Oxford Academic Kidney Network
The Oxford Academic Kidney Network (OAK) launched in April 2025, bringing together clinicians and researchers from departments and disciplines across Oxford. OAK aims to strengthen renal research collaborations towards patient benefit. The aim is to recognise the breadth of local expertise and resources, and to promote opportunities for working together.
Please email oak.network@ndm.ox.ac.uk to find out more, or to join the network.
Our Vision
The OAK Network vision is to bring together Oxford researchers, clinical staff and patients to advance kidney disease research for patient benefit.
Network Members
The OAK Network encompasses researchers and clinicians from across the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Network Events
The network recently launched the OAK Network with its first symposium, supported by Kidney Research UK (KRUK).
Latest news from across the network
British Transplant Games 2025
The British Transplant Games, organised by the charity Transplant Sport, welcomed its largest ever number of transplant recipient competitors, with teams from across the UK coming together to celebrate life and promote the importance of organ donation. Transplant Team Oxford returned from the 2025 British Transplant Games as the largest adult team with 101 adult competitors – all recipients of transplants at the Oxford Transplant Centre – alongside 14 live donors and a dedicated group of supporters, bringing the total team size to 158. A remarkable increase from 44 members last year.
The team’s performance was equally outstanding, returning with a total of 62 medals – the highest medal count in the team’s history. A highlight of the weekend was the donor run, which saw over 2,000 participants come together to honour donors and raise awareness of organ donation. The event was a powerful reminder of the life-changing impact of transplantation.
Team Oxford's manager Daley Cross, said:
“I want to say a huge well done to all our competitors this year – you made Oxford proud, but most importantly, your donors even prouder. Hosting the Games was a special honour, and we hope its legacy will continue to raise awareness of organ donation across Oxfordshire.”
Read more about the British Transplant Games
Latest awards
- Associate Professor Katherine Bull has just been awarded a Kidney Research UK (KRUK) grant to investigate why Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) recurs after transplant and how we can stop it. Read about Professor Bull's research
“We are looking at a rare disease with a devastating impact on patients. There is no cure for FSGS, and it can recur after transplantation. By looking more closely at the kidney and its patterns of injury, we hope to better understand the factors that lead to the disorder.” Katherine Bull.
- Dr Peter Wing has been awarded a Sabita Dindayal Award PhD studentship to investigate how the BK virus behaves in hypoxic conditions, with the aim of finidng new treatements for patgients who have received a kidney transplant. A new approach to treat BK virus in kidney transplant patients - Kidney Research UK
- OrganOX and oxford university spinout founded by Professor Constantin Coussios OBE FREng FMedSci and liver transplant surgeon Professor Peter Friend FMedSci FRCS has been awarded the MacRobert Award for Engineering 2025. It’s life saving technology maintains livers and kidneys in a functional state outside of the body for longer than standard techniques, increasing the success of transplants. Read the news story on the award.