research

Newly qualified GPs lead the way by offering Covid-19 research opportunities to their patients thanks to new GP training

Research is being placed at the heart of GP training in the South West giving four recently qualified GPs and one GP who is still in training the opportunity to offer the Covid-19 research to their patients.

The PRINCIPLE Trial is a nationwide study into Covid-19 which is being delivered in the community. The study aims to enable researchers to rapidly evaluate different treatments of Covid-19 symptoms in older people and hopefully improve outcomes.

Of the 36 number of GP practices that are offering this study to patients, five are being led by GPs who are newly...

Small red blood cells could indicate cancer

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 05/11/2020 - 6:01pm

Having abnormally small red blood cells – a condition known as microcytosis – could indicate cancer, new research has concluded

Led by the University of Exeter Medical School, the study of more than 12,000 UK patients aged over 40, found that the cancer risk in males was 6.2 per cent, compared to 2.7 per cent in those without microcytosis.

The research, funded by Cancer Research UK and NIHR and published in BJGP , found that In females, the risk of cancer was 2.7 per cent in those with microcytosis, compared to 1.4 per cent without.

Of more than 108,000 followed...

Otters juggle stones when hungry, research shows

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Wed, 05/06/2020 - 2:19pm

Hunger is likely to be the main driver of stone juggling in otters, new research has shown.

Researchers from the University of Exeter have carried out an extensive study into why captive otters tend to play with stones, commonly referred to as “rock juggling”.

The dextrous mammals are often seen lying on their backs and batting the stones into the air, catching them and rolling them around their chests and necks.

Experts had suggested the behaviour might help the animals practise the foraging skills they need to extract foods from complex prey such as mussels...

New research will study impact of COVID-19 on cancer survival

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Fri, 05/01/2020 - 6:23am

The impact of COVID-19 on cancer diagnosis and survival will be explored through research led by the University of Exeter.

Early diagnosis is crucial to cancer survival rates, but since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the UK, resources have been redeployed and patients have been significantly less likely to visit doctors, who in turn are finding it hard to get patients tested. Research has warned that the crisis could lead to 18,000 more cancer deaths nationally, while early estimates suggest a drop of around 40 per cent in urgent investigations in the South West. Under normal...

COVID-19 test could determine whether patients are still infectious

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Fri, 04/24/2020 - 10:27am

A new test which could detect whether people who have had COVID-19 are still infectious is under development, thanks to funding from Animal Free Research UK.

The charity is providing funding of £52,000 to Professor Lorna Harries at the University of Exeter, who is developing a test that will aim to detect how much active virus an infected person is harbouring – known as viral load. Unlike current tests, which do not separately measure the inactive (non-infectious) and the active parts of the virus, the team is refining a test that could tell users not only whether they are...

New Date for Race for Life in Exeter

ORGANISERS of Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life in Exeter have announced a new date this autumn for the much-loved event.

The charity has postponed Race for Life events this spring and summer across the UK to protect the country’s health during the coronavirus outbreak. This includes the Race for Life 5K series which starts at Westpoint on 18th and 19 July, which can no longer take place.

But everyone across Devon can once again be part of the empowering Race for Life movement and show support to the 34,800 people diagnosed with cancer every year in the South West.* The...

Research project to evaluate impact of COVID-19 quarantine restrictions receives substantial funding

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Fri, 04/17/2020 - 6:25pm

A pioneering project to predict the spread of COVID-19 in the UK, and evaluate the impact of quarantine restrictions, has received a substantial research grant, it has been announced.

Dr Leon Danon, from the University of Exeter, has received a grant of £220,403 to develop an essential new tool to forecast where and when the disease will spread across the country.

The grant has been awarded as one of 21 new projects, funded by the UK Government, as part of the £24.6 million rapid research response funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and by the Department of...

Rising research star at Exeter secures prestigious Biochemical Society award

A rising research star at the University of Exeter has received a prestigious national award, it has been announced.

Dr Kirsty Wan, a Research Fellow at the Living Systems Institute (LSI) has received the Early Career Research Award from the Biochemical Society - one of just 10 scientists and researchers nationwide to be honoured in the annual award scheme.

Each year the Biochemical Society presents a series of prestigious awards that recognize excellence and achievement in both specific and general fields of science.

Candidates are nominated by their peers and...

Film fans can explore Hollywood icon Vivien Leigh’s South West links thanks to major new study

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Tue, 03/31/2020 - 3:29pm

She achieved global stardom thanks to iconic roles in Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire. Now the public can explore how Vivien Leigh had strong links to the South West as well as Hollywood as part of a major new project.

University of Exeter researcher Dr Lisa Stead is working to trace Leigh’s legacy. The work will illuminate new, unseen histories of Leigh's life and career as one of the twentieth century's most iconic female stars and show her connections to Devon. This includes a new interactive website.

The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum (BDCM), Exeter City...

Exeter genomics scientists to battle spread of COVID-19

Scientists and clinicians in Exeter are part of a £20 million investment to unlock the secrets of COVID-19 They will use the University’s state of the art equipment to ensure samples from Devon patients help to combat the disease.

Scientists at the University of Exeter and the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (RD&E) are part of a group of the country’s leading institutions who are joining together to sequence the virus from patients throughout the UK. By knowing the sequence it will be possible to know both how it is changing (or mutating) and also to map the...

Pages