
Technicolour lakes and butterfly brains: Wellcome photography prize 2025
Dhaka in Bangladesh has been subject to rapid urbanisation driven by climate migrants fleeing the rising threat of extreme weather events and natural disasters. Nuraine and her mother live in the city. Nuraine wanted to have a picnic outside in nature, but there are very few parks left, so her mother decided to recreate a 'nature experience' on the roof of their apartment building
This image is of cholesterol crystals (blue) within a human liver cell (purple). Cholesterol builds up in the circulatory system and causes blood-vessel damage, leading to heart attacks and strokes. Detailed images such as these can help scientists and the public understand the effects of cholesterol on the body
This aerial picture is of the former village of Geamăna in Transylvania, Romania. In 1977 the Romanian president, Nicolae Ceaușescu, ordered the evacuation of the village's 1,000 inhabitants to clear the way for the creation of a large lake to store toxic waste from the nearby copper mines. Popescu created this image to highlight how the beauty of the lake – which continues to grow - is at odds with its toxicity
Mordechai Zilberman sits wearing his late partner Aryeh's clothes, holding a flower-decorated mask. The two Israeli men were together for 60 years. After moving to a nursing home, he concealed his sexuality, fearing rejection from other residents and staff. This image is part of a series by Wagenstein, who worked with older LGBTQ+ people in their homes. The mask, made by Wagenstein, represents this act of hiding
Vanessa was diagnosed with breast cancer when they were 38. After a double mastectomy, they opted for 'aesthetic flat closure'. This decision was gender-affirming for them, and therefore positive, despite it also being a devastating experience. The portrait is from an ongoing series amplifying stories from people who are underrepresented in breast cancer research. Vanessa died at the end of December 2024 and this portrait is a celebration of their life
This was taken after a surgical procedure to implant electrodes into Vidler's brain. The procedure is carried out on people who have epilepsy that can't be controlled by medication and is used to identify which area of the brain is causing the seizures, and can determine whether they are eligible for brain surgery. Vidler took this picture on the first day that the electrodes were inserted, and he had to keep them in for seven days
This is of Musa Wandawa collecting water from a well next to his house in Jinja, Uganda. When Wandawa was 10 years old he contracted polio which left him with some physical disabilities. 'When I was growing up,' he says, 'children were sometimes afraid of me. I believe this perception has changed over the years and continues to change'
Ko Tun is a craftsman from Inle Lake in Myanmar who creates carved traditional lacquerware. Due to the loss of several limbs, Ko Tun works primarily with his left foot. Pyae Phyo says he wanted this image to give a broader perspective on the meaning of health: 'Ko Tun's resilience is not just physical, it is mental and emotional. His story speaks to the importance of purpose and adaptability in overcoming life's challenges'
Some of the most quietly powerful images explore ageing and the emotional terrain of later life. In this image , Waller photographs her mother navigating daily life in rural Australia. Her portraits are full of stillness and tenderness, capturing daily rituals
This is the brain of a butterfly undergoing metamorphosis as new neurones are born through a process called neurogenesis. Studying this process can provide valuable insights into how the nervous system is formed, as well as brain disorders, says scientist Alcalde Anton
Fine-particle pollution kills seven million people a year worldwide, and is linked to numerous health issues. This image shows magnified pollution particles in this street, visualising this otherwise 'invisible killer'. UK-based artist Vitaglione collaborated with scientists at Imperial College to collect samples
A group of divers admire Nemo's Garden - the world's first underwater greenhouse system, located in Liguria, Italy. It was created to research farming solutions for areas where growing plants may be challenging in the future. By highlighting this groundbreaking project, d'Orlando invites us to consider how an underwater vegetable garden might help us face the new challenges that climate crisis is bringing
This self-portrait by UK-based photographer Wileman documents the dates of her scars from endometriosis surgeries. The condition affects one in 10 women and those assigned female at birth and, says Wileman, 'is dangerously underfunded, under-researched and misunderstood, leaving so many isolated in their agony and fighting to be heard'
This image captures a group of local people collecting water from a riverbed in Purulia, a district in West Bengal, India. Due to global heating, the monsoon season is becoming more irregular, causing rivers to dry out. During the dry season, many villages in this area regularly run out of drinking water

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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Girl's unlawful killing after Huntercombe Hospital errors 'shocking'
The case of a teenager who was unlawfully killed after she was able to self-harm at a mental health hospital is "shocking", a government spokesperson Szymankiewicz had been observed by a worker on his first shift who let her slip away to her bedroom despite her needing constant supervision at Huntercombe Hospital, near Maidenhead, Berkshire, in February 14-year-old's parents opposed her moving to the failing hospital, two hours away from their home in Salisbury, Wiltshire."This is a shocking case and it is clear that care at the Huntercombe Hospital fell far below the standards we expect," the Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said. Ruth was left unaccompanied in her bedroom for about 15 minutes, where she was later found unconscious. She died at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford two days hospital, which has since been shut down, was rated inadequate and then requires improvement in two inspections by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in than half of the staff due to be working on Ruth's ward were absent when the inexperienced agency worker was drafted in to monitor her.A jury found on Thursday that other factors that contributed to Ruth's death included insufficient staff training and that her care was "not suitable nor conducive" to helping her recovery. Ruth's father Mark said on Thursday, following the jury's conclusion that she was unlawfully killed, that she had been "immersed in a highly chaotic environment".He said she was "essentially caged" away from her passion of animals and nature on the "poorly trained, understaffed and unsafe" psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU).Ruth's mother Kate said they share "ongoing serious concerns about the governance of Ruth's care and by extension the ongoing governance of other units throughout the country."She said they "particularly question the role of the CQC", given that "despite all the warnings, nothing meaningfully changed at Huntercombe" before her daughter's death. The government spokesperson said in a statement: "Our deepest sympathies are with Ruth's family and friends."Young people with mental health issues have not been getting the care they need where they need it," they added."We've instructed the NHS to prioritise increasing the availability of mental health beds, and we are investing £75m this year to reduce inappropriate out of area placements so that patients can receive care closer to home." A CQC spokesperson said it "undertook a number of inspections" of the hospital after Ruth's death and "increased our monitoring" of the Active Care Group, which ran it. Another inspection in which the hospital was found to be inadequate followed in December 2022. The Active Care Group stopped providing child and adolescent mental health services (CAHMS) there later."Although the site is no longer operational, we continue to monitor the safety and quality of services at the provider's other locations and across mental health services for children and young people," the CQC spokesperson added."Everyone deserves to receive high quality care and where we find that this is not the case we take action, including using our enforcement powers." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
The shocking side effect of ADHD drugs that could impact 22million Americans
People with ADHD who take medication may have a lower risk of dangerous behaviors, such as criminality, addiction and suicidal ideations, according to a new study. ADHD affects around five percent of children and 2.5 percent of adults globally, roughly 200 million people. It is linked to increased risks of suicidal behaviors, substance abuse, accidental injuries, transport accidents and criminality if people do not seek treatment. An international team of researchers wanted to establish if medication reduces these risks. Researchers from the University of Southampton and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that for two years of treatment with ADHD medication, people who took the drugs were less likely to experience these harmful incidents than those who didn't take medication. Around 22 million Americans are estimated to have ADHD and just over half of these are prescribed medication to manage their symptoms, which can include impulsiveness, disorganization and difficulty focusing. Medications are broadly classified into two main categories: stimulants and non-stimulants. Stimulants, the most common type, include methylphenidate and amphetamine-based medications that improve the transmission of the brain chemical dopamine which affects mood, motivation and movement. Non-stimulant options like atomoxetine, clonidine, and guanfacine can also be used, if stimulants are not effective or well tolerated. These help improve the transmission of norepinephrine, a hormone that helps with alertness and focus. Some of the best known brand names for ADHD medications include Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse, Focalin, Concerta, and Daytrana. Exactly why the condition occurs is not completely understood, but ADHD tends to run in families, suggesting genes may play a part. It is surprisingly common and as diagnosis has risen, so too have prescriptions for ADHD medication. From 2012 to 2022, the number of annual stimulant prescriptions increased by 57.9 percent, reaching 79.6 million, according to the DEA. In the new study, researchers examined multiple population and health records in Sweden linked by unique personal identification numbers assigned to every resident in the country. The team used a novel study design called a 'trial emulation' to simulate a trial using existing real-world data from 148,581 people with ADHD. Comparing those who had started any type of ADHD medication within three months of diagnosis with those who hadn't, they examined the records over the following two years. They found any form of medication reduced the first occurrence of four of the five incidents (with accidental injury being the exception) and all five outcomes when considering recurring incidents. Those taking stimulant medication were associated with the lowest incident rates, compared to non-stimulant medications. Methylphenidate was the most commonly prescribed drug, the researchers found. The likelihood was most reduced amongst people exhibiting a recurring pattern of behavior, such as multiple suicide attempts, numerous drug relapses or repeat offending. Medication didn't reduce the risk of a first-time accidental injury, but did reduce the risk of recurring ones. The study is the first of its kind to show the beneficial effect of ADHD medication on these broader clinical outcomes using a novel statistical method and data representative of all patients in routine clinical care from a whole country. 'This finding is consistent with most guidelines that generally recommend stimulants as the first-line treatment, followed by non-stimulants,' explains Dr Zheng Chang, senior author of the study from the Karolinska Institute. 'There is an ongoing discussion regarding whether methylphenidate [a stimulant medication for ADHD] should be included in the World Health Organization model list of essential medications, and we hope this research will help to inform this debate.' Co-senior author on the paper Samuele Cortese, a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Professor at the University of Southampton added: 'The failure form clinical services to provide timely treatments that reduce these important outcomes represents a major ethical issue that needs to be addressed with urgency, with the crucial input of people with lived experience.'


BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Chloe Barber's family want change after teen took her own life
The mother of a teenager who took her own life following spells in psychiatric hospitals says she wants lessons to be learnt from her daughter's Barber, 18, from Driffield, East Yorkshire, had a history of self-harm and was found dead at home by a member of her family on 3 November 2021.A coroner said it was "probable there was no realistic opportunity to prevent her death" and filed a Prevention of Future Deaths Report, raising concerns there was not a "clearly defined pathway" for patients to transition from child and adolescent to adult mental health mother, Kirsten, said she wanted "accountability for the failures" and a "crystal clear path" for patients. Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust maintained that the coroner found "no evidence of causation attributable to us" but said it welcomed an opportunity to "share any further learnings".An inquest into Miss Barber's death last month heard the teenager was referred to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in 2017 after her first attempt to self-harm when she was bullied at school. According to senior coroner Prof Paul Marks, Miss Barber had a history of taking multiple overdoses and was an inpatient at psychiatric units in Hull and Sheffield after being sectioned under the Mental Health Barber was "adamant in her refusal to engage with adult mental health services" and returned home in July 2021 after a successful appeal to be died four months his report, Prof Marks raised a number of issues which "may have contributed to her death", including the decision to stop a treatment that "may have more than minimally, trivially or negligibly resulted in increased emotional instability leading to impulsive behaviour" near the time of her also noted "considerable uncertainty and ignorance" for the provision of support measures and aftercare, and said the lack of a clearly defined pathway was a nationwide issue."There was also valid concern about the lack of documentation and poor communication between services and partner organisations," he said. Mrs Barber said: "They were supposed to be professionals. They just thought of Chloe as a name on a piece of paper."I'm not sure really what will happen or if anything will change."Pleading for accountability, she said: "Don't we as a family have the right to that, at least?"What are they going to do about the clear lack of transition from adolescent to adult services?"I want Chloe to have a legacy for change and to make sure that any other vulnerable person has a clear pathway from adolescent to adult services."The NHS trust said: "As always, our organisation remains committed to continually learning and making meaningful improvements to the safety and quality of the care we provide."NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have been approached for comment. Need help? If you have been affected by this story the BBC Action Line web page features a list of organisations which are ready to provide support and advice. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices