Why do we need sleep? Oxford researchers find the answer may lie in mitochondria
18 July 2025
New study uncovers how a metabolic “overload” in specialised brain cells triggers the need to sleep.
From practice to progress: Oxford’s NMAHPPs celebrate research that makes a difference
18 July 2025
More than 225 of Oxford’s health and care professionals came together on 2nd July to share and celebrate research led and delivered by the area’s nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, healthcare scientists, pharmacists and clinical psychologists (NMAHPPs).
Certain chronic health conditions associated with increased risk of dementia – new study
17 July 2025
Developing cardiovascular, mental health and neurological-related illnesses before the age of 70 is associated with a greater risk of dementia later in life, with the more of these conditions accumulated the greater the risk, according to a new study by the University of Oxford.
New £50m MRC Centre launched to study how environmental exposures cause chronic inflammatory diseases
16 July 2025
A new Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence (MRC CoRE) will investigate how the environment interacts with our immune system to trigger chronic inflammatory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Study reveals how HIV-1 breaches the cell’s most guarded barrier
11 July 2025
In a new study from NDM’s Division of Structural Biology, researchers have found out how HIV-1 breaches the cell’s most guarded barrier, revealing the determinants that control the nuclear import of HIV-1.
What Elio can help teach us about eye patching, stigma and the developing brain
11 July 2025
Disney Pixar’s latest film, Elio, follows a familiar-sounding character, a lovable and imaginative young hero who dreams of finding a place where he truly belongs. But amid the colour and chaos of the film’s outer space setting, one subtle detail stands out: Elio wears an eye patch.
Oxford’s OrganOx wins the MacRobert Award 2025
9 July 2025
The Royal Academy of Engineering has announced that OrganOx has won the £50,000 MacRobert Award, the longest running and most prestigious prize for UK engineering innovation, for its life-saving technology that is supporting more organ transplants and helping to cut waiting lists.
Ethnic disparities persist in COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease
7 July 2025
A new study has found that people from non-White ethnic backgrounds in England and Wales continued to be disproportionately impacted by severe outcomes after COVID-19 such as cardiovascular disease.
Helen Byrne wins Naylor Prize and Lectureship in Applied Mathematics
4 July 2025
Professor Helen Byrne has won the 2025 Naylor Prize and Lectureship in Applied Mathematics from the London Mathematical Society.
First of its kind study for children with arthritis reveals possible new disease targets
4 July 2025
Researchers have been able to see what happens in the inflamed joints of children with arthritis, giving insight into why treatments affect children differently.
Oxford researchers become EMBO members
3 July 2025
Two University of Oxford academics have become the latest to join the eminent life scientists in Europe and beyond that make up the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
New tool allows researchers to track how mutations arise in tissues
3 July 2025
Researchers at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have developed a new method to analyse how our tissues evolve as we age.
Parkinson’s drug effective in treating persistent depression
30 June 2025
A drug used for Parkinson’s disease has been shown to be effective in reducing the symptoms of difficult to treat depression, in a study led by the University of Oxford.
Construction begins on state-of-the-art research facility
27 June 2025
The University of Oxford held a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday 24 June to celebrate the start of construction of the Cyrus Poonawalla Vaccines Research Building. The ceremony marks a significant milestone in Oxford’s mission to counter and constrain global health threats.
Oxford to lead new £50m MRC Centre to develop brain stimulation device-based therapies
27 June 2025
A new Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence (MRC CoRE) aims to develop brain stimulation devices to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s, dementia, stroke and childhood epilepsy.
Academic leaders respond to Medical Research Council call for urgent action on GP research workforce
27 June 2025
UK academics call for urgent action to protect the academic GP workforce as government commits £29bn to shift NHS care from hospitals to community. New recommendations aim to safeguard world-leading primary care research.
How do vaccines reduce the risk of dementia?
26 June 2025
A new study by the University of Oxford, published in the journal npj Vaccines, shows that a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is associated with a 29% reduction in dementia risk in the following 18 months. The findings suggest a novel explanation for how vaccines produce this effect.
‘Single shot’ malaria vaccine delivery system could transform global immunisation
26 June 2025
Oxford researchers have developed programmable microcapsules to deliver vaccines in stages, potentially eliminating the need for booster shots and increasing immunisation coverage in hard-to-reach communities.
Associate Professor reaches new heights with the Thames Valley Air Ambulance
23 June 2025
David Metcalfe, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), has begun a two-year secondment with Thames Valley Air Ambulance.
Alan Davidson Foundation renews funding for ground-breaking motor neuron disease research at Oxford
20 June 2025
As part of its renewed commitment, the Alan Davidson Foundation will continue to fund a full-time project manager to facilitate the ongoing coordination and growth of the ACORN study. The foundation is also contributing to the cost of a research fellow to support the next phase of the project.