Southampton researchers have been highlighted for studying the energy needs of children with kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a long-term condition where the kidneys do not work as well as they should. There is no cure for this condition that is common in adults but rare in children. It is now a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Recent research led in Southampton explored practical ways to estimate energy needs in children with mild to moderate kidney damage. Findings published in the Journal of Renal Nutrition have now been selected an editor’s choice. Energy and nutritional needs The number of children with CKD and complexity in care is increasing. The cause of this is unclear, but previous research suggests it may be linked with rising childhood obesity rates. Energy balance is very important for the health and wellbeing of children with CKD and can delay disease progression. In this study, researchers measured the total energy expenditure and physical activity energy expenditure of 38 children. Half had received a diagnosis of stage 3 CKD. The other half did not have the disease. Results showed little difference between the groups. This suggests current practice to use requirements for health, that take into account under and over nutrition, is sufficient as a starting prescription to estimate the energy needs of most children with CKD. Special recognition The paper has been handpicked by editors for the January/February 2024 journal issue. It has a special section heading in the Table of Contents and has been granted a one-year open access to viewers. Caroline Anderson, lead paediatric renal clinical academic dietitian at University Hospital Southampton, led the study. She is driving further research in this area through the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre and Southampton Academy of Research. Caroline said: “Children with CKD can vary in nutritional state and respond to care in unexpected ways, and we do not know why. This research is one of only four papers studying the energy needs of children with CKD. “Nutrition is the cornerstone of care, where malnutrition and obesity are huge challenges for the child, their family and their healthcare team. It is essential to get the energy prescription right, not only to improve nutritional status but also to delay the need for dialysis and transplantation. “It is an honour to have this research recognised. Our aim for future research is to help children grow, live well for longer, delay the need for dialysis and transplant and better understand the unknown differences in nutritional state and response to care.”

Southampton researchers are investigating if promising COVID-19 treatments can help other hospital patients and ease NHS winter pressures. The ACCORD trial, led by Prof Tom Wilkinson, was set up during the height of the pandemic. The aim was to accelerate the development of new drugs for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. Now, promising medicines from this trial are being tested as treatments for patients hospitalised with other lung conditions. If successful, these could greatly reduce NHS winter pressures. Identifying new treatments Respiratory diseases affect one in five people in the UK and are the third biggest cause of death in England. They are a major contributor to the winter pressures faced by the NHS. Two of the three drugs tested in the ACCORD trial – tozorakimab and bemcentinib – have shown promise as treatments for patients with COVID-19 and are now progressing to larger trials. These have the potential to help patients hospitalised with other lung infections. Tozorakimab, for example, targets a protein that is raised in many different respiratory infections. Helping more patients Prof Wilkinson leads the respiratory and allergy theme at the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre. He is Professor of Respiratory Medicine and Associate Dean for Enterprise at the University of Southampton. He is now leading the UNIVERSAL study. This is harnessing advances in testing to identify and monitor people hospitalised with a viral respiratory infection. It aims to better understand how and when viral infections in the lungs and airways get worse, and develop effective antiviral treatments. Alongside this, he is jointly leading the TILIA study, which aims to test the efficacy and safety of tozorakimab in hospital patients with viral lung infections who require oxygen.

Southampton researchers have developed a new scoring system that could help give more patients with rare diseases a diagnosis. The 100,000 Genomes Project was an NHS England initiative to sequence and study the role our genes play in health and disease, particularly rare disease and cancer. While the project diagnosed a quarter of affected participants, the rest did not receive a diagnosis. In a new study, led by Prof Sarah Ennis, researchers have analysed genetic data from the project using a new technique. They show this could give more of these patients a diagnosis. Results have been published in Genetics in Medicine. Scoring genes In this paper, the method - known as GenePy – was used to create a score for each disease-associated gene for each person. The researchers used it to calculate scores for 2,862 genes in over 78,000 participants in the project. They then looked at people with the highest scores for each gene, to see if their symptoms matched those of the disease that gene was associated with. Finding ‘missed’ diagnoses Using this approach, the researchers identified potential diagnoses for 14% of undiagnosed participants in the project. They therefore showed it could help diagnose more people with a rare diseases. Prof Ennis is a Professor of Genomics at the University of Southampton. She is part of the Data, Health and Society theme in the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre. “A constant driver for us in research, as we develop new tools, is to see the value of genomic data being translated into patient benefit,” she said. “We are really pleased to now be building on these results to make these digital tools more sensitive, and so more clinically valuable.” The research team are continuing to advance the GenePy software through a new funding award from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The first participant in a new international study to find a vaccine for mpox is taking part at the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility (CRF). The study, led in Southampton by Professor Saul Faust, is aimed at helping to protect people from mpox. It will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of two newly developed vaccines. Protecting people against mpox Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a major global health problem. It most commonly affects people in west or central Africa, but there have been some cases in the UK. It causes serious illness in children and adults. Symptoms include a high temperature, exhaustion, and aches and pains, followed by a characteristic rash with raised spots or small fluid-filled blisters. The first participant Stephen M, a 36-year-old IT professional from Southampton, is the first person to take part in the mpox vaccine study worldwide. “I'm entirely non-medical, so this is a great way of participating in something important,” says Stephen. “It's very rewarding to know that you might be contributing to advances in medicine and future breakthroughs.” He says he is proud to be taking part in the study. He hopes that he is helping to play a small but useful part in the development of the vaccine. “It would be great if I was now slightly better protected (albeit I had a very small dose for the purposes of safety),” he says. “But ultimately, my hope is that the vaccine is shown to be a safe and effective vaccine against the disease.” Taking part in the trial Participants take part over a twelve-month period. Stephen initially had to make regular visits to the CRF, located within University Hospital Southampton, for tests and to receive vaccine doses. His visits are now less frequent, as the team monitor his progress. Prof Faust, lead investigator for the study in Southampton and Director of the NIHR Southampton CRF, said: “It’s only thanks to volunteers, such as Stephen, that new vaccines for COVID-19 and now mpox will be found. Mpox is still a huge global health problem that could come back to the UK and richer countries, so having so many volunteers in Southampton willing to participate in trials of new vaccines and medicines is fantastic.” If you are interested in taking part in the trial in Southampton, please email the CRF at CRFstudyteam@uhs.nhs.uk or call 023 8120 4989.

Experts are calling for ‘urgent action’ to improve children’s health and wellbeing in the first five years of life. Southampton’s Professor Keith Godfrey has contributed to a new report published this week by the Academy of Medical Sciences. The national report presents evidence of declining health among children under five in the UK. It says taking steps to improve the health of babies and young children will have lasting benefits. Child health issues Health in the early years of childhood lays the foundations for mental and physical health throughout life. Healthy children are more likely to grow into healthy, productive adults. The report sets out the evidence that, in recent years, progress on child health has stalled. It outlines several key issues, including: Rising rates of obesity, with over a fifth of children aged five now overweight or obese. One-in-four five-year-olds are affected by tooth decay. A rise in infant mortality in England. Higher demand for children’s mental health services. A decrease in children having vaccinations. Data suggests children in the poorest areas of the country are disproportionately affected. There are also economic consequences of not addressing these issues early – with the cost of inaction estimated to be at least £16 billion a year. Prioritising early childhood Child health experts from across the UK produced the report, which includes perspectives from parents and carers with lived experience. Chaired by Professor Helen Minnis FMedSci and Professor Sir Andrew Pollard FMedSci, the group examined the impact of early health interventions. Prof Sir Andrew Pollard said: “There is clear evidence in the report that tackling childhood health conditions, addressing inequalities and providing early years social support can change the future of health and prosperity. “It is time for big thinking and clear strategy by Government to protect the health and life chances of our children today and transform the future of our nation.” Prof Keith Godfrey is a Professor of Epidemiology and Human Development at the University of Southampton and Theme Lead for Nutrition, Lifestyle and Metabolism in the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre. He said: “The first five years of life provide a crucial window of opportunity to improve children’s health. “Urgent action is needed to ensure all children get the best possible start in life. New policy initiatives are needed, starting before conception and continuing through pregnancy, infancy and early childhood.” The full report is available to read here.

Hampshire teenagers have produced a virtual reality (VR) experience to help young people ‘escape the vape.’ It emphasises the peer pressure teens feel to give vaping a go and the health dangers of the habit. They have also produced teaching materials and lesson plans for use in schools. The resources were co-created by a youth panel from the LifeLab programme. LifeLab is run in partnership between the University of Southampton (UoS), the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and University Hospital Southampton. The materials have been released in the same week as the government announced a ban on disposable vapes to protect children’s health. Reaching young people LifeLab is a state-of-the-art teaching laboratory for school students to learn the science behind health messages. The team worked with teenagers from Southampton and wider Hampshire on this project. Dr Kath Woods-Townsend, LifeLab Programme Manager and part of the NIHR Southampton BRC, said: “We welcome the ban on disposable vapes. This can only be a good thing, but more needs to be done to educate our young people about why vaping is dangerous. “We have co-created these resources with teenagers themselves to ensure the messages are effective, engaging and meaningful to the young people we are trying to reach.” LifeLab Youth Panels actively involve young people in creating and delivering solutions that could improve their own health and that of their peers. They are employed by the University and paid for their time. Madeleine Harris, 17, was proud to be part of the Youth Panel. She said: “This is important because of the high numbers of young people vaping. It’s become a social activity for young people and, if you are surrounded by people who want to vape, you are more likely to want to vape to fit in with the group. I’m very proud of this work and hope it will have a lot of impact.” ‘Modern and engaging’ resources The VR experience takes the headset-wearer on a walk down a city street to see if they can ‘escape the vape’ and spot danger zones. The participant comes across advertising and peer pressure to try vaping. The ban on disposable vapes comes following a government call for evidence last year. LifeLab submitted a response to this call which was informed by its youth focus groups. John Holloway is a Professor of Allergy and Respiratory Genetics at UoS and part of the NIHR Southampton BRC. He has conducted research on the impact of environmental exposures on teenagers’ health. Prof Holloway said: “Our research into the effects of exposures such as smoking and obesity of future parents on their children’s health has highlighted how critical the health behaviours of teenagers are. They are important not only to their own health, but to those of future generations to come. “Engaging resources like these that are designed by teenagers themselves, together with policy changes such as the ban on disposable vapes, will help to improve the health of our population for decades to come.” Runyararo Mudzamiri, from Cantell School in Southampton, has used LifeLab’s vaping resources. She said: “Because it was designed by teens for teens, the presentation is both modern and engaging. Teachers found the resources easy to use and make bespoke and age appropriate to their classes. Our year 7-9s have benefited from using this great resource.” Visit the LifeLab website to find out more. Image credit: University of Southampton

Taking a nutritional supplement before and during pregnancy could promote healthy weight in childhood, according to new research. Experts say the results are an important step on the road to preventing childhood obesity. The research is part of the international NiPPeR study. Professor Keith Godfrey from the University of Southampton (UoS) and the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is the study’s Chief Investigator. “Preventing obesity is one of the most important things we can do, as treating obesity is much more difficult,” he said. “The new findings suggest the period before and during pregnancy may provide a ‘special opportunity.’ Supporting better nutritional status for the mother at this time could have lasting benefits for her child.” The new analysis by researchers in the UK, New Zealand and Singapore has been published today in BMC Medicine. Improving nutrition Rates of childhood obesity are rising in many countries, particularly in less advantaged groups. Obesity increases the risk of many health diseases. These include type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. 500 women from across the globe took part in this study. They were randomly allocated to two groups. One group received an enriched supplement - including vitamins B2, B6, B12, D, probiotics and myoinositol - alongside a standard pregnancy supplement. The other group received a standard pregnancy supplement alone. Neither the mums nor their medical teams knew which group they were in. The researchers checked in on the children at age two years. They found half as many obese children in the cohort whose mothers were in the enriched group (nine percent versus 18 percent). Their analysis also showed these children were almost 25 percent less likely to have experienced ‘rapid weight gain.’ This often leads to obesity. Prof Wayne Cutfield is a Professor of Paediatric Endocrinology at the Liggins Institute in Auckland, and one of the leaders of the research. He said: “In a world of obesity, our data suggests supplementing mums before and during pregnancy can have benefits way beyond the pregnancy and for the women involved. It can impact their baby into childhood and potentially beyond.” Future research The enhanced supplement contained seven additional micronutrients. More research is needed to identify which of the nutrients in the supplement are most beneficial. Any of them - or a combination - could have impacted the metabolism and development of the children and the likelihood of obesity. Prof Cutfield added: “We do not yet know the precise mechanism, but there’s evidence some of the micronutrients are associated with body metabolism in pregnancy. We have started analysing the data and we hope to be able to drill down into which component or components are most critical.” Associate Professor Shiao Yng Chan from the National University of Singapore was a co-author on the paper. She says the effects of a mother's nutrition during pregnancy might not show in the baby right away. “As the child grows, the things that happened in the baby's body while in the womb become apparent. These early events are sometimes called ‘foetal programming.’ They can influence how the child reacts to an unhealthy lifestyle, like eating lots of fatty foods and not getting enough exercise. “This can make some children more likely to become overweight." International collaboration The NiPPeR study is a collaboration between the Liggins Institute at the University of Auckland, the University of Southampton, the NIHR Southampton BRC, the National University of Singapore and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore. It involves many different research strands into areas of the health and behaviour of the mothers and children involved. The researchers targeted a cross-section of healthy women in the three countries. Work is continuing to look at the impacts on the children when they are between six and eight years of age. Professor Marian Knight, NIHR Scientific Director for Infrastructure said: "These latest findings are a step towards beginning to understand and prevent childhood obesity. “Pioneering nutrition, lifestyle and metabolism research is at the heart of our NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre. Working closely with global partners, the aim of this ambitious study is to continue making discoveries that will help give every child the best start in life.”

A dramatic increase in child obesity levels during the pandemic is set to cost the UK over £8 billion, according to new research. Obesity rose by 45 percent in reception pupils between 2019/20 and 2020/21, new analysis from over a million children in England shows. While the number of four- and five-year-olds who are overweight has returned to pre-pandemic levels, tens of thousands more year six children are living with obesity than expected. These children are facing lifelong health consequences, as most overweight children will become overweight adults. The new study was led by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and the University of Southampton, in collaboration with researchers from the NIHR Imperial BRC. Researchers say the spiralling cost and differences between age groups highlight the need for more action to improve children’s health at an early age. The findings have been published today in PLOS ONE. Pandemic effects More than one in five ten- and eleven-year-olds are now living with obesity in England. Obesity increases the risk of many health diseases. These include type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. It also has an important effect on quality of life and mental health. This study used data drawn from the National Childhood Measurement Programme (NCMP) to calculate the increase in childhood obesity rates among children. The report measures the BMI of children in reception (age 4-5) and year six (age 10-11) each year. The analysis showed that childhood obesity levels rocketed between 2019-20 and 2020-21. Experts put this down to a change in young people’s eating habits and activity levels. During this period most children were schooled from home. Organised sports and recreational activities were largely unavailable and there were effects on children’s sleeping schedules and screen time. By 2022, NCMP data shows the number of four- and five-year-olds living with obesity returned to pre-pandemic levels, suggesting that weight gain might be reversible at this age. However, overweight and obesity prevalence in children aged ten and eleven remained higher than expected - representing almost 56,000 extra children. This suggests that weight gain was likely to be more entrenched. Costs of obesity In this study, researchers projected the impact of child BMI trends on adult health measures to estimate costs to society. They found that the increase in overweight and obesity prevalence in ten- and eleven-year-olds alone could cost the NHS £800 million. The cost to wider society could be at least £8.7 billion. This total includes costs relating to reduced productivity and quality of life. Professor Keith Godfrey from the NIHR Southampton BRC and the University of Southampton was one of the study’s authors. He said: “The surge in childhood obesity during the pandemic illustrates its profound impact on children’s development. “Our projection that this will result in over £8.7 billion in additional healthcare, economic and wider social costs is hugely concerning. “Alongside the even higher costs of the ongoing epidemic of childhood obesity, it is clear that we need more radical new policy measures. This will help reduce obesity and secure wellbeing and prosperity for the country as a whole.” Co-author Emeritus Professor Mark Hanson, also from the NIHR Southampton BRC, added: “Once established, obesity has proven to be difficult to reverse. 60-85% of children with obesity remain obese in adulthood, increasing their risks of future ill health. “Our finding of a rapid return to pre-pandemic levels of overweight and obesity in the youngest children suggests new policies should target under-fives. This is likely to be an effective means of tackling the growing problem of childhood obesity.” Increasing inequalities The costs of childhood obesity do not fall equally across the population. Analysis of the NCMP data revealed that children living in the most deprived areas are twice as likely to be obese than those living in the least deprived areas. This means they will face higher lifelong economic costs compared to wealthier populations. Co-author Professor Neena Modi, from Imperial College London, said: “Obesity rates disproportionately affect children living in deprived communities - and the gap between the most and least deprived groups has widened over the past ten years. “We need targeted interventions to bridge this alarming divide, especially in the under-fives where our study shows being overweight and obese can be reversed most readily. This will help ensure every child has an equal chance to grow up healthy.” Supporting young people Promoting healthy behaviours in early life can help prevent obesity. In Southampton, Early LifeLab is helping to tackle obesity among primary school children. It uses a series of ‘teaching toolkits’ to make the science behind the need for healthy diet, physical activity and sleep accessible to young children. The programme is run in partnership between the University of Southampton, the NIHR Southampton BRC and University Hospital Southampton. It is part-funded by Southampton City Council. Dr Kath Woods-Townsend, programme lead for Early LifeLab and a co-author on the paper, said: “These findings show the importance of establishing healthy behaviours from an early age. “We show children and young people how the choices they make and the habits they form can affect their health in later life. This gives them the knowledge and skills they need to make positive changes.”

A website to help people manage their eczema could be saving the NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds. The website, developed by Southampton researchers, is known as Eczema Care Online (ECO). It is available for free at www.EczemaCareOnline.org.uk, and over 35,000 people have used it so far. New research, co-led by Prof Miriam Santer, shows users not only had a better quality of life, but also had lower hospital care and medication costs. The work forms part of the Respiratory and Allergy theme at the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre. The economic analysis, led by Prof Tracey Sach, has been published in the European Journal of Health Economics. They show the website could provide significant savings for the NHS at the same time as improving eczema care. Living with eczema Eczema is a condition that causes skin to become red, itchy and dry. It can affect people of all ages, but is most common in babies and children. It is very common, with a considerable impact on people’s quality of life and significant costs for the NHS. Advice on how to treat and manage the condition can make living with eczema easier, but health professionals often don't have time to go into detail. People with eczema and their families often say they would like more information about the condition and how to manage it. Empowering patients and families The website helps patients and their families to manage eczema. It provides information on what eczema is, how to treat it, and tips to prevent it getting worse. It uses behaviour change techniques and evidence-based resources shown to improve symptoms. Previous research has shown the website improves eczema symptoms in children and young people. In this study, 650 participants were either given access to the website alongside usual care, or usual care alone. Those who used the website had a better quality of life and reduced NHS costs after twelve months. “Use of the website is a win-win,” says Prof Santer, Professor of Primary Care Research at the University of Southampton. “Parents and young people are able to take control of their condition, and the NHS can reduce costs and provide people with evidence-based information that could otherwise be missed within a short primary care appointment.” Reducing NHS costs The results suggest the website saves the NHS between £20.82 and £34.15 per patient with eczema (or their parent) who visits. As the website has now been visited by over 35,000 people, the potential savings to the NHS to date could range from £700,000 to over £1 million. The study was funded by the NIHR and a collaboration between the University of Southampton, University of Nottingham, University of Bristol, University of East Anglia and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Tracey Sach is Professor of Health Economics at the University of Southampton and lead for the economic component of the study. “Our previous paper in the BMJ demonstrated that the ECO website helped improve symptoms and outcomes for children and young people with eczema,” she says. “Now this new work demonstrates that this free-at-point-of-use website is low cost to run and cost-effective for the NHS.” ‘Greater confidence’ Researchers spoke to parents and young people who had used the website, to understand what made it effective. They said the website helped them to better understand eczema, reassured them about the safety of treatments, and made them feel more confident in using treatments. Prof Santer said: “The main change was greater confidence in managing eczema and understanding how treatments work, for example, the difference between regularly using moisturisers to prevent flare-ups and the prompt use of topical corticosteroids to manage flare-ups.” Parents and young people also said that reading about the experiences of others with eczema helped them feel ‘normal’ and less alone. One said: “ECO is great if I have a quick question about something. Before I would have harassed my mum to take me to the doctors, which is a pain if you just have a very basic question, but now I just have a look on ECO.” Kate’s daughter Ellie (age 12), from the Portsmouth area, had severe and unresponsive eczema from when she was just six weeks old. “I had never dealt with this condition before, and I understood it to be a mild irritation that is quickly fixed by some moisturiser. The reality is far more complex. “Life quickly became a whirlwind of flare-ups, infections, lotions, and potions. I spent lots of money on the latest 'miracle' products which sometimes made things even worse. “Eczema Care Online really is a one-stop shop for everything you could ever need to know about understanding and managing eczema. It's reassuring to know that all of the information on there is thoroughly researched and up to date.”

Southampton researchers are developing a new rapid test for a life-threatening lung injury. Acute respiratory distress syndrome can happen when the lungs are not working properly. It is treated in hospital, usually in an intensive care unit. Researchers in our NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) are developing a low-cost sensor to speed up diagnosis. It will be capable of returning results within seconds. Dr Veluthandath explains how a one-year BRC Postdoctoral Bridging Fellowship is driving the project. How did you become interested in research? I was a curious child, with lots of questions about how the world worked. This set the stage for my journey into research. I was particularly drawn to two subjects: light and chemistry. I found the interplay of colours within light and the array of colour-changing solutions in chemistry fascinating. As I grew up, my passion gravitated towards studying light and its impact on our understanding of the universe. This led me to pursue a PhD in physics, specialising in the intricate relationship between light and molecules. Light can help us unlock a wealth of information about the microscopic world – including the hidden properties and behaviours of molecules. My motivation to understand the world continues to fuel my passion for research. What is the healthcare challenge that you are seeking to address? Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening illness. It affects the quality and quantity of surfactants - a mixture of fat and proteins made in the lungs which is important for lung function. This can lead to premature airway collapse, disruptions in gas exchange and suffocation. Further research is needed to understand why this happens. The goal of this project is to develop a low-cost, disposable sensor for rapid diagnosis of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and ARDS. I have designed and produced an attenuated total reflection (ATR) chip for analysing lipid composition of lung surfactant. This will be done by measuring the absorption of infrared light by these surfactants. What do you hope to achieve in your research at the BRC? The goal of this research is to develop a chip capable of returning results within seconds. The fellowship will enable me to make strong connections with other researchers. This will be instrumental in future funding applications. Looking ahead, I plan to investigate how the concentration and composition of lung surfactant change in respiratory patients. This includes people with viral pneumonia, asthma, COPD and interstitial lung disease. My career goal is to become an independent researcher. I hope to develop tools and methodologies that help us better understand and improve healthcare. How would you sum up your fellowship in three words? Learning, growth, opportunity What's it like being an early career researcher in Southampton? Being an early-career researcher in Southampton is great! Life here is calm and peaceful, and I really enjoy walking in Southampton Common. The University of Southampton is a brilliant place to start a research career. We have a vibrant research community, where everyone is supportive and ready to help. This means there are fantastic opportunities for networking and collaboration. I am proud to be part of the Optoelectronics Research Centre - one of the world’s leading institutes for photonics research. It offers world-class facilities and opportunities to learn from industry pioneers. What advice would you give other early career researchers? Stay curious:  Never lose that innate sense of wonder and questioning. Remain open-minded: Be open to new ideas, perspectives, and approaches. Sometimes, the most unexpected connections lead to remarkable breakthroughs. Network and collaborate: Engage with peers, mentors, and experts. This can spark new ideas and help you navigate the complexities of research. Seek mentorship: Find mentors who can provide guidance, share experiences and offer constructive feedback. Their insights can be invaluable in shaping your research path and personal growth.

Professor Nicholas Harvey has been awarded the prestigious 2023 OrtoMed Medal. OrtoMed is the Italian Society of Orthopaedics, Medicine and Rare Skeletal Diseases. Prof Harvey is Director of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre at the University of Southampton. He is a key part of the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre and its Nutrition, Lifestyle and Metabolism theme. He received the medal during the 18th OrtoMed Congress held in Florence, Italy. Improving patient outcomes Every year the Ortomed Medal is awarded to a leading expert in bone health. It honours efforts and collaborative vision that share knowledge between orthopaedists and specialists in metabolic bone diseases. Its ultimate aim is to achieve better outcomes for patients. Prof Harvey was presented this year's prize by OrtoMed Executive Director Professor Maria Luisa Brandi. Fragility fractures Prof Harvey is an investigator in around £50m of grant funding and has published over 300 articles. He is Chair of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Committee of Scientific Advisors. At the Congress, he presented a lecture that included work by the IOF to achieve a world without fragility fractures. He said: "I am greatly honoured to receive this prestigious award. It reflects the hard work and excellence of many individuals across Southampton, the IOF and wider collaborations.”

New research has revealed how ultraviolet light destroys infectious virus particles. The knowledge could help develop new technology to disinfect hard-to-clean surfaces or equipment. Damaging the virus The virus that causes COVID-19 is known as SARS-CoV-2. It consists of the virus' genetic information, surrounded by a membrane with protein spikes sticking out. The virus needs all these components to infect people. Southampton researchers, led by Professor Sumeet Mahajan, investigated how an ultraviolet laser damages each component. The work forms part of the Microbiology, Immunology and Infection theme at the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre. They worked closely with scientists from the laser manufacturer M Squared Lasers. The results from their co-authored study are published in the journal ACS Photonics. Ultraviolet lasers The researchers used a specialised ultraviolet laser, which emitted UVC light. Very little UVC light below 280nm reaches the earth’s surface from the sun, so it is not well studied. However, the two wavelengths of UVC light they used (266nm and 227nm) are strongly absorbed by the genetic material and spikes of the virus. The researchers found the laser damaged the genetic material in SARS-CoV-2. It also damaged the structure of the protein spikes, causing them to lose their ability to bind to human cells. Developing new technology Light-based deactivation of viruses could be used when conventional liquid-based methods are not suitable. Now the mechanism is better understood, this is an important step in rolling out this new technology. Professor Mahajan, Professor of Molecular Biophotonics and Imaging at the University of Southampton, said: “Light deactivation of airborne viruses offers a versatile tool for disinfection of our public spaces and sensitive equipment that may otherwise prove difficult to decontaminate with conventional methods. “Now we understand the differential sensitivity of molecular components in viruses to light deactivation, this opens up the possibility of a finely tuned disinfection technology.”