Researching love at Birmingham

At the University of Birmingham we love, love. We love, love so much, that over the years our academics have done a lot of research on the topic. As we celebrate our 125^th anniversary this year, and it is Valentine's Day, we thought we would gift you some of our past love research.

Love is blind

In August last year new research from the University and published in the journal Nature, found that male fruit flies will become oblivious to physical danger as they become more engaged in courtship and sex.

Dr Carolina Rezaval, Dr Laurie Cazale-Debat and their international team of researchers were able to show that pursuit of a coveted reward – in this case a female fly – will cause a male fruit fly to ignore threats such as predation.

This was the first time the neural networks in the fly’s brain that direct this decision-making process, revealing the neurotransmitter dopamine has a leading role to play.

Dr Rezaval said: “Our study shows that as courtship progresses, dopamine increases, acting as a sensory filter that blocks distractions and helps the animal focus on the task at hand when close to its goal. We are excited to explore if this is a general decision-making mechanism that is also present in mammals, including humans.”

Being able to read minds leads to better cooperation

In 2023 our academics answered an age old question for couples all over the world: “Why can’t you just read my mind!?” Turns out mind reading is real, and a person’s ‘mindreading ability’ can predict how well they are able to cooperate, even with people they have never met before.

The research was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: LMC.

The researchers found that people with strong mind reading abilities – the ability to understand and take the perspective of another person’s feelings and intentions– are more successful in cooperating to complete tasks than people with weaker mind reading abilities.

These qualities, also called ‘theory of mind’, are not necessarily related to intelligence and could be improved through training programmes to foster improved cooperation.

Lead researcher Roksana Markiewicz said: “We show for the first time that cooperation is not all about you. Even if you have excellent mindreading abilities yourself, it will still be advantageous to cooperate with someone with similar abilities, so choose your cooperation partner wisely!”

People don’t die of a broken heart, they die of broken immune systems

Back in 2011 immunity experts at the University of Birmingham have found biological evidence to suggest that bereavement lowers physical immunity, putting older people at risk of life-threatening infections.

The research was published in the journal Brain Behavior and Immunity showed that the emotional stress of bereavement is associated with a fall in the efficiency of white blood cells known as neutrophils, which combat infections such a pneumonia, a major cause of death in older adults.

The results built on research previously published by Dr Anna Phillips and her team which showed that older adults who have suffered bereavement in the past 12 months had a poorer antibody response to the annual flu jab compared to non-bereaved adults.

Professor Janet Lord, a co-author on the study said: “These results back our conviction that bereaved older people don’t die of a broken heart, they die of a broken immune system.”

The science of a perfect romcom

Cuddling up and watching a romantic film is a Valentine's Day tradition for many, and Dr Christina Wilkins made headlines when she unpacked the science to the perfect romcom for The Conversation.

She argues that tropes like the ‘friends to lovers’ storyline and a miscommunication underpinned by conflict. These conflicts are broken into three major fields: between parents and children, the two characters who are dating, or when someone has to choose between personal development and sacrifice.

Dr Wilkins also explains that the romcom provides the perfect place to explore the theme of love and identity in a comforting way. But she concludes: “the perfect romcom is one that shows that, despite all the challenges life may throw at us, there is sometimes a happy ending.”

Acts of kindness and love can be lifesaving

It isn’t just romantic love we have been exploring, but platonic love and acts of kindness as well.

Research from the SEREDA Project and published in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, found that forced migrant survivors of SGBV have experienced acts of everyday and extraordinary kindness from people they met throughout their journeys. And that these acts can be lifesaving and life changing.

Through interviews with 166 forced migrant survivors of SGBV, the researchers learnt of a range of kindness the refugees had experienced on their journeys in the face of cruelties at the hands of authority figures and smugglers amongst others.

This is the first time that instances of kindness experienced during these journeys have been researched, and by uncovering the importance of kind encounters, present a fresh perspective on the journeys experienced by forced migrants.

Professor Jenny Phillimore said: “Our study reveals that kind encounters manifest across forced migration journeys and range from the extraordinary to the everyday. Such encounters offer vital help and support and can connect people across social barriers while fostering resistance against degrading bordering practices and help prevent further violence and danger.”

Cocoa can protect you from stress

Valentine's Day is an excuse to eat chocolate, and as if you needed any more convincing, new research from the University of Birmingham has found that cocoa can protect your body from fatty foods during periods of stress.

The research was published in Food and Function.

Rosalind Baynham, Dr Catarina Rendeiro, and Professor Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten found that drinking cocoa high in flavanols in combination with a fatty meal can counteract some of the impact of fatty food and protect the vascular system from stress.

Flavanols are a type of compound that occur in different fruits, vegetables, tea and nuts including berries and unprocessed cocoa. Flavanols are known to have health benefits, particularly for regulating blood pressure and protecting cardiovascular health.

The findings also showed the cocoa drink high in flavanols was effective at preventing the decline in vascular function following stress and fat consumption.

Dr Catarina Rendeiro said: “This research shows that drinking or eating a food high in flavanols can be used as a strategy to mitigate some of the impact of poorer food choices on the vascular system. This can help us make more informed decisions about what we eat and drink during stressful periods.”

So, there is a snapshot of new ways to think about love in society, biology and pop culture. In the next 125 years we are sure we will find plenty more discoveries and revelations, about that defining human experience, love.