For the first time, researchers have created the ‘branched flow’ phenomenon in visible light, previously only seen in other types of wave like sound. Using nothing but a laser and a simple soap bubble, scientists caused light to twist and fork along its path. They hope that the new set up could help shed more … Read more The laser show in a soap bubble
The Academy of Medical Sciences is the voice of medical science in the UK ensuring health policy and practice is evidence based. We support the next generation of medical and health researchers to become leaders in their science. As a charity, we rely on donations to fund our work. You can support us by joining … Read more AMSlive – *teaser trailer*
Flying snakes glide through the air, flattening their bodies to provide lift. But as they glide they seem to swim, undulating their bodies from side to side. Now a team in the United States has used motion capture technology to study snake gliding in precise detail. Their models reveal that undulation is vital for the … Read more How flying snakes glide: Swimming through the air
LIVESTREAM of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences workshop on the response to the current COVID-19 pandemic in Low- and Middle- Income Countries, held in collaboration with several Academies and organisations: Argentina; Brazil; India; Malaysia; the Philippines; South Africa; and The African Academy of Sciences. For all media and press enquiries relating to this workshop, … Read more GCRF Workshop on the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic in Low-and Middle-Income Countries
Home testing kits will likely be an important part of monitoring Covid-19. Swab tests can tell whether a person is currently infected, while antibody tests look for signs of past infection. But before tests like these are rolled out, researchers need to make sure they’re reliable and easy for people to use at home. We … Read more We test a home antibody kit for tracking Covid-19 transmission
“My role is to be the calmest person in the room.” Dr Virginia Newcombe is a Health Foundation and Academy of Medical Sciences Clinician Scientist Fellow. She works as a Consultant in Critical Care and Emergency Medicine at the University of Cambridge. Here, she talks to the Academy about dealing with uncertainty as a clinical … Read more Leadership during COVID-19 as an emergency medicine doctor | Dr Virginia Newcombe
“I’ve never normally needed to actively decompress.” Dr Sanjay Agrawal is a Consultant in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. He talks to the Academy about the challenges of working in intensive care during the COVID-19 pandemic and shares his tips for how to decompress. We are the … Read more Challenges of working in ITU during COVID-19, and how I decompress | Dr Sanjay Agrawal
“I was among the first responders to the Ebola epidemic in 2014… when you are actively involved in managing infectious disease cases, you have to think about your friends, your family, and to keep them safe you have to undergo so much.” Dr Rashidata Fouad Kamara is an infectious disease specialist clinician from Sierra Leone. … Read more Staying safe on the frontline for Ebola & COVID-19 | Dr Rashida Kamara
What do you need to remember when planning diversity work? Where should you focus your efforts? What are the pitfalls and problems? This video outlines top tips for working on diversity, especially in biomedical and health sciences. Narrated and drawn by Melanie Etherton, based off a talk she gave for the Association of Medical Research … Read more Top tips for diversity work
As the coronavirus spreads, so does an infodemic of misinformation. Researchers across the world are attempting to understand the viral power of fake news, collecting data and building models that could suggest methods for countering its spread. This film explores what makes misinformation so potent, the impact it can have on the spread of disease, … Read more Infodemic: Coronavirus and the fake news pandemic
The journal, Nature, has published this fascinating insight into the Spinosaurus aegyptiacus dinosaur, which suggests it was a swimming predator powered by it’s fin-like tail. A new fossil of one of the most unusual dinosaurs, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, suggests it was a swimming predator powered by a fin-like tail. The find comes after decades of debate … Read more A swimming dinosaur: The tail of Spinosaurus
Deborah Ashby shares her journey into the difficult problems of how to make medical decisions – using both her expertise in mathematics, and her insights into human decision-making and value. What is it that you need to know in order to make an informed decision? What exactly does weighing up the evidence involve? When deciding … Read more How to make decisions about treatments | Professor Deborah Ashby | AMSlive
Dr Dennis Wang explains his work using AI and machine learning to find the hidden patterns behind seemingly different diseases. 1 in 10 cancer patients die because of problems with their blood vessels or their heart, and 90% of dementia patients have at least one other condition. With more people living longer and developing multiple … Read more Saving lives with Super Mario Bros, dating apps, & medical data | Dr Dennis Wang | AMSlive
“I didn’t think that looking after myself well was part of the health of my son.” Combining her scientific research with her personal experiences as a mother, Dr Nisreen Alwan explains we can support healthier babies, through supporting healthier parents. 3 in 5 women in the UK will have at least 2 children in their … Read more Life after your first baby – supporting new parents | Dr Nisreen Alwan | AMSlive
Professor Weber reflects on 40 years at the front line of looking after and researching treatments for patients with HIV and AIDS. Professor Jonathan Weber has been involved in HIV research from the very beginning, with a career spanning almost 40 years from the first discovery of the virus in 1981. He reflects on the … Read more My search for an HIV vaccine | Professor Jonathan Weber | AMSlive
