Health

The use of non-invasive brain stimulation for mental health and more: ethics and EU regulation
As part of an international research consortium (the EU-funded STIMCODE project), senior researcher Dr Moritz Julian Maier and his team have just developed recommendations on EU regulation and a code of conduct regarding non-invasive brain stimulation techniques: electrically or electromagnetically stimulating parts of the brain. Much needed, because such techniques are being used more and ...

Tackling rare diseases together: Prof. Kjeld Schmiegelow proposes more collaboration and EU expert hubs
"Multinational rare disease expert hubs would speed up research, innovation and development", says Kjeld Schmiegelow, Professor of paediatrics and paediatric oncology at the Copenhagen University Hospital (Denmark). Together with his colleagues, he proposes an EU level framework for data sharing and scientific collaboration to tackle rare diseases. Prof. Schmiegelow will be one of the speakers of ...

How could the education system motivate young people to take climate action?
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges in our society. Scientists are researching the role of the education system in combating global warming and how it could motivate younger generations to take climate action. Undoubtedly, one of the most important challenges that the European Union will face in the years to come is climate ...

Interview with Dr John Cryan: ‘The guts to change neuroscience’
"Understanding how our brain is constantly receiving signals through our gut, as well as the microbiome living there, is of great importance for all aspects of our physiology", says Irish neuroscientist Professor John Cryan. John Cryan is the principal investigator in the APC Microbiome Ireland research institute and a member of the Federation of European ...

Interview with Prof. Francesco Imperi on new strategies to fight antimicrobial resistance
When bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to medicines: this is set to become one of the major health threats of the 21st century. Francesco Imperi, Associate Professor of Microbiology at Roma Tre University (Italy), is working on novel strategies to tackle this antimicrobial resistance (AMR), more specifically in multidrug resistant bacterial human ...

The future of RNA-based technology
Exploring RNA-based technology, its achievements, its future promises, and what it means for European healthcare: This was the aim of this year's STOA Annual Lecture, the 20th edition of a yearly event organised by the European Parliament's Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA). As its keynote lecturer, STOA welcomed Professor Özlem Türeci, ...

RNA technology already helped thousands of patients
"RNA-based technology can help babies with spinal muscular atrophy reach milestones such as sitting, standing and walking", says rare disease expert Prof. Annemieke Aartsma-Rus (Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands). This Wednesday 25 January the European Parliament's Panel for the Future of Science and Technology will hold its Annual Lecture on the future of RNA-based ...

Drones to the rescue: how autonomous flying vehicles can save lives
Drones are already being used to save lives in medical and other emergencies. Now the aim is to make them more autonomous and efficient, helping them make the difference with less control from people.