News
New weight loss pill aims to bridge gap in obesity treatments
An innovative new pill could soon offer a new and affordable weight management treatment, following a successful clinical trial involving NIHR Bristol BRC researchers. The results are published in Obesity. Sirona, developed by Oxford Medical Products (OMP), is a hydrogel-based pill that is designed to aid weight loss…
Should qualitative health researchers call themselves ‘qualitative health researchers’?
Dr Kirsten Bell is a Senior Research Fellow in Anthropology at Imperial College’s Patient Experience Research Centre. She’s also a member of the BRC Qualitative Social and Behavioural Research Network. Here she reflects on how labelling research disciplines influences how we think about them. Qualitative…
Eating over a longer part of the day in adolescence linked to lower body weight in early adulthood, study finds
A new study has found that adolescents who eat over longer periods of the day – known as having a longer ‘eating window’ – may experience modest but measurable health benefits, both in their teenage years and into early adulthood. The study, led by researchers at the Bristol BRC and…
Study shows increasing ‘healthy competition’ between menu options nudges patients towards greener, lower-fat hospital food choices
New research has shown hospital patients could reduce the carbon footprint and saturated fat content of their selected meals by up to almost a third – if the weekly menu featuring the same dishes is cleverly reorganised. The study, led by the University of Bristol, features in a special…
Higher levels of interleukin-6 in patients with pleural infection are linked to more serious disease
Patients with a pleural infection who have higher levels of interleukin-6 in their blood or pleural fluid are likely to be more unwell than patients with lower interleukin-6 levels, a new study shows. This suggests that treatments which inhibit the activity of interleukin-6 may be useful against pleural infection. The…
Space for play is being ‘designed-out’ of urban childhoods
Children growing up in British cities face barriers to safe, playable spaces as financial constraints, policy misalignment and housing pressures cause planners to prioritise property over parks, according to a new study involving Bristol BRC researchers. Published in Cities and Health, the study – part of the Play…
South Asian men share experiences to support prostate cancer research
A recent community workshop brought together South Asian men in Bristol to talk openly about prostate cancer – a topic often described as taboo in their communities. The event held at Wellspring Settlement near the University of Bristol’s Barton Hill micro-campus, was organised in collaboration with community partners CAAFI Health. It…
The role of social context in promoting physical activity in primary schools
A new study has highlighted the difficulties primary schools face in promoting physical activity, and the specific role the social context of a school plays in this. Pressure to deliver the curriculum means schools may rely on staff who are passionate about sport to promote physical activity, and schools with…
Researcher and GBBO finalist team up to explain Bristol BRC project in cake form
Bristol Biomedical Research Centre researcher Lavinia Paternoster has teamed up with Great British Bake Off 2023 finalist Josh Smalley to bring a research project to life through the medium of cake. The pair baked vanilla cupcakes with passionfruit curd to explain Lavinia’s Medical Research Foundation funded project…