May 2008
P3
Rates of dementia appear to be lower
among women who drink wine than
those who consume other alcoholic beverages.
The authors of a recently-published study
reported 164 cases of dementia among 1,462
Swedish women over a 34-year period.
Analysis of participants’ drinking habits
found that total alcohol consumption did
not relate to the likelihood of developing
dementia, but drinking wine was associated
with a protective effect (hazard ratio .56
using a multivariate model). Consumption
of spirits, conversely, appeared to increase
the risk for dementia.
This contrast suggests that the protective
effects of wine could stem from a constituent
which is not found in other alcoholic
drinks, the study concludes. [Am J Epidemiol
2008 Mar 15;167(6):684-91]
Monday, February 2, 2009
Smoking during teen pregancy reduces birthweight
May 2008
P3
Teenagers who smoke while pregnant
are more likely to have low birthweight
(LBW) babies, a study from the
University of New South Wales in Sydney
has found.
Analysis of data from 25,828 births over
a 4-year period showed that the prevalence
of LBW among smoking teenage mothers
was 9.9 percent, compared to six percent
among their non-smoking counterparts.
The study found, however, that teenage
mothers who quit smoking during the
second half of pregnancy had babies with
normal rates of LBW.
“Health professionals need to target
smoking cessation at all contacts with
pregnant women who continue to smoke,”
the authors advise. [Med J Aust 2008 Apr
7;188(7):392-6]
P3
Teenagers who smoke while pregnant
are more likely to have low birthweight
(LBW) babies, a study from the
University of New South Wales in Sydney
has found.
Analysis of data from 25,828 births over
a 4-year period showed that the prevalence
of LBW among smoking teenage mothers
was 9.9 percent, compared to six percent
among their non-smoking counterparts.
The study found, however, that teenage
mothers who quit smoking during the
second half of pregnancy had babies with
normal rates of LBW.
“Health professionals need to target
smoking cessation at all contacts with
pregnant women who continue to smoke,”
the authors advise. [Med J Aust 2008 Apr
7;188(7):392-6]
On-site surgical facilities not essential for performing PCI
May 2008
P7
A new study suggests that percutane -
ous coronary intervention (PCI) can be safely performed at facilities where patients
must be transferred off-site in order
to undergo surgery in the event of complications
– a finding likely to change practice
guidelines.
PCI can lead to complications such as
cardiac muscle rupture and myocardial
perforation, and current guidelines recommend
these procedures only be undertaken
at centers where cardiac surgery can be
performed on-site.
“Off-site PCI centers can provide excellent
care to patients if the organization of
the program is thoughtfully developed,”
said Dr. Michael Kutcher of Wake Forest
University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina,
US.
Kutcher presented figures from the
National Cardiovascular Data Registry
(NCDR), comparing the outcomes of
299,132 consecutive PCI procedures performed
at 404 on-site centers against those
of 9,029 procedures performed at 61 offsite
centers.
“The risk-adjusted mortality rate at
off-site facilities was comparable to those
PCI centers that have cardiac surgery onsite,”
he said, stressing however, that these
findings should not be used to encourage
the widespread introduction of off-site
PCI facilities.
Procedural success rates, morbidity and
rates of emergency coronary artery bypass
grafting (CABG) were also comparable for
the two types of center.
As well as assessing procedural outcomes,
the NCDR data were used to gain
insights into the organization and logistics
of off-site PCI centers. The researchers
found that these centers typically had fewer
beds and a lower annual volume of procedures
compared to on-site centers, but had
dedicated staff and facilities and provided
24 hour coverage. Off-site centers were also
capable of providing timely transfer to surgical
facilities, in the event that surgical intervention
was necessary. All off-site centers
performed both primary and elective PCI,
and tended to treat a higher proportion of
patients who presented with ST-segment
elevation and non-ST-segment elevation
myocardial infarction than on-site centers.
Commenting on the study findings, Dr.
Stephan Windecker of the Swiss Cardiovascular
Center in Bern, Switzerland, referred
to results from the Swedish Coronary
Angiography and Angioplasty Registry,
which also demonstrated comparable outcomes
for on-site and off-site PCI facilities.
He explained that technological advances
have enabled many complications of PCI to
be treated by non-surgical means, and that
emergency CABG after PCI is becoming increasingly
rare.
“I think the present study should give
the impetus to update the present guidelines,”
concluded Windecker. The researchers
“should be congratulated for putting
an end to a controversy which is as long as
angioplasty itself.
P7
A new study suggests that percutane -
ous coronary intervention (PCI) can be safely performed at facilities where patients
must be transferred off-site in order
to undergo surgery in the event of complications
– a finding likely to change practice
guidelines.
PCI can lead to complications such as
cardiac muscle rupture and myocardial
perforation, and current guidelines recommend
these procedures only be undertaken
at centers where cardiac surgery can be
performed on-site.
“Off-site PCI centers can provide excellent
care to patients if the organization of
the program is thoughtfully developed,”
said Dr. Michael Kutcher of Wake Forest
University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina,
US.
Kutcher presented figures from the
National Cardiovascular Data Registry
(NCDR), comparing the outcomes of
299,132 consecutive PCI procedures performed
at 404 on-site centers against those
of 9,029 procedures performed at 61 offsite
centers.
“The risk-adjusted mortality rate at
off-site facilities was comparable to those
PCI centers that have cardiac surgery onsite,”
he said, stressing however, that these
findings should not be used to encourage
the widespread introduction of off-site
PCI facilities.
Procedural success rates, morbidity and
rates of emergency coronary artery bypass
grafting (CABG) were also comparable for
the two types of center.
As well as assessing procedural outcomes,
the NCDR data were used to gain
insights into the organization and logistics
of off-site PCI centers. The researchers
found that these centers typically had fewer
beds and a lower annual volume of procedures
compared to on-site centers, but had
dedicated staff and facilities and provided
24 hour coverage. Off-site centers were also
capable of providing timely transfer to surgical
facilities, in the event that surgical intervention
was necessary. All off-site centers
performed both primary and elective PCI,
and tended to treat a higher proportion of
patients who presented with ST-segment
elevation and non-ST-segment elevation
myocardial infarction than on-site centers.
Commenting on the study findings, Dr.
Stephan Windecker of the Swiss Cardiovascular
Center in Bern, Switzerland, referred
to results from the Swedish Coronary
Angiography and Angioplasty Registry,
which also demonstrated comparable outcomes
for on-site and off-site PCI facilities.
He explained that technological advances
have enabled many complications of PCI to
be treated by non-surgical means, and that
emergency CABG after PCI is becoming increasingly
rare.
“I think the present study should give
the impetus to update the present guidelines,”
concluded Windecker. The researchers
“should be congratulated for putting
an end to a controversy which is as long as
angioplasty itself.
Embryo transfer: Practice makes perfect
May 2008
SFV
Clinicians should routinely carry out a
“dummy run” before performing embryo
transfer, according to a leading
in- vitro fertilization (IVF) expert.
“A lot of people don’t do it because it
takes time and is costly to do a trial transfer
… but it’s well worth it,” said Dr. Bill Yee,
clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology
at the University of California, Los
Angeles, and the University of California,
Irvine, US.
The ease of embryo transfer is a known
predictor for pregnancy, and success rates
are significantly lower among patients who
experience a “difficult” transfer. [Hum Reprod
2002;17:2632-5]
“Difficult transfers occur in about 10
percent of patients,” said Yee. “If you can
convert those 10 percent into easy transfers
then it will improve your success rate.”
Dummy transfers can be used to assess
key features of a patient’s anatomy, such as
the uterine depth and the direction of the cavity.
This process also enables identification of
cervical stenosis, acute utero-cervical angles,
and endocervical ridges and blockages – factors
which can complicate the transfer process.
Obtaining prior knowledge of these factors
can help clinicians to formulate an appropriate
strategy for the actual transfer, said Yee.
Once a potentially difficult transfer is
identified, clinicians can select the catheter
that will be best suited to the procedure and
decide whether to use ultrasonography for
guidance. Cervical dilatation can also be
planned in order to facilitate the actual transfer
process. Identification of abnormalities
during a trial transfer can prompt further
investigation with hysteroscopy or sonohystography
and, in cases of severe blockage, reconstruction
of the endocervical canal might
be indicated.
In Yee’s practice two trial runs are performed
before undertaking embryo transfer.
The first is performed in advance; the second
immediately prior to the actual procedure.
“If you find it to be difficult then it gives
you time to do something to the endocervical
canal,” he explained, adding that less expensive
catheters can be used for the dummy
runs.
The benefits of performing dummy transfers
have been known for some time. Data
from a randomized controlled trial comprising
335 embryo transfers demonstrated that
the pregnancy rate was 22.8 percent among
those who had undergone a trial transfer,
compared to 13.1 percent among those who
had not. [Fertil Steril 1990;54:678-81]
Yet despite these findings, Yee believes
that this technique has not yet become routine
practice. “In the United States we found that
about 60 percent of clinicians will do a trial
transfer,” he said.
Yee also stressed the importance of embryo
transfer within the overall process of
IVF, and urged clinicians to give greater attention
to this stage.
“I think that many programs see this
as equivalent to artificial insemination and
therefore little training is actually applied to
this procedure. I still see places where whoever’s
free will do the transfer. You have worked
so hard to develop these embryos and blastocysts
and the final transfer is critical to IVF
success, yet this procedure is often left to the
least experienced clinician in the practice,”
Yee concluded.
SFV
Clinicians should routinely carry out a
“dummy run” before performing embryo
transfer, according to a leading
in- vitro fertilization (IVF) expert.
“A lot of people don’t do it because it
takes time and is costly to do a trial transfer
… but it’s well worth it,” said Dr. Bill Yee,
clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology
at the University of California, Los
Angeles, and the University of California,
Irvine, US.
The ease of embryo transfer is a known
predictor for pregnancy, and success rates
are significantly lower among patients who
experience a “difficult” transfer. [Hum Reprod
2002;17:2632-5]
“Difficult transfers occur in about 10
percent of patients,” said Yee. “If you can
convert those 10 percent into easy transfers
then it will improve your success rate.”
Dummy transfers can be used to assess
key features of a patient’s anatomy, such as
the uterine depth and the direction of the cavity.
This process also enables identification of
cervical stenosis, acute utero-cervical angles,
and endocervical ridges and blockages – factors
which can complicate the transfer process.
Obtaining prior knowledge of these factors
can help clinicians to formulate an appropriate
strategy for the actual transfer, said Yee.
Once a potentially difficult transfer is
identified, clinicians can select the catheter
that will be best suited to the procedure and
decide whether to use ultrasonography for
guidance. Cervical dilatation can also be
planned in order to facilitate the actual transfer
process. Identification of abnormalities
during a trial transfer can prompt further
investigation with hysteroscopy or sonohystography
and, in cases of severe blockage, reconstruction
of the endocervical canal might
be indicated.
In Yee’s practice two trial runs are performed
before undertaking embryo transfer.
The first is performed in advance; the second
immediately prior to the actual procedure.
“If you find it to be difficult then it gives
you time to do something to the endocervical
canal,” he explained, adding that less expensive
catheters can be used for the dummy
runs.
The benefits of performing dummy transfers
have been known for some time. Data
from a randomized controlled trial comprising
335 embryo transfers demonstrated that
the pregnancy rate was 22.8 percent among
those who had undergone a trial transfer,
compared to 13.1 percent among those who
had not. [Fertil Steril 1990;54:678-81]
Yet despite these findings, Yee believes
that this technique has not yet become routine
practice. “In the United States we found that
about 60 percent of clinicians will do a trial
transfer,” he said.
Yee also stressed the importance of embryo
transfer within the overall process of
IVF, and urged clinicians to give greater attention
to this stage.
“I think that many programs see this
as equivalent to artificial insemination and
therefore little training is actually applied to
this procedure. I still see places where whoever’s
free will do the transfer. You have worked
so hard to develop these embryos and blastocysts
and the final transfer is critical to IVF
success, yet this procedure is often left to the
least experienced clinician in the practice,”
Yee concluded.
New techniques for embryo freezing
May 2008
Vitrification – the rapid freezing of embryos
in liquid nitrogen – could supersede
current cryopreservation methods, an expert
has advised.
“I think that vitrification of embryos will
one day become routine practice instead of
conventional slow freezing,” said Professor
Shee-Uan Chen of the National Taiwan University
Hospital in Taipei.
The majority of in-vitro fertilization (IVF)
centers in South East Asia currently preserve
embryos and blastocysts using slow
freezing, which takes around 3 hours. Vitrification,
whereby embryos are directly solidified
into a glass-like state, is more costeffective
and can take as little as 6 minutes,
but has prompted safety concerns regarding
the high concentrations of cryoprotectants
involved.
Chen says, however, that sufficient data
is now accumulating to support the widespread
use of vitrification. The technique is
already being adopted at his center, where
10 babies have been born from vitrified embryos,
to date.
A study published last year demonstrated
an 89 percent survival rate among vitrified
zygotes and a subsequent pregnancy
rate of 37 percent – three times higher than
that achieved using slow frozen cells. [Reprod
Biomed Online 2007 14(3):288-93]
“Both slow freezing and vitrification are
highly effective for pronuclear, early-stage
and blastocyst embryos, but vitrification
is time-saving and also appears to have a
higher survival rate,” said Chen. He added
that toxicity to the embryo can be reduced
by using aseptic liquid nitrogen and lowering
the concentrations of cryoprotectants.
The apparent superiority of vitrification
was also demonstrated by a recent metaanalysis
which found that post-thawing
survival rates were significantly higher
for vitrified blastocysts and cleavage stage
embryos than for those preserved by slow
freezing [Fertil Steril 2007, online 1 November].
Only four studies were eligible for the
analysis, however, and further trials are
needed to provide an assessment of pregnancy
rates.
Advances in cryopreservation have
made storing surplus embryos an increasingly
common practice. Successfully finetuning
these techniques can help to reduce
embryo wastage, and thereby maximize the
benefits of an IVF cycle.
“The trend is moving towards vitrification,”
added Dr. Kwang-Ryul Cha of the
Cha Research Institute in Seoul, where some
50 babies have been successfully born from
vitrified embryos. Cha is also confident that
this technique will one day replace conventional
embryo freezing techniques. “We need
more time to accumulate the data but I think
it’s not a problem,” he concluded. - DB
Vitrification – the rapid freezing of embryos
in liquid nitrogen – could supersede
current cryopreservation methods, an expert
has advised.
“I think that vitrification of embryos will
one day become routine practice instead of
conventional slow freezing,” said Professor
Shee-Uan Chen of the National Taiwan University
Hospital in Taipei.
The majority of in-vitro fertilization (IVF)
centers in South East Asia currently preserve
embryos and blastocysts using slow
freezing, which takes around 3 hours. Vitrification,
whereby embryos are directly solidified
into a glass-like state, is more costeffective
and can take as little as 6 minutes,
but has prompted safety concerns regarding
the high concentrations of cryoprotectants
involved.
Chen says, however, that sufficient data
is now accumulating to support the widespread
use of vitrification. The technique is
already being adopted at his center, where
10 babies have been born from vitrified embryos,
to date.
A study published last year demonstrated
an 89 percent survival rate among vitrified
zygotes and a subsequent pregnancy
rate of 37 percent – three times higher than
that achieved using slow frozen cells. [Reprod
Biomed Online 2007 14(3):288-93]
“Both slow freezing and vitrification are
highly effective for pronuclear, early-stage
and blastocyst embryos, but vitrification
is time-saving and also appears to have a
higher survival rate,” said Chen. He added
that toxicity to the embryo can be reduced
by using aseptic liquid nitrogen and lowering
the concentrations of cryoprotectants.
The apparent superiority of vitrification
was also demonstrated by a recent metaanalysis
which found that post-thawing
survival rates were significantly higher
for vitrified blastocysts and cleavage stage
embryos than for those preserved by slow
freezing [Fertil Steril 2007, online 1 November].
Only four studies were eligible for the
analysis, however, and further trials are
needed to provide an assessment of pregnancy
rates.
Advances in cryopreservation have
made storing surplus embryos an increasingly
common practice. Successfully finetuning
these techniques can help to reduce
embryo wastage, and thereby maximize the
benefits of an IVF cycle.
“The trend is moving towards vitrification,”
added Dr. Kwang-Ryul Cha of the
Cha Research Institute in Seoul, where some
50 babies have been successfully born from
vitrified embryos. Cha is also confident that
this technique will one day replace conventional
embryo freezing techniques. “We need
more time to accumulate the data but I think
it’s not a problem,” he concluded. - DB
Friday, January 30, 2009
Show me the money!
New Scientist 22nd December 2007
Link
David Brill
THREE years at university may have left your finances firmly in the red. If you are considering furthering your education, the thought of accumulating yet more debt can be a frightening prospect. But before you surrender your soul to the devil, it's worth considering that in 2006, the UK had 545,370 registered postgraduate students who, more than likely, obtained funding through more traditional routes.
"I find there's a lot of pessimism where there's no need for pessimism," says Duncan Connors, general secretary of the National Postgraduate Committee (NPC), an independent charity that represents postgraduate students. "Science and technology in particular has a lot of money and as long as you have a good undergraduate degree, you're realistic and you play the game, you'll get funding."
Take on the competition
The British government invests £2.8 billion in research each year - enough to buy roughly 6 billion Petri dishes. This money is passed to seven councils that disseminate it to the nation's research institutions. "We allocate funding through a highly competitive process," explains Ian Lyne, head of postgraduate training at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). "If a department holds our funding it's a hallmark of quality."
To get your postgraduate paws on some of that money, students must approach a well-funded department directly - along with all the other hopefuls. In 2006/2007 the School of Mathematics at the University of Manchester enrolled 39 PhD students out of nearly 150 applicants. "If you want funding it's very competitive," says Professor Paul Glendinning, head of the department. He advises students not to blow hot and cold. "Keep us in the loop with what you're doing. If we're met by silence at some point we're going to assume the person isn't interested any longer."
Do it for charity
Many postgraduate research positions are sponsored by charities. The Wellcome Trust, the UK's largest medical charity, recently promised an extra £137 million in four-year PhD programmes over the next nine years, so there's plenty of money floating around.
Charity funding carries different responsibilities and experiences from public funding, particularly if the money comes from a small organisation. "It's very much a community," says Selina Wray, whose PhD is funded by the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Association. "You meet people who have a personal connection to the disease - this helps to maintain a focus on why you are doing the research. It makes you more determined to work hard." Wray says the biggest difference about being funded by a charity is the necessity for good communication. "People from the charity come along to conferences and are genuinely interested to hear about your work. It's important that the fund-raisers understand what is going on with their money," she explains.
Tick the right boxes
A bewildering array of grants and scholarships are available for further study in the UK. Often these have very specific requirements, and it's worth carrying out some research to see if you fit anyone's criteria. If you can demonstrate a special interest in weaving or woven textiles, for example, you could receive a £1500 donation from the Worshipful Company of Weavers; provide evidence that your course is relevant to the activities of the Milford Haven Port Authority and you could receive a £2000 scholarship from them. With a typical master's costing around £3000, these sums represent a significant potential contribution towards your studies.
Ask the boss
If you are already employed, consider taking the boss out for lunch and asking whether they'll fund your course. "Most businesses will want some assurances in return for their investment," says Simon Briault of the Federation of Small Businesses. "For example, a prospective student could have to agree terms which state that on successful completion they will stay in the business for a certain amount of time or pay back a certain percentage of the fee." Convince them you're worth investing in and you might find yourself a sponsor.
Hit the road
If the cost of studying in the UK is troubling you, then it might be time for a change of scenery. And where better to seek inspiration than the home of the Nobel prize? Higher education in Sweden is fully subsidised by the state, and even foreign students are entitled to study for free. What's more, with more than 450 master's courses taught entirely in English, you won't even have to learn a new language.
Be industrious
"I'd definitely encourage postgraduates to consider seeking industry sponsorship," says Claire McAleer, who is working towards an engineering doctorate at the University of Southampton. Funding for McAleer's studies comes largely from Rolls-Royce, where she spends much of her time working on ways to reduce the noise emitted by aircraft engines. "It's much more interactive than a typical PhD," she says. "You get to see how your research applies in an industrial context and how it's useful in the real world." Combining university education with industry placements can also give you valuable experience of the business world. "It opens a lot of doors for the future," says McAleer.
Get a loan
The prospect of more debt might bring you out in a sweat, but a career development loan (CDL) - offered by Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Co-operative Bank - is an option to consider. You can borrow between £300 and £8000, and the Learning and Skills Council will pay the interest on the loan until a month after you have finished studying.
"If you are up to standard and can realistically do the course then yes, I would advise taking out a CDL," says Duncan Connors of the NPC, but he urges prospective students to think carefully. "I would not use a loan if you don't have a defined career outcome, because all that's going to happen is you'll get into thousands of pounds' worth of debt."
Don't be parted from work
If you've been gainfully employed since leaving university, you could be reluctant to reinstate beans on toast as your main meal of the day. Part-time courses offer a compromise, allowing students to earn while they study.
"I wanted to carry on studying but didn't want to leave my job," explains Carol Boags, a teaching lab manager at the University of East Anglia. She continued to work full-time, devoting evenings and weekends towards studying for an MSc with the Open University. Boags estimates that her studies took up some 20 hours a week which, she warns, is a commitment not to be taken lightly. "You've got to be dedicated and a good time-manager to take up distance learning," she says, "but it's a good experience and I would certainly recommend it."
And if all else fails...
"Think outside the box," says Alex Tew, who earned a cool million during his studies. Dreading the thought of university debt, Tew invented the Million Dollar Homepage, selling individual pixels on his website to advertisers for $1 each. "Within three or four weeks of launching the site I'd covered the average student debt," he says. "Most postgraduate students will have knowledge of a very specific area and probably some interesting insights into their own subject." Tew recommends using this inside information to make some money. "Get thinking about ideas and if you think you've got a good [moneyspinning] one, go and do it," he advises. "Look at Sergey Brin and Larry Page - they were IT postgraduates, and Google was born out of their research."
Top Tips
"Applicants need to be able to communicate and explain science to a lay person. We want our researchers to be ambassadors."
Ayesha Kahn, scientific liaison officer, Alzheimer's Society
"Get advice from people in your university department. It's very important to demystify the funding process."
Ian Lyne, head of postgraduate training at the BBSRC
"Postgraduates have got the analytical ability, basic probability and maths skills - so why not try online poker?"
Jerome Bradpiece won over £30,000 as a University of Oxford philosophy student
Case study: Going the extra mile
Sabine Bahn is director of the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Research at the University of Cambridge. The department has around £4 million of funds including a recent £2.5 million grant awarded by the Stanley Medical Research Institute, a US-based charity.
Despite such generous funding, much of which is for postgraduate studies, Bahn says the battle for research positions in her laboratory is very competitive. "I get up to 10 applications a week even without advertising. If I advertise I get hundreds."
When she's faced with so many candidates, it's enthusiasm that makes one applicant stand out from the rest, says Bahn. "I'm not so interested in their CVs to be quite honest," she admits. "They have to have read about what we've been doing and thought about it carefully. And most importantly, they have to have common sense and a clear idea about where they want to go."
"I like those who want to prove themselves and be given a chance," she says. True to her word, Bahn currently funds Yishai Levin who, despite having "mediocre" grades and no research background, spent the time and money to fly over from Israel to convince her in person that he could bring new skills to her team. "In such a large group I haven't got time to do too much hand-holding so I need people who are self-motivated and can think independently."
David Brill is a science and medicine journalist based in London
Link
David Brill
THREE years at university may have left your finances firmly in the red. If you are considering furthering your education, the thought of accumulating yet more debt can be a frightening prospect. But before you surrender your soul to the devil, it's worth considering that in 2006, the UK had 545,370 registered postgraduate students who, more than likely, obtained funding through more traditional routes.
"I find there's a lot of pessimism where there's no need for pessimism," says Duncan Connors, general secretary of the National Postgraduate Committee (NPC), an independent charity that represents postgraduate students. "Science and technology in particular has a lot of money and as long as you have a good undergraduate degree, you're realistic and you play the game, you'll get funding."
Take on the competition
The British government invests £2.8 billion in research each year - enough to buy roughly 6 billion Petri dishes. This money is passed to seven councils that disseminate it to the nation's research institutions. "We allocate funding through a highly competitive process," explains Ian Lyne, head of postgraduate training at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). "If a department holds our funding it's a hallmark of quality."
To get your postgraduate paws on some of that money, students must approach a well-funded department directly - along with all the other hopefuls. In 2006/2007 the School of Mathematics at the University of Manchester enrolled 39 PhD students out of nearly 150 applicants. "If you want funding it's very competitive," says Professor Paul Glendinning, head of the department. He advises students not to blow hot and cold. "Keep us in the loop with what you're doing. If we're met by silence at some point we're going to assume the person isn't interested any longer."
Do it for charity
Many postgraduate research positions are sponsored by charities. The Wellcome Trust, the UK's largest medical charity, recently promised an extra £137 million in four-year PhD programmes over the next nine years, so there's plenty of money floating around.
Charity funding carries different responsibilities and experiences from public funding, particularly if the money comes from a small organisation. "It's very much a community," says Selina Wray, whose PhD is funded by the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Association. "You meet people who have a personal connection to the disease - this helps to maintain a focus on why you are doing the research. It makes you more determined to work hard." Wray says the biggest difference about being funded by a charity is the necessity for good communication. "People from the charity come along to conferences and are genuinely interested to hear about your work. It's important that the fund-raisers understand what is going on with their money," she explains.
Tick the right boxes
A bewildering array of grants and scholarships are available for further study in the UK. Often these have very specific requirements, and it's worth carrying out some research to see if you fit anyone's criteria. If you can demonstrate a special interest in weaving or woven textiles, for example, you could receive a £1500 donation from the Worshipful Company of Weavers; provide evidence that your course is relevant to the activities of the Milford Haven Port Authority and you could receive a £2000 scholarship from them. With a typical master's costing around £3000, these sums represent a significant potential contribution towards your studies.
Ask the boss
If you are already employed, consider taking the boss out for lunch and asking whether they'll fund your course. "Most businesses will want some assurances in return for their investment," says Simon Briault of the Federation of Small Businesses. "For example, a prospective student could have to agree terms which state that on successful completion they will stay in the business for a certain amount of time or pay back a certain percentage of the fee." Convince them you're worth investing in and you might find yourself a sponsor.
Hit the road
If the cost of studying in the UK is troubling you, then it might be time for a change of scenery. And where better to seek inspiration than the home of the Nobel prize? Higher education in Sweden is fully subsidised by the state, and even foreign students are entitled to study for free. What's more, with more than 450 master's courses taught entirely in English, you won't even have to learn a new language.
Be industrious
"I'd definitely encourage postgraduates to consider seeking industry sponsorship," says Claire McAleer, who is working towards an engineering doctorate at the University of Southampton. Funding for McAleer's studies comes largely from Rolls-Royce, where she spends much of her time working on ways to reduce the noise emitted by aircraft engines. "It's much more interactive than a typical PhD," she says. "You get to see how your research applies in an industrial context and how it's useful in the real world." Combining university education with industry placements can also give you valuable experience of the business world. "It opens a lot of doors for the future," says McAleer.
Get a loan
The prospect of more debt might bring you out in a sweat, but a career development loan (CDL) - offered by Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Co-operative Bank - is an option to consider. You can borrow between £300 and £8000, and the Learning and Skills Council will pay the interest on the loan until a month after you have finished studying.
"If you are up to standard and can realistically do the course then yes, I would advise taking out a CDL," says Duncan Connors of the NPC, but he urges prospective students to think carefully. "I would not use a loan if you don't have a defined career outcome, because all that's going to happen is you'll get into thousands of pounds' worth of debt."
Don't be parted from work
If you've been gainfully employed since leaving university, you could be reluctant to reinstate beans on toast as your main meal of the day. Part-time courses offer a compromise, allowing students to earn while they study.
"I wanted to carry on studying but didn't want to leave my job," explains Carol Boags, a teaching lab manager at the University of East Anglia. She continued to work full-time, devoting evenings and weekends towards studying for an MSc with the Open University. Boags estimates that her studies took up some 20 hours a week which, she warns, is a commitment not to be taken lightly. "You've got to be dedicated and a good time-manager to take up distance learning," she says, "but it's a good experience and I would certainly recommend it."
And if all else fails...
"Think outside the box," says Alex Tew, who earned a cool million during his studies. Dreading the thought of university debt, Tew invented the Million Dollar Homepage, selling individual pixels on his website to advertisers for $1 each. "Within three or four weeks of launching the site I'd covered the average student debt," he says. "Most postgraduate students will have knowledge of a very specific area and probably some interesting insights into their own subject." Tew recommends using this inside information to make some money. "Get thinking about ideas and if you think you've got a good [moneyspinning] one, go and do it," he advises. "Look at Sergey Brin and Larry Page - they were IT postgraduates, and Google was born out of their research."
Top Tips
"Applicants need to be able to communicate and explain science to a lay person. We want our researchers to be ambassadors."
Ayesha Kahn, scientific liaison officer, Alzheimer's Society
"Get advice from people in your university department. It's very important to demystify the funding process."
Ian Lyne, head of postgraduate training at the BBSRC
"Postgraduates have got the analytical ability, basic probability and maths skills - so why not try online poker?"
Jerome Bradpiece won over £30,000 as a University of Oxford philosophy student
Case study: Going the extra mile
Sabine Bahn is director of the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Research at the University of Cambridge. The department has around £4 million of funds including a recent £2.5 million grant awarded by the Stanley Medical Research Institute, a US-based charity.
Despite such generous funding, much of which is for postgraduate studies, Bahn says the battle for research positions in her laboratory is very competitive. "I get up to 10 applications a week even without advertising. If I advertise I get hundreds."
When she's faced with so many candidates, it's enthusiasm that makes one applicant stand out from the rest, says Bahn. "I'm not so interested in their CVs to be quite honest," she admits. "They have to have read about what we've been doing and thought about it carefully. And most importantly, they have to have common sense and a clear idea about where they want to go."
"I like those who want to prove themselves and be given a chance," she says. True to her word, Bahn currently funds Yishai Levin who, despite having "mediocre" grades and no research background, spent the time and money to fly over from Israel to convince her in person that he could bring new skills to her team. "In such a large group I haven't got time to do too much hand-holding so I need people who are self-motivated and can think independently."
David Brill is a science and medicine journalist based in London
Thursday, January 29, 2009
In a bad way: men's health in the papers
Press Gazette 3rd August 2007
This article, along with a commentary, was also reproduced by the Men's Health Forum
Statistics suggest men are in worse health than women - yet coverage of male health issues is a low priority in the national press. Medical journalist David Brill believes men deserve more column inches devoted to their well-being
I know three things. I know that I’m supposed to examine my testicles in the shower every now and then; I know that cranberry juice is good for my prostate, although I’m not sure exactly where that is or what it does; and I also know that high cholesterol is a bad thing.
Why, as a young, active, well-read man, is this the extent of my knowledge of men’s health?
The newspapers are full of Herceptin, IVF and HRT. Soaring abortion rates and teenage pregnancies make for regular headline material.
Yet statistics suggest that men have worse health than women. The average man in the UK is more likely to smoke, be obese, and to drink above the recommended alcohol intake than the average woman. He is three times more likely to commit suicide than his female counterpart, and can expect to die five years younger.
Faced with such gloomy figures, one might expect men’s health to receive more coverage than women’s. But a study of the Daily Mail’s health pages reveals a different picture.
The newspaper devotes significant coverage to health-related topics, and carries a dedicated weekly section. With such a large volume of articles, it was a natural candidate for a postgraduate research project to investigate the balance between newspaper coverage of men’s and women’s health issues.
Taking a yearly snapshot (mid-June to mid-July), around 900 health articles were published in the newspaper between 2001 and 2006. While most of these did not relate to either sex in particular, some 34 per cent dealt specifically with women’s health, compared with about 8 per cent for men’s health. Furthermore, men’s health stories were, on average, three pages further back in the newspaper than women’s.
'I don’t think that men get the attention they deserve on the health pages,' says Barbara Lantin, a freelance health writer who in 2006 was named Patient’s Association Health Journalist of the Year. 'A lot of stories are female-focused and men’s health seems to be rather marginalised.'
This is a sentiment apparently shared by many journalists, yet the issue of gender bias within media health coverage remains largely unexplored from an academic perspective.
But maybe journalists aren't to blame for this discrepancy. Do men actually want to read about their health? Men under the age of 45 make half as many visits to their GP as women.
Department of Health figures show that 13 times as many women as men participated in the first year of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme, despite the disease being equally prevalent in both sexes. Perhaps men are simply less interested in health issues than women.
'I think the perception is that the readership of health pages is female, and that wives, partners or mothers are the ones that tell their men-folk to go off and do healthy things,' explains Lantin.
'I suppose, therefore, that if you run men’s health stories you might expect it to be the women that read them and urge the men to look after their own health.'
This sentiment appears to be supported by my study of the Daily Mail. In 2002, the paper featured a four-page special on men’s health. Yet the target readership of this section becomes clear from the headline on a full-page article: "MOT your man: 15 health questions every woman should ask – it might save your partner’s life."
The coverage of men’s health in the national press is likely to be a changing picture. No obvious patterns emerged over the six-year study period, but Peter Baker, a former journalist and the director of the Men’s Health Forum – a charity that aims to improve awareness of men’s health issues – thinks that men’s health could be a subject in decline.
'Before the mid 1980s, when glossy men’s magazines came out, there was not much men’s health coverage. It probably peaked around ten years ago, with the arrival of Viagra,' he explains. 'Back then, it was quite new and there was an increasing demand for it. It’s not as new and sexy now. Publishers realised that sales were in writing about beer and sex, not health.
'One of the crucial issue is that men just don’t like asking for help about anything, or to be seen not to know the answer. And that includes health. I think that, broadly speaking, men are much more interested than we would imagine, but are just more private about it. I think newspapers are letting their readers down by not covering these issues more seriously and more substantially.'
No single paper can be considered representative of the whole national press, yet it is likely that the Daily Mail reflects a wider trend, where men’s health is given less priority than women’s. But surely it is just a matter of time until men demand to know more about their well-being. Maybe one day testicular cancer will grab the headlines, and I might just find out what my prostate does after all.
David Brill is assistant editor of Nature Clinical Practice Cardiovascular Medicine
This article, along with a commentary, was also reproduced by the Men's Health Forum
Statistics suggest men are in worse health than women - yet coverage of male health issues is a low priority in the national press. Medical journalist David Brill believes men deserve more column inches devoted to their well-being
I know three things. I know that I’m supposed to examine my testicles in the shower every now and then; I know that cranberry juice is good for my prostate, although I’m not sure exactly where that is or what it does; and I also know that high cholesterol is a bad thing.
Why, as a young, active, well-read man, is this the extent of my knowledge of men’s health?
The newspapers are full of Herceptin, IVF and HRT. Soaring abortion rates and teenage pregnancies make for regular headline material.
Yet statistics suggest that men have worse health than women. The average man in the UK is more likely to smoke, be obese, and to drink above the recommended alcohol intake than the average woman. He is three times more likely to commit suicide than his female counterpart, and can expect to die five years younger.
Faced with such gloomy figures, one might expect men’s health to receive more coverage than women’s. But a study of the Daily Mail’s health pages reveals a different picture.
The newspaper devotes significant coverage to health-related topics, and carries a dedicated weekly section. With such a large volume of articles, it was a natural candidate for a postgraduate research project to investigate the balance between newspaper coverage of men’s and women’s health issues.
Taking a yearly snapshot (mid-June to mid-July), around 900 health articles were published in the newspaper between 2001 and 2006. While most of these did not relate to either sex in particular, some 34 per cent dealt specifically with women’s health, compared with about 8 per cent for men’s health. Furthermore, men’s health stories were, on average, three pages further back in the newspaper than women’s.
'I don’t think that men get the attention they deserve on the health pages,' says Barbara Lantin, a freelance health writer who in 2006 was named Patient’s Association Health Journalist of the Year. 'A lot of stories are female-focused and men’s health seems to be rather marginalised.'
This is a sentiment apparently shared by many journalists, yet the issue of gender bias within media health coverage remains largely unexplored from an academic perspective.
But maybe journalists aren't to blame for this discrepancy. Do men actually want to read about their health? Men under the age of 45 make half as many visits to their GP as women.
Department of Health figures show that 13 times as many women as men participated in the first year of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme, despite the disease being equally prevalent in both sexes. Perhaps men are simply less interested in health issues than women.
'I think the perception is that the readership of health pages is female, and that wives, partners or mothers are the ones that tell their men-folk to go off and do healthy things,' explains Lantin.
'I suppose, therefore, that if you run men’s health stories you might expect it to be the women that read them and urge the men to look after their own health.'
This sentiment appears to be supported by my study of the Daily Mail. In 2002, the paper featured a four-page special on men’s health. Yet the target readership of this section becomes clear from the headline on a full-page article: "MOT your man: 15 health questions every woman should ask – it might save your partner’s life."
The coverage of men’s health in the national press is likely to be a changing picture. No obvious patterns emerged over the six-year study period, but Peter Baker, a former journalist and the director of the Men’s Health Forum – a charity that aims to improve awareness of men’s health issues – thinks that men’s health could be a subject in decline.
'Before the mid 1980s, when glossy men’s magazines came out, there was not much men’s health coverage. It probably peaked around ten years ago, with the arrival of Viagra,' he explains. 'Back then, it was quite new and there was an increasing demand for it. It’s not as new and sexy now. Publishers realised that sales were in writing about beer and sex, not health.
'One of the crucial issue is that men just don’t like asking for help about anything, or to be seen not to know the answer. And that includes health. I think that, broadly speaking, men are much more interested than we would imagine, but are just more private about it. I think newspapers are letting their readers down by not covering these issues more seriously and more substantially.'
No single paper can be considered representative of the whole national press, yet it is likely that the Daily Mail reflects a wider trend, where men’s health is given less priority than women’s. But surely it is just a matter of time until men demand to know more about their well-being. Maybe one day testicular cancer will grab the headlines, and I might just find out what my prostate does after all.
David Brill is assistant editor of Nature Clinical Practice Cardiovascular Medicine
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