Resilience
1/31/26 • 1 min read
Good news this week for University College London.
UCL has risen two places to be named the third-best university in Europe according to the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2026. .
UCL has retained its second place rank in Europe for the strength of its international research networks, and third place for its academic reputation and currently sits in 9th place globally.
If you are considering postgraduate study, come and have a chat. I’ll be at the UCL Graduate Open Evening: Engineering, Mathematical and Physical Sciences and happy to share my perspective.
Equally, if you find this post at any point and can’t make the event, you are most welcome to contact me and I’m happy to answer some questions or direct you to resources that may help.
1/22/26 • 1 min read
Published on the occasion of UNU-INWEH’s 30th anniversary, and ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference, this flagship report, Global Water Bankruptcy: Living Beyond Our Hydrological Means in the Post-Crisis Era, argues that the world has entered a new stage: more and more river basins and aquifers are losing the ability to return to their historical “normal.” Droughts, shortages, and pollution episodes that once looked like temporary shocks are becoming chronic in many places, signalling a post-crisis condition the report calls water bankruptcy.
See also: The Conversation - The world is in water bankruptcy, UN scientists report – here’s what that means
1/5/26 • 2 min read
I’m sure the world is exhausted by the mere mention of the word ‘pandemic’ but recent academic trajectories have sent me revisiting this topic. I’ve encountered some insight and interesting podcasts which are worth your time.
’When Science Finds a Way’ and ‘Off Script’ podcasts provide case studies on predictive insights and the role of therapeutics as part of preparedness.
When Science Finds a Way
Hosted by Alisha Wainwright and produced by Wellcome, this science-focused podcast explores how scientific research and innovation are being applied to tackle urgent global health challenges. It features case studies showing predictive insights in action, for example: how early-warning and prediction tools that integrate health and climate data are being used to anticipate outbreaks (such as dengue and Zika) and support community responses before diseases spread. Interviews with scientists, public health authorities and communities highlight the translation of data into practical preparedness measures, demonstrating how predictive models and local collaboration can improve outbreak readiness and resilience.
Off Script
A limited-series podcast from the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics (Peter Doherty Institute) focused on the role of therapeutics in pandemic preparedness. Across its episodes, experts including WHO figures, health economists, policymakers and scientists discuss why therapeutics (drugs that treat disease after infection) are a critical complement to vaccines in a future health emergency. Themes include: the gap in investment and development timelines for therapeutics exposed by COVID-19; how platform technologies like mRNA could accelerate treatment responses; the importance of equitable access and global health equity; and how ready-to-deploy therapeutics could reduce hospital pressure, help keep societies functioning and shape more nuanced policy responses in future pandemics.
11/29/25 • 1 min read
As forecast, the shut down of USAID under the Trump administration has led to increased mortality.
Striking when you consider that an “estimated [that] USAID assistance—aimed at combatting diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and polio, reducing maternal and child deaths, and fighting malnutrition—had saved 92 million lives over two decades”
To see the impact of the loss US AID, ‘Rovina’s Choice’ brings into stark reality what goes when aid goes.
In a related topic, you may find Christina Bennett’s Keynote at the 15th Annual Conference Keynote for Risk, Disaster and Resilience at University College London to be interesting.