News
First 100 participants join study to improve IVF treatment outcomes
One hundred people have now signed up to take part in the BRIST-IVF study to help researchers at the NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) improve future outcomes for IVF treatment. The research study, launched in September 2019, is collecting information from couples and individuals undergoing IVF and intracytoplasmic…
Brilliant teamwork, lads! Results from Gromit Unleashed 2 healthy living quiz published
Results from a mini healthy living quiz, devised by researchers and completed by more than 5,000 people during The Grand Appeal‘s Gromit Unleashed 2 trail, have now been published in the Archives of Diseases in Childhood. What do families know about healthy eating and physical activity? A…
Bristol alumni test their surgical skills at celebration event
The Bristol Biomedical Research Centre’s (BRC) ‘Beat the Surgeon’ game proved a challenge for alumni and friends of the University of Bristol at the annual Supporters’ Celebration on 9 November, hosted by the Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Hugh Brady. Every year, the Development and Alumni Relations Office takes time…
Complementary and alternative therapies to treat colic: the jury’s still out but some therapies show promise
A review of the evidence on the use of complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies to treat babies with colic has shown some that some treatments – including probiotics, fennel extract and spinal manipulation – do appear to help, but that overall the evidence on the use of these therapies is…
Evidence that tobacco smoking increases risk of depression and schizophrenia
A new study published Wednesday 6 November in Psychological Medicine and led by University of Bristol researchers has found that tobacco smoking may increase your risk of developing depression and schizophrenia. It is well-known that smoking is much more common amongst people with mental illness – especially depression and schizophrenia.
Study shows heavy smoking can have a damaging effect on facial ageing
Heavy smoking may have a causal effect on facial ageing, according to new research led by the University of Bristol. The study searched across 18,000 traits from the UK Biobank cohort to identify those that may be affected by how heavily someone smokes. As well as recognising several known…
Researcher profile: Alison Kirby, Brist-IVF study research midwife
Alison Kirby is research midwife for the Brist-IVF study. She manages all aspects of study delivery at the Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine (BCRM). What inspired you to become a midwife? Throughout my childhood I’d always wanted to become a nurse and qualified as a registered general nurse…
NIHR Bristol BRC appoints Signant Health to explore the use of eConsent in a prostate cancer study
The National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Bristol BRC) at the University of Bristol has selected Signant Health, formerly CRF Health and Bracket, as its partner to provide electronic informed consent (eConsent) support for a prostate cancer study. The partnership will see Signant Health collect…
Fresh insights could lead to new treatments for liver disease
The fight against liver disease could be helped by the discovery of cells that cause liver scarring. Scientists have identified new sub-types of cells that, when they interact, accelerate the scarring process in diseased livers. Experts hope that by understanding more how these cells behave, new treatments can be developed…