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Nystagmus Network launches essay competition 2026

Now in its third year, the Nystagmus Network is pleased to announce the launch of the Richard Wilson Essay Prize 2026, a competition aimed at encouraging budding researchers and students to investigate nystagmus.

In memory of Richard

Richard Wilson OBE served as Chair of Trustees of the Nystagmus Network from 2010 to 2019. During that time he introduced the very first Nystagmus Awareness Day, saw the charity’s investment in nystagmus research top £1,000 per week, established an annual UK nystagmus research workshop and hosted the charity’s first ever clinical training event.

Richard received his OBE from Her Majesty the Queen in the New Year’s Honours of 2018. He sadly passed away in 2023 and is fondly remembered by everyone.

Who can take part?

The competition is open to students of all levels, from undergraduate to post-doctorate, in the fields of Ophthalmology, Optometry, Orthoptics or a visual related science, currently studying or working at UK institutions.

Prizes

First prize: £500 and the opportunity to speak at the Nystagmus Network International Nystagmus Symposium 2026. Your cheque will be presented at a Nystagmus Network event.

Second Prize: £200

Third Prize: £100

Judges

The 2026 panel includes

Dr Onyeka Amiebenomo, Senior Lecturer in Optometry, University of the West of England Bristol

Mr Daniel Osborne, Research Orthoptist and NIHR Pre-Doctoral Fellow at University Hospital Southampton NHS FT

They will be supported in their decision making by Nystagmus Network trustees.

Essay Question for 2026

Richard Wilson, OBE

“How could AI change the way that nystagmus is diagnosed and treated?”

Judging criteria

For entries to be considered they must:

demonstrate a significant level of understanding of current clinical practice for nystagmus in the UK

pinpoint any key areas for development which AI could support

identify how AI assisted research can expand clinical knowledge of nystagmus

Format

Essays to be a maximum of 3000 words in length (excluding any diagrams, graphs, references, bibliography).

Timeline

Applications open in December 2025. The deadline for submission is 30 June 2026.

Submission

Completed essays should be emailed to research@nystagmusnet.org clearly marked ‘Richard Wilson Essay Prize’ in the subject line. Entries must include the full name of the candidate, the UK institution where they are registered, their current level of study and their highest academic qualification to date.

What is Nystagmus?

Nystagmus is a condition that affects the eyes, causing them to move involuntarily and repetitively. These movements can be side-to-side (horizontal), up and down (vertical), or in a circular pattern (rotary). 

The motion is usually rhythmic and can vary in speed and intensity. For people living with nystagmus, the constant eye movement can affect vision, depth perception, and balance, although the impact differs greatly from person to person.

There are two main categories of nystagmus: congenital (or infantile) and acquired. Congenital nystagmus typically develops within the first few months of life and is often linked to conditions affecting visual development, such as albinism, optic nerve hypoplasia, or congenital cataracts. In many cases, no single underlying cause is identified. 

Acquired nystagmus, on the other hand, develops later in life and may be associated with neurological conditions, inner ear disorders, head injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, or the use of certain medications.

ww.nystagmusnetwork.org

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Public Urged to Join #SCCForME Campaign to End Harmful Reassessments

Today marks the launch of #SCCforME, a one-day national campaign calling for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (M.E./C.F.S.) to be recognised under the Severe Conditions Criteria (S.C.C.).

The S.C.C. is designed to protect people who have lifelong, disabling conditions from having to go through repeated benefit reassessments. 

Yet despite overwhelming scientific and medical evidence that recovery from M.E./C.F.S. is rare, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does not automatically recognise M.E./C.F.S. under S.C.C.

People with M.E./C.F.S. are currently forced into repeated reassessments to prove they remain disabled, even after being awarded Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA). These reassessments are:

Harmful – triggering post-exertional malaise and worsening symptoms.

Exhausting – draining for people already living with profound fatigue and cognitive dysfunction.

Wasteful – taxpayer money is being spent on reassessing people with a condition that scientific and medical evidence shows is lifelong.

This campaign is not about expanding benefits or increasing eligibility. It is about efficiency, fairness, and compassion: stopping unnecessary reassessments for people with M.E./C.F.S. whose condition is permanent.

The #SCCforME campaign calls for:

Automatic recognition of M.E./C.F.S. as a lifelong condition under the S.C.C.

Clearer guidance to assessors that fluctuations do not equal recovery.

An end to repeated reassessments for people with M.E./C.F.S. who have already been awarded LCWRA.

They are asking members of the public to join the M.E./C.F.S. community in taking part in this one-day campaign by:

Sending a pre-written email to the DWP or their MP.

Posting campaign messages on social media using #SCCforME

Sharing campaign graphics to amplify visibility.

A surge of emails and posts on one day creates urgency and impact, making it harder for decision-makers to ignore.

Learn More

Full details, template emails, social media posts, and shareable graphics are available in the latest blog on stripylightbulb.org.

Sally Callow (pictured) Managing Director, Stripy Lightbulb CIC. told That's Health: “This isn't about getting more people onto benefits. It's about stopping the waste of taxpayer money and ending harmful reassessments for people with M.E./C.F.S. 

"Recovery is rare, in the absence of approved treatments or a cure, and reassessments only cause harm. The system must shift its focus from functionality to permanency.” 

AI therapy works best when you feel emotionally close to your chatbot, study reveals

Mental health chatbots work best when people form an emotional connection with their AI therapist, according to research out today by the University of Sussex.

With more than one in three UK residents now using AI to support their mental health, a new study highlights the key to effective chatbot therapy and the psychological risks of ‘synthetic intimacy’.

Analysis of feedback from 4,000 users of a market-leading mental health app found that therapy was more successful when users developed emotional intimacy with their AI therapist. 

However, the study also raises fresh questions about the growing phenomenon of synthetic intimacy - where people develop social, emotional or intimate bonds with artificial intelligence.

University of Sussex Assistant Professor Dr Runyu Shi told That's Health: “Forming an emotional bond with an AI sparks the healing process of self-disclosure. Extraordinary numbers of people say this works for them, but synthetic intimacy is not without its problems. People can get stuck in a self-fulfilling loop, with the chatbot failing to challenge dangerous perceptions, and vulnerable individuals end up no closer to clinical intervention.”

Reports of people around the globe in relationships or even marriages with artificial intelligence have put synthetic intimacy in the spotlight. The researchers say this is the extreme end of a common phenomenon and have pinpointed the stages by which intimacy with AI is generated.

The process is described as a loop, where users take part in intimate behaviour by disclosing personal information, then they have an emotional response, with feelings of gratitude, safety and freedom from judgement. This can lead to positive changes in thinking and wellbeing, such as self-confidence and higher energy levels. Over time this loop creates an intimate relationship, with human-like roles attributed to the app.

Published in Social Science and Medicine, today’s paper was based on feedback from users of Wysa, a popular mental health app prescribed under the NHS Talking Therapies programme. NHS Trusts are using the app to aid self-referral and support patients on waiting lists. The study reports that users commonly referred to the app as a friend, companion, therapist and even occasionally partner.

University of Sussex Professor Dimitra Petrakaki said: “Synthetic intimacy is a fact of modern life now. Policymakers and app designers would be wise to accept this reality and consider how to ensure cases are escalated when an AI witnesses users in serious need of clinical intervention.”

With chatbots increasingly filling the gaps left by overstretched services charities like Mental Health UK are calling for urgent safeguards to make sure people receive safe and appropriate information.

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