Air pollution levels in Greater Manchester are some of the highest in the UK. As air pollution can potentially worsen pre-existing health conditions, Greater Manchester residents are increasingly concerned about the high rates of air pollution and are seeking to find practical, place-based solutions to tackle the issue. In this article, Professor Sheena Cruickshank addresses […]
Advancing cell and gene therapies: Levelling-up life sciences investment in the North-West
Life sciences – including new cancer treatments – forms a central pillar of the UK Government’s post-Brexit plan for science and technology. But how could this focus also play a role in another key tenet of British policymaking; the levelling-up agenda? In this blog, adapted from our On Cancer publication, Professor Fiona Thistlethwaite and Professor […]
Access and inclusion: Can we move cancer services closer to home?
Traditionally, the vast majority of cancer services take place in hospitals, but new thinking and new technology are rapidly changing this landscape, particularly because of the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of healthcare services. In this blog, from our On Cancer publication, Dr Philip Crosbie and Dr Dónal Landers outlines how delivering services at […]
Disadvantage and disease: finding solutions to inequalities in cancer
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought renewed focus to the great health inequalities between different communities in our society. Looking at cancer care, these inequalities exist across the whole cancer pathway from uptake in screening, likelihood to present early with symptoms, participation in clinical trials, diagnosis and access to treatments. In this blog, from our On […]
Psychedelics for mental health: tripping over red tape
The last decade has seen a new focus on psychedelics as powerful medicines for treating severe mental health issues, including the use of psilocybin for conditions such as PTSD and treatment-resistant depression. However, many of these potentially life-saving treatments, including psilocybin, remain difficult to research due to overly strict drug laws. In this blog, Professor […]
Improving air quality in urban areas
Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to health in the UK, thought to cause between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths a year. It has also been linked with the development and worsening of coronary heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and lung cancer, exacerbates asthma and hay fever, and worsens the outcomes of respiratory infections such […]
How to build healthy cities
Cities are key places. Changing the way we plan and develop cities will be essential to meet our net zero targets as well as improve the health and lives of people in urban areas. In this blog, Professor James Evans, Dr Luke Munford, Professor David Topping, Professor Sheena Cruickshank and Dr Jamie Anderson explore the […]
Air pollution: a place-based community-centred approach
There are major disparities in the impacts of air pollution, with low-income communities facing greater health risks due to higher exposure to air pollutants. In this blog, Professor Sheena Cruickshank, an immunologist and Academic Lead for Public Engagement with Research at The University of Manchester, outlines the disproportionate health effects of air pollution on marginalised […]
Citizen’s data, healthcare and trust
Health data has informed a central part our NHS for more than two decades, helping the informative bodies to improve services and understand health trends. This has also proved key in understanding, and attempting to mitigate, the worst impacts of COVID-19. However, when this data is shared with secondary bodies, does the public trust that […]
The scourge of summer: seasonal allergies, asthma and how your mobile phone could help
Asthma and allergies affect millions in the UK and abroad. Understanding what drives allergic reactions, both inside the body and in the wider environment, will strengthen the ability of public health policymakers to address and limit the impact of these conditions. Here, Professor Sheena Cruickshank introduces ‘Britain Breathing’, a mobile phone app that can help […]