Reading in the news - Fri 8 Jan

COVID-19: expert comment on the coronavirus pandemic      

• Dr Simon Clarke (Biological Sciences) spoke to talkRadio on vaccine rollout, answered listeners' questions during a phone-in on BBC Radio Oxford; and featured on Swiss TV channel SRF News (3 mins 23 secs in) on school closures.
• Dr Clarke is quoted in a Reuters article picked up by CNBC.com, Telegraph.co.uk, Mail Online, The Mirror, Yahoo News UK and multiple other international outlets on how effective vaccines will be against new mutations of the virus (including TRT World, Danish site Information, Business Insider South Africa, MSN Singapore and Khaleej Times). Dr Clarke is also quoted in a Telegraph.co.uk article on vaccine rollout; Headlines and Global News for an article on how the US is tackling the new variant; and Sindo News on the South African strain. 

#WeAreTogether: Reading's work to tackle the coronavirus crisis. Read our round-up 

• Gurinder Singh (Pharmacy) has written an article for The Pharmaceutical Journal about his experience of working for NHS Test and Trace, and also heading up the University's Covid-19 case management team. 

US riots: Dr Mark Shanahan (Politics) spoke to Heart Berkshire, BBC Radio West Midlands and Arirang about the riots that took place after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building.

Cold snap on its way: The Mirror and Reading.co.uk report on the detection of a major sudden stratospheric warming that could bring unusually cold weather to the UK in the coming weeks - Simon Lee (Meteorology) is quoted. Read our news story. 

Other coverage: 

• Dr Andrew Urquhart (ICMA) wrote a blog for The Conversation on why the price of Bitcoin has shot up and where it can go from here.
• A Reading Chronicle (print) article on nameplates dotted around Reading mentions the two red plaques located on the London Rd campus that celebrate Alfred and George William Palmer and famous poet Wilfred Owen.
• Matt Tebbitt, Head of Residential Catering and Bars, has written an article for TUCO Magazine (print) on why the University is adopting the Menus of Change programme, which promotes the provision of healthy sustainable food choices.
• A Global Finance article on two senior female appointments at Shell quotes Averil MacDonald, chair of industry group UK Onshore Oil and Gas and emeritus professor of science engagement at the University of Reading.
• Law news site Lexology features an article from global law firm Dentons on new construction legislation which makes reference to University of Reading research on neighbourhood planning.
• 3DNatives features a news story on The Pollen Project, which, led by PhD student Oliver Wilson, is using 3D printing to help students and researchers to better see pollen grains.