The University of Birmingham’s expertise in health sciences has been in focus. Professor Julian Bion was among those interviewed for BBC Radio 4’s The Report to discuss the reality of a seven-day NHS, Professor Peymane Adab was quoted in The Daily Telegraph on effective methods for weight management, and Dr Hannah Batchelor was featured on BBC Midlands Today and regional radio stations talking about the ACCEPT trial for developing child-friendly medicines. Professor Iain Chapple and Praveen Sharma’s research on the link between periodontitis and a higher mortality rate in patients with kidney disease was covered in the likes of The Sun and Medical News Today, and Professor Robin May’s work with colleagues at the University of Sheffield into specialised white blood cells found in birds that can destroy a fungal infection in humans, received attention from the BBC, Independent, and Daily Express.
Following the ground-breaking news that LIGO detectors had observed evidence of gravitational waves, proving Einstein’s theory of relativity, the Guardian put an extra spotlight on Professors Andreas Freise and Alberto Vecchio and their crucial role in the breakthrough.
Research by Dr Claudio Tennie, Birmingham Fellow in Psychology, which found that young children will spontaneously invent tool behaviours to solve novel problems without the help of adults, much as non-human great apes have been observed to do, has received significant national and international coverage including the Guardian, The Daily Mail and the Discovery Channel.
Our public intellectuals have also been busy. Professor Isabelle Szmigin was interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours and by The Daily Telegraph on the change of trend in gift giving on Valentine’s Day, and further afield, our work with the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia on the impact of its character and civic education programmes was highlighted in international media outlets including Bloomberg, Reuters, and the International Business Times Australia.
