Author Archives: Natasha Little
How does current research culture affect science and scientists?
By Dr Laura Bellingan FSB, Director of Science Policy at the Society of Biology The Nuffield Council on Bioethics have published the report of a project that explored the wide range of influences that act upon science researchers and affect their practice. For researchers, the expectations that they place upon themselves and feel are applied … Continue reading
Autumn Statement promises bright future for UK science
By Dr Supatra Marsh, BBSRC Policy Fellow at the Society of Biology The Chancellor George Osborne’s announcements for science in the Autumn Statement this week included investment in science in the North of the country, new student loans for postgraduate Masters degrees, and Britain taking a lead role in Europe’s ExoMars mission. George Osborne said … Continue reading
Starling Survey: Not just blue skies research!
By Amanda Hardy AMSB, Schools and Colleges Officer at the Society of Biology. Having lived in Kent, I am familiar with the charismatic and sociable starling. I remember seeing starlings huddled in rows on rooftops in the autumn and watching as they fly down to a garden lawn to feed. They land in small groups … Continue reading
Art Neuro: Brain Evolution
By Dr Supatra Marsh, BBSRC Policy Fellow at the Society of Biology, Founder of Art Neuro, and awardee of the Society of Biology Regional Grant Scheme. Art Neuro is a science communication project that aims to inform and excite the public about current neuroscience research through the medium of art. Over the past four months … Continue reading
Gain-of-function experiments: Putting meaning back into words
Professor Simon Wain-Hobson, professor of virology at the Institut Pasteur, will be speaking at Policy Lates on Thursday 20 November: Dodging a Biological Bullet: What can we learn from the US and Europe about biosecurity? The US pause and de facto moratorium on gain-of-function research on the influenza, SARS and MERS viruses provides a welcome … Continue reading
Personalised medicine gets people’s vote
Dr Laura Danielson, Post-Doctoral Training Fellow at the Institute of Cancer Research, recently took part in our Biology: Changing the World debate. As a budding biologist growing up in the northwest corner of the United States, I never imagined that I would be standing at a podium in central London in the middle of a … Continue reading
Can we outsmart malaria? A question of tactics
Dara Annett is a PhD student in the Deu group in the Department of Parasitology, currently at the NIMR until the move to the Crick Institute in 2016 Malaria is one of humankind’s oldest battles. Our understanding has increased rapidly in the last century but there are still around 200 million cases reported per year … Continue reading
Planning the future of UK science – ‘the best job in government’?
By Dr Supatra Marsh, BBSRC Policy Fellow at the Society of Biology At a Science and Technology Committee meeting last week, Chair Andrew Miller MP introduced the new Minister for Universities, Science and Cities, Rt Hon Greg Clark MP as having ‘the best job in government’. Greg Clark spoke passionately about his desire to ‘bring … Continue reading
Biology Week 2014 – was it all worth it?
Jon Kudlick is director of membership, marketing and communications at the Society of Biology The last time I blogged about Biology Week was two weeks before the start of our second one in 2013. Now with our third Biology Week in the bag, and before planning gets under way for next year, we need to … Continue reading
Dual-use for Dummies
Dr Supatra Marsh, BBSRC Policy Fellow at the Society of Biology, is organising Policy Lates: Dodging a biological bullet – what can we learn from the US and Europe about Biosecurity? During my BBSRC science policy fellowship at the Society of Biology I have been organising the next Policy Lates event focussing on dual-use research. … Continue reading