Dr Catia Nicodemo

Pregnancy often creates a lasting break in women’s careers, widening the gender wage gap after childbirth. Mothers are more likely to reduce hours and face slower advancement, while fathers’ earnings remain stable or rise. Career models built on uninterrupted full-time work reinforce this motherhood penalty, affecting lifetime income. Reducing inequality requires shared caregiving, better leave policies, childcare access, and workplaces that do not penalize flexibility.

Climate change is increasing workplace accidents, injuries, and deaths in the UK as rising temperatures impair concentration, reaction time, and physical capacity. Heatwaves amplify risks, especially for outdoor workers, hot indoor workplaces, and those using protective equipment. Despite growing evidence, protections rely largely on employer discretion. Stronger, mandatory heat action plans are needed to reduce health risks, prevent inequality, and adapt workplaces to a warming climate.

Research increasingly shows vaccines may help prevent chronic diseases, not just infections. Studies link shingles vaccination to a lower dementia risk and HPV vaccination to cancer prevention. By reducing viral reactivation and inflammation, vaccines can protect long-term brain and overall health, highlighting their role as investments in lifelong disease prevention.