Exeter Uni News

Exeter scholars secure significant research funding to investigate the early history of Smallpox and Measles

The early histories of smallpox and measles – and the insight they might offer to contemporary health and medicine – will be under the microscope of a new research project. Pustules, Palaeogenetics and Pandemics from Galen to Rhazes: How to do the Early History of Smallpox and Measles is being led by scholars at the University of Exeter, and will seek to understand both historical developments of diseases and how changing disease patterns in the past might impact…

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Working with local communities to manage green spaces could help biodiversity crisis, new study finds

Helping communities manage green spaces by understanding how they use and value the area could be an effective way for local governments to tackle the biodiversity crisis, according to a new study from the University of Exeter. Local councils in the UK are under growing pressure to increase publicly accessible green spaces in towns and cities to boost biodiversity, as well as improve public wellbeing. Research has shown effective stewardship of urban green spaces not only improves biodiversity,…

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Small changes in turnout could substantially alter election results in the future, study warns

Small changes in turnout could substantially alter election results in the future because the UK now has a multiparty system with majoritarian voting rules, a new study warns. Last year’s General Election, which saw a marked increase in the number of candidates and a fragmented vote, will have an impact on the mandate of the Labour government, an expert has said. The research shows how the 2024 election tested the boundaries of the first-past-the-post system and the result…

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University experts feature on BBC podcast exploring the life and legacy of an ocean giant

University experts feature on BBC podcast exploring the life and legacy of an ocean giant

The story of a giant whale that died after becoming stranded on a Cornish beach, before being ‘inherited’ by the University of Exeter, has been told in a new BBC podcast. The Whale, Secrets of a Stranding, explores how a 60-foot female Fin Whale – the second largest marine animal on Planet Earth – came to rest on the Lizard Peninsula. The 30-minute documentary goes in search of what happened to it and considers its potential legacy by…

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Award-winning producer Gub Neal returns to the University of Exeter

Award-winning producer Gub Neal returns to the University of Exeter

An Emmy-award-winning television producer has paid a special visit to the University of Exeter to meet students seeking to follow in his footsteps into the creative industries. Gub Neal, creator of the acclaimed television drama The Fall, spent time with postgraduates on one of the University’s flagship film degrees, and students who devote their time to supporting the radio and television stations within the Xmedia societies. Gub, whose extensive credits also include iconic series Prime Suspect, Cracker and…

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Shingles vaccine most promising common drug to potentially prevent Alzheimer’s  – research

A new study has identified three existing medications that could be repurposed to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease.  The research funded by Alzheimer’s Society and led by the University of Exeter, is published today in Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy. It found that a shingles vaccine (Zostavax), is the most promising existing medicine that could be repurposed to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Viagra (sildenafil) and a drug used to treat motor neurone disease (riluzole) also showed strong promise.  …

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New data shows how critically endangered penguins are directly competing with fishing vessels for their food

A new study finds critically endangered African penguins are significantly more likely to forage in the same areas as commercial fishing vessels during years of low fish abundance, increasing competition for food and adding pressure to a species already in crisis. The study, led by the University of St Andrews and including Dr Richard Sherley from the University of Exeter’s Centre for Ecology and Conservation in Cornwall, introduces a novel metric called “overlap intensity” which measures not just…

Continue ReadingNew data shows how critically endangered penguins are directly competing with fishing vessels for their food

Exeter plays key role in new toolkit to prevent falls in over 65s

A new digital toolkit designed to help reduce falls in older adults has been launched with the help of the University of Exeter. The new Falls Management Exercise Programme (FaME) Implementation Toolkit is an evidence-based, practical guide aimed at improving delivery of community exercise programmes that can reduce falls by up to 30 per cent. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula (PenARC) at the University of Exeter was…

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Scientists map the genetic distribution of maerl-forming algae across South West

Scientists map the genetic distribution of maerl-forming algae across South West

A habitat-building coralline algae that provides a vital nursing ground for marine species and an important blue carbon ecosystem has been genetically mapped around south-west Britain in a first-of-its-kind study. Using a technique called Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), marine biologists at the University of Exeter have identified the genetic diversity of several types of calcareous red seaweed that form maerl beds from key locations stretching from Cornwall to South Wales. It is the first time such a multi-site…

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Professor Sir Steve Smith honoured with lifetime achievement award by Times Higher Education

Professor Sir Steve Smith, the University of Exeter’s long-serving former Vice-Chancellor, has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award by Times Higher Education. At the prestigious THE Awards 2025 in Edinburgh this week, Sir Steve received one of the night’s top prizes, the THE Outstanding Achievement Award, for his remarkable contribution to the higher education sector. Sir Steve accepted the award – the first to be presented on the night – from THE Editor, Chris Havergal, and Chief…

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UK prawn farms could spark sustainable seafood revolution

Farming king prawns indoors in tanks on UK farmland could create a thriving, sustainable seafood industry, researchers say. King prawns are one of the “big five” seafoods eaten in the UK – but the vast majority of this tropical species is imported, and often comes from environmentally damaging sources. Researchers from the UK Sustainable King Prawn Project (UKSKPP) say there is a “better way”: cost-effective and environmentally sound king prawn aquaculture (seafood farming) – creating new employment opportunities…

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New global guide will help leaders understand and act on climate crisis

A new guide launched at COP30 will help policymakers understand the dangers of climate change – and the solutions that can bring about a safe and sustainable future. The Parliamentarians’ Global Guide to Climate Change and Climate Solutions contains contributions from world-leading climate experts to provide policymakers everywhere with the latest evidence. It follows the success of last year’s guide for UK policymakers, launched by the University of Exeter and Peers for the Planet, which has been translated for audiences in Azerbaijan and Brazil – the host countries of COP29 and COP30 –…

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