Peter Bloomfield

illustration of scientist looking at neurons through telescopes as though astronomers looking at stars

This ‘fundamental’ study shows how D1- and D2-expressing neurons in the nucleus accumbens shell jointly drive cue-guided action selection, resolving key questions about the neural circuits underlying stimulus-based decision-making.
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Children in the 1950s

New BMJ Research: Restricted sugar intake during early life is linked to lower risks of several heart conditions in adulthood, including heart attack, heart failure, and stroke, finds study using data from the end of UK sugar rationing in 1953
www.bmj.com/content/391/...

Eye implant and high-tech glasses restore vision lost to age Age-related macular degeneration is a common cause of vision loss, with existing treatments only able to slow its progression. But now an implant in the back of the eye and a pair of high-tech glasses have enabled people with the condition to read again

Age-related macular degeneration is a common cause of vision loss, with existing treatments only able to slow its progression. But now an implant in the back of the eye and a pair of high-tech glasses have enabled people with the condition to read again

A woman wearing a face covering uses a screwdriver to tighten a screw as she fits together a pair of the black PRIMA System glasses.

What is the new implant helping people to see? When will it become available? Here's all you need to know about the revolutionary eye implant which has enabled people with dry AMD to read again.

www.macularsociety.org/about/media/...

Life-changing eye implant helps blind patients read again The results are astounding and a major advance, say surgeons involved in international research using the pioneering technology.

This is what innovation and research is all about, improving patient lives #bionic #retinal #implant #AMD: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
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UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.

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The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.

Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...

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Who Funds You?

Journalists - if you are quoting an organisation that comments on politics or economics but conceals who funds it, then refer to it as a lobby group, not a think tank. www.opendemocracy.net/en/who-funds...

Royal Society to reconsider expelling Elon Musk - Research Professional News Violent rhetoric in address to anti-immigration rally pushes science academy to reassess billionaire’s fellowship

BREAKING: Royal Society to reconsider expelling Elon Musk

Violent rhetoric in address to anti-immigration rally pushes science academy to reassess billionaire’s fellowship

(Free to read)

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

Breaking story by me: The Royal Society’s governing council will debate Elon Musk’s fellowship on 1 October

Is Musk’s violent speech at an anti-immigration rally in London a step too far for the UK’s science academy?

UK reputation for life sciences ‘at risk’ as deals stall - Research Professional News AstraZeneca expansion pause prompts warning from the National Centre for Universities and Business

UK reputation for life sciences ‘at risk’ as deals stall.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Why hearing in noisy places gets harder with age, even with “normal” hearing

This study links hidden damage in the ear's neural wiring to speech-in-noise difficulties and increased listening effort in middle-aged adults.
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Exploring retinal thickness variations in adolescents with first episode psychosis and schizophrenia: A comparative study with healthy siblings and controls The retina offers a way to indirectly evaluate inflammation and degeneration in the brain. Recently, scientists are focusing on the retina as a valuab…

Two worlds meet: Exploring retinal thickness variations in adolescents with first episode psychosis and schizophrenia #OCTinaging #psychosis #retina 🧪 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

US research agency upheaval costs UK universities millions - Research Professional News Exclusive: Scale of disruption to British medical research caused by Trump’s science cuts revealed

The Times has this morning picked up on our investigation showing that universities in the UK stand to lose millions in funding for vital health research due to the Trump administration's upheavals at US research agencies.

Here is the original:

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

"Medical students who are present at patient consultations may believe they blend into the background, but the opposite is often true."

Medical students must recognise that patients may observe and interpret their every move, writes Daniel Sokol
www.bmj.com/content/390/...

@millershiplab.bsky.social Hello hello! Long time, great to see you on here :)

Also a really interesting paper: No effect of additional education on long-term brain structure – a preregistered natural experiment in thousands of individuals elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...

It is refreshing to hear about research in @elife.bsky.social on the #podcast where the null hypothesis is not rejected. So much knowledge is missing from the literature where null findings go unpublished

Some current issues in certification of vision impairment - Eye Eye - Some current issues in certification of vision impairment

A useful editorial in the journal Eye looking at the CVI (certificate of vision impairment) with helpful suggestions of improved questions: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Trump team axes contracts with publishing giant Springer Nature The action comes as high-ranking US officials criticize top journals as ‘woke’ and ‘corrupt’.

"Woke science" seems to be the new "Jewish physics".
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

@amrc-uk.bsky.social charities are a core part of the #research, #development and #innovation infrastructure in the UK. We collectively fund more research than either the NIHR or MRC and are instrumental in identifying new therapeutic targets and supporting clinical trails #CharityImpact

We need more diversity in clinical trials, but there are barriers preventing diverse groups from participating in research. 🔬

Read our new report with @amrc-uk.bsky.social which sets out key actions to overcome them. bit.ly/4e2Nhr1

British Academy announces 5million investment from Wellcome to turbocharge support for early career researchers The British Academy welcomes an investment of £5million from Wellcome, to launch a unique Leadership and Advancement SHAPE programme for researchers in the early stages of their careers. The funding s...

This initiative from @britishacademy.bsky.social and @wellcometrust.bsky.social will provide some much needed #EarlyCareerResearcher support www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/5millio...

Ministers commit to £86bn for ‘breakthrough’ UK science and tech R&D Mayors welcome £500m set aside for regional authorities to target investment locally

Very welcome news: Ministers have announced a £22.5bn a year commitment in #research and development (R&D) over the next four years, including up to £500m for regional authorities to target the #investment locally.

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

At @macularsociety.org we couldn't do what we do without a huge range of volunteers! Thank you to all of them for being incredible people #VolunteersWeek2025

Great to see a Phase II #trial of #oral treatment for Geographic Atrophy (late stage #dryAMD) 🧪💊 @boehringerglobal.bsky.social www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/science-inno...

How to read a paper involving artificial intelligence (AI) This paper guides readers through the critical appraisal of a paper that includes the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical settings for healthcare delivery. A brief introduction to the diff...

This paper is a great explainer of #clinical #AI solutions and how to interpret publications about AI in a medical setting 🧪 bmjmedicine.bmj.com/content/4/1/...

New #BMJInvestigation finds bans on junk food advertising in outdoor spaces have been derailed by industry lobbying.

Some of the councils lobbied have among the worst rates of childhood obesity. Use our interactive infographic in the article to uncover more
www.bmj.com/content/389/...

Measures of retinal health successfully capture risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias at midlife - Ashleigh Barrett-Young, Aaron Reuben, Avshalom Caspi, Kirsten Cheyne, David Ireland, Jes... Background Identification of at-risk individuals who would benefit from early intervention for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) is critical...

#Retinal microvasculature measures offer predictive value for #dementia at midlife timepoints. The #eye is a window to the brain (and the rest of the body!) 🧪 journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

154 million lives and counting: 5 charts reveal the power of vaccines But public-health specialists worry that misinformation and funding cuts could affect vaccination rates.

The title tells the story and the 5 graphs amplify it
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Our grant programmes

The latest @macularsociety.org 🧪 research grant round is now open for application! #PhD and #ProjectGrant funding available. Deadline 30th May 2025: www.macularsociety.org/research/mac...