Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Continue' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Professor of Orthopaedic Trauma Matthew Costa and NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow Rachel Kuo, both from the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, were announced among the winners of the NIHR20 Research Leaders Prizes in recognition of their outstanding contributions to health and care research.

Matt Costa and Rachel Kuo

The prizes, which are part of the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), recognise talented leaders who are making an exceptional contribution to health and care research across the UK, improving outcomes for patients, tackling inequalities and driving economic growth across the country.

The NIHR20 Rising Research Leaders prize recognises exceptional early to mid-career researchers, while the NIHR20 Research Delivery Leaders prize recognises individuals who showed exceptional leadership in delivering research.

Professor Matthew Costa, a leading Oxford orthopaedic trauma surgeon and NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow Rachel Kuo, a researcher specialising in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, are both supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC): Oxford.

Rachel is an NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow and Registrar in Plastic Surgery. Her research focuses on the development, evaluation and safe use of AI in healthcare, particularly for the detection of fractures. Using a diagnostic AI model developed with data from Oxford University Hospitals, her work has examined how accurately AI can detect fractures, alongside how its design and presentation influence the way clinicians make decisions with it.

Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences website and the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre website.

 

Similar stories

Exceptional early-career researchers awarded 2026 European Research Council Starting Grants

Four University of Oxford researchers have been awarded prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants, each worth €1.5 million for a period of up to five year

How body fat is stored across organs may reveal hidden health risks, study suggests

Researchers from the Nuffield Department of Population Health and the University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute have contributed to a new study showing that how fat accumulates in the body is just as important for identifying different health risks as a person’s overall weight.

Four Oxford researchers recognised in the 2026 Royal Society Awards

The annual Royal Society Awards recognise outstanding contributions to scientific discovery, public engagement and research culture. Of the 27 awards for 2025-26, announced today, four honour Oxford University researchers.

New shingles vaccine linked to lower risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure – major study indicates

The shingles vaccine currently in use, called ‘Shingrix’, is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events – including heart attacks, heart failure and stroke – compared to the previous shingles vaccine, according to a major new study published in Nature Medicine.

Vapes help more people quit smoking than other methods, Oxford-led Cochrane review finds

An updated Cochrane review led by Oxford researchers finds nicotine e-cigarettes help more people quit smoking than nicotine patches and gum, behavioural support or no support. The living review now includes 80 trials and nearly 30,000 participants.

Brain imaging study reveals how we decide whether we are in control

A brain imaging and stimulation study led by the University of Oxford has identified the brain mechanisms that help us work out whether the consequences we experience are caused by our own actions or by circumstances beyond our control.

Similar stories

Exceptional early-career researchers awarded 2026 European Research Council Starting Grants

Four University of Oxford researchers have been awarded prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants, each worth €1.5 million for a period of up to five year

How body fat is stored across organs may reveal hidden health risks, study suggests

Researchers from the Nuffield Department of Population Health and the University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute have contributed to a new study showing that how fat accumulates in the body is just as important for identifying different health risks as a person’s overall weight.

Four Oxford researchers recognised in the 2026 Royal Society Awards

The annual Royal Society Awards recognise outstanding contributions to scientific discovery, public engagement and research culture. Of the 27 awards for 2025-26, announced today, four honour Oxford University researchers.

New shingles vaccine linked to lower risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure – major study indicates

The shingles vaccine currently in use, called ‘Shingrix’, is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events – including heart attacks, heart failure and stroke – compared to the previous shingles vaccine, according to a major new study published in Nature Medicine.

Vapes help more people quit smoking than other methods, Oxford-led Cochrane review finds

An updated Cochrane review led by Oxford researchers finds nicotine e-cigarettes help more people quit smoking than nicotine patches and gum, behavioural support or no support. The living review now includes 80 trials and nearly 30,000 participants.

Brain imaging study reveals how we decide whether we are in control

A brain imaging and stimulation study led by the University of Oxford has identified the brain mechanisms that help us work out whether the consequences we experience are caused by our own actions or by circumstances beyond our control.

Similar stories

Exceptional early-career researchers awarded 2026 European Research Council Starting Grants

Four University of Oxford researchers have been awarded prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants, each worth €1.5 million for a period of up to five year

How body fat is stored across organs may reveal hidden health risks, study suggests

Researchers from the Nuffield Department of Population Health and the University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute have contributed to a new study showing that how fat accumulates in the body is just as important for identifying different health risks as a person’s overall weight.

Four Oxford researchers recognised in the 2026 Royal Society Awards

The annual Royal Society Awards recognise outstanding contributions to scientific discovery, public engagement and research culture. Of the 27 awards for 2025-26, announced today, four honour Oxford University researchers.

New shingles vaccine linked to lower risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure – major study indicates

The shingles vaccine currently in use, called ‘Shingrix’, is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events – including heart attacks, heart failure and stroke – compared to the previous shingles vaccine, according to a major new study published in Nature Medicine.

Vapes help more people quit smoking than other methods, Oxford-led Cochrane review finds

An updated Cochrane review led by Oxford researchers finds nicotine e-cigarettes help more people quit smoking than nicotine patches and gum, behavioural support or no support. The living review now includes 80 trials and nearly 30,000 participants.

Brain imaging study reveals how we decide whether we are in control

A brain imaging and stimulation study led by the University of Oxford has identified the brain mechanisms that help us work out whether the consequences we experience are caused by our own actions or by circumstances beyond our control.

Similar stories

Exceptional early-career researchers awarded 2026 European Research Council Starting Grants

Four University of Oxford researchers have been awarded prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants, each worth €1.5 million for a period of up to five year

How body fat is stored across organs may reveal hidden health risks, study suggests

Researchers from the Nuffield Department of Population Health and the University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute have contributed to a new study showing that how fat accumulates in the body is just as important for identifying different health risks as a person’s overall weight.

Four Oxford researchers recognised in the 2026 Royal Society Awards

The annual Royal Society Awards recognise outstanding contributions to scientific discovery, public engagement and research culture. Of the 27 awards for 2025-26, announced today, four honour Oxford University researchers.

New shingles vaccine linked to lower risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure – major study indicates

The shingles vaccine currently in use, called ‘Shingrix’, is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events – including heart attacks, heart failure and stroke – compared to the previous shingles vaccine, according to a major new study published in Nature Medicine.

Vapes help more people quit smoking than other methods, Oxford-led Cochrane review finds

An updated Cochrane review led by Oxford researchers finds nicotine e-cigarettes help more people quit smoking than nicotine patches and gum, behavioural support or no support. The living review now includes 80 trials and nearly 30,000 participants.

Brain imaging study reveals how we decide whether we are in control

A brain imaging and stimulation study led by the University of Oxford has identified the brain mechanisms that help us work out whether the consequences we experience are caused by our own actions or by circumstances beyond our control.