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Young people in the UK who lived in polluted areas during their early years are more likely to report worse general health than their peers at age 17, according to new UCL research. The study, published in  Scientific Reports ,  reveals that teens from ethnic minority backgrounds and deprived neighbourhoods were particularly at risk of being exposed to high levels of air pollution during childhood, with potential long-term impacts on their health.

The brain uses a dual system for learning through trial and error, according to a new study in mice led by UCL researchers. This is the first time a second learning system has been identified, which could help explain how habits are formed, and provide a scientific basis for new strategies to address conditions related to habitual learning, such as addictions and compulsions.

A new study published in the journal Vaccine reveals that improvements in the supply chain and delivery of human rabies vaccines in Tanzania and Kenya could significantly reduce preventable deaths and ensure more efficient use of health budgets. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Glasgow, Ifakara Health Institute, the Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA) at the University of Nairobi, the University of Edinburgh, and Washington State University, with support from the Wellcome Trust.

Dog vaccination programmes are a highly effective way to control and, ultimately, eliminate rabies, however new research has shown just how detrimental geographical gaps in vaccine coverage can be for virus control. The new research, led by the University of Glasgow in collaboration with the Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania, and Global Animal Health Tanzania, examined two decades of dog vaccination data from the Serengeti district, from 2002 to 2022.

New research reveals that regular, moderate-intensity exercise helps maintain crucial vitamin D levels during the darker winter months. The sun may be shining now, and our vitamin D levels are getting a natural boost but it wasn't long ago we were in the depths of winter, when sunlight was scarce and vitamin D was in short supply.

University of Manchester scientists have successfully pioneered a way to create functioning human spinal discs, aiming to revolutionise our understanding of back pain and disc degeneration in a leap for medical science. The groundbreaking research, led by Dr Matthew J. Kibble, used a state-of-the-art 3D printing technique called bioprinting to replicate the complex structure and environment of human spinal discs.

Why do cats generally live longer than dogs? New research shows cats' longer lifespans could be linked to their bigger brains and more complex immune systems. Why do cats generally live longer than dogs? New research suggests that longer livespans of mammals like cats could be linked to their bigger brains and more complex immune systems.

Writing in The Conversation, Professor Ravi Das and PhD Candidate Rebecca Harding (UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences) explores whether a fast-acting psychedelic can help people reduce alcohol consumption. Psychedelics like LSD  and psilocybin  (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are gaining  increasing attention in psychiatry.

Why do cats generally live longer than dogs? New research shows cats' longer lifespans could be linked to their bigger brains and more complex immune systems. Why do cats generally live longer than dogs? New research suggests that longer livespans of mammals like cats could be linked to their bigger brains and more complex immune systems.

Treatment with gabapentinoids, a class of epilepsy and anxiety drug, is not directly associated with an increased risk of self-harm, finds a study led by UCL researchers. However, rates of self-harm were higher before and shortly after treatment, highlighting the need for close monitoring of patients throughout their treatment journey, say the authors of the new study.

Scientists from The University of Manchester have changed our understanding of how cells in living organisms divide, which could revise what students are taught at school. In a Wellcome funded study published today (01/05/25) in Science - one of the world's leading scientific journals - the researchers challenge conventional wisdom taught in schools for over 100 years.

The 'cell of origin' of the second most common lung cancer and the way that it becomes dominant in the lung have been discovered, in a new study in mice and humans from researchers at UCL, the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge. The study, published in Science , found that a population of basal cells found in the trachea (windpipe) outcompetes other cell types and becomes dominant, eventually invading and occupying large areas of the lung.

Childhood trauma raises the risk of harmful alcohol use, smoking, and drug use by age 18, according to a new study from the Department of Psychology. A new study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry reveals that childhood trauma significantly increases the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviours, including harmful alcohol consumption, smoking and illicit drug use, by the age of 18.

A recent analysis of the SURPASS-3 trial unravels the impact of treatment with the drug tirzepatide on muscle volume and fat infiltration in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes. Published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, the study is the result of a research collaboration lead by Professor Naveed Sattar from the University of Glasgow, alongside colleagues from University Hospitals Cleveland, AMRA Medical and Eli Lilly and Company.

A new clotbusting drug tested on mice has been shown by University of Manchester scientists to be significantly better at treating ischemic stroke than existing therapies. The compound, developed by the scientists and known as caADAMTS13, could be a breakthrough for patients who have brain blood clots with an overabundance of platelets- the tiny cell fragments that help form clots and are often not treatable by existing therapies.

Ketamine addiction is linked to high levels of physical health problems and psychological consequences, with nearly half of those affected not seeking support or treatment, reports a new study by UCL and University of Exeter researchers. The study, published in Addiction , is the largest to date to explore the experience of people currently living with ketamine addiction in-depth.

Research published in the journal Human Reproduction reveals that women with endometriosis are at a significantly higher risk for developing a range of autoimmune, autoinflammatory, and mixed-pattern diseases. The new study, of unprecedented scale, examines not only clinical associations, but also for the first time the biological basis for these comorbidities - through genetics.

There is no difference over time in the spatial working memory of older people who have autistic traits and those who are neurotypical, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The new research, published in The Gerontologist , is the first study to explore age-related rate of decline in spatial working memory in older people who may be autistic.

Mothers who are anaemic in the first 100 days of pregnancy have a much higher chance of having a child with congenital heart disease, according to new research funded by the British Heart Foundation and published in the journal BJOG . As a result, researchers will now investigate whether taking iron supplements before and during pregnancy could help to prevent some heart defects at birth.

Research suggests that Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection before a skin cancer diagnosis improves patient response to immunotherapy (a form of treatment that harnesses the immune system to target cancer). A new study led by the University of Oxford has revealed that a common and usually harmless virus may positively influence how skin cancer patients respond to current treatments.