The UK life sciences sector contributes £94 billion to the economy each year, but it faces increasing global competition, alongside internal challenges such as low numbers of NHS clinical trials, and slow regulatory approval processes. Here, Professor Alejandro Frangi outlines how in silico technologies – Artificial Intelligence and other computer-based approaches for virtual product development and testing – can maintain the UK’s leadership in life sciences innovation and clinical tri...| Policy@Manchester Articles
Locum doctors are used within the NHS to fill both short- and long-term gaps in staffing. Working in both general practices and hospitals, they undertake the same duties as permanent doctors. But how well are they integrated into the clinical teams where they work, how are they supported in the workplace, and how do they differ from permanent staff in their interactions with patients? Here, Dr Thomas Allen, Dr Jane Ferguson and Professor Kieran Walshe outline the findings of their research in...| Policy@Manchester Articles
Global development has brought a welcome uplift in the quality of life for billions of people. But this transition has also introduced the new risk of cardiovascular disease through changing diets and lifestyles, placing pressures on sometimes-fragile healthcare systems. Here, in an article from our publication Healthy Hearts, Dr Gindo Tampubolon, Professor Delvac Oceandy, and Dr Asri Maharani discuss their work on health screening to identify and manage those at risk of cardiovascular dis...| Policy@Manchester Articles
Woodland in the UK stands at 14.5% land-cover compared to 40% for Europe as a whole. Government targets aim to reach 17% by 2030 – a huge increase on the ground in a short space of time. In this article, Dr Matthew Dennis demonstrates how the question of where to create new woodland is key to ensuring new woodlands provide an antidote to ongoing biodiversity loss in the UK. | Policy@Manchester Articles
Historical carbon emissions are already locked into the climate system. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that associated impacts now persist, through extreme weather, climate-related events like floods and wildfires, or longer-term changes to the environment and biosphere. We must give urgent attention to tackling current and future emissions, but it is also vital to ensure that we are well adapted and prepared for the unavoidable changes ahead. Here, Professor Sarah Lindley, conside...| blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk
Improving school attendance is a key priority for schools, education policymakers and local authorities, as regular school attendance is widely recognised as a key component of learning and educational achievement. Despite this, rates of persistent school absence have increased considerably since the COVID-19 pandemic, with no signs of returning to pre-pandemic levels. In this article, Professor Caroline Bond argues that work needs to be done to ensure that mainstream education is more able t...| Policy@Manchester Articles
To combat climate change, all developed economies have set the goal of carbon-neutrality by 2050. This means securing more energy from renewable sources. Achieving a high proportion of renewable energy production in the UK and other developed countries is only possible with suitable energy storage infrastructure, to bridge periods of low or no power generation from wind or solar energy. Here, Professor Robert Dryfe, explores how Long Duration Energy Storage technologies, like batteries, coul...| Policy@Manchester Articles
Modern slavery and exploitation are critical challenges in the UK garment manufacturing and fast fashion sectors, which continue to require urgent attention from policymakers and regulatory agencies. Despite the potential for digital technology to enhance supply chain transparency, its effectiveness in mitigating labour exploitation is under-researched and underutilised. In this article, Dr Jon Davies, Professor Rose Broad, and Dr Amy Benstead outline research conducted by The University of M...| Policy@Manchester Articles
From 2021 onwards, there has been a ‘climate consensus breakdown’ – and a backlash against net zero. This backlash has changed the nature of Conservative-Labour competition around climate change, from one focused around policy performance, to one questioning how ambitious and rapid UK climate policy should be. The two biggest parties also faced electoral competition from both left and right in the 2024 General Election, creating new policymaking dilemmas about how to tackle climate chan...| Policy@Manchester Articles
Human embryo models are created from stem cells and provide opportunities to study early embryo development in ways that would generally be impermissible if real human embryos were used. Here, Dr Jonathan Lewis and Professor Soren Holm argue that with human embryo models becoming more advanced, regulations governing human embryo research need to be established to allow regulators, researchers, and funders to assess whether certain models should be considered as human embryos.| Policy@Manchester Articles
