Shaping the future of health and care

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are challenging how we think about thinking.

The largest genetic study of our food likes and dislikes sheds new light on people's diet choices.

The development of implantable devices has been a game changer in the medical profession, giving many patients a new lease of life. However, receiving an implant can also alter a person’s sense of identity and have a lasting impact on their mental health. Social scientist Dr Gill Haddow’s research is empowering people living with these devices to accept their body modification and in turn improve their wellbeing.

Pioneering work by researchers from the School of Biological Sciences reveals how invisible triggers orchestrate the earliest-known stages of a key life process, and may help offer clues to improving ways of treating diseases such as cancer.

Six years ago a revolutionary technique to restore fertility in women rendered infertile by cancer treatments brought the prospect of life into the darkest of times. Its success - decades in the making - is paving the way to even more breakthroughs.

Research by Edinburgh’s world-leading stroke experts, Joanna Wardlaw and Peter Sandercock, is helping more patients benefit from life-saving treatment.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution is responsible for more than seven million premature deaths globally a year. Edinburgh researchers investigating the effects of air pollutants on cardiovascular health are helping to shape air quality guidelines.

In 2012, stem cell biologist Dr Tilo Kunath had just finished a public talk about his research on Parkinson’s disease when he was asked a surprising question – “Why aren’t you using smell to detect Parkinson’s?” Nine years on, this simple question has led to ground-breaking research into new ways to detect this devastating disease.

Chronic liver disease is on the rise, killing thousands in the UK alone. A new spin-out company aims to reverse the tide by enlisting a hard-working marvel of human biology.

University researchers have created a unique voice banking, voice building and voice repairing service, that's allowing patients to retain or reclaim their own individual voice.

Innovative Edinburgh scientist Dr Elaine Emmerson gave a talented artist unlimited access to her head and neck cancer research, and the resulting illustrations capture the treatment development journey in an engaging and enlightening way.