science wire

A decades-old challenge in neuroscience has been solved by harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to identify the electrical signatures of different types of brain cells for the first time, as part of a study in mice led by researchers from UCL. Brains are made up of many different types of neurons (nerve cells in the brain), each of which are thought to play different roles in processing information.

Tyrannosaurus rex evolved in North America, but its direct ancestor came from Asia, crossing a land bridge connecting the continents more than 70 million years ago, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

An investigational gene therapy has successfully restored immune function in all nine children treated with the rare and life-threatening immune disorder called severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency-I, or LAD-I, in an international clinical trial co-led by UCL.

An update on our progress towards driving improvements in the four key areas identified in the survey, a report on the institutional survey results, and what to expect next.

A new metagenomic test developed by researchers at UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) is providing clinical teams around the country with vital information about rare infections - allowing for patients to access targeted treatments they desperately need.

Writing in The Conversation, PhD Candidate Rebecca Harding (UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences) explores some of the realities of ketamine addiction. Ketamine's  rising popularity has created a paradox. While it's hailed by some doctors as a breakthrough psychiatric treatment, it's also driving a surge in addiction and  harming people's health.

A UCL research team has found clues as to why some nerve cells die in dementia and not others, in a new study in fruit flies. The Alzheimer's Research study, published in Cell Reports , is helping to answer one of the biggest questions in dementia research, which is crucial to finding new treatments to slow or stop the condition from developing.

A technique to cool the planet, in which particles are added to the atmosphere to reflect sunlight, would not require developing special aircraft but could be achieved using existing large planes, according to a new modelling study led by UCL researchers. Previously, most research has assumed that the technique, known as stratospheric aerosol injection, would be deployed in the tropics and so would require specially designed aircraft capable of flying at altitudes of 20km or more to inject the particles.

The question of shared rivers is now entangled with the larger, and escalating, dispute between India and Pakistan, writes Dr Daniel Haines (UCL Risk and Disaster Reduction) in The Conversation.

Writing in The Conversation, Dr Jacques Wels (UCL MRC Unit for Lifelong Health & Ageing) explores Belgium's euthanasia trends and the lessons that can be learned, from regulation to the importance of robust data monitoring from the outset.

Writing in The Conversation, Professor Vlasimir Litvak (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) discusses how advances in adaptive deep brain stimulation are being used to treat Parkinson's. Although the brain is our most complex organ, the ways to treat it have historically been rather simple. Typically, surgeons lesioned (damaged) a structure or a pathway in the hope that this would "correct the imbalance" that led to the disease.

Researchers at UCL have tested a new scoring system to measure the risk of stroke in patients with narrowed arteries due to atherosclerosis, which could prevent unnecessary surgeries and stents. Atherosclerosis is a condition where the blood vessels become narrowed and hardened due to the buildup of plaque, including in the carotid arteries, which carry blood from the heart to the brain.

Certain common genetic changes might make some people with focal epilepsy less responsive to seizure medications, finds a new global study led by researchers at UCL and UTHealth Houston. Focal epilepsy is a condition where seizures start in one part of the brain. It is the most common type of epilepsy.

Dr Daniel Oviedo Hernandez and Maria Nieto Combariza (both UCL Bartlett Development Planning Unit) explain how many African cities are not friendly to pedestrians in The Conversation.

The persistent higher rate of alcohol deaths in England since the pandemic in 2020 is an "acute crisis" requiring urgent action from government, according to a new study led by researchers at UCL and the University of Sheffield.

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Young footballers have significantly worse oral health and disease than others of a similar age, finds a new study of elite English football academies led by UCL researchers. The study, published in the BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine , found higher levels of oral disease in both male and female players, with causal factors including poor oral hygiene (brushing/flossing), sugary sports and fizzy drink consumption, and stress (possibly due to a high-performance environment) that can cause teeth grinding and lead to decay.

Writing in The Conversation, Professor Seirian Sumner (UCL Biosciences) argues that having the language to name and describe nature is a gateway to curiosity-driven innovation, creativity and discovery.

Long-term exposure to high levels of air pollution may harm the brain health of older adults in England, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The research, published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A , found that exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) is linked to lower scores in key cognitive abilities, particularly language skills.

Pupils in English secondary schools have some of the lowest school engagement rates around the world, with rates dropping amongst the fastest following the pandemic, report UCL researchers who analysed data in the recent Trends in International Maths and Science study.

Writing in The Conversation, PhD Candidate Jasleen Chana (UCL Science and Technology Studies) explains why it is important to move away from narratives that inform us that science, spaceflight and success are only synonymous with fame and exceptionalism.

Researchers at UCL and the University of Leeds have updated the Electronic Frailty Index (eFI) to help more accurately identify older people's frailty and intervene earlier.

Nearly one in seven UK workers experienced some form of workplace abuse over the last year, with women and LGBTQ+ workers at the most risk, finds a report led by a UCL researcher. The report, How Common is Workplace Abuse? is part of the Skills and Employment Survey 2024 , an analysis of working habits in the UK.