UCM

Complutense University of Madrid

Information
Av. Séneca 2, 28040 Madrid

addictions, Alzheimer's, Antarctica / Arctic, astrobiology, astrophysics, big data, bioethics, climate change, cancer, behavioural sciences, natural sciences, climate, quantum computing, pollution, covid-19, embryonic development, diabetes, gene editing, education, energy, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, rare diseases, ageing, epidemiology, STDs, physics, immunology, language, mathematics, microbiology, nanoscience, neuroscience, new materials, palaeontology, chemistry, robotics, mental health, AIDS / HIV, sociology, supercomputing, transgenics
Contact
María Milán García
Journalist at the OTRI Scientific Culture Unit
m.milan@ucm.es
617691087

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SMC participants

Lecturer of Palaeontology at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and affiliated researcher at CENIEH

Assistant Professor in the department of Nursing at the Complutense University of Madrid and Director of the CEST Research Group on Emotional Competence, Health, and Well-being in the Workplace

 

Professor of Prehistory and member of the Institute for Feminist Research at the Complutense University of Madrid

Associate Professor at Camilo José Cela University, researcher at the HM Hospitales Health Research Institute (Madrid) and collaborating researcher in the Department of Personality, Evaluation and Clinical Psychology at the Complutense University of Madrid

Professor of Astrophysics and Director of the Space Astronomy Group at the Complutense University of Madrid

Acute Cardiac Care Unit Coordinator. Cardiovascular Institute. Hospital Clínico San Carlos. Madrid; Associate Professor of Medicine at Complutense University of Madrid; and President of the Association of Ischemic Heart Disease and Acute Cardiac Care of the Spanish Society of Cardiology

Accredited professor, lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology and director of the Research Group on Testimony Psychology at the Complutense University of Madrid

Professor of Biochemistry at the Complutense University of Madrid, president of the Spanish Society of Dietetics and Food Sciences (SEDCA) and treasurer of the Spanish Federation of Nutrition, Food and Dietetics Societies (FESNAD).

Lecturer in the Department of Theoretical Physics and member of the Dynamics of Disordered Systems group at the Complutense University of Madrid

Professor and Director of the Antibiotic Resistance Unit at the Complutense University of Madrid, WHO adviser on antibiotic resistance and One Health

Contents related to this centre
copernicus

Two Copernicus services have independently confirmed that global sea surface temperatures have broken records for this time of year. Daily data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service exceeded the 2024 levels on 21 June, reaching 20.86 °C, higher than the 20.83 °C recorded in 2023 and 2024. Data from the Copernicus Marine Watch Service show temperatures of 21.0 °C on 21 June, beating the 2023 and 2024 records by 0.1 °C. This unprecedented warming is linked to the onset of El Niño (announced by the WMO and declared by NOAA on 11 June) and to record-breaking sea surface temperatures in the North Pacific; consequences are anticipated for weather patterns, the global climate and marine ecosystems.

mental health

A team of researchers analyzed data on mental health consultations among people aged 10 to 46 in Norway’s primary care system from 2010 to 2024. They observed significant increases in consultations for symptoms of anxiety and depression, particularly among young people and especially among women. However, the proportion of consultations coded as disorders increased only slightly or remained stable. The authors suggest that this discrepancy may be due to changes in help-seeking behavior when experiencing psychological distress and in diagnostic practices, rather than an increase in mental health problems. Furthermore, they note that the growing volume of consultations for symptoms poses a challenge for primary care physicians, one that could be addressed through psychoeducation or digital interventions. The article is published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, part of the BMJ Group.

earthquake venezuela

Venezuela has been hit by a pair of earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The quakes struck less than a minute apart and have severely affected the city of Caracas and surrounding areas. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez reported that the death toll has risen from 32 to 164 and the number of injured from 700 to 971. She also declared the state of La Guaira, north of Caracas, a “disaster area” and announced the mobilization of the country’s entire public and private healthcare network.

 

Abeja

A meta-analysis published today in PNAS shows that, globally, the loss of agricultural production due to insufficient pollination has declined since the 1980s, primarily thanks to the use of honeybees. The research includes 165 studies published between 1950 and 2019, the results of which showed that fields without managed pollinators did not exhibit a clear reduction in this loss of productivity. According to the authors, this type of pollination has mitigated yield losses, but the heavy reliance on a single pollinator species—the common honeybee—poses risks to agriculture. 

laboratory

Formaldehyde is a preservative used on human tissue; inhaling it has harmful health effects and it is considered a human carcinogen. A study published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine shows that airborne concentrations of this compound in most pathological anatomy departments of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) are rarely monitored and regularly exceed the occupational exposure limits set by the European Union (EU): seven out of 10 departments exceeded the eight-hour maximum exposure limit set by the EU.

excavation

An international team led by the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) and the University of Toronto (Canada) has discovered that Homo erectus were already using fire on a regular basis 1.07 million years ago and 1.79 million years ago at the Wonderwerk Cave (South Africa). Previous evidence had placed more regular and controlled use of fire one million years ago in Africa at that same site. The team, whose study is published in PLoS ONE, used a novel non-invasive technique based on luminescence.

 

Walking

A team from China used data from over 17,000 people in the UK Biobank to analyze the relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular risk. Their results indicate that the current minimum recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week was associated with an 8-9% risk reduction. However, increasing the time to 560-610 minutes was linked to a decrease of more than 30%. According to the authors, who published the study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the current recommendations offer universal but modest protection, and optimal benefits would be obtained with substantially higher levels of activity.

abeja

Decades ago, concerns began to be raised about the decline in honeybee populations. Although their situation has improved, the same cannot be said for other pollinating insects. Together, they enable the reproduction of nearly 90% of flowering plants and directly contribute to three out of every four crops that feed the world. We examine the causes of this decline, their current situation, and the measures being taken to protect them.

 

lab mouse

A team from the United States analyzed 611 samples from 341 model mouse strains stored at the Mutant Mouse Resource and Research Centers (MMRRC), a research resource network supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). By comparing the identity of each strain with its actual genetic profile, they found that approximately half of the samples showed discrepancies. Although the expected engineered mutation was generally present and many inconsistencies were relatively minor, some had the potential to compromise the validity and reproducibility of the experiments by introducing hidden genetic variables that could alter biological outcomes. The findings are published in Science.

 

Clima europa

Rapid warming in Europe is reducing snow and ice cover, while very high air temperatures, drought, heatwaves, and record ocean temperatures are affecting regions from the Arctic to the Mediterranean. These are the main findings of the State of the Climate in Europe (ESOTC) 2025 report, prepared by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which operates the Copernicus Climate Change Service, and by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The data show that 95% of the continent recorded above-average annual temperatures last year, and river flows were below average for 11 months.