New research has revealed how disease-associated changes in two interlinked networks within the brain may play a key role in the development of the symptoms of dementia.
The University of Exeter Medical School led two studies, each of which moves us a step closer to understanding the onset of dementia, and potentially to paving the way for future therapies. Both studies, part-funded by Alzheimer’s Research UK, are published in the Journal of Neuroscience and involved collaboration with the University of Bristol.
Both studies shed light on how two parts of the brain’s ‘GPS’...
If you are prone to the January blues after an over-indulgent festive season, you could help researchers at the University of Exeter discover whether healthy eating can ward off depression.
Scientists have long known that depression is often linked to weight issues and poor diet – but there is a lack of evidence on whether a bad diet can actually cause depression or itself results from depression, and whether switching to healthier foods could help to keep low mood at bay.
The MooDFOOD study is recruiting 250 overweight people in and around Exeter and aims to provide the...
Voters who read media reports highlighting the slim Parliamentary majority of the Conservative Party are less likely to believe Prime Minister David Cameron can have an impact on their lives, University of Exeter researchers have found.
A survey by academics has found those who saw articles which highlight the Government’s working majority of 16 then believe Ministers are not able to deliver on their campaign promises.
The research team lead by Professor Dan Stevens, based at the Exeter Q-Step Centre and University’s Centre for Elections, Media and Participation, surveyed 1...
In January, the most depressing month of the year, researchers are urging people to take up free therapy courses in a bid to help them find a definitive answer to what works best in online treatment for depression.
It has long been known that online cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) can be effective in treating depression – but scientists do not know which aspects work best. Now researchers at the University of Exeter are using Blue Monday, which has been labelled the most depressing day of the year, to raise awareness of a trial which will provide free online CBT for people with...
This January Shotgun Theatre, the award-winning musical theatre company from the University of Exeter, are proud to present their production of the laugh out loud musical, Avenue Q.
With performances in the Exeter Phoenix from 18th to 21st of January, the show follows the story of Princeton, a recent college graduate who suddenly finds himself thrown into the real world and renting an apartment on Avenue Q, New York.
Dubbed as Sesame Street for grownups, this musical is both funny and crude with realistic undertones, tackling issues such as relationships, sexuality and...
The University of Exeter and the Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences (Cefas) are leading on a £1.97M BBSRC-Newton Fund project to develop and apply new molecular biology techniques to reduce the impact of major diseases in aquaculture for the improvement of the livelihood of small-scale farmers in India, Bangladesh and Malawi.
Aquaculture contributes significantly to global food security and poverty reduction. In Bangladesh and India the shrimp fishing industry sustains the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of poor people. Fish farming too is...
A marine biologist from the University of Exeter has taken part in a David Attenborough series which is giving viewers unprecedented interactive access to the Great Barrier Reef via an innovative new website.
Dr Steve Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Marine Biology & Global Change at the University of Exeter, worked with David Attenborough and Atlantic Productions at Lizard Island on the first episode of the BBC series Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough. Screened on 30th December, the first episode featured Dr Simpson’s work on the rich and complex acoustic world of coral...
People have evolved to have subconscious urges to over-eat, and limited ability to avoid becoming obese, especially in winter, a University of Exeter study has found.
There is not yet an evolutionary mechanism to help us overcome the lure of sweet, fatty and unhealthy food and avoid becoming overweight for understandable and sensible reasons, according to researchers.
This is because in our past being overweight has not posed a significant threat to survival compared to the dangers of being underweight. The urge to maintain body fat is even stronger in winter when food in...
Three researchers at the University of Exeter are calling for action to cut down on the five and a half million tonnes of plastic being generated globally in the course of scientific research.
In a Correspondence article entitled ‘Labs should cut plastic waste too’ published in the journal Nature this week, they estimate that bio scientific research is responsible for 1.8 per cent of total global plastic production, waste which weighs the equivalent of 67 cruise ships a year.
Drs Mauricio Urbina, Andrew Watts and Erin Reardon estimated that the 280 scientists in their own...
A key figure in establishing and building the University of Exeter’s Cornwall Campuses has been awarded an MBE for services to the community.
Jean Taylor worked for the University for 21 years before she retired from her role as Head of Strategic Economic Development in Cornwall last summer. She was integral to cultivating and nurturing relationships with businesses in the county - a key aspect of securing the European funding needed to kick-start the Penryn Campus. She also helped support colleagues who developed the Truro Campus, where the University of Exeter Medical School has...
