Prof Cath Noakes

Feasibility and Safety of Aerosolized Influenza Virus Challenge in Humans Using Two Modern Delivery Systems This study demonstrates that aerosolized influenza virus can be safely administered to healthy adults using two modern delivery systems. Controlled aerosol

To study influenza infections, we inoculated human participants with aerosolized virus: coarse particles generated by a flow-focusing monodisperse aerosol generator and fine particles generated by a medical nebulizer. academic.oup.com/jid/article-...

Open letter from Ian Chapman to research and innovation community UKRI Chief Executive outlines changes to UKRI investment approach, addressing concerns about research funding and the financial position of STFC.

Today, we're sharing an open letter from our Chief Executive, Professor Sir Ian Chapman, outlining changes to UKRI investment approach, and addressing concerns about research funding and the financial position of STFC. Read his letter here: www.ukri.org/news/open-le...

A heavily scalloped underground stream passage, with a caver admiring a calcite formation in the distance

Small gours and causing steps in the stream passage, with a greenish pool beneath them

A high level passage above the streamway, with extensive calcite roof and wall formations, and a caver shining her light down a smaller oxbow part way up the wall.

There are a lot of horrible things happening in the world. I can't offer answers, or even cat pics. But I have been having a go at taking some cave pics while away at new year. First time for a while. Hopefully you will like them.

Happy International Day of Education from the School of Education here at the University of Leeds

This years theme is “AI and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation”,

Read our reflections here: bit.ly/4qo28RT and bit.ly/49asnEu

#DayofEducation #EducationMatters

PhD position (Manchester, UK)
Modelling reactive response in outbreaks of respiratory infections in vulnerable settings
with Lorenzo Pellis, Ian Hall, Thomas House
at University of Manchester
More details: http://iddjobs.org/jobs/2462

Siamese cat on top of a door, hanging on with his claws

Happy weekend from a cat sat on top of a door. Like you do…

And my group at the Centre for Emerging Viral Diseases is also hiring: We are looking for a postdoc for our work on mucosal immunity and respiratory viruses!

jobs.unige.ch/www/wd_porta...

Professor position in Global Health at the University of Geneva, Institute of Global Health!

This is really an exciting opportunity with lots of possibilities for collaborations, e.g. with our Centre, in the field of infectious diseases, international Geneva, WHO...

jobs.unige.ch/www/wd_porta...

I wonder how many millions in productivity is lost each year because cross country trains are too cramped to work on and the 4G signal is terrible? I love visiting colleagues at Birmingham uni, but I loathe the trains.

I had 2 nights on a multi bed ward last year and the sheer amount of noise all the time really struck me. So many bleeps/alarms and absolutely no privacy in conversations despite the sensitivity of some of the patient conditions. I eventually worked out how to silence my own drip stand alarm!

Ten years ago today David Bowie died. And ever since the world has gone to rats. Causation, correlation or coincidence?

How not to catch the flu? The airborne infection transmission pathway remains elusive

We just published our “Insights from lack of transmission in a controlled transmission trial with naturally infected donors” in the journal PLOS Pathogens. I've summarized it in a Substack post. "How not to catch the flu?" profairborne.substack.com/p/how-not-to...
#Influenza #AirborneInfection

And on a related note, keeping car washer jets from freezing also shouldn’t be rocket science!

We are so technologically advanced in some areas but when it comes to keeping ice at bay we are hopeless. Surely we can do better here - either traditional gritting or thinking of new tech - robot gritters, new paving materials?

Fascinating to see the range of responses. I remember using a probability yardstick to link phrases to % during SAGE covid work which really made me think about how we interpret phrases.

How likely is ‘likely’? Does ‘likely’ have a higher probability than ‘probable’? I put together a quick quiz so you can see how you interpret probability phrases, then see how you compare with others: probability.kucharski.io

Mental health is shaped by more than just the mind.

Mental health is shaped by social and structural factors—yet too often, mental health policies fail to address them.

Happy new year. Here’s to a healthy, happy and peaceful 2026.

Pop up pirate is out. It must be New Year’s Eve #FamilyRituals

I’m also not convinced that comparing to 2020/21 (ie peak covid) for minor ailments is the best baseline.

Leeds braced for launch of two years as UK's first City of Maths The new two-year initiative aims to transform the way people think and feel about the subject.

So proud of so the people at MathsWorldUK who’ve been working so hard to give the UK its first City of Maths.

Enjoy it Leeds!

That’s even worse. At least if I miss a review it has no impact on me.

And on Sunday morning had the passive-aggressive cancellation email as I didn’t respond in time. I’m sure these systems could be programmed to recognise weekends and major public holidays and adjust the reminders accordingly.

I spoke with @carlzimmer.com about our terminated grant on wildfire smoke and homes:

Snake Pass Snow, painting by Sue Scott. Infamous stretch of the A57 between Manchester and Sheffield.

I know it’s hard to get paper reviewers but sending the invite on Christmas Day and the reminder on 27th isn’t going to help the cause #decline

A Winter Walk - by one of my favourite artists and printmakers, Hester Cox @hestercoxprint.bsky.social

More of Hester's stunning artwork, here: www.hestercox.com

#art #printmaking #fox #winter

We can wave as we pass each other in Bedio-dei!

Oh yes you are right. Back in the day when keywords meant something. I also remember early days of electronic publishing when journal table of contents alerts came in as a game changer.

And it was before the days of electronic search so you relied on reading new issues of key journals, following up references from other papers and recommendations from supervisors. Imagine trying to do that now with so many 1000’s of journals and papers across multiple disciplines.