Fareha Lasker

Having been Sports Editor and a sub-editor of The Verse newspaper while studying for a BSc in Biomedical Sciences, Fareha’s neeky interests include rugby, health, cheerleading and medicine. This year as well as learning the sitar, she is excited to be Environment Commissioning Editor and hopes to expand her neekiness to all things green.

Follow Fareha on Twitter @talkneekytome
Find Fareha's blog here www.talkneekytome.wordpress.com

The nocebo effect – negative thinking on drug action

by Fareha Lasker

Mar 292011

With the nocebo effect negative thinking could count against your medication

The belief that a treatment cannot or will not work can be so strong that it can lead to worsening of symptoms, according to a recent study carried out at the University of Hamburg Medical Centre

The research, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, found participants’ pain levels fluctuated when told they were or were not receiving remifentanil, a powerful painkiller.

When participants were told that remifentanil had been discontinued, their pain levels shot up despite the fact the treatment and dosage had remained unchanged.

These observations have given credence to the theory of a nocebo effect. Continue reading »

Fairtrade Fortnight

by Djuke Veldhuis, Fareha Lasker, Michael Jones and Jennifer Appleton

Mar 242011

Fairtrade: what does it mean?

Everday in the UK over nine million cups of fairtrade tea, six million cups of fairtrade coffee and 2 million fairtrade chocolate bars are sold.

Ethical snack breaks are clearly a popular treat.

The fairtrade foundation launched fairtrade fortnight 2011 by announcing that sales of fairtrade products had soared by 40 per cent in 2010 – to an estimated retail value of 1.17 billion pounds.

Fairtrade fortnight runs from the 28th feb to the 13th march. City University Environment Officer Dawn White told us a little more about what the College is doing during the two-week period.

Cardiovascular disease is diabetes' worst enemy

by Débora Miranda and Fareha Lasker

Feb 192011

The European Society of Cardiology is so concerned about the dangerous links between diabetes type two and cardiovascular disease that it’s designated the 14th November World Diabetes Day. Watch the video to know more about the links between diabetes and cardiovascular disease.