Blog

Our blog is a platform for members and partners to share their views and tell us about their work and interests. If you have any ideas for articles then get in touch.

Academic black dog

14 Jan 2019 by Edward Wickstead in Equality, diversity and inclusion published January 2019

The idea that mental health issues are increasingly common amongst university students compared to the general public has gained traction in recent years. For example, in 2017 the All Party Parliamentary Group of Students found that 69% of students have felt depressed within an academic year – a percentage almost three times higher than that reported for the elderly.

Inspiring the next generation

12 Dec 2018 by Aileen King published December 2018

Work experience for school pupils is no longer mandatory but in many schools it is highly encouraged. Whilst shadowing an individual researcher can be useful to gain an insight into the daily workings of a research laboratory, the opportunity to carry out experiments may be limited.

I feel excited to continue my journey in science as it's now less daunting

05 Dec 2018 published December 2018

The Social Mobility Foundation (SMF) is a charity which aims to make a practical improvement in social mobility for young people from low-income backgrounds. With the help of professionals across 11 different career sectors, we support high-achieving 6th form and undergraduate students who have the academic ability to flourish in the top universities and professions, but who lack the encouragement, confidence and networks to help them get there.

Research: a career or a calling?

26 Nov 2018 by Elizabeth Mann in Equality, diversity and inclusion published November 2018

There is something of a public perception that ‘scientist’ is more a description of someone’s life than a job title. A scientist is someone who wears a lab coat, who may be a little wild in appearance and who spends all of their time alone conducting difficultto-understand experiments. Sadly, this perception is not solely the domain of `the public’ and, to a certain extent, is perpetuated and encouraged in academic labs.

The pain divide

20 Nov 2018 by Paul Chazot published November 2018

Chronic pain is a serious and growing worldwide problem, and the burden it places on our society is increasing. To manage the symptoms associated with chronic pain, there is heavy reliance on the use of opioid analgesics, although there are limited studies to support their long-term effectiveness. 

Your Society

15 Nov 2018 by Jono Bruun in Your Society published November 2018

By the time you read this you will hopefully have already seen the Society’s announcement of its new Scientific Advisory Panel. I’d like to talk about the role we see this group playing, and what it means for the Society.

My top tips for being a good reviewer

22 Oct 2018 by Alister McNeish published October 2018

“Why is it always Reviewer 3?” We have all said it when we’ve felt we’ve been the victim of a poor, unfair or even ill-informed peer review. You know the dreaded third reviewer, but have you ever considered that YOU may be THAT reviewer? 

Pharmacology 2018: introducing our prize lecturers

16 Oct 2018 by Stephen Hill in President's message published October 2018

These lectures are deserved recognition for the winners of these Society awards, all of whom have made significant and sustained contributions to their field, and often to the wider science, industry or medical landscape.

AllTrials: have you reported all of your trials?

21 Sep 2018 by Síle Lane published September 2018

Randomised clinical trials are by far the best tool we have to assess whether a medicine works or not. Governments and regulators demand to see the results of the highest quality trials to make decisions about treatments. Thousands of trials happen every year, all around the world, and hundreds of thousands of people volunteer to be part of them.

Solving puzzles in nanotechnology: how to transform an artifact into an antidote

14 Sep 2018 published September 2018

The idea of a magic bullet is very compelling and attractive. Curing diseases with the precise delivery of therapeutics to the target cell or microorganism has received the attention of many laboratories around the world and has captured the imagination of writers and film directors for many years.

Drug discovery challenges now the low hanging fruit has been harvested

07 Sep 2018 by Michael Curtis published September 2018

Up until the late 70s, pharmacological discovery was a process exemplified by increasing technical expertise in surgery and bioassay, and was associated with a series of important discoveries. However we tend to view this ‘golden era’ through rose tinted spectacles. The reality is that the vast majority of research, as will be evident from a perusal of old volumes of pharmacology journals, was unimportant and anodyne. We remember only the ‘good bits’.

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