SMD

News story: Research proving link between virus and MS could point the way to treatment and prevention

A new study from researchers at Queen Mary, University of London shows how a particular virus tricks the immune system into triggering inflammation and nerve cell damage in the brain, which is known to cause MS.

News story: Queen Mary researchers awarded major funding for studies on mitochondrial DNA and asbestos-related lung cancer

Dr Sarah Martin has been awarded the prestigious Medical Research Council New Investigator Award to elucidate the role of a number of DNA repair genes in the maintenance of mitochondrial DNA integrity and cancer.

News story: Archived Guthrie cards find a new purpose

Blood collected from newborn babies by a heel prick immediately after birth has been used routinely in most developed countries for decades to screen for diseases such as cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disorders.

News story: Researchers find first evidence for a genetic cause for Barrett’s oesophagus, a condition that predisposes people to develop one of the world’s commonest cancers

Genetic variations that are linked with the onset of Barrett’s oesophagus (BE), a pre-cancerous condition of the lower end of the gullet, have been identified for the first time. The discovery of variations in regions on two chromosomes makes it possible to develop screening tests for people at high risk of developing the disease.

News story: No evidence that drug used for preventing life-threatening bleeding in women during labour works

There is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of a drug that is being used increasingly to prevent life-threatening bleeding in women who give birth in community settings in low income countries, according to a review of all the available research published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. [1]

News story: Two effective chronic fatigue syndrome treatments are good value for money

Two treatments found previously to be the most effective for patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) have now been found to be the most cost-effective treatments.

News story: Cancer Research UK invests in Queen Mary ovarian cancer expert

A Queen Mary, University of London scientist has received a prestigious Cancer Research UK Clinical Scientist Fellowship – one of four awarded to UK clinical investigators.

News story: Active Follow-Up with Telephone Help Can Reduce Deaths in Chronic Heart Failure Patients

Chronic heart failure (CHF) patients are less likely to have died a year after discharge if they are involved in a programme of active follow-up once they have returned home than patients given standard care, according to a new Cochrane systematic review published today, co-authored by researchers at Queen Mary, University of London.

News story: Endoscopy and better tissue sampling are important for management of common pre-cancerous and cancerous oesophageal conditions

The world’s largest review of all the evidence on the best way of managing and treating common pre-cancerous and cancerous conditions of the oesophagus (gullet) has found that good endoscopy equipment, more endoscopic surgery, and more tissue sampling are required to improve care for patients.

News story: Europe-wide study finds death rates after surgery double that of recent estimates

National estimates of death following general surgery have been too optimistic, according to the first large-scale study to explore surgical outcomes across Europe, led by Queen Mary, University of London.

News story: QM signs up to Declaration on Openness on Animal Research

Queen Mary, University of London, has today (19 October) joined with 40 other organisations from across the life sciences sector in signing up to a declaration on openness on animal research.

News story: Violent radicalisation better tackled with public health measures, say researchers

With a growing number of terrorist attacks being committed by ‘home-grown’ radicals, researchers at Queen Mary, University of London are proposing a totally new approach to preventing terrorism.

News story: High doses of vitamin D help tuberculosis patients recover more quickly

For decades before antibiotics became generally available, sunshine was used to treat tuberculosis, with patients often being sent to Swiss clinics to soak up the sun’s healing rays. Now, for the first time scientists have shown how and why heliotherapy might, indeed, have made a difference.

News story: Lack of nationwide surveillance may lead to clusters of congenital anomalies going unnoticed

One baby in every 45 was born with a congenital anomaly in 2010 according to the second annual report by the British Isles Network of Congenital Anomaly Registers (BINOCAR), released today (Thursday).

News story: Cancer death rates set to drop 17 per cent by 2030

The rates of people dying from cancer are predicted to fall by 17 per cent (16.8) in the UK by 2030 according to Professor Peter Sasieni, from Queen Mary, University of London.

News story: Study finds more babies survive premature birth, but serious health problems are unchanged

New research from Queen Mary, University of London and UCL (University College London) has found the number of extremely premature babies who survive and leave hospital increased between 1995 and 2006, but the proportion who experience serious health problems in childhood remained largely unchanged.

News story: Queen Mary researchers play key role in securing £4.3m funding for e-health research centre of excellence in London

Researchers from Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London have played a key role in securing a £4.3m award to establish an e-health research Centre of Excellence in London.

News story: New gene test detects early mouth cancer risk

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have developed a new gene test that can detect pre-cancerous cells in patients with benign-looking mouth lesions. The test could potentially allow at-risk patients to receive earlier treatment, significantly improving their chance of survival.

News story: Keep the Olympic flame burning: exercise safely

As people around the UK get set to join in a sport on the first weekend after the Olympics, an expert on sports and exercise medicine from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, part of Queen Mary, University of London, has stressed emerging evidence that injury can be prevented using new approaches. This was crucial so that people stayed engaged with new activity to gain long-term benefits, he said.

News story: New research reveals alarming levels of salt and fat in Britain’s takeaway pizzas

New research by Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) at Queen Mary, University of London and the Association of London Environmental Health Managers (ALEHM) for National Salt Awareness Week 2012 reveals massive differences in the salt and fat content between takeaway pizzas and those purchased from supermarkets.

News story: Strongest evidence to date points to heightened risk of MS for babies born in spring

Lower prenatal levels of vitamin D may mean that babies born in April and May have an increased risk of developing the neurological condition multiple sclerosis (MS), new research from  Queen Mary, University of London suggests.

News story: Queen Mary research wins international award

Research jointly led by Queen Mary, University of London into the long-term impact of breast cancer screening has received an international award from the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

News story: QM scientists in new £2.5million consortium to investigate link between Alzheimer’s and Down’s syndrome

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London, are part of a new consortium which will study the link between Alzheimer’s disease and Down’s syndrome in an attempt to better understand the degenerative disease and predict as early as in infancy which individuals are most at risk.

News story: Prestigious UN award for honorary Queen Mary professor’s HIV care project

An honorary professor at Queen Mary, University of London, has received a prestigious award from the United Nations for his project to improve HIV treatment in South East Asia.

News story: Researchers shed light on the workings of the body’s immune response

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have discovered that two proteins which are believed to play a key role in controlling the body’s immune response are found in lower levels in T lymphocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

News story: Research gives hope to detecting cancer in early stages

Research from Queen Mary, University of London has uncovered the mechanism which causes normal cells to develop into cancer, giving hope in the fight against one of the UK’s biggest killers.

News story: Funding for research into regenerating damaged heart muscle

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have received new funding to find out whether an innovative method of stem cell therapy can help damaged heart muscle to recover and regenerate itself.

News story: Mending Broken Hearts at Queen Mary this Valentine’s Day

Queen Mary, University of London will be offering something a little different this Valentine’s Day- an exclusive event that asks the question poets, lovers and singletons have been musing for centuries: can you die from a broken heart?

News story: Stem cell biologist receives major pathology award

Professor Malcolm Alison of Queen Mary, University of London, has been awarded the 2012 Doniach Lectureship - the senior award of the Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

News story: QM led research shows potential benefits of e-learning in medical training

International research led by Queen Mary, University of London, suggests that e-learning is an effective method of medical training and could be an affordable way of driving up clinical standards and improving workplace culture.

News story: Colin Blakemore to receive Lord Brain Memorial Medal 2012

Professor Colin Blakemore of the University of Oxford and University of Warwick will be awarded the Lord Brain Memorial Medal 2012 for his significant contribution to neuroscience.

News story: Mummification documentary with Queen Mary forensic pathologist wins award

A documentary featuring a leading forensic pathologist based at Queen Mary, University of London has been honoured by the Royal Television Society at its annual celebration of excellence in television programming.

News story: World-first blood-clotting research on show at Big Bang 2012

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London will present their pioneering blood-clotting research at Birmingham’s Big Bang Fair this week.

News story: Research looks at impact of asthma, social deprivation and ethnicity on educational performance

Research led by Queen Mary, University of London has found that having asthma is not linked to poorer scores in national school examinations. In contrast, ethnicity and social deprivation were associated with poorer educational outcomes in the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE.

News story: Study hints at why gums suffer with age

New research from Queen Mary, University of London in collaboration with research groups in the USA sheds light on why gum disease can become more common with old age.

News story: QM led clinical guidelines gain NICE accreditation

Clinical guidelines produced following research led by Queen Mary, University of London, will help drive improvements in the treatment of people with pre-cancerous and cancerous conditions of the oesophagus (gullet).

News story: Study offers genetic insight into the ‘disease of kings’

Scientists have shed light on why some people are more susceptible to gout than others, according to a new study published today in Nature Genetics.

News story: QM Scientist to develop non-animal models for testing cancer drugs

Dr Adrian Biddle of Queen Mary, University of London has been awarded a David Sainsbury Fellowship from the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) for his work in developing a lab test based on human cells to replace the use of mice in testing potential drugs that target cancer cells.

News story: Blood pressure genes discovery tops cardiovascular and stroke research in 2011

The American Heart Association/Stroke Association has named research co-led by Queen Mary, University of London in their top 10 advances in cardiovascular and stroke research for 2011.

News story: Most English football teams don’t follow international guidelines on concussion

Most professional English football teams do not comply with international guidelines on concussion that ensure that players are safe to return to play, suggests new research from Queen Mary, University of London published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine

News story: India’s patent laws under pressure: The Lancet special report

In a special report in The Lancet, researchers from Queen Mary, University of London argue that pending cases against India’s patent laws threaten public health and misinterpret international intellectual property agreements.

News story: Professor Jack Cuzick receives prestigious cancer research award

Professor Jack Cuzick from the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine at Queen Mary, University of London, is to receive an international award in recognition of his outstanding cancer prevention research.

News story: QM Pathology Museum inspires unique play

A play inspired by Bart’s Pathology Museum at Queen Mary, University of London will be performed at the venue on Thursday 5 July.

News story: Research shows mixed results for home blood pressure monitoring in stroke patients

Home blood pressure monitoring may help stroke patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure according to research from a Queen Mary academic published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

News story: First Polypill trial in people selected on age alone (50 and over) shows substantial health benefit

Results of a randomised trial carried out by academics at Queen Mary, University of London and published in the journal PLoS One [1] show that a four-component Polypill given to people aged 50 and over to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke, the most common causes of death worldwide, achieved large reductions in blood cholesterol and blood pressure, the main causes of these two diseases.

News story: Queen Mary, University of London receives Phase II Grand Challenges Explorations Funding

Queen Mary, University of London has announced that it will receive Phase II funding through Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative created by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that enables individuals worldwide to test bold ideas to address persistent health and development challenges. 

News story: Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine introduces Dance Medicine module for 2013

Queen Mary, University of London’s Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine has announced the introduction of a new module in Dance Medicine, to commence in January 2013.

News story: Queen Mary research unit gains international recognition

The Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry at Queen Mary, University of London has gained recognition from the World Health Organisation, having been named a WHO Collaborating Centre.

News story: Queen Mary academic receives international research award

Professor Sir Nicholas Wald, Director of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, is to receive the Hamdan Award for Medical Research Excellence in the field of fetal medicine.

News story: Queen Mary academic becomes Editor-in-Chief of obstetrics and gynaecology journal

Professor Khalid Khan is the new Editor-in-Chief of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

News story: Global Health Week to bring leading public health figures to Queen Mary

Queen Mary, University of London’s Global Health Week starts today with an exciting line-up of leading public health figures due to present over the week on a diverse range of topics, from migration and mental health to food policy and access to medicines.

News story: Omega-3 fatty acids could prevent and treat nerve damage, research suggests

Research from Queen Mary, University of London suggests that omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, have the potential to protect nerves from injury and help them to regenerate.

News story: Queen Mary to lead multi-million pound rheumatoid arthritis research consortium

Queen Mary, University of London is to lead a multi-million pound research collaboration looking at ways of improving treatment for rheumatoid arthritis through the emerging field of stratified medicine.

News story: Researchers discover key mechanism for controlling the body’s inflammatory response

Researchers at Queen Mary, University of London have discovered how a key molecule controls the body’s inflammatory responses. The molecule, known as p110delta, fine-tunes inflammation to avoid excessive reactions that can damage the organism. The findings, published in Nature Immunology on 30 September, could be exploited in vaccine development and new cancer therapies.

News story: Centre of Excellence for Behçet’s disease awarded to Queen Mary and Barts and the London NHS Trust

Queen Mary, University of London’s Institute of Dentistry has been named, in partnership with Barts and the London NHS Trust, as the UK’s largest Centre of Excellence for the treatment of Behçet’s disease - a chronic and rare inflammatory disorder.

News story: QM’s Dean for Dentistry receives gold medal from Royal College of Surgeons

Queen Mary, University of London’s Dean for Dentistry, Professor Farida Fortune, has received the prestigious Colyer Gold Medal from the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS).

News story: Olympic legacy: tackling the ‘East London Diabetes Belt’ is a major challenge

A study by Queen Mary, University of London researchers has shown the scale of the challenge facing those in charge of delivering the Olympic legacy. In three London boroughs they have found that, overall, as many as one in ten of the local population has a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes within the next ten years. In some areas close to the Stratford Olympic Park up to one in six adults are at high risk.  

News story: Researchers win funding to reduce salt intake for children and their families in China

Queen Mary, University of London researchers have been awarded a major Medical Research Council (MRC) grant for a project to reduce the amount of salt consumed by children and their families in China.

News story: Repeated job strain is a risk factor for depression

Overworked employees with little power in the workplace are at an increased risk of developing major depressive disorder (MDD), according to a new study from researchers at Queen Mary, University of London, published today in the American Journal of Public Health.

News story: Treatment for cervical disease is not linked to increased risk of preterm births

Treatment for cervical disease does not appear to increase the risk of subsequently giving birth prematurely, according to a study of over 44,000 women in England. The study, published online in the British Medical Journal, is the largest in the UK to investigate this and contradicts previous research suggesting treatment could be linked to an increased risk.

News story: Research reveals high variation in salt levels in bacon

New research from Queen Mary, University of London, has revealed huge variation in the salt levels found in supermarket bacon, with some products containing more than half the daily recommendation of salt in just two rashers.

News story: New research reveals cheese saltier than seawater

New research from CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health) at Queen Mary, University of London, has revealed the unnecessarily high levels of salt in a staple of the country’s shopping baskets – cheese.

News story: Vicious Venoms and Poisonous Parasites at Centre of the Cell

The exciting workshop ‘Vicious Venoms and Poisonous Parasites’ will take place during the February school half-term holidays at Queen Mary, University of London’s unique science education centre, Centre of the Cell.

News story: Queen Mary receives funding for medical research in Zambia

Queen Mary, University of London has received a $1.3million(US) grant for research in Zambia into intestinal diseases – conditions which affect most children in the developing world and can leave their growth stunted.

News story: Queen Mary’s third annual MS Research Day to be held at Westminster

Queen Mary, University of London’s Neuroimmunology Group will be hosting their third annual Multiple Sclerosis Research Day on Saturday 28 January at the Church House Conference Centre, Westminster.

News story: Protein discovery could switch off cardiovascular disease

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London and the University of Surrey have found a protein inside blood vessels with an ability to protect the body from substances which cause cardiovascular disease.

News story: Queen Mary wins Research Project of the Year at THE Awards

Queen Mary, University of London, has picked up the Research Project of the Year at the annual Times Higher Education Awards.

News story: Unemployment differences appear to cause more mental health problems among Somalis in London than those in Minneapolis

Somali immigrants to the UK and USA appear to integrate better and have fewer mental health problems if they are allowed to work and they receive practical support during the first few years of their time in the new country, according to a study led by researchers at Queen Mary, University of London (UK) and published in BioMed Central Public Health today (Friday).

News story: The Pathology Museum Spring Seminar Series: Ghosts, body snatchers and Sherlock Holmes

The Spring Seminar Series at Queen Mary, University of London’s Pathology Museum is set to kick off in April with public lectures on sensational nineteenth-century science, ghosts, Arctic exploration and the history of pioneering Victorian female doctors.

News story: First comprehensive review of European breast cancer screening programmes finds benefits outweigh harm

A major review of breast cancer screening services in Europe, jointly led by researchers at Queen Mary, University of London, has concluded that the benefits of screening in terms of lives saved outweigh the harms caused by over-diagnosis.

News story: Eat Your Heart Out 2012: Queen Mary to host anatomy-themed baking festival

Talented bakers and medical experts are joining forces for a disease and anatomy-themed cake festival this autumn at Queen Mary, University of London’s Pathology Museum.

News story: New Deputy at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry

Professor Mike Curtis has been appointed as Deputy Vice-Principal (Health) at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

News story: Clarity needed on use of chemical weapons, says report

A report examining the role of neuroscience research in military and civilian law enforcement contexts, led by a Queen Mary, University of London academic, has called on the government to provide clarity on the use of chemical weapons.

News story: High risk oesophageal cancer gene discovered

New research from Queen Mary, University of London has uncovered a gene which plays a key role in the development of oesophageal cancer (cancer of the gullet).

News story: Controversial bill would end right to comprehensive health care, say academics

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and public interest lawyers have made a detailed legal and policy analysis of the Government’s controversial Health and Social Care Bill.

News story: Research shows dangerously high levels of salt in kids’ meals

Children’s meals at some of the UK’s leading pub and fast food chains contain more than a child’s recommended daily salt allowance, research from Queen Mary, University of London has shown.

News story: New technology set to “revolutionise” the identification of disaster victims

Forensics across the world will be better equipped to identify the age of people who die in natural disasters. Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have developed an online interactive tool which will enable experts to assess people’s teeth and accurately estimate their age.

News story: Health reforms will be the end of free care for all, warn experts

Entitlement to free health services will be curtailed by the Health and Social Care Bill currently before parliament, warn experts today.

News story: Medical student has paper published in American Journal of Medicine

A former medical student at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry has had his fourth year project published as a paper in a prestigious journal and reported by the international media.

News story: Cutting off the oxygen supply to serious diseases

A new family of proteins which regulate the human body’s ‘hypoxic response’ to low levels of oxygen has been discovered by scientists at Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary, University of London and The University of Nottingham.

News story: New health legislation will have “severe implications” for population data, warns expert

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 will have “severe implications” for collecting and monitoring data about the health needs of the population in England, warns a Queen Mary expert today.

News story: Scientists discover gene which causes rare disease in babies

A rare disease which often first presents in newborn babies has been traced to a novel genetic defect, scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have found.

News story: Professor leads development in hormonal disorder research

Queen Mary, University of London is leading the UK’s part in a European-wide collaboration which has been given the green light to accelerate scientific discovery in hormonal disorders.

News story: Newborns should be screened for heart defects, study shows

There is now overwhelming evidence that all newborn babies should be offered screening for heart defects at birth, according to a major new study published online in The Lancet.

News story: Queen Mary research takes top prize

HIV research carried out by scientists at Queen Mary, University of London has been awarded a top prize by scientific publishers BioMed Central.

News story: Medical school rises through the ranks

The latest university rankings reveal that Barts and The London Medical School has shot up 11 places to rank seventh nationally, and second in London.

News story: Trauma study is first to show how cyclists are injured and killed on city streets

A study by researchers at Queen Mary, University of London and Barts and The London NHS Trust proves that HGVs pose the greatest risk of death and serious injury to cyclists.

News story: Public to meet Joseph Merrick for the first time, thanks to replica skeleton

Almost 150 years after the birth of Joseph Merrick – aka The Elephant Man - an exact replica of his skeleton has been created from digital 3D scans of his fragile remains.

News story: Patient helps fund revolutionary motor neurone disease research

A 50 year old motor neurone disease patient will today launch a groundbreaking research project in East London after raising more than £100,000 to pay for it.

News story: New research will investigate role of hygiene in infant growth

Dr Andrew Prendergast, Senior Clinical Lecturer in paediatric infection and immunity at Queen Mary, University of London, has been awarded a Fellowship by the Wellcome Trust to study the effect of improved sanitation on the health of infants in developing countries.

News story: New experimental centre for arthritis at QM

Researchers at Queen Mary, University of London are working to develop better therapies to treat people with arthritis.

News story: Controversial vaccine trial should never have been run in India, researchers say

Research published today in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine raises further questions about a trial of HPV vaccines in India.

News story: Scheme for students to train with emergency medical services is a world first

A group of exceptional medical students are learning how lives can be saved immediately after serious injury, thanks to a training programme at Queen Mary, University of London.

News story: New study will treat C-section patients with own blood

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have received a major new grant to help treat blood loss during caesarean section births.

News story: Cell ‘battery’ found to play central role in neurodegenerative disease

A devastating neurodegenerative disease that first appears in toddlers just as they are beginning to walk has been traced to defects in mitochondria, the ‘batteries’ or energy-producing power plants of cells.

News story: Queen Mary joins leading medical group

Queen Mary, University of London has joined other universities in the Global Medical Excellence Cluster (GMEC), tasked with shaping and delivering cutting-edge research and attracting investment in UK healthcare.

News story: Queen Mary scientist wins prestigious award

A scientist at Queen Mary, University of London was awarded the title ‘Top New Investigator’ at a recent international meeting for the study of fatty acids and lipids.

News story: Scientists identify new cancer stem cell mechanism

Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have uncovered a link between two genes which shows how stem cells could develop into cancer.

News story: Approach to diabetes self-management too narrow, study suggests

A new study from researchers at Queen Mary, University of London reveals the many difficulties faced by people with diabetes in self-managing their disease.

News story: Queen Mary academic is awarded prestigious Fellowship

Professor Sussan Nourshargh from Queen Mary, University of London has been awarded a prestigious Fellowship at the Academy of Medical Sciences.

News story: Queen Mary academic to advise government on drugs and driving

An academic from Queen Mary, University of London has been chosen to be part of a panel set up to give advice to the government about the influences of drugs on driving.

News story: Inflammation display turns up the heat at Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition

Visitors to this year’s Royal Society Summer Exhibition will get a painful taste of the type of research scientists at Queen Mary, University of London are doing.

News story: Weight in pregnancy best controlled by diet, study shows

Pregnant women, including those who are obese or overweight, should be encouraged to minimise weight gain through diet, according to major new research from Queen Mary, University of London.

News story: Modern health mapping shows how poverty and ill health persist over 100 years

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London are aiming to improve the health of Londoners by combining a century-old mapping technique with up-to-the-minute technology.