Podcasts about wolfson institute

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth speaks to Dr Sandra Jumbe from the School of Social and Health Sciences at Millenium University in Malawi and the Wolfson Institute of Public Health Queen Mary, and Dr Chris Newby from the Medical School at the University of Nottingham. Sandra and Chris discuss their findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis on factors associated with adolescent substance use in Africa between 2000 and 2020. · What do we already know about adolescent use in Africa and why this review was needed [01:40]· The headline findings of the review [03:50]· What the consolidation of findings in this topic area will achieve [05:58]· The themes that came out of the ‘non-familial' category of factors associated with adolescent substance use [09:00]· The main themes that came out of the ‘socioeconomic or environmental' category of factors associated with adolescent substance use [10:05]· The regional differences in the drugs consumed across Africa [12:10]· What drugs are captured in standardised surveys [14:29]· The experience of doing systematic reviews and meta-analyses [15:20]About Sandra Jumbe: Dr Jumbe is a health psychologist currently working as a senior lecturer in research at Millennium University in Blantyre Malawi and a health researcher at the Wolfson Institute of Population Health at Queen Mary University of London. She is also an African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence (ARISE) fellow with the African Academy of Sciences. She is an expert in behavioural science, enabling her to set the foundations for evidence-based work that informs development of effective interventions and policy decisions to improve human health. She has worked in both clinical and academic settings in primary care and mental health. Dr Jumbe's long term aspiration is to expand understanding of global mental health and substance use, by advancing research niched on youth mental health in Africa, while training fellow young African scientists. She is also a mental health advocate, passionate about improving mental health literacy at grassroots level using community engagement and culturally sensitive approaches.About Chris Newby: Dr Newby is a senior medical statistician at the Research Knowledge Exchange, at the Medical School at the University of Nottingham. He has worked in NIHR Biomedical Research Units, Clinical Trial Units and is currently a senior quantitative advisor at the Research Support Service Leicester Hub and Partners. His interests are Respiratory, Mental Health and Equality Diversity and Inclusion in Health Research. Sandra, Chris nor Elle have any conflicts of interest to declare.Original article: A systematic review and meta-analysis of factors associated with adolescent substance use in Africa, 2000 to 2020: https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70023The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the host and interviewees and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or Addiction journal.The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What impact does what we eat and drink have on our health in later life? In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded live at our event in Ascot in October 2024, a panel of nutrition experts explores the challenges and opportunities in promoting healthy ageing through diet.  They discuss the latest consumer insights around ageing, as more people than ever are prioritising wellness and quality of life as they grow older. Check out our Events Calendar They tackle complex challenges, such as the lack of one-size-fits-all solutions and the need for foods that support diverse cultures and dietary habits. Our panel also dives into the evolving relationship between food and medicine, examining how research-backed ingredients could offer direct health benefits and align with lifelong wellness goals. Guests: Silke Ullmann, Nutrition Communications, Beneo Amanda Schiach, Wolfson Institute of Population Health Jane Murphy, Professor of Nutrition, Bournemouth University

In episode eleven we focus on one of the top causes of premature death in the western world - cardiovascular disease, as we speak with Dr Sundhya Raman about how cholesterol, diet and lifestyle can have an impact on the risk of developing heart disease and stroke. Sundhya is the co-founder and director of My Wellness Doctor - a Lifestyle Medicine Health consultancy. She has a degree in Pharmacology & Physiology, a Medical degree from Guys, King's and St Thomas's, London, a PhD in Genetics & Epigenetics from Oxford University and is a qualified Lifestyle Medicine physician with the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine/British Society of Lifestyle Medicine. She qualified as a medical doctor in 2007.  Since then she has worked in a broad range of clinical specialties including acute and general medicine, cardiology, general surgery, endocrinology, gastroenterology, respiratory medicine and infectious diseases. Prior to working as a doctor, Sundhya completed her PhD at Oxford University researching genetic and epigenetic factors in inherited cognitive conditions.  She went on to work with many well known scientists in labs around the world including cancer genetics at Yale University, and Alzheimers' cellular physiology at the Wolfson Institute in London.She has always considered suboptimal lifestyle factors to be the underlying driver to most chronic illness and unnecessary suffering.  She has therefore taken a keen interest in the evolving evidence base for lifestyle medicine throughout her working life, and has regularly seen first hand the extraordinary benefits that can be attained through implementation of a holistic lifestyle approach. To connect with Sundhya : https://mywellnessdoctor.co.uk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsundhyaraman/And try her fantastic chickpea spinach curry :https://mywellnessdoctor.co.uk/chickpea-spinach-curry And don't forget to watch us cooking a full vegan English breakfast with Chef AJ:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zacmh6nk8Ps&t=2sStudies discussed:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35886124/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6361299/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9316578/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7515757/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35192610/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10167955/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12876093/https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1800389https://www.sevencountriesstudy.com/#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20Seven%20Countries,an%20extended%20period%20of%20time.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5492032/https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2777338https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/behind-the-headlines/cholesterol-and-statins

In this episode, we talk to Dr Garth Funston, who is a Clinical Senior Lecturer in Primary Care Cancer Research within the Wolfson Institute of Population Health at Queen Mary University of London.Title of paper: Pre-diagnostic prescription patterns in bladder and renal cancer: a longitudinal linked data studyAvailable at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2023.0122Previous studies have demonstrated that prescription rates for certain medications increase many months before the diagnosis of some cancers. Determining whether prescribing for common urological clinical features increases in patients with renal and bladder cancer could help us identify opportunities for more timely diagnosis. We found that prescription rates for UTI medications increased 9 months before bladder and renal cancer diagnosis, with an even earlier increase occurring before bladder cancer diagnosis in women (11 months). This indicates that there is a window of opportunity in which investigation and referral could lead to earlier cancer detection in some patients presenting to their GP with features of UTI.

With the UK government announcing plans to make recreational use of nitrous oxide illegal, JNNP podcast host Dr. Saima Chaudhry (1) is joined by London-based neurologist Dr. Alastair Noyce (2)(3) to examine the findings of his group's recently published research paper, "Nitrous oxide-induced myeloneuropathy: a case series". Read the paper here: https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/94/9/681 Related links: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nitrous-oxide-to-be-illegal-by-end-of-the-year (1) Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Rhode Island, USA (2) Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK (3) Preventive Neurology Unit, Centre for Prevention, Diagnosis and Detection, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, London, UK Please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or find it on your platform of choice. Your feedback and reviews are very appreciated. Follow JNNP on twitter: @JNNP_BMJ

The biology underpinning a rare genetic mutation that allows its carrier to live virtually pain-free, heal more rapidly, and experience reduced anxiety and fear, has been uncovered by new research from University College London. Dr. Andrei Okorokov, Associate Professor at the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research at UCL joins Jonathan to discuss.

The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Debate Keeps Pecking Away Every so often, there's a claim that the ivory-billed woodpecker is back from the dead. Pixelated videos go viral, blurry photos make the front page, and birders flock to the woods to get a glimpse of the ghost bird. Last week, a controversial paper claimed there's reason to believe that the lost bird lives. The authors say they have evidence, including video footage, that the bird still flies. The paper is ruffling feathers among the birding and research community. This debate has been going on for decades, but the American Birding Association categorizes the bird as “probably or actually extinct,” and its last verified sighting was in 1944. So is it any different this time? And what do we make of the claims that keep cropping up? Guest host Flora Lichtman talks all things ivory-billed with Michael Retter, editor of the magazines North American Birds and Special Issues of Birding, from the American Birding Association.   Tracking Pain In Your Brain When you stub your toe, that pain is registered by the peripheral nervous system. It shoots off signals that travel up your spinal cord and to your brain, where the signals tell you, “Hey, your toe hurts. Take care of it.” But chronic pain—defined as lasting three months or more—is processed differently, and your nerves are constantly firing pain signals to your brain. Chronic pain is complex, and a lot of its basics are still unknown. But a new study from this week discovered another piece of the pain puzzle: the brain signals that cause chronic pain and the region they are processed in. Researchers hope that this is the first step in developing a brain stimulation therapy that can intercept those chronic pain signals and bring relief to patients. Guest host and SciFri director Charles Bergquist talks with lead author Dr. Prasad Shirvalkar, neurologist and associate professor at the University of California San Francisco, about this new paper.   What Can We Learn From A Woman Who Feels No Pain? There are a select few humans that can't feel any pain. Really. One of those people is Jo Cameron, who didn't experience any pain during childbirth or need any painkillers after a hip replacement. She's also never been anxious or afraid. Researchers have been studying Jo Cameron and her brain in an effort to better understand her sensory experience. This week, researchers published a new study that looks at the genes and mutations responsible for Jo's pain free existence. They hope to use what they learn to come up with better pain management treatments for the rest of us. Guest host and Science Friday Senior Producer Charles Berquist talks with Andrei Okorokov, associate professor at the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research at the University of College London, about this fascinating new research.   Turning To Space While Processing Grief When astronomers Michelle Thaller and Andrew Booth met, it was love at first sight. The couple married in 1994, becoming a power couple in the world of space and physics research. In 2019, the couple received shocking news: Booth was diagnosed with cancer in the brain. He passed away within a year of his diagnosis. The death of a partner is one of the most devastating things a person can go through. Thaller felt unmoored, and like Earth was not her planet anymore. To help her move forward, Thaller turned to the universe for solace. Thaller speaks with guest host Flora Lichtman about how the mysteries of the universe have made processing grief a little easier, and taking space and time with a grain of salt.   To stay updated on all-things-science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.

Topic discuss “Diabetes and Maths" Presenter: Sheikh Sharjeel Tariq Bajwa Diabetes: Diabetes cases in the UK have reached an all-time high - 4.3 million people in the UK are currently living with a diagnosis of diabetes. Why is this figure increasing at such an alarming rate? Join us as we discuss the severity and health risks of diabetes, the various factors that can cause diabetes, and what you can be doing to prevent it. Maths: The UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has once again expressed his passion to promote maths in the education sector, by launching his plan to make it compulsory to study this subject until the age of 18. Critics have pointed to the issues this policy may pose, yet proponents have emphasised on how important numeracy skills are. Is maths really the solution for a better workforce? Guest: Tooba Rehman- Pharmacologist Sarah Finer- Clinical Reader and Honorary Consultant in Diabetes at the Wolfson Institute of Population Health. Deputy Lead for Genes & Health Partha Kar- National Specialty Advisor for the NHS Diabetes Programme for NHS England and Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust. Bridget Benelam- Nutrition Communications Manager, British Nutrition Foundation. Tony Astwood- Founder & Chair of the The Dyscalculia Centre Karima Esmail- Leading expert in the area of developmental dyscalculia Mr. Steve Chinn- an internationally regarded expert in the field of maths learning difficulties Sam Sims- Chief Executive of the independent charity National Numeracy Producers: Rabeeta Khan Hania Mubarik Fezia Haq

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Nicola Lindson discuss emerging evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Dr Francesca Pesola. In the June episode Jamie Hartmann-Boyce talks with Francesca Pesola from the Wolfson Institute of Population Health Queen Mary University of London. Dr Francesca Pesola talks to Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce about the results from the trial comparing e-cigarettes to nicotine patches for smoking cessation in pregnant women. Professor Tim Coleman discussed this study in the May 2021 podcast and the results have now been published in Nature Medicine, Hajek et al 2022 (DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-01808-0). Dr Pesola outlines the need to identify smoking cessation aids to help women quit during pregnancy. Dr Pesola discusses the results of their randomised control trial of 1,140 participants comparing refillable e-cigarettes with nicotine patches. In this trial pregnant women who smoke were randomized to e-cigarettes or nicotine patches. Dr Pesola reports that the unadjusted analysis of the primary outcome of validated quit rates at the end of pregnancy were not found to be significantly different between the e-cigarette and nicotine patch arms. However, Dr Pesola explains that some people in the study used non-allocated products, for example people in the nicotine patch group were also found to be using e-cigarettes. This meant that if they then quit there was uncertainty as to whether the quitting behaviour was due to the nicotine patches or to the e-cigarettes. The study team had anticipated this behaviour and pre-specified that they would exclude people who were abstinent and who had used non-allocated products. Dr Pesola reports that after doing this e-cigarettes were found to be more effective than patches. The safety profile was similar for both study products, however, low birthweight (

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Nicola Lindson discuss emerging evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Dr Francesca Pesola. In the June episode Jamie Hartmann-Boyce talks with Francesca Pesola from the Wolfson Institute of Population Health Queen Mary University of London Dr Francesca Pesola talks to Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce about the results from the trial of e-cigarettes compared to nicotine patches for smoking cessation in pregnant women. Professor Tim Coleman discussed this study in our May 2021 podcast and the results have now been published in Nature Medicine, Hajek et al 2022 (DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-01808-0). Dr Pesola outlines the need to identify smoking cessation aids to help women quit during pregnancy. Dr Pesola discusses the results of their randomised control trial of 1,140 participants comparing refillable e-cigarettes with nicotine patches in which pregnant women who smoke were randomized to e-cigarettes or nicotine patches. Dr Pesola reports that the unadjusted analysis of the primary outcome of validated quit rates at the end of pregnancy were not found to be significantly different between the e-cigarette and nicotine patch arms. However, Dr Pesola explains that some people in the study used non-allocated products, for example people in the nicotine patch group were also found to be using e-cigarettes. This meant that if they then quit you were not able to be sure whether the quitting behaviour was due to the nicotine patch or to the e-cigarette. The study team had anticipated this behaviour and pre-specified that they would exclude people who were abstinent and who had used non-allocated products. Dr Pesola reports that after doing this e-cigarettes were found to be more effective than patches. The safety profile was similar for both study products, however, low birthweight (

My guest today is Phazha Bothongo, a 23 year old South African, born in Botswana, and currently living in the United Kingdom. She has completed her MSc. in Neuroscience and Translational Medicine at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and went on to do PhD at the Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute.  In this episode, we learn that the one particular life event influenced her choice of getting into the field of  science,  was when her grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. She discovered there was no cure for it and went on to study to pursue Neuroscience. Phazha chose this field so that her research can have an impact and contribute to the knowledge of neuroscience. The PhD research is focused on the effects of socio-economic deprivation and ethnicity on the risk of dementia in Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups in comparison to the White population. Black African and Caribbean, are at risk and to more likely develop dementia at a younger age and get diagnosed for early-onset dementia (before 65 years), than their White counterparts. This research is so important as there is very little research on the Black demographic. Interesting right? Well, you better tune to learn more about Phazha breaks this research down for us, including so much more! Twitter & Instagram: phazha_bothongoLinkedIn: Phazha BothongoBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show (https://paypal.me/RootofSciPod?locale.x=en_US)

This is a recording of a May 2019 panel discussion at Queen Mary, University of London, on the question 'should universities teach well-being?' There is, apparently, a mental health crisis in higher education. Student referrals for counselling are soaring, and according to one study, 40% of PhDs are depressed or anxious. Students in Bristol took to the streets to demand better mental health services, while the universities minister declared the purpose of universities should no longer just be knowledge, but also well-being. What are universities' responsibilities in this area? What should students expect and demand? Can universities teach wellbeing, and what is the role of the arts and humanities in this endeavour? Panelists: Dr Tiffany Watt Smith, QMUL Drama (Chair) Shamima Akter, QMSU Vice President Welfare Prof Kam Bhui, QMUL Head of Centre for Psychiatry and Deputy Director of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine at Barts and The London Jules Evans, QMUL Centre for the History of Emotions Kevin Halon, QMUL Counselling Manager Niall Morrissey, QMUL Mental Health Co-ordinator Dr Ruth Fletcher, QMUL senior lecturer in medical law

Well-designed randomized clinical trials may provide information about prevention strategies and effective treatments for women at risk of, or diagnosed with, breast cancer. A major limitation of clinical trials, however, is that results apply to the trial group as a whole, but not necessarily to each individual woman. That’s because individual responses are influenced by the patient's and the tumor's unique DNA, or genetic profile. So how might researchers precisely identify risks for individual women based on protein and gene biomarkers to predict outcomes for breast cancer treatment or even prevention?  Dr. Jack Cuzick is a Director of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine in London. He is also head of the Centre for Cancer Prevention and John Snow Professor of Epidemiology at Queen Mary, University of London. In 2007, he was chosen by Thompson Scientific as one of the 12 hottest researchers in all of science. He was awarded the AACR Cancer Prevention Prize in 2012. He has been a BCRF Investigator since 2011. As one cancer research site puts his impact best: “Professor Cuzick’s work on breast cancer treatment and prevention has been instrumental in reducing the number of women losing their lives to the disease.”

The food we eat is the greatest cause of death and illness worldwide. The main culprits - salt, sugar and fat - are now so embedded in our diet, in the form of processed foods, that most of us consume far too much. Yet Professor Graham MacGregor doesn't believe it's up to us to reverse this situation. It's up to the food industry, he says, who manufacture the processed foods, to take the 'rubbish' out. Now Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine, Graham MacGregor has spent much of his career campaigning tirelessly to persuade the food industry to do just that - to reduce these demons in our diet - firstly salt, and now sugar. And he's had remarkable success. As a nation we now eat thirty thousand tonnes less salt each year than we did fifteen years ago, saving the NHS a staggering �1.5 billion per year. Blood pressure lies at the heart of this huge saving and, as Graham explains to Jim al-Khalili, blood pressure is not a natural consequence of ageing. High blood pressure is simply a consequence of too much salt. Producer: Beth Eastwood.

Podcast produced and presented by Lee Millam "A chocolate hug".  That's how one person we talked to describes her 'addiction' to sugar and chocolate. Sugar is everywhere.  It is added to virtually all processed foods from pizza and curry sauces to soups, and fishcakes. The average person in the UK eats the equivalent of 15 teaspoons a day (that's probably an underestimate as few people are honest about their sugar intake)- but the recommended level is no more than 6 teaspoons per person per day.  We crave chocolate and other sweet things. And it has had a huge impact on our health and our health services.  Not only is it very bad for our teeth (Queen Elizabeth 1 had black teeth from eating too much sugar), but it is a major contributor to obesity and Type 2 diabetes. In this podcast Lee Millam talks to Professor Graham MacGregor of the Wolfson Institute who says we are not exactly 'addicted' to sugar, but rather, we are habituated to sugar.  We now expect it in our food. "You get used to a lot of sugar in things and your sugar taste receptors get suppressed and you then prefer more and more sugar." So why are we consuming so much sugar?  Professor MacGregor points the finger at the food industry.  The food industry, he says, is feeding us rubbishy, cheap, tasteless food, and making it more attractive by adding sugar, salt and palm oil - all of which are very bad for us. Sugar is a cheap additive, it bulks up the food and makes us crave it.  The industry is good at marketing cheap foods to poor communities, including children in poor communities, and the result is high rates of obesity and diabetes. And now, he says, they are planning on moving into India and China and Vietnam to sell this 'rubbish food'. So what is to be done?  Professor MacGregor dismisses the idea of promoting healthy eating, and says we have to ban products with high sugar content (and high levels of saturated fat and salt).  And all of us, individually, must avoid eating biscuits, and confectionery and give up drinking soft drinks and fruit juice. All music from freemusicarchive.org:  EX LUNA - Serial Project - LAFAYETTE  Abstract Nostalgic Fractals Systems – Floating In A Lake Of Happiness Project 5am - The Dream Photo, Lips Like Sugar AJC  

A committee advising the Food and Drug Administration in the US has voted to change the way it tests women for cervical cancer by solely using a test that detects Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) rather than also using a standard smear test which looks for abnormal cell changes. The test is likely to become more widely used in the NHS than it is now. What advantages does it offer over smear tests and what difference will it make for women? Dr Mark Porter talks to Jack Cuzick, director of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine and GP Dr Margaret McCartney about the pros and cons. The HPV virus is responsible for a big increase in the number of oral cancers. Some researchers have even gone so far as to call it an epidemic. Mark talks to head and neck cancer surgeon Andrew Schache from the University of Liverpool to find out more about the reason for the rise in numbers. Also in the programme. You are when you eat. According to some diets, not eating in the evening can help you lose weight. But does the timing of when you eat really make a difference? Susan Jebb, professor of diet and population health at the University of Oxford, explains why the time you eat doesn't make a difference to whether you put on weight. Scar free surgery. Mark talks to Mikael Sodergren from Imperial College London, about the latest surgical innovation - natural orifice surgery. Surgery via natural orifices like the stomach and vagina can dramatically improve people's recovery after an operation reducing their pain and time in hospital. Currently only used in women, in the future it could be available for everyone with a robotic surgical device going in through the mouth and then being used to perform operations like an appendectomy via the stomach.

Audio Journal of Oncology, December 15th, 2007 Reporting from: San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, 13-16 December, 2007 ATAC Trial: Anastrozole Still Superior At Over Eight Years’ Follow Up JACK CUZICK, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, London REFERENCE: ABSTRACTS 41, 2069, 2071 New data from the ATAC trial, which is testing anastrozole and tamoxifen in early breast cancer, have demonstrated the continued superiority of the aromatase inhibitor. Among other things, the data now show a benefit in the time to distant recurrence. Derek Thorne heard more from Jack Cuzick, of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine in London.