A newly-appointed professor at the University of Huddersfield has played a key role in an ambitious research project investigating inequalities in child welfare provision throughout the UK. It has now begun a line of enquiry into the possibility that Northern Ireland – despite high levels of deprivation – might provide…

Blood-thinning drugs may protect against dementia as well as stroke in people suffering from irregular heartbeat, new research suggests. A study found that patients being treated for atrial fibrillation (AF) were less likely to develop dementia if they were taking anticoagulants. Their risk was reduced by up to 48% compared…

A robot which teaches people key facial expressions could help boost the employment outlook for autistic adults, researchers have claimed. The current UK unemployment rate is 4.4% but just 14% of autistic adults have a full-time job. Researchers at Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University have developed a robot called Alyx to teach…

Social workers across Northern Ireland are being invited to take part in two projects to help deal with the legacy of the “Troubles”. Sponsored by the Northern Ireland Association of Social Workers and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council, the projects are being be led by Dr. Joe Duffy, Queens…

A new report warns that drug recovery work in prison is largely futile unless suitable accommodation and support are available to prisoners after release. Research led by the University of York found that many prisoners experienced a ‘cliff edge’, receiving little or no professional support in the weeks preceding or…

Social workers are being urged to contribute their experiences of practising in an age of austerity for a new study. The research by University of Wolverhampton and supported by BASW aims to gain a deeper understanding of how reduced funding has impacted on the work of front line practitioners. Similar…

New research on the role of a notorious Alzheimer's gene variant could pave the way to treatments that slow down or halt the disease. Scientists found that the mutant gene, ApoE4, is directly linked to brain damage caused by knots of protein within neurons called tau tangles. They believe targeting…

A new large-scale clinical trial is testing the effectiveness of NHS home assessment strategies in preventing elderly people from falling unnecessarily Falling in elderly people is a common problem, with almost 50% of those over the age of 80 experiencing a fall each year. People fall for a variety of…

A university has been awarded a £2 million grant to pursue an "innovative" strand of research into cancer. Professor Karim Labib and his team at the University of Dundee will explore the role one of the most fundamental processes in cell biology plays in the disease with the help of…

An innovative study to improve the diagnosis and post-diagnostic support for younger people with dementia and their families is seeking participants to further research in this area. The Angela Project, dedicated to Angela a lady with young onset dementia who went undiagnosed for three years before her symptoms were recognised,…

Inadequate sleep at night leads to poor memory and increases the risk of depression, anxiety and stress, according to research revealed today. A study found that those who got less than five hours a night found it difficult to function effectively during the day – with people forgetting to carry…

Testing for immune cell "hotspots" around tumours could help identify women at high risk of relapsing breast cancer, say scientists. Women with large numbers of immune cells clustered in and around tumours were more likely to see their treatment fail within 10 years, research showed. Scientists analysed tissue samples from…