University of Oxford

Artificial intelligence no doubt offers great opportunities for human creativity. The UK is well placed to be at the forefront for relevant AI-development, but AI is also a highly disruptive technology which could pose risks to the livelihoods of human creators if not appropriately regulated.The rise of generative AI in recent years has heightened anxiety amongst creators and the public more widely: people are concerned for the future of human…

Dr Thomas Schlatzer and Dr Christopher Goult inspect the degraded Teflon sealing rings that started the team’s investigations into this new method for recycling PFAS chemicals. Credit: Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford. PFAS – which stands for poly- and perfluoroalkylated substances – have been produced in large quantities for over 70 years. They are found in a wide variety of products including textiles, food packaging, non-stick cookware, and medical…

The University of Oxford in partnership with the Coler Lab at Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SCRI) has begun a new clinical trial called TB045, which aims to test tuberculosis (TB) vaccine safety and the host immune response in a first-in-man aerosol mycobacterial challenge infection model with healthy adult volunteers. TB is a disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and in 2023 was the leading cause of death from an…

Former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, who can justifiably take the political credit for the passage of the UK’s ground-breaking  Modern Slavery Act 10 years ago today, famously described modern slavery as ‘the greatest human rights issue of our time.’Our experience of modern slavery research for policy teaches us that the patient and systematic resort to properly resourced, independent and expert policy-relevant research, evidence and data, which is the product…

Being an elephant is no easy task. As massive herbivores weighing several tons, they must consume vast amounts of low-calorie vegetation every day. However, their sheer size means that moving around to find food costs significant physical effort. Literally every step matters—especially in the vast, often harsh landscapes they traverse. African Elephant with GPS tracker. Image credit: Jane Wynyard, Save The Elephants. Understanding how elephants move through the landscape is…

The report finds that just ten universities are responsible for 53% of the UK’s spinouts, with Oxford securing the top position. Oxford’s success reflects its world-class research base, deep commercialisation expertise, and a strong network of investors and partners.This year’s report also highlights a significant reduction in the equity stakes taken by universities in spinouts. In 2024, the average university stake dropped to 16% – down from 22% the year…

These findings, published in the journal iScience, have important implications for understanding the technical abilities associated with the making of perishable tools – a topic which remains a highly unknown aspect of human technological evolution.Termites are a good source of energy, fat, vitamins, minerals and protein for chimpanzees. To eat the insects, chimpanzees need to use relatively thin probes to fish the termites out of the mounds where they live.…

In 2023, Tuberculosis (TB) caused more deaths worldwide than any other infectious disease. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and although largely unheard of in the developed world by the late 20th century, cases have been rising globally in recent years and it continues to place an enormous social and economic burden on much of the developing world.Although often thought of as a lung disease, TB can infect…

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the developed world. The most widely used method of diagnosing prostate cancer involves a biopsy that passes a needle through the lining of the lower bowel (the rectum) and into the prostate gland, which is performed under local anaesthetic. This is called the transrectal route. Researchers and doctors have been looking for ways to improve the needle biopsy process, largely due to…

This year’s report pushes us to look beyond traditional determinants like health and wealth. It turns out that sharing meals and trusting others are even stronger predictors of wellbeing than expected. In this era of social isolation and political polarisation we need to find ways to bring people around the table again — doing so is critical for our individual and collective wellbeing. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre and…

This early data release showcases the amazing images that we will receive from the Euclid telescope. Even in this tiny area (less than 0.5% of the Euclid survey), Euclid has revealed millions of galaxies in exquisite detail.Dr Aprajita Verma (Department of Physics, University of Oxford)The release of the first survey data from the European Space Agency’s pioneering Euclid satellite – made public this week – has led to a flurry…

Oxford EARTH is the University tackling the critical challenges of our time through our world-leading, interdisciplinary research. Sustainable resource use is fundamental to long term prosperity, and this programme brings together expertise from across the sciences, engineering, and social sciences to pioneer innovative solutions. By fostering collaboration between academia, industry, policymakers, and communities, Oxford EARTH will help shape a more prosperous and sustainable future.Professor Jim Naismith, Head of Mathematical, Physical,…

The spread of the internet and mobile phones has been one of the most significant technological revolutions of the 21st century.Digital technologies have become integral to many aspects of our lives and have brought wide ranging benefits to many, including greater information, better connectivity, and access to services in more cost-efficient ways.Why is digital gender equality so important? Our work has shown how women who own mobile phones and use the…

Dr Michael J Sulliivan, Credit: John Cairns Dr Sullivan’s team has been using multispectral imaging, along with X-ray fluorescence and fibre-optic reflectance spectroscopy, to explore previously hidden parts of manuscripts. Multispectral imaging involves capturing a variety of images in different spectral bands, or wavelengths, from infrared to ultraviolet. By imaging a manuscript with over 40 different illuminations, the research team was able to draw out details beyond the normal visual…

The Oxford Young Sport Leaders Programme began as a pilot with Greyfriars School in the autumn of 2023 and includes sport sessions with University athletes and interactive sport-related workshops led by Oxford academics and departments.The success of the pilot led to an expansion of the Programme in 2024, when The Oxford Academy and Oxford Spires Academy joined Greyfriars School in a joint programme last summer. Twelve boys and girls in…

Researchers from the University of Oxford have followed the lives of 12,000 children in Ethiopia, India (Telangana and Andhra Pradesh), Peru, and Vietnam since 2002, informing meaningful policy change to improve the lives of children and young people growing up in poverty. Preliminary findings from the seventh survey round, with the participants now aged 22 and 29, have been released today, and underscore the urgent need for policy action to address the…

The research, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and led by Professor Trisha Greenhalgh and Professor Martin McKee, is the most comprehensive UK-based analysis of peer-reviewed research into PA and AA roles to date. It was written to inform the ongoing government-commissioned Leng Review which is examining the effectiveness and safety of these roles in UK healthcare.PAs and AAs are being rapidly introduced across the NHS as a solution to workforce shortages and funding cuts.…

The UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) delivered its recommendations for the Seventh Carbon Budget last week, setting out a 'balanced pathway' for how we can work towards net zero emissions from 2038 to 2042 (we are currently in the Fourth Carbon Budget period).With the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK was the first country in the world to set legally binding carbon budgets.  The Act mandates the government to set…

According to new research published today by the Rees Centre at the Department of Education, University of Oxford, four times fewer care leavers and others with experience of children’s social care enter higher education by age 22.  The report, 'Pathways into and through higher education for young people with experience of children’s social care', also reveals that they are more than twice as likely to drop out, compared with their…

We were excited to find clear evidence that even at small scales—within neighbourhoods rather than whole populations—the movements and life histories of individual birds actively shape the songs they sing.Lead researcher Dr Nilo Merino Recalde, Department of Biology, University of Oxford.The researchers spent three years collecting over twenty thousand hours of sound recordings from a wild population of great tits (Parus major) in Oxfordshire, which has been studied for the…

A new study led by the University of Oxford has found that mentoring programmes can significantly increase honesty in children, with effects lasting years after the intervention. The research, 'Malleability of Preferences for Honesty', forthcoming in The Economic Journal, shows that preferences for truth-telling are not fixed traits but can be shaped by positive social interactions, offering new insights into how moral behaviours develop. The study, by Professor Johannes Abeler,…

HomeNewsTropical forests in the Americas are struggling to keep pace with climate change Tropical rainforests play a vital role in global climate regulation and biodiversity conservation. However, a major new study led by Dr. Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez from the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI), reveals that forests across the Americas are not adapting quickly enough to keep pace with climate change, raising concerns about their long-term resilience.  The research involved over…

Through the five-year collaboration, students and faculty staff are now able to gain access to research grant funding, enterprise-level security and cutting-edge AI tools to enhance teaching, learning and research. The initiative builds on Oxford’s investment in strengthening the AI capabilities and skills of all staff and students with its AI & Machine Learning Competency Centre. Anne Trefethen, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Digital at the University of Oxford said: 'This new collaboration marks an…

What is driving the new ‘interdisciplinary turn’? As Director of TORCH, an interdisciplinary research centre based in Oxford’s Humanities Division, my frequent conversations with global counterparts oscillate between gloom over global crises and excitement over our new interdisciplinary initiatives. These two subjects are closely related.Several factors have driven interdisciplinarity’s current revivification, including an emphasis on holistic approaches to problem-solving which break down rigid disciplinary siloes; a desire to create a global…

TBI is a critical public health issue, with severe and long-term neurological consequences. In forensic investigations, determining whether an impact could have caused a reported injury is crucial for legal proceedings, yet there is currently no standardised, quantifiable approach to do this. The new study demonstrates how machine learning tools informed by mechanistic simulations could provide evidence-based injury predictions. This would help police and forensic teams accurately predict TBI outcomes…

Democracy is under threat worldwide. In 2023, global freedom declined for the 18th consecutive year across all regions and levels of democratic performance. In historically democratic strongholds such as Europe and the United States, growing political polarisation and the rise of populist authoritarian movements pose significant challenges. In response, the University of Oxford’s new Centre for Democratic Resilience is bringing together world-class expertise, research, and education to tackle these pressing issues of…

Three years ago, on 24 February 2022, Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. While Ukraine was largely ignored in international discourses and policy debates prior to late 2021, it was a sovereign state at the time of Russia’s invasion, as it has been since 1991 and remains today. Like all fifteen of the former republics of the Soviet Union, Ukraine became independent with the Union’s collapse in the early 1990s. For Ukraine,…

Tuberculosis (TB) is the oldest and most deadly disease in human history, causing over 1.2 million deaths every year. TB is an infectious airborne disease that mainly affects the lungs. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb).The main treatment option for TB is long courses of multiple antibiotics. However antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – a process in which bacteria have developed the ability to resist the action of medicines…

The researchers used data from nearly half a million UK Biobank participants to assess the influence of 164 environmental factors and genetic risk scores for 22 major diseases on ageing, age-related diseases, and premature death. The study is published in Nature Medicine.Key findings:environmental factors explained 17% of the variation in risk of death, compared to less than 2% explained by genetic predisposition (as we understand it at present);of the 25…

Lord Hague of Richmond has been officially admitted as Oxford’s 160th Chancellor in a ceremony that took place at the Sheldonian Theatre today after winning the election for the Chancellor of the University of Oxford role in November 2024.Õrātor Publice, ita exordīrī velim ut grātiās tibi ex animō agam, ut quī tali benignitāte sīs locūtus, adeōque familiāriter salūtātiōnibus, adeō cūrātē officiīs decōrīs operam dederīs,  quae laudem quandam peperērunt huīc Ūniversitātī. Vice-Cancellāriae quoque…

In his speech, Lord Hague said: ‘I thank all of you, the Convocation, for electing me as your chancellor and for your enthusiastic welcome in recent weeks. Every visit I have made so far and every conversation, has intensified my excitement about the years to come. I happily dedicate myself today to working with you and for you.’What happens here is more fundamental to British prosperity than it has ever…

A new study published in Nature outlines for the first time how advances in AI can accelerate breakthroughs in infectious disease research and outbreak response.The study,  which is published following last week’s AI Action Summit and amidst increasing global debate on AI investment and regulation, puts particular emphasis on safety, accountability and ethics in the deployment and use of AI in infectious disease research.Calling for a collaborative and transparent environment…

Meeting our climate targets requires rapidly reducing fossil fuel use. But we're far off track, and the science is clear: to reach net zero by 2050, we will also need to permanently store vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) underground. This is especially crucial for some industries, such as cement manufacturing, where there is currently no scalable way to eliminate emissions entirely without carbon capture and storage (CCS) - a…

Following previous summits at Bletchley Park (2023) and Seoul (2024), global leaders re-convened at the Paris AI Summit this month to find a shared direction for the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). The Declaration agreed at Paris, signed by fifty-seven states and bodies such as the UN, the OECD, and the European Commission, represented a welcome shift away from the 'AI safety' rhetoric, focused on existential threats, that had marked previous…

The Town v Gown Fixture will be a day of football to bring the whole community together on Tuesday 4 March at The MGroup Stadium. The Town v Gown football fixture will return this March, and for the first time in the event’s 130-year history will incorporate a women’s match.Town v Gown sporting events in the city have a rich history, but the football fixture has been missing in recent…

This Valentine’s Day, millions of pounds worth of chocolate will be exchanged as gifts, but climate change and biodiversity loss imperil future global supplies of this treat. A new research study led by the University of Oxford and published today (14 February) demonstrates that sustainable agricultural practices that both protect pollinator populations and mitigate climate risks could help secure - and even improve - global cocoa yields. Cocoa (Theobroma cacao…

‘Are we alone in the universe?’ and ‘What does it mean to be human?’ were among the questions explored when another large audience of staff, students and alumni gathered at the Sheldonian Theatre to enjoy the University’s second Sheldonian Series event on Tuesday 11 February.Launched in Michaelmas and convened by the Vice-Chancellor, the Sheldonian Series continued on the topic of ‘Life’, with three guest speakers delivering presentations examining the theme from…

The global debate on whether and how social media content should be regulated has flared up again in recent months. Citing freedom of expression, the platform operators X and Meta have relaxed regulations intended to restrict discriminatory statements. Meanwhile, Australia has banned social media access for children under 16.There is a widespread perception that negativity is inherent in social media.Spyros Kosmidis, Associate Professor of Politics at the Department of Politics…

Row4Ukraine is a charity awareness-driving mission designed to highlight the human cost of the war in Ukraine and raise funds for the rehabilitation of Ukrainian service personnel. The team comprised injured servicemen from the UK and Ukraine, working together to row 3,000 miles from Gran Canaria to Barbados in less than six weeks. As the British and Ukrainian crew members did not share a common language, effective communication was a…

Researchers from academic institutions in Africa, South America, the United States, and Europe congregated to celebrate the launch and demonstrate their commitment to global epilepsy research and care.Based at Wolfson College within the University of Oxford, and generously supported by the BAND Foundation, the Centre for Global Epilepsy will address the global burden of epilepsy, particularly in resource-limited settings. The centre collaborates with key research institutions and epilepsy clinics worldwide,…