Research

Improving the lives of those with depression

The UK is leading the fight against depression with new approaches to treatment thanks to the University of Exeter. Their research into the accessibility of low-cost, evidence-based treatments for depression has changed how we treat the condition.

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Revolutionising drug management for patients with dementia and Parkinson’s

The Prime Minister has set up a ‘Dementia Challenge’ to transform dementia care, support and research by 2020. Drug trials at Newcastle University have risen to this challenge with dramatic improvements in the quality of life of millions of dementia patients.

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Reducing the economic damage from volcanic ash clouds

The eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull in 2010 wreaked havoc on Europe’s airways. The rapid spread of a huge cloud of ash led to over 100,000 flight cancellations, at a cost estimated at £3 billion. Researchers at the University of Bristol have helped to reduce the likelihood of this happening again.

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Revolutionising industrial material processing

The integration of lasers into optical fibres by pioneering research at the University of Southampton has led to the creation of a new business sector in fibre laser technology and manufacturing, improving production and manufacturing processes for a huge range of industries.

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Maths research delivering life-saving results

Delays in emergency medical wards are a potential waste of time and resources for hospital managers, but more importantly they can cost lives. Researchers at Cardiff University have used mathematical modelling to identify the causes that lie behind the headlines of ambulance delays and A&E queues.

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Detecting bowel cancer early

One million new diagnoses of bowel cancer are made worldwide each year. This human tragedy is costing the NHS more than £1 billion annually. However, a new, simple and cost effective screening test developed by researchers at Imperial College London has proved so effective that this form of cancer could become a rare disease.

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Energy efficiency technologies for our homes

Our homes, and how we live in them, have a significant impact on the environment. The average household creates some six tonnes of CO2 each year, and heating, lighting and power used in domestic buildings produces approximately 27% of the UK’s CO2 emissions. Researchers at the University of Nottingham are developing new technologies to reduce this impact in the future.

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High-tech uses for designer polymers

A new way to grow designer plastics, devised and patented by research chemists at the University of Warwick, is now being tested by major companies for use in a range of products as diverse as hairspray, anti-obesity drugs and inkjet printer ink.

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Innovation in transport systems

The UK has one of the busiest rail networks in Europe. Ensuring that trains and their crews are in the right place, to be able to leave at the right time, is crucial to the network running smoothly. In 2008, Tim Burr, head of the National Audit Office, said that train delays cost the UK economy over £1 billion a year.

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Developing new methods of internet communications

Millions of people worldwide use 3G mobile phone networks to talk, send messages or take part in video-conferencing. These are all based on pioneering research at University College London.

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