The components of AIDE

Student designs smart mobility aid to allow people with dementia to live independently for longer and reduce the strain on the care system

According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, one million people in the UK will have dementia by 2025 and this will increase to two million by 2050.

A woman at a office desk with her head in her hands

Bumble’s week off: employees suffering from burnout need more than an extra holiday

After a busy year involving a rise in customers, a stock market debut and all the pressures that come with a global pandemic, the dating app Bumble recently announced that all staff would be given a week off work.
a group of people enjoying fitness

Leading research team supports mission to enhance sport's contribution to mental health and wellbeing

A team of leading researchers have been commissioned to support the joint mission of the Sport for Development Coalition and Mind to enhance the contribution that sport and physical activity can make to addressing the mental health and wellbeing crisis brought on by Covid-19.

Illustration of speech bubbles.

Conversations, and how we end them

Conversation has been described as “the primordial site of human sociality”. We all have a lifetime’s experience to draw on if asked how it works, or when we reflect on the conversations we have participated in.
An illustration of a group of runners

Participants needed for research exploring the impact of ‘Couch to 5k’ on markers of health and wellbeing

Participants are being sought for a new Loughborough University project exploring the health impacts of the ‘Couch to 5k’ programme.

Ask An Expert COVID edition cover photo

Video Q&A: Curious about COVID-19? Expert panel answer questions on vaccines, wellbeing and more

Are you immune to COVID-19 if you’ve had the vaccine? Is there going to be a ‘third wave’? How accurate are lateral flow tests? Will the coronavirus ever fully disappear?
Illustration of hands holding technology with COVID news showing

New study shows how online endorsement could help address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

A third of the UK adult population intend to use social media and personal messaging to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, a new, large scale, multi-university study involving Loughborough researchers has found.
Fitness icons including trainers, an apple, and weights

COVID-19 has highlighted the need to tackle the ‘obesity time bomb’ – here are two simple steps we could take

The urgency of tackling the obesity time bomb has been brought to the fore by evidence of the link to an increased risk from COVID-19, says the UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care₍₁₎.

Hands holding weights, water, and healthy food

Three ways behavioural psychology might help you lose weight

There’s no shortage of weight loss programmes out there to choose from, each of which claim to have the key to shedding pounds. One of the latest popular weight loss programmes out there is Noom, which claims that behavioural psychology is the key to helping people lose weight for good – including those who haven’t had success in the past.
The set of the 90s sit-com Friends

‘The One with the Conversation Analyst': What Friends and Phoebe Buffay teach us about the way we talk

Conversation analyst Professor Elizabeth Stokoe has studied social interaction in a variety of contexts including healthcare settings, police interviews, hostage negotiations, and even first dates.
People toasting at the pub

British people are really missing the pub – here’s why

The events of the past year have had a devastating impact on the hospitality sector in the UK. At the forefront of lockdown’s sacrifices for many is the closure of an institution that is a cornerstone of british culture – the pub.
Silhouettes of people against an LGBT flag

LGBT+ history month: forgotten figures who challenged gender expression and identity centuries ago

Non-binary and trans people have always been here, not least in every recorded society from the ancient world onwards.
the latest experts in sport podcast looks at exercise and cancer

Experts in Sport: Insight into the relationship between exercise and cancer

This week’s Experts in Sport podcast takes a closer look at the relationship between exercise and cancer.

It’s not just you – work during COVID has become much harder

The pandemic has seriously altered how we work. According to statistics published by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in September 2020, US$35 trillion (£26 trillion) has been lost globally in labour income. There has also been an estimated loss of 17% of working hours worldwide since 2019, with young people and women being hit hardest. And many of those still in jobs are working under very different conditions.
Live streaming a theatre show

Electrophone: the Victorian-era gadget that was a precursor to live-streaming

As the battle against COVID-19 continues to rage, the plight of Britain’s theatres, which have suffered catastrophic financial strain thanks to lockdown, continues to rumble through the arts world.

a preview of the new app

Evidence-based, fad-free approach to fitness and nutrition with Loughborough inspired app

Coaches at Loughborough University are the brains behind a newly launched personalised health and fitness app.

New data shows child poverty rates have risen sharpest in the Midlands and the North

Child poverty has risen most sharply in parts of the Midlands and in northern towns and cities over the past four years, according to new research published today (13/10).

Learning before bedtime could improve memory – new study

Studying times tables at bedtime could improve the chances of being able to recall them later.

International initiative aimed at reducing the use of biomass for cooking awards £826,000 to 14 new projects

More than £800,000 has been awarded to 14 innovative projects around the globe which aim to reduce the reliance of cooking with charcoal, wood and other biomass fuels.
vector of a man running

Buttock size matters: Researchers reveal a large gluteus maximus is key for sprint speed and performance after examining the anatomy of elite athletes

A Loughborough University study examining the muscle size of elite sprinters has revealed a large gluteus maximus (the muscle that forms the backside) is key to achieving top speeds on the track.

Authentic logo.

‘Are you for real?’: New webinar series to examine the significance of authenticity in the contemporary world

Authenticity has become a buzzword for our times. The travel industry is full of companies providing ‘authentic’ experiences, global brands fight to be seen as ‘authentic’ and social media platforms are awash with arguments about the authenticity of posts and even influencers.

the latest experts in sport podcast artwork

Experts in Sport: The truth about exercise and weight management

Whilst millions of us tuned into Joe Wicks’ daily workouts during the height of lockdown, it is fair to say that many others swerved the idea of jumping around their living room and found solace in the biscuit tin instead.

An old illustration of a woman writing.

Why it’s not empowering to abandon the male pseudonyms used by female writers

In a letter to James AH Murray in 1879, the writer ME Lewes wrote “I wish always to be quoted as George Eliot”. She perhaps would not have been pleased by a new campaign from The Women’s Prize for Fiction and its sponsor, Baileys called Reclaim Her Name campaign.
Illustration of pregnant woman

The emotional stress caused by COVID-19 will lead to smaller babies being born, predicts Loughborough scientist

Being pregnant is a wonderful experience, but at the same it can be incredibly stressful – throw a global pandemic into the mix and those nine months may see an expecting mother go from happy and joyful, to fearful and concerned.

Theia.

Student designs autonomous way-finding device for visually impaired people unable to home a guide dog

There are more than 253 million visually impaired people worldwide, yet only a small proportion use a guide dog to get around, the remaining majority rely on white canes.