Open Cambridge to host virtual tours and tales of the city
The hugely popular Open Cambridge heritage weekend is set to go ahead this year on 11th – 13th September with a series of free online events, from podcasts and films to virtual tours, written stories, walks and talks. Each virtual event promises a unique insight into this fascinating city and its storied streets full of history and culture at every turn.
People in England’s poorest towns ‘lose over a decade of good health’, research finds
Cambridge researchers find major health inequalities – as well as a geographic divide – between the most and least deprived English towns. They say that life expectancy in cities is now overtaking towns for the first time.
UK modelling study finds case isolation and contact tracing vital to COVID-19 epidemic control
In the absence of a vaccine or highly effective treatments for COVID-19, combining isolation and intensive contact tracing with physical distancing measures—such as limits on daily social or workplace contacts—might be the most effective and efficient way to achieve and maintain epidemic control, according to new modelling research.
Professor David Abulafia awarded Wolfson History Prize 2020
Abulafia wins for his epic history of humanity’s relationship with the world’s oceans, 'The Boundless Sea'.
AI reduces ‘communication gap’ for nonverbal people by as much as half
Researchers have used artificial intelligence to reduce the ‘communication gap’ for nonverbal people with motor disabilities who rely on computers to converse with others.
Striking differences revealed in COVID-19 mortality between NHS trusts
A University of Cambridge team led by Professor Mihaela van der Schaar and intensive care consultant Dr Ari Ercole of the Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine (CCAIM) is calling for urgent research into the striking differences in COVID-19 deaths they have discovered between the intensive care units of NHS trusts across England.
MRC Fellowship awarded to Cambridge neuroscientist for research into pain
Dr Flavia Mancini has been announced a Medical Research Council (MRC) Career Development Fellow and will establish her first independent research group, tasked with improving our understanding of the brain mechanisms that mediate pain.
High doses of ketamine can temporarily switch off the brain, say researchers
Researchers have identified two brain phenomena that may explain some of the side-effects of ketamine. Their measurements of the brain waves of sheep sedated by the drug may explain the out-of-body experience and state of complete oblivion it can cause.
Widespread facemask use could shrink the ‘R’ number and prevent a second COVID-19 wave – study
Even basic homemade masks significantly reduce transmission at a population level, according to latest modelling. Researchers call for information campaigns that encourage the making and wearing of facemasks.
Improved MRI scans could aid in development of arthritis treatments
An algorithm that analyses MRI images and automatically detects small changes in knee joints over time could be used in the development of new treatments for arthritis.
Engineering students’ social impact recognised by the Vice-Chancellor
Students from the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering are among the winners of the Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Awards 2020. One prize went to a group of Masters students for their efforts in supporting Addenbrooke’s Hospital during the current COVID-19 pandemic, and the other prize was awarded to a student for his commitment to and involvement in sustainability projects.
Harnessing AI in the fight against COVID-19
AI assisted COVID-19 diagnostic and prognostic tool could improve resource allocation and patient outcomes.
Tackling COVID-19: Dr Sarah Caddy
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, Sarah Caddy was conducting research on a number of different viruses. “I was looking at how antibodies can neutralise rotavirus and influenza, to help develop better vaccine candidates,” she says, “so it wasn’t a huge leap to extend my research to include coronavirus.”
Rapid coronavirus test speeds up access to urgent care and will free up beds ahead of winter
Researchers say faster tests helped expedite access to life-saving treatments such as organ transplants – and might make all the difference later this year.
Lockdown 'helps fuel rise in cybercrime'
Take extra care before buying face masks or testing kits online, or responding to texts apparently sent to you by the UK government or the NHS. Because while lockdown has helped reduce the spread of the coronavirus, it is also helping fuel a rise in cybercrime.
A good egg: robot chef trained to make omelettes
A team of engineers have trained a robot to prepare an omelette, all the way from cracking the eggs to plating the finished dish, and refined the ‘chef’s’ culinary skills to produce a reliable dish that actually tastes good.
Antarctic ice sheets capable of retreating up to 50 metres per day
The ice shelves surrounding the Antarctic coastline retreated at speeds of up to 50 metres per day at the end of the last Ice Age, far more rapid than the satellite-derived retreat rates observed today, new research has found.
Tackling COVID-19: Professor James Wood
“Cambridge’s infectious diseases community is making a huge contribution to tackling the pandemic,” says Professor James Wood. He leads several large-scale programmes at the University that rely on his research expertise: infectious diseases that jump from animals to humans. This is, he says, a research area that was ‘colossally neglected’ before COVID-19 emerged.
Professor Andrew Fabian awarded Kavli Prize
Professor Andrew Fabian from Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy has been awarded the 2020 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics, one of the world's most prestigious science prizes.
School segregation by wealth is creating unequal learning outcomes for children in the Global South
Millions of the world’s poorest children are leaving school without mastering even basic levels of reading or maths because of an overlooked pattern of widespread, wealth-based inequalities in their countries’ education systems, new research suggests.
Antibody designed to recognise pathogens of Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers have found a way to design an antibody that can identify the toxic particles that destroy healthy brain cells – a potential advance in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
Healthcare rationing could see unlawful deaths from COVID-19, researchers claim
Current medical guidelines risk unlawful deaths of patients – with doctors, hospitals, and even the government potentially liable – if a second peak forces hard choices due to shortages of ventilators and other critical care resources.
Surging numbers of first-generation learners at risk of being left behind in education systems worldwide
‘First-generation learners’ – a substantial number of pupils around the world who represent the first generation in their families to receive an education – are also significantly more likely to leave school without basic literacy or numeracy skills, a study suggests.
Tackling COVID-19: Karl Wilson
Operations Director Karl Wilson has helped lead a herculean effort to transform a standard laboratory into a bespoke testing centre, to aid the national response against COVID-19. For him, there was never any question about whether we should - or could - do this.
University of Cambridge suspends mass lectures but small group teaching continues
A statement from Professor Graham Virgo, Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) at the University of Cambridge, regarding the academic year 2020-21.