source: www.cam.ac.uk

The University has been selected as the lead delivery partner for the British Academy’s new East of England Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN) cluster. Cambridge will work closely with the other delivery partners, Anglia Ruskin University and the University of East Anglia, to support early career researchers in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences across the region.

Early career researchers are the architects of some of the most innovative and dynamic projectsJoanna Page

The Academy is completing the national rollout of its ECRN, a researcher-led network for UK-based researchers in Humanities and Social Sciences, as a new cluster is launched to serve the East of England.

At Cambridge, the ECRN will be based at CRASSH (the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities) and also supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Facilitation Team and the Postdoc Academy.

“Early career researchers are the architects of some of the most innovative and dynamic projects, events, and networks we host at CRASSH, and we are delighted to be able to extend our work with them in this way,” said Professor Joanna Page, Director of CRASSH and academic lead for the East of England Cluster.

“The British Academy ECRN will provide a wonderful opportunity for researchers across the region to connect with each other and benefit from a rich programme of research and professional development.”

ECRN members benefit from mentoring schemes, training, networking events, grant-writing retreats, academic book-publishing conferences, travel grants to attend network events and conferences, and seed-funding opportunities.

“The University of Cambridge has a longstanding commitment to supporting early career researchers, and we are honoured to play a part in this excellent initiative,” said Professor John Aston, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Cambridge.

“The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network also helps us to achieve our aims to strengthen ties with academic leaders and communities across the East of England region, helping further the exciting research taking place in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.”

Daniela Dora, ECR assembly representative for the University of Cambridge School of Arts and Humanities, said: “It is exciting to see the British Academy ECR Network launch in the East of England. The network offers not only new opportunities to share ideas and experiences across disciplines but also provides a supportive community for researchers. For early career researchers, this comes at a crucial stage where collaboration and connection matter most.”

The launch event for the East of England cluster of the ECRN will take place on 24 November 2025 in Cambridge, and ECRs from across the region will be invited to take part.

Funded by the Wolfson Foundation, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Wellcome, the ECRN launched in 2021 as a pilot programme and has since been extended to 2027 due to its success.

Find out more and sign up to the ECRN with the British Academy.

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The University of Cambridge is supporting a new initiative to raise educational aspirations across the South West. Led by the Colyton Foundation, Your Future Story is a ten-year programme designed to support 1,000 high-attaining pupils from under-resourced backgrounds across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset to remain on the pathway to higher education.

This joined up approach is rare and extremely powerfulTom Levinson

Fewer young people from the South West progress to university than in any other English region – and the region has some of the poorest outcomes for pupils in receipt of free school meals. On 11 September, at the University of Exeter, more than 100 delegates gathered for the inaugural Your Future Story conference. The conference brought together representatives from more than 30 secondary schools, multi-academy trusts, and senior leaders from universities, local authorities, employers and national charities – all of them keen to ensure that background is never a barrier to high attainment or opportunity.

“There was a wonderful energy in the room,” said Nick Wakeling, Director of the Colyton Foundation. “A shared sense of belief and commitment to ensuring that young people in the South West have equitable access to opportunity. That’s how lasting change happens. Now the real work begins.”

In addition to providing funding, the University of Cambridge and Downing College will welcome visits from students in the region and offer online support through colleges with existing links to the South West.

Tom Levinson, Head of Widening Participation, said: “This is a genuine collaboration between schools, trusts, charities, local authorities, universities and employers. This joined-up approach is rare and extremely powerful.”

Earlier in the year, Cambridge’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, led a delegation to the South West and visited Colyton Grammar School to hear first hand about the barriers preventing students from the area applying to leading universities.

The first cohort of 100 pupils will begin the programme this term. New cohorts will join annually until the programme reaches 1,000 pupils across the region.

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The Artificial Intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT, appeared to improvise ideas and make mistakes like a student in a study that rebooted a 2,400-year-old mathematical challenge.

Unlike proofs found in reputable textbooks, students cannot assume that Chat GPT’s proofs are validAndreas Stylianides

The experiment, by two education researchers, asked the chatbot to solve a version of the “doubling the square” problem – a lesson described by Plato in about 385 BCE and, the paper suggests, “perhaps the earliest documented experiment in mathematics education”. The puzzle sparked centuries of debate about whether knowledge is latent within us, waiting to be ‘retrieved’, or something that we ‘generate’ through lived experience and encounters.

The new study explored a similar question about ChatGPT’s mathematical ‘knowledge’ – as that can be perceived by its users. The researchers wanted to know whether it would solve Plato’s problem using knowledge it already ‘held’, or by adaptively developing its own solutions.

Plato describes Socrates teaching an uneducated boy how to double the area of a square. At first, the boy mistakenly suggests doubling the length of each side, but Socrates eventually leads him to understand that the new square’s sides should be the same length as the diagonal of the original.

The researchers put this problem to ChatGPT-4, at first imitating Socrates’ questions, and then deliberately introducing errors, queries and new variants of the problem.

Like other Large Language Models (LLMs), ChatGPT is trained on vast collections of text and generates responses by predicting sequences of words learned during its training. The researchers expected it to handle their Ancient Greek maths challenge by regurgitating its pre-existing ‘knowledge’ of Socrates’ famous solution. Instead, however, it seemed to improvise its approach and, at one point, also made a distinctly human-like error.

The study was conducted by Dr Nadav Marco, a visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge, and Andreas Stylianides, Professor of Mathematics Education at Cambridge. Marco is permanently based at the Hebrew University and David Yellin College of Education, Jerusalem.

While they are cautious about the results, stressing that LLMs do not think like humans or ‘work things out’, Marco did characterise ChatGPT’s behaviour as “learner-like”.

“When we face a new problem, our instinct is often to try things out based on our past experience,” Marco said. “In our experiment, ChatGPT seemed to do something similar. Like a learner or scholar, it appeared to come up with its own hypotheses and solutions.”

Because ChatGPT is trained on text and not diagrams, it tends to be weaker at the sort of geometrical reasoning that Socrates used in the doubling the square problem. Despite this, Plato’s text is so well known that the researchers expected the chatbot to recognise their questions and reproduce Socrates’ solution.

Intriguingly, it failed to do so. Asked to double the square, ChatGPT opted for an algebraic approach that would have been unknown in Plato’s time.

It then resisted attempts to get it to make the boy’s mistake and stubbornly stuck to algebra even when the researchers complained about its answer being an approximation. Only when Marco and Stylianides told it they were disappointed that, for all its training, it could not provide an “elegant and exact” answer, did the Chat produce the geometrical alternative.

Despite this, ChatGPT demonstrated full knowledge of Plato’s work when asked about it. “If it had only been recalling from memory, it would almost certainly have referenced the classical solution of building a new square on the original square’s diagonal straight away,” Stylianides said. “Instead, it seemed to take its own approach.”

The researchers also posed a variant of Plato’s problem, asking ChatGPT to double the area of a rectangle while retaining its proportions. Even though it was now aware of their preference for geometry, the Chat stubbornly stuck to algebra. When pressed, it then mistakenly claimed that, because the diagonal of a rectangle cannot be used to double its size, a geometrical solution was unavailable.

The point about the diagonal is true, but a different geometrical solution does exist. Marco suggested that the chance that this false claim came from the chatbot’s knowledge base was “vanishingly small”. Instead, the Chat appeared to be improvising its responses based on their previous discussion about the square.

Finally, Marco and Stylianides asked it to double the size of a triangle. The Chat reverted to algebra yet again – but after more prompting did come up with a correct geometrical answer.

The researchers stress the importance of not over-interpreting these results, since they could not scientifically observe the Chat’s coding. From the perspective of their digital experience as users, however, what emerged at that surface level was a blend of data retrieval and on-the-fly reasoning.

They liken this behaviour to the educational concept of a “zone of proximal development” (ZPD) – the gap between what a learner already knows, and what they might eventually know with support and guidance. Perhaps, they argue, Generative AI has a metaphorical “Chat’s ZPD”: in some cases, it will not be able to solve problems immediately but could do so with prompting.

The authors suggest that working with the Chat in its ZPD can help turn its limitations into opportunities for learning. By prompting, questioning, and testing its responses, students will not only navigate the Chat’s boundaries but also develop the critical skills of proof evaluation and reasoning that lie at the heart of mathematical thinking.

“Unlike proofs found in reputable textbooks, students cannot assume that Chat GPT’s proofs are valid. Understanding and evaluating AI-generated proofs are emerging as key skills that need to be embedded in the mathematics curriculum,” Stylianides said.

“These are core skills we want students to master, but it means using prompts like, ‘I want us to explore this problem together,’ not, ‘Tell me the answer,’” Marco added.

The research is published in the International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology.

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Mortality after emergency abdominal surgery is more than three times higher in the least developed countries compared to the most developed. Yet among those who undergo surgery, injuries tend to be less severe – raising concerns that those most critically injured are not even reaching the operating theatre.

A study published in The Lancet Global Health has revealed stark global inequalities in survival after emergency abdominal surgery for traumatic injuries. The research found that patients in the world’s least developed countries face a substantially higher risk of dying within 30 days of surgery than those in the most developed nations, as ranked by the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI).

Although overall mortality rates appeared similar across settings at 11%, risk-adjusted analysis showed that patients in the lowest-HDI countries faced more than three times the risk of death compared with those in the highest-HDI group, while the risk in middle-HDI countries was nearly double.

The Global Outcomes After Laparotomy for Trauma (GOAL-Trauma) study was led by the University of Cambridge and carried out by a global network of collaborators. It analysed data from 1,769 patients treated in 187 hospitals across 51 countries, ranging from conflict-affected areas such as the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Ukraine, and Sudan to well-resourced trauma centres in Europe and the United States. All patients had undergone a trauma laparotomy — emergency surgery to repair internal abdominal injuries – as a result of incidents such as road traffic accidents, stabbings, or gunshot wounds.

Among patients who underwent surgery, those in low-HDI countries typically had less severe injuries than those in higher-ranked countries. This suggests that the most critically injured may die before reaching hospital, or that some life-threatening injuries are missed on arrival.

“Our findings point to a survival gap that begins before patients even reach the operating theatre,” said lead author Dr Michael Bath from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering. “This may be because the most seriously injured die before they can access life-saving care, or because limitations in diagnosis mean their injuries go undetected.”

The researchers also found wide disparities in hospital care. For example, access to CT scans before surgery — a critical tool for diagnosing internal injuries — was available in over three-quarters of patients in the more developed settings, but in fewer than one-quarter in the lowest-ranked group.

The researchers say that addressing this survival gap will take more than simply faster transport or greater access to diagnostic tools such as CT scans. They call for coordinated improvements across the entire trauma pathway – from the moment of injury to full recovery – to ensure critically injured patients receive the care they need.

“The GOAL-Trauma study provides for the first time comparable global data on laparotomy for trauma, revealing that similar mortality rates can mask profound inequalities in care pathways,” said co-author Dr Daniel U Baderhabusha of Hôpital de Kyeshero in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “This information will help design more equitable trauma systems that are better adapted to local realities. It paves the way for strategies that can offer every patient, wherever they live, the best chance of survival and recovery.”

“The GOAL-Trauma study is one of the biggest global studies of trauma care yet published,” said senior author Dr Tom Bashford from the Cambridge’s Department of Engineering and Cambridge University NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust. “It represents a huge effort by a team of partners from across the world, some of whom are practising in the most extreme conditions imaginable and yet still recognise the importance of contributing to international research.”

Reference:
Michael F Bath et al. ‘Global variation in patient factors, interventions, and post-operative outcomes for those undergoing trauma laparotomy: an international prospective observational cohort study.’ The Lancet Global Health (2025). DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(25)00303-1

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Three Cambridge researchers are among 77 early-career researchers who have been awarded a total of £120 million to lead vital research, collaborate with innovators and develop their careers as the research and innovation leaders of the future.

Cambridge researchers Dr Claudia Bonfio, Dr Akshay Deshmukh and Dr Elizabeth Radford have been awarded UKRI Future Leader Fellowships, which provides up to seven years of support to enable them to tackle ambitious programmes or multidisciplinary questions, and new or emerging research and innovation areas and partnerships.

Dr Claudia Bonfio’s lab in the Department of Biochemistry studies how life emerges from non-living matter and tries to answer this question by designing and building active primitive cells. Her Future Leader Fellowship project addresses this evolutionary question through an approach that bridges chemistry and biophysics, by investigating how the synergy between primitive lipids and peptides led to the emergence of membrane proteins – a hallmark of living cells.

Dr Akshay Deshmukh is returning to Cambridge’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology from MIT to take up his Future Leader Fellowship. To reach net zero by 2050, we will require seven times more critical metals than we produce today. Current extraction methods use large amounts of energy, water, chemicals, and land. During his Fellowship, Deshmukh will develop new processes to recover metals from sources like brines and recycling streams. His research combines experiments, spectroscopy, and mechanistic studies to create a framework for designing next-generation membranes, and aims to speed up the development of cheaper, more sustainable separation technologies.

Dr Elizabeth Radford is a paediatric neurologist whose Fellowship will be based in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences. Her research is working to accelerate diagnosis and expand the treatment options for children affected by neurodevelopmental genetic conditions. Everyone carries small genetic changes, and while most are harmless, some disrupt how the proteins in our cells work and can affect a child’s development. However, it isn’t always clear which changes cause problems, making diagnosis slow and uncertain. During her Fellowship, Radford will study thousands of genetic changes by recreating them in human cells grown in the lab. This will show which changes damage proteins, helping doctors interpret genetic tests and provide earlier diagnoses, and paving the way for future treatments.

UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowships fund allows universities and businesses to develop talented early career researchers and innovators and attract new people to their organisations, including from overseas.

Out of the successful applications, thirteen projects are led by businesses and funded by Innovate UK.

To support excellent research and innovation wherever it arises and to facilitate movement of people and projects between sectors, FLF fellows are based in the most appropriate environment for their projects, be that universities, businesses, charities, or other independent research organisations.

The Fellowship allows the individual to devote their time to tackle challenging research and innovation problems and to develop their careers as they become the next wave of world-class research and innovation leaders.

The Fellowship also allows recipients access to the FLF Development Network, which provides specialised leadership training, access to networks, workshops, mentors, one-to-one coaching, and opportunities for additional seed-funding for collaborative projects.

“UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships provide researchers and innovators with long-term support and training to embark on large and complex research programmes, to address key national and global challenges,” said Frances Burstow, Director of Talent and Skills at UKRI. “The programme supports the research and innovation leaders of the future to transcend disciplinary and sector boundaries, bridging the gap between academia and business. UKRI supports excellence across the entire breadth of its remit, supporting early-career researchers to lessen the distance from discovery to real world impact.”

“UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships offer long-term support to outstanding researchers, helping them turn bold ideas into innovations that improve lives and livelihoods in the UK and beyond,” said UKRI Chief Executive, Professor Sir Ian Chapman. “These fellowships continue to drive excellence and accelerate the journey from discovery to public benefit. I wish them every success.”

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Rita Akushie has been appointed as the University’s new Chief Financial Officer. She will take up the role in December 2025.

I look forward to working collaboratively across the University to build a finance function that is modern, transparent, and aligned with Cambridge’s world-leading mission.Rita Akushie, Chief Financial Officer

Rita joins the University from the University of London, where she has been Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Finance and Operations) since 2020 and has led a major transformation programme across its finance, digital, estates and HR services.

She has more than 30 years of experience in financial leadership across higher education, infrastructure investment, housing, and the charity sector. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.

In parallel with her career in university leadership, Rita serves as Chair of the Audit Committee and Non-Executive Director at HICL Infrastructure plc, a FTSE 250-listed £3bn investment fund with over 100 infrastructure assets across the UK, Europe, the US, Australia, and New Zealand, supporting education, health, utilities, communication and transport.

Rita will report to the Vice-Chancellor and provide strategic oversight of the University’s financial activities.

She will also lead and manage the University’s Finance Division, and be the sponsor for the Finance Transformation Programme, which is modernising ways of working through new processes, technology and governance.

Anthony Odgers, the University’s current Chief Financial Officer, will step down from his role on 31 December 2025.

Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor, said: “I am delighted to welcome Rita as our new Chief Financial Officer. Rita impressed the interview panel with her vast experience, particularly in finance transformation, her passion for higher education and her commitment to inclusive leadership.”

Rita said: “Joining the University of Cambridge is a tremendous honour. I am inspired by the opportunity to lead a transformative finance agenda that supports the University’s long-term strategic ambitions. I look forward to working collaboratively across the University to build a finance function that is modern, transparent, and aligned with Cambridge’s world-leading mission.”

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The shortlist for the 2025 BBC Young Writers’ Award with Cambridge University was announced Sunday 14 September, live on BBC Radio 1’s Life Hacks.

This year’s shortlist, with work that experiments with voice and violence, bodies and gender, things unspoken and unspeakable, feels especially timely. These are stories that look both outwards and inwards, and which confront the reader powerfullyDr Elizabeth Rawlinson-Mills

Now in its 11th year, the Award invites young people aged 14-18 from across the UK to submit stories of up to 1,000 words. It was created to discover and inspire the next generation of writers and is a cross-network collaboration between BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 4.

This year’s shortlist features five young female writers whose stories explore contemporary themes ranging from toxic masculinity and inter-generational relations to climate change, power and responsibility. Praised as ‘beautifully subversive,’ ‘nuanced’ and ‘mature,’ the shortlisted works range from a dark tale told from the perspective of a black cat to a mythological retelling of the climate crisis, a lyrical portrait of three generations of women cooking together, a supernatural ‘housewife’s revenge’ story, and a sharp look at peer pressure and toxic masculinity

Dr Elizabeth Rawlinson-Mills, University Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education and Fellow of Robinson College, said:

“It’s a pleasure once again to read these remarkable and often startling stories. We have become accustomed to the shortlisted stories for the YWA offering us reassuring evidence of young writers’ skill and ambition. This year’s shortlist, with work that experiments with voice and violence, bodies and gender, things unspoken and unspeakable, feels especially timely. These are stories that look both outwards and inwards, and which confront the reader powerfully. The University of Cambridge is extremely proud to support the Young Writers Award.”

The shortlisted stories are:

• ‘Wildfolk Report 2025’ by Holly Dye, 17, from Tunbridge Wells
• ‘Adu, Lasun and Marcha’ by Anoushka Patel, 18, from Leicester
• ‘Roast Beef’ by Edith Taussig, 17, from New Malden, Greater London
• ‘The Omen’ by Anna Tuchinda, 17, from Thailand, an international student in Edinburgh
• ‘Scouse’s Run’ by Rebecca Smith, 17, from Sheffield

The five stories will be available to listen to on BBC Sounds, read by actors including Amit Shah, Maggie Service, Priya Kansara, Sam Pitcher and Andy Clark. Interviews with the writers are also available to listen to, and can be read on the BBC Radio 1 website. 

The winner will be announced at the BBC Short Story Awards ceremony at Broadcasting House on Tuesday 30 September, broadcast live on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, with the winning writer also appearing on Radio 1’s Life Hacks.

Cambridge involvement

The University’s support for the Award in 2025 generously comes from the School of Arts and Humanities, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Faculties of English and Education, Downing and Robinson Colleges, the University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Professional and Continuing Education (PACE).

The partnership also offers unique professional development opportunities for Cambridge PhD students, who take part in a BBC shadowing scheme, gaining experience in cultural engagement and public communication.

Cambridge’s long-term partnership with both the BBC National Short Story Award and the BBC Young Writers’ Award, is led by Dr Bonnie Lander Johnson (Fellow and Associate Professor in English at Downing and Newnham Colleges) and Dr Elizabeth Rawlinson-Mills (University Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education and Fellow of Robinson College).

Dr Lander Johnson said:

“The National Short Story Awards continue to be the largest and most prestigious awards of their kind in the UK. I am proud to represent the University on this partnership; I believe we have a role to play in supporting the production of literary excellence in Britain. Storytelling is an essential human impulse through which we reflect on our changing world, inspire younger generations, and make sense of our collective and individual lives. It is essential that Cambridge University remains part of such crucial cultural work. Who are we if we cannot tell our stories?”

About the Award

Since its launch in 2015, the BBC Young Writers’ Award has highlighted some of the most talented young voices in the country. Previous winners include Lottie Mills, Tabitha Rubens, Elena Barham, Atlas Weyland Eden and Lulu Frisson, with many going on to secure further prizes, publications and acclaim.

The 2025 judging panel is chaired by Radio 1 presenter Lauren Layfield, joined by poet and former Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, novelist Jessica Moor, poet Matt Goodfellow, and 2020 Young Writers’ Award winner Lottie Mills.

For more information, visit www.bbc.co.uk/ywa.

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source: www.cam.ac.uk

Rita Akushie has been appointed as the University’s new Chief Financial Officer. She will take up the role in December 2025.

I look forward to working collaboratively across the University to build a finance function that is modern, transparent, and aligned with Cambridge’s world-leading mission.Rita Akushie, Chief Financial Officer

Rita joins the University from the University of London, where she has been Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Finance and Operations) since 2020 and has led a major transformation programme across its finance, digital, estates and HR services.

She has more than 30 years of experience in financial leadership across higher education, infrastructure investment, housing, and the charity sector. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.

In parallel with her career in university leadership, Rita serves as Chair of the Audit Committee and Non-Executive Director at HICL Infrastructure plc, a FTSE 250-listed £3bn investment fund with over 100 infrastructure assets across the UK, Europe, the US, Australia, and New Zealand, supporting education, health, utilities, communication and transport.

Rita will report to the Vice-Chancellor and provide strategic oversight of the University’s financial activities.

She will also lead and manage the University’s Finance Division, and be the sponsor for the Finance Transformation Programme, which is modernising ways of working through new processes, technology and governance.

Anthony Odgers, the University’s current Chief Financial Officer, will step down from his role on 31 December 2025.

Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor, said: “I am delighted to welcome Rita as our new Chief Financial Officer. Rita impressed the interview panel with her vast experience, particularly in finance transformation, her passion for higher education and her commitment to inclusive leadership.”

Rita said: “Joining the University of Cambridge is a tremendous honour. I am inspired by the opportunity to lead a transformative finance agenda that supports the University’s long-term strategic ambitions. I look forward to working collaboratively across the University to build a finance function that is modern, transparent, and aligned with Cambridge’s world-leading mission.”

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source: www.cam.ac.uk

Life-saving opportunities to prevent suicide among autistic people are being missed because systemic barriers make it difficult for them to access NHS support during times of mental health crisis, according to new research.

Without urgent reform to make services trustworthy and better suited to autistic people’s needs, preventable deaths will continueTanya Procyshyn

Autistic people experience poorer mental and physical health and live shorter lives than the general population. They are significantly more likely than non-autistic people to die by suicide. Recent estimates suggest that one in three autistic people has experienced suicidal ideation and nearly one in four has attempted suicide.

In a study published today in Autism, researchers from the University of Cambridge and Bournemouth University found that of more than 1,000 autistic adults surveyed, only one in four reached out to the NHS the last time they experienced suicidal thoughts or behaviours.

Among those who did not seek NHS support, the most common reasons were that they believed the NHS could not help them (48%), that they tried to cope alone (54%), or that they felt there was “no point” due to long waiting lists for mental health services (43%). Many participants commented that the NHS’s limited range of mental health services was not suitable for “people like us”.

Just over a third (36%) of participants who did not seek NHS support reported previous negative experiences with the NHS, while a similar number (34%) said they had had bad experiences specifically when seeking help for suicidality – and more than one in 10 (12%) said they had been turned away or had a referral rejected.

One in four participants (25%) said they feared consequences such as being sectioned. Others highlighted practical barriers, suggesting they could not face trying to get an appointment with their GP (34%). No participants said they didn’t want to be stopped.

This study also corroborates findings that certain gender groups may experience even greater barriers to accessing NHS support. Analysis by the team at Bournemouth and Cambridge showed that among the participants, cisgender women and those who were transgender or gender-divergent were more likely to have had negative experiences, while transgender and gender-divergent autistic people were especially likely to fear that they would not be believed by NHS staff.

Co-lead author Dr Tanya Procyshyn from the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge said: “Our findings make it clear that autistic people do want support when they are struggling with suicidality, but many have been let down by a system that they experience as inaccessible, unhelpful, or even harmful. Without urgent reform to make services trustworthy and better suited to autistic people’s needs, preventable deaths will continue.”

This study offers new insights on significantly higher suicide rates among the autistic population, a stark reality recognised by the Government’s inclusion of autistic people as a priority group in the 2023 Suicide Prevention Strategy. The authors note that policy commitments must lead to meaningful service changes, such as autism-informed training for healthcare professionals, alternatives to phone-based appointment booking, and flexible, autism-adapted mental health services. They stress that these changes must be co-designed with autistic people to ensure acceptability and rebuild trust.

Co-lead author, Dr Rachel Moseley from the Department of Psychology at Bournemouth University, said: “We know from other research that healthcare professionals don’t receive sufficient training to help them work effectively with autistic people. Our work shows that when faced with autistic people in crisis, clinicians often overlook these signs, or react in a way that causes further damage. For these reasons, it’s imperative that the government takes steps to address inequalities that prevent autistic people from accessing healthcare that could save their lives.”

Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, Director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge and the senior author on the team, added: “There is a mental health crisis in the autism community, with one in four autistic adults planning or attempting suicide. This is unacceptably high. Although the UK Government has finally now recognised autistic people as a high-risk group in relation to suicide, the essential changes that could prevent these unnecessary deaths are not materialising fast enough.

“We are glad that Autism Action, the charity that funds a number of our suicide prevention studies, is translating the research into policy and practice, but we need to see a massive injection of funding into support services to avert multiple future tragedies.”

The research was instigated by the charity Autism Action as part of its mission to reduce the number of autistic people who think about, attempt and die by suicide.

Tom Purser, CEO of Autism Action, said: “It is unacceptable that our health service fails autistic people at the time of their greatest need. Autistic people want help but barriers in the form of inaccessible systems, poor attitudes and lack of training are preventing this, and in one in ten cases people are being turned away or rejected.

“The recently published Learning from Lives and Deaths report, focused on people with a learning disability and autistic people, highlighted that a lack of access to the right support is a massive factor that leads to premature deaths. We know a better system is possible – the Government must now lead the way to save lives.”

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. Alternatively, you can contact PAPYRUS (Prevention of Young Suicide) HOPELINE247 on 0800 068 4141 or by texting 88247.

Reference
‘I did not think they could help me’: Autistic adults’ reasons for not seeking public healthcare when they last experienced suicidality. Autism; 15 Sept 2025

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The shortlist for the 2025 BBC Young Writers’ Award with Cambridge University was announced Sunday 14 September, live on BBC Radio 1’s Life Hacks.

This year’s shortlist, with work that experiments with voice and violence, bodies and gender, things unspoken and unspeakable, feels especially timely. These are stories that look both outwards and inwards, and which confront the reader powerfullyDr Elizabeth Rawlinson-Mills

Now in its 11th year, the Award invites young people aged 14-18 from across the UK to submit stories of up to 1,000 words. It was created to discover and inspire the next generation of writers and is a cross-network collaboration between BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 4.

This year’s shortlist features five young female writers whose stories explore contemporary themes ranging from toxic masculinity and inter-generational relations to climate change, power and responsibility. Praised as ‘beautifully subversive,’ ‘nuanced’ and ‘mature,’ the shortlisted works range from a dark tale told from the perspective of a black cat to a mythological retelling of the climate crisis, a lyrical portrait of three generations of women cooking together, a supernatural ‘housewife’s revenge’ story, and a sharp look at peer pressure and toxic masculinity

Dr Elizabeth Rawlinson-Mills, University Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education and Fellow of Robinson College, said:

“It’s a pleasure once again to read these remarkable and often startling stories. We have become accustomed to the shortlisted stories for the YWA offering us reassuring evidence of young writers’ skill and ambition. This year’s shortlist, with work that experiments with voice and violence, bodies and gender, things unspoken and unspeakable, feels especially timely. These are stories that look both outwards and inwards, and which confront the reader powerfully. The University of Cambridge is extremely proud to support the Young Writers Award.”

The shortlisted stories are:

• ‘Wildfolk Report 2025’ by Holly Dye, 17, from Tunbridge Wells
• ‘Adu, Lasun and Marcha’ by Anoushka Patel, 18, from Leicester
• ‘Roast Beef’ by Edith Taussig, 17, from New Malden, Greater London
• ‘The Omen’ by Anna Tuchinda, 17, from Thailand, an international student in Edinburgh
• ‘Scouse’s Run’ by Rebecca Smith, 17, from Sheffield

The five stories will be available to listen to on BBC Sounds, read by actors including Amit Shah, Maggie Service, Priya Kansara, Sam Pitcher and Andy Clark. Interviews with the writers are also available to listen to, and can be read on the BBC Radio 1 website. 

The winner will be announced at the BBC Short Story Awards ceremony at Broadcasting House on Tuesday 30 September, broadcast live on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, with the winning writer also appearing on Radio 1’s Life Hacks.

Cambridge involvement

The University’s support for the Award in 2025 generously comes from the School of Arts and Humanities, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Faculties of English and Education, Downing and Robinson Colleges, the University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Professional and Continuing Education (PACE).

The partnership also offers unique professional development opportunities for Cambridge PhD students, who take part in a BBC shadowing scheme, gaining experience in cultural engagement and public communication.

Cambridge’s long-term partnership with both the BBC National Short Story Award and the BBC Young Writers’ Award, is led by Dr Bonnie Lander Johnson (Fellow and Associate Professor in English at Downing and Newnham Colleges) and Dr Elizabeth Rawlinson-Mills (University Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education and Fellow of Robinson College).

Dr Lander Johnson said:

“The National Short Story Awards continue to be the largest and most prestigious awards of their kind in the UK. I am proud to represent the University on this partnership; I believe we have a role to play in supporting the production of literary excellence in Britain. Storytelling is an essential human impulse through which we reflect on our changing world, inspire younger generations, and make sense of our collective and individual lives. It is essential that Cambridge University remains part of such crucial cultural work. Who are we if we cannot tell our stories?”

About the Award

Since its launch in 2015, the BBC Young Writers’ Award has highlighted some of the most talented young voices in the country. Previous winners include Lottie Mills, Tabitha Rubens, Elena Barham, Atlas Weyland Eden and Lulu Frisson, with many going on to secure further prizes, publications and acclaim.

The 2025 judging panel is chaired by Radio 1 presenter Lauren Layfield, joined by poet and former Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, novelist Jessica Moor, poet Matt Goodfellow, and 2020 Young Writers’ Award winner Lottie Mills.

For more information, visit www.bbc.co.uk/ywa.

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People who care informally for sick or disabled friends and relatives often become invisible in their own lives. Focusing on the needs of those they care for, they rarely get the chance to talk about their own emotions or challenges, and this can lead to them feeling increasingly stressed and isolated.  

Now, in a first-of-a-kind study, researchers at the University of Cambridge have trialled an unusual solution: a series of regular chats with a humanoid robot.

In work published in the International Journal of Social Robotics, the researchers found that when carers talked regularly to a robot programmed to interact with them, it produced significant positive benefits. These included the carers feeling less lonely and overwhelmed, and being more in touch with their own emotions.  

“In other words, these conversations with a social robot gave caregivers something that they sorely lack – a space to talk about themselves,” said first author Dr Guy Laban from Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology.

He and an international team of colleagues set up a five-week intervention with a group of informal caregivers – those who care for friends or family members without being paid or formally trained to do so.

While many carers find the experience rewarding, supporting those who have significant physical and mental health conditions can also cause them physical and emotional strain.

The researchers found that increased care and family responsibilities, along with shrinking personal space and reduced social engagement, are reasons why informal caregivers often report a tremendous sense of loneliness.

One coping strategy often used by people in emotional distress is self-disclosure and social sharing – for example, talking to friends. But this is not always possible for carers who often face a lack of social support and in-person interaction.

Interested in seeing how the rapidly developing field of social robotics could help address this issue, the researchers set up an intervention for a group of carers.

Those who took part, ranging from parents looking after children with disabilities to older adults caring for a partner with dementia, were able to chat to the humanoid robot Pepper twice a week throughout the five weeks.

The research team wanted to see how carers’ perceptions of the robot evolved over time and whether they saw it as comforting. They were also looking to see how that in turn affected their moods, their feelings of loneliness and stress levels and what the impact was on their emotion regulation.

After discussing everyday topics with Pepper, the carers’ moods improved and they viewed the robot as increasingly comforting, the researchers found. The participants also reported feeling progressively less lonely and stressed.

“Over those five weeks, carers gradually opened up more,” said Laban. “They spoke to Pepper more freely, for longer than they had done at the start, and they also reflected more deeply on their own experiences.

“They told us that chatting to the robot helped them to open up, feel less lonely and overwhelmed, and reconnect with their own emotional needs.”

The research also showed that being able to talk to a social robot could help carers translate their unspoken emotions into meaningful, shared understanding.

For example, after the five-week intervention, carers reported a greater acceptance of their caregiving role, reappraising it more positively and with reduced feelings of blame towards others.

These results highlight the potential of social robots to provide emotional support for individuals coping with emotional distress.

“Informal carers are often overwhelmed by emotional burdens and isolation,” said co-author Professor Emily Cross from ETH Zürich. “This study is – to the best of our knowledge – the first to show that a series of conversations with a robot about themselves can significantly reduce carers’ loneliness and stress.

“The intervention also promoted acceptance of their caregiving role and strengthened their ability to regulate their emotions. This highlights ways in which assistive social robots can offer emotional support when human connection is often scarce.”

Reference:
Guy Laban, Val Morrison, Arvid Kappas, Emily S. Cross. ‘Coping with Emotional Distress via Self-Disclosure to Robots: An Intervention with Caregivers.’ International Journal of Social Robotics (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s12369-024-01207-0

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The shortlist for the 2025 BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University was announced last night, Thursday 11 September, on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, as the prestigious prize celebrates its 20th anniversary.

I am proud to represent the University on this partnership; I believe we have a role to play in supporting the production of literary excellence in Britain.Dr Bonnie Lander Johnson

The University of Cambridge is proud to support the Award, recognised as one of the UK’s most significant literary prizes for a single short story. The prize aims to expand opportunities for British writers, readers and publishers of the short form, and to honour the country’s finest exponents of the genre. Cambridge staff, students and researchers contribute to the partnership, which also offers unique professional development opportunities for PhD students through a BBC shadowing scheme.

The 2025 shortlist

This year’s shortlist has been praised for its ‘intimate,’ ‘elegant’ and ‘nuanced’ explorations of relationships, community and the specificities of place:

• ‘Yair’ by Emily Abdeni-Holman
• ‘You Cannot Thread a Moving Needle’ by Colwill Brown
• ‘Little Green Man’ by Edward Hogan
• ‘Two Hands’ by Caoilinn Hughes
• ‘Rain, a History’ by Andrew Miller

Set in locations from Derbyshire and Doncaster to Jerusalem and County Kildare, the stories explore ‘self-contained’ worlds often inspired by personal memories and experiences, from the complexities of marriage, to the mysteries of survival in crisis; from newly formed inter-generational bonds, to the quiet tension between people and place, each reveals the short story’s ‘unparalleled’ power to reflect ‘the times we are living through.’  

The five shortlisted stories will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from 15 – 19 September and made available on BBC Sounds. They will also appear in an anthology published by Comma Press.

The winner will receive £15,000, with £600 awarded to each of the other shortlisted writers. The announcement will be made live on Front Row on Tuesday 30 September 2025.

A BBC and Cambridge partnership

Cambridge’s long-term partnership with both the BBC National Short Story Award and the BBC Young Writers’ Award, is led by Dr Bonnie Lander Johnson (Fellow and Associate Professor in English at Downing and Newnham Colleges) and Dr Elizabeth Rawlinson-Mills (University Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education and Fellow of Robinson College).

Dr Lander Johnson said:

“The National Short Story Awards continue to be the largest and most prestigious awards of their kind in the UK. I am proud to represent the University on this partnership; I believe we have a role to play in supporting the production of literary excellence in Britain. Storytelling is an essential human impulse through which we reflect on our changing world, inspire younger generations, and make sense of our collective and individual lives. It is essential that Cambridge University remains part of such crucial cultural work. Who are we if we cannot tell our stories?”

Dr Rawlinson-Mills added:

“The short story as a form is intense. Compact, powerful, challenging – for the writer and, often, for the reader. Each year the National Short Story Award brings us into contact with some of the most exciting voices in English writing, and over the past twenty years it’s been a privilege to see the ways in which winning this prize has boosted writers’ profiles and brought their work to new audiences through the broadcasts on R4. Every year there are new reasons to feel that we need stories more than ever. I am very proud of the part the University of Cambridge continues to play in supporting the prize and therefore supporting new writing.”

In 2025, the Award is generously supported by the School of Arts and Humanities, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Faculties of English and Education, Downing and Robinson Colleges, the University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Professional and Continuing Education (PACE).

Cambridge PhD students are also benefitting from the BBC Partnership Shadowing Scheme, which allows arts and social sciences researchers at Cambridge to work with BBC teams on programming around the Awards, developing valuable skills in cultural engagement and public communication.

About the Award

First presented in 2006, the BBC National Short Story Award has honoured leading and emerging voices including Sarah Hall, Cynan Jones, Ingrid Persaud, and Saba Sams. Alumni of the shortlist include Zadie Smith, Hilary Mantel, Tessa Hadley and Caleb Azumah Nelson.

The 2025 judging panel is chaired by Di Speirs MBE, joined by William Boyd, Lucy Caldwell, Ross Raisin and Kamila Shamsie.

The BBC Young Writers’ Award with Cambridge University, now in its 11th year, also continues to inspire writers aged 14 – 18. The shortlist will be announced on Sunday 14 September, with the winner also revealed on 30 September.

For more information, visit www.bbc.co.uk/nssa.

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A team led by Professor Flora Samuel from Cambridge’s Department of Architecture has been awarded a further Green Transition Ecosystem grant of £3.12 million by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to create a Public Map Platform to chart the green transition on the Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn.

Climate change cannot be addressed without revealing and tackling the inequalities within society and where they are happeningFlora Samuel

Despite changes to the HM Treasury Green Book to encourage forms of valuation other than economic, local authorities are struggling to capture social, environmental and cultural value in a way that feeds into their systems and processes. The Public Map Platform project aims to make this easy by spatialising data so that it can be used as a basis for targeted hyperlocal action for a green transition.

Professor Flora Samuel said: “Climate change cannot be addressed without revealing and tackling the inequalities within society and where they are happening. Only when we know what is happening where, and how people are adapting to climate change can we make well informed decisions.”

“The aim of this pragmatic project is to create a Public Map Platform that will bring together multiple layers of spatial information to give a social, environmental, cultural and economic picture of what is happening in a neighbourhood, area, local authority, region or nation.”

In 2023, the project was awarded one of four new £4.625 million Green Transition Ecosystem grants. The second phase funding will enable to project to build on its impacts and benefits.

The project features at the Venice Architecture Biennale (until 28 Sept 2025) and at the Design Museum’s ‘Future Observatory: Tools for Transition’ display, in London, of work by all four Green Transition Ecosystem projects (12 Sept 2025 – Aug 2026). The Public Map Platform’s Rural Roaming Room structure will be on show outside the museum.

Flora Samuel’s team is presenting to the Welsh Government at the Sennedd in Cardiff on 30 September 2025. They have engaged with hundreds of children on the Isle of Anglesey and will be bringing the Public Map Platform to Cambridge working with the team in The Cambridge Room.

Green Transition Ecosystems (GTEs) are large-scale projects that focus on translating the best design-led research into real-world benefits. Capitalising on clusters of design excellence, GTEs address distinct challenges posed by the climate crisis including, but not limited to, realising net zero goals.

GTEs are the flagship funding strand of the £25m Future Observatory: Design the Green Transition programme, funded by the AHRC and delivered in partnership with the Design Museum.

The Public Map Platform is addressing the following overarching aims of the Green Transitions Ecosystem call: measurable, green transition-supportive behavioural change across sectors and publics; design that fosters positive behavioural change in support of green transition goals, including strategy and policy; region-focused solutions for example the infrastructure supporting rural communities and, lastly, designing for diversity.

To meet these aims the project will deliver a baseline model mapping platform for decision making with communities for use by Local Authorities (LoAs) across the UK and beyond. To do this a pilot platform will be made for the Isle of Anglesey to help the LoA measure its progress towards a green transition and fulfilment of the Future Generations Wales Act in a transparent and inclusive way.

The Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn in North Wales was chosen as the case study for this project largely because it is a discrete geographical place that is rural, disconnected and in decline, with a local authority that has high ambitions to reinvent itself as a centre of sustainable innovation, to be an ‘Energy Island’ at the centre of low-carbon energy research and development. The bilingual context of Anglesey provides a particular opportunity to explore issues around multilingual engagement, inclusion and culture – a UK-wide challenge.

The project, a collaboration with the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (Wiserd) at Cardiff University and Wrexham Glyndwr University as well as several other partners is supported by the Welsh Government and the Future Generations Commission in Wales who are investigating ways to measure, and spatialise, attainment against the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015), a world-leading piece of sustainability legislation.

The Public Map Platform will offer a range of well designed and accessible information to communities, local authorities and policy makers alike, as well as opportunities to contribute to the maps. The map layers will constantly grow with information and sophistication, reconfigured according to local policy and boundaries. And crucially, they will be developed and monitored with and by a representative cross section of the local community.

An accessible website will be designed as a data repository tailored to a range of audiences, scalable for use across the UK. Social, cultural and environmental map layers will be co-created with children and young people to show, for instance, where people connect, engage with cultural activities and do small things to adapt to climate change.

The community-made data will be overlaid onto existing census and administrative data sets to build a baseline Future Generations map of the Isle of Anglesey. The layers can be clustered together to measure the island’s progress against the Act but can also be reconfigured to other kinds of measurement schema. In this way the project will offer a model for inclusive, transparent and evidence based planning, offering lessons for the rest of the UK and beyond.

This award is part of the Future Observatory: Design the Green Transition programme, the largest publicly funded design research and innovation programme in the UK. Funded by AHRC in partnership with Future Observatory at the Design Museum, this £25m multimodal investment aims to bring design researchers, universities, and businesses together to catalyse the transition to net zero and a green economy.

Christopher Smith, Executive Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council said:

“Design is a critical bridge between research and innovation. Placing the individual act of production or consumption within the context of a wider system of social and economic behaviour is critical to productivity, development and sustainability.

“That’s why design is the essential tool for us to confront and chart a path through our current global and local predicaments, and that’s why AHRC has placed design at the heart of its strategy for collaboration within UKRI.

“From health systems to energy efficiency to sustainability, these four Green Transition Ecosystem projects the UK are at the cutting edge of design, offering models for problem solving, and will touch on lives right across the UK.”

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Applied Systems, a global provider of insurance software solutions, has acquired Cytora, a University of Cambridge AI spinout that has become the leading digital risk-processing platform for the insurance industry.

Cytora’s platform helps insurers digitise their risk data at scale, turning complex documents and unstructured information into structured, decision-ready formats. The acquisition brings together Cytora’s AI-enabled risk digitisation platform with Applied Systems’ suite of insurance solutions, enabling greater intelligent automation, connectivity and efficiency across the insurance lifecycle. This combination is expected to unlock increased growth and productivity across the sector.

Cytora was founded in 2012 as a University startup with early support from Cambridge Enterprise, which first invested in the company in 2014. Recognising the potential of its technology to transform risk analytics and insurance workflows, Cambridge Enterprise continued to support Cytora through two subsequent investment rounds, backing its evolution from a geopolitical risk analytics start-up into a global provider of AI-powered solutions for risk digitisation.

Amanda Wooding, Deputy Head of Ventures, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, said: “We are delighted to see Cytora reach this exciting milestone. The acquisition by Applied Systems is a strong endorsement of the transformative impact of their technology on the insurance industry. Supporting Cytora from its early stages has been a privilege and we are proud to have played a part in their journey from a Cambridge startup to the leading risk digitisation platform in the insurance industry.”

This acquisition marks a significant milestone for Cambridge Enterprise Ventures and its mission to support the commercialisation of University research. It reflects the long-term value of investing in early-stage ventures and the potential of Cambridge-founded companies to shape global industries.

Read more about the acquisition from Cambridge Enterprise and Applied Systems.

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Britain’s industrial economy did not collapse when the Romans left and went on to enjoy a Viking-age industrial boom, a new study finds, undermining a stubborn ‘Dark Ages’ narrative.

It has significant implications for our wider understanding of the end of Roman BritainProfessor Martin Millett

The Romans have long been credited with bringing industry to Britain involving large-scale lead and iron production. But it has been unclear what happened once the Romans left around 400 AD. It was generally assumed that industrial-scale production declined, as no written evidence for lead exploitation after the 3rd century exists.

To test this assumption, researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Nottingham examined a five-metre-long sediment core from Aldborough in Yorkshire, the Roman tribal town of the Brigantes and an important centre of metal production. Their findings, published in the journal Antiquity, confirm that metal production did not collapse immediately after the Romans left Britain.

Professor Martin Millett, from Cambridge’s Faculty of Classics and Fitzwilliam College, said: “This collaborative work which forms part of a long-term project at Aldborough adds a new dimension to our understanding of the history of this important Roman town in the immediately post-Roman period. It has significant implications for our wider understanding of the end of Roman Britain.”

The study’s findings indicate that metal production in Britain continued long after the end of the Roman period and did not decline until a sudden crash around 550-600 AD.

The researchers found low levels of lead and iron production in the 4th to the early 5th centuries AD, but a large continuous rise in iron – and to a lesser extent, lead smelting through the 5th to mid-6th centuries – with the same ore sources and use of coal as in the Roman period. This undermines the popular belief that post-Roman Britain was a ‘Dark Age’ in which industrial production regressed to pre-Roman levels.

The cause of the sudden crash remains uncertain, but textual evidence from the Mediterranean and modern-day France (from the mid-late 6th century) shows that this period saw multiple waves of bubonic plague, and perhaps smallpox. These findings combined with DNA evidence from Edix Hill cemetery in Cambridgeshire show that bubonic plague was killing people in eastern England from the 540s, and this period marked the point of transformation at Aldborough.

Lead author, Professor Christopher Loveluck from Nottingham’s Department of Classics and Archaeology, says the Aldborough sediment core “has provided the first unbroken continuous record and timeline of metal pollution and metal economic history in Britain, from the 5th century to the present day.”

The cylinder of slowly accumulated silts was extracted from a paleochannel of the River Ure. Previous metal pollution records have been extracted far from their sources – for instance upland peat cores or mountain and polar glaciers – but this data comes from the very epicentre of production.

The researchers analysed the core alongside excavation evidence and knowledge of landscape changes at Aldborough over the last two millennia. The study benefited from the expertise of Charles French, Emeritus Professor of Geoarchaeology at Cambridge, who applies archaeological techniques and micromorphological analytical techniques to the interpretation of buried landscapes.

The study indicates that lead and iron production was very active again before the Vikings arrived and expanded under their control. Textual and archaeological sources already suggest that there was a growing focus on domestic economies rather than international trade by that time. It has been difficult to prove this at a macro-scale, but the new results show a boom in raw metal production between the end of the 8th century and through to the 10th century, revealing regional-level economic growth, which has never been measured beyond single sites before.

The study goes on to show a decline in metal production through the 11th century with renewed large-scale growth in lead and iron production reflected again from the mid-12th to early 13th centuries. Results corroborate annual-written sources for increased Yorkshire and wider British lead production from the 1160s–1220, and comparable pollution increases attributed to Britain for these decades recovered previously from Swedish lakes and Alpine ice-core research from Switzerland.

Following a decline in the 14th century, the researchers found evidence of another recovery in production which was cut short by Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries from 1536-38.

“It became uneconomical to make fresh metal because it was ripped off all the monasteries, abbeys and religious houses,” Professor Loveluck explains. “Large-scale production resumed in the later 16th century to resource Elizabeth I’s Spanish and French wars.”

The Aldborough Roman Town Project, directed by Dr Rose Ferraby – an author of the new study – and Professor Martin Millett, from Cambridge’s Faculty of Classics, has carried out nearly 120 hectares of magnetometry inside the town and beyond, to establish a landscape scale view of the sub-surface archaeological remains of the town, its defences, road system and extra-mural areas. It has also used Ground Penetrating Radar more selectively within the town to reveal details and depths of the Roman buildings. Since 2016, a number of excavations have been carried out, re-examining earlier trenches.

Funding

The research was funded by The British Academy and the University of Cambridge.

Reference

CP Loveluck, MJ Millett, S Chenery, C Chenery, R Ferraby, C French, ‘Aldborough and the metals economy of northern England, c. AD 345–1700: a new post-Roman narrative’. Antiquity (2025). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2025.10175 

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A study has found that adolescents become highly motivated to seek rewards after just a few hours of social isolation. This may be beneficial in driving them towards social interaction, but when opportunities for connection are limited could lead them to pursue less healthy rewards like alcohol or drugs.

Our study demonstrates just how sensitive young people are to very short periods of isolationLivia Tomova

When we feel socially isolated, our brain motivates us to seek rewards. Current theory holds that this is a beneficial evolutionary adaptation to help us reconnect with others.

The University of Cambridge-led study found that people in their late teens are very sensitive to the experience of loneliness. After just a few hours without any social interaction, adolescents make significantly more effort to get rewards.  

This increased motivation to seek rewards can help with social reconnection. But when connecting with others is not possible, the behaviour change might be problematic – for example, by making some people more prone to seek out rewards such as alcohol or recreational drugs.

The study found that the effect was stronger in adolescents who reported feeling lonelier while in isolation. When study participants were allowed to interact with others on social media during isolation, they reported feeling less lonely – and their reward-seeking behaviour changed less dramatically as a result.

The report is published today in the journal Communications Psychology.

“Our study demonstrates just how sensitive young people are to very short periods of isolation,” said Dr Livia Tomova, first author of the report, who conducted the study while in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge.

“We found that loneliness significantly increases adolescents’ motivation to seek out rewards – whether that’s more social contact, money, or something else,” added Tomova, who is now based at the University of Cardiff.

Studies suggest that adolescent loneliness has doubled worldwide over the past decade. Social media has been suggested as the culprit, but the researchers say many other changes in society could also be to blame.

“Social media can lead to loneliness in some adolescents, but our study suggests that this relationship is complex,” said Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Psychology, senior author of the report.

She added: “Virtual interaction with others seems to make isolated teens less driven to seek external rewards, compared to when they are isolated without access to social media. That suggests social media might reduce some of the negative effects of isolation – but of course we don’t know what potentially harmful effects it might have at the same time.”

While study participants got less bored and lonely in isolation if they had access to social media, they still experienced the same decrease in positive mood as those without access.

Social interaction is a basic human need, and lack of it leads to loneliness. Until now there has been very limited understanding of how loneliness affects adolescent behaviour, with most scientific experiments carried out in animal models.

HOW WAS THE STUDY DONE?

Researchers recruited young people from the local area in Cambridge, UK, conducting extensive screening to gather a group of 40 adolescents aged 16-19 who had good social connections, no history of mental health problems, and average levels of loneliness for their age group.

Participants were given initial tests to establish their baseline score for each task. Then on two different days, they were asked to spend between three and four hours alone in a room before completing the same computer-based tasks again.

On one of the isolation days participants had no social interaction at all, but on the other they had access to virtual social interactions through their phone or laptop.

The study found that when virtual interactions were available, almost half the participants spent over half their time online – predominantly using Snapchat, Instagram and WhatsApp to message their friends.

Overall, the study found that participants became more motivated to look at images of positive social interactions, and to play games where they could win money, after being in isolation for around four hours. They were also better at learning how to get these rewards in ‘fruit machine’-type games.

If they could interact virtually with others while in isolation, they reported feeling less lonely. They were also less inclined to make an effort in the tasks than when they didn’t have virtual social interaction during their isolation.

This research was funded by a Henslow Research Fellowship from the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Wellcome, Jacobs Foundation, and Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.

Reference: Tomova, L. et al: ‘Acute isolation is associated with increased reward seeking and reward learning in human adolescents.’ Communications Psychology, September 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s44271-025-00306-6

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Scientists have found a way to stop brain cancer cells spreading by essentially ‘freezing’ a key molecule in the brain.

This could be a real opportunity to slow glioblastoma progressionMelinda Duer

The finding could pave the way for a new type of treatment for glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer, although extensive testing will be required before it can be trialled in patients. Glioblastoma is the most common type of brain cancer, with a five-year survival rate of just 15%.

The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, found that cancer cells rely on the flexibility of hyaluronic acid (HA) — a sugar-like polymer that makes up much of the brain’s supporting structure — to latch onto receptors on the surface of cancer cells to trigger their spread throughout the brain.

By locking HA molecules in place so that they lose this flexibility, the researchers were able to ‘reprogramme’ glioblastoma cells so they stopped moving and were unable to invade surrounding tissue. Their results are reported in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

“Fundamentally, hyaluronic acid molecules need to be flexible to bind to cancer cell receptors,” said Professor Melinda Duer from Cambridge’s Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, who led the research. “If you can stop hyaluronic acid being flexible, you can stop cancer cells from spreading. The remarkable thing is that we didn’t have to kill the cells — we simply changed their environment, and they gave up trying to escape and invade neighbouring tissue.”

Glioblastoma, like all brain cancers, is difficult to treat. Even when tumours are surgically removed, cancer cells that have already infiltrated the brain often cause regrowth within months. Current drug treatments struggle to penetrate the tumour mass, and radiotherapy can only delay, not prevent, recurrence of the cancer.

However, the approach developed by the Cambridge team does not target tumour cells directly, but instead attempts to change the tumour’s surrounding environment – the extracellular matrix – to stop its spread.

“Nobody has ever tried to change cancer outcomes by changing the matrix around the tumour,” said Duer. “This is the first example where a matrix-based therapy could be used to reprogramme cancer cells.”

Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the team showed that HA molecules twist into shapes that allow them to bind strongly to CD44 — a receptor on cancer cells that drives invasion. When HA was cross-linked and ‘frozen’ into place, those signals were shut down.

The effect was seen even at low concentrations of HA, suggesting the cells were not being physically trapped but instead reprogrammed into a dormant state.

The study may also explain why glioblastoma often returns at the site of surgery. A build-up of fluid, or oedema, at the surgical site dilutes HA, making it more flexible and potentially encouraging cell invasion. By freezing HA in place, it could be possible to prevent recurrence.

“This could be a real opportunity to slow glioblastoma progression,” said Duer. “And because our approach doesn’t require drugs to enter every single cancer cell, it could in principle work for many solid tumours where the surrounding matrix drives invasion.

“Cancer cells behave the way they do in part because of their environment. If you change their environment, you can change the cells.”

The researchers are hoping to conduct further testing in animal models, which could lead to clinical trials in patients.

The research was supported in part by the European Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Melinda Duer is a Fellow of Robinson College, Cambridge.

Melinda Duer will be discussing her research on Saturday 27 September, as part of the Cambridge Alumni Festival 2025. 

Reference:
Uliana Bashtanova, Agne Kuraite, Rakesh Rajan, Melinda J Duer. ‘Molecular flexibility of hyaluronic acid has a profound effect on invasion of cancer cells.’ Royal Society Open Science (2025). DOI: 10.1098/rsos.251036

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The University of Cambridge hosted a visit from local MP, and Farming Minister, Daniel Zeichner MP at the Sainsbury Laboratory.

The visit brought together fundamental plant science research with crop and Agri-Tech researchers from across the University for a series of research demonstrations and a roundtable discussion.

Mr Zeichner toured the award-winning facility, meeting researchers in the open-plan office and lab spaces, which foster collaboration and advances in multi-disciplinary research.

The Minister saw exciting examples of foundational research, which have the potential to transform agriculture and ensure long term sustainability.  

The first demonstration was led by Dr Sebastian Schornack and PhD student Nicolas Garcia Hernandez, who are investigating the plant developmental processes. The Minister saw through the microscope how they are using beetroot pigments to enable us to see how fungi is colonising living plant roots. This research allows us to track and measure in real time how chemicals, soil tillage and environmental conditions impact this beneficial plant-microbe relationship.  

Mr Zeichner then visited the Lab’s microscopy room, and met with Dr Madelaine Bartlett and her colleague Terice Kelly. Dr Madelaine Bartlett’s team researches the development of maize flowers (among other grass and cereal species) with a particular focus on the genetics behind these specialised flowers and future crop improvement. The team demonstrated how they image a maize flower on the Lab’s desktop scanning electron microscope. 

The Sainsbury Laboratory boasts its own Bee Room, where Dr Edwige Moyroud demonstrated how bumble bees are helping to reveal the characteristics of petal patterns that are most important for attracting pollinators. Dr Moyroud and her team are identifying the genes that plants use to produce patterns that attract pollinators by combining various research techniques, including experiments, modelling, microscopy and bee behaviour. 

Finally, overlooking Cambridge Botanic Gardens, academics from the Department of Plant Sciences and the Crop Science Centre presented on research into regenerative agriculture and using AI to measure and prevent crop disease.

Professor Lynn Dicks presented on the latest findings of the H3 research on regenerative agriculture. Professor Dicks and colleagues, during this ongoing five-year project, have worked collaboratively with farming clusters in the UK to study the impacts of a transition to regenerative agriculture, which has so far has been shown to improve soil health and reduce the use of chemicals. 

Professor Eves-van Den Akker and his team, based at the University’s Crop Science Centre, have combined low-cost 3D printing of custom imaging machines with state-of-the-art deep-learning algorithms to make millions of measurements, of tens of thousands of parasites across hundreds of genotypes. They are now working with companies to translate this fundamental research, with the aim of accelerating their breeding programs for crop resistance to pests and disease. 

The visit concluded with a discussion of the UK’s leading strengths in Agri-Tech and crop science, and how the UK and Cambridge are an attractive place for researchers from around the world to work, and make exciting advances, with global impact. 

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Immune cells released from bone marrow in the skull in response to chronic stress and adversity could play a key role in symptoms of depression and anxiety, say researchers.

There’s a significant proportion of people for whom antidepressants don’t work. If we can figure out what’s happening with the immune system, we may be able to alleviate or reduce depressive symptomsStacey Kigar

The discovery – found in a study in mice – sheds light on the role that inflammation can play in mood disorders and could help in the search for new treatments, in particular for those individuals for whom current treatments are ineffective.

Around 1 billion people will be diagnosed with a mood disorder such as depression or anxiety at some point in their life. While there may be many underlying causes, chronic inflammation – when the body’s immune system stays active for a long time, even when there is no infection or injury to fight – has been linked to depression. This suggests that the immune system may play an important role in the development of mood disorders.

Previous studies have highlighted how high levels of an immune cell known as a neutrophil, a type of white blood cell, are linked to the severity of depression. But how neutrophils contribute to symptoms of depression is currently unclear.

In research published today in Nature Communications, a team led by scientists at the University of Cambridge, UK, and the National Institute of Mental Health, USA, tested a hypothesis that chronic stress can lead to the release of neutrophils from bone marrow in the skull. These cells then collect in the meninges – membranes that cover and protect your brain and spinal cord – and contribute to symptoms of depression.

As it is not possible to test this hypothesis in humans, the team used mice exposed to chronic social stress. In this experiment, an ‘intruder’ mouse is introduced into the home cage of an aggressive resident mouse. The two have brief daily physical interactions and can otherwise see, smell, and hear each other.

The researchers found that prolonged exposure to this stressful environment led to a noticeable increase in levels of neutrophils in the meninges, and that this was linked to signs of depressive behaviour in the mice. Even after the stress ended, the neutrophils lasted longer in the meninges than they did in the blood. Analysis confirmed the researchers’ hypothesis that the meningeal neutrophils – which appeared subtly different from those found in the blood – originated in the skull.

Further analysis suggested that long-term stress triggered a type of immune system ‘alarm warning’ known as type I interferon signalling in the neutrophils. Blocking this pathway – in effect, switching off the alarm – reduced the number of neutrophils in the meninges and improved behaviour in the depressed mice. This pathway has previously been linked to depression – type 1 interferons are used to treat patients with hepatitis C, for example, but a known side effect of the medication is that it can cause severe depression during treatment.

Dr Stacey Kigar from the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge said: “Our work helps explain how chronic stress can lead to lasting changes in the brain’s immune environment, potentially contributing to depression. It also opens the door to possible new treatments that target the immune system rather than just brain chemistry.

“There’s a significant proportion of people for whom antidepressants don’t work, possibly as many as one in three patients. If we can figure out what’s happening with the immune system, we may be able to alleviate or reduce depressive symptoms.”

The reason why there are high levels of neutrophils in the meninges is unclear. One explanation could be that they are recruited by microglia, a type of immune cell unique to the brain. Another possible explanation is that chronic stress may cause microhaemorrhages, tiny leaks in brain blood vessels, and that neutrophils – the body’s ‘first responders’ – arrive to fix the damage and prevent any further damage. These neutrophils then become more rigid, possibly getting stuck in brain capillaries and causing further inflammation in the brain.

Dr Mary-Ellen Lynall from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge said: “We’ve long known that something is different about how neutrophils behave after stressful events, or during depression, but we didn’t know what these neutrophils were doing, where they were going, or how they might be affecting the brain and mind. Our findings show that these ‘first responder’ immune cells leave the skull bone marrow and travel to the brain, where they can influence mood and behaviour.

“Most people will have experienced how our immune systems can drive short-lived depression-like symptoms. When we are sick, for example with a cold or flu, we often lack energy and appetite, sleep more and withdraw from social contact. If the immune system is always in a heightened, pro-inflammatory state, it shouldn’t be too surprising if we experience longer-term problems with our mood.”

The findings could provide a useful signature, or ‘biomarker’, to help identify those patients whose mood disorders are related to inflammation. This could help in the search for better treatments. For example, a clinical trial of a potential new drug that targets inflammation of the brain in depression might appear to fail if trialled on a general cohort of people with depression, whereas using the biomarker to identify individuals whose depression is linked to inflammation could increase the likelihood of the trial succeeding.

The findings may also help explain why depression is a symptom common in other neurological disorders such as stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, as it may be the case that neutrophils are being released in response to the damage to the brain seen in these conditions. But it may also explain why depression is itself a risk factor for dementia in later life, if neutrophils can themselves trigger damage to brain cells.

The research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.

Reference
Kigar, SL et al. Chronic social defeat stress induces meningeal neutrophilia via type I interferon signaling in male mice. Nat Comms; 1 Sept 2025; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62840-5

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source: www.cam.ac.uk

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have found strong evidence of a giant planet orbiting a star in the stellar system closest to our own Sun. At just four light-years away from Earth, the Alpha Centauri triple star system has long been a target in the search for worlds beyond our solar system.

Visible only from the Southern hemisphere, the system is made up of the binary Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, both Sun-like stars, and the faint red dwarf star Proxima Centauri. Alpha Centauri A is the third brightest star in the night sky.

While there are three confirmed planets orbiting Proxima Centauri, the presence of other worlds surrounding Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B has proved difficult to confirm, because the stars are so bright, close, and move across the sky quickly.

Now, observations from Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) are providing the strongest evidence to date of a gas giant orbiting Alpha Centauri A. The results, from an international team including researchers from the University of Cambridge, have been accepted for publication in two papers in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

If confirmed, the planet would be the closest to Earth that orbits in the habitable zone of a Sun-like star. However, because the planet candidate is a gas giant, scientists say it would not support life as we know it.

Several rounds of observations by Webb, analysis by the research team, and computer modelling helped determine that the source seen in Webb’s image is likely to be a planet, and not a background object (like a galaxy), a foreground object (a passing asteroid), or another image artefact.

“Webb was designed and optimised to find the most distant galaxies in the universe. The team had to come up with a custom observing sequence just for this target, and their extra effort paid off spectacularly,” said Charles Beichman, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at Caltech, co-first author on the new papers.

The first observations of the system took place in August 2024. While extra brightness from the nearby companion star Alpha Centauri B complicated the analysis, the team was able to subtract out the light from both stars to reveal an object over 10,000 times fainter than Alpha Centauri A, separated from the star by about two times the distance between the Sun and Earth.

While the initial detection was exciting, the research team needed more data to come to a firm conclusion. However, additional observations of the system in February 2025 and April 2025 did not reveal any objects like the one identified in August 2024.

“We were faced with the case of a disappearing planet! To investigate this mystery, we used computer models to simulate millions of potential orbits, incorporating the knowledge gained when we saw the planet, as well as when we did not,” said co-first author Aniket Sanghi of the California Institute of Technology.

In these simulations, the team took into account both the 2019 sighting of a potential exoplanet candidate by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, the new data from Webb, and considered orbits that would be gravitationally stable in the presence of Alpha Centauri B, meaning the planet wouldn’t get flung out of the system.

The researchers say a non-detection in the second and third round of observations with Webb wasn’t surprising.

“We found that in half of the possible orbits simulated, the planet moved too close to the star and wouldn’t have been visible to Webb in both February and April 2025,” said Sanghi.

In addition to these simulations, the Cambridge members of the research team analysed the Webb data to search for any signs of a type of cosmic dust, known as exozodiacal dust, around Alpha Centauri A. This cloud of dust, produced by objects such as comets and asteroids breaking apart, forms a faint, glowing disc around a star.

“Exozodiacal dust helps us learn about the architecture and evolution of planetary systems,” said co-author Professor Mark Wyatt from Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy. “But it’s also important when searching for rocky planets, since dust in the habitable zone of a star can obscure or mimic planetary signals.”

No dust was detected in these observations, however, the team showed they were sensitive to dust levels an order of magnitude lower than any previous measurement, which could be valuable for future planet searches around this star.

“This observation shows how deeply Webb can probe the dust environment of the nearest Sun-like stars,” said co-author Dr Max Sommer, also from Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy. “We can now explore exozodiacal dust at levels not much higher than those in our own Solar System, tapping into a whole new way of looking at other star systems.”

Based on the brightness of the planet in the mid-infrared observations and the orbit simulations, the researchers say it could be a gas giant approximately the mass of Saturn orbiting Alpha Centauri A in an elliptical path varying between one to two times the distance between Sun and Earth.

If confirmed, the potential planet seen in the Webb image of Alpha Centauri A would mark a new milestone for exoplanet imaging efforts. Of all the directly imaged exoplanets, this would be the closest to its star seen so far. It’s also the most similar in temperature and age to the giant planets in our solar system, and the nearest to Earth.

“Its very existence in a system of two closely separated stars would challenge our understanding of how planets form, survive, and evolve in chaotic environments,” said Sanghi.

The James Webb Space Telescope is an international programme led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

Reference:
Charles Beichman, Aniket Sanghi et al. ‘Worlds Next Door: A Candidate Giant Planet Imaged in the Habitable Zone of α Cen A. I. Observations, Orbital and Physical Properties, and Exozodi Upper Limits’. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (in press). arXiv:2508.03812v1

Aniket Sanghi, Charles Beichman et al. ‘Worlds Next Door: A Candidate Giant Planet Imaged in the Habitable Zone of  α Cen A. II. Binary Star Modeling, Planet and Exozodi Search, and Sensitivity Analysis’. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (in press). arXiv:2508.03812

Adapted from a NASA press release.

source: www.cam.ac.uk

Researchers have captured the first clear view of the hidden architecture that helps shape a simple multicellular organism, showing how cells work together to build complex life forms.

In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a team of British and German scientists revealed the structure of the extracellular matrix in Volvox carteri, a type of green algae that is often used to study how multicellular organisms evolved from single-celled ancestors.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a scaffold-like material that surrounds cells, providing physical support, influencing shape, and playing an important role in development and signalling. Found in animals, plants, fungi and algae, it also played a vital part in the transition from unicellular to multicellular life.

Because the ECM exists outside the cells that produce it, scientists believe it forms through self-assembly: a process still not fully understood, even in the simplest organisms.

To investigate, researchers at the University of Bielefeld genetically engineered a strain of Volvox in which a key ECM protein called pherophorin II was made fluorescent so the matrix’s structure could be clearly seen under a microscope.

What they saw was an intricate foam-like network of rounded compartments that wrapped around each of Volvox’s roughly 2,000 somatic, or non-reproductive, cells.

Working with mathematicians at the University of Cambridge, the team used machine learning to quantify the geometry of these compartments. The data revealed a stochastic, or randomly influenced, growth pattern that shares similarities with the way foams expand when hydrated.

These shapes followed a statistical pattern that also appears in materials like grains and emulsions, and in biological tissues. The findings suggest that while individual cells produce ECM proteins at uneven rates, the overall organism maintains a regular, spherical form.

That coexistence – between noisy behaviour at the level of single cells and precise geometry at the level of the whole organism – raises new questions about how multicellular life manages to build reliable forms from unreliable parts.

“Our results provide quantitative information relating to a fundamental question in developmental biology: how do cells make structures external to themselves in a robust and accurate manner,” said Professor Raymond E Goldstein from Cambridge’s Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, who co-led the research. “It also shows the exciting results we can achieve when biologists, physicists and mathematicians work together on understanding the mysteries of life.”

“By tracking a single structural protein, we gained insight into the principles behind the self-organisation of the extracellular matrix,” said Professor Armin Hallmann from the University of Bielefeld, who co-led the research. “Its geometry gives us a meaningful readout of how the organism develops as it grows.”

The research was carried out by postdoctoral researchers Dr Benjamin von der Heyde and Dr Eva Laura von der Heyde and Hallmann in Bielefeld, working with Cambridge PhD student Anand Srinivasan, postdoctoral researcher Dr Sumit Kumar Birwa, Senior Research Associate Dr Steph Höhn and Goldstein, the Alan Turing Professor of Complex Physical Systems in Cambridge’s Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics.

The project was supported in part by Wellcome and the John Templeton Foundation. Raymond Goldstein is a Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge.

Reference:
B von der Heyde, A Srinivasan et al. ‘Spatiotemporal distribution of the glycoprotein pherophorin II reveals stochastic geometry of the growing ECM of Volvox carteri,’ Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2425759122

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source: www.cam.ac.uk

Researchers have found why common cuff-based blood pressure readings are inaccurate and how they might be improved, which could improve health outcomes for patients.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the top risk factor for premature death, associated with heart disease, strokes and heart attacks. However, inaccuracies in the most common form of blood pressure measurement mean that as many as 30% of cases of high blood pressure could be missed.

The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, built an experimental model that explained the physics behind these inaccuracies and provided a better understanding of the mechanics of cuff-based blood pressure readings.

The researchers say that some straightforward changes, which don’t necessarily involve replacing standard cuff-based measurement, could lead to more accurate blood pressure readings and better results for patients. Their results are reported in the journal PNAS Nexus.

Anyone who has ever had their blood pressure taken will be familiar with the cuff-based method. This type of measurement, also known as the auscultatory method, relies on inflating a cuff around the upper arm to the point where it cuts off blood flow to the lower arm, and then a clinician listens for tapping sounds in the arm through a stethoscope while the cuff is slowly deflated.

Blood pressure is inferred from readings taken from a pressure gauge attached to the deflating cuff. Blood pressure is given as two separate numbers: a maximum (systolic) and a minimum (diastolic) pressure. A blood pressure reading of 120/80 is considered ‘ideal’.

“The auscultatory method is the gold standard, but it overestimates diastolic pressure, while systolic pressure is underestimated,” said co-author Kate Bassil from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering. “We have a good understanding of why diastolic pressure is overestimated, but why systolic pressure is underestimated has been a bit of a mystery.”

“Pretty much every clinician knows blood pressure readings are sometimes wrong, but no one could explain why they are being underestimated — there’s a real gap in understanding,” said co-author Professor Anurag Agarwal, also from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering.

Previous non-clinical studies into measurement inaccuracy used rubber tubes that did not fully replicate how arteries collapse under cuff pressure, which masked the underestimation effect.

The researchers built a simplified physical model to isolate and study the effects of downstream blood pressure — the blood pressure in the part of the arm below the cuff. When the cuff is inflated and blood flow to the lower arm is cut off, it creates a very low downstream pressure. By reproducing this condition in their experimental rig, they determined this pressure difference causes the artery to stay closed for longer while the cuff deflates, delaying the reopening and leading to an underestimation of blood pressure.

This physical mechanism — the delayed reopening due to low downstream pressure — is the likely cause of underestimation, a previously unidentified factor. “We are currently not adjusting for this error when diagnosing or prescribing treatments, which has been estimated to lead to as many as 30% of cases of systolic hypertension being missed,” said Bassil.

Instead of the rubber tubes used in earlier physical models of arteries, the Cambridge researchers used tubes that lay flat when deflated and fully close when the cuff pressure is inflated, the key condition for reproducing the low downstream pressure observed in the body.

The researchers say that there are a range of potential solutions to this underestimation, which include raising the arm in advance of measurement, potentially producing a predictable downstream pressure and therefore predictable underestimation. This change doesn’t require new devices, just a modified protocol.

“You might not even need new devices, just changing how the measurement is done could make it more accurate,” said Agarwal.

However, if new devices for monitoring blood pressure are developed, they might ask for additional inputs which correlate with downstream pressure, to adjust what the ‘ideal’ readings might be for each individual. These may include age, BMI, or tissue characteristics.

The researchers hope to secure funding for clinical trials to test their findings in patients, and are looking for industrial or research partners to help refine their calibration models and validate the effect in diverse populations. Collaboration with clinicians will also be essential to implement changes to clinical practice.

The research was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Anurag Agarwal is a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. 

Reference:
Kate Bassil and Anurag Agarwal. ‘Underestimation of systolic pressure in cuff-based blood pressure measurement.’ PNAS Nexus (2025). DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf222.

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source: www.cam.ac.uk

Bookings are now open for Open Cambridge 2025 (12-21 September). This September the public can enjoy tours of College gardens, exhibitions from hidden archives, tours of University sites not usually open to the public as well as open sites across the city, all free of charge.

With over 70 drop-in and bookable events, Open Cambridge encourages people to discover more about their local history and communities. Taking place over 10 days, here is a preview of some of the events taking place. 

Experience 2 iconic Cambridge sites this September by booking on to guided tours of the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory (MRAO) and the University of Cambridge’s Senate House. At MRAO, discover more about mysterious dishes which are dotted over the Cambridgeshire countryside. You’ll get up close to the One-Mile Telescope, 5-km Ryle Telescope, and the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager as well as see inside some of the control rooms and learn about the unique history of the site and some of the important discoveries made here. In the tours of Senate House, led by the University’s Ceremonial Officer, find out what goes on in this Grade 1 listed building during graduations as well as some of the incredible history to which the building has played host.  

Learn about the experiences of over 2000 Cambridgeshire soldiers who were sent last minute by Churchill to the failed defence of Singapore in WWII in a special talk by Lewis Herbert, former Leader of Cambridge City Council. On the 80th anniversary of the release from Japanese Army slavery of our Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOWs) in September 1945, this talk will pay tribute to them and their families, particularly over 800 locally who never made in home – over 4 in every 10.

This year marks 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen and to celebrate, King’s College Library and Archives are hosting an exhibition showcasing first and early editions of the author’s much-loved novels, alongside the autograph manuscript of her unfinished novel Sanditon and treasures highlighting the Austen family’s connection with the College. This one-day event is a rare opportunity to look inside the College’s beautiful early nineteenth-century library designed by the architect William Wilkins.

Back in May, The Sainsbury Laboratory here in Cambridge were part of a team winning a silver-gilt medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. For Open Cambridge, enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the lab, see some of the award-winning display and have a go at some of the interactive activities the team took to Chelsea.

Try your hand at the world’s fastest growing sport, Padel, in a free 55-minute taster session at the Cambridge University Sports Centre. A fun, sociable mix of tennis and squash, each session is led by a qualified coach and great for beginners, so you’ll learn the rules, try out some shots, and experience what makes padel so popular.

Cambridge Samaritans will be joining Open Cambridge for the first time this year. For over 60 years, they have been there – day or night – for anyone struggling to cope or in distress, offering a safe space to talk without judgement or pressure. Join a special online event to find out more about the work the charity is doing on the helplines and in the local community and discover Samaritans’ unique approach to supporting those in emotional distress and our work in reducing the number of suicides.

Also, in the programme for the first time, are 2 tours of the Biomedical Campus. The first, delivered by Sociologists and residents David Skinner and Will Brown, considers the past, present, and future of the Campus from the perspective of the people who live around it. 

The second tour will explore landmark institutions like Addenbrooke’s and Royal Papworth Hospitals, the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and AstraZeneca’s global HQ as well as give visitors the opportunity to learn about the upcoming Cancer and Children’s Hospitals, world-first surgeries, and the collaborative spirit that drives breakthroughs from bench to bedside. 

Zoe Smith, Open Cambridge Manager, said: “Each year we’re blessed with such an incredible and unique programme of events. From garden and walking tours, to learning more about some of the amazing work our local community organisations undertake, this year’s programme is opening doors to the residents of Cambridge”. 

Jo McPhee, Civic Engagement Manager at the University of Cambridge, said: “Open Cambridge is a great way for our University and local communities to come together and celebrate our shared history and incredible stories behind our spaces, places and people. This year’s programme is full of exciting events that bring those stories to life, showcasing the the depth and diversity of our collective heritage.” 

You can view the full Open Cambridge programme on our website.

Open Cambridge is part of the national Heritage Open Days. It is designed to offer special access to places that are normally closed to the public or charge admission. The initiative provides an annual opportunity for people to discover the local history and heritage of their community. Open Cambridge is run by the Public Engagement team at the University of Cambridge, who also deliver the Cambridge Festival, which takes place each spring. 

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The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright ©University of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

source: www.cam.ac.uk

Bookings are now open for Open Cambridge 2025 (12-21 September). This September the public can enjoy tours of College gardens, exhibitions from hidden archives, tours of University sites not usually open to the public as well as open sites across the city, all free of charge.

With over 70 drop-in and bookable events, Open Cambridge encourages people to discover more about their local history and communities. Taking place over 10 days, here is a preview of some of the events taking place. 

Experience 2 iconic Cambridge sites this September by booking on to guided tours of the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory (MRAO) and the University of Cambridge’s Senate House. At MRAO, discover more about mysterious dishes which are dotted over the Cambridgeshire countryside. You’ll get up close to the One-Mile Telescope, 5-km Ryle Telescope, and the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager as well as see inside some of the control rooms and learn about the unique history of the site and some of the important discoveries made here. In the tours of Senate House, led by the University’s Ceremonial Officer, find out what goes on in this Grade 1 listed building during graduations as well as some of the incredible history to which the building has played host.  

Learn about the experiences of over 2000 Cambridgeshire soldiers who were sent last minute by Churchill to the failed defence of Singapore in WWII in a special talk by Lewis Herbert, former Leader of Cambridge City Council. On the 80th anniversary of the release from Japanese Army slavery of our Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOWs) in September 1945, this talk will pay tribute to them and their families, particularly over 800 locally who never made in home – over 4 in every 10.

This year marks 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen and to celebrate, King’s College Library and Archives are hosting an exhibition showcasing first and early editions of the author’s much-loved novels, alongside the autograph manuscript of her unfinished novel Sanditon and treasures highlighting the Austen family’s connection with the College. This one-day event is a rare opportunity to look inside the College’s beautiful early nineteenth-century library designed by the architect William Wilkins.

Back in May, The Sainsbury Laboratory here in Cambridge were part of a team winning a silver-gilt medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. For Open Cambridge, enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the lab, see some of the award-winning display and have a go at some of the interactive activities the team took to Chelsea.

Try your hand at the world’s fastest growing sport, Padel, in a free 55-minute taster session at the Cambridge University Sports Centre. A fun, sociable mix of tennis and squash, each session is led by a qualified coach and great for beginners, so you’ll learn the rules, try out some shots, and experience what makes padel so popular.

Cambridge Samaritans will be joining Open Cambridge for the first time this year. For over 60 years, they have been there – day or night – for anyone struggling to cope or in distress, offering a safe space to talk without judgement or pressure. Join a special online event to find out more about the work the charity is doing on the helplines and in the local community and discover Samaritans’ unique approach to supporting those in emotional distress and our work in reducing the number of suicides.

Also, in the programme for the first time, are 2 tours of the Biomedical Campus. The first, delivered by Sociologists and residents David Skinner and Will Brown, considers the past, present, and future of the Campus from the perspective of the people who live around it. 

The second tour will explore landmark institutions like Addenbrooke’s and Royal Papworth Hospitals, the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and AstraZeneca’s global HQ as well as give visitors the opportunity to learn about the upcoming Cancer and Children’s Hospitals, world-first surgeries, and the collaborative spirit that drives breakthroughs from bench to bedside. 

Zoe Smith, Open Cambridge Manager, said: “Each year we’re blessed with such an incredible and unique programme of events. From garden and walking tours, to learning more about some of the amazing work our local community organisations undertake, this year’s programme is opening doors to the residents of Cambridge”. 

Jo McPhee, Civic Engagement Manager at the University of Cambridge, said: “Open Cambridge is a great way for our University and local communities to come together and celebrate our shared history and incredible stories behind our spaces, places and people. This year’s programme is full of exciting events that bring those stories to life, showcasing the the depth and diversity of our collective heritage.” 

You can view the full Open Cambridge programme on our website.

Open Cambridge is part of the national Heritage Open Days. It is designed to offer special access to places that are normally closed to the public or charge admission. The initiative provides an annual opportunity for people to discover the local history and heritage of their community. Open Cambridge is run by the Public Engagement team at the University of Cambridge, who also deliver the Cambridge Festival, which takes place each spring. 

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The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright ©University of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

source: www.cam.ac.uk

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has today announced the approval of a new treatment for a form of hereditary blindness for use on the NHS in England. Cambridge researchers played a pivotal role in providing the evidence that led to this important development.

This will bring hope to those who have experienced significant visual loss from this mitochondrial genetic disorderPatrick Yu-Wai-Man

Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) affects around 2,500 people in the United Kingdom.  It causes rapidly progressive loss of vision in both eyes. Within weeks of onset, an affected individual reaches the legal threshold to be considered as severely sight impaired (blind).

The condition tends to affect young men, with a peak age of onset between the ages of 15 and 35 years old, but women can also be affected and the loss of vision can occur at any age.  The prognosis is poor, with only around one in 10 affected individuals experiencing some spontaneous visual improvement, which is invariably partial.

LHON is caused by the loss of retinal ganglion cells, specialised nerve cells in the innermost layer of the retina. The projections, or ‘axons’, from these cells converge to form the optic nerve, the cable that transmits visual information from the eye to the brain. Once these retinal ganglion cells are lost, the damage becomes irreversible. LHON is primarily caused by genetic defects within the mitochondrial genome, which is transmitted down the maternal line. 

In 2011, the journal Brain published the results of a landmark randomised placebo-controlled trial of the drug idebenone to treat LHON. The RHODOS trial was led by Patrick Chinnery, at the time a researcher at Newcastle University and now Professor of Neurology at the University of Cambridge. It found some potential benefit in a subgroup of patients. However, treatment with idebenone was only given for six months, and it was not clear whether there was any benefit in treating individuals who had been affected for more than one year.

“At the time, we had only anecdotal evidence that idebenone would work for patients with LHON,” said Professor Chinnery. “Our clinical trial was the first strong evidence that it could help stabilise vision in some patients. It was an important step towards providing a new treatment.”

One of Professor Chinnery’s collaborators on the RHODOS trial was Patrick Yu-Wai-Man, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Cambridge, who led the follow-up LEROS trial. This assessed the efficacy and safety of idebenone treatment in patients with LHON up to five years after symptom onset and over a treatment period of 24 months. This second trial found that the drug can help stabilise vision in some patients and, in certain cases, may even lead to improvement when treatment is provided within five years of vision being affected.

These studies provided crucial evidence to support the use of idebenone to treat LHON patients. The drug was licensed for limited use by patients in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and it has now been approved by NICE for use in patients aged 12 years and over in England.

Professor Yu-Wai-Man said: “LHON causes devastating visual loss and it is a life-changing diagnosis for the affected individual and their family. England is now in line with the rest of the United Kingdom with idebenone now available through the NHS. This will come as a great relief to the LHON community in this country bringing hope to those who have experienced significant visual loss from this mitochondrial genetic disorder.”

The development has been welcomed by charities that have been arguing for idebenone to be made available across the UK. A LHON Society spokesperson said: “This is a critical step towards full access to idebenone for patients, that may alleviate some of the impacts of LHON.”

Katie Waller, Head of Patient Programmes at The Lily Foundation, a charity that supports patients affected by mitochondrial diseases, said: “This is a huge win for the mito community and we’re proud to have been a key stakeholder throughout the process. While it isn’t a cure, this treatment offers real potential for patients to preserve or improve vision, giving the chance to regain independence, confidence and a better quality of life.”

Idebenone will not work for everyone, and responses vary from person to person. LHON patients are encouraged to speak with the healthcare professional responsible for their care to understand whether idebenone is the right treatment for them.

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The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright ©University of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.