Shutterstock/1000 Words Playing football is a good way to get physically fit. But our new study shows that a regular kick about can also lead to improved mental health, social confidence and a sense of purpose. As we explored the impact of the beautiful game on people with mental healthContinue Reading
Around 50m people worldwide are living with dementia. Shutterstock Thirty years ago dementia was a condition less understood than it is now and assumed to be a normal part of ageing. A condition which affects the memory, it can also affect sight, hearing, balance, walking, visual and spatial understanding, navigationContinue Reading
In the event of a stroke, the well-known mantra is “time is brain”. Even small delays in identifying symptoms and seeking specialist care can be detrimental to a patient’s recovery and long-term quality of life. This is the case even for relatively mild strokes. So it’s alarming that hospitals inContinue Reading
Many new parents often feel they have to hide how they really feel. Monkey Business Images/ Shutterstock If you believe what the media tells us, we should feel nothing apart from overwhelming love, gratitude and excitement immediately when our baby is born. Although becoming a new parent might indeed beContinue Reading
Parkinson's is a motor disease which can affect eye movement. Lucky Business/ Shutterstock Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, affecting over 10 million people worldwide. It’s characterised by changes in movement, including tremors, and slower and more rigid movements. But researchers are also beginning to investigate otherContinue Reading
Lesterman/Shutterstock Two months ago I received an email from a colleague inviting me to join a global campaign to support a form of vaccine research that would involve deliberately infecting volunteers with COVID-19. This might seem like a strange idea. Some people have raised concerns about this research. Some evenContinue Reading
Polio patient in an iron lung to help them breathe. Everett Collection/Shutterstock If you have been following the media coverage of the new vaccines in development for COVID-19, it will be clear that the stakes are high. Very few vaccine trials in history have attracted so much attention, perhaps sinceContinue Reading
Comfortable shoes with a curved tip make it easier to move, but weaken foot muscles. lzf/ Shutterstock Evolution dictates that the human body adapts to cope with stresses present in the environment. The removal of stress from our environment means we cease to use that adaption. This is why yourContinue Reading
A series of new measures has been announced to stem rising cases of coronavirus in the UK. People are again being encouraged to work from home if they can, while pubs and bars will be required to close at 10pm. Masks will be required for hospitality workers and passengers inContinue Reading
ImageFlow/Shutterstock In early January, the first genome sequence of Sars-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – was released under the moniker “Wuhan-1”. This string of 30,000 letters (the A, T, C and Gs of the genetic code) marked day one in the race to understand the genetics of thisContinue Reading
