Research with impact

Interweaving sets of public information can reveal powerful patterns and insights. But can it be done without damaging the public's trust that their data is being used appropriately? An Edinburgh team has some ingenious solutions.

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.

Researchers at the University’s Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems are developing bio-economic models to help governments and companies understand the cost-effectiveness of measures to reduce the environmental impact of beef production.

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.

​​​​​​​Found across almost every continent, bees have been pollinating plants for millions of years, but their numbers are dwindling. University of Edinburgh research is working to halt their decline.

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.

The hunt for a naturally occurring blue – something that is surprisingly rare – has led a collaboration of researchers and a biotech firm to an unlikely source – algae.

For more than two decades, the University’s Professor Ian Main has been a leading figure in a global movement to develop an earthquake forecasting system that helps authorities manage the risk of natural disasters. Now, the researcher is on a mission to improve the living conditions of marginalised communities in low- and middle-income countries.

The battle against child exploitation takes place in dark territory. A new global institute will use data to cast light into the gloom and ensure children are seen and heard in the fight.