2021 news

A large-scale study of bacterial DNA samples had uncovered the significance of a gene in causing human infections.

An immune disease that can damage vital organs – and is supposedly rare in young people – is more common than previously thought among Black children, a study from the School of Biological Sciences suggests.

The novel use of genetic contact tracing to identify the source of a bovine tuberculosis outbreak could signal a new approach in managing the disease, a study suggests.

This year we are delighted to have Sir Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust, giving our annual public Winter Lecture on Tuesday 16 November.

Edinburgh Infectious Diseases is delighted to announce that we are now accepting applications for the 2022 cohorts of students on two Wellcome Trust funded 4-year PhD programmes.

Vaccination is over 90 per cent effective at preventing deaths from the Delta variant of Covid-19, according to the first country-level data on mortality.

Patients at risk of developing severe Covid-19 symptoms have been successfully treated at an early stage thanks to the use of a remote monitoring service.

Countries in Africa assessed as being least vulnerable to an epidemic were the worst affected by Covid-19, new research suggests.

We are delighted to open the call for speakers at the first Edinburgh Infectious Diseases Early Career Researcher Symposium.

A new vaccine being developed against ovine enzootic abortion by scientists at the Moredun Research Institute has shown very promising results in laboratory trials.

Here we highlight some of the groundbreaking researchers based in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh who are tackling malaria.

A new study reveals that the negative impacts of schistosome infection on early child development and educational attainment can be reversed within 6 months after treatment with the drug praziquantel.

Edinburgh researchers are part of an international consortium who have discovered 13 DNA sequences that are associated with people developing the most severe form of Covid-19.

We were delighted to host our virtual Annual Symposium on Wednesday 24 June 2021.

A potentially more accurate, less invasive and cheaper method of screening for Covid-19 is being piloted at the University of Edinburgh.

The Delta variant of Covid-19 is associated with approximately double the risk of hospitalisation compared with the Alpha variant, according to a new nationwide study.

Derick Osakunor was awarded the prize for his work with Prof Francisca Mutapi on the treatment and control of Schistosomiasis in preschool aged children.

A condition that affects the blood, known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), may be associated the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in rare cases, research suggests.

Professor Fitzpatrick will take up the new advisory role with the Scottish Government on 14 June 2021.

The Tracking and Modelling for Scotland dashboard provides interactive detailed weekly maps to track the spread of COVID-19 across the region, to help inform control strategies.

A light-activated drug that can enter and kill bacterial and cancer cells without harming nearby healthy cells has been tested successfully.

We are delighted that we will be hosting our annual symposium on Wednesday 24 June 2021. Registration is now open!

Scientists are developing a coronavirus early warning system that could prevent future lockdowns by combining data on vaccine uptake with wastewater testing.

Edinburgh Infectious Diseaes hosted a workshop on 29 April 2021 exploring key topics in transmission biology.

Professor Loeske Kruuk, who will be joining the School of Biological Sciences later in 2021, has been awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant, to study evolution in wild animal populations.

Increased exposure to the sun’s rays – specifically UVA - could act as a simple public health intervention if further research establishes it causes a reduction in mortality rates, experts say.

A team led by researchers at the Roslin Institute will investigate the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a condition similar to BSE in cattle, in European deer.

Global Health Professor to join the newest class of 20 global visionaries, sharing their big ideas throughout the events planned for 2021.

Scientists have discovered that tracking malaria as it develops in humans is a powerful way to detect how the malaria parasite causes a range of infection outcomes in its host.

You are most welcome to join this online Edinburgh Infectious Diseases workshop on Thursday 29 April. Please register on Eventbrite.

Key insights on how malaria immunity develops after repeated infections could lead to new vaccine strategies and change the approach to tackling other infectious diseases, a study has found.

Vaccination has been linked to a substantial reduction in the risk of Covid-19 admissions to Scotland’s hospitals, landmark research suggests.

The discovery that in real-world conditions bacteria, similar to animals, cooperate and selflessly act for the greater good of the group, could help scientists to predict how helpful and harmful strains behave.

Professor Loeske Kruuk will return to the School of Biological Sciences after being awarded a Royal Society Research Professorship, the Royal Society’s premier research award.

Sara will receive £1.8M over the next five year to work on the project which seeks to understand the contribution of the miRNA-interferon interaction to human disease.

Prof Keith Matthews, member of Edinburgh Infectious Diseases in the School of Biological Sciences, will receive £2.5M over the next 5 years to support research into the African trypanosomes that cause sleeping sickness in humans and animals.

More people could be protected from life-threatening rabies thanks to an agile approach to dog vaccination using smart phone technology to spot areas of low vaccination coverage in real time.

Potential treatments for Covid-19 have been identified after the discovery of five genes associated with the most severe form of the disease.

Projects led by Amy Buck and Steven Spoel have been awarded funding by the European Research Council (ERC) in its latest Consolidator Grant competition for mid-career researchers.