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Actors may suppress their core sense of self when acting, as they immerse themselves in a new role, finds a new study by UCL researchers. The research, published in Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, suggests that when actors take on a new character, they may be able to suppress their everyday self - implying that theatre training may have a big impact on the fundamental mechanisms of the human brain.

Fossil fuels continue to be prioritised over clean energy solutions by governments and companies to the detriment of health, finds the latest Lancet Countdown report led by UCL researchers. The 2022 Report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, published today, has found that ongoing crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, conflict in Ukraine, and a global energy and cost of living crisis, have caused countries to become over reliant on fossil fuels - compounding climate change and its effect on health.

Actors may suppress their core sense of self when acting, as they immerse themselves in a new role, finds a new study by UCL researchers. The research, published in Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, suggests that when actors take on a new character, they may be able to suppress their everyday self - implying that theatre training may have a big impact on the fundamental mechanisms of the human brain.

The tablet form of the stress hormone cortisol could accelerate the process of forgetting intrusive memories, when given immediately after a traumatic event, finds a new study by UCL researchers. The research, published in Translational Psychiatry , found that hydrocortisone (30mg) - an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat conditions such as arthritis - acts to weaken the emotions that underly painful memories, such as those experienced in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The first genetic data from Palaeolithic human individuals in the UK - the oldest human DNA obtained from the British Isles so far - indicates the presence of two distinct groups that migrated to Britain at the end of the last ice age, according to new research. Published today in Nature Ecology and Evolution, the new study by UCL Institute of Archaeology, the Natural History Museum and the Francis Crick Institute researchers reveals for the first time that the recolonisation of Britain consisted of at least two groups with distinct origins and cultures.

Scientists have discovered that cervical cancer can be divided into two distinct molecular subgroups - one far more aggressive than the other - as part of the largest 'omics' study of its kind, led by researchers at UCL and the University of Southampton. Published in Nature Communications , researchers say the breakthrough findings are a 'major step forward' in understanding disease and provide a tantalising new clue in determining the best treatments for individual patients.

A quarter of a million working-age people aged 50 or older, could have stayed in paid employment for longer, had the levelling up health targets been achieved a decade ago, finds a new UCL-led study. Researchers believe this is important as staying in work can provide both positive health and financial outcomes for individuals.

Getting less than five hours of sleep in mid-to-late life could be linked to an increased risk of developing at least two chronic diseases, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The research, published in PLOS Medicine , analysed the impact of sleep duration on the health of more than 7,000 men and women at the ages of 50, 60 and 70, from the Whitehall II cohort study.

Writing in The Conversation, Dr Ruth Plackett (UCL Epidemiology & Health) synthesises the results of research looking into how to best protect one's mental health while navigating the volatile social media landscape. The recent inquest into the death of British teenager Molly Russell in 2017 has concluded that the 14-year-old "died from an act of self harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content".

People living with dementia may benefit from talking therapies available on the NHS, if they suffer from anxiety or depression, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. Mental health problems such as depression and anxiety are very common in people with dementia, and previous studies estimate that 38% of people with mild dementia are affected by the conditions.

Brain cells living in a dish can perform goal-directed tasks, such as playing the tennis-like computer game, Pong, finds a new study involving UCL researchers. The findings, published in Neuron , could have implications for future research by providing a new perspective on artificial intelligence (AI) models of how the brain works - and a basis for testing the effects of drugs on a little proto-brain, whose decisions can be measured behaviourally.

Following a meditation programme for 18 months can improve attention and socio-emotional regulation capacities for people over 65, finds a new study co-led by a UCL researcher. But the researchers did not identify any significant impact of meditation on the volume and functioning of the brain structures studied, in comparison to control groups, so the potential to prevent dementia remains unclear, they report in JAMA Neurology .

Research involving UCL has shown the effectiveness of a world-first contact tracing method to identify, test and treat sex partners of people with chlamydia - a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that affects 250,000 people in the UK each year. Accelerated Partner Therapy (APT) is a contact tracing method, in which healthcare professionals assess sex partners of people with chlamydia by phone before giving the patient a package of antibiotics and STI self-sampling kits to deliver to their partner(s).

An early step in metabolic evolution enabled the emergence of ATP as the universal energy carrier, setting the stage for the origin of life, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. According to the findings published in PLOS Biology , a simple two-carbon compound may have been a crucial player in the evolution of metabolism before the advent of cells.

A new system of flying drones working together to 3D print material, has been developed by a team involving researchers at UCL and Imperial College London. It's the first time flying drones have been coordinated like this to 3D print an object. The system, called Aerial Additive Manufacturing (Aerial-AM), is a new approach to 3D printing using collaborative flying robots to transport and deposit building material.

People with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are 2.5 times more likely than those without a psychotic disorder to eventually develop dementia, according to a review of evidence led by UCL researchers. The new systematic review and meta-analysis, published in Psychological Medicine , found that psychotic disorders may have a stronger link with dementia than other mental health disorders like depression or anxiety.

More than 1,500 adults and children from the UK are being recruited by researchers at UCL, as part of an international study aiming to discover the genes that cause stammering. The UK arm of the study will be overseen by researchers at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, and aims to provide greater insight into why some people are more likely to develop a stammer, also known as stuttering, in a bid to develop new treatments that target the cause rather than just the symptoms.

The prevalence of serious mental health problems among 17-year-olds could drop by as much as 16.8% for girls and 8.4% for boys if they were not subjected to sexual violence, such as sexual assault and harassment, according to estimates from UCL researchers. The new research, published today in The Lancet Psychiatry , uses information from 9,971 young people born across the UK in 2000-02, who are being followed by the Millennium Cohort Study.

A blood test taken at the time of Covid-19 infection could predict who is most likely to develop long Covid, suggests a new small-scale study led by UCL researchers. The study, published in eBioMedicine , analysed proteins in the blood of healthcare workers infected with SARS-CoV-2, comparing them to samples from healthcare workers who had not been infected.

A blood test taken at the time of Covid-19 infection could predict who is most likely to develop long Covid, suggests a new small-scale study led by UCL researchers. The study, published in eBioMedicine , analysed proteins in the blood of healthcare workers infected with SARS-CoV-2, comparing them to samples from healthcare workers who had not been infected.