A network of innovation and advocacy Published: The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) Chairs for Women in Science and Engineering (CWSE) programme has brought together a group of passionate individuals who aim to change the culture for women and under-represented people in STEM academic degree programmes and professions. Dr Jennifer Jakobi and Dr Catherine Mavriplis tell us more about this innovative and impactful network. Why is equity, diversity and inclusion so vital to science and engineering? Jennifer: Without diversity of people, you do not gain a ..read more

Summer holiday activities for teens Tweet Skype Reddit Pinterest 0 LinkedIn 0 Email With schools out for the summer, here are some activities to keep teenagers busy, taken from our educational resources published over the past year. Get creative If you enjoy watching TV and films, why not make your own film, documentary, animation or comedy sketch and curate a film festival? If you like clothes and fashion, create your own fashion brand by designing and creating clothes. Be inspired by your surroundings to experiment with photography techniques. Or use microorganisms to create your o ..read more

Telomeres: the chromosome tips that stave off ageing Published: The ends of our chromosomes are capped with structures called telomeres, which protect our DNA when cells divide. Over time, chromosomes get shorter, and scientists think this erosion plays a role in the ageing process. Professor Julie Cooper and her team at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in the US are investigating the wide range of enigmatic functions of telomeres, which has implications for our understanding of cancer, reproduction and how we grow older. Talk like a molecular biologist Chromosome — a t ..read more

How do young people manage their career pathways? Published: Finding a good job that is well-paid and satisfying is becoming increasingly difficult for many young people. Professor Jason Heyes, from the Sheffield University Management School, in the UK, is investigating the difficulties faced by young people moving between jobs, and which policies are most effective to improve their opportunities. Talk like an employment relations researcher Casualisation — when jobs are becoming less regular, with more variable hours and more unpredictable pay and working conditions Labour market transi ..read more

How are flexible electronic devices solving healthcare challenges? Published: Advances in healthcare are not only made by healthcare professionals. Led by Dr Radu Sporea, a team of electronics engineers and surgeons at the University of Surrey in the UK and Gachon University in South Korea is developing a wearable electronic device to monitor a patient’s blood flow as they recover from an operation. Talk like an electronics engineer Amplification — when the value of a signal is increased Flexible electronics — electronic circuits built on flexible substrates Light-emitting diode (LED ..read more

How does exercise help recovering stroke patients? Published: The after-effects of a stroke can severely alter a person’s quality of life. Effects range from mobility issues to changes in brain function. However, the brain is surprisingly adaptable and often, with the right approaches, these lost functions can be partly or completely restored. At Western University in Canada, Dr Sue Peters is investigating the role of exercise in improving post-stroke recovery, and has found some promising results. Glossary Growth factor — a biological molecule that affects the growth and division o ..read more

How are strokes, dementia and depression linked? Published: At Western University in Canada, Dr Jamie Fleet and Dr Stephanie Frisbee are collaborating to improve health outcomes for people affected by stroke, depression and dementia. Talk like a healthcare researcher Ageing population — a population where the proportion of people over 65 is increasing Cardiovascular — relating to the heart and blood vessels Cerebrovascular — relating to the brain and its blood vessels Dementia — the name for a collection of symptoms that affect memory, thinking, language and behaviour Ischemic strokes ..read more

Can ocean alkalinity enhancement reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide? Published: We must urgently and dramatically reduce our carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. However, even if we completely cut emissions tomorrow, the atmosphere will still hold the majority of the CO2 emitted over the past century. This will continue to affect the climate, so scientists are exploring how to enhance the natural, but slow, removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. At Dalhousie University in Canada, oceanographers Professor Katja Fennel, Dr Dariia Atamanchuk and Professor Ruth Musgrave are investigating the effectivenes ..read more

A new paradigm in antibiotic research Published: Used for treating bacterial infections, antibiotics are an essential part of modern medicine. However, this crucial treatment option is in jeopardy. Antibiotic resistance – where bacteria become resistant to antibiotics – led to more than 1 million deaths worldwide in 2019. At the University of Basel in Switzerland, Professor Christoph Dehio leads the National Centre of Competence in Research AntiResist, which is applying new research methods to speed up the discovery and development of new antibiotics and complementary anti-infective strategi ..read more

Can brain cooling revolutionise stroke treatment? Published: A stroke is a life-threatening condition in which oxygen is prevented from reaching the brain, causing brain cells to die. At Western University in Canada, Dr Ting-Yim Lee, a biomedical engineer, has teamed up with Dr Marat Slessarev, a clinical doctor, to develop an innovative new device that can cool a stroke patient’s brain, thereby reducing the amount of damage caused. Talk like a biomedical engineer Cerebral blood flow — the measure of how much blood flows through the brain to deliver oxygen to brain cells Metabolic coupli ..read more