News

No bosses, no problem! Pre-Hispanic farmers built giant water system bottom-up, archaeologists reveal Tom Almeroth-W…Tue, 08/11/2026 - 10:01 The pre-Hispanic field systems of La Mojana in the Colombian Caribbean are so vast you can see them from a plane at high altitude. Their canals and raised fields – in use from the first centuries BC

Go behind the scenes at Cambridge with Open Cambridge 2026 Zoe SmithMon, 08/10/2026 - 10:00 From 11–20 September, Open Cambridge returns with more than 70 free events, offering exclusive access to some of the city's most fascinating buildings, collections and hidden spaces. Whether you're interested in history, science, architecture, art

Cambridge to lead new £50 million centre to study mitochondrial DNA diseases Craig BrierleyWed, 08/05/2026 - 09:00 The MRC Centre of Research Excellence (MRC CoRE) will be led by Professor Michal Minczuk of the University of Cambridge. It brings together leading experts from across disciplines to define how mutations in mitochondrial DNA

NICE referral criteria miss up to 95% of women under 50 who go on to develop breast cancer within 10 years Craig BrierleyTue, 08/04/2026 - 02:00 Using BOADICEA – a comprehensive risk assessment tool developed at the University of Cambridge with funding from Cancer Research UK – researchers at Cambridge and The Institute of Cancer Research

Cambridge Festival brings research, creativity and discovery to Cambridge Folk Festival Zoe SmithMon, 08/03/2026 - 10:50 From examining animal skulls and skeletons to writing poetry inspired by nature and uncovering the hidden sugar in everyday foods, festivalgoers were invited to explore the world of research through a series of interac

Maths shows why your vote may not count the way you think it does Sarah CollinsFri, 07/31/2026 - 10:00 The researchers, from the University of Cambridge and the University of Copenhagen, analysed different electoral systems, both proportional and first past the post, and found that in any system, there are always going to be a series of t

Road traffic is putting smaller hedgehog populations at risk of collapse Jacqueline GargetFri, 07/31/2026 - 00:01 A new study involving the University of Cambridge has found that road traffic kills between 15-29% of hedgehogs in local populations each year. The study, funded by The British Hedgehog Preservation Society and People’s Trust

Wildfires and heatwaves: Expert analysis on public health impact Abby MunsonWed, 07/29/2026 - 09:00 How wildfires and heatwaves can affect physical and mental healthWildfires and heatwaves, Dr van Daalen explains, “strain the cardiovascular system. This can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, kidney problems, and the worseni

Cambridge researchers contribute to AI Materials Foundry Anonymous (not verified)Tue, 07/28/2026 - 11:45 The Foundry brings together high-quality data, advanced computing, experimental laboratories and scientific expertise to support end-to-end materials discovery, from AI-driven design and simulation through to experimental validation.T

Eye contact helps infants ‘tune in’ to speaker’s brainwaves and learn language Craig BrierleyTue, 07/28/2026 - 10:00 Infants are surrounded by a vast range of stimuli that compete for their attention – sights, sounds, voices – and must somehow work out which things are worth paying attention to and learning from. To do this, they often r

Gender gap in predicted grades raises questions over their use in university admissions Fred LewseyTue, 07/28/2026 - 08:55 A study of more than 350,000 students in England has found that teachers predict higher A-Level grades for girls than boys who go on to achieve the same exam results. The findings raise fresh questions about the role

Cambridge’s Ray Dolby Centre recognised in World’s Most Beautiful Universities List 2026 Stephen BevanMon, 07/27/2026 - 11:24 The new facility's stunning design was celebrated alongside eight other new buildings at universities around the world, including the University of Oxford’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre, and Harvard University’s Da

Professor Helen Wilson appointed Director of the Isaac Newton Institute Anonymous (not verified)Mon, 07/27/2026 - 10:13 The Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences (INI) has announced the appointment of Professor Helen Wilson as its new Director. Having served as chair of the INI’s Scientific Steering Committee, Professor Wilson

Study reveals why DNA damage from smoking and UV rays may cause cancer in some people but not others Craig BrierleyMon, 07/27/2026 - 00:01 The findings could explain why some people are more susceptible to cancer than others in the same environment and suggest that future cancer prevention and screening strategies may need to account more

Scientists solve mystery behind contradictory behaviours of new weight-loss drugs Craig BrierleyFri, 07/24/2026 - 10:00 Published today in Nature Metabolism, the study in mice shows that the answer lies in where the switch is located: stimulating the switch in the brainstem suppresses appetite, while the same effect can be achieved by blo

Leadership skills for disabled young people Paul SeagroveThu, 07/23/2026 - 09:33 The DFN Foundation has a key focus on tackling the disability employment gap by creating more opportunities for young disabled people through high quality education and internships to improve their career prospects and transform life outcomes. Philippa Charle

Cambridge seeks behaviour change expert to tackle climate crisis as first Hatton Professor of Sustainability Anonymous (not verified)Tue, 07/21/2026 - 09:29 The Hatton Professorship of Sustainability, established to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III, recognises His Majesty’s strong connection as an alumnus of Trinity College Ca

The King officially opens Cambridge’s New Whittle Laboratory Anonymous (not verified)Mon, 07/20/2026 - 14:13 He met with researchers, government representatives, and industry leaders from the aviation and energy sectors to find out more about the Laboratory’s mission to shrink the time it takes to develop key technologies in aerospace, en

British Academy elects Cambridge Professors to Fellowship in 2026 Tom Almeroth-W…Fri, 07/17/2026 - 11:15 They are among 92 distinguished scholars to be elected to the fellowship in recognition of their work in fields ranging from the history of race, to bringing human insight into the study and development of AI.The Cambridge academics ma

Sustained global financial instability requires rethink among business leaders, report argues Craig BrierleyFri, 07/17/2026 - 08:00 The whitepaper – Power, Capital and Governance: Leadership in a Fragmented World – provides a clear assessment of the forces reshaping global finance and argues that new ways of leadership, governance and str