Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

This month, we’re focusing on infectious diseases, a topic that affects lives and communities around the world. Here, you’ll find the latest research news, insights, and discoveries shaping how infectious diseases are being studied, prevented, and treated globally.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 8-Jan-2026 19:11 ET (9-Jan-2026 00:11 GMT/UTC)

17-Dec-2025

Pre-school health programme does not improve children’s diet or physical activity, prompting call for policy changes, study finds

University of Bristol
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A pre-school diet and physical activity programme does not improve children’s calorie intake or overall physical activity levels in nursery settings, a new University of Bristol-led study has found.  The research published in The Lancet Regional Health - Europe today [17 December] highlights the need for policy-led rather than intervention-led approaches to improving young children’s health.

Funder

National Institute for Health Research

17-Dec-2025

Heavy menstruation common among teenage girls – questionnaire reveals risk of iron deficiency

Lund University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

More than half of teenage girls experienced heavy bleeding and 40 per cent had an iron deficiency. The research, led from Lund University in Sweden, also shows that young teenage girls who experience heavy menstrual bleeding – and are therefore at greater risk of iron deficiency – can be identified using a simple questionnaire.

Journal

PLOS One

Funder

Region Skåne, Lions Research Fund Skåne, Regional Funding for Clinical Research (Region Skåne), Karolinska Institutet, Lund University

16-Dec-2025

The quality of carbohydrates in the diet plays a key role in the prevention of dementia

Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The quality and quantity of carbohydrates in the diet play a decisive role in the development of dementias. This is according to a combined study carried out by the Nutrition and Metabolic Health (NuMeH) research group of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), the Centre for Environmental, Food and Toxicological Technology (TecnATox), and the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV). The results of this research have been published in the scientific journal International Journal of Epidemiology.

Journal

International Journal of Epidemiology

16-Dec-2025

Theobromine from cocoa linked to slower biological aging

Impact Journals LLC
Peer-Reviewed Publication

BUFFALO, NY — December 16, 2025 — A new research paper was published in Aging-US on December 10, 2025, titled “Theobromine is associated with slower epigenetic ageing.”

Journal

Aging-US

16-Dec-2025

​Algae for health in food and pharma ​

European Science Communication Institute gGmbH
Meeting Announcement

​IRELAND, Dublin, 15.12.2025 – With algae gaining global attention for their health potential, the ‘Algae for Health in Food and Pharma’ summit invites experts from academia and industry to convene in Dublin next March and explore how algae can reshape the nutrition and health sector. 

Funder

Horizon 2020 Framework Programme

16-Dec-2025

From labs to local tables: How research Is helping fight food insecurity

Binghamton University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research from Binghamton University, State University of New York demonstrates the power of collaboration between academic institutions and the local community to address food insecurity.

Journal

Practicing Anthropology