Suitable for students with a broad range of interests, this medical-biology digest explores promising new ideas in cancer treatment that have emerged in recent years, with a focus on the exciting prospects for immunotherapy in cancer treatment. Through inclusion of a range of thinking tasks and ideas for further exploration, particularly useful for those with prospective university interviews, the digest aims to encourage students to develop originality of thought and informed opinions about scientific news articles which will guide further interest in particular fields and interesting research questions.

Keeping up with current research in one’s topics of interest, especially those outside the curriculum, is extremely useful preparation for those interested in future degrees and careers in STEM subjects. In this article, discover a new memory destruction approach that has the potential to revolutionise the way in which we treat certain mental health conditions and could have immensely positive impacts on people’s lives.

Keeping you updated with the latest in medicine! Prions are proteins which are transmitted between humans and animals and can cause destruction of the brain, for example Mad Cow Disease. They're really interesting as no one really knows how they work yet - find out what prion diseases are, how they are transmitted, why they are so hard to treat, and the potential for a cure.

Explore the fascinating details of cardiac development and functioning and different ways in which these can go wrong with Oxford Medic, Rhea. Unfortunately, in our modern society, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death and is associated with many co-morbidities including obesity and hypertension. Rhea will lead you through some of the scientific principles currently being translated to patient-centred, clinical practice, as well as some of the latest clinical evidence on some of the drugs used for treatment, to highlight the ever-advancing nature of medicine and provide inspiration for the future.

Human beings seek the thrills of life. We enjoy pushing our bodies to the limit, conquering challenges, exposing ourselves to potential danger. Rollercoasters? We love the adrenaline rush. Mountain climbing is one such challenge. Find out what happens to the body as mountaineers ascend to the heavens, why athletes train at high altitude and some of the ground-breaking work in Medicine on cells and oxygen availability.

Explore the branches of Parkinson’s disease research, offering an exciting example of the emerging, ever-advancing nature of medical sciences. Rhea reflects on how the molecular and anatomical principles of a disease can be practically investigated in various animals models, and results translated to a clinical scenario, to improve clinical outcomes.

Digital anthropology as a field is fairly new and seeks to use anthropological theories and methods to understand how people are interacting with digital aspects of today’s world. The field is broad and encapsulates everything from the use of Facebook in rural India, through societal conceptions of big data, and the ethics of AI. Follow Ada’s meandering route through the field and into the pioneering use of the digital in international development and public health.

Cancer is a highly prevalent, multifaceted and unique disease that kills one in five individuals. Find out about the onset, characteristics and treatment of Cancer with an Oxford Medic. Could genome sequencing give rise to new treatments? Is the dream of a single ‘cure’ a practical one in combatting the destructive disease?

Did you know that you have ten times more bacterial cells in your body than human cells? Find out about the ever-increasing roles for our bacteria or ‘microbiota’ that are being discovered and the latest Medical treatments that make use of them.