Reading in the news - Fri 10 Dec

COVID-19: expert comment on the pandemic

• Dr Simon Clarke (Biological Sciences) was interviewed on Sky News and BBC Radio Berkshire, and answered listeners’ questions on BBC Radio Berkshire on Friday morning, on the UK Government’s Plan B restrictions. He is quoted by Mail Online and India Times Post on the UK’s booster programme,
• Professor Ian Jones (Biological Sciences) spoke to BBC Radio Wales about the higher than normal number of cases of avian flu in the UK this year.
• Research carried out by Reading (Economics) into how Covid infection affects the performance of professional footballers is mentioned in a Berliner article on an unvaccinated German footballer who is now unable to play due to the consequences of catching the virus.

#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment 

• Dr Caroline Wainwright (Meteorology) is quoted by Now This News on flooding in Sudan, following a drought there.
• Reading.co.uk reports on the University’s best ever ranking in the People and Planet University League this week. Read our news story.
• STV, Scottish Power, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, Market Screener, Build Scotland, Fuel Cells Works and EVWind report on the climate stripes created by Professor Ed Hawkins (Meteorology) being projected onto the chimney of Scotland’s last coal-fired power station, before it was demolished this week in a ‘milestone moment for the UK’s journey to net-zero emissions’.
• Mirage News reports on a £1.7m project Reading is involved in, which aims to develop new ways of recovering metals used for technologies from mine waste in the Philippines in a more environmentally friendly way.

ECMWF HQ: The Express and Living Reading reports on the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) decision to build a new headquarters on the University’s Whiteknights campus. Read our news story.

Other coverage:

• The European Food Agency and Fresh Plaza reports on the latest survey in an EIT Food-funded project led by Professor Richard Bennett (Agriculture), which showed that public trust in caterers and restaurants has increased since the pandemic started.
• Professor Ben Laker (Henley Business School) writes for Forbes on why business culture trumps strategy.
• Medical Dialogues reports on research led by Dr Cathy Manning (Psychology/Centre for Autism) that suggested children with dyslexia may be slower at processing visual information. Read our news story.
• Biotech company Quercis, which has conducted studies in collaboration with Reading and others into drugs to prevent thrombosis, has signed a deal with investment group GEM, reports Yahoo Finance, Finanzen, Topio Networks, BioSpace, and 50+ US TV station websites.
• The Irish Examiner reports research led by Professor Uma Kambhampati (Economics), which showed consuming more fruits and vegetables improves people’s happiness and wellbeing, in an article on beating the winter blues.
• BBC Radio Berkshire mentioned research at Reading (Geography) into the economic benefits of city status, after Reading submitted a bid this week, backed by the University. Read our news story.
• A Reading Chemistry graduate is interviewed by Legit about handing over his father’s business, Diamond Bank in Nigeria, to new owners so he could pursue a different career path.