Translational Medicine and Medical Technology

This theme covers the development and application of technology for diagnosing, monitoring and treating disease. These techniques range from conventional ones such as surgery, interventional radiology, vaccines and drugs to novel techniques such as nanomedicine, stem cells, and gene therapy.

Oxford has a very strong tradition in translational medicine. Penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics were first developed and used here and Oxford played a key role in the introduction of arteminisin as a new treatment for malaria. Scientists now based in Oxford also pioneered the use of therapeutic antibodies to manipulate the immune response to treat inflammatory conditions and prevent transplant rejection. Other achievements include the development of the partial knee replacement (the Oxford Partial Knee), needle-free drug delivery (Powderject), and the first software package for medical image fusion (Fusion7D™).

A particular strength of Oxford is the interdisciplinary nature its translational research. For example, the Department of Chemistry collaborates closely with clinical Departments in several drug target discovery projects, and the Department of Engineering has recently established an Institute of Biomedical Engineering close to the clinical Departments.

The recently established Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, a partnership between the NHS, Oxford University, and the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals is a major focus of translational research.

Structured DPhil Programmes

MSc Taught Programmes

Other Relevant Programmes

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Supervisors in Translational Medicine and Medical Technology

Brian J Angus

Malaria, HIV and Melioidosis

Daniel Anthony

How mediators of the inflammatory response contribute to the outcome of spinal or brain injuries. How events in others organs, such as the liver, contribute to the outcome of brain injury or disease. In particular (with the Neuroimaging group), we are studying the mechanisms that give rise to the reactivation of a Multiple sclerosis-like lesions by a systemic inflammatory response. How brain injury contributes to the outcome of disease elsewhere in the body with a focus on how hepatic NFkB activity contributes to the acute phase response after CNS injury (with Dr Mann, Southampton). How inflammation affects brain serotonin function and the relevance to depression (with Dr Sharp and the Neuroimaging group).

Charalambos Antoniades

Crosstalk between adipose tissue and vascular/myocardial redox state in humans: Pharmacological interventions

Jon Austyn

Immunobiology of dendritic cells

Tipu Z Aziz

Functional Neurosurgery

Alison Banham

Therapeutic antibodies for cancer therapy. Transcriptional deregulation in lymphomagenesis.

Ellie Barnes

Human Chronic Viruses

Esther Becker

Molecular mechanisms governing cerebellar development and disease

David Beeson

Molecular Neurosciences

Timothy Behrens

Neuronal mechanisms of decision-making and measuring brain connections in the living human

Shoumo Bhattacharya

Cardiac development, congenital heart disease and mycardial homeostasis

Mahmood Bhutta

Genetics and therapy of otitis media

Phil Biggin

Computational Approaches to Receptor Dynamics and Ligand-Binding

Chas Bountra

Structure, function and drug target discovery

Daniel Bulte

Development of clinically viable, calibrated FMRI

Phil Burnet

The molecular neurobiology of D-amino acids and their relevance to schizophrenia

Martin Burton

Genetics and Therapy of Otitis Media

Terry Butters

Chemistry and biology of imino sugar inhibitors

James V Byrne

Neurovascular disease

Vincenzo Cerundolo

Vaccination, cancer immunology and NKT cell function

Robin Choudhury

Development and application of magnetic resonance imaging to characterize atherosclerosis and vascular disease. Interventions to retard progression and induce regression of atherosclerosis

Grant Churchill

Determinations of cyclic ADP-ribose and NAADP levels. Endogenous synthesis and metabolism of NAADP. Signal transduction pathway underlying NAADP production. Spatial and temporal control of calcium increases by NAADP. Physiological roles of NAADP and lysosome-related calcium-storing organelles. Development of caged and cellpermeant messengers.

Stuart Clare

Ultra-high field MRI physics

Kieran Clarke

Metabolic control of gene expression in heart failure and in the diabetic heart

Richard, J Cornall

Autoimmunity and Immune Regulation Group

Phil Cowen

Pathophysiology, treatment and prevention of mood disorders- neurobiological aspects

David Cranston

The High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound group was set in 2002 and has close international links with Chongqing in China. The group is currently investigating the treatment of solid tumours at the Churchill Hospital and has close research links with Professor Gail ter Haar, scientific director of the unit and Dr Constantin Coussios in Biomedical engineering.

Kay E Davies

Molecular analysis of neurological disorders

Simon J Davis

T-cell Biology Group

Nick PJ Day

Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit

Simon J Draper

Blood-Stage Malaria Vaccine Group

Klaus Ebmeier

Neurobiology of Ageing and psychological disorders in old age

Claire Edwards

Research interests are focused upon the pathogenesis of cancer-induced bone disease, including the contributions of the host bone marrow microenvironment and the role of obesity, adipocytes and adipokines

Mike English

Improving delivery of evidence based care for severely ill children

Paul Fairchild

Addressing the immunological barriers to stem cell therapies.

Andrew Farmery

Mathematical modelling of gas exchange in the diseased lung. Development of novel technologies in clinical monitoring.

Jeremy Farrar

Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Viet Nam

Peter Friend

Isolated organ perfusion and preservation Clinical trials of novel Immunosuppression

Lars Fugger

Multiple sclerosis

Tudor Fulga

Non-coding RNAs in development and disease

Sarah C Gilbert

Vaccine Development

Opher Gileadi

Biotechnology and Genome Integrity

Deborah Gill

Gene Therapy for Lung diseases

Anna L Gloyn

The genetics and functional biology of Type-2 diabetes & related traits

Stephen Gough

Genetics and Genomics

Philip Goulder

Paediatric HIV T cell immunology

David Greaves

Inflammation Biology.

Alexander Green

Investigation of autonomic function and pain physiology in human patients undergoing deep brain stimulation

Alison Halliday

Large Clinical Trials investigating carotid artery interventions to prevent stroke Carotid Surgery Audit

Freddie Hamdy

Management of prostate/ bladder cancer; basic/translational research into molecular mechanisms of progression; cancer-induced bone disease; biomarker research

Ashok Handa

Vascular Surgery and patient safety

Linda Hands

Vascular surgery and telemedicine

Tomas Hanke

HIV-1 Vaccine Development Group

( u n n a m e d )

Collaboratively negotiate vertical supply chains before high-quality e-tailers.

Tom Heightman

Chemical Biology and Structure based Drug discovery

Matt Higgins

Structural studies of the malaria parasite

Adrian VS Hill

Jenner Institute / Infectious Diseases / Malaria Vaccine Trials

Jonathan Hodgkin

Genetics of nematode immunity and development

Rury R Holman

Diabetes Trials Unit (DTU)

Mark Howarth

Bionanotechnology and its application to Cancer

Stephen Hyde

Gene Therapy for Lung diseases

William James

HIV-Macrophage interactions and stem cell technology

Saad Jbabdi

Development of mathematical and computational tools for the analysis of brain imaging data

Mark Jenkinson

Development of mathematical and computational tools for the analysis of brain imaging data

Peter Jezzard

Development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methodology and applications to biomedicine.

Paul Johnson

APSPU – The Academic Paediatric Surgery Unit undertakes research ranging from basic laboratory science to evidence-based clinical studies. The principal area of research relates to the endocrine pancreas, and in particular the field of pancreatic islet transplantation for juvenile-onset diabetes; OXCIT – Oxford Consortium for Islet Transplantation, is a multi-disciplinary team that aims to achieve insulin independence in patients with diabetes by transplanting pancreatic islets of Langerhans.

Fredrik Karpe

Oxford Laboratory for Integrative Physiology (Oxlip)

Dominic Kelly

Paediatric vaccine immunology with particular interest in B-cell responses. Epidemiology of invasive bacterial disease and pneumonia in childhood.

Stephan Knapp

Phosphorylation Dependent Signalling Biology Group

Julian C Knight

Functional genomics of inflammation and immunity

Kristine Krug

The neural basis of perceptual decision-making

Dominic Kwiatkowski

Genomics and Global Health

Susan Lea

Host-pathogen interactions including the Complement system, bacterial adhesion, type III and tat secretion systems and picornaviral-receptor interactions.

Paul Leeson

Cardiovascular Imaging and Early Development of Cardiovascular Disease

Niklas Lindegardh

Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory MORU

Kerstin Luhn

Immune regulation and innate immune responses in Dengue and other viral infections

Clare Mackay

Using imaging to study psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases

( u n n a m e d )

Credibly develop prospective benefits through out-of-the-box collaboration and idea-sharing.

Sue Mallett

My research is to design and analyse diagnostic and prognostic studies, including ongoing clinical trials and methodological work.

Mark McCarthy

The Genetics of Type-2 Diabetes & Related Traits

Peter McCulloch

Safety and quality in the delivery of surgical services; Methodology for the evaluation of surgical and interventional techniques and technology; Minimally invasive surgery for gastro-oesophageal cancer

Andrew J McMichael

Antiviral Immunity, HIV

Helen McShane

Cellular Immunology and Vaccine Development

Enda McVeigh

Infertility and laparoscopic surgery with a special interest in endometriosis

Kim Midwood

'The Danger Theory: understanding how the extracellular matrix controls immunity

Karla Miller

Development of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques for brain imaging

Karl Morten

Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Therapeutics & Nanomedicine

Stefan Neubauer

The Role of Cardiac Energetics in Ischaemia and Heart Failure/Development and Application of Magnetic Resonance Techniques for Phenotyping of Cardiovascular Disease

Simon Newstead

Structural and Functional Studies of Membrane Proteins

Graham S Ogg

Cutaneous Immunology, Allergy, Dermatology, Viral infections and the skin, Innate and adaptive immune responses, Role of epithelium in immunity.

Katharine Owen

Genetics of Type 2 Diabetes & Monogenic Diabetes

Jacqueline Palace

1. Clinical imaging research: neuroinflammatory disease (eg multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica. 2. Clinical neuroimmunology: neuroinflammatory (eg ms) and antibody mediated neurological diseases eg myasthenia gravis and neuromyelitis optica? 3. Assessing utility of potential drugs for treatment of patients with abnormal AChR ion channel kinetics. 4. Neuro-ophthalmology: neuroinflammatory diseases (eg ms and neuromyelitis optica). 5. Neuro-genetics: neuroinflammatory conditions and diseases of the neuromuscular junction (eg myasthenia gravis). 6. Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica. 7. Clinical Chemistry: biomarkers of neuroinflammatory disease

Rebecca Park

Social cognitive, emotional and reward processes in eating disorders

David Paterson

Cardiac neurobiology

Roger Patient

Programming blood and the cardiovascular system

Fran Platt

Glycosphingolipids in health and disease.

Rutger Ploeg

Clinical, translational & experimental research in organ donation and transplantation and focus on mechanisms of injury & repair relevant to enhance donor organ quality, reduce ischaemia-reperfusion injury, improve preservation and allow regeneration after transplantation to increase allograft function and survival.

Andrew Pollard

Adult and Paediatric Vaccinology and Paediatric Infection and Immunity

Fiona Powrie

Innate and adaptive immune pathways that control intestinal homeostasis and their breakdown in inflammatory bowel disease.

Chris W Pugh

The Nephrology Oxygen Sensing Group

Peter J Ratcliffe

Hypoxia Biology Group

Paul Riley

Cardiovascular development, repair and regeneration

Peter Robbins

Human Physiology: Effects of hypoxia and exercise on respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic function

Patrik Rorsman

Diabetes, Insulin secretion

Angela Russell

Medicinal Chemistry

Mark Sansom

Ion channels and membrane proteins - simulations, modelling & bioinformatics

Ian Sargent

Pre-eclampsia, Oxford Pregnancy Biobank, cellular micro and nanoparticles in pre-eclampsia, reproductive immunology, human embryo development

Quentin Sattentau

Retroviral Immunology.

Chris Scanlan

Carbohydrate-based vaccine design for HIV/AIDS

Jurgen Schneider

Development of fast cardiac MRI techniques at ultra-high fields

Anna Schuh

Genetics and Genomics

Trevor Sharp

Pharmacology and physiology of brain 5-HT neurones. Neuroadaptive processes associated with antidepressant treatment. Development of pharmacological strategies to improve the treatment of mood disorder.

Alison Simmons

Innate immunity in infectious and inflammatory disease

Stephen Smith

Development of mathematical and computational tools for the analysis of brain imaging data

Hannah Smithson

Vision Science

David Taggart

Multicentre clinical trials in cardiac surgery

Kevin Talbot

Motor Neuron Diseases

Christoph Tang

Pathogenesis and Prevention of Bacterial Meningitis

Rajesh V Thakker

Molecular basis of endocrine and renal tubular disorders

Linda Troeberg

Identifying mechanisms regulating turnover of the extracellular matrix, with a view to developing therapies for degradative diseases such as osteoarthritis.

Damian Tyler

Development and Application of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy

Holm Uhlig

Mucosal Immunity and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Katherine Vallis

Development of novel anti-cancer radiopharmaceuticals.

Lidia Vasilieva

Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes

David Vaux

Human disease and proteins.

Richard Wade-Martins

Molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration

Suzanne Watt

Improving bone marrow transplants- through better engraftment / Stem/progenitor cell expansion and reprogramming / Revascularising tissues for tissue repair

Anthony Watts

Resolving structural details of membrane peptides and proteins at high resolution

Paul Wentworth

Chemical biology and its application to disease

Nicholas J White

Tropical Medicine, Infectious Disease and Drug Discovery

Richard Williams

Targeting disease pathways in rheumatoid arthritis

Kathryn Wood

Transplant rejection and tolerance

Matthew Wood

Gene therapy for degenerative disorders of the nervous system and muscle

Mark Woolrich

Development of mathematical and computational tools for the analysis of brain imaging data

Nicole Zitzmann

Hepatitis - Development of Antiviral Strategies

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Translational Medicine and Medical Technology
Antibody and protein therapy
Biomedical engineering
Stem cells and cell therapy
Drug discovery and pharmacology
Gene therapy
Imaging
Nanomedicine
Interventional radiology
Surgical science and practice
Vaccines