Human Biology & Medicine

The basic truth of dieting holds true, to lose weight, you have to burn more energy than you eat. What role do our genes play in influencing what we like to eat? And what affect do genes have on body weight?

If you inherit your genes from your parents do they determine your entire life? Genes are the building blocks of life and as technology in gene editing  intensifies can or should we change our genes?

We all know that genes provide the blueprint for life. They're the code written into our DNA, but can they also predict our future? What can we learn from our genes? 

In severe psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia the normal functioning of the mind is compromised. What does it feel like to experience delusions & hallucinations and how do they differ from ordinary beliefs & normal experiences?

We use our senses to understand the world. But for people with schizophrenia, psychosis means they can't trust their senses or their minds. Why is schizophrenia so misunderstood & stigmatised by society?

Depression is no modern phenomenon, however it remains poorly understood. Why is it so challenging to understand depression and how is science trying to unravel its causes?

According to the World Obesity Federation it is estimated that over 1 billion will be affected by obesity by 2025. Does obesity lie within our control? What impact do genes have on our appetite and body weight?

Conjoined twins are among the rarest of human beings. Revered in some cultures and vilified in others. How should we think about individuality in conjoined twinning, & should the phenomenon often seen as a medical “problem” be solved?

The world of dating, sex and childbirth is a hazardous one, full of complex behaviours and even threats to our health. Well, mating in the animal kingdom is just as complex. What can we learn by looking at our animal cousins?

How we eat and the impact it has on our bodies, from weight loss and weight gain to eating disorders, is complex and a key facet of human health. But most of these behaviours and conditions aren't unique to our species. What can the animal world teach us?

Humans are information-seeking beings at heart. But while technology has given us unprecedented access to the data we crave, it has created a deluge of side effects. How are we adapting to information and stimulation overload?

In 1911, French doctors thought LS, a fashion model, had herniated ovaries. No one expected them to be testes. What is intersex? And what can we learn about sex and gender development from it?

Stress starts in the mind, but it can take an enormous toll on the body too. Left unchecked, it can even prove fatal. What is stress, from a scientific perspective, and how does it wreak havoc on our bodies when we're in a state of burnout?

Meditation - training your attention and awareness to reach a calm and stable state - is an ancient practice found all over the world and used in the modern day to manage stress. What's going on in your brain when you achieve this level of focus?

When it comes to love, all the mystery, all the poetry and all the complex behaviours that lead to the most life-changing decisions we’ll ever make are driven by just a few molecules in our brains. What's the science of attraction, and can we fake it?

Love can make us act against logic and reason. It can make us irrational. It can make us forget about our own best interests, or even risk our own safety. Why have we developed such a strong instinct to love, when in so many ways it would be easier not to?

There have been nearly 6m victims of Covid-19, but even this enormous death toll represents just a fraction of those lost to the Bubonic Plague in the Middle Ages. What do you need to know about the most fatal event in human history?

We think of sleep as a period of relaxation and recuperation, but while we snooze, our brains remain incredibly busy, often with intriguing "side effects" like dreams and sleepwalking. What does the mind get up to when we're not paying attention?

Humans aren't unique in having an adolescent stage, but we are pretty unique in how we react to it. Why do other species find it easier to surf the trials and turmoils of this challenging life phase than we do?

The law has to decide at what age someone should be held accountable for their actions. What does neuroscience tell us about when that should be?

1 in 15 people globally has a food allergy - a rate that's more than doubled since 1960. What's behind this soaring increase?

Peer pressure is a powerful influence on adolescent decision-making. What is it about the brains of teenagers that makes it so important to be liked, and to go along with the crowd?

Besides taste, there are other senses at work when we eat. How much of an influence does the environment have over our food behaviour?

Researchers around the world have been studying the HIV virus for years. But do we completely understand how it behaves and how far are we from finding a cure?

Prof. Anthony Costello discusses his decades in public health. How has social, economic and health development affected the health of our planet?

Not only does DNA control physical characteristics like height, but it also shapes how our bodies react to food. Is it true that you are what you eat?

There's so much left to learn about the sea and its organisms. Could the ocean be the source of the next drug to change medicine?

Not even our closest primate relatives think about food in the way humans do. What does the food we eat tell us about our own evolutionary history?

Do the anatomical differences between men and women extend to the biology of the brain? Or does it all come down to environmental influence?

The body can create a shocking array of symptoms, from paralysis to seizures, seemingly without any medical explanation. Is the brain responsible, and if so, why does it do it?

Artificial intelligence systems are built to mimic human intelligence. Do they have any chance of replicating all the abilities of a brain?

More than 70% of deaths linked to drug use worldwide are related to opioids. How did these drugs designed to treat pain end up crippling communities?

We know some of the basic factors that can disrupt sleep: caffeine, blue light, stress... But how does the way we spend our waking time change our sleeping brain?