Health – Views & Research – The Conversation

A child receives treatment after showing measles-like symptoms at DNCC Dedicated Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 18 September 2026.

A child receives treatment after showing measles-like symptoms at DNCC Dedicated Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 18 September 2026.

Bangladesh has lost 900 children to measles – a warning to other countries where vaccine rates have slipped

Vikram Niranjan, University of Limerick and Colum P. Dunne, University of Limerick

A hand holding a blisterpack of pills with the other hand holding a blurred copy of the patient information leaflet.

A hand holding a blisterpack of pills with the other hand holding a blurred copy of the patient information leaflet.

Medicine leaflets are failing patients – and sometimes frightening them

Dipa Kamdar, Kingston University

Having a baby in Denmark v the UK: how different is it?

Christine Parsons, Aarhus University

Cartoon Danish and British parent and child.

Cartoon Danish and British parent and child.

Can nutrients in our foods mimic calorie restriction and increase our healthspan?

Justin Roberts, Anglia Ruskin University

Fresh vegetables, grains, leaves and fruits on a dark background

Fresh vegetables, grains, leaves and fruits on a dark background

Why the start of your run feels so difficult

Richard Taylor, Coventry University

A tired man wipes sweat off his forehead while running on a treadmill indoors.

A tired man wipes sweat off his forehead while running on a treadmill indoors.

Why ‘accidents’ can happen during intense exercise

Adam Taylor, Lancaster University

A woman on a run looks at a sign for the toilet. The female stick figure is pointing towards the direction of the toilet.

A woman on a run looks at a sign for the toilet. The female stick figure is pointing towards the direction of the toilet.

How a traditional Nordic way of eating could help you live longer

Daniel Borch Ibsen, Aarhus University; Christina C. Dahm, Aarhus University, and Michael Fridén, Aarhus University

Using ‘neurodivergent’ as a catch-all term is problematic – here’s why

Alessio Bellato, University of Southampton and Samuele Cortese, University of Southampton

A collection of silhouetted heads with anatomically correct brains in various different colours.

A collection of silhouetted heads with anatomically correct brains in various different colours.

The long fascinating history of food additives – and why we’re stuck with them

Gunter Kuhnle, University of Reading

Wooden spoon with suspicious face and some post-its of E-numbers.

Wooden spoon with suspicious face and some post-its of E-numbers.

Decades of male-focused medical research could bias healthcare AI

Brittany Vining, University of Oxford and Suzannah Williams, University of Oxford

CPR being performed on a first aid mannequin

CPR being performed on a first aid mannequin

A courtroom drawing of Lucy Letby, seated between two female police officers.

A courtroom drawing of Lucy Letby, seated between two female police officers.

Lucy Letby: Thirlwall inquiry lays bare the responsibility of NHS management – here’s what needs to change for the future

Judith Smith, University of Birmingham

Health Gap – Sundhedskløften

The real reason Britons are more medicated than Danes

Philip Broadbent, University of Glasgow

A woman's hands holding some medication with Danish and British flag in background.

A woman's hands holding some medication with Danish and British flag in background.

A day in the life: a look at the Danish way versus the British way

Emma Norris, Brunel University of London and Kristina Pfeffer, University of Southern Denmark

Two cartoons, a danish person and a British person side by side.

Two cartoons, a danish person and a British person side by side.

The pastry paradox: why are the Danes slimmer than Britons?

Vassiliki Sinopoulou, University of Lancashire

Denmark versus UK: which country gets more health for their money?

Subhash Pokhrel, Brunel University of London

Fitness + Exercise

A mother and father jog in a park with their two teenage sons.

A mother and father jog in a park with their two teenage sons.

Why ‘slow jogging’ is the perfect fitness trend for people who want to get into exercise

Stephen Garland, Malmö University

Body size cannot tell you how fit someone is, but it shapes how people are judged

Jordan Beaumont, Sheffield Hallam University

Woman wearing sportswear, standing confidently outdoors, looking directly at the camera, with hands on hips

Woman wearing sportswear, standing confidently outdoors, looking directly at the camera, with hands on hips

The workout recovery techniques backed by science – and the ones that are just hype

Max Davis, University of Bath

A man sitting in an ice bath checks the smartwatch on his wrist.

A man sitting in an ice bath checks the smartwatch on his wrist.

What is post-workout fatigue – and can you prevent it?

Athalie Redwood-Brown, Nottingham Trent University

A man lays on the floor of a squash court with her hands over his eyes.

A man lays on the floor of a squash court with her hands over his eyes.

The neuroscience behind a ‘runner’s high’

Laura Elin Pigott, London South Bank University

A couple goes for a run outdoors in the woods. They're both smiling.

A couple goes for a run outdoors in the woods. They're both smiling.

Diet + Nutrition

Top view of bottles of red wine and aged beef steaks surrounded by cloves of garlic and sprigs of rosemary on a grey stone background.

Top view of bottles of red wine and aged beef steaks surrounded by cloves of garlic and sprigs of rosemary on a grey stone background.

Iron overload: how tea, coffee, red meat and alcohol can affect absorption

Alexandra Cremona, University of Limerick

How to build a nutritious emergency food stockpile

Graeme Close, Liverpool John Moores University and Richard Kirwan, Liverpool John Moores University

An assortment of canned goods that have been opened.

An assortment of canned goods that have been opened.

Eating a handful of nuts each day is linked with lower risk of high blood pressure, our research shows

Shireen Kassam, University of Winchester and Dagfinn Aune, Imperial College London

A person pours a jarful of nuts into the palm of their hand.

A person pours a jarful of nuts into the palm of their hand.

Brazilian meat, antibiotics and superbugs: what you need to know

Manal Mohammed, University of Westminster

Raw beef meat with embedded syringes on white background

Raw beef meat with embedded syringes on white background

What happens to your body when you eat more pulses? Five effects you need to know

Lewis C. E. Mason, Kingston University

Dried vegetable pulses in white heart shaped dishes over white background

Dried vegetable pulses in white heart shaped dishes over white background

Strange health

Blue gloved hand holding a vial of smallpox vaccine in front of the monkeypox virus graphic on a monitor

Blue gloved hand holding a vial of smallpox vaccine in front of the monkeypox virus graphic on a monitor

Can an ancient virus be brought back to life? What 500-year-old smallpox DNA reveals

Aris Katzourakis, University of Oxford

‘Ferritin face’ is trending – but can your skin really reveal low iron?

Chloe Casey, Bournemouth University

Woman with dark rings under her eyes.

Woman with dark rings under her eyes.

Men and women are turning to genital fillers for pleasure and size – here’s what can go wrong

Adam Taylor, Lancaster University

Doctor pointing a model of male genitals.

Doctor pointing a model of male genitals.

A brief history of the hangover and its cures – from cabbages to cloves and the lungs of a goat

Joan Fitzpatrick, Loughborough University

Medieval illustration of a man being sick

Medieval illustration of a man being sick

Repairing a severed nerve can alter the brain’s map of the hand – new research

Ken Valyear, Bangor University

Illustration of a hand connected by coloured neural pathways to a stylised brain.

Illustration of a hand connected by coloured neural pathways to a stylised brain.

Drugs

A doctor wearing gloves prepares to take an oral swab from a seated patient

A doctor wearing gloves prepares to take an oral swab from a seated patient

Pharmacogenomics: how your genes could help doctors choose the right medicine and dose

Rebecca Moore, University of East Anglia

Morning-after pill now free at your local pharmacy – what you need to know

Dipa Kamdar, Kingston University

Morning-after pills in their blister packs against a purple background.

Morning-after pills in their blister packs against a purple background.

Once-weekly HIV pill as effective as daily dose, research shows

Chloe Orkin, Queen Mary University of London

A man holds a white pill in his fingers. He's about to place it in his palm.

A man holds a white pill in his fingers. He's about to place it in his palm.

Feeling unwell after taking medicine? Here’s how to report it

Dipa Kamdar, Kingston University

A woman taking a pill with a glass of water.

A woman taking a pill with a glass of water.

One in ten medicines worldwide could be fake or substandard – here’s how to protect yourself

Dipa Kamdar, Kingston University

A gloved hand holding a magnifying glass over a batch code on a blisterpack of pills.

A gloved hand holding a magnifying glass over a batch code on a blisterpack of pills.

Dementia

A couple walk their dog in the park

A couple walk their dog in the park

The physical activity paradox: not all forms of exercise lower your dementia risk – this type raises it

Eef Hogervorst, Loughborough University

One in four adults has metabolic syndrome – and it may be ageing their brains

Abigail Dove, Karolinska Institutet

A side silhouette of a human head, with puzzle pieces coming out of the top of the head.

A side silhouette of a human head, with puzzle pieces coming out of the top of the head.

New Alzheimer’s drugs offer hope for some, but good dementia care protects the humanity of those they cannot help

Kate Irving, Dublin City University

A group of older adults hold notebooks during group writing therapy session

A group of older adults hold notebooks during group writing therapy session

A healthy diet may still make a difference for people at higher risk of dementia

Anja Mrhar, Karolinska Institutet and Adrián Carballo Casla, Karolinska Institutet

Fruit, vegetables and other healthy foods.

Fruit, vegetables and other healthy foods.

Dementia care: how praise can help – and when it can miss the mark

Lauren Bridgstock, Manchester Metropolitan University

Close up of hands of senior patient on examination table in the hospital.

Close up of hands of senior patient on examination table in the hospital.

Live forever

Close-up of a translucent blue DNA double helix covered in clear droplets against a pale blue background.

Close-up of a translucent blue DNA double helix covered in clear droplets against a pale blue background.

How a little stress may help our cells protect themselves

Ian Copple, University of Liverpool

How much sleep do I need? Why you can forget the eight-hour rule

Derk-Jan Dijk, University of Surrey and Anne Skeldon, University of Surrey

Security guard sleeping under a tree during daylight hours.

Security guard sleeping under a tree during daylight hours.

Why long gaps between meals may not be healthy for older people – new study

Adrián Carballo Casla, Karolinska Institutet

Older man eating soup.

Older man eating soup.

What happens to strength, balance, stamina and reflexes as you age – and what you can do about it

Jack McNamara, University of East London and Lee Brown, University of East London

Two people climbing steep steps.

Two people climbing steep steps.

Could robots help tackle loneliness? BBC’s Ann Droid raises questions about the future of care

Maria Jose Galvez Trigo, Cardiff University and Paul Willis, Cardiff University

Diane Morgan as Linda wearing a lilac top.

Diane Morgan as Linda wearing a lilac top.

Cancer

A digital depiction of _Helicobacter pylori_ bacteria in the body.

A digital depiction of _Helicobacter pylori_ bacteria in the body.

A common stomach infection may be linked to bowel cancer – here’s what we know

Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

Cabin crew at greater risk of radiation-based cancer than nuclear technologists, new study suggests

Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

A flight attendant closing an overhead locker.

A flight attendant closing an overhead locker.

Babies born under sugar rationing grew into adults with lower cancer risk

Weilong Zhang, University of Cambridge

Display of one week of foodstuffs for one person during the rationing period, strictly controlled by ration stamp book purchases in the UK during and after the second world war.

Display of one week of foodstuffs for one person during the rationing period, strictly controlled by ration stamp book purchases in the UK during and after the second world war.

Jeremy Clarkson says men have lost the right to prostate cancer testing – the truth is a bit more nuanced than that

Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

TV personality Jeremy Clarkson.

TV personality Jeremy Clarkson.

Smouldering myeloma: Lauren Laverne’s diagnosis explained

Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

BBC presenter Lauren Laverne.

BBC presenter Lauren Laverne.

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