SMD

News story: Queen Mary expands stop smoking service to Newham residents

As people start their New Year’s resolutions, a free stop smoking service has launched in the London Borough of Newham, provided by experts at Queen Mary University of London.

News story: Interview with Barts graduate Professor Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group

Professor Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, studied Medicine at Barts and qualified in 1989. He recently spoke to the Queen Mary Alumni team to talk more about his studies here and provided an insight into the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which is now being rolled-out to the most vulnerable people in the UK and globally.

News story: COVID-19 testing lab goes online at Queen Mary

A new COVID-19 testing lab at Queen Mary University of London has started processing NHS Test and Trace samples from the UK population, to increase the country’s testing capacity.

News story: Investigating COVID-19 in Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities

A new study led by Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust, and funded by Barts Charity, seeks to understand why Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities are so badly affected by the COVID-19 virus and address the lower uptake of the vaccine by people in these groups.

News story: Patients from Asian and black backgrounds are more likely to die from COVID-19, large study reveals

Patients of Asian and black backgrounds suffered disproportionate rates of premature death from COVID-19, according to a study of 1,737 patients by Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust.

News story: Queen Mary researchers to trial drug to protect against COVID-19 exposure

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust are looking for clinical trial participants who have recently (within 8 days) been in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.

News story: Professor Fiona Walter joins Queen Mary as Institute Director

Professor Fiona Walter has been appointed as the new Joint Director of the Wolfson Institute and Institute for Population Health Sciences, Queen Mary University of London.

News story: Consuming omega-3 fatty acids could prevent asthma

New research suggests that a higher dietary intake of long chain omega-3 fatty acids in childhood may reduce the risk of developing subsequent asthma, but only in children carrying a common gene variant. The study, led by Queen Mary University of London, is in collaboration with the University of Bristol and University of Southampton, UK, and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.

News story: More symptoms need to be included in UK case definition of COVID-19

Runny nose (coryza) and other indicative symptoms should be added as possible signs of COVID-19 infection, so that more people can access NHS covid tests, according to a Queen Mary academic writing in The BMJ, in an open letter to the Chief Medical Officer, supported by 140 east London general practitioners and health care professionals.

News story: New class of drug leads to 30 per cent reduced risk of death for bladder cancer patients

A new type of drug that helps target chemotherapy directly to cancer cells has been found to significantly increase survival of patients with the most common form of bladder cancer, according to results from a phase III clinical trial led in the UK by Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust.

News story: Salt reduction will prevent nearly 200,000 cases of heart disease and save £1.64bn

England’s salt reduction programme will have led to nearly 200,000 fewer adults developing heart disease and £1.64 billion of healthcare cost savings by 2050, according to research by Queen Mary University of London.

News story: Researchers to explore the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on domestic abuse referrals in primary care

A new study involving researchers from Queen Mary University of London will explore whether and how GP referrals to domestic abuse services have changed during the coronavirus pandemic.

News story: Single dose of vaccine acts as ‘booster’ in those with prior COVID-19 infection

People who have previously had COVID-19 have an enhanced antibody response with a single dose of RNA vaccine, according to a study of 51 UK healthcare workers, around half of whom had a previous laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

News story: Secrets of sealed 17th century letters revealed by dental X-ray scanners

In a world first, an international team of researchers has read an unopened letter from Renaissance Europe – without breaking its seal or damaging it in any way.

News story: Attending consecutive mammography screens protects against breast cancer death

Attending the two most recent screening appointments before a breast cancer diagnosis protects against breast cancer death, according to a Queen Mary study of over half a million Swedish women conducted over 24 years.

News story: Significant gender disparities revealed in COVID-19 clinical trial leadership

Less than one-third of COVID-19 clinical trials are led by women, which is half the proportion observed in non-COVID-19 trials, according to research led by Queen Mary University of London, University of St Andrews, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

News story: Why promising results from a large clinical trial into vitamin D and COVID-19 may not be all that they seem

Sandra Eldridge is Professor of Biostatistics and Director of the Pragmatic Clinical Trials Unit at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London. In this blog post, Professor Eldridge discusses the recent excitement around some promising clinical trial results that suggest that vitamin D improved the recovery of hospitalised COVID-19 patients, and she explains why the trial may be flawed.

News story: Convincing evidence that type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risk of Parkinson’s

Research from Queen Mary University of London has concluded that there is convincing evidence that type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.

News story: Having an unhealthy heart could lead to a higher risk of being diagnosed with COVID-19

People with unhealthy heart structures and poorer functioning hearts have a significantly higher risk of being diagnosed with COVID-19 infection, according to research by Queen Mary University of London, in collaboration with the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit (The University of Southampton).

News story: Schools reopening without robust COVID-19 mitigation risks accelerating the pandemic

A group of academics have set out a series of recommendations for schools to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission now that they have re-opened, in a letter published in The Lancet.

News story: Study strengthens links between red meat and heart disease

An observational study by Queen Mary University of London researchers in nearly 20,000 individuals has found that greater intake of red and processed meat is associated with worse heart function.

News story: Scientists develop rapid test for diagnosis of rare set of genetic conditions

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and Cardiff University have developed a rapid test for the diagnosis of a constellation of rare and debilitating genetic conditions, which is described as a ‘step-change’.

News story: Dementia death risk is higher among the socioeconomically deprived

A large proportion of dementia deaths in England and Wales may be due to socioeconomic deprivation, according to new research led by Queen Mary University of London.

News story: Queen Mary joins NIHR School to strengthen primary care research

The NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) has announced the fourth phase of the School for Primary Care Research (SPCR), which now involves Queen Mary University of London, and a new focus on supporting the full spectrum of primary care research and building research capacity.

News story: New genetic clues point to new treatments for ‘silent’ stroke

Scientists from Queen Mary University of London have helped identify new genetic clues in people who’ve had small and often apparently ‘silent’ strokes that are difficult to treat and a major cause of vascular dementia.

News story: How preprints accelerated science communication during the pandemic

A new study led by Queen Mary University of London researchers has found that during the early phase of the pandemic, approximately 35 per cent of the COVID-19 scientific literature was shared as preprints – freely available manuscripts that are shared prior to peer-review in a journal.

News story: Researchers discover new way to starve brain tumours

Scientists from Queen Mary University of London, funded by the charity Brain Tumour Research and the Medical Research Council, have found a new way to starve cancerous brain tumour cells of energy in order to prevent further growth.

News story: Scientists uncover secret of the hunger switch in the brain

A 3D structure reveals how a unique molecular switch in our brain causes us to feel full – and may help develop improved anti-obesity drugs.

News story: New research to study impact of air pollution on children’s brain development and mental health

Queen Mary University of London researchers have been awarded a £300,000 grant to study the impact of air pollution on children’s brain function and mental health.

News story: Preprints: how draft academic papers have become essential in the fight against COVID

This piece by Dr Jonathon Coates, Postdoctoral Researcher at Queen Mary's William Harvey Research Institute, was originally published in The Conversation and discusses the advantages that draft scientific papers ('preprints') have brought to COVID-19 research during the pandemic.

News story: Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection rescues B and T cell responses to variants after first vaccine dose

A single dose of vaccine boosts potent responses against SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus variants in those with previous COVID-19, a study has found.

News story: Queen Mary researchers help to tackle vaccine hesitancy in schools

Queen Mary researchers have been working with schools to design resources to help young people better understand immunisation programmes.

News story: In conversation with Dr Mark Freestone - Post-Lockdown Anxiety

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, Communications Manager Joel Winston speaks to Dr Mark Freestone, Reader in Mental Health at Queen Mary University of London, about 'post-lockdown anxiety' and how people can manage their worries about socialising and returning to work.

News story: Three Queen Mary scientists elected to prestigious fellowship

Three scientists from Queen Mary University of London have today been elected to the highly prestigious Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowship.

News story: Having a healthier heart is associated with better problem-solving and reaction time

People with healthier heart structure and function appear to have better cognitive abilities, including increased capacity to solve logic problems and faster reaction times, according to research led by Queen Mary University of London and the Radcliffe Department of Medicine at University of Oxford.

News story: More than 1 in 4 healthcare workers seek mental health support during Covid

The harsh impact of the Covid pandemic on healthcare workers’ mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing has been laid bare in a study showing how the impact intensified the longer the pandemic dragged on.

News story: COVID-19’s impacts on the brain and mind are varied and common – new research

Dr Cameron Watson, Junior Doctor and Dementia Researcher, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London has written an opinion piece for The Conversation on COVID-19’s impacts on the brain and mind.

News story: Procedure using ultrasound energy found to treat high blood pressure

A minimally-invasive procedure that targets the nerves near the kidney has been found to significantly reduce blood pressure in hypertension patients, according to the results of a global multicentre clinical trial led in the UK by researchers at Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust.

News story: Could your smart watch alert you to risk of sudden death?

Researchers have developed an algorithm that could ultimately enable smart watches to alert wearers to potentially deadly changes in their heart rhythm. The research, presented at the British Cardiovascular Society conference, could help to identify people at risk of sudden death.

News story: NHS Health Checks are not helping people who need them most

According to a seven year study led by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, involving more than three million people, only 8 per cent of those at greater risk of heart disease who would benefit from taking statins, were prescribed them.

News story: Queen Mary academic receives prestigious science learning award

Professor Fran Balkwill OBE, Professor of Cancer Biology at Queen Mary University of London, has been announced as the 2021 winner of the Beetlestone Award which recognises leadership and legacy in the field of informal science learning.

News story: First nationwide study reveals millions of cancelled operations due to COVID-19 and high risk of death

The first nationwide study of the impact of COVID-19 on surgery at NHS hospitals has revealed that more than 1.5 million operations were cancelled or postponed during the pandemic and surgical patients who became infected with COVID were five times more likely to die.

News story: New mouth cancer centre to improve survival and quality of life for thousands of patients

A new cancer centre is being set up to improve survival rates and quality of life for thousands of people affected by squamous cancer – a specific type of cancer which affects the mouth, skin, lungs and cervix.

News story: E-cigarettes more helpful than nicotine replacement treatments for dependent smokers

E-cigarettes are more effective than nicotine replacement treatments in achieving long term smoking reduction and cessation, according to the results of a clinical trial by Queen Mary University of London.

News story: Professor Sir Mark Caulfield appointed as CEO of Barts Life Sciences

Professor Sir Mark Caulfield has been announced as the new Chief Executive Officer of Barts Life Sciences.

News story: AI predicts diabetes risk by measuring fat around the heart

A team led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that is able to automatically measure the amount of fat around the heart from MRI scan images.

News story: New HIV centre set up to tackle inequality and improve treatment

A new HIV research centre is being set up by Queen Mary academics to address health inequalities and improve quality of life for everyone affected by HIV.

News story: Lateral flow tests are 95% effective at detecting Covid-19 when used at the onset of symptoms

A new study by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, University of Oxford, Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna, and the Medical University of Graz, has found that lateral flow tests detect Covid-19 with similar accuracy to laboratory-based PCR tests, providing they are used at the onset of infection and soon after symptoms start.

News story: Breakthrough into leading cause of blindness

A team of scientists, including researchers from Queen Mary University of London, has discovered that the most common form of adult blindness is probably caused by a failure of at least one of five proteins to regulate the immune system.

News story: Queen Mary researchers to study the link between physical and mental health

Researchers from the Genes & Health programme at Queen Mary University of London have received significant funding for an international collaborative project to better understand why some people develop multiple chronic health conditions.

News story: Genetics study in Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities will take action on health inequality

This Eid, Social Action for Health and Queen Mary University of London are calling on Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities to take part in world’s largest genetics study into people of their heritage, to help scientists understand and treat the causes and consequences of poor health.

News story: Queen Mary professor receives prestigious Dentistry Gold Medal

The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) has announced Professor David Williams, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, as the 2021 recipient of the IADR Gold Medal Award.

News story: Pregnant women need more information and options for treating their anaemia

In this blog post, Dr Jahnavi Daru, Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, discusses her latest research showing the vast differences in iron treatments that are available for pregnant women with anaemia. Reflecting on her current experience as a pregnant woman and obstetrician, she highlights the need for open and transparent discussions between patient and clinician on the range of treatments that may be available.

News story: Dentistry students win Gold Medal in prestigious head-to-head competition

Recent Dentistry graduates from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, have won all three prestigious University of London Gold Medal 2021 awards.

News story: Researchers successfully identify new gene variants that cause hypertension in pregnant women

An international study, led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London and St Bartholomew’s Hospital, has found a unique pair of gene variants that causes sudden onset high blood pressure in pregnant women.

News story: New study reveals patients from minority ethnic groups are more likely to be admitted to hospital

Patients from minority ethnic groups have a disproportionately higher rate of emergency hospital admissions, according to research by Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust.

News story: Call to Stop Misleading Parents with Child Friendly Packaging and Health Claims on Children’s Yogurts as Only 1 in 20 Contain ‘Healthy’ Sugar Levels

Progress to reformulate and reduce added sugar in yogurts with child friendly packaging (and in line with government guidance) is disappointingly sluggish, according to research carried out by Action on Sugar based at Queen Mary University of London.

News story: New study shows intervention alone does not decrease post-surgery deaths in Africa

A new study from a team of researchers, including from Queen Mary University of London, has provided valuable insight into reducing death following surgery in African hospitals. It found that intervention methods alone, such as having nurses conduct more regular checks of patients or placing patients in a higher care ward, are not enough to bring down the number of deaths.

News story: UK lung cancer trial shows screening at-risk groups lowers mortality rates

Results from the UK Lung Screening Trial (UKLS), the first lung cancer CT screening trial in the UK, have provided unequivocal support for lung cancer screening in identified high risk groups.

News story: Queen Mary Professor appointed as President of UK’s leading organisation for women doctors

Professor Chloe Orkin from Queen Mary University of London has been appointed as President of the Medical Women’s Federation.

News story: Queen Mary awarded funding for new Primary Care Research Fellowships

Queen Mary has received funding for three fellowships in primary care as part of our membership in the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research (SPCR).

News story: Young children from England’s poorest areas are shorter, according to new Queen Mary study

Primary school children from England’s most deprived areas are nearly twice as likely to be short than those in the least deprived areas, according to new research led by Queen Mary University of London.

News story: Queen Mary’s stop smoking service expands to Waltham Forest

Experts from Queen Mary University of London have launched a stop smoking service to deliver advice and support for people in the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

News story: Risk factors for heart disease change heart structure and appearance

A new study led by researchers at Queen Mary University of London suggests that certain risk factors for heart disease are linked to common changes in the structure and appearance of the heart.

News story: New insights into impact of multiple sclerosis treatments on Covid-19 vaccine effectiveness

Treatments used to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) manage their condition can reduce the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines, according to research from Cardiff University and Queen Mary University of London 

News story: Queen Mary's Clinical Effectiveness Group receives funding to tackle falling pre-school immunisation rates

Four projects tackling some of London’s key health challenges have been awarded a total of £1 million to demonstrate how the use of data at scale can improve health outcomes, supporting delivery of the London Health Data Strategy.

News story: New online training platform builds global expertise in trauma research

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London are helping to develop trauma frontline professionals as part of an international collaboration with Thailand’s Thai Siriraj Medical School and Mahidol University.

News story: More diversity improves genetic research into cardiovascular disease, according to new study

A new study, co-led by Queen Mary University of London, has made the case for more diversity in genetic research.

News story: Molecule found in seafood plays role in protecting and improving cognitive function, researchers find

A molecule found in high quantities in fish and other seafood could play a role in protecting and improving cognitive function in the brain, a new study suggests.

News story: Immune imprinting causes varied patterns of protection against COVID-19 variants

New research shows that the first SARS-CoV-2 spike protein a person encounters, be it by vaccination or infection, shapes their subsequent immune response against current and future variants.

News story: Allergic conditions linked to lower Covid-19 infection risk

New research from Queen Mary University of London sheds new light on the risk factors for developing Covid-19.

News story: Reducing sodium and increasing potassium may lower risk of strokes and heart disease

A recent study, involving researchers from Queen Mary University of London, provides further evidence that lower salt consumption and higher potassium intake is linked with lower risk of strokes and heart disease.

News story: World Aids Day – Improving the lives of everyone affected by HIV

As we mark 40 years since the first reported cases of HIV-related illnesses and deaths, we can see that HIV treatment and care has come a long way since the times when being diagnosed with HIV was a death sentence.

News story: New £11.6 million PhD Programme for health research in underrepresented populations

The Health Advances in Underrepresented Populations and Diseases (HARP) PhD Programme focuses research towards people and diseases that have traditionally been underrepresented in healthcare studies.

News story: Brief 5:2 diet advice is as effective as traditional GP advice, but people like it better

A clinical trial has found people prefer receiving information on the 5:2 diet than standard GP weight management advice despite both interventions achieving similar modest weight loss results.

News story: New target for Covid-19 vaccines identified

Next generation vaccines for Covid-19 should aim to induce an immune response against ‘replication proteins’, essential for the very earliest stages of the viral cycle, according to a new study involving Queen Mary University of London researchers, Professor Aine McKnight, Dr Corinna Pade and Joseph Gibbons.

News story: Blood test predicts which prostate cancer patients are resistant to chemotherapy drug

Research conducted at Queen Mary University of London, indicates that regular blood tests before and during chemotherapy for prostate cancer can detect whether or not a patient is resistant or developing resistance to treatment with a drug called docetaxel.

News story: Whole genome sequencing improves diagnosis of rare diseases and shortens diagnostic journeys for patients

A world-first scientific study, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, has shown that whole genome sequencing (WGS) can uncover new diagnoses for people across the broadest range of rare diseases investigated to date and could deliver enormous benefits across the NHS.

News story: Call for Removal of Misleading Sugar Claims on Baby & Toddler Sweet Snacks such as Biscuits and Rusks

A new product survey by Action on Sugar - based at Queen Mary University of London - has exposed the alarming amounts of sugars found in many baby & toddler sweet snacks such as biscuits, rusks, oat bars and puffs. With some products containing a massive two teaspoons of sugar per serve, this is of deep concern considering babies and toddlers should not be eating any free sugars at all. In fact, children aged between the ages of 1.5 and 3 years are exceeding 27.9g (equivalent of 7 teaspoons) of free sugars per day, according to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey.  

News story: New app helps parents identify treatable childhood growth disorders earlier

A new mobile phone app, ‘GrowthMonitor’, places the accurate measurement of children’s height in the hands of parents and carers. 

News story: HPV vaccine cuts cervical cancer cases by almost 90% – but one in ten girls still haven’t been vaccinated

Professor Carol Dezateux and Nicola Firman from Queen Mary University of London have co-written a piece for The Conversation on a recent study published in The Lancet, which found that the HPV vaccine cuts cervical cancer cases by nearly 90 per cent, and their research on the takeup.

News story: Multiple factors contribute to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among older, ethnic minorities

A new study involving Queen Mary University of London suggests patient-related factors, healthcare providers, health systems and policy may facilitate access or barriers to vaccination.

News story: Queen Mary research features in new Science Museum Group exhibition on cancer

A research project led by Professor Fran Balkwill from Queen Mary University of London's Barts Cancer Institute (BCI) features in a world-first free exhibition exploring the revolution in science that is transforming cancer care.

News story: New artificial intelligence offers hope for liver cancer patients with less than 13 per cent chance of survival

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and King’s College Hospital have shown that a new computer-based algorithm can rank drugs used to treat primary liver cancer, based on their efficacy in reducing cancer cell growth.

News story: Research breakthrough could mean better treatment for patients with most deadly form of brain tumour

Scientists studying the most common and aggressive type of brain tumour in adults have discovered a new way of analysing diseased and healthy cells from the same patient.

News story: Queen Mary study wins ‘Research Paper of the Year’ award

A study led by Queen Mary University of London has today been announced as the overall winner of the Royal College of General Practitioners Research Paper of the Year award.

News story: Queen Mary partners with Health Education England to launch new medical degree pilot

Prospective medical students in England will soon be able to choose to study flexibly thanks to a new pilot scheme launched by Health Education England and delivered by Queen Mary University of London.

News story: New study supports call for mandatory front-of-pack labelling to improve diets

A new systematic review and meta-analysis led by researchers from Action on Salt and Sugar based at Queen Mary University of London supports the call for mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labels in directing consumers towards healthier options.