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.

A new partnership will unite expertise, infrastructure and data across borders to accelerate diagnosis, treatment and ultimately prevention of major diseases – starting with women’s health, infectious diseases and pandemic preparedness.

People representing the four Alliance partners across France and the UK: Dr Jean Susini, Director General, Synchrotron SOLEIL. Sir Thomas Drew KCMG, His Majesty’s Ambassador to France.  Prof Richard Cornall,  Head of Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford.  Prof Matthieu Resche-Rigon, Dean of the Health Faculty, Université Paris Cité. Jean-Luc Moullet, Director General for Research and Innovation, French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space. Dr Martin Walsh, Deputy Director of Life Sciences, Diamond Light Source.  Dr Odette Tomescu-Hatto, Director of International Affairs, Institut Pasteur. © The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)

The partnership, signed by the University of Oxford, Université Paris Cité, the Institut Pasteur, Diamond Light Source and Synchrotron SOLEIL, comes at a time when advances in science and technology are generating unprecedented amounts of biological and clinical data and transforming understanding of human health. But turning that information into faster diagnoses, better treatments and improved disease prevention remains a major challenge across disciplines, institutions and national systems.

The new UK-France Strategic Interdisciplinary Alliance in Health and AI (Health Alliance) has been established to help bridge those gaps by connecting world-leading expertise and national infrastructure that are rarely integrated within a single collaboration.

Leading the Alliance work on behalf of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Medicine, Professor Philippe Guérin said the partnership would allow researchers to “understand how infections develop, spread and respond to treatment” by combining “advanced imaging, data and biological science” in new ways.

Professor Guérin added that bringing together “the technology of two of the world’s most powerful synchrotrons, with the world’s greatest research minds” would help researchers study disease “at an unprecedented level of detail”, driving “innovation in diagnostics and therapies” while strengthening preparedness for future health threats worldwide. 

Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Medicine 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.