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Our research impact

Woman at a climate protest

Research at the University of Southampton is addressing some of the most challenging issues facing society. From improving cancer treatments to optimising renewable energy and fighting COVID-19. Discover how our research is changing the world for the better.

Featured Highlights

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A silhouette of somebody's hand placing their vote into the polling booth box

Can AI be used to undermine elections?

AI, big data and analytics
Future societies and communities
Online political disinformation and voter profiling spiked during recent elections in the UK and US. How can we now protect democracies from threats posed by AI?
A large crowd of people stretches as far as the eye can see. A low, bright sun highlights a number of individuals who make up the crowd
3 November 2023

Working out how nations can better take everybody into account

AI, big data and analytics
Future societies and communities
University statistical researchers, led by Professor Paul Smith, have helped nations better estimate their populations. This work to improve censuses has had a big economic and political impact.
Woman walking past numerous people sitting along a fence covered in laundry
13 Oct 2023

Giving displaced women and girls a voice

Future societies and communities
Health and wellbeing
Professor Pia Riggirozzi highlights the perilous journeys migrant women and young girls from Central America and Venezuela undertake, including the risks they face and failures of current policies to protect them.
A close-up of a young black woman with acne, wearing a beige turtleneck shirt and looking directly at the camera.
11 Oct 2023

Reducing antibiotic use and improving acne outcomes for women

Health and wellbeing
A cheap and readily available drug used to treat high blood pressure could help thousands of young women who suffer from persistent acne.
A close-up stock image of a young child with an outbreak of eczema on her cheek.
6 Oct 2023

Reducing the debilitating effect of childhood eczema

Health and wellbeing
Research into reducing the symptoms of eczema in children has helped them and their families manage the condition better, created savings for the NHS, and changed clinical guidelines around the world.
A tractor scattering crushed rock as it drives across a field.
20 Jul 2023

Removing carbon from the atmosphere

Environment, sustainability and clean growth
A Southampton geochemist is carrying out research to speed up the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. It is receiving an explosion of international interest in the global bid to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) in the atmosphere and reach net zero.
vineyard on a hillside
11 Jul 2023

Helping local winegrowing communities adapt to global challenges

Environment, sustainability and clean growth
Ethnographic research in Burgundy’s vineyards inspired new perspectives on how rural communities can tackle issues such as globalisation and climate change.
ink sketch of womwn of varying age in cllothes from 1870 to 1950
10 Jul 2023

Recovering women's contributions to archaeology, history, and heritage

Digital
Culture and creativity
AI, big data and analytics
A Southampton historian has been using his digital humanities expertise to help rediscover the less well-known who worked in archaeology, history and heritage of 19th and 20th century Britain.
A block of wooden card catalogue drawers
6 Jul 2023

Uncovering bias in the way we document the past

Culture and creativity
Digital
AI, big data and analytics
Professor James Baker researched the impact of curatorial labour on the legacy of museum collections. This inspired new perspectives on how to make our cultural heritage accessible to future generations.
Mars to Humans rover
3 Jul 2023

From Mars to Humans: revolutionising healthcare technology

Engineering
Health and wellbeing
Innovative technology used to search for signs of life on Mars is poised to revolutionise disease detection and monitoring, thanks to research led by the University of Southampton.
Mobile phone displaying news story about the police recruiting rabbits
15 May 2023

The motivational power of positive news stories

Environment, sustainability and clean growth
Future societies and communities
Culture and creativity
Professor Denise Baden challenged traditional ideas about how news should be reported, inspiring initiatives by leading media organisations such as the BBC and “the Guardian”.
A Black man writes on a notepad as he stands outside, a blue sky and a bridge behind
24 Mar 2023

Uncovering the importance of mentoring in supporting young writers

Culture and creativity
The Romantic myth of the lone poet has dominated our understanding of creative practice. Yet a collaborative project led by the University’s Will May has shown how mentors shape the work of contemporary poets
Istanbul skyline, including the famous Galata Tower, with birds soaring above
22 Feb 2023

Giving young people the skills to challenge myths about history

Culture and creativity
Future societies and communities
Professor Jonathan Conlin teamed up with teachers to give students the skills to challenge popular historical myths about the 1923 Lausanne Treaty
An international student packs their bag, including their passport, to come to the UK
15 Feb 2023

Developing a new way to inform international student migration policy

Future societies and communities
Government statisticians needed help to find out if migration statistics were accurate. They turned to University researchers to carry out research on how many international students settle in the UK
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