Self-harm has become increasingly common among young people in the UK. It can be a significant concern for young people themselves, their families, and the services that support them, and is associated with a range of other psychological difficulties in both the short and long term. This trial follows previous research suggesting that CAT may show promise in helping adults who self-harm.

Dr Peter Taylor, from The University of Manchester and co-lead of the trial, said: “We know that difficulties with self-harm often begin during adolescence, and for some people they can have a lifelong impact. Talking therapies can help. We believe CAT has potential here, but further research is needed.”

Professor Stephen Kellett, from Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust and the other co-lead, added:“CAT is different from many therapies currently used for self-harm, as it focuses more on the relationships young people have with others and with themselves, and how these patterns can contribute to self-harm.”

RELATE-YP is a feasibility trial, meaning it is an early step in testing whether CAT is a suitable treatment for young people who self-harm. The study will explore whether young people find CAT helpful and whether a larger trial would be appropriate.

The trial is currently running across three NHS Foundation Trusts:

1.                  Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

2.                  Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

3.                  Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust

The study is recruiting young people through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Cameron Latham, a co-investigator who also has personal experience of self-harm, commented on why this research is needed: “Self-injury affects the lives of so many people and a brief, effective, available therapy for young people would be a valuable addition to treatment. Throughout this trial part of my role is to further ensure the well-being of those who self-injure and through PPI involvement ensure the voices of patient, parents and carers are heard.”

As the UK prepares for a rapid expansion of tidal energy, (not)NOISY (Propagation of NOISe generated by tidal arraYs and its environmental impacts) will develop the first advanced tools capable of predicting the cumulative underwater noise produced by tidal turbine arrays before they are built.

The research will support industry, regulators and policymakers to strengthen the evidence base used in environmental assessments and enable informed, proportionate decision-making as the sector grows.

Tidal energy is emerging as a key part of the UK’s renewable energy mix. Unlike wind and solar power, which depend on weather conditions, tidal power is highly predictable and can deliver a steady, reliable source of energy day in, day out, making it the perfect complement to other renewable energy.

As the sector scales-up and larger turbine arrays, with 10 devices or more, are planned for deployment, understanding their environmental impacts is becoming increasingly important, particularly potential collision risks with marine macro-fauna and underwater noise. Modelling suggests turbine noise could travel up to 8 km through the ocean.

Lead researcher , Research Fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering and Management at The University of Manchester, said: “Tidal stream energy has enormous potential to support the UK’s Net Zero ambitions, but its long-term success depends on our ability to accurately assess and manage environmental impacts, hence accelerating project permitting and licensing.

“Noise generation is one of the biggest uncertainties facing tidal projects today but tools to estimate cumulative acoustic outputs with high confidence do not yet exist. With tidal arrays expected to grow in number and size, we need tools that can predict their cumulative acoustic footprint prior to deployment. (not)NOISY will provide exactly that.”

The research team will develop advanced high-fidelity computer models and AI-assisted rapid tools that closely replicate real world tidal stream site conditions, allowing researchers to quantify how noise from tidal turbines travels through real marine environments. The model will be applied in both near- and far-wake regions, across different turbine types (floating and bottom-fixed) and environmental conditions at four major European sites – EMEC and in Scotland, Raz Blanchard between France and the Channel Islands and Morlais in Wales.

The findings will lead to the development of PyTAI (Python Tidal-Array Induced acoustics), an open-source, AI-driven tool that will enable rapid prediction of tidal turbine noise under a wide range of operating conditions. The tool will support future environmental impact assessments and contribute to the development of evidence-based policy and regulatory guidance.

Dr Ouro added: “By improving confidence in marine noise prediction, we hope this project will help accelerate the next generation of tidal-stream developments, supporting clean energy growth while protecting marine ecosystems, in order to  foster an industry of national importance.”

(not)NOISY is funded by UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Impact hub and brings together a strong international consortium, including three European turbine manufacturers, UK and French tidal project developers, policymakers and academic partners, ensuring close collaboration between research, industry and regulation.

Published in , the study was mainly funded by the Medical Research Council. Respondents were members of a long-term project on police health at Imperial College London, which also provided infrastructure support for the survey. 

Most UK police officers wear an ear-piece in one ear. The devices are capable of high sound levels so that they can be heard over background noise. Past reports have emphasised that officers must choose low volume-control settings to protect their hearing. 

Until now, there has been no research into the volume settings actually used, or their effects on hearing health. 

The University of Manchester researchers asked 4,498 UK police personnel about their volume-control settings, patterns of ear-piece use, immediate after-effects, and long-term hearing symptoms. 

Over 45% of ear-piece users reported experiencing signs of temporary hearing loss (muffled hearing or ringing in their ear) immediately after using an ear-piece. These after-effects were more common in police who used higher volume-control settings. 

Even more important were links to long-term hearing problems. Ear-piece use accompanied by immediate after-effects more than doubled an officer’s risk of having tinnitus (spontaneously ringing ears, which can indicate permanent hearing damage). It also raised the risk of having diagnosed hearing loss by 93%. 

Crucially, symptoms were much more common in the ear with the ear-piece than the opposite ear, increasing the likelihood that hearing problems were directly linked to ear-piece use. 

The project’s senior advisor, Professor Chris Plack of The University of Manchester, said: “It’s not unusual to experience signs of temporary hearing loss after being in extremely noisy environments, such as nightclubs or concerts. For police to experience these after-effects in the workplace is concerning.” 

The lead researcher, of The University of Manchester, said: “We were surprised that ear-piece use with after-effects was so strongly linked to long-term hearing symptoms. And the fact that symptoms tended to appear in the exposed ear, rather than the opposite ear, is a particularly telling finding.”

But Dr Guest cautioned: “It’s important not to over-interpret our results, since they are based on survey responses. Going forward, laboratory hearing tests are needed to confirm whether ear-piece users have measurable differences between their ears.

“These should include standard clinical hearing tests, like those used by NHS audiologists, but also tests that are sensitive to the early warning signs of hearing damage.”

Professor Plack said: “We also need to understand why officers choose such high volume-control settings. This knowledge could help us find ways to reduce risks to police hearing, such as improved ear-piece technology, training for officers on safe use, and increased monitoring of hearing health.

“Our data aren’t the final word, but they are a notable discovery that warrants further investigation. They point to the need not only for follow-up laboratory testing but also for practical steps to reduce long-term risk.”

Dr Guest added: “We are pleased that key groups within UK policing - including the Disabled Police Association and the Police Chief Medical Officer - have been open to discussing our findings and are keen to explore measures to protect police hearing.”

• The paper, Leveraging monaural exposures to reveal early effects of noise: Evidence from police radio ear-piece use, is published at
• Simple visualisations of the key study findings are available for media professionals and the public at

The researchers found the same pattern of seasonal variation in the highest quality sperm in two very different climates— Denmark and Florida— suggesting that seasonality affects male fertility more than temperature alone.

The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal and has practical implications for male fertility care.

Understanding seasonal patterns, for example, could help clinics optimise the timing of treatment and fertility testing to provide better guidance to couples trying to conceive.

Though scientists have long known that many human biological processes change with the seasons, previous studies on the quality of semen at different times of the year have provided conflicting results due to small sample sizes or differences in climate and laboratory methods from study to study.

To address that, this new study analysed semen samples from 15,581 men applying to be sperm donors between 2018 and 2024.

The men were aged 18 to 45 and lived near Cryos International clinics in Denmark and Florida.

All samples were analysed within an hour using the same computer assisted system to ensure consistent measurement.

The team examined sperm concentration, sperm motility (how well sperm can swim and move forward), and ejaculate volume across all months of the year.

They also looked at outdoor temperatures during the month the sperm was collected and two months earlier, when early sperm development begins.

Advanced statistical models were used to identify seasonal trends while accounting for the man’s age, outdoor temperatures, and long-term changes across the study period.

The results revealed strong and consistent seasonal variation in the concentration of progressively motile sperm.

Fast‑moving sperm were most abundant in June and July in both Denmark and Florida.

Levels were lowest in December and January, even though Florida remains warm year round.

The study found no seasonal changes in total sperm concentration or ejaculate volume, suggesting the number of sperm produced does not vary by season, though their ability to move effectively does.

The number of motile sperm per ejaculate also followed a seasonal pattern, even after accounting for temperature, indicating that factors other than heat—such as variation in lifestyle, daylight, or environmental exposures—may influence sperm motility.

Co-author P from The University of Manchester said: “We were struck by how similar the seasonal pattern was in two completely different climates.

“Even in Florida, where temperatures stay warm, sperm motility still peaked in summer and dipped in winter, which tells us that ambient temperature alone is unlikely to explain these changes.”

He added: “Our study highlights the importance of considering seasonality when evaluating semen quality. It also shows that seasonal variation in sperm motility occurs even in warm climates. These findings deepen our understanding of male reproductive health and may help improve fertility outcomes.”

Medical director at Cryos international, Anne-Bine Skytte said: “These data suggest that the month of the year when a man first attends a clinic to be evaluated as a sperm donor, will impact on the quality of the sample he produces and therefore may influence the chances of him being accepted as a donor.

“Having an ejaculate that contains a high number of swimming sperm is one of the main characteristics we look for when deciding whether he is suitable or not.

• The paper Seasonal trends in sperm quality in Denmark and Florida is available https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-026-01537-w

The University of Manchester and Calgary researchers publish their study today in the Journal of Health Economics amid a backdrop of dwindling numbers of GPs practice owners-known as partners.

That, say the researchers, puts the managerial and financial burden of operating a practice on increasingly smaller numbers of GPs, with a heightened consequential risk of burnout and stress.

It is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit (PRU) in Health and Social Care Systems and Commissioning.

Practices in the UK are generally owned and operated by one or more self-employed independent contractors referred to as partners.

Under most general practice contracts with the NHS, there must be at least one General Practitioner (GP) partner at a practice; however, not all partners need to be GPs.

One potential way to provide a sustainable alternative structure for general practice they say, could be non-clinical ownership with practice managers as partners.

The managers, responsible for administration, HR, and financial management, typically handle the business and operational aspects of the practice and do not usually have medical training.

By 2022, the number of practices reporting they had a manager partner had grown to 335, from 0 in 2015, serving 7% of patients registered at general practices in England.

Based on analysis of data from England’s 37,660 practice-years from 5,026 general practices between 2015 and 2023, the researchers use a range of sources to investigate the impact of non-clinical ownership stakes on key primary care outcomes.

They found that appointing a manager partner leads to significant increases in full-time equivalent (FTE) direct patient care staff, excluding GPs and nurses, as well as administrative staff numbers and total patient list size.

Practices that appoint a manager partner were found to be more sustainable because they were less likely to subsequently merge or close.

There were no significant impacts on numbers of GP or nurse staff, GP turnover, quality of care, patients’ satisfaction and access. And income from reimbursement for non-core services, such as local or direct enhanced service, quality outcome framework payments, and medication administration payments,  were higher following appointment of a practice manager as a partner.

Co -author from The University of Manchester said: “Our study shows shared GP and manager partnership has the potential to reduce risk of closure of practices while easing GP partners financial and administrative burden.”

“This ownership model is feasible within many other healthcare systems, where physicians may seek to share with non-clinical colleagues the financial and administrative burden associated with operating practices.”

Co-author Dr Sean Urwin from The University of Manchester, said: “As the number of GP partners continues to decrease, the managerial and financial burden of operating a practice is placed upon an increasingly smaller number of GPs.

“While not a like-for-like substitute for GPs, we argue that non-GP partners can alleviate some partnership burdens and offer additional managerial skills.

“Our analysis also indicates that manager partners offer a potential route for smaller practices to retain their independence rather than being integrated into larger organizations.”

Co-author Dr Ben walker from the University of Calgary, Canada, said: “The appointment as of practice managers as partners may offer a number of benefits.

“The increase in direct patient care staff in practices that appoint manager partners could be indicative of the manager’s efforts to improve the organisational efficiency and performance of the practice.

“With expertise in business planning, they may be better placed and more incentivised to maximise income, leaving more time for GPs to concentrate ion patient care and even potentially slowing the decline in GP partner retention.

“But also, manager partners’ skills in HR and financial planning may improve staff organisation and recruitment.”

• The paper Shared Stakes in English General Practice: The Impact of Practice Managers as Partners on Outcomes is available  

Although focused on Mexico, the findings have global relevance as countries accelerate restoration pledges and international initiatives led by organisations such as the United Nations. The researchers hope their work will help policymakers to design fairer, more effective restoration strategies, ensuring that efforts to restore nature also strengthen communities and deliver lasting benefits for people and the planet.

DOI:

The , authored by the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub at The University of Manchester, explores the consequences of terminology choices on end-of-life solutions for plastic waste. While recycling has long been touted as a solution for plastic sustainability - it comes in many forms, and can sometimes serve as a smokescreen for genuine discussions around sustainability.

The researchers, Seiztinger, Lahive, and Shaver, find directional terms - such as ‘upcycling’ and ‘downcycling’ - to be poorly defined as value propositions, and that their use can skew perceptions of the benefits, potentially posing barrier to circularity.

‘Downcycling’, for instance, implies the production of a less favourable or ‘less good’ material as the end product of the recycling process, while ‘upcycling’ has positive connotations. However, despite what these terms suggest, a ‘downcycled’ stream may produce a high value product, while an ‘upcycled’ path may have a greater negative environmental impact than alternative routes.

Using these terms assigns disproportionate value to certain end-of-life plastic solution strategies, and can be used by supporters or detractors of different recycling technologies to obscure genuine evaluation of their environmental impact.

The study, published in the journal , suggests that plastic waste solutions consistently fail to live up to their marketed messaging, and that clearer communication of the true value of the product from a recycling process is essential to drive investment in proper plastic waste management. Corresponding author, Professor of Polymer Science at The University of Manchester, said: “The confused terminology surrounding the fate of waste plastic often lacks a consideration of value and unintended consequences. As these terms are now being used to promote technologies outside of a sustainable system, we felt it important to argue for clarity and caution when presuming quality from this directional terminology.”

The researchers argue that no single solution offers a quick fix, and that it is wrong for the terminology to suggest otherwise. They call for greater clarity over how we value end-products. They suggest a ‘spiral system’ of reuse, in which plastic materials are treated as complex mixtures that, like crude oil, can be chemically deconstructed at the end of their life and transformed to become a huge range of longer-lasting products over their lifetime.

For example, a yoghurt pot could be reconstituted into car parts, and then after that into a park bench. Ultimately, after many years of service, it could be chemically deconstructed, and turned back into a yoghurt pot. As the polypropylene in such simple packaging is already used in cars, hard shell suitcases, garden furniture, appliances, and plumbing, a cross-sector approach to reuse of plastic waste could generate more value than an approach focused solely on single-use packaging.

By moving away from direction-loaded terminology, researchers suggest that plastic waste solutions can be judged on the measurable environmental and economic value of the end-products, rather than an assumed or subjective value based on language, that is not always supported by full life-cycle assessment or economic analysis.

Dr Claire Seitzinger added: “Building a circular plastics economy means looking at the whole system, not isolated solutions pitched against each other. Policy, industry, innovation and collaboration across sectors are essential for a sustainable future. The next time you eat a yoghurt, where do you want the pot to end up? Should it become another yoghurt pot? A park bench? A car? What is best? And what should you, the packaging producer, or the government do to make that to happen?”

Paper details:

Journal: Cambridge Prisms: Plastics 

Full title: Up, down and back again: Value judgements in polymer recycling

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/plc.2026.10041.pr1

DOI:  

A short report for national government will be produced following the event, drawing on the insights of all participants. It will set out what linked administrative data can achieve, what infrastructure already exists across the North to support it, and what policy action is needed to scale it nationally.

In a new study by University of Manchester scientists published in , researchers aimed to uncover why these treatments fail for some individuals. To do this, the team analysed blood samples from people living with MG and compared them to those of healthy volunteers to understand the underlying cellular differences that drive standard therapy resistance.

A Pattern of Immune Imbalance
The study revealed distinct immune system abnormalities in patients with refractory MG. These patients showed an overactive adaptive immune response, specifically involving increased numbers of memory B cells.

At the same time, the researchers found that regulatory T cells—which normally act as a ‘braking system’ to suppress excessive inflammation—were markedly reduced. This combination of an overactive attack and a weakened braking system contributes to significant immune dysregulation.

The research also identified changes in the innate immune system, including reduced dendritic cells and increased monocytes, along with heightened activity of the complement system, all pointing to ongoing immune-mediated damage at the neuromuscular junction.

Predicting Treatment Response
The team also examined a small group of refractory patients treated with rituximab, a drug designed to remove B cells. Although B cells were successfully reduced in all patients, only some showed meaningful clinical improvement.

The study found that those who did not respond appeared to have a version of the disease driven by long-lived plasma cells and particularly high complement activity. This discovery suggests that these specific patients may benefit more from therapies that target the complement pathway rather than just B cells.

“For patients whose symptoms do not improve with existing treatments, the lack of clear answers can be incredibly frustrating,” said , Neurology Consultant at Manchester Centre for Clinical Neuroscience. “Our findings help explain why some therapies work for certain patients but not others, and point toward more personalised approaches that could improve outcomes in the future.”

“Our study identifies a distinct immune signature associated with treatment-resistant myasthenia gravis,” said , UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the  and lead author of the paper. “Understanding these immune differences brings us closer to predicting how patients will respond to therapy and to developing more targeted, personalised treatment approaches.”

• Lymphocyte alterations and elevated complement signaling are key features of refractory myasthenia gravis published in . DOI: 

The second half goes here

Published in the journal European Urology Oncology today (20/02/26), the researchers show men with learning disabilities are 35% more likely than similar aged men without learning disabilities to have prostate cancer symptoms but 34% less likely to have a diagnostic PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test. 

The study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC). The research team is supported by both the NIHR GM PSRC and the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). 

Following an elevated PSA, referrals are 17% less likely, biopsies 46% less likely and prostate cancer diagnoses 49% less likely. 

They were almost six times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer on the date of death, 79% more likely to present with metastatic disease at an advanced stage and had a two-fold increased risk of death following diagnosis. 

And they were also 61% more likely to have missing Gleason scores, the grading system used to evaluate prostate cancer based on how cancer cells look under a microscope. 

However, when prostate cancer was diagnosed at a localised stage and deemed to require treatment, men with learning disabilities received curative therapies at similar rates to those without. This suggests that the benefits of early diagnosis apply equally to this group.

The study population comprised 29,554 men with a learning disability compared to 518,739 men with no recorded diagnosis of a learning disability, linked to hospital, mortality, and cancer registry data. 

Lead author Dr Oliver Kennedy a clinical lecturer from The University of Manchester and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust said: “Learning disabilities are increasingly recognised as a hidden driver of cancer mortality. However, evidence on prostate cancer care in this population is limited. 

“This study is the first to identify specific points along the prostate cancer diagnostic and treatment pathway that may contribute to poorer outcomes for patients with a learning disability.” 

And co-author , director of the NIHR Greater Manchester PSRC and professor at The University of Manchester, said: “Learning – or intellectual - disability is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition characterised by significant impairments in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour, with onset in childhood. 

“In the UK, 1.5 million people have a learning disability. This group frequently encounters barriers within healthcare services, including communication difficulties, not doing enough to remove barriers, and the overshadowing of new symptoms on existing  health conditions. 

“Men with a learning disability face disparities across the prostate cancer care pathway, from investigation of relevant symptoms to survival after diagnosis. Targeted interventions are needed to address these inequities.”

Dr Kennedy added: “Addressing these health disparities has been recognised as a priority by the NHS Long Term Plan, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, and the Learning from Lives and Deaths programme in England.

“We hope our study provides strong evidence that prostate cancer should be part of that conversation

Jon Sparkes OBE, Chief Executive of learning disability charity Mencap, said: “Too many men with a learning disability are being let down by a health system that doesn’t spot their cancers early enough or support them to navigate complex treatments.

“This important research into what is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK should be a wake-up call: with the right reasonable adjustments, accessible information and specialist support, these inequalities are not inevitable.

“T����dzܲ��� we’re working with health partners across the UK to get more people on the Learning Disability Register. Being on the register means they’ll receive free annual health checks and support in the way they need it, so health problems can be spotted and treated earlier.

“But we can’t do this alone. We need the NHS, government and cancer services to join us in making inclusive health a priority – acting on this evidence and putting the right support in place at every stage of the cancer pathway.”

Natalia Norori, Head of Data & Evidence at Prostate Cancer UK, said: "The results of this paper are deeply concerning. It sheds light on the stark inequalities men with learning disabilities face at every stage of the pathway - from diagnosis, to treatment and even death.

"This issue goes beyond prostate cancer, but by understanding the impact of these inequalities in the most common cancer in the UK, we can begin to tackle it.

"More work now needs to be done to understand more about why these men are facing so many obstacles to accessing care and how to prevent them. That's why Prostate Cancer UK's TRANSFORM screening trial has been specifically designed to evaluate the impact of screening in all men, including those with learning disabilities, to ensure no man is left behind."

• The paper Prostate Cancer Care in Men with an Intellectual Disability: A Population-Based Cohort ������ýAPP�� of Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Survival is  available DOI : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euo.2026.01.004

The landmark licensing agreement was announced at a celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Cypriot university this week (18 Feb) in Limassol.

The University of Manchester’s School of Medical Sciences programme will be used as a model to develop a new offering to teach undergraduate medical students at a new medical school in 2028, with a new building planned at the Limassol campus.

The agreement is testament to the quality of medical education at Manchester which can trace its roots way back over 250 years.

It is also reflects the university’s commitment to  social responsibility by helping to reduce the global deficit of health professionals.

The University of Manchester will provide training to support staff at Frederick University working with two private hospitals in Limassol: Ygia hospital and the Mediterranean Hospital of Cyprus to deliver clinical placements for the Frederick University medical students.

The programme is being thoughtfully adapted to reflect the healthcare priorities, regulatory framework, and cultural context of Cyprus, ensuring that graduates are prepared to meet local and regional medical needs while benefiting from an internationally respected academic framework.

The programme, which is still being finalised, will be submitted to the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education.

Manchester, one of the UK’s leading centres for medical education, research, and clinical excellence, will provide ongoing support and training for each academic year.

Deputy Dean and Deputy Vice President of the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at The University of Manchester, Professor Allan Pacey and Professor Margaret Kingston,  Director of Undergraduate Medical and Dental Studies, were at the celebration.

Professor Pacey said: “As one of the United Kingdom’s largest and most innovative medical schools, we are delighted to announce this partnership.

“Based in one of Europe’s largest healthcare hubs in Manchester, our medical students benefit from early patient contact, world-class teaching hospitals, and a curriculum grounded in innovation, compassion, and evidence-based practice.

“Graduates leave not only as highly skilled clinicians, but as leaders ready to shape the future of global healthcare.

“We are delighted to be able to share our experience with Frederick University so they will be able to nurture their own world class medics in Cyprus.”

Professor Tony Heagerty, Head of the School of Medical Sciences said: “The University of Manchester,  founded as a civic university, has had a historic focus on social responsibility and this partnership has been built on a foundation of those shared values.  

“Our agreement between School of Medical Sciences and Frederick University  reflects our part in helping to reduce the global deficit of health professionals.

“And It aligns with the university's commitment to ensuring teaching can make a positive, ethical, and lasting impact on society.

“In Frederick, we recognise a partner which is also focused on making a difference in Cyprus and the rest of the world.”

President of the Council of Frederick University, Natassa Frederickou said: “We are honoured to partner with The University of Manchester in this landmark collaboration, which marks an important milestone for Frederick University and for the development of medical education in Cyprus.

“The establishment of the first Medical School in Limassol reflects the shared long-term vision of Frederick University and The University of Manchester to advance medical education and research in the region. This partnership is grounded in a common commitment to academic excellence, social responsibility, and global impact.

“By sharing the curriculum approach, academic philosophy, and rigorous standards associated with one of the world’s leading medical schools, we will offer education of international calibre. Together, we aim to educate future doctors who combine scientific expertise with compassion, while strengthening healthcare systems and advancing medical research for the benefit of society. This partnership is built on shared values, and we are proud to take this significant step forward together.”

The briefing – drawing on research and insights from academics at The University of Manchester– finds that healthcare in prisons is fragmented across the health and justice departments, with responsibility split between multiple agencies and service providers and no single body in charge. Poor coordination between the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Justice and healthcare providers continues to undermine the quality and continuity of care available to prisoners.

This lack of joined-up working is compounded by severe pressures in the prison system itself. Overcrowding, staff shortages and an ageing, crumbling prison estate are making it harder to deliver basic healthcare and are contributing to poor health outcomes among prisoners. On average, people in prison have a life expectancy more than 20 years lower than the general population. While around 70% of prisoners are estimated to need mental health support, only around 10% are recorded as receiving treatment.[1]

Supporting people’s underlying health needs has been identified as a critical component of reducing reoffending. Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, highlighted offending and reoffending are strongly linked to health, with the greatest risks occur at moments of transition: entry into prison, transfers between facilities, and after release.[2]

The pressures within the system are only set to get worse, due to an ageing prison population. Nearly 1 in 4 prisoners is now aged 50 or over, a group with complex and chronic health needs that prisons were never designed to meet.[3] Deaths from natural causes among older prisoners have increased over the past decades, yet access to appropriate care, including palliative and end-of-life support, remains inconsistent.

The SMF warns that without reform, the prison health system will continue to miss the chance to break cycles of ill health, disadvantage and crime.

To address these challenges, the Social Market Foundation sets out four key priorities for government, including:

• establishing a sustainable, long-term funding settlement for prison healthcare;
• improving coordination and integration between health services, justice agencies and service providers;
• prioritising prevention and early intervention; and
• strengthening cross-government oversight of prisoner health.

Jake Shepherd, Senior Researcher at the Social Market Foundation, said: "Healthcare is a human right – that includes people in prison. Many prisoners enter custody in poor health, and weaknesses in the system mean health outcomes in prison are consistently worse than in the wider population. While investing in prison health may not be politically popular, it brings wider public health benefits and can help reduce reoffending, leading to long-term savings. Prison health is therefore not just a moral issue, but a practical one”.

“The Government should start by investing more, focusing on prevention, and improving how organisations work together on prisoner healthcare, to make prisons safer places that support healthy lives and rehabilitation.”

, Senior Research Fellow in Social Care and Society at The University of Manchester said: “This report from Policy@Manchester and the Social Market Foundation identifies the systemic barriers that prevent people living in prison from accessing the health and social care they need. Health and social care in prisons should be on an equivalent footing to services provided in the community, but research at The University of Manchester shows this is consistently not the case. 

“Poor health amongst people living in prison is the product of overstretched systems, deteriorating environments, and long‑standing inequalities that follow people into prison. Crucially, this work highlights the growing health needs of older people and women of all ages living in prison. Addressing these issues will deliver benefits far beyond the prison walls, and policymakers should act on the evidence-led recommendations this report provides.” 

• The SMF report will be published at   

[1] Mental Health in Prison.

[2] The Health of People in Prison, on Probation, and in the Secure NHS Estate in England (Department of Health and Social Care and Ministry of Justice, 2025).

[3] ^cx The Health of People in Prison, on Probation, and in the Secure NHS Estate in England.

Earth-observation satellites are increasingly relied upon to support efforts to meet the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing critical data on issues like land use, urban development, ecosystems and disaster response. However, the rapid growth of satellite missions is also making Earth’s orbits more crowded and hazardous, increasing the risk of collisions and the creation of long-lasting space debris.

There are currently around 11,800 active satellites in orbit, but some predictions suggest that number could rise to more than 100,000 by the end of the decade. Collisions in space can generate large amounts of debris, threatening satellites, astronauts and the long-term usability of key orbital regions.

The new model, which links satellite mission objectives with collision risk as a key first step in mission design, is presented in the journal .

Lead author , PhD researcher at The University of Manchester, said: “Our research addresses what is described as a “space sustainability paradox”, the risk that using satellites to solve environmental and social challenges on Earth could ultimately undermine the long-term sustainability of space itself.

“By integrating collision risk into early mission design, we ensure Earth-observation missions can be planned more responsibly, balancing data quality with the need to protect the orbital environment.”

Many applications that support the SDGs rely on very high-resolution satellite imagery. To achieve this level of detail, satellites often operate at lower altitudes, which reduces their field of view. Alternatively, they can operate at higher altitudes but must be larger and heavier to carry bigger optical systems. This increases their exposure to space debris and makes collisions more likely and potentially more damaging.

The new modelling framework allows satellite performance requirements and collision risk to be considered together during mission design, rather than being assessed separately or late in development.

The approach links mission requirements, such as image resolution and coverage, with estimates of satellite size, mass, the numbers of satellites in a constellation, and the level of debris present in different regions of low Earth orbit. This allows designers to explore how different mission choices affect both data quality and collision risk.

Using the model, the researchers found that collision risk does not simply peak where debris is most concentrated - satellite size also plays a major role. For example, for a satellite designed to deliver 0.5 metre resolution imagery, collision probability was highest between 850 and 950 kilometres above Earth - about 50 kilometres higher than the peak in debris density.

The study also found that although higher orbits require fewer satellites to achieve coverage, those satellites carry a greater individual collision risk because they are much larger. Lower orbits need more satellites, but each one can be smaller and therefore less hazardous.

Dr , Lecturer in Aerospace Systems at The University of Manchester, said: “As satellite use continues to grow, our method offers a practical way to ensure that space remains safe, sustainable and usable for generations to come, while still delivering the data needed to address the world’s most pressing challenges.”

, Professor of Space Technology at The University of Manchester, added: “The method could also be adapted for different Earth-observation systems and expanded to include more detailed space-environment impacts. In future work, we could account for how long debris fragments stay in orbit, how likely they are to hit other satellites, and the wider environmental effects of satellite re-entry. This would allow mission designers to evaluate trade-offs across the full sustainability picture.”

This research was published in the journal Advances in Space Research

Full title: Collision risk from performance requirements in Earth observation mission design

DOI:

“Faster access to emergency funding, more resilient supply chains and better disaster planning could help prevent payment delays from turning into job losses and business failures.” 

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The test, say the researchers, could identify individuals at risk of the condition which is typified by loss of muscle mass and strength as well as an overall poorer quality of life. 

The study, published in the journal PLOS Med today (12/02/26) and  funded by Kidney Research UK and the Donal O'Donoghue Renal Research Centre”, is the first large scale study to demonstrate the viability of the test -  called  creatinine muscle index (CMI) in CKD. 

The researchers created CMI by combining two routine blood tests, creatinine and cystatin C. 

While both tests used to assess kidney function, creatinine levels are influenced by how much muscle a person has, whereas cystatin C is not. 

By comparing the two, the researchers were able to use this difference to estimate a person’s risk of muscle loss and therefore sarcopenia. 

Because kidney disease affects how creatinine is processed, scientists did not know if CMI would work well in people with CKD. 

However, the study shows that CMI remains independently associated with both muscle function and survival. 

The test could enable earlier detection of sarcopenia, allowing patients to start proven interventions—such as resistance exercise training and protein supplementation—sooner, and potentially lower their risk of death.

The study included 2,930 adults with non-dialysis CKD from 16 kidney centres across the UK  between July 2017 and September 2019.

Participants had their CMI and muscle function in terms of grip strength and walking speed measured and were followed up for a median of 50 months.

In both men and women, lower CMI  - indicating lower muscle mass-   was linked to weaker hand grip strength, slower walking speed and a higher risk of sarcopenia.

Higher CMI was also linked to a lower risk of death. The average CMI in men and women was 864 mg/day and 704 mg/day. For every 100 mg/day per 1.73 m² increase in CMI The risk of death fell by 15% in men and 23% in women.

And CMI outperformed other cystatin C–creatinine–based measures in predicting mortality and sarcopenia.

Lead author Dr is both a researcher at The University of Manchester and a kidney doctor at Salford Royal Hospital, part of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

He said: “Sarcopenia, in people with chronic kidney disease is  associated with increased mortality, poorer self-reported health-related quality of life, and reduced functional status.

“Simple identification of sarcopenia should be routinely undertaken in people with CKD, not only because of its association with adverse outcomes but also due to the availability of interventions that can reverse it in people with CKD.

“That could have significant implications on patient wellbeing.

“Our findings also highlight CMI’s superiority over alternative tests, and provides exciting evidence for  its potential as a blood-based biomarker of sarcopenia and mortality risk.”

NURTuRE-CKD is a prospective, multicentre cohort study of people with non-dialysis CKD in the U.K

The paper Associations of Creatinine Muscle Index with Markers of Sarcopenia and Mortality in 1 Chronic Kidney Disease: A Prospective Cohort ������ýAPP�� is available

The global list recognises individuals whose work is transforming the future of medicine and public health.

Professor Bigger, now based at The University of Edinburgh, is internationally regarded for pioneering a novel gene therapy for Hunter syndrome, a rare and potentially life‑threatening inherited condition that affects young children.

The disease causes a progressive, dementia‑like decline alongside severe deterioration of organ systems, placing immense emotional and physical strain on families.

For decades, congenital genetic diseases like Hunter syndrome have faced limited treatment options.

Because they affect relatively small numbers of children, they have historically received less attention from drug developers, leaving families with few therapeutic avenues and little hope for long‑term improvement. However, Professor Bigger’s research helped shift the  landscape.

His work focuses on delivering a missing gene—responsible for producing a critical enzyme—into patients' own blood stem cells, which engraft in the bone marrow and brain. The enzyme is also tagged with a peptide to improve uptake into the brain where it is needed, a challenge that has long hindered progress in treating neurodegenerative childhood disorders.

The therapy aims not only to slow the disease but to fundamentally alter its trajectory.

In February 2025, a boy from California became the first patient in the world to receive infusions of the gene therapy developed in Bigger’s laboratory as part of an early‑stage clinical study.

Now three years old, he has shown sustained improvement, offering new optimism for families affected by the condition and marking a milestone in the field of paediatric gene therapy.

Professor Bigger said: “It came as a tremendous surprise and honour to receive this recognition from TIME. I am humbled to be included in such an esteemed group of innovators and leaders, who are impacting and advancing the world of health.

“This recognition really belongs to the hard work of so many colleagues in Manchester and Edinburgh, as well as collaborators, patient organisations and families, scientists and clinicians, academia and industry, working together to make our stem cell gene therapies for childhood dementia a reality.

“I hope this recognition will mean that we can help more families with these devastating diseases through innovative stem cell and gene therapies for dementia and beyond.”

DOI:

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The discovery, published in the journal eLife today (insert date), sheds light on how animals integrate sensory information to guide reproduction and has, say the researchers, general implications on understanding the brains’ role in reproduction. 

When male fruit flies mate, they transfer a molecule called sex peptide (SP) to the female. 

This molecule triggers two key changes: females reject courting males who want to mate again, and they lay more eggs. 

Although scientists have known about SP for years, until now the precise neurons in the female nervous system that respond have remained a mystery. 

The  findings suggest that the brain allows females to fine‑tune their responses to mating depending on their internal state and environmental conditions — helping them maximise the chances of reproductive success. 

Lead author, Dr Mohanakarthik Nallasivan, from the University of Birmingham said: “Reproductive behaviours are hardwired in the brain, rather than learned. So if we can understand this behavioural pathway, we may be able to influence it. 

“Knowing the exact nerve cells that drive key behavioural changes in female fruit flies after they mate is a very important step along that path. 

“This knowledge could, for example,  help develop methods to restrict the ability of malaria carrying female Anopheles mosquitoes to mate, which precedes the blood-meal.”

������ýAPP��-lead from The University of Manchester added: “The fruit fly was the first organism with a fully sequenced genome. Now, in 2022, it is the first brain to have all its neurons catalogued and synaptic connections mapped”.

“We now have the resources available to learn how behaviour is encoded in the brain and influenced by decision making processes”.

“This pioneering work has implications for increasing our understanding of how our own brains work, particularly those behaviours that are ‘hard wired’, or built into our neural circuitry.”

To identify the neurons, the research team attached the sex peptide pheromone, that normally circulates in the insects’ blood after mating, to the cell-membrane on the outside of neurons.

When such membrane-tethered sex-peptide is expressed in the same nerve cell as its receptor, post-mating behaviours will be triggered.

To understand how the brain responds to the sex peptide, the scientists explored the complex genetic framework of key reproductive genes involved in sex determination, resulting in male or female offspring.

By combining genetic tools that mark a handful of neurons controlled by reproductive genes, the scientists identified two distinct sets of interneurons — one in the brain and one in the abdominal nerve centre — that regulate the behaviours.

The approach allowed them to pinpoint the neurons that detect the sex peptide, which they named Sex Peptide Response‑Inducing Neurons (SPRINz).

Further mapping of the neural circuits showed that SPRINz receive signals from sensory‑processing neurons and send outputs along two separate pathways.

Artificially activating SPRINz in the brain induced post‑mating behaviours, effectively mimicking a command. This demonstrates that sex‑peptide‑responsive neurons act as central hubs, integrating sensory cues and coordinating the female’s behavioural decisions after mating.

• A draft of the paper, Sex-peptide targets distinct higher order processing neurons in the brain to induce the female post-mating response  is available

Lauren Caulfield, a student at the University of Manchester, was named winner of the Outstanding Contribution to Pregnancy Loss and Bereavement Care category at the RCM Awards ceremony in London on Friday 6 February.

Lauren decided to become a midwife after the heartbreaking loss of her daughter and has since become a passionate advocate for improving how families are supported after pregnancy loss.

Her lived experience led her to co-design a digital bereavement clinical placement, created to help student midwives learn even when they may not encounter bereavement care during placements. The programme uses guidance, real parent stories and scenario-based learning to help students develop the language, confidence and sensitivity needed to care for bereaved families.

Since it launched, it has already supported more than 100 students and is now being evaluated during a pilot across multiple universities.

The judges praised Lauren’s clear message that bereavement care should be part of every midwife’s training, not treated as a separate specialty. She has worked closely with parents and charities including the baby loss charity Sands to make sure education reflects what families really need, and has helped create practical, accessible learning tools to build confidence for students and staff.

Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the RCM, said: “Lauren has taken a deeply personal experience and turned it into practical change that will help families across the UK. Her work is thoughtful, compassionate and focused on giving student midwives and staff the confidence to provide sensitive, consistent bereavement care. She is a hugely deserving winner.”

Speaking at the event after winning her award, Lauren said: “It’s really amazing to be recognised for the work I’ve been doing. I just really hope all the work I’m doing supports all the families across the country to make sure there is amazing and consistent bereavement care for every family.”

Margaret Walsh, Lead Midwife for Education and Dr Helen White, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at the University of Manchester, said: “Congratulations to Lauren on winning this prestigious award. We are proud that Lauren has been recognised for her strong commitment to improving the support and care of women who have experienced pregnancy loss. Lauren has dedicated both her passion and commitment to improving bereavement care, using her creativity and innovation to find ways to support those who care for bereaved women and families.”

The RCM Awards are held annually and honour outstanding individuals in maternity care who have made a positive impact on women, babies and their families, showcasing world-class midwifery standards.

• image shows Lauren, second left, with awards host Suzi Ruffell, RCM Scotland director Jaki Lambert, RCM president Sophie Russell and RCM Chief Executive Gill Walton.

The research, conducted by , placed Manchester first followed by Birmingham, Nottingham, Warwick and University College London. Manchester formerly placed second in the rankings in the report’s 2025 edition. 

Manchester has reclaimed the top spot, reaffirming its position as the most highly targeted university by the UK’s leading graduate employers in an increasingly competitive market. 

The Graduate Market is an annual review of the graduate job market, with this year’s report based on research completed in December 2025 with 100 of the UK’s leading graduate employers.  

Researchers identified the top five institutions which attract the most top graduate employers to university careers fairs, on-campus employers’ presentations, careers service promotions and other locally-run publicity throughout 2025-2026.  

On average, the number of universities targeted by employers averaged around 23 in the latest academic year. This ranking demonstrates how Manchester graduates remain a priority target for employers in the face of a challenging graduate job market. 

The top 100 employers reduced graduate hiring again in 2025 (–5.1%) and are forecasting a further slight dip in 2026 (–0.5%), bringing vacancies to their lowest level since 2012.

The University of Manchester places consistently in the top 100 of world universities across a number of rankings, most recently placing ninth in the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2026. In the QS Rankings for Employability, The University of Manchester ranks fourth for Employment Outcomes and third place for Employer Reputation in the Russell Group.

Manchester was also recognised among the top 100 globally across 10 subject areas in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026 by Subject. 

Other rankings for The University of Manchester are available here. 

As large language models such as ChatGPT and Gemini have rapidly improved in recent years, many widely used benchmarks have become less informative. In 2023, leading models were found to pass the and, separately, in 2025, achieved gold medal-level performance on , achieving over 80% accuracy.

Now, two Manchester mathematicians, Dr Cesare Giulio Ardito and Dr Igor Chernyavsky, have joined nearly 1,000 expert contributors worldwide to create a multidisciplinary academic test called “” (HLE), which sets AI systems a fresh challenge.

The test consists of 2,500 rigorously reviewed questions spanning dozens of disciplines, from mathematics and the natural sciences to humanities. Questions are deliberately precise, closed-ended and resistant to simple internet search or memorisation, with some using both textual and image data.

Every question in HLE was tested against leading AI models before inclusion. If an AI system could answer a question correctly at the time the benchmark was designed, it was rejected.

The study, now published in , found they passed fewer than 10% of the HLE questions when the dataset was first released in early 2025, despite scoring above 80% on more conventional benchmarks.

Although the rapid pace of AI development has enabled some systems to significantly improve their scores in less than a year, the top-ranked models still reach just below 40%. The results also show that many AI systems still frequently express high confidence in incorrect answers to the HLE questions. However, their capability in self-assessing knowledge gaps has gradually improved.

said: “I'm happy that the University of Manchester is represented among contributors from all over the world. This was a human team effort and, so far, we appear to still have an edge.”

Although this new AI benchmark only measures performance on closed-ended, expert-level questions at the frontier of current knowledge, the authors hope it will help identify remaining limitations and potentially capture emerging generalist research capabilities.

This research was published in the journal Nature

Full title: A benchmark of expert-level academic questions to assess AI capabilities

DOI:  

This research by The University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) scientists is the first of its kind to show people who stop using a prescribed treatment for COPD are at significantly higher risk of exacerbations than expected for their disease.

COPD is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD is a common condition, affecting about 1 in 20 people aged over 40 in England, and is a major cause of death and disability.

People with COPD often experience ‘exacerbations’ – sudden flare-ups of breathlessness and coughing that make their condition much worse. These exacerbations are a leading cause of emergency hospital admissions.

Treatment for COPD can help slow the progression of the condition, control symptoms and prevent flare-ups. This includes taking inhalers which deliver medicine into the lungs to help make breathing easier.

������ýAPP�� lead Dr Alexander , researcher in the NIHR Manchester BRC’s Respiratory Theme and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at The University of Manchester, said: “Many people with COPD use inhalers every day, but some only use them for a short time and then stop. They may feel better and think they no longer need them, they may struggle to afford them if they are not free of charge, or they may simply forget to use them. Overall, that around half of all prescribed doses are missed.”

In this new study, Manchester researchers analysed data from the 2013-2016 FLAME trial, a large international research project sponsored by Novartis which investigated how patients respond to different COPD treatments. Novartis shared these trial data as per standard data sharing practices with the independent research team in Manchester to answer additional research questions beyond the original study.

The FLAME trial compared 2 types of in more than 3,300 participants with COPD – these are effective treatments used to open up the airways and reduce inflammation in COPD.

The team found that when people with COPD stop their inhalers, they face a significantly increased risk of flare-ups for around 3 months. Importantly, during this period the risk is higher not only compared with their own usual level of risk, but also compared with people who were not taking these medicines at all.

The study followed patients for a full year after stopping treatment and showed that this increase in risk is temporary. The excess risk of flare-ups is concentrated in the first 3 months after stopping inhalers, over and above what would normally be expected following treatment discontinuation. After this period, the risk settles and does not persist beyond 3 months.

The study, published in , showed for the first time that stopping a common type of inhaler called a LAMA (long-acting muscarinic antagonist) can lead to these withdrawal effects. It also confirmed that stopping inhalers containing another medication called inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) can increase the risk of flare-ups.

Dr Mathioudakis, who is also an Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician at MFT and completed his PhD in COPD research at Manchester BRC, said: “There are situations where clinicians may need to change or stop an inhaler for specific medical reasons, and in these cases it is important to be aware that short-term “withdrawal effects” can occur.

“More importantly, many people with COPD stop their inhalers on their own, often repeatedly, without medical advice. Each time this happens, it can trigger a period of particularly high risk of exacerbations. These new findings highlight the need to clearly communicate the risks of stopping treatment to patients, to help prevent avoidable flare-ups and hospital admissions.”

• The paper “Disproportionate increase in COPD exacerbation risk for 3 months after discontinuing LAMA or ICS: insights from the FLAME trial” is available : DOI:

The agenda included a stakeholder meeting at Christie’s Bistro on The University of Manchester’s campus on Wednesday 4 February, and a creative roundtable in MediaCity on Thursday 5 February, hosted by Professor of Poetry, John McAuliffe, on the role of the creative economy in innovation. 

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) also hosted a meeting to showcase Manchester’s transport network, providing the chance to share learnings between the two cities, before the first partnership advisory board meeting was held at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC). 

The events were attended by both the mayors of Greater Manchester and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough respectively, Andy Burnham and Paul Bristow, and the Vice-Chancellors of the Universities of Manchester and Cambridge, Professor Duncan Ivison and Professor Deborah Prentice. Attendees also included the leaders of both city councils, Shaun Grady, UK Chair of AstraZeneca, and industry leaders from both regions.  

The visit to Manchester follows on from the launch of the partnership and the initial stakeholder visit to Cambridge last year, after £4.8 million in funding was awarded by Research England for the pioneering city-to-city collaboration.  

In October, the partnership announced its advisory board during the 2025 Innovate Cambridge Summit which brings together leaders from academia, industry and policy to guide the collaboration between the two cities. 

The partnership is led by the universities of Cambridge and Manchester and their innovation ecosystem organisations  and . The ambitious collaboration was launched to boost UK economic growth and advance inclusive innovation, while supporting the delivery of industrial strategy and local growth plans. 

The partnership is connected at every level: University to University, innovation ecosystem to ecosystem, council to council, Combined Authority to Combined Authority and business to business. This multi-layered connectivity allows ideas, talent, investment and opportunity to flow between places and organisations.   

Find out more about the partnership and get involved –   

The Research England funding has been allocated for use in three key areas: ecosystem activation and integration; growing investment; and testing and learning. 

● Ecosystem activation and integration: It will strengthen relations within and between the innovation ecosystems of the two cities, to create a vibrant and ambitious cross-city innovation network. This aims to create progressive new approach inclusive growth. 

● Growing investment: It will harness the combined strengths of both universities and partner cities to support start-ups and scale-ups to secure funding and grow, attract innovation-intensive FDI to the UK, and stimulate investment into R&D. 

● Testing and learning: It will pilot new approaches and share best practice for delivering ecosystem collaboration and inclusive growth. This will allow other cities, the wider higher education sector community, and local and national governments in the UK and internationally to learn from the partnership. 

Building on the success of the 2024 CBI Mayoral Roundtable, the summit focused on a singular mission: turning regional potential into tangible economic results. During a roundtable attendees agreed on a framework to unlock long-term private investment and enhance the UK’s regional competitiveness.

Duncan Ivison, President & Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: “We are delighted to host this summit on our campus, bringing together leaders from business, government and civil society in Manchester. Delivering an effective industrial strategy must be underpinned by robust academic evidence, and The University of Manchester has an important role to play in that work.

“Here in Greater Manchester, we are part of a close partnership between business, policymakers and communities, and are pleased to be a helpful convenor, and contributor, to discussions and collaborations that support the UK’s future."

The summit identified three critical pillars for accelerated implementation of the Industrial Strategy with the potential to deliver transformative gains to regional growth that boost jobs, opportunities and living standards across England:

·&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����; Investable Pipelines: Creating clear, ready-to-fund projects that attract global capital.

·&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����; Deepened Partnerships: Strengthening the "front door" for businesses through closer Mayoral collaboration.

·&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����; Innovation Engines: Leveraging the power of higher education to fuel local talent and R&D.

The afternoon concluded with reflections from Rain Newton-Smith (CBI), Charlie Nunn (Lloyds Banking Group), and Andy Burnham (Mayor of Greater Manchester), highlighting the essential role of regional leadership in the UK’s economic future.

Rain Newton-Smith, CBI CEO, said: “The government has set out bold ambitions for the UK to lead the G7 in driving business investment into the UK. PWC’s recent survey of global CEOs places the UK as the second most attractive location alongside Germany and India so there is no doubt the appetite is there. Building on and championing the unique capabilities of all of our regions is essential if we’re to secure that investment and turn those bold ambitions into tangible economic growth that benefits the whole country.

“Metro mayors are our regional ambassadors in chief, and provide a single, locally-responsive, front door for that investment – helping to remove potential barriers and expedite decision-making. With the power to boost local skills delivery, accelerate critical planning and infrastructure decisions, and smooth access to market opportunities, mayors play a vital role in ensuring investment comes to the UK and is not lost to our global competitors.”

Charlie Nunn, Chief Executive, Lloyds Banking Group said: “Businesses are the engines of regional growth, innovation and job creation, and we want to help them succeed.  This year, we’re making available £35 billion in new finance for businesses across the regions, with one third targeted to SMEs.  We’re proud to be working in partnership across regional leaders, higher education and major infrastructure, in order to attract investment and catalyse growth.”

This event is a cornerstone of the CBI-Lloyds Industrial Strategy Roadshow, a 12-month delivery programme in partnership with DBT and HMT to help government and industry work together to deliver a successful industrial strategy.

The study, led by the University of Aberdeen in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Manchester, University College Cork and University of Birmingham, was funded by Tommy’s, the pregnancy and baby charity, and published in .

Led by Dr Andrea Woolner, Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen and Honorary Consultant Obstetrician & Early Pregnancy Lead at NHS Grampian, the team looked at survey responses from 116 healthcare professionals working in maternity services in the UK and Ireland.

Second trimester pregnancy loss (STPL) usually refers to pregnancy loss, or miscarriage after 12 or 13 weeks' gestation. It is estimated to occur in around 3 to 4% of pregnancies. However, this study showed the definition used to describe STPL in healthcare settings varies considerably within the UK and Ireland.

Findings revealed that there is inconsistency and uncertainty around medications used following second trimester pregnancy loss (STPL), which the authors state reflects the lack of research into this devastating type of loss.

For example, almost two thirds of healthcare professionals surveyed (63%) acknowledged they were uncertain about the optimal dosage of misoprostol - a drug that can be given following STPL to induce birth - that should be used, likely due to a lack of research in this area, according to the authors.

Researchers also found that care was given in different hospital wards and not always within maternity settings in different parts of the UK and Ireland.  The authors say this highlights the need to consider how hospitals are set up for couples experiencing STPL, and to consider what the optimal referral pathways and infrastructure needs are.  The team intends to carry out further research exploring views of those with lived experience of STPL.

Following treatment in hospital, fewer than half (45%) of respondents reported that follow-up appointments took place in a dedicated pregnancy loss clinic. Many women were offered follow up in preterm birth clinics, though the research team notes this wasn’t always universal either as not every STPL involves a preterm labour.

There is a growing body of evidence that shows structured care in a dedicated pregnancy loss clinic is the best option for couples who have experienced a stillbirth (when a baby sadly dies after 24 weeks of pregnancy), and researchers say the findings of the study underline the inconsistencies faced by families who lose a baby at different stages of pregnancy.

They also noted there was variation in the investigations and care offered in the next pregnancy after a second trimester loss.

Researchers say more work is needed to understand what the best treatments are and what universal provisions should be made for couples facing the devastation of second trimester pregnancy loss

The team is planning to gain insight from those with lived experience, with the aim of developing a clear view of what is needed to improve care for the future and understanding what research is needed urgently to address these gaps.

Dr Andrea Woolner said: “Pregnancy loss at any stage is devastating. This study showed that there is a lack of research and evidence–based clinical practice around STPL in particular.

“In this survey, we wanted to hear from the people on the ground who work with bereaved parents, to find out exactly where the disparities lie from a healthcare professional perspective and what we need to do to improve things.

“Our findings highlight the lack of standardised care – this is important because we know that pregnancy loss at any stage of pregnancy has a profound impact on couples and on their next pregnancies.

“Ensuring that evidence-based and universal recommendations for birth, bereavement and future antenatal care are offered to all couples after pregnancy loss is vital, and akin to the recommendations for care after stillbirth, we hope that this work highlights clinicians, policy-makers and researchers need to also focus on care for second trimester pregnancy loss.

Professor Alex Heazell, one of the co-authors from the University of Manchester and Director of Tommy’s Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre in Manchester, said: “ which showed fragmented and inconsistent care provisions but also highlighted the number of women who present to hospital in the second trimester with various symptoms including those that may be a sign of pregnancy loss.

“We urgently need better quality data to help us provide the best care.”

Dr Jyotsna Vohra, Director of Research, Programmes and Impact at Tommy’s, said: “Losing a baby is devastating at any stage of pregnancy. When the loss happens after 12 weeks – the stage at which people are often encouraged to believe they are ‘safe’ – it can be particularly traumatic for women and families.

“This study shows we need more research and better standardised care across the NHS so that anyone experiencing symptoms of loss at any stage of pregnancy knows they will receive the most effective care, treatment and support.”

The study, led by The University of Manchester, suggests that while removing livestock from upland grasslands can increase fast-cycling carbon stored in plants and dead vegetation, it can also lead to losses of a more stable form of soil carbon. This long-lived carbon, known as mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC), is bound to soil minerals and can persist for decades to centuries, making it critical for long-term climate mitigation.

Grasslands store around one-third of the world’s terrestrial carbon, with the vast majority being found in soils. As governments pursue net-zero targets, removing livestock from historically grazed grasslands has increasingly been proposed as a scalable climate solution.

Traditionally, scientists and land managers have relied on “total carbon stocks” to assess carbon removal projects. However, the new findings, published in the today, show that focusing solely on the total amount of carbon stored, rather than how securely it is stored, may be misleading.

“While ungrazed grasslands tend to accumulate more unprotected carbon in plants and litter, they are associated with lower levels of soil carbon protected by minerals, which is the form most resistant to warming-induced decomposition,” explained Dr Luhong Zhou, lead author of the study and visiting scholar at The University of Manchester. “Although high grazing intensity can negatively affect soil carbon, our results show that total grazer exclusion does not necessarily lead to greater long-term soil carbon storage.”

The team of researchers from The University of Manchester (UK), Lancaster University (UK), Yale University (USA), Fujian Normal University (China), and Leiden University (the Netherlands), analysed 12 upland grassland sites across an 800-kilometre south–north gradient in the United Kingdom, from Dartmoor to Glensaugh in Scotland. At each site, they compared grasslands that had been ungrazed for more than ten years with neighbouring areas that had been grazed over that time.

They found that ungrazed grasslands tended to accumulate more short-lived carbon in plant biomass and surface litter but generally contained lower levels of MAOC.

The decline in long-lived soil carbon is linked to changes in vegetation following the removal of grazing sheep. As a result, grass-dominated landscapes are increasingly replaced by dwarf shrubs such as heather. The roots of the shrubs form associations with a specialised fungi called ericoid mycorrhiza. These fungi slow the decay of plant litter, causing an increase in production of short-lived carbon but also stimulating the breakdown of older, more stable soil carbon, in order to gain nutrients to sustain plant growth. Wetter soils can also further weaken the minerals that normally help protect MAOC.

“Viewing grazer removal as a universally beneficial strategy for carbon mitigation often overlooks the continuum of carbon durability within ecosystems, and the fact that not all carbon gains contribute equally to long-term climate mitigation,” said Dr Shangshi Liu from the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture who co-led this study. “ When slow-cycling carbon declines, grassland carbon stocks may become more vulnerable to future climate change. Effective climate mitigation strategies must therefore consider  both how much carbon is stored and how durable it is”

The findings come at a critical time for environmental management policy in the UK and globally, as governments develop land-use frameworks to meet net-zero targets.  

Professor Richard Bardgett, Chair of Ecology at Lancaster University, who initiated the study while at The University of Manchester, said: “Our results suggest that maintaining low-intensity grazing in upland grasslands, which cover large areas in the United Kingdom, is important for protecting the most stable forms of soil carbon.”

The authors emphasise that their findings do not argue against reducing overgrazing. Rather, they call for more balanced grassland management approaches that account for both total carbon stocks and carbon persistence.

The study was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the European Research Council (ERC), and Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture fellowship.

The findings are Published in PNAS

Full title: Grazer exclusion is associated with higher fast-cycling carbon pools but lower slow-cycling mineral-associated carbon across grasslands

DOI:

“At a time when many people feel overwhelmed or anxious about the future, these experiences often helped people reconnect with hope and a sense of purpose.”

“This research shows that therapy doesn’t always have to happen in a room,” said co-author Professor Terry Hanley. “For some people, being outdoors creates the space they need to reflect, heal and move forward. As mental health services face growing demand, nature-based approaches could be a valuable part of a wider, more humane response to wellbeing.”

DOI:

Developed through the Greater Manchester Civic University Agreement, the initiative enables postgraduate researchers to teach up to 20 hours per week in FE settings, providing specialist expertise in priority subjects such as engineering, STEM and digital skills. In turn, the programme offers researchers valuable, paid teaching experience while helping colleges tackle critical local and regional skills gaps.

University of Manchester President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Duncan Ivison highlighted the civic significance of the programme: “We’re putting PhD researchers into Greater Manchester colleges to teach alongside experienced staff – starting with engineering, where skills shortages are most acute. This will help colleges with specialist expertise, give our researchers valuable paid teaching experience, and create clearer pathways between further and higher education. This is the kind of collaboration that will contribute to the region’s economic growth and is exactly what a civic university should be doing.”

Professor Callum Kidd, who led the pilot programme, said: “This initiative strengthens the link between Higher Education and Further Education, creating pathways for learners and tackling regional skills gaps. It also offers PhD researchers real-world teaching experience that enhances their career prospects.”

The pilot phase of the programme was launched in 2025 at Wigan & Leigh College, where three postgraduate researchers from the School of Engineering were recruited through the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) Doctoral Academy. The project has been chaired by Professor Callum Kidd (FSE) and jointly developed by a cross-institutional team.‑institutional team

Anna Dawe, Principal of Wigan & Leigh College, added: “We are delighted to build together this partnership with The University of Manchester. Bringing PhD researchers into our colleges enriches students' learning experience and helps address the pressing need for skilled educators in technical subjects. This collaboration is a fantastic example of how Greater Manchester’s education ecosystem can work together to deliver real impact.”

The programme aligns with national and regional priorities to strengthen the civic role of universities while boosting access to specialist expertise across FE colleges.

Following the success of the first phase, the project team is now developing plans to expand the programme across the full Faculty of Science and Engineering, with long term ambitions to extend it university wide. Discussions with additional Further Education colleges in Greater Manchester are underway, with participating institutions set to be confirmed later this year. A full review of the pilot phase will be completed in February 2026.‑term ambitions to extend it university‑wide. Discussions with additional Further Education colleges in Greater Manchester are underway, with participating institutions set to be confirmed later this year. A full review of the pilot phase will be completed in February 2026.

For further information please directly contact mags.bradbury@manchester.ac.uk

A byelection has been set for February 26 in the Manchester constituency of Gorton and Denton. This will be a big test for Keir Starmer’s Labour party and a temperature check on the state of multi-party politics in the North. Although Labour won the seat comfortably in 2024, some early polls are could win.

Byelections are awkward beasts and don’t necessarily follow the usual rules. What makes things harder in this case is that Gorton and Denton is a new constituency. It was in 2024 from parts of three different constituencies (Gorton, Denton & Reddish and Manchester Withington).

When we try to understand what might happen in a byelection, we rely on the constituency’s past election results as a marker, which is obviously limited to just one election in this case. Gorton and Denton is also “a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster”, .

It has an elongated shape and combines areas with huge socio-demographic differences. Its Tameside wards are predominantly white, with a sizeable working class while its Manchester wards have a much higher student and Muslim population.

Labour has everything to lose

Ordinarily, this would be a constituency which Labour should easily win. Manchester is a Labour heartland through and through. Its other five constituencies are all held by Labour MPs, it boasts all but a handful of seats on the City Council and Andy Burnham trounced his opponents in the city’s last mayoral elections .

But byelections are difficult for governments and Keir Starmer’s track record so far is not good. Labour lost a byelection in the Cheshire constituency of in May 2025 to Reform’s Sarah Pochin. Pochin won on a narrow margin of just six votes but had managed to . That makes Labour’s majority of 13,000 in Gorton and Denton look less than secure.

The real danger here is that Labour finds itself in the squeezed middle. It risks losing voters to Reform on the right and the Greens on the left. This is what happened in the in November, which saw Labour pushed back into third place behind Reform and winners Plaid Cymru.

Reform has everything to prove

Nigel Farage’s party has the momentum at the moment. Polls suggest they are outperforming Labour nationally right now and the recent high-profile defections of and have increased the size of their parliamentary group to 8 MPs.

The Reform candidate in Gorton and Denton, former university academic and GB News presenter Matthew Goodwin, may be the most recognisable candidate to voters, but his political views may not go down well throughout the constituency.

His views on the white working class being may resonate in some of Manchester’s Tameside wards, but his and what it means to be British will not play well in others, something the Greens in particular are trying to capitalise on.

Pitching the byelection as a “referendum” on Starmer’s leadership is a sensible strategy by Goodwin, especially as a recent YouGov poll showed that think the prime minister is doing a bad job. Reform may struggle to bring together enough voters ready to sign up to all the party stands for, but may be able to borrow the votes from those who nevertheless want Labour out and would benefit from a split on the left.

Victory in Gorton and Denton would not only mean that Reform will equal the SNP in party group size in the Commons, it will be a further pull for disgruntled or panicking Conservative (or Labour) MPs, ahead of the Farage has imposed on MPs thinking about defecting to his party. But there is a sizeable chunk of voters across the UK , and who could vote tactically for Labour just to keep Reform out.

Green performance could be key

The Greens did not perform brilliantly in Gorton and Denton at the 2024 elections, but nationally the party received 7% of the vote and they hold over 800 seats on local councils. Since the election, they have , Zack Polanski, who has been instrumental in raising the Green voice in the media.

Their candidate is Hannah Spencer, a councillor in the region who stood for mayor in 2024 and finished in fifth place, behind Reform.

Polanski is confident that only the Greens can beat Reform in Gorton and Denton. And while that’s a bold claim, his supporters will be buoyed by the in a Derbyshire local byelection last year.

And even if they don’t win, a solid Green performance could be very bad news for Starmer.

, Senior Lecturer in Politics
This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

Her achievement have also recently been marked by the award of the 2026 Hannes Alfven Medal by the European Physical Society, a prestigious international distinction recognising her “outstanding and innovative work bridging astrophysical and laboratory plasmas using analytical insights and modelling.”

Professor Browning joined what was then the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 1985 as a lecturer at the age of 25, following a mathematics degree at the University of Cambridge and a PhD at the University of St Andrews.

Her career has been marked by a series of significant firsts, starting by entering Selwyn College at the University of Cambridge aged just 16 - two or three years younger than most undergraduates – and in the first year that the college admitted women.

Following her PhD and post-doc in Scotland, she moved to UMIST for her first lecturing role, where she was the only female lecturer and one of just three female academics across the science and technology disciplines. She was promoted to professor in 2009.

Reflecting on those early days, Professor Browning said that a lack of role models made it difficult for women to imagine reaching senior academic positions.

“As a woman, you didn’t really think you were going to become a professor because there were so few role models,” she said. “I was lucky to have very supportive male colleagues, but it was still difficult. Often, particularly in fusion research, I could be the only woman in the room.”

Her interest in astrophysics began in childhood, sparked by an early fascination with the moon and by watching the Apollo moon landings. While she initially pursued mathematics, that curiosity about space ultimately drew her back into astrophysics.

Over the course of her career, Professor Browning has built an international reputation in plasma physics. Her work has focused on understanding how hot, ionised gases behave and interact with magnetic fields - processes that underpin solar flares, space weather and the development of future fusion energy.

Her early research at Manchester helped pioneer the spherical tokamak, an innovative approach to magnetic confinement fusion. Philippa’s team at Manchester was among the first to develop this compact alternative to traditional ring‑shaped fusion devices, an approach that has since become central to international fusion research and now underpins the UK’s government‑backed STEP fusion energy programme.

Alongside her research, Professor Browning has been a committed teacher, supervising around 19 PhD students and teaching generations of undergraduates.

“I’ve always really enjoyed teaching,” she said. “The interaction with students, particularly in small groups, is something I’ll really miss.”

During her time at the University, Professor Browning witnessed significant institutional change, most notably the merger of UMIST and the Victoria University of Manchester. While the department grew from a small, close‑knit unit into a much larger one, she reflects that students themselves have remained much the same where their curiosity, ability and enthusiasm have always varied across a spectrum.

She has also played a significant role in University leadership and service, serving on Senate and the Board of Governors, and holding a range of departmental roles including postgraduate director and admissions tutor.

A long‑standing advocate for equality in science, Professor Browning has been heavily involved in national efforts to support women in physics. She served on the Institute of Physics’ Women in Physics and diversity committees, helping to deliver training, networking events and outreach activities in schools to improve visibility and role models for girls.

She balanced her academic career with raising her son and two step‑children at a time when childcare support was far more limited. She was involved in campaigning for and establishing the first UMIST nursery, with her son among the first children to attend.

Her achievements have been widely recognised. She is a  recipient of the Royal Astronomical  Society’s Chapman Medal for outstanding research in solar and space physics, and a Fellow of the Institute of Physics. As mentioned above, she is now due to receive the European Physical Society’s Hannes Alfvén Prize for plasma physics, a senior international award recognising her lifetime achievements in the field.

As she retires, Professor Browning will continue her research as Professor Emerita and remain active in public engagement, including talks and events at Jodrell Bank Observatory.

“Retirement feels emotional,” she said. “My identity has been so tied up with the University for so long. But I’m looking forward to having more time for music and walking and just seeing what comes next.”

Professor Browning’s department will mark her retirement with a special event, ‘Pipfest’, bringing together former colleagues and PhD students from across her career.

The appointments place Manchester researchers among a cohort of around 100 Fellows drawn from academia, business, industry and government. 

The Academy’s Fellowship will work collectively to address major national challenges including pandemic preparedness, economic transformation, national security, climate change and the safe development of artificial intelligence. 

The Fellows will continue to perform their roles at Manchester and at the other institutions they support, but will come together through the convening power of the Academy to help benefit the whole UK. Areas of focus will likely include:  

• Working with experts across government, industry and the third sector to model the impact of climate change and advise on mitigations
• Supporting cross-disciplinary modelling to prepare for future diseases and pandemics
• Developing and championing investment in the new mathematics required for ensuring AI and the quantum technologies of tomorrow work safely and to the benefit of all
• Bringing together industry, academia and educators to design maths curricula fit for tomorrow's economy and society
• Keeping the UK safe through advances in cryptography and the mathematical foundations of national security
• Guiding the UK's green energy transition, advising on everything from grid capacity and system resilience to safe, large-scale energy storage
• Helping businesses and entrepreneurs harness mathematics to drive innovation, new products and sustainable growth
• Strengthening national resilience by using mathematics to optimise infrastructure, improve public services and forecast risks 

The four Manchester appointees are: 

 FRSE, FIMA and Beyer Professor of Applied Mathematics, whose research focuses on applied dynamical systems, particularly piecewise smooth systems. A former President of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA), Professor Glendinning has played a leading role in shaping the UK mathematical community and was closely involved in the design of Manchester’s Alan Turing Building. 

, Professor of Mathematical Epidemiology and Statistics and Director of the Christabel Pankhurst Institute for health technology research and innovation. Professor Hall previously led modelling work at Public Health England and played key advisory roles as part of Department of Health and Social Care's scientific pandemic influenza modelling subgroup (SPI-M), as the academic chair of the Social Care Working Group for SAGE and by supporting UKHSA Joint Modelling team and advising the Ministry of Justice. He was awarded an OBE in 2024 for services to public health, specifically epidemiology and adult social care during Covid-19. 

, Professor of Pure Mathematics, whose research focuses on semigroup theory and its connections to areas such as theoretical computer science, tropical geometry and geometric group theory. He is currently Manchester Associate Chair of the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research and also serves as Chair of EPSRC’s Strategic Advisory Team in Mathematical Sciences. 

, Professor of Pure Mathematics, whose research focuses on complex dynamics and analysis. He is a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society and has been awarded a Whitehead Prize and a Philip Leverhulme Prize. He is a former member of EPSRC’s Strategic Advisory Team in Mathematical Sciences and will serve as Pure Mathematics Research Lead at Manchester from February 2026. 

Professor Dame Alison Etheridge DBE FRS, the President of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences, said: “I’m delighted to welcome our inaugural Fellows – individuals of exceptional distinction who collectively advance the mathematical sciences through discovery, leadership, education and real-world application.  

“As Fellows of the Academy, they will come together in service of the wider public good: bringing independent expertise to bear on national priorities, championing excellence in mathematics education, strengthening the UK’s research and innovation base, and helping to ensure that mathematics continues to deliver opportunity, resilience and prosperity across our four nations.” 

Mathematics has a long and distinguished history at The University of Manchester, from foundational contributions to modern computing to world-leading research across pure mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics and mathematical modelling. Applied and foundational mathematical research at Manchester go hand in hand: one addresses the real-life challenges of today, in collaboration with researchers in engineering, health, social sciences and the humanities, while the other equips us to meet the challenges of tomorrow. The appointment of four Manchester researchers as inaugural Fellows reflects the University’s continued leadership in the mathematical sciences and its commitment to research with global impact.  

Alongside the four FSE-based appointees, the Academy’s inaugural Fellowship also includes several Fellows with strong connections to The University of Manchester. These include Professor David Abrahams, former Beyer Professor of Applied Mathematics at Manchester and an Honorary Professor at the University, Professor Philip Bond, whose roles have included Professor of Creativity and Innovation at the University of Manchester – in addition to Dame Celia Hoyles, who graduated from The University of Manchester 

The result marks the third consecutive year the University has secured a spot in the European Top 10 since the ranking’s launch in 2023.

The QS Europe ranking evaluates institutions using performance indicators, including academic and employer reputation, citations, research output, employability outcomes, international research collaboration, student diversity and sustainability.

The 2026 edition features 958 institutions across 42 locations, including 129 from the UK. UK universities continue to perform strongly across reputation and research metrics, with seven institutions ranked in the top 10 for Academic Reputation and six in the top 10 for Employer Reputation.

QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter said: “While Oxford reclaims the regional top spot, the latest QS Europe University Rankings confirm a stabilising hierarchy, with no new entrants among the top 10. Europe’s established academic powerhouses continue to lead the table, reflecting the region’s long-standing investment in higher education and research excellence, with leading institutions in countries such as the UK, Germany, France and Switzerland maintaining their positions at the top."

Sowter added: “Europe’s higher education sector remains a strong, underpinned by world-class research universities, strong international collaboration, and growing momentum behind transnational alliances and joint degrees. Cross-border mobility remains a defining strength. However, funding and research capacity vary widely between national systems, contributing to uneven performance and talent retention. At the same time, universities face mounting pressure to sustain research excellence, deepen industry engagement, and modernise governance and delivery models amid funding deficits and tightening policy around international mobility.”

In global rankings, The University of Manchester ranks 8 in the UK and 56 in the world in the THE World University Rankings for 2026. The prestigious rankings evaluate more than 2,000 institutions from 115 countries and territories. In the , The University of Manchester ranks 7 in the UK and 35 in the world, while the University also ranks first in the UK and second in the world in the .

In addition to its success in the QS Europe ranking, The University of Manchester has been ranked at 46 in the world and 6 in the UK in the

Find out further information about where the University is ranked via our World Rankings page. 

This new discovery captures the cosmic moment when a galaxy cluster – among the largest structures in the universe – started to assemble only about a billion years after the big bang, one or two billion years earlier than previously thought possible. This result, made using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope,  is described in a paper published today (28 January) in the journal 

The findings will require astronomers to rethink when and how the largest structures in the universe formed. 

 “This may be the most distant confirmed protocluster ever seen,” said Akos Bogdan of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) who led the new Nature study. “JADES-ID1 is giving us new evidence that the universe was in a huge hurry to grow up.”

The object is known as JADES-ID1 for its location in the “JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey”, or JADES. It has a mass about 20 trillion times that of the Sun. Astronomers classify JADES-ID1 as a “protocluster” because it is currently undergoing an early, violent phase of formation and will one day turn into a galaxy cluster.  

This object was first discovered and reported in an  led by The University of Manchester’s Qiong Li using deep JWST data, which was published last year  in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 

JADES-ID1 is found at a much larger distance – corresponding to a much earlier time in the universe – than astronomers expected for such systems, providing a new mystery of how something so massive could form so quickly.

Galaxy clusters contain hundreds or even thousands of individual galaxies immersed in enormous pools of superheated gas, along with large amounts of unseen dark matter. Astronomers use galaxy clusters to measure the expansion of the universe and the roles of dark energy and dark matter, among other important cosmic studies.

“It’s very important to actually see when and how galaxy clusters grow,” said co-author Gerrit Schellenberger, also of CfA. “It’s like watching an assembly line make a car, rather than just trying to figure out how a car works by looking at the finished product.”

The Chandra and Webb data reveal that JADES-ID1 contains the two properties that confirm the presence of a protocluster: a large number of galaxies held together by gravity. Webb sees at least 66 potential members that are also sitting in a huge cloud of hot gas detected by Chandra. As a galaxy cluster forms, gas falls inward and is heated by shock waves, reaching temperatures of millions of degrees and glowing in X-rays.

What makes JADES-ID1 exceptional is the remarkably early time when it appears in cosmic history. Most models of the universe predict that there likely would not be enough time and a large enough density of galaxies for a protocluster of this size to form only a billion years after the big bang. The previous record holder for a protocluster with X-ray emission is seen much later, about three billion years after the big bang.

This is yet another sign that structure in the universe is forming much quicker than astronomers had anticipated. 

After billions of years JADES-ID1 should evolve from a protocluster into a massive galaxy cluster like those we see much closer to Earth.

To find JADES-ID1, astronomers combined deep observations from both Chandra and Webb. By design, the JADES field overlaps with the Chandra Deep Field South, the site of the deepest X-ray observation ever conducted. This field is thus one of the few in the entire sky where a discovery such as this could be made. 

In an earlier study, a team of researchers led by Li and Professor Conselice at The University of Manchester found five other proto-cluster candidates in the JADES field, but only in JADES-ID1 are the galaxies embedded in hot gas. Thus, only JADES-ID1 possesses enough mass for an X-ray signal from hot gas to be expected. 

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.  The JWST work was sponsored by the European Research Council in an Advanced Grant (EPOCHS) to The University of Manchester. 

This research was published in the journal Nature

Full title: An X-ray-emitting protocluster at z ≈ 5.7 reveals rapid structure growth

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09973-1

URL: . 

Dr Wasim Ahmed, of the University of Hull, explained: “Women and girls in sport deserve environments, both online and offline, where their achievements are celebrated. Our findings highlight an urgent need for stronger protections and platform-level responsibility. Without meaningful intervention, we risk normalising behaviour that has real and harmful consequences for those targeted.”

Dr Emma Kavanagh, of Loughborough University, said: “We must act now to protect the health and wellbeing of athletes as they navigate their careers in the era of online media. Online abuse can have profound and lasting effects, and it can no longer be normalised or accepted as part of modern sport. Ensuring athletes are equipped to manage online environments and enhancing their safety is a vital step forward in advancing player care.”

Dr Maz Hardey, Professor of Business and Computing, Durham University, outlined: “We are witnessing a pivotal shift where online impunity is finally meeting real-world retribution, financially and legally, for perpetrators. However, the cost for the victims remains unacceptably high. This abuse has actively dismantled careers and forced women to withdraw from UK football culture entirely to ensure their own safety. Legal wins are crucial, but we must act faster to ensure women are not forced into professional exile just to survive the abuse.”

Dr Rosy Boardman, of the University of Manchester, added: “Our research shows how influential figures can radically shape the tone and trajectory of online conversations. When individuals with large followings use their platforms to normalise misogyny or direct hostility toward women in sport, they don’t just express an opinion - they legitimise harmful narratives that would otherwise remain on the fringes. Their words act as accelerants, fuelling polarisation and creating digital environments where abuse becomes routine.

The paper, Misogyny, Misogynoir and Violent Online Rhetoric Against Women and Girls in Sport: The Case of Joey Barton has been published in .

Barton was found guilty at Liverpool Crown Court in November 2025 of six counts of sending grossly offensive electronic communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety, and sentenced in December 2025 to six months in custody, suspended for 18 months.

The study, led by The University of Manchester, offers a rare glimpse into a period of evolution that is usually extremely difficult to study because early vertebrates had soft bodies, so any remains are usually squashed, incomplete, or difficult to interpret.

Using a synchrotron particle accelerator, the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) at SLAC  National Accelerator Laboratory in California, USA, the researchers were able to map the chemistry within two tiny jawless fish called Jamoytius and Lasanius, found near Lesmahagow, south of Glasgow.

The findings, published today in , represent a huge advance in our understanding of the early stages in the development of the vertebrate lineage.

 “We decided that transitional fossils, from one of the earliest stages of vertebrate evolution, would be perfect to look at with our new methods,” explained researcher , Professor of Geochemistry at The University of Manchester. “What we were able to discover was far beyond our expectations. Not only did we identify early bone structures deep in the geological record, but we also captured the first-ever images of some of the oldest camera-type eyes. These eyes preserve even the small notch where the optic nerve connected - features that form the basis of modern vertebrate eyes today.”

University of Manchester researcher , added: “It’s been amazing to see just how much new information we can recover from fossils which are usually too poorly preserved to be useful using these new technologies. Our findings help resolve scientific debates that have been running since the Victorian era. They point to a very early origin of bones and eyes in vertebrate history, probably even predating the group appearing altogether.

“I’m also excited because these fossils are most likely the ancestors of modern lamprey and hagfish, which now lack many of these features, so we’re adding to a growing body of work that shows those organisms have a far more complex evolutionary history than previously thought.”

Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence imaging works by scanning a sample in front of the intense X-ray beam generated by the synchrotron particle accelerator. The X-rays cause atoms in the sample to emit their own X-rays (X-ray fluorescence), which the scanning system detects. The properties of the fluoresced X-rays are specific to the chemical element they originated from. As such, this technique can be used to identify and map tiny differences in chemical elements locked inside fossils and in some cases, the chemical remnants of tissues no longer visible with visible light.

Dr Nick Edwards, a Staff Engineer for the X-ray Fluorescence Imaging beam lines at SSRL, performed the X-ray imaging experiments as part of a long-standing collaboration with The University of Manchester research team, with whom he worked with for his PhD studies.

He said: “Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence imaging is a versatile technique with advantages over other types of scientific analysis that make it amenable to studying fossils. The experiments do not need special environmental conditions, and we can place relatively large objects in the instrument without the need to remove material from them. We can detect the extremely low levels of elements present in biological systems and correlate them to specific fossil tissues in a matter of hours. The results from these fossils are fascinating and further corroborate that the chemistry of extinct organisms can be preserved over huge geological time scales and be useful in interpreting the evolution of life.”

In this study, the team found traces of zinc and copper that revealed the structure of the retina and pigment layer in the ancient eyes. They also found calcium and phosphorus showing where early bone-like tissue was present.

The research has been praised internationally. Dr Pierre Gueriau of the University of Lausanne, who was not involved in the research, said: “This study not only rewrites some chapters of the evolutionary history of our early vertebrate ancestors, but also illustrates how advanced fossil imaging is not limited to CT scanning and encompasses a suite of analytical chemistry methods capable of revealing a new range of information, in some cases even considered lost to fossilisation. This is truly an exciting time to be a palaeontologist”.

Corresponding author , a palaeobiologist at The University of Manchester, added: “I love these fossil fish. They may have been dead for over 400 million years but they keep on surprising us with new hidden data about our deep origins.”

The team will now continue using this high-energy physics technology to tease out the chemical remnants of early life in other vertebrates, providing key insights into the evolution of animals such as birds, dinosaurs, mammals, and even microbial life.

This paper was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Full title: Early vertebrate biomineralisation and eye structure determined by synchrotron X-ray analyses of Silurian jawless fish.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.2248

URL: 

As an independent intergovernmental body, IPBES aims to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services and is a leading voice in this area.

To mark this year’s meeting being held in Manchester, The University of Manchester, the University of Salford and Manchester Metropolitan University will present a special evening event at the People’s History Museum on Thursday, 5 February supported by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The event will bring together academics, businesses and community organisations, as well as policymakers and regional leaders, to explore opportunities for collaboration to boost nature recovery across Greater Manchester and beyond. Focusing on Business and Biodiversity, the event will also highlight the crucial role industry, research and policy must play together in this endeavour. 

The joint project aligns with the refreshed civic mission announced last year, which saw all Greater Manchester universities reaffirm their collective commitment to improving lives across the city-region as part of the Greater Manchester Civic University Agreement (CUA).

Featuring talks from all three universities and a panel Q&A session, senior representatives are expected to take part from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and DEFRA – with more to be announced.

Professor Simon Green, PVC Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Salford said: “Sustainability is at the core of what we do at Salford. Our goal is to innovate towards a more equitable, just, healthy, creative and prosperous society. This event will be a great chance to put those ambitions into practice and share knowledge and expertise across the region and country.”

PVC for Research at Manchester Metropolitan University, Professor Nick Brook, said: "With sector-leading Carbon Literacy training, consistently top People & Planet rankings, and Professor Liz Price’s UN SDG 12 Vice-Chair leadership, Manchester Met is shaping global sustainability practice while driving research-led solutions that support nature recovery and stronger communities across Greater Manchester.”

Tickets for the evening event, ‘From evidence to action: Mobilising Greater Manchester’s science, business and policy partnerships for nature’ are available via .

The University ranked in the top 50 globally for four subjects, including Arts & Humanities (41), Business & Economics (41) and Social Sciences (32). The University received its highest ranking for Engineering, taking 5^th place in the UK ranking and 48^th globally.

The University saw its ranking improve in 3 subjects compared to the previous rankings, including Social Sciences (by 5 to 32), Arts & Humanities (by 2 to 41) and Physical Sciences (by 4 to 51).

The THE subject rankings cover 148 individual disciplines under broad subject areas. The methodology judges universities based on five core pillars of evaluation: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry.

Professor Colette Fagan, Vice-President for Research at The University of Manchester, said of the latest rankings: “This global subject ranking is testament to the high level of teaching and research excellence this University prides itself on. We use global rankings to inform our evaluation of our current offering and strategic plans to ensure we are providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in their chosen fields, both at the University and beyond.”

Professor Jenn Hallam, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students at The University of Manchester added: “Following the recent launch of our 2035 strategy, we are collectively working to meet our big ambitions of making learning flexible, personalised and digitally-enabled, and allowing students to co-create their study on their own terms. These rankings are useful in demonstrating where we are, and where we would like to be, to ensure we keep building on the high-quality teaching we deliver to our talented students.”

Right now The University of Manchester ranks 8^th in the UK and 56^th in the world in the THE World University Rankings for 2026. The prestigious rankings evaluate more than 2,000 institutions from 115 countries and territories. 

In the QS World University Rankings 2026, The University of Manchester ranks 7^th in the UK and 35^th in the world, while the University also ranks first in the UK and second in the world in the .

A leading academic and thought leader in environment, climate, energy policy and politics, Rebecca will also bring a team of highly regarded researchers and academics to join her at the University. Rebecca leads the Climate Citizens research group, which investigates public engagement and citizenship. She is a co-investigator for the Centre for Joined-Up Sustainability Transitions (JUST), the Energy Demand Research Centre, and a new initiative, PACT (Production and Consumption Transformations) which provides decision support to government departments.  

Rebecca Willis has previously been a professor at Lancaster University and is an expert advisor to the Climate Change Committee and Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living Initiative.  

Speaking on her appointment, Rebecca said: “The wealth of expertise based here at Manchester is highly valued around the world. I am excited to be part of a community working on global challenges with practical outcomes for people, planet and society. 

Professor Claire Alexander, Head of the School of Social Sciences added: “We’re delighted to be able to welcome Rebecca and her team to the University of Manchester. Rebecca brings significant insight and expertise in terms of applying policy to innovation in the challenging fields of energy and climate governance. She will be working closely with colleagues in the Sustainable Consumption Institute, a collaboration between the School of Social Sciences and Alliance Manchester Business School, who are leading the way in terms of the economic and social and policy dimensions of climate justice and environmental sustainability.” 

Professor Sarah Cartmell, Head of the School of Engineering said: “T����dzܲ��� the Tyndall Centre, Rebecca will strengthen our capacity to link cutting-edge engineering, climate science, social science and governance insights with policy that works in practice. Her expertise will help accelerate the impact of our work, deepen our partnerships and enhance Manchester’s role as a leading contributor to the UK and global climate policy landscape.” 

Claire Costello, Chief People and Inclusion Officer at Co-op explained: “Our Co-op believes everyone, whatever their background, should be able to access opportunities in the arts and creative sector throughout Greater Manchester. Apprenticeships can provide a ‘stepping stone’ for future careers, that’s why Co-op is encouraging Greater Manchester employers to share unspent apprenticeship levy funds to raise £3 million over 3 years to support 200 new apprenticeships in the arts and creative sector throughout Greater Manchester.” 

The inquiry’s findings are being launched on January 26^th at an event at the Whitworth Art Gallery at The University of Manchester in collaboration with research platform Creative Manchester, where the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, is due to speak.  

The report can be downloaded .

Read the full research report . 

The research – funded by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Greater Manchester (ARC-GM) - explores how being unable to attend healthcare appointments during normal working hours affects the health and wellbeing of employees.

It found that jobs lacking flexibility for workers to attend healthcare appointments are linked with significantly lower health-related quality of life. This was driven mainly by effects on physical health rather than mental health, with workers who have long-term conditions being the most affected.

In the UK, there is no statutory requirement to allow employees to attend healthcare appointments during working hours, however some employers choose to allow this type of flexibility.

The research team, led by academics from The University of Manchester, suggest that to move towards a more prevention focused health system, people need to be able to access routine GP appointments and cancer screening before the point of serious illness.

, Research Fellow in Health Economics at The University of Manchester, said: “Working full time presents challenges for many workers whose jobs don’t offer the flexibility needed to take time away to attend healthcare appointments. This has significant implications for early diagnosis and management of long-term conditions.

“The findings of our research make it clear that population health could be significantly improved by removing barriers during typical working hours to allow workers to access primary care services, such as GP and screening appointments.

“While positive steps have been taken to address this access issue through the offer of out-of-hours appointments, there’s a wider discussion to be had about the role employers can play in supporting their employees’ health by permitting flexibility around healthcare appointments – without having to take paid leave or forego income.”

Dr , Deputy Theme Lead for Economic Sustainability at ARC-GM, and Senior Lecturer in Health Economics at The University of Manchester, said: “Work shouldn’t be a barrier to remaining healthy. But this research shows that for some people working in inflexible jobs where they aren’t able to attend healthcare appointments during the typical working day, it can have an impact on their physical health. These challenges are particularly pressing in the context of our ageing population and the more frequent need for routine healthcare among older age groups.

“We’d welcome further investigation into the impact of this barrier to accessing healthcare, and the cost-effectiveness of different policy approaches.”

Researchers used data from the National General Practice Patient Survey in England, which is a large national survey targeting random samples of individuals registered with each general practice. Data from six waves of the survey (2013-2017) was used in which a measure of health-related quality of life was collected. The measurement of health-related quality of life covers five domains: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression.

The sample used was restricted to individuals aged between 18 and 64 years and only included those in full-time employment.

• The full study - ‘Impact of Constrained Access to Primary Care on Health-Related Quality of Life’ - has been published by the Value in Health journal. You can read the report and its results DOI

Today, the red kangaroo is the largest living hopping animal and weighs around 90kg. But during the Ice Age, some kangaroos grew more than twice the size of that - some reaching up to 250kg.

For years, researchers believed these giants must have abandoned hopping, as earlier studies suggested that hopping would become mechanically impossible above about 150kg. Those conclusions were largely based on simply scaling up modern kangaroos, which scientists from The University of Manchester, in collaboration with the University of Bristol and the University of Melbourne suspected might be misleading.

Now, by combining measurements from living kangaroos with direct evidence from fossil bones, the new study, published today in the journal finds that giant kangaroos may have been capable of hopping.

Lead researcher Megan Jones, Postgraduate Researcher at The University of Manchester, said: “Previous estimates were based on simply scaling up modern kangaroos, which may mean we miss crucial anatomical differences. Our findings show that these animals weren’t just larger versions of today’s kangaroos, they were built differently, in ways that helped them manage their enormous size.”

The team examined two potential limiting factors for hopping - the strength of the foot bones and the ability of the ankle to anchor the powerful tendons that drive a hop.

Their analysis show that the giant kangaroos had shorter, thicker foot bones capable of withstanding landing forces and their heel bones were broad enough to support much thicker ankle tendons than those of modern kangaroos.

However, these giants probably did not bounce across the landscape like today’s red kangaroos.

“Thicker tendons are safer, but they store less elastic energy,” explained s, Royal Society Research Fellow at The University of Bristol. “This likely made giant kangaroos slower and less efficient hoppers, better suited to short bursts of movement rather than long-distance travel. But hopping does not have to be extremely energy efficient to be useful, these animals probably used their hopping ability to cross rough ground quickly or to escape danger.”

The fossil analysis also revealed a range of locomotion strategies among the extinct species. Some giant kangaroos may have mixed hopping with other forms of movement, including walking upright on two legs, or moving on all fours, suggesting that hopping was just one part of a broader “movement repertoire”.

But the diversity of prehistoric Australia extends beyond just movement.

, Senior Lecturer in Evolution, Infection and Genomics at The University of Manchester, said “Our findings contribute to the notion that kangaroos had a broader ecological diversity in prehistoric Australia than we find today, with some large species grazers like modern kangaroos while others were browsers – an ecological niche not seen in today’s large kangaroos.” 

The findings provide the most comprehensive assessment to date of the mechanical feasibility of hopping in giant extinct kangaroos.

This paper was published in the journal Scientific Reports

Full title: Biomechanical limits of hopping in the hindlimbs of giant extinct kangaroos

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-29939-7

URL:

People who have had a stroke are more likely to develop infections such as pneumonia. These infections can slow recovery and make brain injury worse. Understanding why the immune system becomes weaker after stroke could help doctors prevent these infections and improve patient outcomes.

Earlier studies by Dr Laura McCulloch and Dr Barry McColl at the University of Edinburgh found that in animal models, stroke activates the system behind the fight-or-flight response, which includes the release of the chemical noradrenaline.

This activation quickly impairs a group of immune cells called B cells, reducing their ability to produce protective antibodies, and was associated with vulnerability to infection. Until now, it was unclear whether the same thing happens in stroke patients.

In this study, carried out at the University of Manchester in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh team, researchers analysed blood samples from patients 24 - 48 hours after an ischaemic stroke and compared them with samples from individuals who had not had a stroke (‘controls’).

They found that stroke patients had fewer B cells than control patients and that these remaining cells were also less effective at producing antibodies and special signalling proteins called cytokines, both of which are essential for fighting infections.

“Findings from this collaborative study confirm that after someone has had a stroke important immune cells that help to fight infection are reduced, limiting the patient’s ability to make protective antibodies. Revealing these changes opens opportunities to develop new treatments that could help reduce the incidence of infection after stroke,” said Clinical ������ýAPP�� Lead Prof Craig Smith from The University of Manchester. 

The teams also tested B cells from healthy volunteers. When these cells were exposed to noradrenaline, they showed the same responses as seen in stroke patients: increased cell death and reduced antibody production.

These findings suggest that activation of the fight-or-flight response itself, not just stroke, can impair immune function. Stress, illness, or extreme physical exertion may all influence how well B cells work.

Reduced numbers of immune cells (B cells) were found in the blood of patients 24–48 hours after an ischaemic stroke. When B cells were stimulated with bacterial proteins (mimicking an infection), they were less able to produce protective antibodies and signalling proteins called cytokines.

The researchers are now studying how these immune changes after stroke may affect long-term recovery, including thinking and memory, as well as further damage to the brain’s blood vessels.

They are also exploring new treatments aimed at protecting or restoring B cell function after stroke, with the goal of reducing infections and improving recovery.

This research was a collaboration between the University of Manchester (Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre and the Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation), the Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences (part of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust) and the University of Edinburgh (including the UK Dementia Research Institute).

This work was funded by the Medical Research Council, NIHR, Wellcome Trust, The Royal Society, The Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research, Leducq Foundation Transatlantic Network of Excellence StrokeIMPaCT and UK Dementia Research Institute.

• Read the full paper in

Scientists have long known that inherited neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or motor neurone disease, can be traced back to genetic mutations. However, how they cause the diseases remains unanswered.

In today’s issue of the journal Current Biology Professor Andreas Prokop revealed that so-called ‘motor proteins’ can provide key answers in this quest.

The research by the Prokop group focusses on nerve fibres, also called axons. Axons are the delicate biological cables that send messages between the brain and body to control our movements and behaviour. Intriguingly, axons need to survive and stay functional for our entire lifetime!

To survive long-term, axons harbour complex cellular machinery. This machinery crucially depends on the transport of materials from the distant nerve cell bodies which is performed by motor proteins running along thin fibres called microtubules.

If mutations in motor protein genes abolish their ability to transport cargo, this causes axonal decay, and many inherited neurodegenerative diseases can be traced back to such mutations. However, another class of mutations also linking to neurodegeneration, causes motor protein hyperactivation, meaning that motor proteins are constantly active, unable to pause.

“So far, it has been difficult to explain why both disabling and hyperactivating mutations can cause very similar forms of neurodegeneration.” said Professor Prokop.

“To find answers, we use fruit flies, where research is fast and cost-effective and where many of the relevant human genes have close equivalents and perform similar functions in nerve cells. Capitalising on these advantages, we could show that disabling as well as hyperactivating mutations cause a very similar pathology in axons: straight microtubule bundles decay into areas of disorganised microtubule curling, similar to dry versus boiled spaghetti.”

Further investigations revealed that hyperactivating and disabling mutations work through two different mechanisms that eventually converge to induce this curling:

Even under normal conditions, cargo transport along microtubules generates damage, like cars cause potholes – and this requires maintenance mechanisms to repair and replace microtubules. The balance between damage and repair is disturbed if motor proteins are hyperactivated or if maintenance machinery fails - both leading to microtubule curling as a sign of axon decay.

Prokop said: “In this scenario, disabling mutations could be assumed to cause less curling because there is less damaging traffic. However, less traffic depletes supply to the axonal machinery, and this triggers a condition referred to as oxidative stress. We could show that oxidative stress affects microtubule maintenance and leads therefore to the same kind of microtubule curling as observed upon motor hyperactivation.”

“These findings suggest a circular relationship which we called the “dependency cycle of axon homeostasis”, proposing that axon maintenance requires a microtubule- and motor protein-based machinery of transport which, itself, is dependent on this transport.”

Any gene mutations affecting axonal machinery in ways that cause oxidative stress, or that disturb the balance between microtubule damage or repair, can break this cycle. This can explain a long-standing conundrum in the field: why almost any class of neurodegenerative disease can be caused by mutations in a wide range of genes linking to very different cellular functions.

He added: “Parallel work by my group strongly supports the dependency cycle model. Importantly, since the fundamental genetic makeup of fruit flies and humans is surprisingly similar, it is very likely that our findings are replicated in humans – and there are good indications already.”

New Windows on Fundamental Physics: from tabletop devices to large-scale detectors (19–23 January 2026) unites experts from particle theory, particle physics, nuclear physics, atomic and molecular physics and selected areas of astrophysics. The five-day meeting is designed to accelerate collaboration, stimulate new research ideas and create new partnerships within the global quantum science and engineering research community. 

, Research Associate in Particle Theory, the Quantum Technologies for Fundamental Physics (QTFP) lead, and the workshop chair explains: “By bringing together world experts across theory and experiment, we are creating space for the next generation of joint projects. In keeping the workshop intentionally small and focused, we aim to foster the kind of deep discussions that aren't always possible at larger, more formal conferences.” 

The programme comprises: 

• a one-day UK Astroparticle Phenomenology (UK-APP) workshop featuring contributed talks, and
• a four-day specialist workshop with invited and contributed talks.   

The workshop will have a particular emphasis on tabletop detectors and quantum technologies for fundamental physics (QTFP), covering topics including precision metrology and quantum sensing, cold atoms and molecules, quantum analogues, atom interferometry, fifth-force tests, axion/WIMP dark matter and dark energy, neutrinos, gravitational-wave detectors, high-frequency gravitational waves and emerging tabletop detection techniques. 

, a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and The University Manchester representative to the Terrestrial Very-Long-Baseline Atom Interferometry collaboration, and workshop co-organiser, adds: “There is a near-term opportunity to build partnerships that will shape the future of this exciting multi-disciplinary area of research and capture support through the next wave of funding programmes.” , Head of the Photon Science Institute and Nuclear Physics Group continues: “Our aim is to enable researchers to share emerging work, explore new directions and identify opportunities for joint initiatives.” 

Professor Sarah Sharples, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering underscores: “This workshop is a reminder of what can be achieved when we bring people together with a shared curiosity. By creating space for open exchange and collaboration, Manchester is helping to connect expertise from across the world in ways that move this field forward. It’s a collective endeavour; one that grows stronger when we work across boundaries and advance knowledge together.” 

The event reflects wider momentum in quantum science at Manchester, supported by a series of strategic hires, including multiple new Chairs in Quantum Science. These appointments bring new researchers into an environment defined by growing interdisciplinary activity, strong international partnerships – from the University of Washington to Nanoco – and access to world-leading capabilities such as the P-NAME instrument and the facilities at the Henry Royce Institute. 

Event details 

Workshop: New Windows on Fundamental Physics: from tabletop devices to large-scale detectors Dates: 19-23 January 2026 Location: The University of Manchester 

Full list of speakers and more information:  

• 65,000 staff and students will receive full Microsoft 365 Copilot access and training as The University of Manchester becomes the world’s first university to offer universal provision across its entire community.     
• The University-wide rollout will equip students with future-ready skills, strengthen teaching and research, and help address the emerging digital divide through equitable access to the advanced AI tools within Microsoft 365 Copilot.
• Today’s announcement builds on Manchester’s 76-year AI legacy, from Alan Turing to today’s ground-breaking research, positioning the University as a leader in ethical, responsible AI adoption.   

The University of Manchester has announced a strategic collaboration with Microsoft, becoming the first university in the world to give Microsoft 365 Copilot access and training to every student and colleague. 

The landmark agreement will see 65,000 students, academics and colleagues benefit from the full Microsoft 365 Copilot suite, alongside training to support effective and responsible use.  

This initiative forms part of the University’s wider digital and AI transformation programme, which focuses not only on tools, but on building long-term AI literacy, and ensuring the responsible integration of emerging technologies.

It will support learning, research and professional work, and graduate employability. It addresses the emerging digital divide by ensuring that all students – regardless of personal means – can benefit from advanced assistive and productivity tools. 

The announcement comes 76 years after Alan Turing published his seminal ‘Turing Test’ paper while working at the University, one of the first on artificial intelligence, and reflects Manchester’s continuing leadership in AI, with more than to understand and shape the technology. 

The Microsoft 365 Copilot rollout, to be completed by summer 2026, will equip Manchester students with future-ready skills and enable researchers to accelerate interdisciplinary discovery and analysis at scale.   

• Through access and training, Manchester graduates will be well prepared for the modern workplace, where employers increasingly expect graduates to be confident users of AI technologies. Students will also be able to use Microsoft 365 Copilot to support their studies in line with the University’s policies on the responsible use of AI.
• Universal access will help address the emerging digital divide by ensuring that all students can benefit from advanced assistive and productivity tools, regardless of personal means.
• Researchers across the University will be able to use Microsoft 365 Copilot to reduce time spent on routine tasks and explore ideas beyond their immediate disciplines. It enhances evidence gathering by navigating wider and more diverse literature, strengthens understanding through fast and accurate synthesis, and accelerates data analysis to unlock insights sooner. Manchester researchers are already using AI to advance breast cancer treatment and improve menopause care, transform crop productivity, and reduce waste in the fashion industry.
• For academic and professional services colleagues, Microsoft 365 Copilot will support more efficient ways of working and free up time for higher-value, strategic activity. A pilot conducted between 2024 and 2025 demonstrated strong engagement, with 90 per cent of licensed users adopting the tool within 30 days and around half using it several times a week.   

Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: “AI is now part of everyday life. Our responsibility is not only to make these tools available to all our students and staff on an equitable basis, but to use the depth of expertise across our university to shape how AI is developed and applied for public good.   

“By embracing the AI transformation early, we are working with students, colleagues and partners to maximise the benefits and manage risks responsibly. The great universities of the 21st century will be digitally enabled – this partnership represents a significant step on that journey for Manchester.”

Darren Hardman, CEO, , said, “As someone who grew up in Manchester, I’m proud to see the University extending access to Microsoft 365 Copilot across its entire community, helping 65,000 students and staff build the skills they’ll need to thrive in an AI‑enabled economy. This is a powerful example of how we can pair Manchester’s deep AI heritage with responsible, ethical adoption that helps to close the digital divide and equip people to learn, research and work more effectively.”  

The strategic collaboration with Microsoft is one of the first major developments following the launch of the University’s new strategy, From Manchester for the world, demonstrating its ambition for research impact, world-class teaching and learning, and responsible leadership in digital transformation and innovation in action.  

The rollout will be delivered in partnership with the Students’ Union, trade unions and staff networks. The University is working closely with Microsoft to ensure transparency around environmental and wider impacts, and to promote best practice in responsible and sustainable AI adoption.  

Microsoft’s long-standing commitments to sustainability were an important consideration for the University in partnering with them. These include being committed to becoming carbon negative, water positive and zero waste by 2030. 

Professor Jenn Hallam, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students, said: “Every student deserves access to the best AI tools to enable them to thrive in their studies – no matter their circumstances or background. AI is an enabler for teaching and learning, not a replacement. It’s not just supportive in the classroom, but in wider productivity and future life skills and we’re giving students the tools and training to use it in the right way, ethically and appropriately. We’re not just preparing graduates who can go out and get good jobs, we’re preparing the next generation of citizens. That’s the mission of Manchester – you'll get a great degree, but we’ll also prepare you for a fast-changing world.” 

Kanishka Narayan, Minister for AI and Online Safety, said: "When we bring a technology like AI together with the peerless expertise of UK universities, the potential is enormous. Whether supporting students in their studies, opening new avenues of research, or slashing the time spent on routine tasks, the benefits are transformative.   

"This partnership between The University of Manchester and Microsoft will help our brightest minds do what they do best – innovate. Meanwhile, initiatives like the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology's Spärck Scholarships will attract high-potential AI talent to top universities like Manchester." 

The study found that wellbeing programmes worked best when led by senior school leaders but shaped collaboratively by staff and pupils. Initiatives such as ‘keep, tweak or ditch’ reviews helped teachers cut unnecessary workload, while pupil wellbeing ambassadors and parent workshops extended the benefits beyond the classroom.

“This research highlights the power of schools working as communities - not just institutions that deliver lessons, but places that nurture people,” added Dr MacQuarrie. “The schools we studied created a sense of belonging, where staff and pupils alike feel heard and supported.”

Dr Hennessey concluded: “Wellbeing and learning go hand in hand. Schools that invest in the health and happiness of their staff and students aren’t just improving education - they’re shaping stronger, kinder communities.”