Oxford's biggest student newspaper, produced by and for members of the University of Oxford, since 1991.
Six in ten UK adults have raised cholesterol levels with 8 million having to take statins – an anti-cholesterol drug. Many people assume this is solely down to a diet containing too much fat however, genetics can also be to blame. Familial high cholesterol is a congenital condition where the gene responsible for the production […]
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Professor Sir Peter J Ratcliffe, Director for the Target Discovery Institute within the Nuffield Department of Medicine at Oxford University and Director of Clinical Research at Francis Crick Institute, London, has today been announced as a winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Sir Ratcliffe was announced as a winner of the Prize […]
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Image description: Bacteria While most of you probably cannot wait to go home over the summer, travel to foreign countries, or start summer vac schemes, 10 students on the Oxford iGEM team will be stationed in Oxford, on the front lines of bacterial warfare. Every year, undergrads from across various disciplines are given the opportunity […]
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From enzymes to muscle tissue, the DNA held within the nucleus of cells contains instructions for the production of every protein in your body. Mutations in these genomic blueprints, whether inherited or induced by damaging environmental agents (e.g toxins, UV radiation), can result in proteins becoming malformed and dysfunctional and ultimately give rise to disease. […]
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Researchers from the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute have genetically modified chickens to produce medical drugs in their egg whites, and hope this method could one day revolutionise the way in which pharmaceuticals are manufactured. Protein based therapies can be lifesaving treatments for a range of diseases, and are currently the fastest growing segment of […]
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In January, BBC Icons ran a vote for the 20th century’s most important and influential figures in different fields of human endeavour. Together with three high-profile figures – Alan Turing, Marie Curie and Albert Einstein, Youyou Tu, a Chinese pharmaceutical chemist, was selected into one of seven programs for scientists. She was well-known as one […]
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Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) affects around half a million people in the UK, though its impacts spread much wider, devastating the lives of families and friends of sufferers. It is a type of dementia, a group of diseases associated with memory loss, confusion, mood variations and difficulties in communicating. Knowledge about the causes of AD remains […]
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A placebo is an inert medical treatment, often a sugar pill, that is administered during a clinical trial to differentiate between a response to active medication and a response with no treatment. They have no therapeutic value but can alter the patient’s perception of their symptoms. A new review of 1271 randomised trials and 250,726 […]
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Image credit: Reversing Your Diabetes Today (CC0 1.0) Millions of people in the UK are living with Type 2 diabetes, resulting from the body’s inability to properly produce or respond to the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels, insulin. While Type 1 usually arises in childhood, Type 2 is associated with adults, especially those that […]
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In 1865, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson made history as the first women to qualify as a physician and surgeon. Since then, considerable gender equality advancements have been made for workers of the NHS. In 1874, the first medical school in Britain to train women as doctors was founded. Just two years later, a law was passed […]
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The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical diagnosis and treatment is a swiftly burgeoning area of technology. Brainomix, a medical imaging company, is at the forefront of this. Specifically, they use AI for rapid diagnosis and treatment for victims of strokes. Brainomix was launched in 2010 as a spin-out of Oxford University, with the […]
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Death is relevant to us all, but end of life care – particularly for the terminally ill – is something few consider before they have to confront it. Two pressing cases have recently caught the world’s attention, both in London, and both challenging what it means to die with dignity. One was of an 11-month-old […]
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Ed Patrick is a very busy man; he’s currently wrapping up the final performances of his first stand up show whilst simultaneously preparing for an exciting new show that’s coming to the Old Fire Station for previews before its run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. I should also mention that he’s a working […]
Continue ReadingAs a long retired alumnus of Oxford, Christopher Bateman has borne witness to decades-worth of change at this university, the world of medicine and British society as a whole. After studying medicine at University College from 1955 and clinical training at St Thomas Hospital, London from 1959, Christopher qualified as a doctor in 1962. Generously […]
Continue ReadingLady Margaret Hall has come under fire from scientific groups for agreeing to host a conference for homeopathy over the Easter Vac. Michael Marshall, Project Director of The Good Thinking Society, attacked the college’s decision to host the conference. Speaking to The Independent, he said “It’s pretty clear the Society of Homeopaths is seeking venues […]
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The Danish drug company Novo Nordisk will invest £115 million over the next ten years in a new science research centre to be based in Oxford. The facility, which will work on new treatments for type 2 diabetes will employ roughly 100 academics and scientists. David Gauke, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, described the decision […]
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The large majority of those reading this will be entitled to healthcare under the National Health Service (NHS). This means that if needed, free contraception and free safe, legal abortions are generally available to you. Many women in other countries do not have this same entitlement. 56 million abortions are performed worldwide per year. Twenty-two […]
Continue ReadingWith his quizzical look and flyaway hair, Ben Goldacre’s departmental photo makes him look every bit the mad scientist, but this scientific polymath (currently an author, broadcaster, doctor and academic) is at the forefront of one of the biggest medical movements in the last 50 years. With the enthusiasm of a Teach First chemistry teacher, he describes himself […]
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For years, the concept of a head transplant has conjured illusions of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, rather than being a tangible reality. Now, however, brain surgeon Sergio Canavero has proposed an operation, set to take place in 2017, in which a living human head will be transplanted onto a donor body. If it were to be […]
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