Genes associated with left-handedness linked with shape of the brain's language regions

6 September 2019

A new study has for the first time identified regions of the genome associated with left-handedness in the general population and linked their effects with brain architecture. The study linked these genetic differences with the connections between areas of the brain related to language.

It was already known that genes have a partial role in determining handedness - studies of twins have estimated that 25% of the variation in handedness can be attributed to genes - but which genes these are had not been established in the general population.

The new study, led by researchers at the University of Oxford who were funded by the Medical Research Council and Wellcome, was published in the journal Brain. It identified some of the genetic variants associated with left-handedness by analysing the genomes of about 400,000 people from UK Biobank, which included 38,332 left-handers.

Read more (University of Oxford website)

Oxford vaccine creator Professor Sarah Gilbert awarded RSA Albert Medal

5 March 2021

Professor Sarah Gilbert has been awarded the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce’ (RSA) Albert Medal for her work on the Oxford vaccine.

PRINCIPLE Covid-19 treatments trial widens to under 50s and adds colchicine

3 March 2021

From today, the UK’s national priority platform trial of Covid-19 treatments for recovery at home launches its investigation of the gout drug colchicine, and expands for the first time to include adults of any age.

Regular meat consumption linked with a wide range of common diseases

2 March 2021

Regular meat consumption is associated with a range of diseases that researchers had not previously considered, according to a large, population-level study conducted by a team at the University of Oxford.

New data show vaccines reduce severe COVID-19 in older adults

2 March 2021

New data show both Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines significantly reduce severe COVID-19 in older adults.

Singula Bio, a new Oxford spin-out company - Cancer need not be fatal

25 February 2021

Singula Bio, a bold new seed-stage biotechnology company spun out of Oxford University, has been launched with the intention of helping show that cancer need not be fatal. Led by three Oxford cancer specialists, the firm is aims to become a world leader in therapies to use against difficult-to-treat solid malignancies such as ovarian cancer - using the body’s own immune system to fight previously fatal cancers.

Major rise in public support for COVID vaccine – Oxford study

24 February 2021

More than three quarters of people in the UK now say they are ’very likely’ to have the vaccine – up from 50% among the same group of survey respondents five months ago –according to a two-wave Oxford University survey published today.