Birkbeck in the media

We've rounded up the latest media coverage of Birkbeck's academics, students and initiatives.

August 2025

Why living in a volatile age may make our brains truly innovative (New Scientist), Dr Daniel Yon wrote about how living through uncertain times leaves an imprint on our brains, making it possible for us to discard old patterns of thinking, enabling us to think something new.

July 2025

Dr Daniel Yon’s new book, ‘A Trick of the Mind: How the brain invents your reality’ was published this week,gaining attention from several major outlets, including being picked as Book of The Day in the Guardian, and on BBCs Instant Genius podcast.

June 2025

In Hong Kong, my daughter was dazzled by futuristic tech – and I glimpsed the world she’ll grow up in (The Guardian), Dr Kojo Koram wrote a column for the Guardian about how economic power has migrated to a different model of capitalism that isn’t based in the West.
What does Trump’s tariff blockage mean for the UK? (The Standard), Professor Ashok Kumar spoke on this podcast episode about how the action of the US federal court has scuppered Trump’s tariff plans, and impacted global trade relations.
Three ways to address students’ climate anxiety (Times Higher Education), Dr Rob Amos wrote a piece about addressing the needs of students in an HE setting.

May 2025

The law has spread its tentacles over protest, effectively making all of it illegal (The Guardian), Dr Craig Reeves had a letter published in The Guardian exploring recent changes to protesting laws in England.

April 2025

Human Intelligence: Travellers – Aristotle (BBC Radio 4), Dr Sophia Connell contributed to BBC Radio 4’s Human Intelligence programme, discussing how travel shaped Aristotle's thinking
Are You Autistic? (Channel 5), the documentary highlighted the autism research taking place at Birkbeck’s Baby and Toddler Labs

March 2025

How do our brains deal with uncertain times - Start the Week (BBC Radio 4), Dr Daniel Yon’s book ‘A Trick of the Mind’ and the imprint that the COVID-19 Pandemic has left on our minds and brains.
Neurodiversity at work – an overplayed hand? (Forbes), Dr Nancy Doyle, Visiting Professor wrote a piece referencing Birkbeck research which highlights a decrease in wellbeing despite an increase in neurodiversity policies.

February 2025

Bank of England's Dhingra says policymakers divided over rate-cut pace (Reuters), covered an event held at Birkbeck at which the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member, Swati Dhingra spoke.
The difficult question about Auschwitz that remains unanswered (BBC), Professor David Feldman provided comment for this piece about the history of Auschwitz.
At last, Britain has a legal drug consumption room – thanks to one man’s civil disobedience (The Guardian), Dr Kojo Koram wrote an opinion piece about drugs policy.
Food Unwrapped (Channel 4), Dr Sanjib Bhakta and his colleagues were featured in a documentary which highlighted their cross-disciplinary research on discovering new drug-resistance reversal molecules from Persian shallots.

January 2025

‘Unwilling’ coroners failed us, say families of gambling addicts who took their own lives (The Guardian Observer) covered the 'Voicing Loss' research report by Birkbeck's Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research. Professor Jessica Jacobson also provided comment for the piece. The report is about the role of bereaved people in coroners’ investigations and inquests.

December 2024

The school system is broken”: Why more parents are home-educating their children (BBC), Professor Daniel Monk provided comment for a piece about homeschooling in Britain.

November 2024

'The nicest place on the internet': How an Australian business is trying to transform mental health at work (BBC), Professor Nancy Doyle provided for a piece about inclusivity around mental health and neurodivergence in the workplace.
Here’s what Keir Starmer gets wrong about reparations: we’ve made them before, but now we have to do it right (The Guardian), Dr Kojo Koram wrote an opinion piece about what the Labour party's approach to slavery reparations should be.
Black students are succeeding in spite of academia, rather than because of it – we need a reset (Times Higher Education), Dr William Ackah wrote a piece about how higher education institutions can move beyond widening participation to empower black academics.
Why Mars Could Hold The Keys To Understanding Life Here On Earth (Forbes), Dr Keyron Hickman-Lewis provided comment for a piece about Mars exploration.
Being in space makes it harder for astronauts to think quickly (New Scientist), Professor Elisa Raffaella Ferrè provided comment for piece about the cognitive function of astronauts in space.

OCTOBER 2024

Kemi Badenoch Accidentally Describes The Social Model Of Disability (Forbes), Professor Nancy Doyle wrote a piece about discrimination of invisible disabilities in the workplace in relation to neurodiversity and Kemi Badenoch’s position on disability adjustments.

SEPTEMBER 2024

Almost half of doctors sexually harassed by patients, research finds (The Guardian), Dr Caroline Kamau-Mitchell’s research covered.
Why we don’t need more policing – even after the riots (The Conversation), Dr Patrick Huff contributed to an article about policing powers in the UK.
Scientists slam ‘indefensible axing’ of Nasa’s $450m Viper moon rover (The Guardian), Professor Ian Crawford contributed to a Guardian article covering budget cuts to NASA resources in relation to space exploration.

AUGUST 2024

HR changes save NHS Wales board £740k and improve wellbeing (Personel Today), Dr Kevin Teoh’s research into HR Practices in an NHS Wales organisation was covered.
Naturebang: crafty cuttlefish and theory of mind (BBC Radio 4), Professor Emily Jones was featured on Radio 4’s Naturebang programme talking about lying toddlers and the insights this gives us into the developing mind of a child.
‘I brought my daughter to Southport last week to see my beloved home town. Then it was torn apart by violence’ (The Guardian), Dr Kojo Koram wrote an opinion piece following the riots in Stockpot.

July 2024

Keir Starmer: what we know about Britain’s new prime minister and how he will lead (The Conversation), Dr Ben Worthy co-wrote a think-piece on the General Election
Inquests lack 'humanity', says bereaved father (BBC), coverage of new research by Birkbeck's Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research (ICPR) which revealed the psychological toll for bereaved families involved in coroners' inquests

June 2024

‘We anchored ourselves in wild adventure!’ Tilda Swinton on her trippy film about learning, AI and neuroscience (The Guardian), Bartek Dziadosz of the Derek Jarman Lab was interviewed about the feature length documentary he co-directed with Tilda Swinton.

May 2024

Parents and carers in the performing arts face growing pay gap (Arts Professional), Professor Almuth McDowall provided comment for a piece about a new study that shows the growing pay gap faced by parents and carers in the performing arts industry.
Coronation Street is getting a Sainsbury’s – why product placement could trump traditional TV ads (The Conversation), Dr Rungpaka Amy Hackley's research on product placement was spotlighted.

April 2024

Exquisite fossils of Cretaceous shark solve mystery of how it hunted (New Scientist), Dr Charles Underwood, School of Natural Sciences, was quoted in the New Scientist for an article on shark fossils and discoveries of the way they hunted.

March 2024

New rankings data from Times Higher Education (THE) placed Birkbeck in the top 15 universities, globally, and top five within the United Kingdom for getting the highest levels of performance from their revenue.
Britain's reputation as the home of the ‘rule of law’ is in tatters. Labour can fix it with these three pledges (The Guardian), Dr Kojo Koram writing an opinion piece for the Guardian.
Star dune: Scientists solve mystery behind Earth's largest desert sands (BBC), Professor Charles Bristow’s research that calculated the age of one of the world’s largest and most complex types of sand dune was covered.
The degree where you can get in with Cs and earn as much as an Oxford graduate (The Telegraph), Dr Kenjiro Hori provided comment for a piece covering the benefits of studying BSc Economics at Birkbeck, and how graduating from Oxbridge doesn’t guarantee the highest possible earnings.
‘It’s still very hard to just be’: how workaholism can leave lifelong scars (The Guardian), Professor Almuth McDowall provided comment for an article about the impact of workaholism

February 2024

That time the British tried to blow up an island (National Geographic), Professor Jan Rüger provided comment for a retrospective article.
Professor Almuth McDowall appeared on Channel 5 talking about burnout in the workplace.

Megaladon was nothing like a giant great white shark (New Scientist), Professor Charles Underwood provided comment for an article in New Scientist about evidence suggesting the ancient Megaladon shark being more long and slender than previous depictions.

January 2024

Welcome to the new era of global sea power (The Economist), PhD Candidate, Emma Salisbury provided comment for an article about naval competition and tensions.
Nasa hands over control as new era of moon missions readies for lift-off (The Guardian), Professor Ian Crawford provided comment for an article about potential conflict between scientific and commercial lunar interests

December 2023

Space race 2.0: why Europe is joining the new dash to the moon’ (The Guardian), Professor of Planetary Science and Astrobiology, Ian Crawford, contributed to a Guardian article entitled

November 2023

Lynn Grimes, Director of Marketing and External Relations, spoke to Eddie Nestor, BBC Radio London, on the history of the University and its importance to higher education. Lynn was joined by a Birkbeck student, who at 77 years old is studying for a degree.
‘In Our Time’ (BBC Podcast), Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, Dr Sophia M. Connell discussed Aristotle's ideas on what happiness means and how to live a good life.
Where does antisemitism come from?’ (The New Yorker), Professor David Feldman, Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism was interviewed

October 2023

The curious case of the Mars helicopter that won’t give up (The Telegraph), Professor Ian Crawford contributed to a n article exploring space.

September 2023

How the Writer and Critic Jacqueline Rose Puts the World on the Couch (The New Yorker), Professor Jacqueline Rose, Co-director of Birkbeck Institution of Humanities was profiled.
Have you ever wondered how much your hands weigh? I have – to the point of obsession (The Guardian), Dr Elisa Raffaella Ferre and Professor Matthew Longo’s study about humans underestimating the weight of their hands was referenced in this piece.
Wired differently: how neurodiversity adds new skillsets to the workplace (The Guardian), Professor Nancy Doyle was quoted about her research into neurodiversity in this article.
Britain's only complete Neolithic cursus uncovered in Arran (The National), Lesley McFadyen had her research discovery of featured.

August 2023

Lunar Codex: digitised works of 30,000 artists to be archived on moon (The Guardian), Professor Ian Crawford commented for piece about how a digitised collection of images, objects, magazines, books, podcasts, movies and music from 157 countries are to be archived on the moon.

July 2023

The no-wash movement: would you wear underpants for a week without cleaning them? (The Guardian), Professor Rosie Cox provided comment for a piece exploring why people are washing their clothes less.

June 2023

How to Fall in Love When You Don’t Speak the Same Language (The Atlantic), Professor Jean-Marc Dewaele comments for an article exploring relationships and languages.

May 2023

Recognising Our Neurodivergent Leaders: Judy Singer Gets Her Dues (Forbes), Dr Nancy Doyle writes a piece about Birkbeck Fellow, Judy Singer, the woman who first coined the term 'neurodiversity'
China's Hidden Century review – how opium and Christianity demolished a civilisation (The Guardian), Professor Julia Lovell's co-curated exhibition for the British Museum receives a five-star review in The Guardian.
Professor Sarah Hart’s book "Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature", is excerpted in the New York Times and reviewed by the New York Times, The Economist, The Sunday Times and The Guardian/Observer.

April 2023

The rise of adult diagnoses of neurodiversity (The Financial Times), Dr Nancy Doyle is asked for comment due to her research into neurodiversity
Those who tore down Colston's statue helped lead us to the truth about slavery and the monarchy (The Guardian), Dr Kojo Koram wrties an opinion piece for the about the impact of the tearing down of Colston’s statue.

March 2023

The quest to find rectangles in a square (New York Times),Professor Sarah Hart provided comment for an article that chronicled how a geometric puzzle posted on an online forum turned heads.
What have the past three years taught us about hybrid working? (The Guardian), Professor Gail Kinman provided comment for an article about how working life changed since the pandemic.
Give jobs to people with 'superpowers' like me, Matt Hancock tells London businesses (The Evening Standard), Professors Almuth McDowall and Nancy Doyle have their research about barriers for neurodivergent employees in the workplace referenced.
Traditional passports to be swapped for heartbeats in future, according to experts (The Independent), Professor Birgitte Andersen has research about the possible future innovations for travel featured.

February 2023

It's not 'wokery' or snowflakes strangling free expression in universities – it's the Conservative party (The Guardian), Dr Kojo Karam writes an opinion piece about the Conservative party’s effect on free expression in universities.
How Multilingual Couples Express Their Love Across Languages (New York Times), Professor Jean-Marc Dewaele's his work exploring language preferences of multicultural couples who express love cited.

December 2022
- Only a third of teachers aware of educational neuroscience, despite its effectiveness in improving outcomes (Further Education News): Professor Michael Thomas talks about a recent study.
- People in prison awaiting trial at 'crisis' point (BBC): Helen Fair provides comment on a piece about Scotland's high rate of remand prisoners
November 2022
- Britain’s New Prime Minister Is Still in Thrall to the Empire (New York Times) Dr Kojo Karam explores the role of empire in British politics today.
- Birkbeck’s Toddler Lab was the focus of a documentary created by a Think Tank. Watch the full documentary.
September 2022
- Cost of living campaigns should fight for a green transition (Novara Media): Dr Kai Herron argues that the climate crisis can't wait.
- Brain Activity Reveals Autism Sub-Groups (Autism Eye): Coverage of research findings by Professor Emily Jones that showed brain activity can predict how social skills develop.
August 2022
- 'Life hasn't got duller as I've got older. Less thrilling, perhaps (The Guardian)': College President, Baroness Joan Bakewell, was interviewed about her work and life.
- Co-Creation can be a powerful tool for organizations looking to become more innovative' (Forbes Online): Assistant Dean, Muthu de Silva shares thoughts on tools for shaping innovation in organisations and society.
- British drugs policy is punitive and contradictory. And now it’ll go backwards (The Guardian): Dr Kojo Karam considers Britian's drug policy.
July 2022
- Government Food Strategy slammed as "wholly inadequate" by campaigners warning of a 'national food emergency' (Politics UK): Professor Alex Colas shares his thoughts on food shortages, as part of the Food and Work Network.
June 2022
- Government Food Strategy slammed as "wholly inadequate" by campaigners warning of a 'national food emergency' (Politics UK): Professor Alex Colas shares his thoughts on food shortages, as part of the Food and Work Network.
May 2022
- We must stop letting Russia define the terms of the Ukraine crisis (The Guardian): Professor Slavoj Žižek argues for strong response to the war in Ukraine.
- £8.5m lab opens to study toddlers' brain disorders (The Evening Standard): A feature on the opening of the ToddlerLab
April 2022
- Teaching the 'benefits' of the British empire is just another attempt to stoke the culture war ( The Guardian): Dr Kojo Koram talks argues that teaching about the British empire in schools should not be framed as a list of pros and cons
- What we can still take from Freud, on his Birthday (Psychology Today): Dr Caroline Kamau writes about Dr Sigmund Frued's legacy
March 2022
- Britain's second empire: how London became an oligarchs' playground (New Statesman): Dr Kojo Karam argues that the UK has been cultivating a reputation as a gateway to the offshore world since the end of its territorial empire.
- Is Friday the new Saturday? Europe eyes a 4 day week (Politico): Dr Pedro Gomes argues that there is an economic case for a move to a four-day working week.
February 2022
- Women are still underrepresented in tech leadership: Here's how to change that (Forbes): Professor Helen Lawton Smith comments on ways the tech industry could address underrepresentation in leadership.
- Is my toddler smarter than a squirrel? (The Times): Birkbeck's ToddlerLab is featured in an article that explores the cognitive development of toddlers.
- What is 'Gothic'? It's more complicated than you think (National Geographic): Professor Roger Luckhurst argues that hidden in the architecture of some of the world's most famous buildings is a cultural exchange between Europe and the Middle East.
- What we are getting wrong in the fight against antisemitism in Britain (The Guardian): Professor David Feldman discusses the problem of anti-jewish hate incidents in Britain.
January 2022
- We see what's happening in their brain: in the ToddlerLab (the Guardian): The College's pioneering facility was profiled, featuring contributions from Professor Natasha Kirkham and Professor Denis Mareschal.
- Covid got your tongue? How to relearn the lost art of office small talk (The Guardian): Professor Almuth McDowall discussed the importance of small-talk in work life and the need to re-evaluate the importance of physical workplaces.
- Is Soaring Screen Time Rotting Our Brains? (Dazed Digital): Professor Iroise Dumontheil contributed to an article that explores the physical and psychological effects of mobile phones on our brains.
December 2021
- Flexible working (Research Professional): Professor David Latchman discusses the need for more pathways into different study paths.
- A disaster relief insurance system shows how well international alliances can work- new research (The Conversation): Dr Konstantinos Chalkias and a group of researchers demonstrate the positive effects of international alliances when responding to natural disasters.
November 2021
- Trans liberation will take more than honouring the dead (Huck): Dr Sarah Lamble argues that there needs to be a focus on the systematic causes of transphobia and violence that people face at home and abroad.
- Northern Ireland's borders are stirring up trouble again (Washington Post): Professor Dermot Hodson discussed why tensions between the UK and EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol are likely to continue.
- How do toddlers think? (newstalk): Professor Denis Mareschal contributes to the show about the inner worlds of toddlers.
- Mary Robinson, Rose Tremain, Daddy issues (BBC Radio 4- Woman's Hour): Dr Katherine Angel discussed the term 'Daddy issues' which refers to the importance of father figures.
- Thursday 11 November (The Monocle Daily): Professor Oscar Guardiola-Rivera appeared on the podcast to discuss "climate inactivism", Biden's democracy summit and the legacy of FW de Klerk.
- How can employers address presenteeism among a virtual workforce? (employee benefits): Dr Christine Grant and Professor Gail Kinman discuss how businesses can address workers continuing to work from home when they are sick.
- We are at a critical juncture on lifelong learning (FE Week): Professor David Latchman discusses why lifelong learning is important to the UK's ability to remain globally competitive.
- No 10 set to break promise of 6,000 more GPs in England, Sajid Javid says (the Guardian): Professor Almuth McDowall's research on GP's mental wellbeing was featured.
- Mathematician Sarah Hart on why numbers are music to our ears (Freakonomics): Professor Sarah Hart shares how maths underlies musical composition.
- No 10 set to break promise of 6,000 more GPs in England, Sajid Javid says (the Guardian): Professor Almuth McDowall contributed to an article outlining the strain on GPs mental wellbeing in the light of increasing work pressures.
oCTOBER 2021
- How three refugee scientists kept their research hopes alive (Nature): Dr Jen Baird discusses how Birkbeck is working with the Council for at-risk academics (CARA) to support displaced academics.
- How UAE's Venus mission will shed light on 'hellish' hot and cloudy planet (UAE National News): Professor Ian Crawford commented on the Emirati space mission that sought to investigate the conditions of the planet, Venus.
September 2021
- Violence against women won't be solved by increasing police powers (the Guardian): Dr Aviah Day comments on the government's response to violence against women in London.
- COVID-19 - its impact on prisons and prisoners (the barrister): Research published by the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research found that prisoners have been adversely affected by the pandemic.
- Kings of democracy: Monarchy and the Athenian city state (Times Literary Supplement): Benjamin Gray discusses the legacy of Alexander the Great (336-323BC) who ruled Ancient Greece.
- A moment that changed me: my teacher said my work was trite rubbish - and totally destroyed (the Guardian): Joan Bakewell shared the story of a teacher that made a huge impact on her life.
- The power of no: how to build strong, healthy boundaries (the Guardian): Dr Jo Yarker comments that people who set boundaries at work are better at managing their mental health.
AUGUST 2021
- Penoyre and Prasad completes copper learning centre for Birkbeck, University of London (Architects' Journal): Birkbeck's newest teaching and learning centre was featured for its innovative design.
- Why worker loyalty is at a breaking point (BBC Worklife): Professor Almuth McDowall comments that workers are seeking for meaning from their jobs after 18 months of loss and change due to the pandemic.
- Here's what the right gets wrong about culture: it's not a monument, but a living thing (the Guardian): Dr Kojo Koram argues that culture shifts with each generation and the Conservative government should recognise it rather than engaging in 'culture wars'.
- How South African artist Penny Siopsis is exploring 'Shame' (CNN): 'Shadow Shame Again', a film by Penny Siopsis, that was commissioned by the Peltz Gallery, is covered by CNN.
- Here's what the right gets wrong about culture: it's not a monument, but a living thing (the Guardian): Dr Kojo Koram discusses how the Conservative's view of culture doesn't take into account how culture changes with each generation.
- Film highlights AAAS Science Diplomacy Efforts with North Korea (AAAS): James Hammond featured on the panel and shared how the relationship between British, American and North Korean scientist improved over time.
JULY 2021
- The Burden of 'Yes'(NY Books): Dr Katherine Angel's book Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again: Women and Desire in the Age of Consent was reviewed by the New York Times.
- The Bathing Place (BBC Radio 4 - New Storytellers): George Townsend talks about the unique history of Parson's Pleasure, a male-only bathing place on the outskirts of Oxford.
- Euro 2020 final: How England team and fans can bounce back after defeat to Italy, according to psychologists (inews): Dr Susan Kahn discusses how people can get past their failures.
- Alternate history: what if Antony and Cleopatra had won the battle of Actium (History Extra): Professor Catherine Edwards discusses what a victory for the two lovers would have meant for Ancient Rome.
- Shameful (Aeon): Dr Katherine Angel discusses women's discussion of their experiences and how they can be shamed for doing so.
- Why should we care about Lifelong Learning (ResPublica): Jonathan Woodhead discusses Birkbeck's history of supporting lifelong learning and why the government should embrace the same notion.
JUNE 2021
- Knife Crime Prevention Orders: Punitive, not preventative (Abolitionist Futures): Dr Megan McElhone discusses whether or not Knife Crime Prevention Orders work to reduce violent crime in England and Wales.
- From private emails to Post-it Notes: How politicians avoid scrutiny (Open Democracy): Dr Ben Worthy discusses the methods used by politicians in the UK to avoid the Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation and public scrutiny of their actions.
- The Chinese Communist Party turns 100 (The American Spectator): Professor Julia Lovell is quoted on the matter of how the CCP gained control in the 1940s.
- A Hundred Glorious Years? (Analysis): Professor Julia Lovell discusses the legacy of the Chinese Communist Party, 100 years after its founding.
- Why abusive managers shouldn't get away with it (Psychology Today): Dr Caroline Kamau discusses the need for organisations to support employees to report abusive managers in order to protect their mental wellbeing.
- Kenneth Kaunda: the last giant of African nationalism and benign autocrat left a mixed legacy (The Conversation): Dr Gavin Evans wrote an obituary about the former president of Zambia who died on 17 June 2021.
MAY 2021
- 33 ways to reclaim your social life (Mr Porter): Professor Almuth McDowall offers the advice that we ask ourselves how we can be more mentally and physically and mentally present in work meetings.
- 'Double Lockdown' for Prison Inmates (New Law Journal): Research authored by the Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research (ICPR) that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on inmates mental and physical health.
- Journey to the West (BBC Radio 4): Professor Julia Lovell discusses one of the great novel's of China's Ming era, Journey to the West.
- George Floyd's death started a fire, but the kindling had been piling up for years (the Guardian): Dr Kojo Koram reflects on the effect of George Floyd's murder a year later.
- Open access publishing is the ethical choice (WonkHE): Professor Martin Eve argues that the current practice of academic articles existing behind paywalls is patronising and elitist and needs to change.
- Start making sense (8 May 2021)(2SER 107.3): Dr Benedetta Crisafulli discusses her recent research into social media influencers.
APRIL 2021
- How to deal with pressure to go back into the office as Covid lockdowns ease (CNBC): Professor Gail Kinman discusses how employers can help ease the anxiety felt by some employees about return to the office.
- Bloodied feet, outrageous breasts and the sinister power of a haircut: a history of the body (History Extra): Professor Joanna Bourke explores changing attitudes to seven parts of the human body throughout history.
- Inclusivity in the world of tech: The effectiveness of autism at work programmes (Forbes): Dr Nancy Doyle discusses why black people and people of colour are excluded from company inclusion efforts, particularly in the tech field.
MARCH 2021
- Insiders on what happened in the days before Britain's first lockdown (Vice): Professor Ulrike Hahn recalls joining 680 behavourial scientists and academics to publish an open letter to express their concern about the Government's delay in imposing social distancing measures in response to the worsening COVID-19 pandemic.
- Enlightened drug reforms are sweeping the US. Why is Britain so far behind? (The Guardian): Dr Kojo Koram questions why politicians in the UK are reluctant to change drug laws.
- Lockdown has created new forms of boredom - and not all of them are bad (The Guardian): Professor Marina Warner writes that people should take note of their thoughts and feelings during this time when we may increased levels of boredom.
- Triangulating Math, Mozart and ‘Moby-Dick’ (The New York Times and the Independent): Professor Sarah Hart was profiled as she recently became the first woman to hold England’s distinguished Gresham professorship of geometry. The article explores the intersections of music, literature and mathematics.
FEBRUARY 2021
- Marcus Aurelius (In Our Time, BBC Radio 4): Professor Catherine Edwards joined a panel discussion that delved into the life and ideas of the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius.
- Free speech at universities (Moral Maze, BBC Radio 4): Professor Eric Kaufmann joined a panel discussion about the government's proposals to "strengthen free speech and academic freedom at universities in England".
- UK government will fine universities for cancelling hateful speakers in new 'war on woke' (Pink News): Dr Lisa Tilley is quoted saying that the free speech outlined by the government will allow 'racist, fascist, transphobic, anti-Semitic and Islamaphobic, etc speech to be said without accountability or consequence.
- Let Erasmus teach Turing (Research Professional): Professor Kevin Ibeh highlights the need for the new Turing scheme to take aspects of the now-defunct Erasmus scheme in order to ensure the UK continues to be a global player in Higher Education.
- Only government can break the spell of woke activists over our universities (The Telegraph): Professor Eric Kaufmann discusses the White Paper recently published by the Government on free speech in higher education.
- Medieval Pilgrimage (In Our Time - BBC Radio 4): Professor Anthony Bale joined the programme to discuss the idea and experience of Christian pilgrimage in Europe from the 12th to the 15th century.
- 'Operation Ouch!' (CBBC- BBC): Birkbeck's BabyLab's research into the impact of sleep on babies was featured on the CBBC programme.
- It's a Sin: Revisiting AIDS in the era of COVID (History Workshop): Professor Matt Cook discusses the AIDS crisis in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic and how Channel 4's drama, It's a Sin, is opening up news discussions about the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and 1990s.
- Sex and Marriage (Disability: A New History- BBC Radio 4): Professor Joanna Bourke discusses how attitudes to disability influenced people's behaviour around sex and marriage in the nineteenth century.
- 22 pioneering women in science history you really should know about (Science Focus): Birkbeck alumnae Rosalind Franklin and Helen Gwynne-Vaughan were listed as for their contribution to the fields of botany and the study of DNA.
- Plan now for more beastly weather and coastal destruction (the Guardian): Professor Sue Brooks and Professor Tom Spencer stress the need for better protect plans in East Anglia in the wake of more extreme weather events.
- Touchscreens may make toddlers more distractable - new three-year study (The Conversation): A research study led by Professor Tim Smith uncovers evidence that toddlers using touchscreens could have a negative effect on their developing attention span.
- AIDS and the politics of grief (History Workshop Podcast): Professor Matt Cook discusses AIDS, queer activism and grief.
- The big questions of LGBTQ history (History Extra Podcast): Professor Matt Cook joins a panel discussion that touches on the biggest themes of LGBTQ history.
JANUARY 2021
- Toddlers who spend a lot of time using touchscreens have shorter attention spans and are more easily distracted, study suggests (Daily Mail): A research study led by Professor Tim Smith uncovers evidence that toddlers using touchscreens could have a negative effect on their developing attention span.
- When is the impeachment vote? What happens to Donald Trump now Mike Pence has refused to invoke 25th amendment (inews): Professor Robert Singh comments on the possible timeline following the impeachment vote.
- Are we the cows of the future? (The New York Times): Professor Esther Leslie says that in the future human beings could be subject to control by machinery.
- The 432-year-old manual on social distancing (BBC): Professor John Henderson discusses how lockdowns and the requirement to quarantine were common in parts of Italy in the 1600s as a way of dealing with outbreaks of infectious diseases.
- Georgia runoff results: What the Democrats having control of the US Senate means for Joe Biden (inews): Professor Robert Singh discusses what the latest results mean for Joe Biden and his agenda, and why the win may not enable as much widespread and easy changes as the results might suggest.
- App developed to monitor progression of Parkinson's (Health Tech World): Researchers at Birkbeck and UCL have developed an app that will enable doctors to remotely monitor their patients' progression of Parkinson's.
- Antisemitism definition is undermining free speech (the Guardian): Professor Bill Bowring and other lawyers argue that the government should not force universities to adopt and implement the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
- If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that 'care' has to be central politics (the Guardian): Professor Lynne Segal co-authors a piece with Professor Andreas Chatzidakis calling for an expansion of the definition of the meaning of care and a recognition of how important it is in today's society.
DECEMBER 2020
- The Cultural Revolution (In Our Time - BBC Radio 4): Professor Julia Lovell discusses the Cultural Revolution, introducing the Great Leap forward and what it said about Chairman Mao's thinking at the time.
- The government should not impose a faculty definition of antisemitism on universities (the Guardian): Professor David Feldman comments on the government's approach to ridding universities of antisemitism.
- Joe Biden family: Would President-Elect put his family in his administration? (Express.co.uk): Professor Robert Singh shares that he thinks Biden will avoid enlisting his family into administration in order to set himself apart from Trump.
November 2020
- Herbert Spencer, the true author of the phrase "survival of the fittest"(which Charles Darwin used)(BBC World News): Professor Carolyn Burdett comments that Spencer believed that "the fundamental physical laws of evolution meant that progress of all kinds depended on struggle and competition."
- How to build a Moon base (Science Focus): Professor Ian Crawford comments that it would be useful to compare how people established scientific research in Antarctica when constructing a moon base.
- 'There's nothing to keep a lid on it': is lockdown making us eccentric? (the Guardian): Professor Almuth McDowall comments that working remotely can lead many to miss micro-interactions with other human beings and some people becoming more eccentric.
- Britain's most Historic Towns - Medieval Lincoln (Channel 4): Professor Anthony Bale discusses the Jewish population in Medieval Lincoln.
- A deep-dive into ignorance, the man behind the Rubik's Cube, and a controversial theory of life: Books in brief (Nature): Renata Salecl's book, A Passion for Ignorance was listed as one of the week's best science picks and reviewer Andrew Robison calls it a 'compelling topical book'.
- Professor Sarah Hart (BBC Radio 6 Music- Lauren Laverne): Professor Sarah Hart discusses her role as Gresham Professor of Geometry. Professor Hart is the first woman to be appointed to the role. (Listen from 2:08:00)
- The EHRC report shows how difficult building real anti-racist politics will be (the Guardian): David Feldman, Ben Gidley and Brendan McGeever argue that the Labour Party must act on the Equality and Human Rights Commission's report into antisemitism and to do this they must confront their complicated legacy.
October 2020
- US election 2016 results: Polls turnout and state voting map - how Donald Trump became President (inews): Professor Robert Singh comments that Trump has lost the novelty value of 2016 which may affect his chances of winning the upcoming election.
- New Thinking about Museums (BBC Radio 4 - Free Thinking): Professor Fiona Candlin discusses the rich variety of topics featured in small museums around the UK and how they chart social change.
- Freedom of information: how your right to know is being quietly removed (New Statesman): Dr Ben Worthy comments that if people in senior leadership positions in government don't champion the Freedom of Information act then it becomes easier for them to not disclose information to the public.
- Biden's secret body language weapon (CNN): Dr Atsushi Senju's research is quoted as saying, eye contact makes us seem more socially aware and empathetic.
- Trump v Biden: What does it mean for the UK? (All Out Politics- Sky News): Dr Ashok Kumar discusses how the US election result could affect the UK.
- Li ghthouse Policy Group celebrates ten years of policy wonkery (WONKHE): Jonathan Woodhead, Policy Advisor at Birkbeck co-authors this article that discusses the role of policy in Higher Education.
- Don't Touch (BBC Radio 4 - Anatomy of Touch): Professor Joanna Bourke discusses how people's feeling of entitlement over others plays into the conversation about consent.
- Creative-writing courses have increased in popularity and prestige (The Economist): Professor Julia Bell comments that as people evaluate their lives during the covid pandemic they are becoming much more serious about pursuing a career in creative writing.
- Achieving accessible justice through effective participation in courts and tribunals (The Barrister): Jessica Jacobson from the Institute for Crime and Justice Research (ICPR) has published new findings and framework to support participation by lay people in court and tribunal hearings in a new book, 'Participation in Courts and Tribunals: Concepts, Realities and Aspirations'.
September 2020
- Open Book (BBC Radio 4): Dr Mark Blacklock discusses using fictional tools to explore some of the most complicated theories in modern maths, geometry and physics.
- The World Tonight (BBC Radio 4): Professor Julia Lovell discusses how Mao's image and memorabilia came to be fashionable and kitsch among collectors.
- Kanye's Dark Twisted Presidential Fantasy (Jacobin): Jaswinder Blackwell-Pal explores American rapper Kanye West's career and his 2020 bid for the US presidency.
- How not to be an alien (Times Literary Supplement): In the wake of 181 British Historians calling for the Home Office to review its Life in the UK handbook, Professor Frank Trentmann writes about how the history section of the British citizenship test should be reviewed in order to reflect a truer picture of British History.
August 2020
- In an era of face masks, we're all a little more face blind (The New York Times): Dr Richard Cook contributes that we derive a lot of information and facial recognition from the eyes of other people.
- Fresh research highlights painkiller's impact on TB bacteria (Vet Times): Professor Sanjib Bhakta and a research team have found that NSAID carprofen can reverse antimicrobial drug resistance in Tuberculosis, and when used in combination with other drugs, could prove effective in the fight against TB.
- How to hack your concentration when you're working from home (Wired): Dr Alan Redman discusses the cognitive load we all face during the pandemic and techniques we can use to increase concentration while working from home.
- Do women make better leaders in a pandemic? Don't trust the data (Forbes): Professor Almuth McDowall shares her thoughts on the data that seems to claim that women outdid men as leaders during the pandemic. Professor McDowall says that the tells us about patterns, but never causality.
- US election 2020: would President Joe Biden rekindle the UK-US 'special relationship'?(The Week): Professor Robert Singh said that the Biden administration would be more "congenial" to British preferences on issues such as the Middle East.
- Touchscreen use increases automatic visual orienting in infants (M.D./alert): Dr Tim J. Smith and colleagues have conducted a study that has found that children with higher screen time are quicker to notice other things in the room.
- Breast cancer treatments delayed due to coronavirus have affected women's mental health (The Telegraph): A study by researchers at the Birkbeck Integrative Centre for Building Resilience in Breast Cancer (BRiC) has found that women with breast cancer are at increased risk of poor emotional health due to delays to treatment.
- What is history? (History Today): Professor Chandak Sengoopta shares that he has a preference for historians who probe the 'why' and 'how' and hopes future historians will widen the scope and focus of historical study.
July 2020
- Mandela was a flawed icon. But without him, South Africa would be a sadder place (The Conversation): Dr Gavin Morris reflects on the legacy of Nelson Mandela.
- The world's top thinkers of 2020 (Prospect Magazine): Professor Julia Lovell has been chosen as one of the world's top thinkers for her contribution to the conversation about Chinese history and how Mao's ideology has spread across the world.
- Working conditions contributing to poor nurse wellbeing (Nursing Times, The Belfast Telegraph, Personnel Today): Research authored by Professor Gail Kinman, Dr Kevin Teoh and Professor Anne Harriss shows that nurses are at a huge risk of stress and burn-out in current working conditions.
- Chaucer, father of English poetry (BBC World Service, The Forum): Professor Anthony Bale discusses Geoffrey Chaucer and his works.
- Coronavirus stalks cells of Cameroon's crowded prisons (Reuters): Data from the Institute of Criminal Research reveals that the inmate population exceeds prison capacity in 42 of the 47 countries and territories where data is available. Catherine Heard says that the overcrowding in prison is 'a ticking time bomb' as most prisons are struggling to maintain elementary standards of sanitation.
- Bias behind failure to select women for FTSE board revealed (Personnel Today): Dr Claire Barnes's study has found that women are more likely to lose out on senior positions due to biases. Dr Barnes advocates for organisations creating a more robust selection process based on assessing more contextual information and achievements.
June 2020
- English youth courts need urgent help to cut delays, review finds (the Guardian): A report by the Centre for Justice Innovation and the Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research has found that young people are being held 'under investigation' for long periods of time because of cuts to funding, changes to policing and a court modernisation programme.
- Who's History's Worst Political Advisor? (History Today): Professor Catherine Edwards makes the case that the prize of worst political advisor should go to Sejanus, who served under Emperor Tiberius.
- Lockdown easing and mental health; early life stress and catching a cold; new lockdown jobs (BBC Radio 4, All in the Mind): Professor Gail Kinman comments on the phenomenon of people starting jobs in lockdown and how people may manage.
- Could Wave of Action Result in Meaningful Change for Black People (Huffington Post): Dr Nadine El-Nany contributes that the current protests are taking place in a different context to those that took place in 2014 to 2017 and she feels optimistic about the action.
- Systematic racism and police brutality are British problems too (the Guardian): Dr Kojo Koram refutes the claim that the current Black Lives Matter protests in the UK are only in response to American victims of racial violence, highlighting that there are many of examples of police brutality in the UK.
- Is Donald Trump's rhetoric fuelling violence or will George Floyd's death prompt change? (Sky News Daily Podcast): Ashok Kumar discusses Donald Trump's response to the Black Lives Matter protests in the USA.
May 2020
- What living alongside crocodiles can teach us about coexisting with wildlife (the Conversation): Dr Simon Pooley and Silivio Marchini detail instances of communities in India who are able to coexist with wildlife.
- Unclear fates behind bars (Prison Insider): Catherine Heard, Director of the World Prison Research Programme, discusses the Institute's recently published 4th edition of official figures on pre-trial and remand prisoners.
- To stop poorer students giving up on university, we must offer them places now (the Guardian): Professor David Latchman writes about the need for a new proposed scheme that would allow universities to issue unconditional offers to students from disadvantaged backgrounds for entry onto a structured foundation year higher education programme.
APRIL 2020
- How much TV should your children be watching right now? (the Financial Times): Dr Tim Smith discusses high-quality programming that may be tedious for adults but are created with educationalists' insights about what children of a particular age group can handle.
- We can learn a lot in coronavirus lockdown from prisoners of war (the Huffington Post): Professor Joanna Bourke co-authors this article that draws parallels with the situation faced by prisoners of war, particularly how they dealt with their situation and what we could face once the lockdown is lifted.
- Forget trendy 'nudge' theorists. It's the Queen who instinctively grasps our lockdown mood (Daily Mail): Dr Caroline Kamau discusses the government's initial approach of nudge theory, stating that nudge theory was based on assumptions that were likely to be inaccurate.
- 6 new plaques honouring amazing women are coming to London (Hello Magazine): Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan is highlighted in article that celebrates iconic women in history.
- How Mandela stayed fit: from his 'matchbox' Soweto home to a prison cell (The Conversation): In 1990 Dr Gavin Evans interviewed Nelson Mandela. In this article he shares the details of Mandela's workout routine while he was incarcerated and throughout his life.
- Coronavirus: How to avoid overeating when working from home (BBC - Worklife): Dr Caroline Kamau discusses how we can boost our wellbeing through creating a routine and avoiding binge eating as a way of coping with anxiety and stress.
MARCH 2020
- Coronavirus in the UK: Expert advice for home workers, from maintaining fitness levels, eating well to adapting work practices (inews): Dr Almuth McDowall advises home workers to monitor their nutrition and take exercise during the current upheaval.
- The tough choices democracies now face (the Guardian): Professor Adam Geary responds to Professor David Runciman's article. In his letter he retorts that this political moment could give us "the space to imagine a fairer, greener and more decent world."
- The volunteer army helping self-isolating neighbours (BBC News): Dr Aviah Day has set up a Facebook group that allows people to offer their services to neighbours who are self-isolating at home during the coronavirus outbreak.
- Glenda Jackson, Tantrums; Women, decision-making and Covid-19 (BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour): Professor Emily Jones discusses whether or not all young children have tantrums and what it says about their development. She also discusses how parents can cope with tantrums and ways to manage childcare while social distancing.
- What can History tell us about Epidemics? (History Today): Professor John Henderson discusses measures taken in Renaissance Italy to curb the spread of disease, highlighting that the policies of 'containment', 'mitigation' and 'quarantine' are nothing new.
- I'm dreading contracting coronavirus - not for me, but for my sick dad (Huffington Post): Birkbeck student Lucy Meyers discusses the impact coronavirus is having on her day to day life as the threat to the vulnerable increases in the UK.
- Is nudge theory the right approach to Coronavirus? (Psychology Today): Dr Caroline Kamau discusses the UK's approach to coronavirus and how the goal of achieving 'herd immunity' could be risky a tactic in the fight against the virus.
- Abi Dare, Breast Surgery, Coronavirus (BBC - Woman's Hour): Birkbeck alumna Abi Dare speaks about her debut novel The Girl with the Louding Voice.
- 'Real battle' ahead after Biden overtakes Sanders as Democratic front-runner (France 24): Following a remarkable win for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, Professor Robert Singh comments on the prospects of the remaining candidates and why so many voters have gravitated towards Biden over Bernie Sanders.
- Disappearing beaches (Nature): Dr Sue Brooks's research shows that due to climate change and the rise of sea levels, we could see a loss of 50% of sandy beaches by the end of the century.
- This Lovely City by Louise Hare review - passion and prejudice (the Guardian): A review of Birkbeck alumna Louise Hare's debut novel. Hephzibah Anderson says of Hare's Post-Windrush London novel: "it's her steady, calm prose and the animating authenticity of her material that makes it so hard to resist".
FEBRUARY 2020
- China's rover probes deep below the surface of the far side of the Moon (Physics World): Professor Ian Crawford comments on China's recent Chang' E-4 mission that has given scientists the first detailed view of the subsurface geology on the far side of the Moon. He said: The tentative layers developed on top of ancient crater ejecta deposits is interesting, and further study of the layers could provide information on the past evolution of the Sun and the solar system's galactic environment.
- Why, contrary to what Moro says, pre-trial detention is a problem in Brazil (Aos Fatos): Catherine Heard comments that pre-trial detention in Brazil disproportionately affects the poorer communities and ultimately damages the social fabric, see a translation of Heard's comments here.
- 'It will remain an issue': This is what British people really think about immigration (Yahoo News): Professor Eric Kaufmann comments on the future of British people's attitudes to immigration and how this will be affected by the government's new policy.
- From conference traveller to tree planter (Nature): Professor Gabriel Waksman shares how he is working to offset his carbon footprint by planting native trees.
- After 'Parasite', are subtitles still a 1-inch barrier for Americans? (The New York Times): Professor Tim Smith comments that movie watchers having to read subtitles in foreign language films does not necessarily detract from the enjoyment of such movies.
JANUARY 2020
- Ignore office burnout at your peril (The Times - print only): Dr Almuth McDowall comments that many sufferers of burnout are diagnosed too late and that chronically high levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) can change the brain's biochemistry making people less sociable and more cynical.
- A better way to stop coronaviruses (The New Republic): Dr Simon Pooley argues that "linking particular health crises to saving (all) wildlife is ethically dubious and likely to backfire" as it is unfair to the rural peoples who have no choice but to consume wild meat. He also highlights that this approach could detract from the main concern in such a public health crisis, human health.
- Separated Siblings (BBC Radio 4 - File on 4): Professor Daniel Monk discusses the high number of children who are separated when they go into care.
- Thousands of siblings split up in care system (BBC News): Professor Daniel Monk comments on the latest discovery by the Department of Education. He states that the importance of bonds between siblings should not be overlooked and authorities should seek to keep siblings together wherever possible.
- Brexit: a pointless exercise that will waste energy and time to get to where we already (or close)! (European Scientist): Professor Gabriel Waksman discusses the affects Brexit has had on the scientific community and why he believes research in the UK will continue to thrive despite the perceived threats.
- Quarter of couples are now living apart so they can stay independent (Mail Online): Professor Sasha Roseneil commented on the changing nature of relationships today.
- Severe childhood deprivation reduces brain size, study finds (the Guardian): Professor Denis Mareschal comments on the study that was based on scans of young adults who were adopted as children into UK families from Romania's orphanages that rose under the regime of the dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu.
DECEMBER 2019
- The Problem of Leisure (BBC Radio 4 - Archive on 4): Dr Caroline Edwards discusses the idea of a post-work world explored within Cory Doctorow's dystopian novel Walkaway.
- General Election 2019 (BBC Radio 4 -Woman's Hour): Professor Sarah Childs discusses the recent election and how the result will shape the issues that women are affected by in the next parliament.
- What Boris Johnson's stunning UK election win means for Donald Trump (Newsweek): Professor Robert Singh discusses the Conservative Party's recent election win and how this could encourage a trade deal with the US.
- Hot topic: Work rotas at Christmas (HR magazine): Dr David Gamblin comments on the staggering rise in the number of people who work on Christmas day and why companies should consider giving their employees a proper break.
NOVEMBER 2019
- Does work stress make you binge eat? (Psychology Today): Dr Caroline Kamau and Dr Asta Medisauskaite (UCL) share the common causes of binge eating and how individuals can tackle it by reducing work-stress.
- The morning-after pill wasn't meant to be a 'Plan B'. What happened? (Vice): Dr Anne Hanley comments on the history of the stigma attached to the morning-after pill.
- The Morning After Pill (BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour): Dr Anne Hanley shares insights into the attitudes towards contraception throughout history and how they continue to shape opinions today.
OCTOBER 2019
- The 'risk to democracy' in Chile isn't from protesters. It's from Piñera and the 1% (the Guardian): Professor Oscar Guardiola-Rivera comments on the recent history of protests in the country and how Sebastián Piñera's government and the new economic model has led to widespread protests from Chile's working-class and precariat.
- The fallout from the US troop withdrawal from Northern Syria (BBC News - broadcast only): Dr Ashok Kumar comments on the political situation between Turkey and Kurdish forces in Syria and the USA's response to the conflict.
- Diplomatic immunity dispute (the Sydney Morning Herald): Professor Robert Singh comments on the tragic fatal crash involving the US Diplomat's wife, Anne Sacoolas , and 19-year-old Harry Dunn, saying he cannot recall a more serious immunity dispute between the two countries.
- Getting serious on lifelong learning (the House magazine - print only): Robert Halfon MP praises Birkbeck as a 'bastion of social justice which provides flexible learning for those who need it most.'
- Jews, Money, Myth (Museums' Association): An exhibition at the Jewish Museum London, developed in partnership with the Pears Institute for Anti-Semitism at Birkbeck, has won the 2019 Museums Change Lives award.
- The truth about screen time (the Times of India): Dr Tim Smith comments on concerns around screen time, and the links between screen use and disrupted sleep.
SEPTEMBER 2019
- Screen time and square eyes (the New Scientist): Dr Tim Smith discusses how smartphones really affect our bodies and brains.
- Anti-Semitism, Zionism and the changing politics of the left (Financial Times): Professor David Feldman, Director of the Pears Institute for Anti-Semitism, reviews three new books on anti-Semitism in a changing world.
- Work out what works for you (The Sun - print only): Professor Almuth McDowall bust the workplace myth that you have to give 100% all of the time saying, "good work is about working smarter not harder."
- Xi Jinping's claim to Mao's mantle carries risks (Financial Times): Professor Julia Lovell reflects on the current climate in China, as the General Secretary of it's leader, Mr Xi's takes an increasingly Maoist approach to manage the country's challenges.
- A ménage a trois that transformed European culture (the Telegraph): A five star review of Professor Orlando Figes' new book, The Europeans, describes it as a "magnificently humane book, written with supple grace but firmly underpinned by meticulous scholarship."
- Welcoming Behrouz Boochani as a Visiting Professor (SBS Radio, the Times, the Financial Times, Newsweek): The human rights activist and detainee at immigration centre Manus Island will contribute to seminars and events at the School of Law.
- Examining language barriers in the Criminal Justice System (the Barrister): In the wake of a new partnership between The Institute for Criminal Policy Research and research and development charity The Centre for Justice Innovation, Dr Jessica Jacobson, Director of the ICPR, discusses the aim of the study that will seek to include a wide range of individuals.
- A Google Earth of old London (the Telegraph - print only): Professor Matthew Davies discusses the digital Layers of London project, which encourages people to engage with London’s history and heritage by sharing their own.
- Managing anxiety as a freelancer (Forge): Professor Almuth McDowall says establishing a routine which signals the transition to time off work is crucial for freelance work-life balance.
- Tots and technology (the Times - print only): Research from Birkbeck's TABLET project demonstrates that touchscreen use may improve toddlers' fine motor skills.
- Dyslexia in the workplace (HR magazine): Dr Nancy Doyle discusses the effects of dyslexia on working memory, as well as literacy, and the need for increased understanding of effective accommodations for dyslexia in the workplace.
- Around the world with Mao Zedong (the New York Times): Professor Julia Lovell's book Mao: A Global History is described as "an indispensable guide" to Maoism.
AUGUST 2019
- "If Greens want to save the world, it's time they talked Tory" (the Times): Professor Eric Kaufmann argues that environmentalists like Greta Thunberg must court conservatives and the middle aged in order to make change.
- "I had given up hope, but studying counselling kept me alive" (the Guardian): Michael Darko, a student on the Compass Project shares his story and how he was able to study counselling at Birkbeck through the scheme aimed at helping refugees and asylum seekers access Higher Education.
- "Amazing opportunity": Birkbeck offers scholarships to Asylum Seekers (Londonist): Dr Leslie Topp, creator of the Compass Project speaks about the motivation behind the scheme that helps asylum seekers access Higher Education. Janahan Sivanathan and Michael Darko also share their experiences coming to the UK and being students on the Compass Project.
- Forget the Louvre, here's our loo: people who turn their homes into art galleries (the Guardian): Professor Fiona Candlin comments on the changing nature of curatorship and the effect this is having on the art world.
JULY 2019
- Why do we pull faces when we concentrate? (BBC World Service - CrowdScience): Dr Gillian Forrester explains how our evolutionary past holds to the answers to why we can't help but pull faces when communicating and concentrating.
- The Spartans: Ancient Greece's fighting machine (BBC World Service - The Forum): Professor Christy Costantakopoulou discusses the Spartan Empire - from its triumph during the Battle of Thermopylae to its decline and eventual collapse.
- The Apollo moon landing and conspiracy theories (BBC - Click): In a special programme to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing. Dr Antoine Bousquet discusses conspiracy theories surrounding the first moon landings.
- Trillion dollar lunar bounty: The scramble to return to the moon (Aljazeera Magazine): Dr Ian Crawford responds to India's plans to probe the moon and highlights that the new exploration could aid further space exploration.
- Vast sand scheme to protect Norfolk coast (BBC News): Dr Sue Brooks discusses the 'sandscaping' scheme, a 6km-long dune created to protect Bacton Terminal from rapid natural geological erosion.
- How this frog can tell if you're pregnant (BBC Ideas): Dr Isabel Davis discusses how, from the 1930s to 1960s, Xenopus Laevis frogs were used to test for pregnancy in humans.
- What's in a name? (BBC Radio 4 - D for Diagnosis): Dr Sarah Marks discusses how the abuses of diagnoses through history should serve as cautionary warnings about psychiatric labels today.
- Now you see it (Aeon): Daniel Yon, PhD candidate in the Department of Psychological Sciences, explores how our brain sculpts our experiences in line with our expectations.
- What is Boris Johnson good at? (HuffPost): Dr Ben Worthy asks how the jester figure of Boris Johnson has got to within inches of Downing Street.
JUNE 2019
- A four day working week? (BBC News): Professor Almuth McDowall responds to Gloucestershire based firm Radioactive PR moving to a four day working week, while offering staff the same pay. She says we should look at how we can make work a better place more generally, whether this is a four day working week, more flexible working patterns, or improving standards at work.
- Prime Minister Boris (Democratic Audit): Dr Ben Worthy looks at what Boris Johnson's political record tells us about his prospects as Prime Minister.
- Histories of hate (BBC Radio 4): Dr Brendan McGeever discusses the anti-Jewish pogroms of 1919 and what they tell us about the precise nature of anti-Semitism.
- Medieval filth as devotion (ABC Radio - Counterpoint podcast): Dr Katherine Harvey says what we think know about medieval hygiene is wrong, and that much evidence shows that they made an effort to keep clean.
- When does gaming become a problem? (the Sun, Forbes, EuroGamer, PC Gamer and others): A test developed by Birkbeck's Dr Bruno Schivinski and team can benchmark gaming habits against the rest of the problem, in line with the WHO criteria of 'gaming disorder'.
- Time to stop neglecting education for adults (the Guardian): Baroness Joan Bakewell responds to the Augar review of post-18 education.
MAY 2019
- The beginnings of cinema (BBC Radio London): Professor Ian Christie discusses one of the pioneers of modern cinema, Robert Paul.
- Why touching art is so tempting (CNN): Professor Fiona Candlin explains why patrons feel compelled to break the rules of museums and touch artefacts, and that this compulsion may stem from a desire to learn more about the artworks.
- The secret lives of Victorians (the Mirror): As Victoria returns to ITV, historical consultant for the show Dr Anne Hanley says that Victorians only pretended to be prudish but 'had a prurient fascination with all things sexual'.
- Smartphones and sleep (the Independent, News Week): Dr Iroise Dumontheil responds to new research indicating that wearing blue-light blocking glasses may reverse the sleep problems associated with smartphones.
- Doctors turn to alcohol and binge-eating (the Guardian, the Daily Mail): A Birkbeck-UCL study reveals sleep problems, burnout and drink dependency due to heavy workloads in the medical profession.
- Marketing the moon (the Telegraph - print only): Professor Ian Crawford discusses the new frontier of extraterrestrial exploration - mining the moon for potentially precious resources.
- The near-near future (BBC Culture): Professor Roger Luckhurst comments on the horror of sci-fi that does not imagine shiny, hard futures but gives a sense of sliding from one version of our present into something slightly alienated.
APRIL 2019
- Antisemitism and the left (BBC Free Thinking): Dr Brendan McGeever appeared on the BBC programme to discuss antisemitism in left-wing politics.
- Toddlers and screen time (BBC News, the Guardian): Dr Tim Smith has commented on recent WHO advice regarding toddlers and screen time, saying parents are bombarded with conflicting information and "there is currently no clear evidence for the specific duration limits proposed."
- Preserving North Kensington’s local history (the London Post): A report on the Kensington Art & Heritage Archive Project, which is led by local community organisations, in partnership with Birkbeck.
- Performing arts penalty (the Stage, Evening Standard): Cate Blanchett calls for action following Birkbeck-PiPA research which shows performing arts professionals with caring responsibilities face systemic barriers in their careers.
MARCH 2019
- The strange death of a special relationship (the American Interest): Professor Robert Singh says that the US-UK special relationship is 'on life support' - and Brexit may well pull the plug.
- White nationalism online (CBC News): Professor Eric Kaufmann says that trying to shut down white supremacist online discourse may be counterproductive.
- The upsides of the apocalypse (BBC Culture): Dr Caroline Edwards says that post-apocalyptic stories, which are usually dystopian, often carry utopian strands too.
- Organised crime (BBC Radio 5): Dr Tiggey May was interviewed by Radio 5 live about the Institute for Criminal Policy Research's project looking at organised and white-collar crime.
- Forced into marriage (IOHR TV): Dr Christina Julios shares her research in a short new documentary about forced marriage and honour violence.
- Can humans live on the moon? (The Week): Birkbeck research into the past conditions of the Moon is highlighted, which scientists believe may have been able to support life around four billion years ago.
- Why more women are watching gay porn (New Zealand Herald): Dr Helen de Witt says that gay porn might be considered useful from a feminist perspective: "Because there isn't a point of personal identification, you're not troubled by those problematic representations and the political questions they raise."
FEBRUARY 2019
- Breast cancer and PTSD (Breast Cancer Care podcast): Professor Naz Derakshan discusses research on how PTSD affects women with breast cancer and what you can do to manage the symptoms.
- Screen time and sleep (the Telegraph - print): A report cites research from the Birkbeck BabyLab indicating screen time can hamper the sleep patterns of young children.
- The resurgence of anti-Semitism (France 24): Dr Ben Gidley appears on a panel to discuss increasing anti-Semitism and attacks on Jewish people in France.
- Aristotle's Biology (In Our Time, BBC Radio 4): Dr Sophia Connell joins Melvyn Bragg to discuss the remarkable achievement of Aristotle in the realm of biological investigation.
- Animal brain traits (Psychology Today): Dr Gillian Forrester says that because humans are exceptional in our ability to think and act in ways unlike any other animal on the planet, it is easy to forget that modern human abilities have origins in a shared evolutionary history.
JANUARY 2019
- Holocaust Memorial Day (the Jewish Chronicle): Dr Diana Popescu argues that as we approach a time when witnesses of the Holocaust will no longer be among us to give a first-hand account of their past, memorial events should do more than re-tell their stories and keep their memories alive - they must involve a more direct confrontation with urgent problems we face today.
- Queen Victoria's funeral (HistoryExtra): Professor Joanna Bourke examines newsreel footage of Queen Victoria's "remarkable" funeral procession in February 1901, following the monarch's death at 81 years of age.
- Football stadium led regeneration (the Tottenham & Wood Green Independent, Londonist, This is Local London, Enfield Independent): The impact of the Haringey regeneration project, driven by the Tottenham Hotspurs' stadium development, on local economies and communities is explored by Dr Mark Panton.
- Eric Hobsbawm - a dangerous communist? (the Guardian): Visiting Professor Richard Evans discusses the life and career of former Birkbeck President and Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm.
- The far side of the moon (the Guardian): Professor Ian Crawford comments on the historic touchdown of China's Chang'e 4 probe on the previously unexplored side of the moon.
- NASA's Flyby Ultima Thule (the Guardian): Dr Mohamed Ramy El Maarry, a New Horizons science team collaborator and lecturer at Birkbeck, discusses the successful NASA New Horizons mission to Ultima Thule - the furthest point from the Sun a manmade craft has ever reached.
DECEMBER 2018
- Brexiteers and the WTO fantasy (the Guardian): Dr Kojo Koram from the School of Law writes that trading on WTO terms post-Brexit would inflict huge damage on the UK economy, and rooted in imperial fantasy.
- Why the government must act to save part-time higher education (THE): Professor David Latchman, Master of Birkbeck, calls for changes to part-time higher education funding to reverse the current decline and encourage economic growth and widening access.
- Love behind bars (the New York Times): Research from the ICPR at Birkbeck into the numbers of prisoners in the US is cited in a report about the romantic relationships of prisoners.
NOVEMBER 2018
- The future of delusion (BBC Radio 4): Birkbeck's Professor Angelica Ronald joins Professor Daniel Freeman to examine the causes of and treatment for delusional thinking.
- Meteorite hunters (BBC): A report on the conservation efforts for a 60 million-year-old meteorite impact site, made by Dr Simon Drake and Dr Andy Beard last year.
- The next frontier? (the Guardian): Professor Ian Crawford comments on whether - and when - we should send people to Mars, saying astronauts will first need make a return visit to the moon.
- Back of the class (Times Literary Supplement): Julia Bell, Director of Birkbeck's MA Creative Writing, recounts her 'hideous' Oxford interview, and the nature of class in the UK.
- Public engagement - not just 'nice to have' (Times Higher Education): the Being Human festival of the humanities is highlighted for its work engaging the public in academic research, including PhD candidate Matt Martin's research into how poets have used the Caribbean’s distinctive forms of speech to challenge racist and imperialist assumptions.
- They shall not grow old (BFI): Professor Ian Christie reviews Peter Jackson's experimental collage of World War I footage.
- In the shadow of the Spurs' (the Guardian): Dr Mark Panton discusses the regeneration of Tottenham, and the local residents losing out as the new football stadium is erected.
OCTOBER 2018
- The forgotten sex workers of WWI (Buzzfeed): Dr Clare Makepeace's research into the thousands of women working as sex workers during the First World War is the subject of a new Roundhouse art project, Cause & Effect.
- Prejudice in Britain (the Times): A report on new research from Birkbeck and Kent, on behalf of the EHRC, which reveals the extent of prejudice against minority groups in Britain.
- Like and subscribe (Daily World News): María Elena Placencia discusses how people perceive the importance of being complimented on social media, and how this varies by age and gender.
- The role of genetics in autism: Dr Emma Meaburn comments on a study that suggests genetics play a larger role in autism than other conditions.
- The loss of white identity? (The Times): Professor Eric Kaufmann discusses his new book, Whiteshift, which broadly argues that white identity in white-majority countries is under threat from non-white immigration, which has led to the triumph of populism and 'political entrepreneurs' like Trump.
- Making an entrance (the Guardian): the former Birkbeck students behind YESYESNONO are hailed as one of the UK's best young theatre companies.
- League table exit (Metro, the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, BBC Radio 4, Times Higher Education and others): Birkbeck's decision to withdraw from UK league tables, which do not give an accurate decision of the strengths of the College, was widely discussed by the academic community and beyond.
- The diverse experience of UK refugees (BBC Online): Bada Yusuf, an Egyptian refugee who studies at Birkbeck as part of the Compass Project scholarship scheme, was featured in an exhibition which aimed to highlight the varied experiences of refugees.
- Doctor burnout and stress (GPonline): a report on a Birkbeck-Bedfordshire study about the mental health crises among doctors, and recommendations to alleviate it.
SEPTEMBER 2018
- Women in medicine (the Guardian): Dr Anne Hanley has co-written a piece looking at the historical struggles of women accessing the medical profession.
- Space rocks for sale (the BBC, the Times, the Telegraph and more): Dr Simon Drake comments on the sale of rocks from a meteorite impact site he discovered with colleague Dr Andy Beard last year.
- How moderates can save immigration reform (the Spectator): Professor Eric Kaufmann reviews a new title by Reihan Salam, Melting Pot or Civil War?
- Living apart together (the Sunday Telegraph - Stella magazine): Birkbeck research on the numbers of long-term couples living separately is cited, and the reasons behind it explored.
- Antisemitism in the Labour Party (the Today Programme): Professor David Feldman is interviewed about allegations of antisemitism against Jeremy Corbyn and the extent of antisemitism in the Labour Party.
- Global higher education (WonkHE): Jonathan Woodhead, Policy Adviser at Birkbeck, looks at what could change for the higher education landscape post-Brexit.
AUGUST 2018
- Au pairs' rights (the Guardian): Professor Rosie Cox says the government should intervene to prevent the exploitation of au pairs.
- McCain, Trump and the waning 'liberal order' (the Washington Post): Dr Stephen Wetheim is quoted in a piece about the death of John McCain and the era of Trump.
- Who has the right to bring bad news? (RT Online): Professor Slavoj Žižek writes about Wikileaks and online censorship.
- Left-side cradling and its implications for learning (Early Years Educator): Dr Gilly Forrester writes about her research into children who favour the left side when cradling a doll.
- On the road to graduation (Sunday Times): Birkbeck is prominently featured in a feature about the alternatives to traditional full-time three-year degree courses, written by former UCAS chief executive Mary Curnock Cook.
- Is Brexit racist? (Another Europe Podcast): Brendan McGeever was among guests dissecting issues surrounding the UK's departure from the EU in a podcast hosted by The Guardian's Zoe Williams.
- Turkish economic woes (Business Briefing, BBC News channel): Ali Burak Güven discusses Turkey's financial turmoil as the lira plunges to new lows against the dollar.
- A monumental debate (CTV): Dr Joel McKim comments on whether statues should be altered to better reflect values and views as they change over time.
- How 'Big History' can save the world (the Conversation): Professor Ian Crawford writes that Big History' may provide a basis for drawing different human cultures closer together.
- The postwar order (War on the Rocks): Dr Stephen Wertheim says that it's good that foreign policy experts want to reach out to the public, but defending the 'postwar international order' is the opposite of the creative thinking that's needed.
- Peek-a-boo autism clue (the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, the Irish News, the Sun, the National, the Herald and more): A study from Dr Sarah Lloyd Fox showed that future autism diagnosis may be indicated by how babies respond to social stimuli, such as peek-a-boo, yawning or the sound of laughter.
- Ireland and the EU (the Irish Times): Dr Dermot Hodson and Professor Imelda Maher write that Brexit may provide a good opportunity for Ireland to rethink how it approves EU treaties.
- Alligator antics (USA Today): Dr Simon Pooley comments on a Texan student's graduation photos with an alligator.
JULY 2018
- Anti-semitism on the rise? (Deutsche Welle TV/dw.com): A report into perceptions of anti-semitism in five western European countries coordinated by the Pear's Institute was picked up by German TV and online outlets.
- Partial brain removal (CNN): Professor Mark Johnson comments on the surgical removal of one-sixth of a child's brain, and its effects on visual processing.
- Consultants struggling with anxiety and depression (Morning Star, Daily Star, Yorkshire Post, Basildon Echo): Dr Kevin Teoh was among researchers who examined the mental health toll on NHS consultants.
- Life on the moon (Evening Standard, the Times, the Telegraph, Metro and more): Research from Professor Ian Crawford and US astrobiologist Professor Kirk Schulze-Makuch indicates the moon may once have supported life.
- Biologist abroad (Barrackpur Barta): Dr Sanjib Bhakta delivered an international seminar for biological sciences students and academics, following the award of a prize from West Bengal State University, reported on by a local Bengali newspaper.
- Brexit clarity and confusion (the Guardian): Dr Demot Hodson says when it comes to Brexit, EU institutions are leagues ahead of their UK counterparts.
- "It means everything" (the Guardian): A look back at the first year of the Compass Project, which fully funded 20 asylum seekers to complete a foundation year at Birkbeck, giving them the qualifications needed to access an undergraduate course.
- Planning ahead (New Scientist): Dr Iroise Dumontheil comments on new research which shows that young children are 'surprisingly bad' at using memories to make plans.
- LGBT life in the UK (Call You And Yours, Radio 4): Professor Matt Cook talks about the changing attitudes to sexuality as a guest on a special edition of the show.
- Getting into politics (Radio 4 Woman's Hour): Professor Rosie Campbell discussed women's under-representation in politics and her comments also featured in a BBC News online report about the issue.
JUNE 2018
- Breakthrough brings hope of 'diluting' Huntington's (Evening Standard, print only): Professor Helen Saibil's research into the mutated genes which lead to Huntington's disease, and whether the damage can be reversed.
- Work-life balance in the arts (the Stage): Professor Almuth McDowall is launching a survey into the challenges facing people who work in the performing arts, particularly as they juggle their careers with family life.
- The space race (the Guardian): Professor Ian Crawford comments on the asteroid rush sending 21st-century prospectors into space.
- The cults that prey on successful women (Mail On Sunday): Dr Alexandra Stein discusses the circumstances which can lead people to join cults.
- The EU must act to stop Donald Trump (RT online): Slavoj Zizek argues that Europe must take a stand as an economic and political force against Trump's single-nation trade deals to curtail his goals of US dominance.
- Cradling-bias link to sociability (The Times, Daily Telegraph, The Sun, The i and others): Research by Dr Gillian Forrester has shown that children who favour the left side when cradling a doll have higher cognitive sociability scores than those who choose the right.
- Forced marriage in Islam (Voice of Islam Radio): Dr Christina Julios was among contributors to the Drivetime Show, presented by Mubasher Zafri and Abdul Haleem, during a discussion about the issue.
- 'Normalizing' Trump (the Washington Post): Dr Stephen Wertheim argues that Trump's opponents need to forget about what is normal, and concentrate on what is right.
- Russia 2018 (BBC News): Sean Hamil from the Birkbeck Sports Business Centre on why a single nation may never host the World Cup again.
MAY 2018
- Working class-writers (The Irish Times): Stephen Morrison-Burke discusses what being the first recipient of the Kit de Waal Creative Writing Scholarship at Birkbeck means to him.
- On the other hand (Discover): Dr Gillian Forrester discusses the evolutionary and developmental pathways to behaviours such as right- or left-handedness.
- Teacher burn-out (The Observer): Professor Almuth McDowall contributed to a news-feature examining the pressures which are contributing to school teachers quitting the profession or being signed off with stress.
- Examining Sure Start (BBC Sunday Politics): Professor Ted Melhuish was interviewed about the initiative, on the back of his leading role in National Evaluation of Sure Start, which examined the effectiveness of SS work.
- Pupil reaction is autism marker (Daily Mail): Research from Birkbeck's BabyLab into how babies' reactions to light can be an indicator of autism received widespread media coverage in publications such as The Mirror, Metro, Express and The i Paper, as well as more than 100 online outlets.
- New production is a homecoming for George (South London Press): Graduate George Richmond-Scott, who was awarded his MA in Theatre Direction at Birkbeck's spring graduation, was featured to highlight the way the College had enabled him to successfully change career.
- Trump and Iran (TalkRadio): Professor Robert Singh was a contributor to an on-air discussion about the US President's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal.
- Brexit Ministry rejects FOI enquiries (The i Paper): Ben Worthy is among the experts consulted in a story about how four out of five FOI requests directed at DExEU are not fully answered.
APRIL 2018
- Compass Project wins Guardian University Award (the Guardian): Birkbeck's pioneering scheme allowing vulnerable asylum seekers to access a fully-funded year of higher education, with support and mentoring, took the Widening Access prize at the annual awards.
- Fellowship for David Lammy (Evening Standard): Birkbeck's award of a Fellowship to the MP for Tottenham at the College's spring graduation was covered in print editions of the paper.
- Reviving the left (BBC News): Professor Slavoj Zizek gives his insight into how left-leaning parties can rejuvenate their fortunes, which have flagged since the 2008 financial crash.
- Kubrick's 2001 (the Guardian): Professor Ian Christie discusses the influence of 2001: A Space Odyssey, 50 years after its release.
- Women behind bars (The World Weekly): ICPR research into the disproportionate surge of Brazil's female prison population is discussed in the context of an alarming wider global trend.
- The roots of anti-semitism in the left (Haaretz): Professor David Feldman and Brendan McGeever explore the long history of anti-semitic sentiments within the left in the UK, and George Orwell's observations on the issue.
- The rise of the grey-haired graduates (Financial Times): Birkbeck was highlighted in a feature on students in the UK aged 50 or over, with Sahar Erfani discussing the barriers they face as mature learners.
- How to 'switch off' (Huffington Post): Dr Almuth McDowall's research shows organisations are unprepared for how digital progress is changing the world of work.
- Clothes do not make the woman (Times Higher Education): Isabel Davis comments on the male cultural attitude towards female attire in academia.
- The shame of antisemitism on the left (The Guardian): Philip Spencer looks at the history behind antisemitism allegations from within the Labour party.
MARCH 2018
- The secret world of babies (BBC Future): Birkbeck's Babylab reveals the hidden workings of babies' brains with research that could help provide earlier support for infants with neurological differences like autism.
- 'Make HE great again' (Wonkhe): Jonathan Woodhead, Birkbeck's Policy Adviser, discusses his trip to Washington to attend the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education.
- Living to 100 (Financial Times on Facebook Live): The Financial Times and the authors of the 100 Year Life discuss the opportunities of living longer, and Birkbeck 'leading the way' for mature students. (discussion on mature students begins at 13.31)
- The Good Friday Agreement (the Belfast Telegraph): Professor Paul Dixon says that the 1998 document was ambiguously drafted in order to leave it open to multiple interpretations.
- Room to roam (The Psychologist): An introduction to Birkbeck's new ToddlerLab and the crowdfunding campaign to support it.
- An ugly American (New York Times): Dr Stephen Wertheim writes on US foreign policy under President Trump.
- Xi set to rule for life (BBC Radio 4 Today): Dr Julia Lovell discusses the constitutional changes that were passed by China's annual National People's Congress on Sunday, that will allow Xi Jinping to remain as president beyond his two terms.
- Immigration and populism (Euronews): Professor Eric Kaufmann says voters' views on immigration have more to do with their values and personality than economic concerns.
- Race science and the alt-right (the Guardian): Gavin Evans discusses the unwelcome revival of race science.
FEBRUARY 2018
- Workplace behaviour (BBC Radio 5 Live): Dr Almuth McDowall appeared on the Emma Barnett Show to discuss appropriate behaviour in light of allegations about misconduct in some charities (starts at 1.39).
- Theatre makes your kids happier (The Belfast Telegraph): Dr Natasha Kirkham explains how going to see live theatre shows can help aid children's understanding of emotions.
- How to deal with captured IS fighters (LBC): Professor Bill Bowring was a guest on Nick Ferrari's breakfast programme to discuss what should happen to two captured members of the IS group known as 'The Beatles'.
- South-to-South investment rising sharply (The Economist): Professor Kevin Ibeh discusses how the rise of African multinationals is a sign of the maturing of private enterprise in the region.
- What's going on in a toddler's brain? (BBC News): PhD candidate Chiara Bulgarelli explains how the Birkbeck Babylab is investigating the cognitive function of very young children, which could give insight into conditions like autism and ADHD.
- Black women in higher education, 100 years on (BBC Radio Derby): Dr Jan Etienne speaks to Devon Daley about an upcoming event that looks the role of the black woman in promoting learning development and political activism in the community. (Listen to Dr Etienne from 1:43:35 onwards).
JANUARY 2018
- Michael J. Fox Foundation funds UK research (Metro): Professor George Roussos received more than £100,000 funding from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, for his work on a new system for monitoring Parkinson’s Disease sufferers’ symptoms.
- The Anatomy of Pain (BBC World Service): Professor Joanna Bourke discusses the history of pain as a contributor to a new series in the World Service's Discovery slot.
- The healing powers of onions (BBC Radio Wales): Dr Sanjib Bhakta discusses his research into the potential of Persian shallots in tackling antibiotic resistance of tuberculosis. Also BBC News and MailOnline among many others.
- Prisoners of war (BBC History Magazine podcast): Dr Clare Makepeace discusses her new book, based on her research into the British prisoners of the Second World War.
- When speech becomes music (BBC World Service): Dr Adam Tierney looks at how our brains tell the difference between speech and music, even though they are essentially both just sounds.
- Nurturing under-represented literary talent (the Bookseller): A look at the new scholarship for Birkbeck's MA Creative Writing, funded by literary agency Aitken Alexander.
- Mammals cradle on the left (The Guardian): Dr Gillian Forester comments on new research that reveals mammal mothers and babies prefer to keep each other on the left when face-to-face.
DECEMBER 2017
- Cross-dressing captives (MailOnline): Dr Clare Makepeace's research into cross-dressers and drag amongst British prisoners-of-war is explored, coinciding with the publication of her new book.
- Fitness fights dementia (Health Canal): Dr Eddy J Davelaar co-authored a paper that explains it’s never too late to benefit from good levels of physical fitness, even after the onset of dementia.
- Meteorite discovery on Isle of Skye (BBC Online): Dr Andrew Beard was part of a team of geologists who found evidence that a meteorite hit the Isle of Skye around 60 million years ago.
- The Unconscious Life of Bombs (BBC Radio 4): Historian and psychoanalyst Daniel Pick explores the psychological damage of bombing in warfare.
- Academics for peace under fire (The Guardian): Dr Başak Ertür calls for people to rally behind the academics who signed a petition which sought a solution to the military conflict between the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Workers’ party. Those signatories have been charged with terror offences.
NOVEMBER 2017
- High fees, high inflation, low numbers (Times Higher Education): The Master David Latchman calls for education reform as numbers of part-time university students plummet.
- Au pair recruitment exploitation (BBC News): Dr Rosie Cox describes the way in which au pairs in the UK are recruited as 'like the Wild West' and calls for action to prevent them from being exploited.
- Mother and son graduate together (BBC News): Samiya Lerew and her son Edwin graduated from the same department, Politics, at the same ceremony. Their story was also covered by local press BBC Radio London, BBC Radio Somalia and on BBC social media channels.
- Where are all the working class writers? (BBC Radio 4): Julia Bell, Course Director of MA Creative Writing, spoke to author Kit de Waal on the barriers facing working-class authors. Also featured was Stephen Morrison-Burke, the first beneficiary of the Kit de Waal scholarship, set up by the author with the advance for her first book.
- Discovering London's Great Plague (BBC News): Professor Vanessa Harding looks at what life was like for Londoners during the last major outbreak of bubonic plague in Britain.
- Fighting hate together (The Jewish Chronicle): Professor David Feldman discusses the combined development of antisemitism and Islamophobia.
- Women prison population on the rise (The Independent): A study published by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research at Birkbeck shows the number of women and girls in prison around the world has jumped by more than half since the turn of the century.
- Centenary of the Russian Revolution (BBC Radio 5 live): Dr Brendan McGeever discusses the conditions that led to the Russian Revolution and its ramifications, 100 years on.
- Tartan days that shook the world (BBC2 Scotland's Timeline): Scotland's links to the Russian Revolution of 1917 are investigated by Dr Brendan McGeever.
- Westminster's 'locker room culture' (NBC News): Professor of politics Rosie Campbell commented on the sexual misconduct allegations in British politics that recently triggered a Cabinet resignation.
OCTOBER 2017
- The end of patriarchy (The Guardian): Professor Joanna Bourke sees a shift in the culture of sexual violence and harassment towards women, particularly thanks to an increasing number of victims speaking up about their experiences.
- Lifelong-learning (Times Higher Education): Baroness Alison Wolf of Dulwich proposed the creation of a more flexible higher education system, as she gave commemorative lecture for Ruth Thompson, the late deputy chair of Birkbeck Governors.
- Old boys' club (MailOnline): Professor Sarah Childs says quotas do not do enough to address the gender imbalance in parliament, and it's important to make politics an attractive career choice for women.
- Reflections of a playwright (What's On Stage): Creative writing lecturer David Eldridge reflects on his life as his play Beginning opens at the National Theatre.
- Margaret Atwood's dystopias (Campaign): Dr Caroline Edwards interviewed Atwood as part of New Scientist Live.
- The revolution will not be crystallised (Nature): Professor Helen Saibil on the 'tidal wave' of people wanting to learn about crystallography, which is slowed by high technology costs.
- The Compass Project (the Guardian): Ishmael, an asylum seeker from Syria who studies at Birkbeck as part of the Compass Project, tells his story.
- 19th-century sexism and syphilis (the Guardian): With concealment common and women expected not even to show knowledge of the disease, infection of families by men was widespread across all classes, says Dr Anne Hanley.
- Dyspraxia Awareness Week (BBC Victoria Derbyshire): Law student Mark Robinson discusses getting diagnosed with Dyspraxia at age 40, and how finally getting support led him to his degree at Birkbeck and a legal training contract (segment runs: 1:46.14 - 1:50.53).
- Homelessness (BBC Radio 5 Live): Dr Paul Watt was on the Stephen Nolan Show to discuss homelessness and temporary accommodation in Britain.
- Estate regeneration (BBC Sunday Politics): Dr Paul Watt discusses the regeneration of London's estates.
- Victoria and VD (the Guardian): Dr Anne Hanley writes on the moral and physical implications of venereal disease, raised in an episode of ITV's Victoria.
SEPTEMBER 2017
- Left to their own devices (Tatler): Cathy Rogers, PhD candidate in Psychological Sciences, writes about whether parents should encourage or discourage use of smartphone devices with toddlers.
- Space invaders (TimeOut London): A look at Dr Louisa Preston's research into extreme environments as 'practice research' for materials on Mars.
- Catalan independence (The National): Dr David Brydan comments on the repression of Catalonia under Franco and the growing calls for independence.
- "State-led gentrification" (the Guardian): An exploration of Dr Paul Watt's research on the selling off of council housing, and Jeremy Corbyn's pledge to stop "forced gentrification and social cleansing."
- Municipalisation (RealMedia): Dr Paul Watt, Reader in Urban Studies, discusses the tools available for government to fight gentrification and discourage high rents.
- Diabulimia (BBC News): Jacqueline Allan, PhD candidate in Psychology, discusses the little-known and extremely dangerous eating disorder 'Diabulimia' - where diabetic people deliberately take too little insulin in order to lose weight.
- 'Always-on' culture (The Times, The i Paper, Daily Express, Metro, Express online): Dr Almuth McDowall, Assistant Dean in the Department of Organizational Psychology at Birkbeck, reveals new research into how companies are failing to tackle issues around constant connectivity to work.
- Money Box Live: Mature students (BBC Radio 4): Caroline McDonald, head of widening access at Birkbeck, discusses the opportunities and issues facing those who study later in life.
- "A step change on widening access" (the Guardian): Les Ebdon, Director of the Office for Fair Access, praises Birkbeck's initiatives to reach mature students, particularly low fee foundation programmes.
- The post-storm city (openDemocracy): Dr Anna Hartnell explores the very different depictions of Hurricanes Harvey and Katrina.
AUGUST 2017
- Colourful histories (BBC Focus Magazine): Dr Gavin Evans explains that how we see colour has been 'coloured' by years of history, culture and scientific endeavour, ahead of the release of his new book, The Story of Colour.
- Hurricane Harvey (Metro): Just as with Katrina, black Americans will be hardest hit by Hurricane Harvey, says Dr Anna Hartnell from the Department of English and Humanities.
- "Cultural vandalism" (Evening Standard): Professor Jerry White argues that almost any historical figure will have had views that would be unacceptable to people living now, and pulling down monuments of them is 'absurd'.
- Catalonian independence (Guardian): Dr Luke Stobart comments on the Catalonian response to terror, and how this may show readiness for independence.
- A natural thermostat (Space Daily): reporting on Dr Philip Pogge von Strandmann's research that the Earth's 'natural thermostat' could enable recovery from climate change, over a long period of time.
- Versatility and power (Bookseller): this reports on a new literary anthology from Birkbeck, which will champion new voices in short stories.
- Flying colours (CTV News): Dr Joel McKim comments on artist Marina Amaral's colourised versions of iconic black and white photos.
- Female politicians and babies (BBC): Jessica Smith tells the BBC that the prominent idea of women is still that they are mothers.
- Venezuelan unrest (Guardian): Oscar Guardiola-Rivera says the majority of Venezuelans fear the return of the rightwing to power more than the alleged incompetence of Maduro.
- The Russian Revolution - made in London? (BBC Radio 4: Making History): Dr Brendan McGeever takes Tom Holland to the forgotten home of Bolshevism.
JULY 2017
- Going underground (BBC Radio 4's Thinking Allowed): Dr Melissa Butcher discusses the social life of subways.
- Astrobiological exploration (The Conversation): Professor Ian Crawford argues that looking for aliens provides social benefit (even if we don't find any).
- London Olympic legacy (MailOnline): Paul Watt discusses his new book evaluating the legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games for low-income Londoners.
- The FBI's most wanted woman (BBC Radio 4: Woman's Hour): Robert Singh discusses the life of Assata Shakur, a political activist in the U.S. in the 1960s and 70s, who is now on the FBI's list of most wanted terrorists.
- Europe's 'Brexit envy' (MailOnline): Professor Eric Kaufmann comments on demography as the driver of majority attitudes.
- Peer-review (Times Higher Education): Professor Martin Eve from Birkbeck's Department of English and Humanities says that scholars are ignorant of many aspects of peer review.
- Prejudice and Pride (BBC Radio 4): Professor Matt Cook features in two-part Radio 4 series From Shame To Pride to accompany the Tate's Queer British Art Show.
- European power politics (Washington Times): reviews Professor Jan Rüger's book, Heligoland: Britain, Germany and the Struggle for the North Sea.
JUNE 2017
- Racism and whiteness (BBC: Big Questions): Dr Jawiria Naseem considers whether white people can be victims of racism.
- Grenfell tragedy (Reuters): Paul Watt says the large-scale demolition of towers cannot be justified by design failings.
- Migrants' Rights Network: this reports on Birkbeck's scholarship programme for asylum seekers.
- Tuition fees (Guardian): Claire Callender, Professor of Higher Education Policy, comments on young people's disquiet regarding student finance.
- "Making bad people worse" (The Economist): Research from Birkbeck's Institute for Criminal Policy Research (ICPR) on the problems of imprisonment, and how bad prison conditions can lead to re-offending.
- Manchester terror attacks (Financial Times [paywall]): Professor Eric Kaufmann from the comments on the impact of 'majority withdrawal' on the demographics of urban areas.
- UK general election (BBC): Professor Rosie Campbell looks at how people decide who to vote for.
- Foetal face recognition (New Scientist): Mark Johnson from the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development comments whether foetuses can recognise face shapes in utero.
MAY 2017
- Consumerism (MailOnline): Professor Frank Trentmann describes what we mean by 'consumers'.
- Sci-fi - the feminist frontier? (Stylist [no link]): Dr Caroline Edwards from the Department of English and Humanities comments on female voices in science fiction.
- Research copyright (Times Higher Education): Stuart Lawson, doctoral researcher, says that the growth of academic publishing has put a strain on the academy.
- One-horse races (New York Times article no longer available]): Sean Hamil, Director of the Birkbeck Sports Business Centre, explores the predictability of the European Professional Football League.
- Inequality (i News): A study showing young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are put off university due to high levels of debt.
- Risk and reinsurance (BBC4: Thinking Allowed): Dr Rebecca Bednarek from the Department of Management discusses her new book, Making a Market for Acts of God.
- 'Liberal blackmail' (ABC): Professor Slavoj Zizek, International Director for the Birkbeck Institute of the Humanities, argues for 'refusing the false choice' between Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron.
APRIL 2017
- The birth of the New Left (Guardian): Birkbeck historian Mike Berlin comments on the Partisan Coffee House's place in the 1960s counter-culture movement.
- Homes from hell (History Extra): Professor Jerry White examines the reality of Victorian London's slums.
- General election (Guardian): Professor Claire Callender comments on the need for a 'socially just Brexit deal'.
- Women prisoners (Univision): A report by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research, showing a 51.6% increase in women inmates between 2000 and 2015 in the Americas.
- Snap election (BBC Radio 4's the Today Programme and the Briefing Room): Professor Rosie Campbell comments on the upcoming UK general election.
- The shock (BBC Radio 4): Dr Gillian Forrester comments on the evolutionary explanation for instinctive reactions to shock.
- Touchscreen toddlers (the BBC, the Evening Standard, the Telegraph and the Hindu): A study showing toddlers who use touchscreens sleep less, by researchers in the Department of Psychological Sciences, has featured in international news.
- Gut feeling (My Science): A study involving Birkbeck scientists which showed how gut bacteria can change cancer drug activity.
- Heligoland (Dan Snow's History Hit) (subscription only): Professor Jan Rüger was interviewed about his new book, Heligoland: Britain, Germany and the Struggle for the North Sea.
- Open Access (Chronicle of Higher Education): Professor Martin Eve comments on whether a browser extension could shake up academic publishing.
- Out-of-body experience (Science News): Professor Matthew Longo discusses his research on self-awareness in young children.
- Student outreach (University Business): Birkbeck's £40,000 student counselling project.
- Charlton Athletic and the fight for the club's future (Guardian): Sean Hamil, Director of the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre discusses disputes between football supporters and club-owners in this extended interview.
MARCH 2017
- Happy birthday to EU (The Washington Post): Dr Dermot Hodson co-authored an article in on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the EU.
- Too much excellence? (Chronicle of Higher Education and Nature News): Research by Professor Martin Paul Eve showing that overuse of the word excellence has eroded its meaning, has been covered in the
- Impact factor (The Scientist): Nicole Cruz, PhD candidate in Psychological Sciences, comments on the myth that papers published in low-impact journals are low-quality scientific contributions.
- The ‘Halo Effect’ (New York Times): Professor Eric Kaufmann comments on the phenomenon which sees more votes for far-right politicians close to diverse areas - but not actually within them.
- UK news plurality (Guardian): A letter expressing concern over the proposed Fox-Sky News merger, signed by Dr Justin Schlossberg.
- Women's strikes (Vice News): Professor Joni Lovenduski comments on the Icelandic women's strike of 1975.
- Young people and crime (Economist): Professor Mike Hough comments on the fall in crime rates among young people.
- Parkinson's Disease app (New Scientist): an article about a new app, developed by Professor George Roussos, which can track progression of Parkinson's Disease symptoms over time.
- Wells and Woking (BBC Radio 4: 'A new red world'): Professor Roger Luckhurst comments on HG Wells life and work.
- Gender equality (BBC World Service): Professor Joanna Bourke looks back at the history of women's rights.
- Commonwealth Games (BBC Merseyside): Dr Geoff Walters is interviewed about whether Liverpool could host the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
- Abortion law reform (Guardian): A letter about reforming abortion law to take pre-viability abortion out of the criminal law, published by Daniel Monk.
- Learning styles (Guardian): A letter about the lack of evidence for learning styles and their use in educational techniques, signed by Professor Michael Thomas.
- BA and industrial relations (Guardian): A letter about BAs industrial relations with its cabin staff, signed by Professor John Kelly.
- Empire of things (Financial Review): Professor Frank Trentmann's Empire of Things is reviewed.
- Market Research (Research Live): reports on Dr Dan Nunan's study into the decline of the term market research and its replacement with terms such as data science, business intelligence, insight.
- Gender balance in parliaments (Canberra Times, Brisbane Times, WA Today, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald): Professor Rosie Campbell's work on reforming parliaments to make them more gender balanced is covered in several Australian newspapers.
- White racial self-interest (The Times [no link], the Financial Times [no link] and El Pais [in Spanish]): A new report by Professor Eric Kaufmann, claiming that white racial self-interest is not the same as racism.
FEBRUARY 2017
- Burnout among oncologists (Guardian): Dr Caroline Kamau and PhD student Asta Medisauskaite's paper on alarming levels of burnout and stress in oncologists.
- How voters decide (BBC Radio 4: Analysis): Professor Rosie Campbell presents this episode, looking at how voters make decisions on who to vote for.
- Home truths (BBC1): Dr Paul Watt takes part in a documentary about the places we call home.
- Trump and the Alt-Right (Sky News): Professor Eric Kaufmann is interviewed about Trump and the Alt-Right movement.
- General strike against Trump (Washington Post): Professor John Kelly writes about the success and regularity of previous general strikes.
- Trump and Russia (Share Radio): Professor Robert Singh is interviewed about Trump and his links to Russia.
- Cold War lessons (Chatham House magazine - The World Today): Professor Daniel Pick and Dr Sara Marks write about how Cold War-era ideas of brainwashing and mind control can offer lessons for thinking about radicalisation and de-radicalisation today
- Empty prisons (Seattle Times, International New York Times, El Periodico de Mexico and others): Data from Birkbeck's ICPR is quoted in widespread news coverage about the Netherlands' surplus of prison cells.
- Welcoming Britain? (History Extra): Professor David Feldman writes about Britain's mixed historical record on welcoming refugees.
- Autism detection (Health Medicine Network): a new project involving researchers from Birkbeck's Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development aims to introduce new low-cost ways of detecting autism in Indian children
- Sociability in babies (Your Autism magazine [no link]): research from Birkbeck's Babylab shows that infants of adults who feel uncomfortable in social situations are more likely to experience social discomfort themselves.
- Bedlam (History Today): Birkbeck alumna Anna Jamieson writes about the history of the Bedlam mental hospital and its place in the public imagination.
- The cult next door (The Psychologist [no link]): Dr Alexandra Stein reviews BBC2's 'The cult next door'.
- Bannon and antisemitism (Haaretz): Dr Dave Rich analyses White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon's attitude to Jews.
JANUARY 2017
- Prevent (LBC radio [no link]): Professor Bill Bowring was interviewed about the Prevent strategy
- Computer algorithms in recruitment (Talent Management): Dr Chris Dewberry comments on the reliability of computer algorithms in selecting suitable job candidates in Raconteur's special report.
- Toddlers and iPads (no link): The TABLET project is mentioned in an article about children's use of tablet computers and smartphones.
- Bank of England interest rates (The Times [no link]): Professor Anne Sibert has advised the Bank of England to increase interest rates and warns that Brexit is still a risk.
- REF questions (Research Fortnight [no link]): Professor Martin Eve comments on the REF and how credit will be shared between institutions that have contributed to a piece of research.
- Alumni programmes (University Business [no link]): Birkbeck's alumni programme is highlighted.
- Helen Reece (Guardian): Daniel Monk writes Dr Helen Reece's obituary. Helen worked in the Law School at Birkbeck from 1998 to 2009.
- Annette Karmiloff-Smith (The Psychologist [no link]): publishes Professor Annette Karmiloff-Smith's obituary. Annette worked in Birkbeck's Department of Psychological Sciences from 2006 to 2016.
- Babies and language (BBC World News [link not available]): Dr Teodora Gliga discusses early brain development and language learning.
- Experimental literature (BBC Radio 3: Free Thinking): Dr Mark Blacklock discusses experimental novels with Eimar McBride and Matthew Sweet.
- Consumption and the environment (Guardian): Professor Frank Trentmann writes about why decluttering our cupboards won't save the planet.
- Lammy and night schools (Evening Standard): In a letter, Professor David Latchman praised David Lammy MP for raising the issue of the importance of evening learning.
- Heligoland (The Sunday Times [no link]): Professor Jan Ruger's new book Hegiloland. Britain, Germany and the Struggle for the North Sea is reviewed.
- Design recognition (Design Week): Birkbeck's new visual identity.
- Work-Life balance: a new study by Dr McDowall on the need for employers to help staff balance their personal and professional lives has received coverage in several outlets.
- Jah Wobble (Skiddle): Birkbeck alumnus Jah Wobble (John Wardle) describes studying at Birkbeck as "the best thing [he] ever did" in an interview.
- HE bill (WonkHE): Jonathan Woodhead writes about why part-time HE should be a priority in the government's HE bill.
- Freud for our times (BBC Radio 4): Professor Daniel Pick presents a programme about psychoanalysis today.
- Artistic direction: Birkbeck alumnus Jez Pike has become the artistic director of the Maddermarket Theatre and received widespread coverage in regional media.
DECEMBER 2016
- New antisemitism definition (Guardian): Professor David Feldman writes about whether the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism will help Jewish people.
- Values and Brexit (Vice): Professor Eric Kaufmann's research into the influence of culture and personality on Brexit voting intentions.
- Touchscreens and toddlers (LSE Parenting for a digital future blog): Dr Celeste Cheung writes about the effects of touchscreen use on toddler development.
- Prisons and crime (The Times [behind paywall)]): Professor Mike Hough writes in response to a letter by Michael Howard to argue that long prison sentences are not the most effective way to lower crime rates.
- New Year's Honours (Times Higher Education): Professor Claire Callender's OBE and Professor Antony Beevor's knighthood are included in coverage of this year's New Year's Honours.
- Arms exports and Brexit (The Conversation): Professor Ron Smith writes about the future of arms exports after Brexit
- Mount Paektu (Portail SFR [in French]): Research into the volcano Mount Paektu by a team of North Korean, UK and US scientists, including Birkbeck's Dr James Hammond.
- Opportunity and integration (The Sociological Review): Dr Ben Gidley responds to the Casey Review into Opportunity and Integration in Britain.
- Women ex-prisoners and business (BBC World Service: from 11 mins, 5 secs and again from 22 mins, 50 secs): Catherine Heard was interviewed about women ex-prisoners who go into business after release.
- Science in North Korea (New York Times): Geophysicist Dr James Hammond talks about the challenges of conducting scientific research in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, the formal name for North Korea).
- Brexit and autism research (Spectrum): Professor Mark Johnson talks about his concerns over how Brexit will affect funding opportunities and international collaborations in autism research.
- Politics and the Internet (The Conservation): Dr Andrea Ballatore writes about the role of the internet in recent political events.
- Creative writing (Bookseller): covers the exciting news that Birkbeck's Creative Writing anthology - Mechanics' Institute Review - will now accept submissions from writers across the UK
- A copy and paste nation (Namibia Economist): Namibian Chevening scholar Twama Nambili writes about the pitfalls of copying foreign business policies and offers advice to those doing business in Namibia.
- White avoidance (Huffington Post): Professor Eric Kaufmann responded to the publication of the Casey Review for Policy Exchange's blog and his argument.
- Lunar exploration (Nature): Professor Ian Crawford comments on ESA's future plans for lunar and planetary exploration.
NOVEMBER 2016
- Christina Julios featured as a specialist contributor in the Peninsula Television production, 'The Day I Should Have Died'.
- Career interview (Free Think Tank): Dr Dermot Hudson was interviewed by the about his career and current research
- Professional rugby and part-time study (SW Londoner): Rugby player and Birkbeck Law student Rory Brand talks about his ambitions.
- Zizek on Castro (El Mundo [in Spanish]): International Director of the Birkbeck Institute of the Humanities Slavoj Zizek writes about Castro and the Cuban Revolution.
- White nationalism (Town and Country magazine): Professor Eric Kaufmann's comments on white nationalism are quoted.
- Teresa May and feminism (Marie Claire [no link]): Professor Rosie Campbell comments on the differences between Thatcher and May in their attitude to women.
- White nationalism: Professor Eric Kaufmann's comments on white nationalism are quoted in Marie Claire, The Washingon Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, Vox, Buzzfeed and The Times.
- Sociability in babies (Nursing Standard): A new study from Birkbeck's Babylab, which may help us understand more about the development of autism-related traits.
- Nurturing the sceptical mind (Independent): MA Contemporary History and Politics student Gaby Suarez comments on the benefits of studying history at postgraduate level.
- How an academic approach to art led to a dream job (Guardian): Birkbeck alumna Inga Fraser writes about how her MA History of Art helped her land her dream job at Tate Britain.
- RAF gunner swaps uniform for gown and mortarboard (South London Press): A profile of former soldier and now Birkbeck graduate Paul Croney.
- Misogyny in the US election (BBC Radio Berkshire [from 1 hour, 20 minutes]): Jessica Smith discusses the role that misogyny played in the results of the US Presidential election.
- Big question (Prospect): Professor Robert Singh was one of a panel of contributers, answering the questions 'Is Trump's election good news for Britain?'
- Babies and screentime (Day Nurseries): Dr Tim Smith is quoted on the importance of guidelines for how much and in what ways children should use tablets or smartphones.
- The Interward World (BBC History): Professor Joanna Bourke reviews Philip Ziegler's Between the Wars: 1919-1939.
- Birkbeck's astronaut (The News Today [Bangladesh]): Birkbeck alumna Helen Sharman's story is told.
- Grandmothers and autism (The Atlantic): Dr Angelica Ronald comments in a story about the valuable contribution grandmothers can make to research into autism.
- Trump and white identity politics (Buzzfeed): Professor Eric Kaufmann is quoted on the reasons people voted for Trump.
- Sociability in babies (Evening Standard): a new study from the Birkbeck Babylab, which showed that infants at low risk of autism whose parents are uncomfortable in social situations show the same brain responses to other people as infants who later go on to develop autism
- Trump: Professor Eric Kaufmann explains why concerns over the economy can not explain Trump's election as US President in the LSE Politics and Policy blog and the New Statesman and the research is also covered by the Independent. His research is also mentioned in a New York Times story seeking to understand Trump's electoral victory and by Germany's Deutsche Welle.
- Chakrabarti peerage (Jewish News): Professor David Feldman's comments on the impact of timing of Chakrabarti's peerage to the credibility of her investigation into antisemitism in the Labour party, of which Professor Feldman was vice-chair.
- Mature students (Jewish Chronicle): the story of 85-year-old Birkbeck History of Art graduate Trevor Grossmark.
- Life and death at the limits (The Psychologist): Professor Roger Luckhurst writes about zombie psychology.
- Shake, rattle and roll (The Psychologist): this reviews a new theatre show, created in collaboration with scientists from Birkbeck's Babylab.
- A crisis of White identity: Professor Eric Kaufmann's research into changes in the distribution of different ethnic groups in the UK has been covered in the Guardian, the Daily Mail and The Hindu. His research into what people would be prepared to pay for reduced migration was mentioned in Progress online, and he has commented on White people's attitudes to immigration in The New York Times.
- More heat than light (Left Foot Forward): Dr Frederick Cowell unpacks the implications of the High Court's ruling that the Government cannot trigger Article 50 without parliamentary approval.
- Disappearing books (New Boston Post): Dr Andrea Ballatore writes about the latest sales trends of e-books.
OCTOBER 2016
- Conservative 'Gay Pardon' (History Workshop Online): Dr Justin Bengry analyses the significance of the Government's plan to issue statutory pardons to men convicted of historical sexual offences.
- Both useful and beautiful (Research Fortnightly): Professor Martin Paul Eve reviews Ricky Rylance's Literature and the Public Good.
- Those left behind (BBC History Magazine): Professor Joanna Bourke reviews a book (Army Wives: The Real Lives of the Women Behind the Men in Uniform) that tells a story of the wives of men in military service, from the Crimea onwards.
- The ugly truth about Brexit and Trump (The Australian): Professor Eric Kaufmann's research on the impact of values on people's voting intentions is discussed in this article.
- Plague DNA revealed (Current Archaeology): Professor of London History Vanessa Harding comments on the significance of the identification of Great Plague DNA, extracted from skeletons uncovered during the building of Cross Rail.
- The mind's eye (Prospect): Professor Colin MacCabe, Chairman of the Derek Jarman Lab at Birkbeck, writes about the writer and cultural critic John Berger.
- Billy Bragg's brain scan (Guardian): the singer-songwriter visited the Birkbeck-UCL Centre for Neuroimaging where scientists, including Birkbeck alumna Dr Saloni Krishnan designed an experiment to look at the effect of music on the brain.
- Europe's prisoner suicide problem (Deutsche Welle (DW)): Catherine Heard from the Institute for Criminal Policy Research commented on suicide among prisoners.
- Presidential behaviour? (BBC Radio London: from 2 hours, 3 minutes, 27 seconds): Professor Robert Singh talks about the US Presidential debate.
- Corruption in sport (Guardian): Dr Giambattista Rossi comments on corruption in the football industry.
- (Living on Mars BBC Radio 4): Dr Louisa Preston talks about what would be necessary for us to live on Mars (from 5 mins 25 seconds).
- The house that hid forbidden love (BBC News): Dr Justin Bengry is interviewed about LGBTQ history and architecture.
- Language Learning after Brexit (BBC Radio Humberside [from 1 hour 46 mins 25 seconds]): Professor Jean-Marc Dewaele talks about the advantages of learning foreign languages as a child.
- Hard Brexit? Only if it's free (LSE Brexit blog): Professor Eric Kaufmann writes about what Brexit voters are prepared to sacrifice for a 'hard' Brexit.
- Restoring the allure of the movie theatre (MIT Technology Review): Dr Tim J. Smith comments on new film technology.
SEPTEMBER 2016
- Moon Village (Guardian): Professor Ian Crawford comments about the challenges and feasibility of establishing a base of operations on the moon.
- Tearing up the politics textbook (BBC Radio 4: Analysis): Dr Rosie Campbell hosts an episode, focusing on how British politics is taught in school.
- The Great Fire (The Docklands and East London Advertiser): Mike Berlin’s forthcoming history study day on the Great Fire of London on 24 September at the Museum of London (hear Mike speak about the event in a Birkbeck podcast).
- Being Swedish (Vancouver Sun): Professor Eric Kaufman comments on Sweden and Denmark’s efforts to understand their national identities, and how Canada could take similar steps.
- Media bias against Labour? (Independent): A report by Dr Justin Schlosberg and the Media Reform Coalition highlighting media bias against Jeremy Corbyn is cited in article about Channel 4’s Dispatches programme on the Labour Party’s Momentum movement.
- Hard right, soft power (The Conversation): Dr David Brydan, postdoctoral researcher in the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology, writes about the historic use of soft power in rightwing political campaigning.
- The Great Plague (BBC, Mail Online, CNN, Financial Express, and others): Professor Vanessa Harding comments on historical backdrop of London’s Great Plague in 1665, following recent Crossrail excavation of burial site containing evidence of the bacteria, Yersinia pestis.
- “Use a pseudonym” (Guardian): Toby Litt contributes to article offering top writing tips to aspiring authors.
- Helping child refugees (Guardian): profile of Birkbeck alumnus and current chair of London Government Association’s asylum, refugee and migration task group.
- Toddlers and tablets (Science Mag, HellaWella): New Babylab study shows that early touch screen use correlates with increased fine motor control in toddlers.
- Where is Spencer Moon now? (OK! magazine): Former Eastenders soap opera actor and Birkbeck Law alumnus, Christian Parker, is profiled.
- Motherhood and politics (Guardian): Politics PhD student, Jessica Smith, writes commentary piece on motherhood and politics.
- Interstellar travel and moon data (Live Science): Professor Ian Crawford (Earth and Planetary Sciences) is interviewed about the feasibility of seven concepts of interstellar travel. In his new study, Professor Crawford also proposes a mission back to the moon could offer rich data about the galactic environment (Sci News).
- Textual divergence (Times Literary Supplement): Following his study of the differences between the UK and US versions of David Mitchell’s bestselling novel Cloud Atlas, Professor Martin Eve (English and Humanities) writes this article on textual divergence.
- Storm damage (Phys.org): Research project carried out in collaboration with Birkbeck explores the recovery of beaches across the South West of England following severe storms of 2013/14 .
- What are you reading? (Times Higher Education): Dr Heike Bauer (English and Humanities) features in this week’s Times Higher Education ‘What are you reading’ feature.

Birkbeck in the media

August 2025

July 2025

June 2025

May 2025

April 2025

March 2025

February 2025

January 2025

December 2024

November 2024

OCTOBER 2024

SEPTEMBER 2024

AUGUST 2024

July 2024

June 2024

May 2024

April 2024

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

December 2023

November 2023

October 2023

September 2023

August 2023

July 2023

June 2023

May 2023

April 2023

March 2023

February 2023

December 2022

November 2022

September 2022

August 2022

July 2022

June 2022

May 2022

April 2022

March 2022

February 2022

January 2022

December 2021

November 2021

oCTOBER 2021

September 2021

AUGUST 2021

JULY 2021

JUNE 2021

MAY 2021

APRIL 2021

MARCH 2021

FEBRUARY 2021

JANUARY 2021

DECEMBER 2020

November 2020

October 2020

September 2020

August 2020

July 2020

June 2020

May 2020

APRIL 2020

MARCH 2020

FEBRUARY 2020

JANUARY 2020

DECEMBER 2019

NOVEMBER 2019

OCTOBER 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019

AUGUST 2019

JULY 2019

JUNE 2019

MAY 2019

APRIL 2019

MARCH 2019

FEBRUARY 2019

JANUARY 2019

DECEMBER 2018