that can be reused. 

The work will combine expertise from across The University of �εδ���app, bringing together specialists in chemical recycling, catalysis, sustainability assessment and materials science.  

The project will focus on four key areas: 

• Analysing waste streams to understand their composition and potential value 

• Developing chemical processes to selectively break down complex materials into valuable products 

• Separating recovered molecules efficiently while minimising environmental impact 

• Working closely with industry partners to translate discoveries into real‑world applications and accelerate their commercial application. 

By targeting materials that current infrastructure cannot process, the team aims to complement existing recycling systems, rather than replace them.  

A core aim of the project is to ensure new recycling approaches are technically feasible, economically viable and environmentally sustainable. Life cycle assessment and economic analysis will be integrated throughout to guide decisions and deliver real benefits for society. The project also aims to cut reliance on fossil fuels by recovering reusable chemicals, while generating insights into how waste systems operate to reduce investment risk and support future recycling infrastructure. 

Dr Kedar Pandya, Executive Director for Strategy at EPSRC said: “This investment reflects our commitment to building a cleaner, more sustainable UK economy. By funding ambitious, collaborative and impactful research into recycling technologies, we are helping to tackle some of the most complex challenges in our waste system from collection through to currently hard-to-recycle material recovery. The research being undertaken, which is jointly funded by EPSRC and Defra, will support the long-term transition to a circular economy and creates the conditions for genuine economic and environmental benefit for the UK.” 

The project will be co-led by Dr Ciaran Lahive, Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow in the Department of Materials; Dr , Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering;  , Chair in Engineering Biology; , Professor of Chemical Engineering; and Dr , Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Fellow.  

It builds on sustained work in this area by these researchers, including:  

• Chemical Recycling of Polycarbonate Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Blends via Organocatalyzed Acetolysis, ChemSusChem, 
• Recyclable Epoxy Composites Built with a Biobased Hardener, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 
• Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Supercritical CO₂ in Gel-spun UHMWPE Fibre Production, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 
• Defining quality by quantifying degradation in the mechanical recycling of polyethylene, Nature Communications, 
• Untangling the chemical complexity of plastics to improve life cycle outcomes, Nature Materials Reviews,   

The breakthrough could help explain why millions of people develop sight‑threatening conditions such as age‑related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as rarer inherited eye diseases.

The research is published in today.

Epidemiological research predicts that AMD, a leading cause of visual impairment in adults , will affect 288 million people worldwide by 2040.

And rarer inherited  eye disorders  which  interfere with cells in the retina that sense light and send visual signals to the brain include  Stargardt disease, retinitis pigmentosa, and cone‑rod dystrophy.

The researchers analysed whole‑genome sequencing data alongside RNA profiles from 201 donated human eyes.

That allowed them to study two key tissues involved in vision: the neurosensory retina, which captures light, and the retinal pigment epithelium, which supports and nourishes it.

By comparing DNA differences with gene activity in these tissues, the researchers found over 1.4 million genetic signals that influence how genes are turned on or off, known as expression quantitative trait loci, or eQTLs.

The signals influence how nearly 10,000 genes behave in the retina and almost 4,000 genes in the retinal pigment epithelium.

Many of the genetic effects were found in regions of the genome that act as regulatory switches, helping to turn genes on or off.

The study also identified hundreds of individuals whose retinal gene activity was unusually high or low compared with typical patterns.

Among these “expression outliers,” the researchers pinpointed nearly 300 rare genetic variants that could plausibly explain the unusual gene activity.

These variants included rare changes in parts of DNA that don’t code for proteins, as well as bigger structural shifts and differences in how many copies of certain DNA segments a person has.

Together, they accounted for around 28% of the outliers, offering new leads for understanding how rare mutations contribute to eye disease.

The findings provide an unprecedented resource for scientists studying the genetic roots of vision disorders, and are available to other researchers for

They also offer a roadmap for future research into personalised treatments and earlier diagnosis.

Author , from The University of �εδ���app,  said: “Our study marks a major step toward decoding the complex genetic architecture of the human eye.

“And it opens the door to new strategies for protecting and restoring vision in the future.

“It reveals how both common and rare genetic differences shape the way they are expressed in the human retina.

“By understanding these patterns, we move closer to uncovering the biological mechanisms that drive heritable vision loss and to developing more targeted therapies.”

PhD Student at The University of �εδ���app, Jacob Sampson, who performed the extensive computational analysis reported in the study, added: “We hope this dataset will accelerate discoveries across ophthalmology, genetics, and precision medicine.

“And we hope it will support efforts to identify individuals at risk of sight‑threatening disease before symptoms appear.

Prof Simon J. Clark from the  University of Tübingen in Germany, said: “These sorts of fundamental discoveries are only possible by using very well characterised human donor material.

“We are incredibly lucky to have access to one of Europe’s largest human eye donor repositories, founded originally in �εδ���app back in 2015.

“We remain forever grateful for the generosity of all those donors and their families who contributed over the years.”

The team included scientists from The University of �εδ���app, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, University of Tübingen, University of Southampton, Universitas Riau, �εδ���app University NHS Foundation Trust, and the European Bioinformatics Institute.

• The research was supported by the Macular Society, Fight For Sight, the Medical Research Council and the NIHR �εδ���app Biomedical Research Centre.
• The paper Paired DNA and RNA sequencing uncovers common 1 and rare genomic variants regulating gene 2 expression in the human retina is published in nature Communications and available . DOI https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72979-4 

The report, was partly based on research evidence submitted by  the University of �εδ���app’s  .

Cited in the report, Professor of Primary Care and Community Health  at the University of �εδ���app told the Committee: “Evidence-based exercise programmes, particularly resistance training, could both prevent frailty from developing and reverse it. Exercise programmes to prevent frailty could decrease the risk factors linked to developing conditions associated with ageing, including dementia.”

Boosting resilience to illness, frailty and falls through physical activity will be key to keeping the country’s ageing population healthy and living independently for longer., the MPs said.

This change will be fundamental to the Government’s objective of switching the NHS’s focus from treating illness to preventing it 

The report follows the cross-party Committee’s and recommends:

• Advice and social prescribing of physical activity should become a core, routine offering to older people from their GPs and other clinicians.
• Stronger links between local NHS services with leisure providers and community groups to make exercise more accessible.
• The Care Quality Commission should be charged with checking that exercise programmes are being provided to residents in care homes. 

The Committee also called for a national conversation and a cultural shift in the way that ageing is perceived and talked about in society. Negative stereotypes can leave older people feeling resigned to becoming inactive, at the point in their lives when a sedentary lifestyle can have serious consequences, including increasing risk of falls.

Health and Social Care Committee Chair, Layla Moran MP, said: “Healthcare experts and the Government are all agreed that staying physically active can help older people to live not just longer, but healthier, happier, more sociable lives.

“Promoting active lifestyles among older people would also tackle two policy objectives at once – shifting the NHS’s focus to prevention, and bringing services closer to home, not the nearest hospital. Experts told us that exercise can be more effective than medication, and these changes would also cut the NHS’s vast expenditure on drugs. It’s a win-win, and this report sets out how the Government can make it happen.

Key facts

• Being physically active cuts the risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, musculoskeletal conditions, and some cancers.
• By 2035, 68% of people aged over 65 are expected to have two more serious health conditions, up from 54% in 2015. This causes lower quality of life, increases the chance of hospital admission and creates more complex care needs.
• In 2022, there were around 12.7 million people in the UK aged 65 or over, approximately 19% of the population. This is expected to rise to 22.1 million people (27% of the population) by 2072.
• The ONS and Health Foundation have shown that the average healthy life expectancy of children born in the most deprived areas of England is around 18 years lower than those born in the most affluent.
• In the UK, physical inactivity is associated with one in six deaths and is estimated to cost £7.4 billion annually.

Led by The University of �εδ���app and The University of Huddersfield, they combined traditional EEG brain‑wave analysis with cutting‑edge machine‑learning tools to probe how people with a history of alcohol dependence learn from rewards and punishments.

The researchers used a reward-learning game – which they asked 20 abstinent alcohol-dependent and 26 healthy volunteers to complete while their brain activity was recorded.

The team found that both groups performed the task just as well as each other, however their brain signals told a different story.

A key brain response called feedback‑related negativity (FRN)- which reflects how we react to mistakes or bad outcomes - was reduced in people with a history of alcohol dependence.

This blunted signal appeared after both good and bad outcomes and did not vary with how long someone had been abstaining from alcohol.

The scientists say this could be a stable trait of alcohol dependence, reflecting underlying reward processing differences in people who are at risk of alcohol problems.

The study also looked at another signal, the feedback‑P3, which shows how strongly your mind reacts when you get important feedback and starts updating what you’ve learned.

Overall, it did not differ between the groups, but for people recovering from alcohol dependence, this signal was largest in the early stages of abstinence, and after many years appeared more similar to that of healthy people.

Researchers say this may reflect a brain change linked to abstinence itself.

To dig deeper, the team used a machine learning method called tensor decomposition to uncover hidden patterns in the EEG signals.

In the people with alcohol dependence, this revealed unusually early and strong activity in centro‑frontal brain regions near the top and front of the head.

This early surge was most pronounced in those in the earlier stages of recovery and could reflect, the scientists say, heightened sensitivity to feedback or a compensatory mechanism helping people maintain performance despite alcohol‑related brain changes.

They also found that healthy volunteers showed a different pattern, with a later burst of activity in the brain’s parietal lobe, linked to processing sensory information before evaluating reward value.

The researchers used unsupervised machine learning - a method that finds patterns without being told what to look for - to break down the large amounts of EEG data.

This helped discover overlapping brain signals would have been difficult to spot using traditional methods alone.

Lead author from The University of �εδ���app, who is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) �εδ���app Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) as part of its , said: “Alcohol dependency is a complex and challenging health condition, and many people have difficulties maintaining recovery despite treatment and support.

“We believe our findings offer fresh insight into how alcohol dependence can influence the brain systems involved in learning and reward.

“Larger, long‑term studies are now needed to understand if the EEG markers we identified here could one day help track recovery or identify those people who might need extra support.

Researchers conducting the study are funded by the is UKRI Future Leaders Fund, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and the National Institute for health and Care Research (NIHR) �εδ���app Biomedical Research Centre. It is published in the journal Clinical Neurophysiology.

• The paper Altered EEG markers of reward learning during abstinence in alcohol dependence: a probabilistic reversal learning study is available hereDOI

Further reactivity studies revealed that these chains can fragment into N₁ and N₃ species, and can also serve as a source of nitrene radical anions. 

Detailed analysis showed how the nitrogen chain can break into smaller fragments, specifically single‑atom (N₁) and three‑atom (N₃) units. The researchers also found that these chains can act as a source of highly reactive nitrene radical anions. 

These findings provide new insight into the fundamental chemistry of nitrogen and demonstrate ways to control its reactivity under realistic conditions. 

Nitrogen chains are considered high‑energy‑density materials because they can release significant energy when they decompose into nitrogen gas. This property has long made them attractive for applications such as propellants, explosives, and gas‑generating systems. 

The ability to isolate and stabilise such molecules under ambient conditions could allow scientists to explore their use as “storable” reagents for transferring nitrogen groups in chemical reactions 

Beyond applications, the research offers a rare glimpse into a type of chemistry that plays a role in extreme environments, including the upper atmosphere where nitrogen chain ions have been detected. 

By recreating and stabilising these species in the laboratory, scientists can now investigate their properties in far greater detail, providing insights relevant to fields ranging from atmospheric chemistry to planetary science. 

This research was co-led by with Professor Meera Mehra, the University of Oxford, in collaboration with The University of �εδ���app’s , George F. S. Whitehead, , and, and Oxford’s Bono van IJzendoorn. First author was Oxford’s Reece Lister-Roberts. 
 

The raise brings Imperagen's total funding to £8.5 million and will accelerate research and development, expand its wet lab capabilities, and build out its go-to-market function over the next 18 months.

Coinciding with the round , PhD joins as CEO. An experienced technology and life sciences executive with two successful exits across the US and Europe, he brings a track record of scaling deep tech businesses from early stage to market leadership. 

Enzymes are biological catalysts used to reduce waste, lower energy usage and decrease overall production costs in everything from pharmaceutical manufacturing and personal care to sustainable chemical production. However, engineering an enzyme for practical application is a challenging and complex process. Traditional approaches rely on manual screening, a slow and expensive process with a low hit rate. More recently, zero-shot methods have promised smart designs but often fall short when deployed in real world conditions. Neither method gives industrial customers the predictability and speed they need to de-risk product development at scale.

Imperagen's proprietary platform combines three stages into a single closed-loop system:

1. Quantum physics simulates millions of mutation combinations in silico, generating a rich dataset of predicted properties. 

2. Those outputs are used to train problem-specific AI models, not general-purpose ones, calibrated to the precise engineering challenge at hand.

3. Automated robotics then test the highest-performing predictions in the physical lab, producing high-quality experimental data that feeds directly back into the AI model,  so that it continuously evolves.

That feedback loop is what sets the approach apart, with each round of experiments making the next round more targeted. The system learns from the wet lab as it goes, narrowing in on the highest-performing variants with each iteration. The result is a platform that gets smarter round by round. This is the future of biocatalysis, a recursive, self improving AI platform to help rewrite chemical reactions.

The company has already worked on a number of significant projects, including with a Fortune 500 personal care company looking to launch a new product line. Imperagen’s AI-guided closed loop system improved the productivity of two enzymes by 677x and 572x respectively in just five rounds. 

Commenting on the news, Dr. Levy-Yurista said: "What I see right now is that the companies that will make a radical difference in this emerging AI-driven future are all AI-native, lean on real world data, have genuine impact, and are fundamentally deep tech. Imperagen has each of those characteristics, combining them with outstanding people, phenomenal technology and the undeniable swagger you only get from �εδ���app. It was a no-brainer to join the team and lead this next stage in its growth."

The funds will be used to accelerate the core R&D platform, scale the wet lab operation, and grow the in-house AI team, both human and agentic. Imperagen will also invest in its go-to-market function to convert growing commercial interest into contracted revenue across its target sectors: pharmaceuticals, life sciences, personal care, sustainable fine chemicals, and industrial biotech.

Sim Singh-Landa, Investment Director at PXN, said: "The North West’s life sciences ecosystem is becoming stronger all the time and stands to gain from Imperagen’s local hiring and growth plans, building on the company’s connection to the . We’re excited to be supporting Imperagen with investment from both the GMC Life Sciences Fund and our NPIF II fund, as the company looks to scale success in enzyme engineering and deliver progress within the life sciences sector, which is one of the key sectors highlighted in the UK Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.” 

Imperagen was founded in November 2021 by Dr Andrew Almond, Dr Andrew Currin and Dr Tim Eyes, all researchers from the .

PXN invested via the GMC Life Sciences Fund By PXN Ventures, which it manages on behalf of the ,  and . Investment has also come from NPIF II – PXN Equity Finance, which is managed by PXN as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II). 

The Future of Work Alliance combines BNY’s demonstrable experience deploying AI at scale with The University of �εδ���app’s world-leading research, with deep strengths in applied AI, data science and inclusive innovation. The initiative, enabled by the University's innovation arm – Unit M – will be delivered through the Alliance �εδ���app Business School and will focus on designing, testing and scaling new models for the responsible use and application of AI.

Centred in �εδ���app, where BNY has operated for more than two decades, the Alliance will use real operational challenges to connect academic research with day-to-day business needs. The work is intended to provide hands-on, real-world problem solving that accelerates innovation and capability building, informing how to scale AI responsibly over time. In parallel, executive and professional education programmes will support leadership, governance and change management skills needed for human-led AI adoption.

The Future of Work Alliance will focus on five connected areas:

• BNY Research Challenge Programme: live operational challenges converted into structured, student-led academic projects delivering practical insights and solutions.

• Alliance �εδ���app Business School Executive Education: bespoke academic programmes designed to equip BNY leaders to excel in an AI-enabled organisation.

• Postgraduate Internships: multi-week placements giving high-performing students hands-on experience within BNY’s �εδ���app office.

• Scholarships and an Endowed Chair: support for five AI-focused scholarships and a BNY-endowed Chair to provide long-term academic leadership via the University’s Challenge Accepted campaign.

• Keynote Lecture Series: convening academic and industry leaders to shape debate on the future workforce and responsible AI.

The Future of Work Alliance strengthens �εδ���app’s role as a centre for responsible human-led AI innovation shaped around people, skills and work, while establishing a model with global relevance, intended to deliver meaningful outcomes to support students, leaders and organisations as AI becomes increasingly embedded in day-to-day work.

The University of �εδ���app initiative builds on BNY’s wider engagement with universities, including with Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Central Florida, reflecting a broader effort to connect academic research and talent with real-world business challenges.

Professor of Psychiatry at the University of �εδ���app, he is one of 60 exceptional biomedical and health scientists, the latest cohort of Fellows have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to advancing medical science, through discovery research, translational work and the application of scientific knowledge in ways that deliver tangible benefits for patients and the wider public.

This year’s cohort reflects the Academy’s continued focus on evolving its Fellowship to be diverse, relevant and representative of the biomedical and health research community. Of the 60 new Fellows elected in 2026, 42% are women (25 Fellows) – the highest proportion ever elected in a single year.

The new Fellows are drawn from 28 institutions and represent eight nationalities, with representation from across the UK. The cohort includes three new Fellows from Wales, the first elected in four years, including the first Fellow ever from Bangor University, as well as the first new Fellow elected from Northern Ireland since 2021.

The new intake spans a wide range of sectors, disciplines and research pathways. It includes five new Fellows elected from industry, alongside recognition of expertise in traditionally under‑represented areas such as speech and language therapy, medical ethics, traumatic brain injury and the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

The Fellows elected this year join an esteemed Fellowship of over 1,500 researchers who are at the heart of the Academy’s work to nurture scientific talent and shape research and health policy in the UK and worldwide.

Professor Appleby was elected for his pioneering work in suicide prevention and mental health. An epidemiologist and psychiatrist, his research has brought new rigour to the study of suicide through innovative study designs that have demonstrated how targeted interventions can reduce suicide rates. His work has directly informed national policy, including the most recent suicide prevention strategy, and he has played a central role in advising the NHS and government on mental health for more than two decades.

He  said: “I’m delighted to become a Fellow of the Academy. I see it as recognition of the field I work in - suicide prevention - which not long ago was seen as a difficult subject, as bereaved families can tell us. At a time when people are exposed to an overload of health information online, the Academy has a vital role in setting the standards of evidence on which the public can rely.”

Professor Andrew Morris CBE FRSE PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences: “It is a privilege to welcome this outstanding new cohort to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Each of our new Fellows has been recognised by their peers for exceptional achievement for the influence their work has had in advancing medical science and improving health.

“The diversity of disciplines represented this year reflects the richness of modern medical science and the value of collaboration across fields. At a time when health challenges are increasingly complex, the Academy’s Fellowship provides a trusted, independent platform for scientific leaders to work together, champion excellence, and help ensure research delivers real benefits for people and communities.”

The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a ceremony on Tuesday 30 June.

In January 2026  began facilitating a singing group at the UK charity . Now the choir, named ‘Voices of Hope’ by its members, are participating in the Million Acts of Hope campaign with the release of their first original song .  

Fatima explains: “I’m a musician and researcher and my work focuses on the link between music, health and wellbeing, particularly as a strategy for organising towards more just futures. An important strand of this research is practice-based, trying to develop and understand what musical practices foster and create spaces for care, creativity and hope.  

“With the ‘Voices of Hope’ choir we’ve found that singing is a collective act that can be used to create space. We start and end each choir session in a close circle, singing together to create a geography of togetherness through sound. 

“Singing together can mirror social processes, rehearsing for the futures we dream of. For example, the choir wrote a song to ask the other members how they are - the song functions as an act of care and connection that goes beyond just asking 'how are you?' because of the shared sung element that creates a common experience." 

Jane, a member of Voices of Hope, told : “The Choir brings us together as one, despite our different backgrounds and the struggles we face. Through singing this song, we have found unity and comfort in each other. It has given me a sense of belonging, it reminds me that I am not alone and has helped me to heal emotionally because music allows me to express feelings that are hard to put into words. Even in difficult times, the Choir reminds me that I can be joyful and strong.”  

 is a national invitation to celebrate the everyday acts of kindness, care and connection happening across the UK from 13-20 May. It brings together charities, communities and faith groups to celebrate the everyday acts of kindness, care and connection happening across the UK. 

Dr Fatima Lahham is an early career researcher who is working within our Geography department on a Hallsworth Research Fellowship. Find out more about Dr Fatima Lahham’s research on her .

The population-based study of more than two million people showed individuals with an intellectual disability are more likely to develop bowel cancer, especially before the age of 50.

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater �εδ���app Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC), the study is published in (20/05/26). The research team is supported by both the NIHR GM PSRC and the NIHR �εδ���app Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

People with an intellectual disability present to their GP more often with symptoms linked to bowel cancer, but are less likely to receive key investigations such as stool tests, urgent referrals, or endoscopy the team show.

They were less likely to be diagnosed through screening programmes and more likely to be diagnosed in emergency settings or even on the date of death.

And they were also more likely to be diagnosed at stage IV, when the cancer has already spread.

Among those with early-stage disease, rates of curative surgery were similar, but survival remained significantly worse for people with an intellectual disability.

For advanced bowel cancer, individuals with an intellectual disability were far less likely to receive systemic anticancer therapy, which may contribute to poorer outcomes.

The findings highlight multiple missed opportunities for earlier diagnosis, including lower use of stool tests used to check for early signs of bowel cancer and fewer urgent suspected cancer referrals.

The researchers used anonymised GP records from a large UK database containing information on about 50 million people.

The records were linked with national data on deaths, cancer, hospital care, ethnicity and deprivation to support the research.

The study also raises concerns that current screening programmes, which often begin at age 50, may not adequately protect people with an intellectual disability, given their higher risk at younger ages.

They also highlight that emergency diagnoses can limit the time available for coordinated treatment planning, which may contribute to poorer survival even when surgery is offered.

However, lifestyle factors linked to early-onset bowel cancer—such as obesity, diet, and physical inactivity—may be more common among people with an intellectual disability, potentially amplifying their risk.

And distinguishing concerning symptoms may be more challenging for people with learning disabilities, though the researchers caution that this does not fully explain the scale of under-investigation.

Lead author Clinical Lecturer at The University of �εδ���app and The Christie said: “Our findings show clear and avoidable inequalities in bowel cancer diagnosis and treatment for people with an intellectual disability, and they underline the urgent need for earlier screening and more proactive investigation of symptoms.”

Jon Sparkes OBE, Chief Executive of learning disability charity Mencap, said: “This study lays bare the stark truth that people with a learning disability are being diagnosed with bowel cancer too late, too often, and are missing out on chances for earlier treatment that could save lives. We need the NHS, government and cancer services to join us in making inclusive health a priority, acting on these findings and putting the right support in place at every stage of the cancer pathway.”

Claire Coughlan, Clinical Lead at Bowel Cancer UK, said: “Bowel cancer is treatable and curable, especially if it is diagnosed early. However, this study makes clear that people with an ID are not only at increased risk of developing bowel cancer; they also face considerable barriers which can lead to later diagnosis and treatment.”

Lisa Every and her niece Chloe’s story

Chloe Every died aged 27 in 2019, not long after being diagnosed with an advanced form of bowel cancer. She had a learning disability and myotonic dystrophy, a muscle condition known to affect the heart and breathing.

For Chloe’s family, the fact that her cancer was only identified at such a late stage is central to everything that followed. Like many people with a learning disability, Chloe was diagnosed when the disease was already advanced, limiting treatment options and reducing her chances of survival. Her family believe there were missed chances to investigate symptoms earlier and to take her health concerns seriously before her condition deteriorated.

Once Chloe was admitted to Queen’s Hospital in Romford, those missed chances continued. Her aunt Lisa Every says that Chloe’s learning disability and underlying condition were not properly considered when decisions were made about her care. Despite the seriousness of her diagnosis, there was no clear, coordinated plan that took account of her complex needs.

Chloe was left in the hospital’s initial assessment unit for six days, far longer than was appropriate. This delay meant she did not receive consistent care under one consultant at a critical point in her illness and contributed to a lack of joined up decision making. At a time when urgent, proactive care was needed, Chloe’s treatment drifted.

Her pain was not adequately managed, and she was given medication without a clear clinical reason. Despite her myotonic dystrophy and the known cardiac risks associated with it, staff did not contact Chloe’s specialist, who had treated her for many years. This was another missed opportunity to ensure her cancer treatment was informed by her wider health needs.

During her hospital stay, Chloe suffered two cardiac arrests. Before the first, she was not observed in line with her needs by nursing staff. An irregular heartbeat was noted shortly before she was given an enema, but this was not escalated to a doctor. After she was transferred to a general ward, Chloe was again not properly monitored. She later experienced a second cardiac arrest. The causes of either cardiac arrest were never investigated.

Mencap supported Lisa to fight for an inquest into Chloe’s death and forced the NHS to revisit a request that had previously been ignored. The subsequent A Level 3 Serious Untoward Investigation by the NHS Trust identified a series of serious failings in Chloe’s care. These included poor pain management, lack of specialist input, failures in observation and monitoring, and the fact that the Trust’s Learning Disability Admission Pathway was not properly followed when Chloe was admitted.

For Lisa, the experience is marked by repeated moments where earlier action could have made a difference, from diagnosis through to end-of-life care.

‘I was told by the head of palliative care not to be distressed if Chloe was not in ITU because she was being moved to a ward, which I assumed would be a palliative ward,’ Lisa said.

‘When I arrived, Chloe was not on any medical support at all. The nurse in charge did not know Chloe had a learning disability until I told her.

‘I was told to go home because the nurse had “11 patients to look after” and that Chloe was “fine”. Chloe was then left unmonitored until she was found unresponsive.’

Chloe died shortly afterwards.

Her story reflects wider evidence showing that people with a learning disability are more likely to be diagnosed with bowel cancer late, more likely to experience delays and missed chances for investigation, and more likely to face fragmented care once diagnosed. For Lisa, speaking out is about showing the consequences of those missed chances.

‘Chloe was young and she was loved,” she said.

‘She should have had the same chance as anyone else to be diagnosed earlier and to have her needs properly understood and acted on.’half goes here

• the paper Bowel Cancer Care in Individuals with an Intellectual Disability: A Population-Based Cohort �εδ���app of Symptoms, Diagnostic Pathways, Treatment and Survival is available DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-026-04906-9

Bringing together perspectives from development economics, disaster studies, environmental education, social anthropology, and across the arts and humanities, participants considered how more inclusive and welcoming forms of community can be built in a world shaped by ecological disintegration.  

Socio-economic upheavals caused and exacerbated by climate change are radically redefining ‘home’ for many earthlings of all species. At the same time, rigidly binary definitions such as native/invasive relating to plants and animals echo divisive rhetoric about human migration and who does and doesn’t belong. Discussions focused on how institutions, educators and communities can respond to movement and uncertainty without falling back on stigmatising outsiders.   

In a break from the conventional conference format, part of the day took place outdoors at the campus allotment in a session co-organised by Professor Jennifer O’Brien. Participants repotted sunflower seedlings, watered vegetable plots and reflected on what multispecies conviviality might look like in practice. The session also highlighted the importance of creating more spaces for biodiversity to thrive in support of the University’s . 

Students from the �εδ���app Institute of Education’s  also shared reflections on place-based learning, including the potential of virtual field trips to broaden understandings of sustainability in practice. Speakers throughout the day emphasised the need for more diverse and inclusive approaches to sustainability and conservation, challenging Eurocentric and anthropocentric assumptions. As speaker Saima Ansari said: “Sometimes the hardest assumptions to challenge aren’t the ones out there, but the ones we don’t realise we carry.” 

Hope was a recurring theme across the symposium. Professor Alison Browne said: “If we don’t give them [our students] hope, we can’t give them anything.” The event reinforced the role of higher education not only in developing knowledge and employability, but also in nurturing the imagination, critical thinking and collective responsibility needed to respond to ecological and social challenges. For attendees, the symposium offered both a practical and intellectual reminder that more just, sustainable and convivial futures must be actively created together. 

Thousands of holes are appearing in the Pennine hills, as part of efforts to by restoring damaged peatland.

Peat itself is carbon rich and so as it grows it will help to capture the CO₂ that is produced by that is .

Meanwhile, damaged or turn into a carbon source, releasing greenhouses gases themselves. About 15% of the world’s peatlands have been drained, making these kind of restoration projects essential.

But now a new project is attempting to bring these wetlands back to life. On Holcombe Moor in the West Pennines, , with a further 700 in 2024 as part of Natural England’s Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme. Improvements are already starting to be seen.

What’s the history here?

The hills of the West Pennines are no stranger to holes, with a long history of lead and coal mining stretching back to the .

Coal fired the mills nearby during the industrial revolution in cities such as �εδ���app, Leeds and Sheffield. Smoke drifted back to the hills, carrying the heavy metal impurities of lead and arsenic from coal burning.

The industrial legacy remains visible in the elevated near the soil surface, which made it difficult for most plants to survive. Areas were stripped of all vegetation, leaving expanses of exposed soil. In the most affected places, these cut deep into the surface, turning places like Kinder Scout into a moonscape.

What was exposed and eroded so quickly had taken over to form. Much of the Pennines are covered in blanket peatland, a type of bog made through the slow accumulation of partially decayed plant matter (the type of soil we call peat).

The , with the water table maintained high enough to limit the decomposition of plant matter, while still allowing plants to grow. Not just any plant can tolerate these harsh growing conditions. One species is truly specialised to bog life and forms the main building block of peat itself – Sphagnum.

Finding a super moss

Sphagnum moss is the key ecosystem engineer in peatlands, holding up to in water to maintain the saturated conditions needed for its growth.

When in a healthy state, new Sphagnum grows up through the older moss, raising the water table with it to leave the older moss submerged, partially decayed, which forms the peat itself. Bogs grow only millimetres per year, but over millennia this can build several metres of peat.

The organic nature of peat means it is carbon rich, so much so that UK peatlands store over , around ten times more than all .

Restored wetlands could also help protect the area from wildfires at the UK starts to see more .

Human pressure and pollution

With human pressures, including past industrial pollution, . Sphagnum has disappeared from these peatlands.

Now, peatland restoration efforts are under way. From the early 2000s organisations including Moors for the Future Partnership have spent decades blocking gullies to raise water tables, reseeding bare peat and , transforming the worst affected peatlands from dark .

Though blocking erosional gullies with stone or timber dams has in deeply eroded peat, restoring flatter moorland plateaux presents a different set of challenges. Namely, how to restore the wet conditions required to encourage more Sphagnum moss to grow. However, this hasn’t stopped restoration organisations from trying a novel restoration method which might work to restore flatter peatlands.

Five years on from the start of the project, the original bunds are covered with grasses and many pools are now brimming with Sphagnum moss, looking more like natural bog pools.

are crescent-shaped pools, created by digging shallow scrapes in the peat surface using special low impact excavators. The aim is to capture surface water which would otherwise run quickly off the hill after rainfall. The water stored in at the bog surface for Sphagnum moss to re-establish and grow on moorland plateaus.

The National Trust, in partnership with the University of �εδ���app, is undertaking long-term research to understand the potential for bunds as a peatland restoration method.

The followed one of the driest springs in England for over .

It provided the first test of extreme weather in this peat bund experiment. Preliminary monitoring during the 2025 drought suggests bunded areas remained wetter for longer than unrestored peat, helping to maintain wetter conditions near the peat surface for longer – the .

The excavator machines up on the hills today don’t signal a return to the industrial past, but an attempt to restore the damage it left behind.

, Honorary Research Associate in Peatland Hydrology,

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons licence. Read the .

·        Small and statistically insignificant drop in hotel prices on major online platforms and hotel websites
·        Prices fell by around 5% for bookings made directly with hotels offline
·        Customers shifted away from online travel agents towards direct booking
·        Offline bookings – the largest channel at the time – increased their relative sales share
·        Total consumer savings were meaningful, but modest relative to the overall market

Why this matters

Online platforms like Booking.com and Expedia play a major role in how people find and book hotels.

For years, many of these platforms used ‘price parity clauses’ to prevent hotels from offering cheaper deals elsewhere, including on their own websites. 

Policymakers expected that banning these rules would lead to lower prices across the board. However, the study suggests the reality is more complicated, and that headline online prices may not tell the full story.

Hidden cheaper rooms

For most travellers, booking a hotel is simple - search the internet, compare prices and click - but this research suggests that the best deal may not always be the one you see.

Instead, customers willing to call, email or walk into a hotel directly were more likely to find lower prices after the policy change. In other words, the cheapest room may be the one that never appears online.

What actually changed

The study focuses on France, which in 2015 became the first country to fully ban price parity clauses in the hotel sector. Researchers analysed data from 166 hotels across Europe, comparing France with countries where the rules were still in place.

They found:

·        Online prices showed small decreases of around 1–2%, but these are not statistically distinguishable from zero
·        Offline prices dropped significantly, around 5% or €8.50 per booking
·        Bookings shifted away from online platforms towards direct offline channels

Why online prices didn’t fall

One reason may be that online platforms still have powerful ways to influence hotel behaviour. Hotels that offer lower prices elsewhere risk being pushed down search rankings, making them less visible to customers.

As a result, many hotels appear to have avoided cutting prices on visible online channels, even after the rules were removed. Instead, they offered discounts where platforms were less able to monitor - in direct, offline bookings.

What customers may be missing

The findings suggest that:

·        Not all price competition is visible online
·        Some of the best deals require extra effort to find
·        Consumers who rely only on platforms may miss cheaper options

At the same time, many users continue to use online booking tools for the convenience and additional services they offer – such as price comparison, guest reviews, and streamlined booking – even if it means paying slightly more.

A mixed success 

The policy did lead to more competition between booking channels, lower prices for some consumers and a shift away from platforms.

But overall, the impact was smaller than expected, especially on the highly visible online prices policymakers hoped to change.

Why it matters now

The findings are particularly relevant as new regulations, including the EU’s Digital Markets Act, aim to curb the power of large online platforms.

Understanding how businesses respond in practice is crucial to ensuring these policies deliver real benefits for consumers.

Publication details

The paper was carried out by economists from The University of �εδ���app, the University of Oxford, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and partner institutions across Europe. It was published in The Economic Journal.

DOI:

Air pollution can influence the brain either directly, when harmful particles enter the brain, or indirectly, through inflammation in the lungs which then impacts the brain. Neurological diseases have been increasing for decades and there is now a greater appreciation that long term exposure to elevated levels of air pollution are associated in dementia risk. While we often categorise air quality by the total amount of particulate matter, this new study demonstrates that the source of the pollution matters as much as the quantity.

The findings in reveal that different pollutant sources produce varied health effects even at identical concentrations in the air. Recognising these differences is essential for shaping public policy, improving clinical diagnosis and developing protective strategies. With an ever‑growing ageing population and increasing urbanisation, the public‑health imperative to mitigate neurological disease becomes increasingly urgent.

Lead author Thomas Faherty of the University of Birmingham said: “This unique clinical study highlighted the importance of the lung–brain axis in brain responses to air pollution. Safely exposing the same individuals to multiple real‑world pollution mixtures allowed us to detect differences between pollutants, demonstrating the value of this approach for further pollution-dementia research.”

In a double‑blind study involving 15 healthy volunteers, participants were exposed to clean air, limonene SOA (a citrus fragrance commonly used in cleaning products), diesel exhaust, woodsmoke and cooking emissions. After 60 minutes of exposure, and a four-hour break, researchers assessed respiratory function alongside working memory, selective attention, socio‑emotional processing, psychomotor speed and motor control.

Respiratory responses showed limonene had the greatest impact on lung function, followed by woodsmoke, diesel exhaust and finally cooking emissions.

Cognitive function was also found to be significantly influenced by pollutant source. Diesel exhaust and woodsmoke improved processing speed; limonene‑derived secondary organic aerosol enhanced working memory compared to cooking emissions; and diesel exhaust showed signs of impairing executive function. The team suggests that the presence of nitrogen oxides (NO_X), known vasodilators, may alter blood flow to the brain and contribute to these mixed cognitive effects.

Given that measurable effects were detectable after a brief 60-minute exposure, the findings suggest that prolonged exposure could have significant long‑term consequences for brain health. As rates of neurological disease increase, the study informs an immediate need for pollutant source‑specific public health guidance, improved clinical awareness and more targeted strategies to protect vulnerable populations.

Professor Neil Humphrey, academic lead of #BeeWell, said: “Attendance matters, but these findings show that it should not be viewed in isolation. Young people also need to feel that they belong, that they are noticed, and that they have supportive relationships with adults in school. Through #BeeWell, we are working with partners across Greater �εδ���app to ensure that responses to attendance challenges also support young people’s mental wellbeing 

Publication details  

This research was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.   

DOI: