Latest news
How to involve patients in health research?
Patients are the end users of health research; however, they are still rarely implicated in health research. In the 80’s HIV patients have revolted against this position and have invited themselves to scientific conferences and they have contributed to a major change in patient involvement in HIV -research. How have other fields of biomedical research, like rare disease research or cancer research, been inspired by this unique experience? Read more [...]
First impressions of Horizon Europe
Yesterday evening I asked my sixteen year old daughter where she would look to learn about innovation in the world. „Stupid question: it’s America, dad. That’s where the best universities are, Harvard and MIT, you know; that’s where the best Read more [...]
Increasing awareness of researcher mental health
Recently, there has been an increasing amount of attention paid to the mental health of researchers. Research is an activity that aims to confront the boundaries of human knowledge: it demands excellence from all researchers, who aim to publish in peer-reviewed publications, submit grant applications, achieve tenure or defend a PhD thesis. Researchers identify with and are dedicated to their work to a very great extent. A recent report noted that researchers simultaneously demonstrate high levels of job satisfaction and high levels of stress and depression. Nevertheless, hard work does not have to lead to suffering. Read more [...]
For centuries is plagiarism our companion
Man - homo sapiens - is an inventive being solving many problems by "creativity" that is not in accordance with integrity, ethics and morality. Plagiarism is one example of such “creativity”. Higher education sector is active in plagiarism prevention and plagiarism fight. Software helps the teachers at the decision making in the plagiarism matters.
Different countries have different policies regarding plagiarism. On the EU level there are the anti-plagiarism policies not defined in the higher education sector, although projects aimed at plagiarism fight and raising plagiarism awareness are being supported. Read more [...]
Engineers developed a swimming fish robot to observe marine life
It can be fun to swim with dolphins or explore the reefs to watch the fish, but when it comes down to it, more than 95 percent of the ocean is still unexplored. Much of this is because human beings can't survive the deep depths of the ocean, so our exploration Read more [...]
Conflicting values of biomedical innovation?
The term ‘value’ is at the centre of an increasingly explicit debate in the fields of health and healthcare policy. ‘Value’ is understood in many different ways and diverging interests are being mobilised. How are values in biomedical innovation being expressed, represented, materialised and aligned or contested in different areas of biomedicine? How do values embedded in regulation, public health, economic policies, healthcare provision, technology assessment, producers' strategies, and patient organisation movements shape biomedical innovations? At an ESOF discussion in Toulouse multidisciplinary perspectives on value between panel members and public participants will be explored and possible pathways to common solutions identified that promote socially acceptable biomedical innovation in the European context. Read more [...]
Family Friendly Research to boost Science Careers of Women
The balance between professional and personal life plays a key role for successful careers of European researchers, especially for women scientists. As far as employment and reconciliation of work and life are concerned, female employment rates remain low especially in Southern Europe and East Europe and in general even more for women with low education. Antidiscrimination laws have been adopted, but gender gaps are still large. Lack of child care services and care facilities for the elderly combined with rigid work arrangements make it hard to reconcile work and family life. Read more [...]
Scientists design new solar cells to capture energy from rain
Scientists from Soochow University in China are working on a solar panel design for an efficient hybrid solar panel. The purpose of their invention is to capture energy from rain as well as traditional solar energy. They hypothesized that their graphene infused solar cells will split raindrops into positive and negative ions. With continued tests, the team hopes to get the solar panels on par with traditional solar panel efficiency. Nonetheless, their current output is fairly close to reaching this milestone. In the near future, solar panels could generate energy rain or shine. Read more [...]
Environmental impact of transportation on Europe: view of science and industry
Climate change is a fact and all of us should be concerned about it. One of the main causes of climate change is the human-caused environmental impact, especially in developed countries like Europe or North America. A number of European companies and institutions are determined to give an example to the whole world and stop the increase of emissions produced on the continent. Transport accounts for a fourth of global CO2 emissions and it is one of the few industrial sectors where pollutant emissions are still growing. Our generation has a chance to stop this trend and build a better future for our children. Read more [...]
Communicating science, one pint at a time
Pint of Science is a yearly science festival taking place in pubs and bars in May where scientist can share their work with the public. The festival was born in the UK but rapidly expanded to be in 2018 in 21 countries for its 6th edition. This success is certainly due to the fact that science is becoming more and more important for the public and society and they want to meet the people doing it and know more about it. Pint of Science is giving the chance to everyone to meet a scientist and know more about research happening in their communities. Read more [...]
Displaced Migrants in Higher Education: Findings from a study on Pathways and Support
In January 2018 the University of Manchester and MCAA launched a survey on the practices and attitudes in higher education institutions with regard to displaced students and academics. The aim of the survey was to identify the best practices to integrate displaced students and academics into higher education institutions. Together with previous work, the current study highlights the need to raise awareness among researchers and institutions about the various existing practices adopted in Europe to integrate displaced students and academics. Read more [...]
EU trachea transplant clinical trial TETRA “uncertain to take place”
The scandal of regenerative medicine surgeon Paolo Macchiarini and his deadly plastic tracheas made world news. Yet this human abuse, which started at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, was just a part of a much bigger horror story. The suffering and deaths of other trachea transplant patients of Macchiarini and his collaborators, those who received a decellurised cadaveric trachea, is much less known. I focused my reporting on it, bringing back to memory all those dead patients which the hospitals in London, Florence and Barcelona pretend never existed. Presently, 62 patients were scheduled to be treated with decellurised cadaveric trachea in two phase 1 clinical trials in UK and one EU-funded phase 2 clinical trial, all led by former Macchiarini partner, UCL laryngologist Martin Birchall. But now, all 3 clinical trials are not going anywhere. Read more [...]
