Artwork by Matthew Kurnia This article was originally published in The Oxford Scientist Hilary Term 2022 edition, Regeneration. ‘The next great advance in medical care will not be a magical pill, it will be a miraculous cell called the mesenchymal stem cell’. Speaking at a TEDx event in Ashland, Oregon in 2019, American physician Dr…
Joel Tester provides a deep-dive into the current holes in our knowledge about the ocean, and why mapping the seafloor is so important.
Joshua Mitchell reviews the debate over the role of serotonin in depression, and the evidence on whether antidepressants do actually work.
The COVID-19 pandemic thrust medical research into the global spotlight. It bridged established disconnects between scientists and the public, between science and industry, and within the scientific community itself. It demonstrated the power of researchers working collaboratively towards a common goal. And yet, the pandemic also fostered unprecedented levels of scientific competition.
Isabel Schmidt discusses GMO crops and the debate about their safety.
The lack of genetic diversity in banana plants puts them at risk of disease pandemics that could wipe them off our supermarket shelves for good. Isabel Schmidt discusses how our current bananas have been developed and how to overcome these risks in the future.
Nearly 20% of people suffer from insomnia, and yet the drugs to treat it are often not effective. Yexuan Zhu discusses new research on the the best treatments for insomnia and future approaches to helping people sleep better.
Chronic pain diseases continue to cause distress worldwide and are now the leading cause of disability. Benjamin Fisher discusses why we can experience chronic pain, how it is researched and new findings that provide a source of hope for chronic pain sufferers.
In the last 50 years, our eating habits have changed from 3 meals a day to almost constant snacking on fast food. Sophie Beaumont explores how the food industry is pushing our new diets, and whether junk food can be considered ‘food’ at all.
No Mow May is a campaign by UK charities to reintroduce wildlife into our gardens. Natalie Stevenson discusses why biodiversity is so important, and the impact the campaign is having.
