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Oxford University has a long tradition in the study of developmental biology and stem cells.  Current research areas include understanding the basic molecular and cell biological principles that guide early embryonic development including formation of the primary embryonic body axes, studying the movement of cells and molecules by sophisticated real time imaging technology, and the identification of growth factor signalling pathways controlling cell commitment and differentiation.

Multiple model organisms are used including worms, Drosophila, zebrafish and mice. Areas of strength in the stem cell field include hematopoiesis, cardiac and neural stem cells, the generation of disease-specific induced pluripotent stem cell lines and a growing interest in the field of cancer stem cells.  The Oxford Stem Cell Institute (OSCI) serves to foster collaboration between 41 laboratories distributed throughout 17 Departments of the University. Both basic research and clinical Departments are represented within the OSCI, providing significant opportunities for translational research.  Regular term-time seminar series sponsored by the Jenkinson fund and the OSCI facilitate interactions between research groups. In addition, one-day symposia on Developmental Biology and on Stem Cell Research are held each year to facilitate networking between groups.

Supervisors in Developmental Biology and Stem Cells


Aziz Aboobaker

Professor of Comparative and Functional Genomics,Tutorial Fellow, and Dean of ...

Colin J Akerman

Professor of Neuroscience

Rachael Bashford-Rogers

Esther Becker

Professor of Translational Neuroscience

Shoumo Bhattacharya

Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine

Neil Brockdorff

Professor of Biochemistry and Wellcome Principle Research Fellow

Marella de Bruijn

Professor of Developmental Haematopoiesis

Simon Butt

Associate Professor of Neuroscience

Zameel Cader

Director of the Oxford Headache Centre and Director of StemBANCC

Constantinos Christodoulides

University Research Lecturer

Mark Coles

Professor of Immunology

James Dunford

Senior Research Associate

James Edwards

Associate Professor

Russell Foster

Head of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology and the Sleep and Circadian ...

Richard Gibbons

Professor of Clinical Genetics

Stephen Goodwin

Professor of Neurogenetics

Anne Goriely

Professor of Human Genetics

Joanna Hester

Associate Professor

Douglas Higgs

Emeritus Professor

Georg Holländer

Hoffmann and Action Medical Research Professor of Developmental Medicine

Jim Hughes

Professor of Gene Regulation

Jim Hughes

David Jackson

Professor of Human Immunology

Paul Johnson

Director of Oxford Islet Isolation and Islet Transplant Programmes and ...

Rob Klose

Professor of Genetics

Nick Lakin

Professor of Molecular Cell Biology

Adam Mead

Professor of Haematology

Thomas Milne

Professor of Haematology

Liliana Minichiello

Reader in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Zoltan Molnar

Professor of Developmental Neuroscience

Mathilda Mommersteeg

Associate Professor of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine

Jagdeep Nanchahal

Professor of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Christoffer Nellåker

MRC Methodology Research Fellow

Claus Nerlov

Professor of Stem Cell Biology

Udo Oppermann

Professor of Molecular Biology

Siim Pauklin

CRUK Career development fellow

Catherine Pears

Associate Professor

Paul Riley

BHF Professor of Regenerative Medicine & Chair of Development and Cell Biology

Simon Rinaldi

Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant Neurologist

Irene Roberts

Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Haematology

Anindita Roy

Professor of Paediatric Haematology

Angela Russell

Professor of Medicinal Chemistry

Tatjana Sauka-Spengler

Professor of Developmental Genomics and Gene Regulation

Elena Seiradake

Associate Professor & Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow

Sumathi Sekaran

Senior Research Scientist

Filipa Simões

Group Leader

Nicola Smart

BHF Ian Fleming Fellow and Professor of Cardiovascular Science

Duncan Sparrow

Associate Professor and BHF Senior Basic Science Research Fellow

Shankar Srinivas

Professor of Developmental Biology

Peter Sullivan

Emeritus Professor in Paediatric Gastroenterology

Francis Szele

Associate Professor of Developmental Biology

Christopher Toepfer

Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Science

George Tofaris

Professor of Neurology and Translational Neuroscience

Holm Uhlig

Professor of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Group Head / PI and Hon Consultant ...

Lidia Vasilieva

Associate professor, group leader

Paresh Vyas

Professor of Haematology

Richard Wade-Martins

Professor of Molecular Neuroscience

Andrew Wilkie

Nuffield Professor of Pathology

Adam Wilkinson

Associate Professor of Stem Cell Biology

Suzannah Williams

Associate Professor & Senior Research Fellow

Suzannah Williams

Associate Professor & Senior Research Fellow

Clive Wilson

Professor of Cell and Developmental Genetics

Matthew Wood

Professor of Neuroscience

Alison Woollard

Associate Professor

Manuela Zaccolo

Deputy Head of Department