The University of Manchester

On Wednesday, 6 May, the University of Manchester hosted its annual Making a Difference Awards ceremony to recognise and celebrate the inspiring social responsibility achievements of colleagues, students, alumni and external partners.The University’s social responsibility activity spans across its research, teaching, public engagement activities and University operations. The Making a Difference Awards highlight the extensive range of social responsibility initiatives across the University community and include categories such as environmental sustainability, alumni contribution, widening access and student success and equality, diversity and inclusion. By sharing ideas, time, expertise and innovation, these…

'Love Will Tear Us Apart' lyrics IAN CURTIS: INSIGHTVoltz Clarke Gallery, New York City25 June – 22 July 2026A major exhibition exploring the life and creative legacy of Ian Curtis will open in New York this summer, bringing rare archival material from the iconic Joy Division frontman to the United States for the first time.Ian Curtis: Insight presents an intimate and revealing selection of handwritten lyrics, photographs, personal letters, ephemera…

If you speak with a Northern, regional or working-class accent in Britain, you may still be judged before you’ve even finished your sentence.A new book by The University of Manchester’s Dr Alex Baratta has revealed how deeply ingrained accent prejudice remains in British society - from classrooms to job interviews - and why it’s time to challenge it.Key insightsAccent bias remains widespread across British society, including in educationPeople are routinely…

Years of chronic exposure of human skin to sunlight strongly disrupts its body‑clock rhythm, according to a pioneering study led by University of Manchester, No7 Beauty Company, a member of The Boots Group, and University of Pennsylvania scientists.The findings could explain how ultraviolet (UV) light triggers inflammation and damage in exposed skin, so-called photoageing, which breaks down its supportive structure, altering how its cells behave.Published in the Journal of Investigative…

Researchers from The University of Manchester are calling for urgent changes to how children and young people are asked to take part in research, warning that current consent systems often fail to reflect their voices, experiences and rights.The article highlights how traditional approaches - relying heavily on parents, schools and formal paperwork - can overlook children’s ability to understand and make decisions about research participation.Instead, the researchers argue for a…

Researchers from The University of Manchester have worked directly with teenage girls to uncover what they believe could help turn the tide on rising rates of anxiety and low mood.From their early teenage years, girls are more likely to experience low mood and anxiety. They are twice as likely as boys to experience depression by age 15, and new evidence suggests this gap has been growing for more than a…

The reliable supply of drugs is fundamental to any healthcare system, yet shortages remain a persistent problem.Disruptions arise from a range of causes: manufacturing failures, fluctuating demand, regulatory changes and wars. Around 60% of drug shortages are linked to manufacturing bottlenecks, while insufficient reserves of both finished products and raw ingredients continue to leave health systems like the NHS exposed.The seriousness of the issue has prompted intervention at the highest…

Keir Starmer’s decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US keeps coming back to haunt him. It has now emerged that Mandelson was granted security clearance by the Foreign Office, despite concerns raised during the vetting process. Top Foreign Office civil servant Olly Robbins was sacked over these revelations.Mandelson was controversial long before Starmer appointed him in 2024. A New Labour figure known as the “prince of darkness”…

A major international study involving researchers from The University of Manchester has found that rising global demand for beef is a key force behind deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.The research shows how consumer demand in countries around the world is directly linked to land clearing in Brazil, often through complex supply chains that are difficult to regulate. By combining economic and environmental analysis, the study reveals why current efforts to…

A Lego-style Iranian military commander raps over a gangster beat: “Our inbox is flooded with Americans saying they don’t watch the news. They listen to our songs instead since your media is full of sh*t.”This is the opening line of an AI-generated video which is part of Iran’s meme campaign – built around Lego-style animation and rap soundtracks, which have accumulated billions of views online. The line captures the strange…

It can feel as though there’s something mystic about acquiring a seat on the University Challenge team, a tap on the shoulder in a quiet area of the quad one day maybe, but according to Ray, that that isn’t so.“Growing up, my Grandma was always a huge fan of University Challenge, and when a friend of mine who’d been a contestant a couple of years before told me that they…

A new book by The University of Manchester’s Dr Pritish Behuria explores how Rwanda rebuilt its economy after the 1994 genocide to become one of Africa’s most frequently cited development success stories, while questioning whether its current growth model can deliver long-term prosperity.Key findingsRwanda has achieved rapid economic growth and built a reputation for effective state-led development, but the book argues that long-term prosperity may depend on deeper industrial transformation…

A major new international study led by The University of Manchester has revealed how policymakers around the world are becoming far more active in constructing affordable housing. Drawing on evidence from cities including Salford, Shanghai, Nairobi and Paris, the research shows how governments are stepping in where private markets have failed - reshaping housing systems, markets and state institutions in the process.Key findingsGovernments across the global North and South are…

Researchers at The University of Manchester have identified a range of key risk and protective factors influencing whether young people vape, drink alcohol, smoke or use drugs. Based on data from more than 30,000 pupils aged 12-15, the study provides one of the most comprehensive pictures to date of adolescent substance use in England, highlighting the importance of social, emotional and environmental influences.Key findingsPeer pressure, bullying and emotional difficulties are…

More than 175 researchers, innovators, investors and ecosystem leaders gathered at the Sister - Renold Innovation Hub in Manchester last week to explore how stronger regional collaboration can accelerate the journey from research to commercial impact.The event, Powering Research Commercialisation Across the North, hosted by the Innovate UK ICURe in partnership with The University of Manchester and NxNW Partners, marked a significant moment for the UK’s innovation ecosystem. It brought…

Former Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh came face to face with the life-changing impact of her bandmate Sarah Harding’s legacy — meeting a mum whose breast cancer was detected early thanks to research funded in Sarah’s name carried out by The University of Manchester, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT).During an emotional visit to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester and the Manchester…

A 6-year-old girl is one of more than 80 people worldwide who has finally received a diagnosis of a new condition following a landmark breakthrough by scientists and doctors in Manchester.Ava Begley’s parents say they feel “deeply grateful” that the researchers, from Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and The University of Manchester (UoM), have made this discovery, which is one of the most common genetic causes of severe epilepsy.Delivered…

A team of scientists from Manchester and London have, for the first time, decoded the full range of mutations that drive tumour growth, which could pave the way for a new era in precision medicine, offering more effective treatments for thousands of people with cancer. A team of cancer genomics* scientists from The University of Manchester and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, forensically examined the genetic make-up of tumours in…

The University of Manchester and United Utilities have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance research and innovation in the water sector.Building on existing collaboration, the partnership aims to address both immediate and longer-term challenges across the water industry, including climate resilience, water quality, wastewater management and resource optimisation.  The partnership comes at an important time for the sector, as it undergoes rapid transformation in response to climate change, population growth, and an evolving policy…

The UK Government has announced a significant change to immigration rules which will allow some asylum-seeking doctors, nurses and other health professionals to work in the UK.It follows a campaign led by a national coalition of partners, including academics from The University of Manchester, and  legal representatives from Garden Court Chambers and Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, who challenged the previous policy framework.The rules, which affect asylum seekers who have waited 12…

A major survey of tens of thousands of school pupils has revealed a welcome boost in wellbeing among young people across Greater Manchester.The latest findings from pupils in years 7, 8 and 10 show that more young people now report good levels of wellbeing than in previous years, continuing a positive trend that has developed steadily over the past five years of the programme. In 2025, 59.1% of Year 10…

113_InfectedBloodInquiry_200524_BigTimages Sir Brian Langstaff, Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry, said: “We must never forget the devastating effects of what happened. Foremost among them is the anguish, suffering and profound loss, so eloquently highlighted by the messages carefully placed in this Memorial by people infected and affected.  I wish to thank the University of Manchester for providing a permanent home for the Memorial. It stands now, and for the future,…

It revealed four interconnected themes that shaped participants’ experiences:Proactive continuity of care is essential to helping people with dementia retain a sense of identity as the condition advances.Formal support often falls away just as care needs escalate, leaving families feeling abandoned at the most critical stages.Widespread difficulty navigating what respondents see as a fragmented and often bewildering primary care system.Uncertainty across general practice about who is responsible for ongoing dementia…

By Sheena Cruickshank, University of Manchester and Jonathan Worboys, for The ConversationA new immunotherapy drug has demonstrated early promise in a recent prostate cancer clinical trial. The drug, called VIR-5500, is a “masked T-cell engager”. This type of immunotherapy ignites our own immune arsenal to fight cancer.In the trial, which is still in progress and has not yet undergone peer-review, patients with advanced prostate cancer who had failed to respond…

They re‑examined data from the SCIL-STROKE trial and discovered that patients who received tPA before IL‑1Ra had significantly lower levels of IL‑1Ra in their blood, suggesting the drug was being broken down.Laboratory research confirmed that IL‑1Ra can be cut apart by plasmin, an enzyme produced during tPA treatment, meaning the anti‑inflammatory drug may be degraded before it can work.Researchers then tested the interaction in a mouse model of stroke, using…

A new study has suggested that the transformation of Twitter into X under Elon Musk marks the rise of a new, illiberal regime of governing social media platforms, which can be controlled by one person and used to push their own political agenda.Alongside researchers from the WZB Berlin Social Science Center and the Weizenbaum Institute, Dr João C. Magalhães of The University of Manchester studied over 1,500 events to track…

The legal rights designed to protect Afro-Colombian communities are not lifting them out of economic precarity - and are leaving them vulnerable to the illegal drug trade and illicit mining as a result - according to new research from The University of Manchester.For decades, Colombia’s Pacific coast has been a battleground for ‘extractive capitalism’ - a world of illegal gold mining, industrial palm oil and drug smuggling. In 1993, a…

A first‑of‑its‑kind scheme is helping Greater Manchester residents experiencing long-term unemployment to overcome oral health barriers and move closer to work, with dental students delivering treatments.Working Well: Roots to Dental Jointly led by University of Manchester, University Dental Hospital of Manchester, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). The scheme has already shown how addressing oral health can make a real difference to people’s…

The University of Manchester, together with six leading UK universities and 22 industry partners, has secured £9.6 million from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to launch SATURN-2, a major expansion of the national nuclear doctoral training pipeline that will help deliver the skills required for the UK’s clean energy, security and defence ambitions.SATURN-2 (Skills and Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear) builds on the success of the original SATURN Centre…

Faye Holland will lead the groundbreaking partnership between two of the UK’s leading innovation cities as the newly-appointed Cambridge x Manchester Partnership Director.Faye brings extensive experience in the Cambridge innovation cluster to the role, having worked across communications consultancy, innovation and economic development over the course of her career.She founded and directed cofinitive – a communication consultancy at the forefront of innovation – for a decade before selling and exiting…

New research suggests that concerns about relying too heavily on Chinese manufacturing are shaping climate policy - and could even delay the adoption of green technologies around the world.The study by Dr James Jackson from The University of Manchester, working alongside Dr Mathias Larsen from the London School of Economics, examined how China’s rapid rise as a clean-technology powerhouse has transformed the global energy transition.While Chinese investment and industrial policy…

A systematic review of 52 scientific papers submitted to a world-leading clinical genetics journal from multiple scientists over a two-year period reveals that not a single one named critical gene mutations (correctly termed as variants) with precision.The findings partly explain why around 70% of rare diseases go undiagnosed, even in the UK, which arguably has the worlds most advanced genomic medicine service.Led by Dr Peter Freeman, a geneticist from The…

The Academy of Social Sciences has elected five experts from The University of Manchester as Fellows in recognition of their significant contributions to social science, highlighting the relevance of the social sciences in understanding and addressing the many varied societal challenges facing the UK and the world today.Professor Lucy Frith is a leading bioethicist whose work spans socio-legal studies and health research. She is internationally recognised for her work in…

An international team of scientists from IBM, The University of Manchester, Oxford University, ETH Zurich, EPFL and the University of Regensburg have created and characterized a molecule unlike any previously known — one whose electrons travel through its structure in a corkscrew-like pattern that fundamentally alters its chemical behavior. Published today in Science, it is the first experimental observation of a half-Möbius electronic topology in a single molecule. To the scientists’…

Smaller GP practices that appoint a manager partner are significantly less likely to close or merge, the first study of its kind has found.The University of Manchester and Calgary researchers publish their study today in the Journal of Health Economics amid a backdrop of dwindling numbers of GPs practice owners-known as partners.That, say the researchers, puts the managerial and financial burden of operating a practice on increasingly smaller numbers of…

A new study has revealed a critical gap between global promises to restore forests and what is happening on the ground for the communities who depend on, manage and care for them.The research, led by researchers from The University of Manchester and published in the journal Restoration Ecology, is based on a detailed assessment of national policies in Mexico. It found that while governments are increasingly committed to restoring ecosystems…

Researchers in Manchester have developed an experimental method that shows potential for accurately detecting the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer in adults, known as glioblastoma, from the blood.This pioneering study, led by scientists at the University of Manchester and involving teams in Denmark, has been published in Neuro-oncology Advances [add link to article].In what is considered a major breakthrough in the battle against brain cancer, scientists have…

A new study from The University of Manchester has shed light on an unexpected consequence of plastic bag bans in East Africa, and why well-intentioned environmental laws may actually be making life harder for the people they aim to protect.Anthropologist Dr Declan Murray spent nine months in Tanzania’s capital city Dar es Salaam, following the everyday journeys of plastic bags from small shops and street food stalls to people’s homes…

On the day the government published its Every child achieving and thriving white paper on reforms to the schools and SEND systems in England, policymakers, researchers, clinicians and frontline practitioners gathered in Manchester to demonstrate how connected data can turn that ambition into reality. The Child of the North Data Showcase, held at the Whitworth Art Gallery at The University of Manchester, brought together nearly 100 delegates from NHS trusts, local…

Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the connection between nerves and muscles. This attack causes muscle weakness that can affect vision, movement, speech, swallowing, and breathing. While many patients respond to treatment, others develop a severe, treatment-resistant form of the condition known as refractory MG. Currently, there are no reliable biomarkers to help doctors predict which patients will respond to therapy and which…