Newsroom University of Manchester

New research indicates a simple blood test could detect the deadliest brain tumour in the future

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Researchers in Manchester have developed an experimental method that shows potential for accurately detecting the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer in adults, known as glioblastoma, from the blood.

This pioneering study, led by scientists at the University of Manchester and involving teams in Denmark, has been published in

In what is considered a major breakthrough in the battle against brain cancer, scientists have found early evidence that a pair of proteins in the blood may help identify glioblastoma with high accuracy and provide insights into how the disease responds to treatment.

Glioblastoma is notorious for late diagnosis, rapid progression, resistance to treatment and extreme biological complexity. At present, diagnosis and follow-up rely largely on MRI scans and invasive surgical biopsies, which can miss early changes and cannot be repeated frequently. As a result, clinicians often struggle to determine in real time whether a treatment is working or whether the tumour is beginning to return.

The new research shows that two blood-borne proteins – coagulation factor IX (F9) and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) – form a powerful “dual-marker” signature that distinguishes patients with glioblastoma from healthy individuals with high accuracy (more than 90%). In samples taken from patients during surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the markers showed dynamic changes, reflecting treatment response and disease progression.

Professor, The Brain Tumour Charity chair of Translational Neuro-Oncology at ��Vlog�ٷ�, who led the study, said: “Glioblastoma is one of the most devastating cancers we face. Late detection is among the contributing factors to poor outcomes and a source of anxiety our patients face leading up to their diagnosis. The lack of reliable tests has been a major barrier to earlier diagnosis and treatment response monitoring. What is remarkable about our findings is that, despite these tumours being very different in genetic make-up, and constantly evolving, the signal in the blood is stable, robust and highly informative. We hope that once validated, this simple blood test may pave the way for earlier diagnosis and more precise monitoring of patients during and after therapy.

“Our dual-marker blood test achieved diagnostic accuracy greater than 90 percent and continued to perform just as well when the disease returned. This opens the door to a future where we can follow the tumour’s behaviour through a simple blood sample, complement brain scans, and potentially recognise when the treatment isn’t working and the cancer returns much earlier than is currently possible. We still have a long way to go before we would see this used in clinic, but it’s a very promising and exciting development in neuro-oncology research.”

Dr Simon Newman, Chief Scientific Officer at The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “We are immensely proud to support Petra’s role as The Brain Tumour Charity’s Chair of Translational Neuro-Oncology through a grant worth £1.35 million. Early and accurate diagnosis is absolutely critical for people with brain tumours, yet current tools are limited and often invasive. This research therefore marks a significant step towards a simple blood test that could help clinicians detect glioblastoma and monitor how patients are responding to treatment in real time.”

Professor Hamerlik, who is also the brain tumour lead for concluded: “While validation of this finding is ongoing with the generous contribution of UK patients who kindly donated their blood for this research, our results strongly support the development of a clinically accessible blood test for glioblastoma. Ultimately, this could help doctors make more informed treatment decisions, reduce the need for repeated invasive procedures, and, most importantly, give patients and families clearer, earlier answers.”

The study was co-funded by The Brain Tumour Charity and conducted at ��Vlog�ٷ� and the Manchester Cancer Research Centre (MCRC), reinforcing Manchester’s leading role in translational neuro-oncology research. The Danish Cancer Society and NovoNordisk Foundation in Denmark also part-funded this study.

The paper Non-Invasive Detection and Monitoring of Glioblastoma Subtypes via Dual-Marker Plasma Proteomics DOI
Philanthropic support has been central to enabling this research. The University is proud to partner with the Brain Tumour Charity and a number of individual donors who support Petra and her team's work. Find out more about how supporting Manchester drives impact across our research here: Challenge Accepted

Leading Public Procurement Innovation Expert Rikesh Shah Appointed Simon Industrial & Professional Fellow at University of Manchester

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 16:37:05 +0000

The Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MIoIR) at Alliance Manchester Business School is delighted to announce the appointment of Rikesh Shah as a Simon Industrial & Professional Fellow. Shah, who serves as Head of Innovation at the ��Vlog�ٷ�ed Places Catapult, which hosts the Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre (IPEC), will work with MIoIR to strengthen the bridge between academic research and the practical transformation of public procurement across the UK.

The fellowship comes at a crucial moment as government seeks to leverage its £400 billion annual public procurement spend to drive growth across the eight Industrial Strategy sectors. Shah brings extensive experience translating innovation policy into practice, having previously served as Head of Open Innovation at Transport for London, where he created TfL’s first Innovation Hub and oversaw its globally recognised open‑data programme partnering with some of the best innovators, generating an estimated £130 million per year in economic value.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Rikesh to MIoIR,” said Professor Elvira Uyarra, who leads research on innovation policy and public procurement at the Institute.

At IPEC, Shah leads national efforts to transform how public procurement drives innovation, working directly with local authorities and public bodies to upskill buyers in innovation‑friendly approaches. The fellowship will deepen connections between this practitioner network and MIoIR’s research on demand‑side innovation policy, procurement, and regional development.

Shah has already begun contributing to teaching, delivering a lecture on the “Innovation and Place” module (MSc Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship), offering students firsthand insight into how public agencies can shape markets, support scaling firms, and stimulate innovation.

“��Vlog�ٷ� has been at the forefront of research on public procurement as an innovation policy tool for over two decades,” said Shah. “I’m excited to contribute practitioner perspectives and help translate research insights into tools that public sector buyers can use immediately. The combination of MIoIR’s analytical rigour with IPEC’s practitioner networks creates a powerful platform for impact.”

£9.6M SATURN-2 programme launched to deliver the UK’s next generation of nuclear experts

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:18:32 +0000

��Vlog�ٷ�, together with six leading UK universities and 22 industry partners, has secured £9.6 million from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to launch SATURN-2, a major expansion of the national nuclear doctoral training pipeline that will help deliver the skills required for the UK’s clean energy, security and defence ambitions.

SATURN-2 (Skills and Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear) builds on the success of the original , doubling its size and introducing expanded training pathways across the entire nuclear fuel cycle. The programme will recruit around 50 PhD/EngD students per year for the next four years, delivering just under half of the 500 high skill nuclear doctoral graduates the UK is estimated to need by 2030.

The programme brings together seven universities: ��Vlog�ٷ� (lead), The University of Liverpool, Lancaster University, The University of Strathclyde, The University of Sheffield, The University of Leeds, and Bangor University. These universities represent more than 70% of the UK’s nuclear academic community and deliver expertise across the entire nuclear fuel cycle.

Backed by £8 million of industrial co‑investment and £4 million from university partners, SATURN-2 represents one of the most significant UK investments in advanced nuclear skills in over a decade.

The programme also maintains a strong regional base across the North West, North Wales and Scotland, home to the UK’s most concentrated cluster of nuclear industry, research facilities and workforce.

, SATURN CDT Director from ��Vlog�ٷ� said: “This Doctoral Focal Award reflects the success of the original SATURN Centre for Doctoral Training and its important role in supporting the government’s ambitions for Nuclear. Building on that foundation, SATURN-2 will expand the programme significantly, while continuing to deliver world-leading training for the next generation of specialists the UK needs in this sector. We are proud to lead this collaboration with outstanding partners across the UK.”

Meeting critical UK skills needs

The UK Government’s Strategic Defence Review and National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills highlight an urgent shortage of high skill nuclear scientists and engineers, with an estimated 120,000 workers needed by the 2030s, including a rapidly depleting cohort of subject matter experts.

SATURN-2 directly addresses this challenge by training specialists across:

Nuclear fuel manufacture and performance
Reactor science, engineering and operations
Decommissioning and waste management
Fusion‑fission interfaces
Digital engineering, robotics and AI in nuclear contexts

Students will benefit from an enriched training programme including a three‑month residential bootcamp, specialist modules across the partner institutions, international experiences at leading laboratories, and secondments into industry, national labs and government agencies.

Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair at UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council said: “The UK's nuclear sector is central to our national security, clean energy ambitions and economic future. Meeting those challenges demands a new generation of researchers and innovators with the technical expertise to make a real difference.

“UKRI doctoral focal awards are a proven way to develop that talent. They bring together academic excellence, industry partnerships and cohort-based learning to give doctoral students the skills and experience to make an immediate impact in the nuclear workforce.

“These new nuclear focal awards, developed in partnership with government, will continue building the research base that the UK's national security and clean energy future depends on.”

A proven pipeline into the nuclear workforce

Over 15 years of predecessor CDTs, Nuclear First, Next Generation Nuclear, GREEN and SATURN, the consortium has trained more than 300 doctoral researchers, with exceptionally strong career outcomes.

High‑level destination data shows that:

75% of graduates now work directly in the nuclear industry
18% progressed into education or academia
5% are employed in nuclear‑relevant government roles

These figures demonstrate the CDT’s sustained role as the UK’s most effective route for producing nuclear subject matter experts.

Exceptional industrial engagement

SATURN-2 is supported by 22 industry partners spanning the civil, defence and advanced nuclear sectors, including Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, AWE, EDF, UK NNL, Urenco, Framatome, AtkinsRéalis and Rapiscan.

Industrial partners have committed:

48 co‑funded studentships
~£4 million of in‑kind support (supervision, placements, facilities, equipment, training)

Industry demand for SATURN trained researchers continues to rise, demonstrating trust in the consortium’s ability to deliver highly employable graduates ready for the most complex national nuclear challenges.

Supporting additional national doctoral centres

In addition to leading SATURN‑2, ��Vlog�ٷ� is also a supporting partner in several of the newly funded Centres for Doctoral Training announced alongside SATURN‑2, including:

RAPTOR (Radiation Protection, Nuclear Safety and Environmental Sustainability), led by the University of Liverpool
DRIVERS (Developing Researchers with an Interdisciplinary Vision for Engineering Reactor Systems), led by Imperial College London
PANDA (Programme for Accelerating Nuclear Development and Applications), led by Bangor University

The work reflects the University’s wider role in strengthening the UK’s national nuclear skills pipeline.

Social Statistics PhD students present research at annual conference

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 11:39:34 +0000

The Social Statistics Department at the University of Manchester held its annual Work in Progress Conference in March. PhD students presented a range of work including: methodological innovations for measuring public attitudes, community engagement, health, masculinity, employment, time use, generational change, family life, relationships and homelessness.

Papers included:

Understanding Masculinity: How it is Defined, Measured and Experienced.
Growing Up Without Parents: Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Skipped-generation Households and the Impact on Adolescent Mental Health.
The Division of Labour and Female Partners' Relative Pay Across Phases of Parenthood: Evidence from UK Couples.
The Decomposition of Group Differentials.
Working Life Expectancy Among China’s Middle-Aged and Older Population.
How Does the Use of Information and Communication Technologies Impact on the Wellbeing of Older Adults?
Got SWAG? A Simple Scalable Approach to Bayesian Inference.
How Effective is the UK Homeless Policy in Assisting Young People Out of Homelessness?
Exploring the Impact of Gender Roles and Social Norms on Fertility Intention Among Young Adults - An Empirical Analysis of International Data.
A Socio-Semantic Analysis of the Perception of Large Language Models by Scientists.
Factor Recovery of Bifactor Models Using Machine Learning.
Work Schedule Typologies and Job Satisfaction Among UK Workers.
Willingness to Participate in Smartphone-Based Research: Evidence from the UK.

Faye Holland joins pioneering Cambridge x Manchester collaboration as Partnership Director

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:51:26 +0000

Faye Holland will lead the groundbreaking partnership between two of the UK’s leading innovation cities as the newly-appointed Cambridge x Manchester Partnership Director.

Faye brings extensive experience in the Cambridge innovation cluster to the role, having worked across communications consultancy, innovation and economic development over the course of her career.

She founded and directed cofinitive – a communication consultancy at the forefront of innovation – for a decade before selling and exiting the business at the end of 2025.

Faye is currently Chair of the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce and has previously served as Business Board Member for the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority and as a Board Member and key contributor in other organisations involved in technology innovation and good growth.

Faye said of her appointment: “I’m thrilled to be leading this partnership at a time when collaboration across the UK’s innovation ecosystems has never been more important.

“Cambridge and Greater Manchester are two of the UK’s most dynamic innovation ecosystems and by working together we can deliver far greater impact than either could alone. I’m excited to work with partners across both cities to move quickly and define a model for collaboration that could be replicated across the UK.”

Faye’s appointment follows on from the launch of the partnership last year and the inaugural board meetings held in Manchester in February 2026.

Driven by the cities’ respective universities and their innovation ecosystem organisations and , the partnership aims to boost UK economic growth and advance inclusive innovation, while supporting the delivery of industrial strategy and local growth plans.

Professor Duncan Ivison, President & Vice-Chancellor of ��Vlog�ٷ�, said: “Innovation is at the heart of our Manchester 2035 strategy and our sector-first collaboration with Cambridge plays a key role in this. We are working together and using our respective strengths to create a thriving cross-city innovation network, helping to grow investment and deliver inclusive growth.

“I am so pleased to welcome Faye at such an exciting time for the partnership, and she joins us following an extensive career within the Cambridge innovation cluster. The partnership is a fantastic example of how universities can use their resources to contribute significantly to the economy, and we are all ready to work with Faye to drive it forward.”

Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge commented: “I am delighted to welcome Faye Holland as the new Director of the Cambridge x Manchester Partnership. Faye brings an exceptional understanding of the Cambridge innovation ecosystem, alongside a proven experience of convening organisations, championing talent, and strengthening regional collaboration. Her appointment marks an exciting next chapter for this strategic partnership between two great cities and universities.”

As Director, Faye will spend time in Cambridge and Manchester and will be integral to both the Unit M and Innovate Cambridge leadership teams, and she will drive the partnership forward as it strives to pioneer a new model of place-to-place collaboration.

Professor John Holden, Vice-President for Civic Engagement and Innovation at ��Vlog�ٷ�, said: “The Cambridge x Manchester Partnership shows how universities can exchange knowledge, talent and assets and bring together their wider ecosystems to supercharge innovation and growth. Under Faye’s expert direction, this partnership will produce real-world impact and provide an example for other cities to follow.”

Dr Kathryn Chapman, Executive Director, Innovate Cambridge commented: “Faye has an outstanding track record of working with innovators and turning ambition into impact. As we move into the next phase of delivery, with strong backing from government, academia and business, her leadership will play a key role in strengthening research networks, supporting the growth of scale-ups and attracting further private investment.”

The partnership is a major focus for both cities, backed by each’s respective combined authorities, and has secured £4.8 million from UKRI Research England over the next three years and is bolstered by further investment from both universities.

Dr Simon Hepworth, Director of Knowledge Exchange at Research England, said: “Universities are driving the evolution of innovation ecosystems through bold new models of collaboration. The appointment of Faye Holland will help drive the Cambridge x Manchester innovation partnership forward and deliver successful outcomes for the country – to maximise opportunities for place-based innovation, economic growth, and as an exemplar for the wider HE system."

The partnership is connected at every level: University to University, innovation ecosystem to ecosystem, council to council, Combined Authority to Combined Authority and business to business. This multi-layered connectivity allows ideas, talent, investment and opportunity to flow between places and organisations.

To find out more about the partnership, visit:

Reluctance to rely on China for green technology could slow climate action

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0000

New research suggests that concerns about relying too heavily on Chinese manufacturing are shaping climate policy - and could even delay the adoption of green technologies around the world.

The study by Dr James Jackson from ��Vlog�ٷ�, working alongside Dr Mathias Larsen from the London School of Economics, examined how China’s rapid rise as a clean-technology powerhouse has transformed the global energy transition.

While Chinese investment and industrial policy have helped reduce the cost of renewable energy technologies, the research - published in the journal - found that geopolitical tensions are increasingly influencing how governments respond.

For households and businesses, the impact of China’s manufacturing boom has been clear - solar panels, electric vehicle batteries and other low-carbon technologies are far cheaper than they were a decade ago. According to the researchers, this is partly because China has built enormous production capacity through long-term industrial planning, state investment and support for domestic manufacturers.

Those policies helped create the global supply chains that many countries now rely on to roll out renewable energy systems, making the technologies needed for climate action more accessible worldwide - but the study argues that this success has also created new political tensions.

As Chinese firms dominate key sectors of the clean technology economy, governments elsewhere are increasingly concerned about dependence on overseas supply chains for critical infrastructure. Solar panels on rooftops, batteries in electric cars and components used in renewable energy systems often trace back to factories in China.

According to the researchers, this has changed how climate policy is debated. Instead of focusing only on environmental targets, policymakers are also asking where the industries of the green transition will be located - and which countries will benefit economically.

The result is a push in some countries to build domestic clean technology industries, including batteries and electric vehicles. Governments in Europe and North America are investing heavily in new factories and supply chains to try to compete with China’s industrial strength.

While these policies aim to boost economic security and protect local jobs, they can also create tensions in climate policy. Producing technologies domestically can be more expensive and slower than importing them from established global suppliers, creating a difficult balancing act.

“The fastest way to cut emissions may be to deploy the cheapest technologies available, many of which are produced in China - however, political pressure to reduce reliance on foreign manufacturing may encourage governments to prioritise local production, even if this delays deployment” said Dr Jackson. “As the world works to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, the success of climate action may depend not only on technological innovation, but also on how countries manage growing competition over the industries that power the transition.

DOI:

Inflammation-related protein changes could help predict cognitive impairment after a stroke- especially in smokers

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:41:00 +0000

Researchers at ��Vlog�ٷ� have found that tracking changes in a protein linked to inflammation (interleukin-6) after a stroke could help identify people at risk of later memory and thinking problems (also known as cognitive problems). The study also suggests that smoking may make people more at risk of memory and thinking problems in association with ongoing inflammation after a stroke.

The research, published in is part of the Stroke IMPaCT study (Stroke – Immune Mediated Pathways and Cognitive Trajectory), a network of European and North American researchers who are working to discover how inflammation and immune responses contribute to post-stroke cognitive decline.

The team followed patients treated for an ischaemic stroke at Salford Royal Hospital, part of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. They measured levels of a protein called interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the days after stroke and again at both 6-9 and 18-21months. Participants also completed detailed tests of memory and thinking.

Interleukin-6 levels increased soon after stroke and, in most people, fell back to typical levels within 6-9 months. But in some patients, levels stayed high or rose again. These individuals were about eight times more likely to develop difficulties with thinking ability.

The researchers also saw differences between smokers and non-smokers. Smokers showed a different pattern of IL-6 change after stroke, with signs of longer-lasting inflammation. This ongoing inflammation was more strongly linked to problems with thinking and memory.

Lead author an MBPhD researcher at ��Vlog�ٷ�, said: “Inflammation after stroke doesn't just happen once and disappear. By tracking this protein over time, we may be able to identify patients at greater risk of cognitive problems and eventually tailor support or treatments to them.”

Professor Craig Smith, Professor of Stroke Medicine at ��Vlog�ٷ� and Consultant at Salford Royal, said: “Our findings suggest it's not just the initial spike in inflammation that matters- it's whether it properly settles down after the stroke. Smoking appears to interfere with this recovery, leaving people more vulnerable to memory and thinking problems.

Professor Stuart Allan added: “When the immune system's recovery after stroke doesn't occur as expected, patients appear more likely to experience cognitive difficulties. If future studies confirm interleukin-6 is the cause, we might one day use medications that block it to protect brain health.”

Co-lead author Harry Deijnen from the University of Manchester added: “Though it is clear that more research is needed, these results point towards new opportunities to improve long-term brain health by focusing on the body’s inflammatory recovery after stroke.”

The work was funded by the Leducq Foundation, Kennedy Trust, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the British Heart Foundation. Philanthropic support has also been central to enabling this research. The University is proud to partner with donors in support of this work, including Louis and Amy Wong. Find out more about how supporting Manchester drives impact across our research here: Challenge Accepted. It was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)’
The paper Longitudinal Plasma IL-6 and Post-Stroke Cognitive Outcomes: The Stroke-IMPaCT Study is available DOI:

Igniting Innovation: Early Career Researchers Shine at the 2026 Researcher Launchpad Showcase

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:16:00 +0000

MEC programme empowers researchers to explore commercial potential and fast track real-world impact

MEC’s inaugural Researcher Launchpad programme reached an exciting finale on Tuesday 10th March, as early career researchers came together to present the commercial potential of their research to a panel of expert judges.

This marked the culmination of months of entrepreneurial exploration, customer discovery and skills development delivered through the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre’s newest flagship programme.

The final session featured a closed-door pitching round in which researchers unveiled early-stage innovations from across all faculties of the University. The judging panel provided targeted feedback on each idea - assessing commercial viability, clarity of value proposition, customer insight and potential for future development.

Following deliberations, all participants reconvened for the announcement of this year’s award recipients, alongside reflections from the judging panel and a networking session that brought the 2026 cohort together with mentors, programme facilitators and supporters from across the University’s innovation ecosystem.

A new programme built on a strong legacy

Researcher Launchpad represents the next evolution of the highly successful Researcher to Innovator (R2I) initiative, which since 2019 supported dozens of researchers to progress early-stage commercial ideas and secure innovation funding.

Building on this legacy, the enhanced Researcher Launchpad programme now offers an immersive and agile eight-week pre-accelerator designed for PhD and postdoctoral researchers aiming to develop commercial ventures. Throughout the programme, participants learn to articulate the commercial potential of their research, test and validate market assumptions through customer discovery, refine value propositions and routes to market, develop their pitching and communication skills, and build the confidence and entrepreneurial mindset needed to progress their ideas.

Celebrating achievement and enabling next steps

5 awards totalling £20,000 were granted to support the further development of researchers’ ideas. These awards will enable winners to progress activities such as prototype development, market research, technical validation, IP exploration or early engagement with users and stakeholders.

Award Winners

Innovation Enabling Award: £5,000

Foldes

Balint Macsuga (School of Natural Sciences)

AI for Multilingualism

Dr Nourhan Heysham (School of Environment, Education and Development

"The Launchpad gave me the structure and confidence to move my idea forward. It provided the space to step back from day-to-day research and think through the opportunity from every angle."

Innovation Enabling Award: £4,000

Curvindiks

Phumza Sokhetye (School of Natural Sciences)

“The programme was a transformative experience that helped me refine my research into a venture-ready project and better understand how it can create real-world and social impact. It provided the skills and confidence needed to communicate the value of my work and take the first steps toward commercialisation.”

Innovation Enabling Award: £3,000

INVIAM: Microbial Recycling of Critical Metals

Patrick King (School of Natural Sciences)

“The MEC Researcher Launchpad is a perfect starting point for researchers who are curious about commercialisation, as well as those who are committed to it and taking their first steps towards that goal.”

Ovasight

Faisal Bala (School of Engineering)

“Two things stand out in this program: the well-paced training that aligns PhD with venture building, and the cash prize awarded upon completion to help you get started.”

Prize winners will also receive expert support and signposting to advanced accelerator programmes and all the participants on the programme will be connected to the wider ecosystem for continued mentoring, guidance and support as they take their research ideas forward.

Looking ahead:

As the Researcher Launchpad programme concludes its inaugural cycle, preparations are already underway for the next cohort. Researchers from all disciplines, whether new to innovation or already exploring commercial routes are encouraged to .

The programme forms part of MEC’s broader Researcher Pathway, a suite of workshops, training and development opportunities designed to strengthen entrepreneurial skills and support researchers to translate their expertise into real-world impact.

Applications to the flagship Venture Further Awards 2026 (VFA) are now open, featuring a brand new “Research-Led Disruption” track. Aligned with the MEC Researcher Pathway, this track supports the critical transition from breakthrough research to commercialisation, helping founders translate innovation into real-world impact.

Full details and application link can be found .

Find out more

To learn about upcoming programmes, workshops and opportunities for researchers, visit:

Infected Blood Inquiry Memorial goes to University of Manchester

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:43:40 +0000

The formal handover of the Inquiry Memorial to the University of Manchester will take place on Tuesday 24 March. The University is providing a permanent home for the Inquiry Memorial.

The Inquiry Memorial is located in a central location that has limited space so we will livestream the formal handover for Inquiry participants who would like to follow online or watch the recording afterwards.

The livestream will begin at 14.00 on Tuesday 24 March. Sir Brian Langstaff will make remarks as part of the event. If you wish to watch the livestream, please go . The recording will be available on the Inquiry website.

From Wednesday 25 March, it will be possible to visit the Inquiry Memorial at the University of Manchester. The Inquiry Memorial is in the Old Quadrangle of the University of Manchester, on the ground floor of the Whitworth Building which is open weekdays 7am – 5:30pm. The Inquiry Memorial is also visible from the Old Quadrangle without entering the Whitworth Building.

Carbon-trapping rocks demonstrate Earth’s natural ability to store carbon dioxide

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:37:45 +0000

Researchers have shed new light on how a unusual rock formation in Oman was created, which could reveal new details about the Earth’s ability to store carbon dioxide (CO₂) for millions of years.

The study, led by Keele University, in collaboration with ��Vlog�ٷ� and University of Ottawa, looked at geological evidence from Oman to better understand processes that occur in subduction zones - where one of the Earth’s tectonic plates sinks beneath another due to the plates colliding together. Such zones are active around much of the Pacific “Ring of Fire” today.

Subduction zones are key to the global carbon cycle because ocean sediments carried by the sinking plate contain large amounts of CO₂. Scientists have long debated what happens to this carbon after it sinks - some is transported deep into the Earth, while some returns to the atmosphere via volcanic eruptions.

Another possibility is that CO₂ becomes trapped in rocks when carbon-rich fluids react with them, forming minerals known as carbonates, which lock the carbon away for millions of years. These reactions happen tens of kilometres underground, so are difficult to observe and study.

To resolve this, the team analysed halogens - chlorine, bromine and iodine - which were present within individual mineral grains. These elements can leave a fingerprint of the fluid reactions and sources of carbon which formed the carbonate minerals.

Their results, published in , indicated that there were at least two separate events where CO₂ reacted with the rocks. It found that most of the carbonate minerals formed from fluids that match those usually found in subduction zones.

They also calculated that over 90% of the CO₂ in the sinking plate could have been channelled along the plate boundary fault into the shallow mantle and locked away, indicating that carbon sinks in subduction zones are not only real, but could play a significant role in the Earth’s carbon cycle, by offering a way to store huge amounts of CO₂ for millions of years.

Lead author, Dr Elliot Carter, from the School of Life Sciences at Keel University said: “As our climate warms there’s been increasing attention on these strange and enigmatic rocks and what they can tell us about how the Earth moves carbon around and how humans could store it in the future”

“Zooming into chemical differences between different microscopic crystals really gave us the key to unlock the story of these rocks”

“We can now tell that rocks such as those in Oman likely form an important part of Earth’s long-term carbon cycle.”

This research was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Full title: Carbonated mantle peridotites represent a hidden sink for subducted CO₂

DOI:

Two Manchester researchers honoured for outstanding global impact through international collaboration

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:40:00 +0000

Two Manchester researchers, Professor Bruce Grieve and Professor Hujun Yin, were recognised with the Pioneering UK-US Breakthroughs (PUB) award, by the UK Research and Innovation in the British Embassy in Washington, D.C this week.

Professors Grieve and Yin were honoured for their research in developing a new device to detect crop viruses, alongside peers from Rothamsted Research in the UK, and Rutgers and North Carolina State University in the US.

The new tool can detect early-stage viral infections in crops more rapidly and in a less expensive way than traditional methods of genetic testing, with the project addressing Cassava Mosaic and Brown Streak diseases in particular, which threaten a key carbohydrate crop found in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America: Cassava.

As Cassava is increasingly used as a replacement for wheat flour in the US and Europe, the new technology can increase our ability to safeguard our food security, by identifying and containing diseases before they spread and devastate crops.

Vice-President for Research, Colette Fagan, commented, “I was delighted to attend this UKRI award event at the British Embassy, Washington, as part of a Russell Group delegation visit to meet with USA universities and research funders. Professors Grieve and Yin's team was one of the small number of teams to be awarded this new prize, and I was proud to see their work at our University recognised and celebrated by the Washington audience.”

The PUB awards are centred around research collaboration between the UK and US, and celebrate the impact of bringing together researchers and scientists on both sides of the Atlantic to address global challenges through innovation partnerships.

In the case of this revolutionary new tool, it was ��Vlog�ٷ� and the Rothamsted Research facility’s sensor engineering and machine learning expertise who provided the UK’s share of research impact, which combined with the US institutions’ crop virology capabilities, to bring about this step towards a more secure global food supply.

Prof Grieve commented, “Receiving the US-UK reward brought home to me the impact that working with complimentary teams across the globe, and across engineering and the life-sciences, can have – with the crop viruses that we are working on threatening the main carbohydrate source for 800 million people in Africa and Latin-America.”

Not only have our researchers contributed to creating a more resilient future for worldwide food system - but their device will also be supporting local livelihoods and strengthening rural economies, where the effects of crop loss are felt most keenly in developing areas of the world.

Dr Grieve and Prof Yin were handed their awards by HM Ambassador to the US, Sir Christian Turner, and UKRI’s International Director, Frances Wood, and were one of seven collaborations recognised, from cancer research to particle physics.

Prof Yin, said of the occasion, “It was a great honour and encouragement for our work, and shows the importance of transatlantic collaborations, as well as the positive impact that AI and advanced sensing can make in tackling the challenges facing the world in terms of food, energy and sustainability. While in this project we target cassava brown steak virus, the device, once verified in field tests in Tanzania over next few months, could be extended to other produces.”

This work was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and US National Science Foundation through the Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease Programme.

Biotechnology spinout Cytotrait secures £3M seed funding to address global food security and sustainable agriculture

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:41:04 +0000

, a biotechnology spinout from ��Vlog�ٷ� commercialised with support from the , focused on the development of novel traits for food and agriculture, today announced the close of its £3M seed funding round.

The investment was led by , with contributions from the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S, managed by Future Planet Capital), and Northern Universities Ventures Fund, managed by Parkwalk in collaboration with Northern Gritstone. Cytotrait’s seed funding will enable the Company to build on strong early data from its proprietary Mutant Organelle Selection System (MOSS) technology, initiating new development programmes to explore enhanced traits in major crop species.

Cytotrait’s MOSS technology is uniquely designed to tackle longstanding hurdles in crop engineering and address the growing challenge of global food security and sustainable agricultural practices. In contrast to other methods, MOSS rapidly achieves homoplasmy, delivering genes and gene edits into chloroplasts and mitochondria to ensure the desired genetic changes are engineered across every organelle in a cell or plant.

This approach enables crop characteristics to be engineered with both localised and high-level expression, reduced transgene phytotoxicity, easier backcrossing and trait stacking, efficient containment and an easier regulatory route.

Building on foundational data for developing novel crop traits, Cytotrait will use its seed funding for new research targeting wheat, maize, potato and canola in European and North American markets.

The programmes will utilise MOSS to explore potential applications in these crops, including enhancements in yield and resilience, the potential to introduce valuable new food traits, and the ability to drive more sustainable practices through improved carbon sequestration.

Since its formation, Cytotrait has worked closely with the the University’s technology transfer office, the University of Manchester Innovation Factory. Innovation Factory has guided the founders on intellectual property strategy, company formation, on business planning, and investor readiness.

Innovation Factory also previously supported Cytotrait to access pre-seed investment from the University, hired a key commercial lead with grant funding from the Northern Triangle Talent Initiative, and assisted during their recent fundraising process.

Cytotrait was previously awarded £498k funding from the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) to develop MOSS for reliable hybrid seed production in wheat, one of the world’s largest food crops¹.

The company was spun out with support from the University of Manchester Innovation Factory, the University’s technology transfer office, which works to commercialise University research through spinouts, licensing and investments. Cytotrait is also a recent graduate of NG Studios, Northern Gritstone’s venture building program for deeptech spinouts.

Dr Elliott Jennings, Head of Investment & Licensing (Life Sciences) of the University of Manchester Innovation Factory, said: “It has been a privilege to support the Cytotrait team on their commercialisation journey, from early-stage research through to this successful seed funding round. This milestone reflects the strength of the science, the ambition of the founders and the collaborative efforts of colleagues, the investors and partners who have helped bring the company to this point. We are proud to have worked alongside the team and look forward to continuing to support Cytotrait as they pursue their commercial ambitions.”

Duncan Johnson, CEO, Northern Gritstone, said: "Cytotrait is a prime example of the world-class innovation from the North of England’s universities and the ambitious founders and teams we see on our venture building program, NG Studios. Northern Gritstone is very pleased to be working with Dr Ji and the team and look forward to positive results from this first tranche of new development programmes.”

“MOSS is truly a breakthrough in the field of crop technology, allowing us to precisely engineer characteristics that can not only enhance yield and resilience, but also help to drive a more sustainable future for modern agriculture,” said Dr Tim Brears, Executive Chair. He continued: “We’re extremely proud of everything our team has already accomplished, and thankful to our investors, whose support will enable us to expand our pipeline and explore the applications of MOSS in some of the world’s major crop types.”

Hassan Mahmudul, Investment Manager, UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund, remarked: “UKI2S invests in companies developing novel engineering biology solutions to tackle large, global challenges. We are delighted to welcome Cytotrait to our growing agritech portfolio, recognising the strength of its platform technology, which has the potential to unlock high-value trait expression at levels significantly beyond what is achievable through conventional nuclear genome engineering.”

1. Press Release (1^st September, 2025):

Study reveals worrying extent of imprecise gene and gene mutation naming

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:03:00 +0000

A systematic review of 52 scientific papers submitted to a world-leading clinical genetics journal from multiple scientists over a two-year period reveals that not a single one named critical gene mutations (correctly termed as variants) with precision.

The findings partly explain why around 70% of rare diseases go undiagnosed, even in the UK, which arguably has the worlds most advanced genomic medicine service.

Led by a geneticist from ��Vlog�ٷ�, the findings are published by the Editorial team at the Genetics in Medicine Journal (GIM)- considered a world-leading clinical genetics journal - in

It is frustrating news for the parents of the a year with rare genetic diseases, most of whom never receive a diagnosis, and many dying without the underlying cause being determined.

Correct nomenclature - as it is known- could also reduce the to the NHS of pursuing avoidable lengthy diagnostic journeys into rare genetic diseases - thought to be over £3 billion per decade.

Miscommunication caused by inconsistent genetic naming has, over time, led to documented cases of incorrect clinical management.

The researchers found that every manuscript submitted to the Genetic in Medicine Journal (the journal of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), who develop global professional standards in Clinical Genomics), contained one or more errors.

That, they say, substantially reduced the probability of finding variants during routine searches. Such searches are required to gather diagnostic evidence, but if the evidence cannot be found due to findability issues, then a diagnosis may be missed.

The research is being incorporated into a new ACMG-led professional standard, which is being collaboratively developed with all the major professional societies and quality assurance bodies across the US, EU, UK and Canada, to be announced later this year.

The standard will govern the minimal acceptable standards for variant data in clinical reporting, databases and literature.

Such standards have been legally binding in the United States but there is no indication yet that the UK will follow suit; however, the quality bodies that control UK genomic medicine standards are part of the ACMG-led coalition.

Dr Freeman, formerly of the University of Leicester, and now based at ��Vlog�ٷ� devised a tool called to give each variant a standardised name, allowing diagnostic evidence to be shared and found.

Working with the , the Genetics in Medicine (GIM) editors assembled a technical editing team led by Dr Freeman to develop instructions for authors on proper variant reporting.

Hospital geneticists rely on published evidence to make diagnoses, but because of inconsistent variant naming, say the authors, they are often unable to locate relevant information, even if it exists.

Many geneticists, they say, are using simpler but less accurate nomenclature, preventing databases like ClinVar and the Leiden Open Variation Database (LOVD), and widely used AI discovery tools from identifying critical evidence and adding literature to ClinVar and LOVD records.

Dr Freeman, whose son has an undiagnosed genetic disorder, said: “The language of genomics, which guides everything from discoveries of gene-disease associations to rare disease diagnosis, relies on an established standardized system of naming genomic variants.

“This study has revealed a shocking level of inaccuracy in the naming of genetic variants- which has real-world consequences. Me and my team have yet to find a journal article which uses the correct nomenclature and did not require intervention.”

He added: “Doctors almost always describe DNA variants using various outdated or non-standard naming systems, or fail to accurately apply the current standard. This means they are publishing data which is less findable, so may be missed by others in the field attempting to reach a diagnostic decision, denying the possibility of treatment.

“But even more importantly, for children like my son, not having a diagnosis means they cannot access the support services they desperately need to support their wellbeing and development.

“Nomenclature should accurately describe the changes in DNA sequencing observed when there is a genetic variant. But in many cases, this is simply not happening and is part of a complex set of problems that is causing miss or missed diagnoses.”

The team recommend:

Universally adopting gene/variant nomenclature guidelines within published works.
Implementing robust peer review processes to enforce gene/variant nomenclature standards.
Supporting automated submission of structured variant and classification data into publicly available repositories
Work with publishers to educate production and copyediting teams.

What misnaming means for patients

In an infamous example over decades, laboratories and clinicians used conflicting naming systems for Factor V Leiden, a common inherited genetic mutation that causes ,

That resulted in misinterpretation of patients’ thrombosis risk and inappropriate treatment decisions.

In another example, inconsistent reporting of variants of the gene CFTR in cystic fibrosis has contributed to misunderstandings of carrier status and disease risk, leading to errors in family‑planning counselling for affected couples.

The paper Universal Presence of Gene/Variant Nomenclature Errors in Journal Manuscript Submissions is available

Five Manchester academics become Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:34:02 +0000

The Academy of Social Sciences has elected five experts from ��Vlog�ٷ� as Fellows in recognition of their significant contributions to social science, highlighting the relevance of the social sciences in understanding and addressing the many varied societal challenges facing the UK and the world today.

Professor Lucy Frith is a leading bioethicist whose work spans socio-legal studies and health research. She is internationally recognised for her work in empirical bioethics and her research on the social and ethical implications of reproductive donation, and the governance of emerging reproductive technologies.

Lucy is Co-Director of the University’s Centre for Social Ethics & Policy, and she serves on the Executive Committee of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). She has held visiting professorships at the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law at The University of Hong Kong and at Charles University, Prague, and is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Medical Ethics.

“I am delighted to be elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and I am grateful to the Society of Socio-Legal Studies for the nomination,” said Lucy. “I am looking forward to working with colleagues across disciplines and further integrating bioethical analysis into the social sciences, as such interdisciplinary research is increasingly vital to addressing complex global challenges.”

Professor of Politics James Pattison is an international political theorist specialising in ethical issues relating to peace and conflict. His research examines moral responsibility in war, including humanitarian intervention, private military force and economic sanctions, with his current work focusing on ethical responses to rising global authoritarianism and the challenges posed by a shifting international order.

James is the author of several influential books that have shaped both academic scholarship and policy debates on global peace and security. His work is widely recognised across political theory and international relations, contributing significantly to contemporary debates on war and intervention.

“I’m delighted and honoured to receive this award,” said James. “It means a lot to me to become a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences and I look forward to working to promote the social sciences further in my work, highlighting the vital role of social science in shaping the ideas and ethical frameworks that guide global responses to war, authoritarianism, and mass atrocities.”

Professor of Innovation Studies Elvira Uyarra is a leading expert on innovation policy, regional development, and public procurement. Her research examines how public policy can foster innovation, support economic transformation, and enable sustainability transitions.

Elvira has played a key role in major interdisciplinary research programmes and contributed extensively to academic and policy debates on innovation and regional growth. Her work has helped inform government strategies on innovation-led development and strengthening regional innovation systems.

“I’m honoured to be elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences,” said Elvira. “This recognition reflects not just my own work, but the value of collaborative research on innovation, place, and public policy. I look forward to continuing to contribute to the social sciences community.”

Professor of Politics and Development Sam Hickey is a leading scholar of the political economy of development. His research examines how political institutions, governance and elite incentives shape poverty reduction, social protection and inclusive growth, particularly in Africa.

Sam has played a major leadership role in international research programmes, including the Effective States and Inclusive Development Research Centre, and has advised organisations such as the World Bank and UNICEF. He has also contributed to influential books and policy debates on governance and development, helping shape contemporary approaches to inclusive development.

Professor of International Relations Oliver Richmond is a leading figure in peace and conflict studies. His research focuses on peacebuilding, international intervention, and post-conflict political order, and he is known for developing critical approaches that emphasise local agency and “hybrid peace.”

Oliver has authored numerous influential books which have helped reshape scholarly and policy understandings of peacebuilding. His work has had a major global impact on debates about how sustainable peace is formed and maintained.

The Ethics of Intervention in Iran

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:29:43 +0000

In justifying the joint United States-Israel airstrikes on Iran, , claiming that their action will enable the liberation of the repressed Iranian population. The leader of the Iranian opposition in exile, Reza Pahlavi (the son of the deposed Shah of Iran), has called the action a “”, suggesting that its “target is the Islamic Republic, its repressive apparatus, and its machinery of slaughter”.

In light of the awful brutality by the Iranian government against the uprising in late December 2025, the case for humanitarian intervention in Iran is not obviously implausible. The Iranian writer, Hamidreza Zarifinia, argued in early January 2026 that “” and “can be considered entirely legitimate and humanitarian”. In similar vein, writing shortly before the strikes, the Volt party in Europe argued that the Iranians “deserve” intervention “in the face of a ”, although cautioned about a US-led military intervention without the authorisation of the Security Council and in contravention of the requirements of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine.

In this respect, there are echoes of the justifications presented in the buildup to the 2003 War in Iraq, where those supporting the action highlighted the brutality of the Saddam Hussein regime to help defend the war. Like the 2003 War in Iraq, moreover, the intervention in Iran is . It is also not the last resort, given that diplomacy was starting to work in exerting pressure on the Iranian regime, and it lacks legitimate authority, without any attempt to seek the approval of the United Nations Security Council. Indeed, like Iraq, the intervention in Iran fails to meet all the traditional criteria of Just War Theory. But I want to argue that the action in Iran is even worse, having even weaker grounds to be deemed humanitarian than the War in Iraq.

1. Humanitarian Regime Change?

The United States and Israel’s actions suggest that . Regime change generally has a bad rap. Yet it would be an error to claim, as some did in response to the intervention in Libya and the debate around the War in Iraq, that regime change can never be humanitarian. The removal of a repressive regime can potentially be humanitarian – and a legitimate goal of humanitarian intervention, to the extent that it facilitates the end of a humanitarian crisis (which is rare). But for regime change to be humanitarian, it needs to be likely that the regime will be replaced by something better – by a stable liberal democracy, for instance.

Yet, in the case of Iran, it seems that, even if there were successful regime change, it is questionable that any alternative regime would be much better. The Shah’s son has been mooted as a potential successor, but it is unclear that he would have sufficient support within Iran. It’s also dubious that there is a clear path to regime change. The Ayatollah was not the regime; the removal of the Iranian Revolution Guard Corps will be extremely difficult, with most commentators suggesting it would require boots on the ground or a major internal uprising. As , “[t]here are good reasons why previous presidents were reluctant to become embroiled in a War in Iraq. Trump has ignored all the caveats”.

2. Motives and Intentions

Moreover, the motives of Trump and Netanyahu for undertaking the action seem to be far from humanitarian, with that their motives are to help them with their upcoming elections, and, in the case of Trump, to help to provide a distraction to relieve some of the pressure about his ties to Epstein. Likewise, the motives for George W. Bush’s actions in the War in Iraq were widely suggested to ultimately be about securing oil, as well as to fulfil the legacy of his father, who had failed to remove Saddam Hussein 12 years previously.

But the motives of those undertaking intervention don’t determine whether it’s a humanitarian intervention. Motives are far too difficult to determine reliably, given the difficulty of knowing another’s mindset. This is for assessing the violations of the law; it uses them only to determine sentencing, and even then only when they are apparent. Instead, we look to intentions to help define actions – to the purposes of actions rather than underlying reasons.

How does one determine an intervener’s intentions? There are . On all three indicators, the action against Iran scores very poorly – and even worse than Iraq.

a. General rhetoric

The first is to examine the general rhetoric of the actors and the role that humanitarian justifications are playing. In the case of the intervention in Iran, the rhetoric is generally inconsistent. At best, humanitarian claims are largely an afterthought. With Iraq, there was a clear plan for the combat phase to achieve the stated objectives – the removal of Saddam Hussein’s regime. (As is well known, there was no plausible post-war plan, leading to carnage). With Iran, there is not even a clear plan for achieving the objective of regime change, given that bombing alone seems unlikely to lead to this. So, even if the stated goal of regime change were potentially humanitarian, there is no clear plan for this.

b. Actions

The second indicator is to examine the ongoing or likely actions. Are they indicative of a humanitarian response, such as by attempting to minimise civilian casualties? Here it seems extremely unlikely. Already there are that an elementary school has been hit, killing 165 people, most of them girls aged between 7 and 12. There are also (a strike followed by another one once aid workers arrive) and attacks on civilian infrastructure. An intervener with a humanitarian intention would surely take much more care.

It was that there would be major humanitarian blowbacks with action, with warnings that the Strait of Hormuz could be shut, leading to a potential food crisis as the region lacks sufficient fertiliser, as well as harm to the global economy – which typically greatly affects the most vulnerable, who bear much of the costs. It was also expected that Iran would strike civilian targets and those of allies of the United States and Israel. Although Iran is clearly responsible for such harm, and is itself fighting a hugely unjust war of self-defence, its intervening agency does not completely abrogate the responsibility of Israel and the United States, given that the harm was foreseeable, and agents are still responsible for mediated harms. My point, then, is that the likely disproportionality of the action – the likely severe humanitarian effects – demonstrates a lack of humanitarian intention.

c. Past behaviour

The third test is previous behaviour. Has the agent undertaken humanitarian action previously that suggests that this is a pattern of behaviour? It might be thought that only legitimate states can undertake humanitarian intervention. But the history of humanitarian intervention has been littered with cases of seemingly illegitimate states – of states that are far from being liberal democracies – intervening for humanitarian purposes in other states, such as Tanzania’s intervention in Uganda in 1979 and the Nigerian-led interventions in Sierra Leone and Liberia in the early 1990s.

What matters for this assessment is not the intervener’s treatment of its own population, but its record of external behaviour. The human rights violations and growing authoritarianism of the Trump and Netanyahu regimes internally don’t discount the possibility that their states could in principle undertake humanitarian intervention. But their external behaviour – their recent foreign policy – clearly suggests that this is highly unlikely. There’s no need to belabour the point that this indicator is clearly not met, given the and beyond, and ongoing US support for , as well as the destruction of the humanitarian aid regime by the Trump administration.

3. Justification versus Classification

Some might hold that whether the action in Iran is a humanitarian intervention is beside the point. Indeed, it’s important to separate the classification of an action from its justification. There have been humanitarian interventions that were unjustified; some claim that was true of the 2011 intervention in . There are also some nonhumanitarian interventions that have been justified, such as those that aim to ensure self or other-defence against serious external aggression. Yet it’s quite clear that the intervention in Iran is hugely morally problematic, even if it were somehow deemed still ‘humanitarian’. Indeed, it seems even worse than the War in Iraq in another way.

The War in Iraq demonstrated deep hubris and led to hundreds of thousands dying, as well as wider regional instability. The intervention in Iran threatens this – indeed, this seems a likely outcome at the time of writing. And, like the War in Iraq, the intervention causes huge damage to the laws and norms governing the resort to force. But, in Iraq, there was at least a commitment to attempt to stay and sort out the mess, even if this did lead to a hugely problematic post-war occupation. Colin Powell famously invoked the Pottery Barn Rule – ‘you break it, you own it’. For all its problems, the Pottery Barn Rule at least demonstrates a sense of duty to redress wrongs and to attempt to ensure beneficial consequences over the long term. With the intervention in Iran, by contrast, there seems to be the opposite to the Pottery Barn Rule – break it and run. There is no commitment to the population, to fulfil the remedial duties to fix the likely major mess.

We can see then not only is the war in Iran far from being humanitarian intervention and a just war, it’s even worse than the 2003 War in Iraq, the quintessential unjust war of the past three decades.

James Pattison is Professor of Politics at the University of Manchester and an expert on ethical issues in global peace and security. He is the author of several books on war, intervention, and global justice, including Humanitarian Intervention and the Responsibility to Protect: Who Should Intervene? (OUP, 2010) and The Alternatives to War: From Sanctions to Nonviolence (OUP, 2018).

Notes:

Trump that “[f]inally, to the great, proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand…when we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.” Various Republican figures have come out strongly in support of the action and some have invoked humanitarian justifications. For instance, Don Bacon that “[a]fter the regime just murdered approximately 50,000 Iranians, it is time to help the Iranian people get rid of the Ayatollah once and for all”.

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has described the US-Israeli strikes as .

Marc Wellar on Iran.

The on intervening agency is that responsibility for harm is only somewhat diminished and agents are still responsible for bringing about reasonably foreseeable harms.

Trump’s move away from the Pottery Barn rule is by one commentator.

Disclaimer: Any views or opinions expressed on The Public Ethics Blog are solely those of the post author(s) and not The Stockholm Centre for the Ethics of War and Peace, Stockholm University, the Wallenberg Foundation, or the staff of those organisations.

This blog post was originally shared to and has been shared with permission. You can access the original blog here: .

University of Manchester spinout wins business award

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:36:48 +0000

A University of Manchester spinout company which helps older people to improve their balance, stay stronger, safer and more independent has been named Product of the Year at the 2026 BioNow Awards.

The awards celebrate excellence across the North of England’s life sciences community and recognise organisations delivering meaningful impact through scientific innovation, healthcare advancement and commercial success.

Professor Emma Stanmore, CEO of the NHS-approved downloadable health platform called , and the KOKU Team accepted the accolade at the Concorde Conference Centre in Greater Manchester last week.

KOKU- short for Keep-On-Keep-Up - has been widely used in NHS programmes, care homes, and by older adults at home to help improve strength, balance, and independence while preventing falls.

Researchers have shown it reduces functional decline by improving strength and balance and lowers the risk of falls, helping older people maintain independence and improve quality of life while reducing pressure on health and care services.

Falls remain one of the leading causes of injury, hospital admission and loss of independence among older adults, creating a significant challenge for health systems across the UK and globally.

By combining clinically validated exercise programmes with engaging digital design, KOKU supports sustained participation in strength and balance training that can be delivered safely at home.

The platform enables older adults to access tailored exercises suited to their individual ability and progress at their own pace while maintaining motivation through game-based features.

Healthcare providers can also use the platform to support preventative care strategies aimed at improving mobility, strength and confidence in ageing populations.

This year’s awards saw 149 applications from 86 organisations, a record level of engagement that reflected the strength and diversity of innovation across the region

Emma Stanmore is Professor in Gerontology and Healthy Ageing Research Group Lead at the University of Manchester ’s School of Health Sciences.

She said: “This award is a fantastic recognition of the work our team has done to create a solution that genuinely improves people’s lives.

“Our goal has always been to help older adults stay stronger, safer and more independent for longer, and we are incredibly proud to see KOKU recognised for the positive impact it is already making.

“Winning Product of the Year highlights the growing importance of digital health technologies that combine clinical evidence with scalable solutions capable of reaching large patient populations.

“KOKU continues to expand its partnerships with healthcare providers and organisations focused on healthy ageing as demand grows for digital tools that support preventative care and long-term wellbeing.”

Bionow is a membership organisation that supports and connects companies, universities, and professionals in the life sciences and biotech sectors across Northern England.

It provides networking, events, industry advocacy, and business support to help grow the regional life sciences ecosystem

See more about KoKu

HCRI academic discusses the Nepalese elections with Times Radio

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:27:10 +0000

On Thursday, 5 March, spoke with Jane Garvey and Fi Glower for the (from 38:25) about the parliamentary elections in Nepal. The 275 seat poll will chart the country's path after last year's youth-led anti-corruption protests toppled the government.

Dr Dhungana is a Lecturer in Disasters and Global Health at the University of Manchester’s (HCRI).

New App required to download e-books from ProQuest Ebook Central

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 08:06:21 +0000

After logging in to your Ebook Central account and clicking the download button and loan length for your chosen title you will be given a seven digit registration code and then prompted to download the Ebook Central Reader App.
After installing and opening the App and entering the code, your device will be registered.
You can then download the book to your Bookshelf for offline reading.

Full details for installing the app and FAQs are available here:

Please note

Chapter downloads will continue as they do currently. DRM-free titles are not currently supported by the new App but they can still be downloaded and opened in your preferred software.

Although bookmarking is supported by the App, highlights and notetaking will not be available in this release. If you have annotations for expired Ebook Central titles in Adobe Digital Editions that you want to capture please download the item again before Wednesday, 11 March 2026 and follow this workaround:

Large area MoS₂ reduces energy loss in magnetic memory films

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:47:55 +0000

Scientists at the University of Manchester have discovered that placing magnetic films on atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) fundamentally changes how they lose energy, a finding that could bring 2D‑material spintronics a step closer to real devices.

The team found that growing a widely used magnetic alloy, permalloy, on ultra‑thin MoS₂ alters the film’s internal crystal structure, changing how and where energy is lost as magnetic spins move. By separating energy losses that occur at the surface of the film from those arising within its internal structure, the researchers provide new design insights for devices that use two‑dimensional (2D) materials to control magnetism more efficiently.

Crucially, the work uses large‑area, manufacturing‑compatible MoS₂, showing that these effects are not confined to laboratory‑scale samples but are relevant for real, scalable spintronic technologies.

The study, published in , demonstrates that transition‑metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) can alter the fundamental properties of magnetic films. The results highlight the importance of careful comparison with control materials when assessing the impact of 2D layers on magnetic behaviour.

Spintronics is an alternative to conventional electronics that uses not only the charge of electrons, but also their spin, to store and process information. This approach underpins emerging technologies for magnetic memory and has potential applications in energy‑efficient, high‑speed computing. A major challenge in spintronics, however, is energy loss: as magnetic spins move, some energy is inevitably dissipated as heat, limiting device speed and efficiency.

In this work, the researchers studied thin films of permalloy grown on top of large‑area MoS₂ produced using industry‑compatible chemical vapour deposition. They found that the ultra‑clean interface between permalloy and MoS₂ reduces energy loss at the surface of the magnetic film. At the same time, subtle changes within the film’s crystal structure slightly increase internal energy loss.

By clearly separating these two effects, the team was able to explain why previous studies of 2D materials and magnetism have sometimes produced conflicting results.

To reach these conclusions, the researchers used ferromagnetic resonance, a technique in which a high‑frequency magnetic field causes spins inside a magnetic material to wobble, similar to a spinning top slowing down due to friction. By measuring how quickly this wobble fades, the team could determine how and where energy is dissipated. Varying the thickness of the magnetic layer allowed them to distinguish losses occurring at the surface from those within the bulk of the film.

The results point to new routes for designing lower‑power, faster spintronic memory, where material interfaces are engineered to minimise unwanted energy loss without sacrificing performance.

“This work is exciting because the fundamental effects a two‑dimensional material can have on magnetic thin films are still largely unexplored,” said , lead author of the study and Research Associate in THz Spintronics at the University of Manchester. “We’ve shown how these changes affect energy loss, which is a crucial property for next‑generation memory technologies.”

The study shows that 2D materials do not always increase energy loss and that, with the right interface, they can reduce it.

This research was published in the journal .

Full title: Separation of bulk and surface contributions to the damping of permalloy on large-area chemical-vapor-deposited �Ѵ�⁢S₂.

DOI:

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at ��Vlog�ٷ�, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

Researchers create a never-before-seen molecule and prove its exotic nature with quantum computing

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 19:01:00 +0000

An international team of scientists from IBM, ��Vlog�ٷ�, Oxford University, ETH Zurich, EPFL and the University of Regensburg have created and characterized a molecule unlike any previously known — one whose electrons travel through its structure in a corkscrew-like pattern that fundamentally alters its chemical behavior.

Published today in , it is the first experimental observation of a half-Möbius electronic topology in a single molecule. To the scientists’ knowledge, a molecule with such topology has never before been synthesized, observed, or even formally predicted.

Understanding this molecule’s behavior at the electronic structure level required something equally fundamental: a high fidelity quantum computing simulation. The discovery advances science on two fronts. For chemistry, it demonstrates that electronic topology - the property governing how electrons move through a molecule - can be deliberately engineered, not merely found in nature.

For quantum computing, it is a concrete demonstration of a quantum simulation doing what it was designed to do: representing quantum mechanical behavior directly, at the molecular scale, to produce scientific insight that would otherwise have remained out of reach.

“First, we designed a molecule we thought could be created, then we built it, and then we validated it and its exotic properties with a quantum computer,” said Alessandro Curioni, IBM Fellow, Vice President, Europe and Africa, and Director of IBM Research Zurich. “This is a leap towards the dream laid out by renowned physicist Richard Feynman decades ago to build a computer that can best simulate quantum physics and a demonstration where, as he said, ‘There’s plenty of room at the bottom.’ The success of this research signals a step towards this vision, opening the door for new ways to explore our world and the matter within it.

, paper co-author, Lecturer in Computational and Theoretical Chemistry at ��Vlog�ٷ�, added: “Chemistry and solid-state physics advance by finding new ways to control matter. In the second half of the 20th century, substituent effects were very popular. For example, researchers explored how the potency of a drug or the elasticity of a material changes if, for example, a methyl is replaced with chlorine. The turn of the century brought us spintronics, introducing electron spin as a new degree of freedom to play with, and transforming data storage. Today, our work shows that topology can also serve as a switchable degree of freedom, opening a new powerful route for controlling material properties.

“The non-trivial topology of this molecule, and the exotic behavior of many other systems, arises from interactions between their electrons. Simulating electrons with classical computers is very hard – a decade ago we could exactly model 16 electrons, and today we can go up to 18. Quantum computers are naturally well-suited for this problem because their building blocks – qubits – are quantum objects, which mirror electrons. Using IBM’s quantum computer, we were able to explore 32 electrons. However, the most exciting part is this is just the start. Quantum hardware is advancing rapidly, and the future is quantum.”

A Never-Before-Seen Molecule

The molecule, with the formula C₁₃Cl₂, was assembled atom-by-atom at IBM from a custom precursor synthesized at Oxford University, with individual atoms removed one at a time using precisely calibrated voltage pulses under ultra-high vacuum at nearabsolute-zero temperatures.

Experiments with scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy, both techniques pioneered at IBM, combined with quantum computing to reveal an electronic configuration with no counterpart in chemistry's existing record: an electronic structure that undergoes a 90-degree twist with each circuit, requiring four complete loops to return to the starting phase.

This half-Möbius topology is qualitatively distinct from any previously known molecule and can be reversibly switched between clockwise-twisted, counterclockwise-twisted and untwisted states — demonstrating that electronic topology is not a property to be discovered, but one that can now be deliberately engineered under specific conditions.

A Disruptive Scientific Tool: Quantum-Centric Supercomputing

The scientists in this experiment created a molecule that had never existed. Now they had to figure out why it worked, a task which challenged conventional computers. The electrons within C₁₃Cl₂ interact in deeply entangled ways — each influencing all the others simultaneously. Modeling that behavior requires tracking every possible configuration of those interactions at once, requiring computational demands that grow exponentially and can quickly overwhelm classical machines.

Quantum computers are different by nature because they operate according to the same quantum mechanical laws that govern electrons in molecules, and they can represent these systems directly rather than approximate them. They “speak” the same fundamental language as the matter they are built to study and that distinction, once largely theoretical, can now contribute to concrete scientific results.

This capability offers tremendous potential for quantum computers to support realworld experimentation with quantum-centric supercomputing workflows. By integrating quantum processing units (QPUs), CPUs, and GPUs, quantum-centric supercomputing allows complex problems to be broken into parts that are orchestrated and solved according to each system’s strengths — achieving what no single compute paradigm can deliver alone.

Utilizing an IBM quantum computer within such a workflow, the team found helical molecular orbitals for electron attachment, a fingerprint of the half-Möbius topology. Moreover, simulation via quantum computing helped reveal the mechanism behind the formation of the unusual topology: a helical pseudo-Jahn-Teller effect.

This achievement builds on IBM’s long legacy in nanoscale science. The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) was invented at IBM in 1981, for which IBM scientists Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1986. Its creation enabled researchers to image surfaces atom by atom. In 1989, IBM scientists developed the first reliable method for manipulating individual atoms. Over the past decades, the IBM team has extended these techniques to build and control increasingly exotic molecular structures.

This research was published in the journal Science

Full title: A molecule with half-Möbius topology

DOI:

Arrival of Homo Erectus may have triggered Mosquitoes’ taste for human blood

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:57:12 +0000

The arrival of substantial numbers of early human ancestors (Homo erectus) in the Southeast Asian prehistoric landmass of Sundaland, approximately 1.8 million years ago, likely triggered an evolutionary shift in Leucosphyrus mosquitoes, according to a new study.

Researchers from ��Vlog�ٷ� suggest that during the Early Pleistocene, the arrival and presence of these early hominins drove the mosquitoes to adapt to feeding on humans.

The study, published in , uncovers how and why certain mosquitoes developed this preference, and the environmental triggers which brought about its development.

The findings could provide critical insight into mitigating the impacts of novel diseases caused by mosquito-borne pathogens, which place a significant burden on global human health, and shed light on the colonisation of Southeast Asia by early humans.

, Senior Lecturer in Earth and Environmental Sciences at ��Vlog�ٷ�, said “Our findings suggest that early humans must not only have been present in Sundaland at this time, but there in substantial numbers, which is an important piece of evidence, beyond fossil records, to the broader puzzle of the colonization of hominins in insular Southeast Asia.

The team focused on the Anopheles leucosphyrus group, made up of 20 different species of mosquitoes native to Southeast Asia. Some species are extremely anthropophilic (human targeting) and very efficient spreaders of human malaria parasites. Others feed mainly on monkeys, gibbons, and orangutans in forest canopies, spreading a form of malaria that would be harmless to humans, but can be deadly for these other primates.

In the study, the researchers sequenced 38 mosquitoes - supplemented with publicly available genome data of two others - from 11 species within the leucosphyrus group. The specimens were collected between 1992-2020 and involved sampling larvae from animal wallows hidden deep in the forest or in remote areas of Southeast Asia.

The study included species of all three subgroups (Leucosphyrus, Riparis and Hackeri), and represent all three blood-feeding behaviours - human, non-human primate, and mixed - providing a solid evolutionary framework mapping host preference within the Leucosphyrus group.

They found that the ancestors of the Leucosphyrus Group likely originated in the permanently humid conditions of Sundaland (Borneo, peninsular Malaysia, Sunda Shelf), during the early Pliocene, between 5.3 and 3.6 million years ago. These conditions favoured feeding in the canopy, so the mosquitoes most likely fed primarily on non-human primates.

However, the late Pliocene and into the Pleistocene, saw extensive environmental change, where the global climate became cooler and drier. The shift from permanent humidity to seasonal, open forest and expanding savannah, saw the arrival of a host of new mammals. This led to an adapted species of mosquitoes that could feed readily both in the canopy and on the ground.

The researchers suggest that this shift toward more flexible feeding behaviour may have been the bridge to human-feeding behaviour.

This paper was published in the journal Scientific Reports

Full title: Early hominin arrival in Southeast Asia triggered the evolution of major human malaria vectors

DOI:

Scientist’s powerful book exposes brutal realities faced by women and girls

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:13:00 +0000

A powerful new book - 15 years in the making- has exposed the brutal realities faced by millions of women and girls in South Asia, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa, where they are still widely treated as property rather than human beings.

Professor Ruth Itzhaki from The Universities of Manchester and Oxford, reveals how for many woman and girls, extreme violence, sexual attacks, killings tied to the honour of a family or clan, and female genital mutilation are a common reality.

A leading neurovirologists who is known for her pioneering research into the role of viruses in Alzheimer’s disease, her book is the culmination of years of work published by World Scientific.

She was inspired to turn her hand to global women’s rights after reading harrowing news reports- and a shocking TV documentary showing Dalit women in India forced to remove human waste by hand using only straw brushes and pans.

Drawing on authoritative sources from the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and under researched government surveys, she presents a comprehensive and troubling picture of women’s rights in low and middle income countries (LMIC).

The book draws on extensive evidence from LMICs where data is available, showing abuses are widespread but nearly always under‑reported.

In some LMICs, even if the crimes are punishable by law, public opinion in general tolerates or even condones the crimes.

Professor Itzhaki said: “For millions of women and girls, their value is frequently measured solely by their ability to produce sons, forcing many into repeated pregnancies regardless of age or health.

“An innocent glance at a man can lead to punishment; dishonour can lead to violent retribution or even death, inflicted by male relatives - sometimes, with the assent of female relatives- who believe they are restoring family pride.

“Girls can be married long before adolescence; their education restricted or banned entirely in some countries.

“Widows can be blamed for their husbands’ deaths, accused of witchcraft, dispossessed of their homes, and forbidden to remarry.

“In one country – Afghanistan - women are even banned from speaking audibly in public.”

The book also offers practical guidance on how individuals and communities can help combat gender‑based violence and discrimination.

It emphasises the importance of supporting organisations that protect survivors, promote equal rights, and work to end violence against women.

And it urges parents and educators to help shaping children’s understanding of equality, respect, and human rights, calling for conversations that help young people reject rigid expectations of how men and women should behave.

She added: “I hope this book will inspire readers to take action, advocate for justice, and support initiatives that empower women through education, healthcare, and economic opportunity.

“It shows these abuses are not isolated incidents but systemic crimes affecting vast numbers of girls and women simply because of their sex.

“But despite that, public awareness remains dangerously low; silence allows these injustices to persist.

“Especially pertinent on international women’s day, this book is an attempt to redress that balance.”

Ceremony pays tribute to those who gave their bodies to science

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

��Vlog�ٷ� has held a service of thanksgiving at the prestigious Whitworth Hall for the public spirited individuals who in 2024 and 2025 gave their bodies to medical science.

The annual ceremony, which took place on Wednesday March 4 at 1:15pm, will remember the donors whose selfless gift has helped hundreds of medical, dental and science students gain a deeper understanding of human anatomy.

The donors also give surgeons a crucial opportunity to further their knowledge of anatomy in their quest to constantly improve clinical techniques and procedures.

The service, which is distinct from the final committal or funeral service of the donors, was multi-denominational so any religious belief - or those without - were warmly welcomed.

Relatives and friends of the donors attended the ceremony alongside students, academics, technical and bequethals staff along with senior leaders at the University.

There was a candle lighting ceremony during the service where a candle will be lit for each donor and their names read out.

Professor Margaret Kingston, Director of Undergraduate Medical and Dental Education spoke alongside Dr Bipasha Choudhury, School Lead for Anatomy.

There was bereadings from Humanist minister Paul Costello, Methodist minister Richard Mottershead and Father Dushan, a Roman Catholic priest.

The Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, His Majesty the King’s representative for Greater Manchester, was present.

Professor Nalin Thakkar, Vice-President for Social Responsibility at the University of Manchester said: “As a University, we would like to express our deepest thanks to those who gave their bodies to science: your final act became a beginning for countless others.

“Their generosity helps knowledge to grow, medicine and science to advance, and humanity to move forward. Their wonderful gift will not be forgotten.”

Dr Choudhury said: “We are sincerely grateful to the donors for the gift they have bestowed upon our students and staff, helping us learn human anatomy in a profoundly moving way.

“T��ǳܲ�� their generosity, and the generosity of their families, future health care professionals gain a deep understanding of the form and workings of the human body.”

The wife of one of our donors said: “We were moved by the serious gratitude expressed in the words of the service. The candle and name card represent the fact that the last resting place of John’s body is not under a gravestone or in a casket but it the brain and memory of each student for whom this was his final teaching role.”

For more details about donating your body to education and science, visit the University’s bequethals webpage .

Manchester conference to re-examine Falklands/Malvinas conflict nearly 45 years later

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:44:05 +0000

On Thursday 16th April and Friday 17th April, ��Vlog�ٷ� is hosting a major conference about the Falklands/Malvinas conflict.

44 years have passed, but the conflict still resonates deeply in both the UK and Argentina. Once a little-known far-flung archipelago for the British, the islands became emblematic of the UK’s pride and military strength in the face of declining post-imperial influence. For Argentines, the islands remain a unifying symbol of national identity under ‘la causa Malvinas’.

Now, as the 45th anniversary approaches, it enables us to pose and address histories, legacies and a number of questions through multiple lenses: What is the importance and legacy of the conflict forty-four years on? How have scholarly and popular works regarding the conflict and the continued territorial dispute been represented since? What is the current shape and future scope of a nascent Falklands/Malvinas scholarship?

This conference will be particularly interested in, but not limited to, media coverage and military aspects of the conflict and thereafter.

The event hopes to build upon the success of the last conference held at ��Vlog�ٷ� in 2019, and provides an opportunity for veterans from both sides, experienced and independent scholars, early career academics and postgraduate students, to share their ideas and present their research in a supportive and interdisciplinary environment.

The event seeks to draw upon researchers from across the North-West and beyond, and possibly to initiate a ‘Falklands/Malvinas Network’ that might consider further projects and publications as the 45th anniversary of the conflict draws near.

Presenting the conflict from both sides, the conference has keynote speakers including Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King’s College London, who is a leading authority on strategic theory, international history and nuclear policy, and has served as the official historian of the Falklands Campaign and adviser on major UK defence inquiries.

Also speaking will be Professor Virginia Gamba - a senior United Nations official and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict who has more than three decades of global experience in disarmament, peacebuilding, and human security - and Rear Admiral Jeremy Larken DSO, a Cold War submariner and senior Royal Navy commander who played a key operational role in the Falklands Campaign as Captain of HMS Fearless and Chief of Staff to Commodore Michael Clapp, the amphibious Maritime Force Commander, bringing firsthand expertise in crisis management and high-level military leadership.

Together, they represent an exceptional breadth of insight into warfare, diplomacy and strategic decision-making at the highest levels.

The full conference programme and ticket information can be found at , or you can follow @fm44conference on X (Twitter) and @fm44conference.bsky.social on Bluesky.

Conference sponsors: British Commission for Military History (BCMH), Society for Latin American Studies (SLAS) and ��Vlog�ٷ�’s Student Enhancement Fund.

New RISE Initiative Strengthens VAWG Research

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0000

The Thomas Ashton Institute is pleased to highlight , following the launch of the .

This is a major new initiative hosted within , which sits under the Institute’s wider mission to improve safety and resilience across society. The announcement from SALIENT showcases an ambitious, interdisciplinary programme led by ��Vlog�ٷ�, designed to accelerate the UK’s response to one of its most pressing societal challenges.

VAWG remains widespread and underreported in the UK. Police in England and Wales recorded more than 200,000 sexual offences in 2024/25, while 2.2 million women aged 16+ experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2025. These stark figures underpin the UK Government’s Safer Streets Mission and Freedom from Violence and Abuse strategy, which jointly set an ambitious goal: to halve VAWG within the next decade.

The RISE project - funded through UKRI’s R&D Missions Accelerator Programme - has been designed to help drive the evidence, innovation and national coordination needed to support that mission. RISE brings together experts in criminology, data science, public policy, and VAWG prevention.

The team is led by Professor Rose Broad, supported by colleagues including Professor Mark Elliot, Dr Richard Kirkham, Dr Caroline Miles, Professor David Gadd and Dr Reka Solymosi. This breadth of expertise reflects the complexity of understanding and preventing violence at scale.

The project’s research spans several cutting‑edge strands. These activities aim not only to deepen the evidence base, but to deliver practical tools and insights for policing, community safety, and public policy. They including:

A rapid evidence review on primary prevention of VAWG
Development of a safety‑focused mobile app informed by the experiences of women runners
Evaluation of multi‑agency perpetrator prevention models aimed at reducing reoffending
Analysis of Domestic Homicide Reviews, with current work including cases involving matricide

A defining feature of RISE is its commitment to cross-sector collaboration. This systems‑wide approach reflects SALIENT’s mission to bring diverse expertise together to address complex risks and create real‑world impact. This means engaging charities, policing partners, academics and other specialists to:

Share best practice
Strengthen relationships across disciplines and services
Identify gaps for innovation
Build momentum for future funding and research opportunities

As part of its wider work, SALIENT has also announced a Call for Projects to fund up to ten short research projects between April and August 2026, supporting further innovation across the VAWG prevention landscape. These grants will help broaden the national community working on prevention, response and system reform. The RISE programme exemplifies the Thomas Ashton Institute’s commitment to advancing research that protects communities, supports vulnerable groups, and strengthens the evidence base behind national policy. By hosting SALIENT within our institutional ecosystem, the Institute continues to champion interdisciplinary collaborations that lead to safer, more resilient futures.

If you would like to learn more about or ’s broader work, please visit the Hub for full details.

University of Manchester announces new partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières to drive expertise exchange amid global crises

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0000

On 3 March, ��Vlog�ٷ� signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Médecins Sans Frontières () UK, a leading body in international medical assistance and humanitarian response.

At a time of interconnected global crises, this partnership is grounded in two-way learning: MSF’s frontline operational experience will inform research-led teaching at Manchester, while the University’s interdisciplinary expertise will support critical reflection, enquiry-based learning, and innovation in humanitarian practice.

This partnership will deepen the relationship between the two institutions, developing associated teaching and research collaborations, improving awareness of mutual expertise, and expanding the networks which facilitate cooperation.

Operating in over 75 countries, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan, MSF provide life-saving medical humanitarian assistance where it is needed most and use their expertise to ease the suffering of those in crisis situations around the world.

For the next four years, the University will continue to take on cohorts of MSF staff for blended learning through its Leadership Education Academic Partnership (LEAP) Programme in Humanitarian Practice, a collaboration between the University’s Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (), the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and MSF.

The new partnership aims to build on the benefits of staff exchange, stimulating academic input in research and development projects at MSF, and the creation of joint seminars and events, with staff from both organisations holding a mutual presence on steering committees and bodies such as MSF’s internal think tank, Centre de Réflexion sur l'Action et les Savoirs Humanitaires (CRASH).

Professor Nicolas Lemay-Hébert, Executive Director of HCRI, said: “The HCRI is committed to bringing together a broad range of expertise to facilitate positive global change and improve worldwide crisis response.

“Our part in helping to train MSF’s leaders through our multi-disciplinary approach to humanitarian solutions is an essential part of this mission. This partnership will benefit from a sharing of valuable expertise and resources and will work to accelerate that global change.”

The partnership also builds on what is an already-strong student engagement with MSF through Friends of MSF Manchester, a student-led society for students interested in international crises, health equity and humanitarian work.

This new arrangement will allow the University to influence humanitarian activity by providing world-class research and resources to support MSF’s global humanitarian work in crises such as the civil war in Sudan, or widespread malnutrition, while gaining insight from MSF’s operations across the globe.

MEC Marks International Women’s Month with Women in Entrepreneurship Campaign and Events

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:37:32 +0000

What are we celebrating?

This March, the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) at ��Vlog�ٷ� is marking International Women’s Month through a focused campaign celebrating women leaders, founders and practitioners within the MEC entrepreneurial community, alongside two dedicated events designed to inspire and support women across the University.

Supporting Women in Entrepreneurship

While the UK is one of Europe’s leading startup ecosystems, gender imbalance persists. Around 20% of UK startups include women founders, and all-female teams receive less than 2% of venture capital investment. Women also remain underrepresented in senior leadership roles and continue to face barriers to funding, networks and visibility.

MEC’s International Women’s Month activity responds to these challenges by combining reflection, practical skills development and direct engagement with experienced women entrepreneurs.

Our Activities

5th March | Female Founders Vision Boarding | #MECIWD26

4:00–6:00pm | Alliance Manchester Business School

To mark International Women’s Day, this hands-on workshop invites participants to pause, reflect and confidently envision their next steps. Through open discussion and a creative vision-boarding activity, attendees will explore entrepreneurial aspirations, identify potential challenges and translate ambition into action.

The session creates space to discuss confidence, access and visibility while connecting participants to MEC’s wider support ecosystem. Pizza will be provided.

24th March | Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship

4:00–6:30�賾

This panel event brings together women founders, programme leaders, students and professionals to explore leadership journeys, venture growth and inclusive professional environments.

Through shared experiences and interactive discussion, participants will gain practical insight into navigating challenges, building networks and strengthening their impact across business and academia.

2nd – 30th March | Social Media Campaign: Read. Lead. Inspire. #MECIWD26

Alongside our two flagship events, MEC will run an interactive Instagram campaign throughout International Women’s Month. From 2–30 March, Read. Learn. Inspire. invites students, staff, and alumni to celebrate women in entrepreneurship.

Read: Leaders and academics share their favourite books written by women, with reflections on leadership and entrepreneurship.
Learn: Take a fun quiz to discover the women inventors and entrepreneurs behind products we use every day.
Inspire: Celebrate the vital role of women in the economy, society, and science. Follow @uom_mec, get involved throughout the month, and share the campaign. #MECIWD26

Through polls, book-inspired features, and interactive content, join the conversation, discover new role models, and celebrate bold, women-led ventures. By amplifying these stories, we inspire future founders to step forward and see entrepreneurship as a space where they belong.

About the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre

The Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) at ��Vlog�ٷ�'s, supports students, graduates and researchers to develop entrepreneurial skills, launch ventures and engage with innovation through structured programmes, competitions and ecosystem partnerships.

Through initiatives including Manchester Venture Builder, Venture Further Awards and the Female Founders Network, MEC is committed to fostering inclusive entrepreneurship and ensuring talented individuals have the confidence, capability and networks to transform ambitious ideas into impactful ventures.

If you would like to learn more and get involved with any of the above activities, please contact entrepreneurship@manchester.ac.uk

Talking therapy trial for self-harming young people launches

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:38:00 +0000

A new clinical trial co-led by University of Manchester researchers has launched exploring the potential of a talking therapy known as cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) for young people aged 13–17 who experience difficulties with self-harm. The RELATE-YP trial is funded by the (NIHR), and sponsored by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

Self-harm has become increasingly common among young people in the UK. It can be a significant concern for young people themselves, their families, and the services that support them, and is associated with a range of other psychological difficulties in both the short and long term. This trial follows previous research suggesting that CAT may show promise in helping adults who self-harm.

Dr Peter Taylor, from ��Vlog�ٷ� and co-lead of the trial, said: “We know that difficulties with self-harm often begin during adolescence, and for some people they can have a lifelong impact. Talking therapies can help. We believe CAT has potential here, but further research is needed.”

Professor Stephen Kellett, from Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust and the other co-lead, added:“CAT is different from many therapies currently used for self-harm, as it focuses more on the relationships young people have with others and with themselves, and how these patterns can contribute to self-harm.”

RELATE-YP is a feasibility trial, meaning it is an early step in testing whether CAT is a suitable treatment for young people who self-harm. The study will explore whether young people find CAT helpful and whether a larger trial would be appropriate.

The trial is currently running across three NHS Foundation Trusts:

1. Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

2. Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

3. Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust

The study is recruiting young people through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Cameron Latham, a co-investigator who also has personal experience of self-harm, commented on why this research is needed: “Self-injury affects the lives of so many people and a brief, effective, available therapy for young people would be a valuable addition to treatment. Throughout this trial part of my role is to further ensure the well-being of those who self-injure and through PPI involvement ensure the voices of patient, parents and carers are heard.”

How loud is clean energy? Manchester-led study explores potential impact of underwater noise from tidal energy

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:06:30 +0000

��Vlog�ٷ� will lead a new research project to understand how noise generated by tidal-stream turbines travels through the marine environment and how it may affect marine life, supporting the responsible commercial scaling of tidal energy.

As the UK prepares for a rapid expansion of tidal energy, (not)NOISY (Propagation of NOISe generated by tidal arraYs and its environmental impacts) will develop the first advanced tools capable of predicting the cumulative underwater noise produced by tidal turbine arrays before they are built.

The research will support industry, regulators and policymakers to strengthen the evidence base used in environmental assessments and enable informed, proportionate decision-making as the sector grows.

Tidal energy is emerging as a key part of the UK’s renewable energy mix. Unlike wind and solar power, which depend on weather conditions, tidal power is highly predictable and can deliver a steady, reliable source of energy day in, day out, making it the perfect complement to other renewable energy.

As the sector scales-up and larger turbine arrays, with 10 devices or more, are planned for deployment, understanding their environmental impacts is becoming increasingly important, particularly potential collision risks with marine macro-fauna and underwater noise. Modelling suggests turbine noise could travel up to 8 km through the ocean.

Lead researcher , Research Fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering and Management at ��Vlog�ٷ�, said: “Tidal stream energy has enormous potential to support the UK’s Net Zero ambitions, but its long-term success depends on our ability to accurately assess and manage environmental impacts, hence accelerating project permitting and licensing.

“Noise generation is one of the biggest uncertainties facing tidal projects today but tools to estimate cumulative acoustic outputs with high confidence do not yet exist. With tidal arrays expected to grow in number and size, we need tools that can predict their cumulative acoustic footprint prior to deployment. (not)NOISY will provide exactly that.”

The research team will develop advanced high-fidelity computer models and AI-assisted rapid tools that closely replicate real world tidal stream site conditions, allowing researchers to quantify how noise from tidal turbines travels through real marine environments. The model will be applied in both near- and far-wake regions, across different turbine types (floating and bottom-fixed) and environmental conditions at four major European sites – EMEC and in Scotland, Raz Blanchard between France and the Channel Islands and Morlais in Wales.

The findings will lead to the development of PyTAI (Python Tidal-Array Induced acoustics), an open-source, AI-driven tool that will enable rapid prediction of tidal turbine noise under a wide range of operating conditions. The tool will support future environmental impact assessments and contribute to the development of evidence-based policy and regulatory guidance.

Dr Ouro added: “By improving confidence in marine noise prediction, we hope this project will help accelerate the next generation of tidal-stream developments, supporting clean energy growth while protecting marine ecosystems, in order to foster an industry of national importance.”

(not)NOISY is funded by UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Impact hub and brings together a strong international consortium, including three European turbine manufacturers, UK and French tidal project developers, policymakers and academic partners, ensuring close collaboration between research, industry and regulation.

University of Manchester ranked 83rd in the UK in Best Employers list

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 14:19:18 +0000

��Vlog�ٷ� has been ranked number 83 in a list of the UK’s Best Employers 2026, following a survey carried out by the Financial Times (FT).

The University is also the highest ranked employer in the city of Manchester.

Approximately 20,000 colleagues from 500 organisations were asked to give their opinions on statements about their current employer in areas including working conditions, salary, potential for development and company or organisation image.

The results of the FT survey support ��Vlog�ٷ� as it delivers its Manchester 2035 strategy, recognising that its people are central to success and play a vital role at every stage, from ideation through to delivery.

The second annual UK’s Best Employers ranking, published by the Financial Times and its data provider Statista, recognises 500 organisations across the UK. The list is compiled following an independent survey of approximately 20,000 employees.

To read the full FT article, including methodology, visit:

Read more about the University’s survey and its strategy at:

Radio ear-pieces linked to hearing problems in UK police officers

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:34:10 +0000

The radio ear-pieces worn by police officers may be harmful to their hearing, according to a large online survey by University of Manchester hearing researchers.

Published in , the study was mainly funded by the Medical Research Council. Respondents were members of a long-term project on police health at Imperial College London, which also provided infrastructure support for the survey.

Most UK police officers wear an ear-piece in one ear. The devices are capable of high sound levels so that they can be heard over background noise. Past reports have emphasised that officers must choose low volume-control settings to protect their hearing.

Until now, there has been no research into the volume settings actually used, or their effects on hearing health.

��Vlog�ٷ� researchers asked 4,498 UK police personnel about their volume-control settings, patterns of ear-piece use, immediate after-effects, and long-term hearing symptoms.

Over 45% of ear-piece users reported experiencing signs of temporary hearing loss (muffled hearing or ringing in their ear) immediately after using an ear-piece. These after-effects were more common in police who used higher volume-control settings.

Even more important were links to long-term hearing problems. Ear-piece use accompanied by immediate after-effects more than doubled an officer’s risk of having tinnitus (spontaneously ringing ears, which can indicate permanent hearing damage). It also raised the risk of having diagnosed hearing loss by 93%.

Crucially, symptoms were much more common in the ear with the ear-piece than the opposite ear, increasing the likelihood that hearing problems were directly linked to ear-piece use.

The project’s senior advisor, Professor Chris Plack of ��Vlog�ٷ�, said: “It’s not unusual to experience signs of temporary hearing loss after being in extremely noisy environments, such as nightclubs or concerts. For police to experience these after-effects in the workplace is concerning.”

The lead researcher, of ��Vlog�ٷ�, said: “We were surprised that ear-piece use with after-effects was so strongly linked to long-term hearing symptoms. And the fact that symptoms tended to appear in the exposed ear, rather than the opposite ear, is a particularly telling finding.”

But Dr Guest cautioned: “It’s important not to over-interpret our results, since they are based on survey responses. Going forward, laboratory hearing tests are needed to confirm whether ear-piece users have measurable differences between their ears.

“These should include standard clinical hearing tests, like those used by NHS audiologists, but also tests that are sensitive to the early warning signs of hearing damage.”

Professor Plack said: “We also need to understand why officers choose such high volume-control settings. This knowledge could help us find ways to reduce risks to police hearing, such as improved ear-piece technology, training for officers on safe use, and increased monitoring of hearing health.

“Our data aren’t the final word, but they are a notable discovery that warrants further investigation. They point to the need not only for follow-up laboratory testing but also for practical steps to reduce long-term risk.”

Dr Guest added: “We are pleased that key groups within UK policing - including the Disabled Police Association and the Police Chief Medical Officer - have been open to discussing our findings and are keen to explore measures to protect police hearing.”

The paper, Leveraging monaural exposures to reveal early effects of noise: Evidence from police radio ear-piece use, is published at
Simple visualisations of the key study findings are available for media professionals and the public at

Seasonality likely to affect male fertility, study shows

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 08:39:48 +0000

The quality of sperm is highest in the summer and lowest in the winter according to a new study by scientists at University of Manchester, Queen’s University (Ontario, Canada), and Cryos International (Aarhus, Denmark).

The researchers found the same pattern of seasonal variation in the highest quality sperm in two very different climates— Denmark and Florida— suggesting that seasonality affects male fertility more than temperature alone.

The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal and has practical implications for male fertility care.

Understanding seasonal patterns, for example, could help clinics optimise the timing of treatment and fertility testing to provide better guidance to couples trying to conceive.

Though scientists have long known that many human biological processes change with the seasons, previous studies on the quality of semen at different times of the year have provided conflicting results due to small sample sizes or differences in climate and laboratory methods from study to study.

To address that, this new study analysed semen samples from 15,581 men applying to be sperm donors between 2018 and 2024.

The men were aged 18 to 45 and lived near Cryos International clinics in Denmark and Florida.

All samples were analysed within an hour using the same computer assisted system to ensure consistent measurement.

The team examined sperm concentration, sperm motility (how well sperm can swim and move forward), and ejaculate volume across all months of the year.

They also looked at outdoor temperatures during the month the sperm was collected and two months earlier, when early sperm development begins.

Advanced statistical models were used to identify seasonal trends while accounting for the man’s age, outdoor temperatures, and long-term changes across the study period.

The results revealed strong and consistent seasonal variation in the concentration of progressively motile sperm.

Fast‑moving sperm were most abundant in June and July in both Denmark and Florida.

Levels were lowest in December and January, even though Florida remains warm year round.

The study found no seasonal changes in total sperm concentration or ejaculate volume, suggesting the number of sperm produced does not vary by season, though their ability to move effectively does.

The number of motile sperm per ejaculate also followed a seasonal pattern, even after accounting for temperature, indicating that factors other than heat—such as variation in lifestyle, daylight, or environmental exposures—may influence sperm motility.

Co-author P from ��Vlog�ٷ� said: “We were struck by how similar the seasonal pattern was in two completely different climates.

“Even in Florida, where temperatures stay warm, sperm motility still peaked in summer and dipped in winter, which tells us that ambient temperature alone is unlikely to explain these changes.”

He added: “Our study highlights the importance of considering seasonality when evaluating semen quality. It also shows that seasonal variation in sperm motility occurs even in warm climates. These findings deepen our understanding of male reproductive health and may help improve fertility outcomes.”

Medical director at Cryos international, Anne-Bine Skytte said: “These data suggest that the month of the year when a man first attends a clinic to be evaluated as a sperm donor, will impact on the quality of the sample he produces and therefore may influence the chances of him being accepted as a donor.

“Having an ejaculate that contains a high number of swimming sperm is one of the main characteristics we look for when deciding whether he is suitable or not.

The paper Seasonal trends in sperm quality in Denmark and Florida is available https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-026-01537-w

Practice manager partners could be key to future sustainability of GP practices

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:45:00 +0000

Smaller GP practices that appoint a manager partner are significantly less likely to close or merge, the first of its kind has found.

��Vlog�ٷ� and Calgary researchers publish their study today in the Journal of Health Economics amid a backdrop of dwindling numbers of GPs practice owners-known as partners.

That, say the researchers, puts the managerial and financial burden of operating a practice on increasingly smaller numbers of GPs, with a heightened consequential risk of burnout and stress.

It is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit (PRU) in Health and Social Care Systems and Commissioning.

Practices in the UK are generally owned and operated by one or more self-employed independent contractors referred to as partners.

Under most general practice contracts with the NHS, there must be at least one General Practitioner (GP) partner at a practice; however, not all partners need to be GPs.

One potential way to provide a sustainable alternative structure for general practice they say, could be non-clinical ownership with practice managers as partners.

The managers, responsible for administration, HR, and financial management, typically handle the business and operational aspects of the practice and do not usually have medical training.

By 2022, the number of practices reporting they had a manager partner had grown to 335, from 0 in 2015, serving 7% of patients registered at general practices in England.

Based on analysis of data from England’s 37,660 practice-years from 5,026 general practices between 2015 and 2023, the researchers use a range of sources to investigate the impact of non-clinical ownership stakes on key primary care outcomes.

They found that appointing a manager partner leads to significant increases in full-time equivalent (FTE) direct patient care staff, excluding GPs and nurses, as well as administrative staff numbers and total patient list size.

Practices that appoint a manager partner were found to be more sustainable because they were less likely to subsequently merge or close.

There were no significant impacts on numbers of GP or nurse staff, GP turnover, quality of care, patients’ satisfaction and access. And income from reimbursement for non-core services, such as local or direct enhanced service, quality outcome framework payments, and medication administration payments, were higher following appointment of a practice manager as a partner.

Co -author from ��Vlog�ٷ� said: “Our study shows shared GP and manager partnership has the potential to reduce risk of closure of practices while easing GP partners financial and administrative burden.”

“This ownership model is feasible within many other healthcare systems, where physicians may seek to share with non-clinical colleagues the financial and administrative burden associated with operating practices.”

Co-author Dr Sean Urwin from ��Vlog�ٷ�, said: “As the number of GP partners continues to decrease, the managerial and financial burden of operating a practice is placed upon an increasingly smaller number of GPs.

“While not a like-for-like substitute for GPs, we argue that non-GP partners can alleviate some partnership burdens and offer additional managerial skills.

“Our analysis also indicates that manager partners offer a potential route for smaller practices to retain their independence rather than being integrated into larger organizations.”

Co-author Dr Ben walker from the University of Calgary, Canada, said: “The appointment as of practice managers as partners may offer a number of benefits.

“The increase in direct patient care staff in practices that appoint manager partners could be indicative of the manager’s efforts to improve the organisational efficiency and performance of the practice.

“With expertise in business planning, they may be better placed and more incentivised to maximise income, leaving more time for GPs to concentrate ion patient care and even potentially slowing the decline in GP partner retention.

“But also, manager partners’ skills in HR and financial planning may improve staff organisation and recruitment.”

The paper Shared Stakes in English General Practice: The Impact of Practice Managers as Partners on Outcomes is available

Why community voices could make or break world’s forest restoration plans

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:19:54 +0000

A new study has revealed a critical gap between global promises to restore forests and what is happening on the ground for the communities who depend on, manage and care for them.

The research, led by researchers from ��Vlog�ٷ� and published in the journal , is based on a detailed assessment of national policies in Mexico. It found that while governments are increasingly committed to restoring ecosystems and tackling climate change, indigenous peoples and local communities are recognised in policy but rarely given any meaningful decision-making power in restoration projects.

Forest Landscape Restoration is seen as a key solution to biodiversity loss, climate change and environmental degradation worldwide. Yet the study shows that even when policies acknowledge the importance of community participation and rights, they often lack the institutional mechanisms needed to translate these commitments into real authority on the ground.

The researchers reviewed 24 government policies created between 1988 and 2024 to see how well they support forest restoration and whether local communities are truly involved in decisions. They found that while many policies talk about protecting nature and improving people’s lives, far fewer actually give communities a real say in what happens. Only a small number - less than 30% - treat them as equal partners, and just one gives them full control over restoration decisions.

This gap matters because communities already manage large areas of forest globally. In Mexico alone, around 60% of forests operate under community-based land tenure, but relatively fewer than 6% of documented restoration projects report meaningful participation beyond consultation. Without community leadership, restoration efforts risk being less equitable and less effective.

The study also identified structural barriers that limit progress, including fragmented coordination between government agencies, limited institutional capacity, short-term funding cycles, and insufficient guidance for implementation at local level. These factors make it difficult to turn ambitious national commitments into practical action within communities and landscapes.

At the same time, the research highlights opportunities. Many policies increasingly recognise Indigenous rights, traditional ecological knowledge and the potential for restoration to support livelihoods and climate resilience. Strengthening cross-sector collaboration, funding and governance could help bridge the gap between policy ambition and real-world outcomes.

“You can recognise indigenous rights in policy, mandate consultation, and still never transfer decision-making power to the people who manage these forests,” said lead researcher Mariana Hernandez-Montilla. “Our research shows this is exactly what's happening - consultation is treated as participation, but it's not the same as authority.”

Although focused on Mexico, the findings have global relevance as countries accelerate restoration pledges and international initiatives led by organisations such as the United Nations. The researchers hope their work will help policymakers to design fairer, more effective restoration strategies, ensuring that efforts to restore nature also strengthen communities and deliver lasting benefits for people and the planet.

DOI:

Open Research Digest, February 2026

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 09:34:40 +0000

In this month’s issue, Scott Taylor, Associate Director for the Office for Open Research, reflects on four years since the launch of the Office, and shares where we’re heading for the next phase of our .

In addition to the latest Open Research news, events and resources from Manchester and beyond, we share an update on , advice on , and highlight training available on and .

We also launch a brand new My Research Essentials workshop offering an , and online resource designed to help you .

Finally,

Check out the .
If you’re not already signed up, you can .
If you’d like to contribute a thought piece, share some Open Research news, or invite participation in an Open Research event or initiative, please .

University of Manchester to lead accelerated research project tackling violence against women and girls

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:18:01 +0000

Content warning: References to sexual violence, domestic abuse, sexual harassment and homicide.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains a widespread and underreported issue across the UK. According to official statistics, more than 200,000 sexual offences were recorded by UK police in England and Wales in 2024/25, and 2.2 million women aged 16+ experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2025.

In response to this crisis, – a new project hosted by , and – has been awarded £625,000 from to accelerate national efforts to prevent and respond to VAWG. Bringing together leading researchers, practitioners and policymakers, RISE will feed in to the delivery of the and recent which aim to halve VAWG within a decade.

The project will consist of four team‑led research projects covering primary prevention (working with men and boys), women’s safety in public spaces, management of domestic abuse perpetrators and child-parent homicides. RISE will also provide to enable researchers and practitioners across policing, third sector and policymaking to collaborate and pilot new approaches.

RISE draws on the expertise of and , whose influential research on abuse of women runners was recently cited in Parliament, , a leading authority on domestic abuse and masculinities, and , co‑director of and specialist in crime data analysis.

The project is further strengthened by NSEC and SALIENT Principal Investigator , who will support the team in securing complex multi‑agency research data, and privacy expert and SPRITE+ director, who will lead stakeholder engagement and lead an in-depth evidence review of primary prevention strategies.

More information on RISE

Website:
Email: spriteplus@manchester.ac.uk

Advice and support

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In an emergency call 999. If it’s unsafe to speak and you call from a mobile, press 55 and you will be transferred to a police call handler trained to deal with ‘silent calls’.

Manchester researchers challenge misleading language around plastic waste solutions

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:26:22 +0000

Solutions to the plastic waste crisis are often pitched using words that can skew value judgements, new research argues.

The , authored by the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub at ��Vlog�ٷ�, explores the consequences of terminology choices on end-of-life solutions for plastic waste. While recycling has long been touted as a solution for plastic sustainability - it comes in many forms, and can sometimes serve as a smokescreen for genuine discussions around sustainability.

The researchers, Seiztinger, Lahive, and Shaver, find directional terms - such as ‘upcycling’ and ‘downcycling’ - to be poorly defined as value propositions, and that their use can skew perceptions of the benefits, potentially posing barrier to circularity.

‘Downcycling’, for instance, implies the production of a less favourable or ‘less good’ material as the end product of the recycling process, while ‘upcycling’ has positive connotations. However, despite what these terms suggest, a ‘downcycled’ stream may produce a high value product, while an ‘upcycled’ path may have a greater negative environmental impact than alternative routes.

Using these terms assigns disproportionate value to certain end-of-life plastic solution strategies, and can be used by supporters or detractors of different recycling technologies to obscure genuine evaluation of their environmental impact.

The study, published in the journal , suggests that plastic waste solutions consistently fail to live up to their marketed messaging, and that clearer communication of the true value of the product from a recycling process is essential to drive investment in proper plastic waste management. Corresponding author, Professor of Polymer Science at ��Vlog�ٷ�, said: “The confused terminology surrounding the fate of waste plastic often lacks a consideration of value and unintended consequences. As these terms are now being used to promote technologies outside of a sustainable system, we felt it important to argue for clarity and caution when presuming quality from this directional terminology.”

The researchers argue that no single solution offers a quick fix, and that it is wrong for the terminology to suggest otherwise. They call for greater clarity over how we value end-products. They suggest a ‘spiral system’ of reuse, in which plastic materials are treated as complex mixtures that, like crude oil, can be chemically deconstructed at the end of their life and transformed to become a huge range of longer-lasting products over their lifetime.

For example, a yoghurt pot could be reconstituted into car parts, and then after that into a park bench. Ultimately, after many years of service, it could be chemically deconstructed, and turned back into a yoghurt pot. As the polypropylene in such simple packaging is already used in cars, hard shell suitcases, garden furniture, appliances, and plumbing, a cross-sector approach to reuse of plastic waste could generate more value than an approach focused solely on single-use packaging.

By moving away from direction-loaded terminology, researchers suggest that plastic waste solutions can be judged on the measurable environmental and economic value of the end-products, rather than an assumed or subjective value based on language, that is not always supported by full life-cycle assessment or economic analysis.

Dr Claire Seitzinger added: “Building a circular plastics economy means looking at the whole system, not isolated solutions pitched against each other. Policy, industry, innovation and collaboration across sectors are essential for a sustainable future. The next time you eat a yoghurt, where do you want the pot to end up? Should it become another yoghurt pot? A park bench? A car? What is best? And what should you, the packaging producer, or the government do to make that to happen?”

Paper details:

Journal: Cambridge Prisms: Plastics

Full title: Up, down and back again: Value judgements in polymer recycling

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/plc.2026.10041.pr1

‘The Plastic Divide’ - how carrier bag bans impact the poorest communities

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:11:00 +0000

A new study from ��Vlog�ٷ� has shed light on an unexpected consequence of plastic bag bans in East Africa, and why well-intentioned environmental laws may actually be making life harder for the people they aim to protect.

Anthropologist Dr Declan Murray spent nine months in Tanzania’s capital city Dar es Salaam, following the everyday journeys of plastic bags from small shops and street food stalls to people’s homes and workplaces. Tanzania banned plastic carrier bags in 2019, joining more than 120 countries around the world attempting to tackle plastic waste – but six years later, the ban has produced surprising results.

Despite the law, small thin plastic pouches - used to package everyday essentials like flour, oil and cooked snacks - remain a lifeline for millions of residents. For many families who live day-to-day, buying small amounts of food is the only affordable option. Without these cheap pouches, there is no practical way for shopkeepers to portion out food.

The research - which has been published in the - shows that the ban has removed large plastic bags from supermarkets and wealthier neighbourhoods, but the poorest communities have been left with few real alternatives. Paper, cloth and woven bags are too expensive, too big, or not suited to carrying wet or hot foods. As a result, small plastic pouches continue to circulate quietly, helping people to manage the daily “search for life” - a Swahili phrase many Dar es Salaam residents use to describe the struggle to earn enough money each day.

The study introduces the idea of “The Plastic Divide” - the gap between those who can easily switch away from plastics, and those whose livelihoods depend on them. Well-off residents can afford reusable bags and buy pre-packaged goods from supermarkets, but low-income families rely heavily on small shops, street food vendors and local markets - all of which depend on these plastic pouches to function.

It also highlights how many people make a living from plastics. Small-scale manufacturers, market sellers and bicycle-riding wholesalers all depend on selling the pouches. Others reuse plastic creatively - as fuel for cooking fires, rain protection, or even as a way to keep insects away from food. For these groups, plastics are not simply waste - they are tools for survival.

“Plastic pollution is a real problem, but these findings show that bans which don’t consider everyday life can hit the poorest communities hardest,” said Dr Murray. “People aren’t using plastic because they want to harm the environment - they’re using it because it’s the only option that works for them.”

The study raises important questions for governments, charities and environmental groups worldwide. It suggests that reducing plastic waste must go hand-in-hand with supporting people’s daily needs - whether through affordable alternatives, changes to food supply systems or involving low-income communities in designing solutions.

DOI:

Northern researchers and Whitehall unite to tackle the SEND crisis through connected data

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:22:39 +0000

On the day the government published its Every child achieving and thriving white paper on reforms to the schools and SEND systems in England, policymakers, researchers, clinicians and frontline practitioners gathered in Manchester to demonstrate how connected data can turn that ambition into reality.

The Child of the North Data Showcase, held at the Whitworth Art Gallery at ��Vlog�ٷ�, brought together nearly 100 delegates from NHS trusts, local authorities, universities, and the voluntary sector to examine how linking data across education, health, and social care can get children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities the support they need earlier, and more effectively.

The event was convened by Child of the North, the N8 Centre of Excellence for Computationally Intensive Research, and the Northern Health Science Alliance, in partnership with the Centre for Young Lives and in collaboration with the Department for Education, the Department for Health and Social Care, and the Ministry of Justice.

Child of the North has spent several years convening researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to analyse the evidence on children’s outcomes across the North of England. That evidence has played a significant role in shaping national SEND reform. The Independent Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group (NDTFG) report published alongside the white paper draws heavily on Child of the North analyses, and informs both the Schools white paper and the government’s SEND reform consultation, Putting Children and Young People First. The Child of the North Data Showcase builds on this momentum by demonstrating how connected data can now deliver the practical change the system needs.

Professor Mark Mon-Williams of the Child of the North Leadership Group said: “The Schools White Paper has set a bold ambition as we seek to build a country that works for all children and young people. Today's event brought together a coalition of academics, clinicians and policymakers to explore how we can support these ambitions through effective use of connected administrative data. The day was truly inspirational and will ensure that government can rely on the best possible evidence as it addresses the SEND crisis.”

Presentations came from major northern data programmes including Born in Bradford, ��Vlog�ٷ�ed Bradford, #BeeWell, and the Children Growing Up in Liverpool cohort, alongside research collaborations funded by NIHR and the ESRC, including the Health Determinants Research Collaborations, and the ESRC Vulnerabilities and Policing Futures Research Centre, whose involvement underlines that unmet SEND need has consequences reaching well beyond education into the criminal justice system. Clinical perspectives came from NHS trusts including Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

For too many children with SEND, needs go unidentified until crisis point. Families describe battling complex, fragmented systems. Support arrives too late. The evidence-backed argument made today is that when services can see a fuller picture of a child's life, they can intervene earlier, reduce crisis responses, and improve outcomes that last a lifetime.

Haroon Chowdry, Chief Executive of the Centre for Young Lives, who chaired the event, said: “We were delighted to support this data showcase. It pulled together a vast array of ground-breaking initiatives to show that data linkage and connected public services are increasingly prevalent, and are already generating rich insights to inform SEND and other policies."

A short report for national government will be produced following the event, drawing on the insights of all participants. It will set out what linked administrative data can achieve, what infrastructure already exists across the North to support it, and what policy action is needed to scale it nationally.

New! Widening the Range of our Digital Resources: Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland archive

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000

We are pleased to announce the recent addition of to our digital collections.

This new digital collection compiled from the institute’s comprehensive archives provides access to more than 150 years of materials from the world’s longest-established anthropological association. It contains nearly one million unique items, including research data, scholarly papers, field notes, drawings, photographs, and a substantial body of previously uncatalogued material. A major highlight is its library of approximately 150,000 ethnographic images dating back to the 1860s, created by anthropologists, ethnologists, and early ethnographic photographers.

The archive constitutes a major resource for scholars working across anthropology, history, colonial and postcolonial studies, visual studies, and related fields. The diversity of regions, topics, and disciplinary approaches represented in the archive also supports comparative learning and encourage critical reflection on the discipline’s entanglements with empire, representation, and cross-cultural interpretation. Access via or our .

Degrees of change: the fight for women’s education at ��Vlog�ٷ�

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Bringing together items from our University Heritage Collections and donated archives, such as the Owens College constitution; Robert Dukinfield Darbishire portrait; Iris magazine for women students; and printed notices from the Women’s (student) Union; the display will create a broadly chronological narrative relating to the long struggle for women’s education at (and equal participation in) ��Vlog�ٷ�.

Reflecting the social, economic and political pressures of the time, our show cases will highlight the origins of ��Vlog�ٷ� itself, including the restrictions preventing women from accessing higher education at Owens College. Once women were admitted for education, these pioneers nevertheless remained in separate spheres, even taking classes on different premises. The breaking down of remaining gender barriers, the rise of feminist activism, and of representation for women of colour, will be highlighted in our final show case, regarding the fight for equality in the 20^th century.

There will be two women’s education history tours, taking place at 12pm on Monday, 9 March and 1pm on Tuesday, 10 March. The tours last one hour tour and attendees should meet at the Main Library Reception desk.

The showcase runs from February – July 2026, at Blue Ground in Main Library. Entry is free.

Upcoming Temporary System Downtime — Remember Your Student Card or Library ID card

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Upcoming Temporary System Downtime — Remember Your Student Card or Library ID card

A key University system that staff use behind the scenes to support student services will be temporarily offline from 10am, Thursday, 26 February until 10am, Tuesday, 3 March. This outage is for an essential upgrade that keeps University systems secure and running smoothly.

What this means for you

While the upgrade is happening, staff won’t be able to look up student ID or community membership details to print any ID cards. This includes:

Student ID cards
Library ID cards

Because of this, the Library and Student Hubs will not be able to print new, reprint or replace student ID cards during this period.

What you should do

Bring your student or Library ID card with you if you're coming onto campus between 26 February and 3 March — you will not be able to get a replacement on these dates.

Why this is happening

The University is carrying out an important upgrade to keep its systems secure and ensure they continue to run properly. While this is happening, staff won’t be able to access or update student information. Normal service will resume once the upgrade is complete.

The Business Case for Nature: Confronting Biodiversity Risk

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:05:15 +0000

Magnitude of challenge

Professor Nalin Thakkar opened the event, introducing keynote speakers Andrea Ledward CBE, Director of International Biodiversity and Climate at DEFRA, and Dr Katie Leach, Biodiversity Specialist at IPBES. Both speakers emphasised that biodiversity loss is accelerating and requires a collective response. Ledward highlighted the magnitude of the challenge, while Leach questioned how we can collaborate effectively to create real change. Their insights underscored the need for alignment among scientific evidence, policy goals, and business efforts to accelerate nature recovery.

Panel insights

An expert panel session led by KatieJo Luxton, Director of Global Conservation at the RSPB, brought together a range of perspectives from across sectors. Panellists included Dr Tom Burditt, Chief Executive of the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside; Javed Siddiqi, Senior Lecturer at Alliance Manchester Business School; Anna Gilchrist, Lecturer in Ecology at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences; Jo Harrison, Director of Environment, Planning and Innovation at United Utilities; and Ed Pollard, UK Business & Biodiversity Forum CIC.

Nature connectedness

The panel focused on the realities of landscape restoration, emphasising its incremental, place-based nature whilst balancing with the role of technology and data, while highlighting the importance of understanding ecological systems rather than relying on simplistic solutions. Gilchrist also reflected on the human dimension of biodiversity recovery, noting that “we need to invest deeply in nature connectedness”, encouraging people’s love of nature to cross boundaries and extend into the workplace.

Humanities interpretation

A recurring theme across these contributions was the importance of communication. Not just more communication, but clearer, accessible messaging that bridges disciplines and facilitates a shared language among organisations.

As the event was concluded by Fiona Divine, discussions explored the role of the humanities in this effort. While science provides the evidence, the humanities help interpret and turn it into action. This interdisciplinary view emphasised that biodiversity recovery is not solely a scientific or technical challenge but fundamentally a human one.

Research identifies a distinct immune signature in treatment-resistant Myasthenia Gravis

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 09:54:06 +0000

Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the connection between nerves and muscles. This attack causes muscle weakness that can affect vision, movement, speech, swallowing, and breathing. While many patients respond to treatment, others develop a severe, treatment-resistant form of the condition known as refractory MG. Currently, there are no reliable biomarkers to help doctors predict which patients will respond to therapy and which will not.

In a new study by University of Manchester scientists published in , researchers aimed to uncover why these treatments fail for some individuals. To do this, the team analysed blood samples from people living with MG and compared them to those of healthy volunteers to understand the underlying cellular differences that drive standard therapy resistance.

A Pattern of Immune Imbalance
The study revealed distinct immune system abnormalities in patients with refractory MG. These patients showed an overactive adaptive immune response, specifically involving increased numbers of memory B cells.

At the same time, the researchers found that regulatory T cells—which normally act as a ‘braking system’ to suppress excessive inflammation—were markedly reduced. This combination of an overactive attack and a weakened braking system contributes to significant immune dysregulation.

The research also identified changes in the innate immune system, including reduced dendritic cells and increased monocytes, along with heightened activity of the complement system, all pointing to ongoing immune-mediated damage at the neuromuscular junction.

Predicting Treatment Response
The team also examined a small group of refractory patients treated with rituximab, a drug designed to remove B cells. Although B cells were successfully reduced in all patients, only some showed meaningful clinical improvement.

The study found that those who did not respond appeared to have a version of the disease driven by long-lived plasma cells and particularly high complement activity. This discovery suggests that these specific patients may benefit more from therapies that target the complement pathway rather than just B cells.

“For patients whose symptoms do not improve with existing treatments, the lack of clear answers can be incredibly frustrating,” said , Neurology Consultant at Manchester Centre for Clinical Neuroscience. “Our findings help explain why some therapies work for certain patients but not others, and point toward more personalised approaches that could improve outcomes in the future.”

“Our study identifies a distinct immune signature associated with treatment-resistant myasthenia gravis,” said , UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the and lead author of the paper. “Understanding these immune differences brings us closer to predicting how patients will respond to therapy and to developing more targeted, personalised treatment approaches.”

Lymphocyte alterations and elevated complement signaling are key features of refractory myasthenia gravis published in . DOI:

The second half goes here

Study reveals inequalities in men with learning disabilities and prostate cancer

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:21:00 +0000

Shocking inequalities experienced by men with learning disabilities when diagnosed with prostate cancer have been highlighted in a by University of Manchester and Christie NHS Foundation Trust researchers.

Published in the journal European Urology Oncology today (20/02/26), the researchers show men with learning disabilities are 35% more likely than similar aged men without learning disabilities to have prostate cancer symptoms but 34% less likely to have a diagnostic PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test.

The study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC). The research team is supported by both the NIHR GM PSRC and the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

Following an elevated PSA, referrals are 17% less likely, biopsies 46% less likely and prostate cancer diagnoses 49% less likely.

They were almost six times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer on the date of death, 79% more likely to present with metastatic disease at an advanced stage and had a two-fold increased risk of death following diagnosis.

And they were also 61% more likely to have missing Gleason scores, the grading system used to evaluate prostate cancer based on how cancer cells look under a microscope.

However, when prostate cancer was diagnosed at a localised stage and deemed to require treatment, men with learning disabilities received curative therapies at similar rates to those without. This suggests that the benefits of early diagnosis apply equally to this group.

The study population comprised 29,554 men with a learning disability compared to 518,739 men with no recorded diagnosis of a learning disability, linked to hospital, mortality, and cancer registry data.

Lead author Dr Oliver Kennedy a clinical lecturer from ��Vlog�ٷ� and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust said: “Learning disabilities are increasingly recognised as a hidden driver of cancer mortality. However, evidence on prostate cancer care in this population is limited.

“This study is the first to identify specific points along the prostate cancer diagnostic and treatment pathway that may contribute to poorer outcomes for patients with a learning disability.”

And co-author , director of the NIHR Greater Manchester PSRC and professor at ��Vlog�ٷ�, said: “Learning – or intellectual - disability is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition characterised by significant impairments in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour, with onset in childhood.

“In the UK, 1.5 million people have a learning disability. This group frequently encounters barriers within healthcare services, including communication difficulties, not doing enough to remove barriers, and the overshadowing of new symptoms on existing health conditions.

“Men with a learning disability face disparities across the prostate cancer care pathway, from investigation of relevant symptoms to survival after diagnosis. Targeted interventions are needed to address these inequities.”

Dr Kennedy added: “Addressing these health disparities has been recognised as a priority by the NHS Long Term Plan, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, and the Learning from Lives and Deaths programme in England.

“We hope our study provides strong evidence that prostate cancer should be part of that conversation

Jon Sparkes OBE, Chief Executive of learning disability charity Mencap, said: “Too many men with a learning disability are being let down by a health system that doesn’t spot their cancers early enough or support them to navigate complex treatments.

“This important research into what is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK should be a wake-up call: with the right reasonable adjustments, accessible information and specialist support, these inequalities are not inevitable.

“T��ǳܲ�� we’re working with health partners across the UK to get more people on the Learning Disability Register. Being on the register means they’ll receive free annual health checks and support in the way they need it, so health problems can be spotted and treated earlier.

“But we can’t do this alone. We need the NHS, government and cancer services to join us in making inclusive health a priority – acting on this evidence and putting the right support in place at every stage of the cancer pathway.”

Natalia Norori, Head of Data & Evidence at Prostate Cancer UK, said: "The results of this paper are deeply concerning. It sheds light on the stark inequalities men with learning disabilities face at every stage of the pathway - from diagnosis, to treatment and even death.

"This issue goes beyond prostate cancer, but by understanding the impact of these inequalities in the most common cancer in the UK, we can begin to tackle it.

"More work now needs to be done to understand more about why these men are facing so many obstacles to accessing care and how to prevent them. That's why Prostate Cancer UK's TRANSFORM screening trial has been specifically designed to evaluate the impact of screening in all men, including those with learning disabilities, to ensure no man is left behind."

The paper Prostate Cancer Care in Men with an Intellectual Disability: A Population-Based Cohort Study of Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Survival is available DOI : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euo.2026.01.004

Law Professor invited to the United Nations UNCITRAL Colloquium harmonizing law in the age of digital trade and finance in New York

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:29:02 +0000

, Professor of Commercial and a former Fulbright Scholar in the United States of America, recently spoke at the United Nations Colloquium in New York, on the possible updates to the rules of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Secured Transactions.

His talk to the concentrated on making a security interest effective against third parties (perfection) and priority by registration or a less transparent method of control in relation to new emerging types of assets and their impact in the case of the grantor’s insolvency. These new asset types include data and digital assets.

The talk suggested, in the light of emerging new asset classes, revisions to the Model Law in perfecting security interests over digital and other types of emerging assets and how priority may be established between creditors.

The Model Law is used as a template for law reform of secured transactions around world. It is a modern law, but not contemporary, and needs revisions in the light of developments in law and finance. If the revisions are agreed by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, Professor Akseli’s recommendations on revising the rules on perfection and priority, and the effect on grantor’s insolvency in relation to new asset types will contribute to the debate by influencing and shaping the reform and the Model Law on Secured Transactions.

Exhibition to showcase Digital Futures' research themes

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 11:40:00 +0000

From the 23rd to the 27th February 2026, a new exhibition will showcase the exciting work of ' and its' digital research activity.

Focusing on its five research themes - Digital Cultures, Digital Economy, Digital Health, Digital Society and Digital Worlds, and two capability themes - Digital Skills and AI@Manchester, the exhibition will present a series of posters and the existing multidisciplinary strengths at ��Vlog�ٷ�.

The exhibition will be at based in space B2 on the Ground Floor of The Nancy Rothwell Building all week. Visit us to learn more and explore new ways to shape our digital future!

MA Visual Anthropology graduate film showcased in Second World War museum

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 11:24:22 +0000

Marianna Łoboda, 2025 MA Visual Anthropology graduate, was invited to showcase her graduation film, (Dis)connnection, earlier this year at the Second World War museum in Gdańsk.

Based on her final MA project, (Dis)connnection highlighted the issue of unpaid labour at a Polish petrochemical investment project. Following the screening, the film was discussed by a national labour inspector, and a representative from the Polish Migration Forum.

Marianna was also invited to screen her film in other major cities across Poland, including Warsaw, Wrocław, Kraków.

To address the cases of unpaid labour during her fieldwork, Marianna approached journalists for news coverage, filed official complaints with the National Labour Inspectorate and the Polish Ombudsman and contacted the Ministry of State Assets.

She also approached politicians and distributed brochures to raise awareness about the rights of migrant workers in Poland.

Since the film’s release, the company administering the project changed its subcontractor agreement practices to address the issues highlighted in the film, and the national labour inspector has imposed financial penalties on companies that withhold salaries from migrants. Marianna also learned that the affected workers received their outstanding salaries.

Visit the to read more about the Marianna’s graduation film and its impact.

Manchester to license medical teaching programme to Frederick University in Cyprus

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:54:18 +0000

Medical students at Frederick University in Cyprus are to develop their knowledge and expertise to become medical practitioners using the world renowned undergraduate medical degree programme at ��Vlog�ٷ�.

The landmark licensing agreement was announced at a celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Cypriot university this week (18 Feb) in Limassol.

��Vlog�ٷ�’s School of Medical Sciences programme will be used as a model to develop a new offering to teach undergraduate medical students at a new medical school in 2028, with a new building planned at the Limassol campus.

The agreement is testament to the quality of medical education at Manchester which can trace its roots way back over 250 years.

It is also reflects the university’s commitment to social responsibility by helping to reduce the global deficit of health professionals.

��Vlog�ٷ� will provide training to support staff at Frederick University working with two private hospitals in Limassol: Ygia hospital and the Mediterranean Hospital of Cyprus to deliver clinical placements for the Frederick University medical students.

The programme is being thoughtfully adapted to reflect the healthcare priorities, regulatory framework, and cultural context of Cyprus, ensuring that graduates are prepared to meet local and regional medical needs while benefiting from an internationally respected academic framework.

The programme, which is still being finalised, will be submitted to the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education.

Manchester, one of the UK’s leading centres for medical education, research, and clinical excellence, will provide ongoing support and training for each academic year.

Deputy Dean and Deputy Vice President of the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at ��Vlog�ٷ�, Professor Allan Pacey and Professor Margaret Kingston, Director of Undergraduate Medical and Dental Studies, were at the celebration.

Professor Pacey said: “As one of the United Kingdom’s largest and most innovative medical schools, we are delighted to announce this partnership.

“Based in one of Europe’s largest healthcare hubs in Manchester, our medical students benefit from early patient contact, world-class teaching hospitals, and a curriculum grounded in innovation, compassion, and evidence-based practice.

“Graduates leave not only as highly skilled clinicians, but as leaders ready to shape the future of global healthcare.

“We are delighted to be able to share our experience with Frederick University so they will be able to nurture their own world class medics in Cyprus.”

Professor Tony Heagerty, Head of the School of Medical Sciences said: “��Vlog�ٷ�, founded as a civic university, has had a historic focus on social responsibility and this partnership has been built on a foundation of those shared values.

“Our agreement between School of Medical Sciences and Frederick University reflects our part in helping to reduce the global deficit of health professionals.

“And It aligns with the university's commitment to ensuring teaching can make a positive, ethical, and lasting impact on society.

“In Frederick, we recognise a partner which is also focused on making a difference in Cyprus and the rest of the world.”

President of the Council of Frederick University, Natassa Frederickou said: “We are honoured to partner with ��Vlog�ٷ� in this landmark collaboration, which marks an important milestone for Frederick University and for the development of medical education in Cyprus.

“The establishment of the first Medical School in Limassol reflects the shared long-term vision of Frederick University and ��Vlog�ٷ� to advance medical education and research in the region. This partnership is grounded in a common commitment to academic excellence, social responsibility, and global impact.

“By sharing the curriculum approach, academic philosophy, and rigorous standards associated with one of the world’s leading medical schools, we will offer education of international calibre. Together, we aim to educate future doctors who combine scientific expertise with compassion, while strengthening healthcare systems and advancing medical research for the benefit of society. This partnership is built on shared values, and we are proud to take this significant step forward together.”

Disjointed prison health system worsens reoffending rates, think tank finds

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 09:30:00 +0000

In a report based on University of Manchester research out today, the Social Market Foundation warns that failures in prison healthcare are undermining efforts to reduce reoffending and improve public health, costing society far more in the long run.

The briefing – drawing on research and insights from academics at ��Vlog�ٷ�– finds that healthcare in prisons is fragmented across the health and justice departments, with responsibility split between multiple agencies and service providers and no single body in charge. Poor coordination between the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Justice and healthcare providers continues to undermine the quality and continuity of care available to prisoners.

This lack of joined-up working is compounded by severe pressures in the prison system itself. Overcrowding, staff shortages and an ageing, crumbling prison estate are making it harder to deliver basic healthcare and are contributing to poor health outcomes among prisoners. On average, people in prison have a life expectancy more than 20 years lower than the general population. While around 70% of prisoners are estimated to need mental health support, only around 10% are recorded as receiving treatment.[1]

Supporting people’s underlying health needs has been identified as a critical component of reducing reoffending. Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, highlighted offending and reoffending are strongly linked to health, with the greatest risks occur at moments of transition: entry into prison, transfers between facilities, and after release.[2]

The pressures within the system are only set to get worse, due to an ageing prison population. Nearly 1 in 4 prisoners is now aged 50 or over, a group with complex and chronic health needs that prisons were never designed to meet.[3] Deaths from natural causes among older prisoners have increased over the past decades, yet access to appropriate care, including palliative and end-of-life support, remains inconsistent.

The SMF warns that without reform, the prison health system will continue to miss the chance to break cycles of ill health, disadvantage and crime.

To address these challenges, the Social Market Foundation sets out four key priorities for government, including:

establishing a sustainable, long-term funding settlement for prison healthcare;
improving coordination and integration between health services, justice agencies and service providers;
prioritising prevention and early intervention; and
strengthening cross-government oversight of prisoner health.

Jake Shepherd, Senior Researcher at the Social Market Foundation, said: "Healthcare is a human right – that includes people in prison. Many prisoners enter custody in poor health, and weaknesses in the system mean health outcomes in prison are consistently worse than in the wider population. While investing in prison health may not be politically popular, it brings wider public health benefits and can help reduce reoffending, leading to long-term savings. Prison health is therefore not just a moral issue, but a practical one”.

“The Government should start by investing more, focusing on prevention, and improving how organisations work together on prisoner healthcare, to make prisons safer places that support healthy lives and rehabilitation.”

, Senior Research Fellow in Social Care and Society at ��Vlog�ٷ� said: “This report from Policy@Manchester and the Social Market Foundation identifies the systemic barriers that prevent people living in prison from accessing the health and social care they need. Health and social care in prisons should be on an equivalent footing to services provided in the community, but research at ��Vlog�ٷ� shows this is consistently not the case.

“Poor health amongst people living in prison is the product of overstretched systems, deteriorating environments, and long‑standing inequalities that follow people into prison. Crucially, this work highlights the growing health needs of older people and women of all ages living in prison. Addressing these issues will deliver benefits far beyond the prison walls, and policymakers should act on the evidence-led recommendations this report provides.”

The SMF report will be published at

[1] Mental Health in Prison.

[2] The Health of People in Prison, on Probation, and in the Secure NHS Estate in England (Department of Health and Social Care and Ministry of Justice, 2025).

[3] ^cx The Health of People in Prison, on Probation, and in the Secure NHS Estate in England.

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