News
New genetic analysis predicts risk of adult obesity from childhood
21 July 2025
A new genetic analysis using data from over five million people has provided a clearer understanding of the risk of going on to live with obesity. New research led by the Universities of Copenhagen and Bristol shows analysing genes at a young age may support early strategies to prevent obesity developing later in life.
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- New genetic analysis predicts risk of adult obesity from childhood 21 July 2025 A new genetic analysis using data from over five million people has provided a clearer understanding of the risk of going on to live with obesity. New research led by the Universities of Copenhagen and Bristol shows analysing genes at a young age may support early strategies to prevent obesity developing later in life.
- Suspended children are twice as likely to be involved in violence, even when accounting for their behaviour, finds new report 9 June 2025 A new study report has found that, even whilst controlling for a range of factors including measures of behavioural difficulties, children who are suspended or excluded from school are still nearly two and a half times more likely to become involved in violence and four and a half times more likely to offend compared to those who have not been suspended or excluded.
- Bristol professor joins Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowship 22 May 2025 A University of Bristol academic who is the Principal Investigator for the Children of the 90s health study has been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Professor Nic Timpson joins 53 exceptional biomedical and health scientists from UK institutions selected to the Academy for their exceptional contributions to the advancement of medical science.
- School dinners may encourage picky teenagers to eat better, says new study 15 May 2025 Having school dinners rather than packed lunches could encourage picky eating 13-year-olds to eat a wider variety of foods, according to a new University of Bristol-led study. The findings are published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics today [15 May].
- Breaking the cycle: supporting young boys in violent homes could prevent relationship violence, study suggests 1 May 2025 Young men growing up around parents who are physically violent to each other are 43% more likely to carry out violence or abuse in their own relationships, new University of Bristol research has found.
- Prediabetes in older teenagers may triple risk of premature heart damage in young adulthood and affects women worse than men 29 April 2025 Persistently high blood sugar (prediabetes) and insulin resistance may increase the risk of heart damage as late teens grow into young adults, and might affect women’s hearts faster than men’s, a new study has found. The results are published today, 29th April, in Diabetes Care.
- Researchers study for the first time how children’s thinking skills change alongside brain development during first 5 years of life 11 April 2025 Why do some children struggle when starting school whilst others flourish? A new University of Bristol-led research project will investigate how a child’s brain develops, allowing them to learn new things, and how new experiences might shape brain changes during the first 5 years of their life. This is the first time changes in the brain and children's developing skills have been studied in a lab-based setting across early childhood in the same group of children.
- Smartwatch technology could help with future alcohol interventions, new study finds 2 April 2025 Alcohol harm costs NHS England £3.5 billion annually, with 70 people dying every day from alcohol-related causes in the UK (1). According to new University of Bristol-led research smartwatches could provide a more accurate picture of people’s daily drinking habits than current methods. The technology could be a key element for future alcohol interventions.
- HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh visits University to learn about life-changing scar-free healing research 21 March 2025 HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh GCVO, as Royal Patron of The Scar Free Foundation, visited the University of Bristol yesterday [20 March] to learn about a world-leading research study that aims to achieve scar free healing within a generation.
- Children who lack fish in their diets are less sociable and kind, study finds 11 March 2025 Children who consumed the least amounts of seafood at 7-years-old were likely to be less ‘prosocial’ at ages 7 and 9 years than those who regularly consumed seafood, according to a new study. ‘Prosocial’ behaviour includes friendly interactions, altruism, and sharing.