science wire

Writing for The Conversation, Dr Susannah Fisher (UCL Risk and Disaster Reduction) explores the challenges that Bangladesh, Tuvalu, Kenya, Australia and the UK face with the mounting climate crisis and the required steps to prevent further damage.

People in their thirties may risk a heart attack or stroke in later life even when they have 'normal' blood pressure, if it's too high or steeply rising, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

A new treatment for high blood pressure can provide continuous, round-the-clock blood pressure control for people whose condition is hard to treat, according to a global study led by a UCL professor. The treatment, baxdrostat, works by reducing levels of aldosterone, a hormone that can drive high blood pressure in some people.

A new AI-assisted brain atlas that can help visualise the human brain in unprecedented detail has been developed by UCL researchers, in a major step forward for neuroscience and neuroimaging. The human brain comprises hundreds of interconnected regions that drive our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.

Intensive treatment of severe gum disease can help prevent arteries from becoming clogged, supporting heart health and reducing the long-term risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke, according to a new clinical trial by researchers.

Writing for The Conversation, Professor Max Telford (UCL Biosciences) explores a new link that may explain how animals evolved from single-celled organisms and how this fits into existing theories on evolution.

A powerful new database and economic model that identifies the most cost-effective strategies to reduce the carbon emissions from the world's iron and steel processing plants has been developed by researchers from UCL.

The types, locations and causes of cycling 'near misses' in London have been mapped using helmet-mounted cameras and GPS devices to track commuter journeys, in a new study from UCL researchers that provides valuable data for improving road safety. The study, published in Accident Analysis and Prevention , is the first to combine real-time verbal reporting of incidents with panoramic video footage and GPS data to understand the behavioural and environmental factors contributing to 'near misses' (where a crash between a cyclist and another road user or pedestrian is narrowly avoided).

A multiple sclerosis (MS) patient in the UK was the first to receive CAR T cell therapy, invented by UCL researchers, in a clinical trial testing whether this personalised treatment can slow or even halt the progression of the disease.

UCL is releasing its animal research statistics today in collaboration with Understanding Animal Research - a not-for-profit organisation that promotes open communications about animal research. UCL and nine other institutions together conducted more than half of all'animal procedures - those used in medical, veterinary, and scientific research - in the UK in 2024.

The largest multi-object spectroscopic survey facility in the southern hemisphere, which UCL engineers helped design and build, has taken its first observations, marking the start of its scientific journey.

The discovery of a human facial fragment aged over one million years represents the oldest known face in western Europe and confirms the region was inhabited by two species of human during the early Pleistocene, finds a new study involving a UCL researcher. Humans evolved large brains and flat faces at a surprisingly rapid pace compared to other apes, likely reflecting the evolutionary advantages of these traits, finds a new analysis of ape skulls by UCL researchers.

Some users of popular fitness and calorie counting apps experience shame, disappointment and demotivation, potentially undermining their health and wellbeing, according to a new study led by researchers at UCL and Loughborough University. The study, published in the  British Journal of Health Psychology , looked at 58,881 posts on Twitter (i.e., posted prior to the platform becoming X) relating to five popular fitness apps* .

Anti-obesity medication semaglutide may help to prevent heart attacks and other major cardiac events regardless of how much weight people lose while taking the drug, according to a new study led by a UCL researcher.

After being treated with an electronic eye implant paired with augmented-reality glasses, people with sight loss have recovered reading vision, reports a trial involving a UCL and Moorfields clinical researcher.

Despite efforts, many UK businesses are not on track to meet the United Nation's Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) by their 2030 deadline, finds a new report involving researchers from UCL.

Writing in The Conversation, Dr Alwyn Dart (UCL Cancer Institute), argues why he believes better prostate cancer tests are required prior to a targeted prostate cancer screening programme being implemented.

The time to carry out diagnostic MRI scans for dementia can be cut to one third of their standard length, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

Errors in a gene known to cause a serious neurodevelopmental condition in infants are also linked to the development of Parkinson's disease in adolescence and adulthood, according to new research co-led by a UCL researcher. The study, published in the Annals of Neurology , looked at a gene called EPG5.

A new drug combination could significantly delay the progression of a life-threatening form of prostate cancer in men with specific genetic mutations, finds a major international trial led by UCL researchers. The Phase III AMPLITUDE trial, published in Nature Medicine , tested the addition of niraparib, a type of targeted cancer drug known as a PARP inhibitor 1 , to the standard treatment of abiraterone acetate and prednisone (AAP).

Dr Elizabeth Rosser (UCL Division of Medicine) explores the symptoms, complications and treatments for lupus, an autoimmune disease which celebrity Selena Gomez suffers from as well as an estimated five million people worldwide.

Blast fishing causes long-lasting damage to coral reefs, finds new research co-led by former UCL researcher Satrio Hani Samudra (UCL Division of Biosciences).

Women with an inherited risk of developing ovarian cancer because they have the so-called Angelina Jolie gene alteration can now be tested on the NHS thanks to UCL research.

Family affluence shields children from the risks of obesity and unhealthy eating habits, even when they're surrounded by unhealthy food options, according to a study co-led by researchers at UCL. The research, conducted in four London boroughs and funded by the National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR), highlights the urgent need to address structural inequalities, such as household deprivation, if local and national policies aimed at improving children's diets are to be effective.

From September 2025, students in UCL halls can raise and track maintenance requests directly through MyCampus - a simpler, faster, and more transparent way to get issues resolved.

Breast cancer survivors with severe menopausal symptoms should be supported to make an informed decision about whether to have hormone replacement therapy or not, according to an interdisciplinary panel of experts including researchers from UCL.