Latest News

Responding to adverse childhood experiences - An evidence review

Public Health Wales’ Policy, Research and International Development directorate in conjunction with the Public Health Collaborating Unit at Bangor University, has produced a new report ‘Responding to Adverse Childhood Experiences’.

The new report, developed by Dr Lisa Di Lemma, examines evidence across a variety of programmes responding to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).  The report looked at programmes and interventions for 11 individual ACE types, and ACEs as a collective term, to identify common approaches across programmes.

Publication date: 16 May 2019

Flexible and omnipresent Baboons could be at risk

Despite being so commonplace in some regions of Sub-Saharan Africa that baboons can be considered pests to some communities, new research shows that half the six species of baboons present in the region could be at risk by mid-century.

A recent paper in the Journal of Biogeography reveals that baboons, most of which are in the ‘of Least Concern’ category on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, could struggle for survival under future climate conditions.

Publication date: 16 May 2019

Researching the kingfisher’s iconic hydrodynamic design

Renowned for their noiseless dive, the kingfisher’s iconic beak-shape has inspired the design of high speed bullet trains. Now scientists have tested beak-shape among some of the birds’ 114 species found world-wide, to assess which shape is the most hydrodynamic.

Avian biologist, Dr Kristen Crandell and third year undergraduate student, Rowan Howe, of Bangor University, created 3d printed models of the beak shapes of several of the diving kingfisher species, at the University’s Pontio Innovation Centre.

Publication date: 15 May 2019

Centre’s pioneering research helping to shape future strategy for ageing in Wales

A ground-breaking research centre – the Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research - led by Swansea University, with Bangor and Cardiff Universities, is set to play a key role in shaping the future care of older people in Wales.

Publication date: 13 May 2019

Replanting oil palm may be driving a second wave of biodiversity loss

This article  by Simon Willcock, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Geography, Bangor University and Adham Ashton-Butt, Post-doctoral Research Associate, University of Hull is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The environmental impact of palm oil production has been well publicised. Found in everything from food to cosmetics, the deforestation, ecosystem decline and biodiversity loss associated with its use is a serious cause for concern.

Publication date: 13 May 2019

Policy action called for to prevent gambling harm

Academics are calling for a radical overhaul of the UK gambling laws including a tax on the industry to prevent gambling harms and support those with gambling problems, in a paper published today (Thursday 9 May 2019).

As gambling is increasingly being recognised as a public health issue, the academies say major investment is needed to alleviate the growing economic burden on society.

Publication date: 9 May 2019

Bangor University Celebrates Europe Day 2019

On 9 May, the University, along with many establishments across the UK and Europe, will mark Europe Day with a number of events and activities. The European Union celebrates this day to mark the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration of 1950, considered to be the first official step in the creation of the European Union as it is today.

Publication date: 8 May 2019

Bangor’s medal winning involvement in Welsh Institute of Performance Science highlighted in annual report

Research from Bangor university features prominently in the Welsh Institute of Performance Science (WIPS) annual report of 2019 (pg18). WIPS was developed to enable necessary and important research to be conducted. 

Publication date: 1 May 2019

British Science Association | April News Letter

Publication date: 1 May 2019

Not so sexy salmon

New research reveals that farmed salmon have smaller ‘jaw hooks’ or ‘kype’- a secondary sexual trait, likened to the antlers of a stag, making them less attractive to females than their wild salmon cousins.

This new finding published in the peer–reviewed science journal Royal Society Open Science, implies that farm-bred salmon are less sexually attractive than their wild brethren, and that despite only being bred in captivity since the 1970’s, within some 12 generations, that they are already diverging from wild salmon.

Publication date: 30 April 2019

The last chance for Madagascar’s biodiversity

Scientists from around the world have joined together to identify the most important actions needed by Madagascar’s new government to prevent species and habitats being lost for ever.

In January, Madagascar’s recently-elected president, Andry Rajoelina, began his five-year term of office. A group of scientists from Madagascar, the UK, Australia, the USA and Finland have published a paper recommending actions needed by the new government to turn around the precipitous decline of biodiversity and help put Madagascar on a trajectory towards sustainable growth.

Publication date: 29 April 2019

More than eight in ten men in prison suffered childhood adversity – new report

Childhood adversity linked to more times in prison, violent offending and a history of time in youth offender institutions

Male prisoners are much more likely than men in the wider population to have suffered childhood adversities such as child maltreatment or living in a home with domestic violence, according to a new report by Public Health Wales and Bangor University.

Publication date: 29 April 2019

Ligue 1: France gets its first female top flight football referee, but the federation scores an own goal

As the end of the 2018-19 football season approaches, a match between Amiens and Strasbourg in France’s Ligue 1 would normally attract little attention. However, Sunday’s game has already created headlines as Stéphanie Frappart will become the first ever woman to act as a main referee in the top tier of French men’s football.

This article by Jonathan Ervine, Senior Lecturer in French and Francophone Studies, School of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Publication date: 25 April 2019

How did the moon end up where it is?

Nearly 50 years since man first walked on the moon, the human race is once more pushing forward with attempts to land on the Earth’s satellite. This year alone, China has landed a robotic spacecraft on the far side of the moon, while India is close to landing a lunar vehicle, and Israel continues its mission to touch down on the surface, despite the crash of its recent venture. NASA meanwhile has announced it wants to send astronauts to the moon’s south pole by 2024.

This article by Mattias Green, Reader in Physical Oceanography, School of Ocean Sciences and David Waltham, Professor of Geophysics, Royal Holloway is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Publication date: 25 April 2019

Safeguarding our natural resources – how do decision-makers decide?

Human activities are increasingly threatening the very elements that we need for our own survival, from clean water from forests, to ensuring the survival of crop-pollinating insects.

Scientists call these naturally occurring aspects on which we rely ‘ecosystem services’ and many governments are shifting their conservation policies to take these vital ‘ecosystem services’ into consideration.

Scientists are rushing to create ‘models’ which can predict both the availability of these services, sometimes as basic and intrinsic as water, grazing or land for crop growth and the demand for them.

There are now many such models- but they need validating- checking against reality, so that decision-makers know which model would be most suitable for their needs.

Publication date: 24 April 2019

Registration is now open for the following WISERD training events that will be taking place in Bangor during May.

Publication date: 22 March 2019