University of Oxford

Through a strategic collaboration with Microsoft, the AI assistant has been integrated into Microsoft Teams and will be piloted at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust, marking one of the earliest deployments of 'agentic AI' within a clinically realistic tumour board setting.Multidisciplinary Tumour Board meetings (MDTs) are the gold standard for cancer treatment planning in the UK, convening radiologists, pathologists, surgeons, and oncologists to review diagnostic results and formulate…

Dr Tonya Lander. As the holidays approach, many of us will be buying chocolate as gifts for loved ones, but chocolate can no longer be relied on as an ‘affordable luxury.’ For the last 25 years, the price of cocoa was fairly stable, at around 2-3,000 GBP/metric ton. During the first half of 2024 and the start of 2025, however, the price quadrupled to over 8000 GBP/metric ton. Even though…

Dr Dan Challender. Photo credit: David Fisher. Overexploitation (harvesting at a rate that exceeds the ability of populations to recover) is a major driver of biodiversity loss. Globally, tens of thousands of animal, plant and fungi species are used and traded at different scales for purposes including food, fashion, medicine, pets, and building materials, among many others. Some of this use and trade is legal and sustainable and some not.…

The paper, 'The Levers of Political Persuasion with Conversational AI', published in Science, examines how large language models (LLMs) influence political attitudes through conversation.  Authored by a team from OII, AISI, the LSE, Stanford University and MIT, the research draws on nearly 77,000 UK participants and 91,000 AI dialogues, to provide the most comprehensive evidence to date on the mechanisms of AI persuasion and their implications for democracy and AI governance. Our results demonstrate the remarkable persuasive power of…

Neutrinos are one of the most mysterious particles in the universe, often called “ghost particles” because they rarely interact with anything else. Trillions stream through our bodies every second, yet leave no trace. They are produced during nuclear reactions, including those that take place in the core of our Sun. Their tendency to not interact often makes detecting neutrinos notoriously difficult.Capturing this interaction is an extraordinary achievement. Despite the rarity…

The University of Oxford and UBS are proud to announce the launch of the Oxford-UBS Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Centre will aim to deepen the understanding of the power of AI through cutting-edge research and promote its practical application.   The Centre aims to be a ground-breaking interdisciplinary partnership involving UBS, the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and the University’s Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences division (MPLS).…

Dr Alistair Farley. Credit: The IOI. On 10 December 1945, Alexander Fleming, Howard Florey, and Ernst Chain were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine ‘for the discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases.’ The discovery of penicillin and its subsequent industrial production during World War Two is rightly hailed as one of the biggest medical breakthroughs of the 20th century. Penicillin played a…

Marking 75 years of the ECHR and 25 years since the Human Rights Act gave it effect in UK law, the research, ‘Examining 10 Reasons to Stay in the European Convention on Human Rights: Informing the Public Debate in the UK’, addresses a debate often dominated by claims about immigration control and widespread misunderstandings of what the ECHR does. Our analysis shows that the ECHR underpins everyday protections from digital privacy…

The study, ‘Effects of future climate extreme heat events and land use changes on land vertebrates’, published today in Global Change Biology, assessed nearly 30,000 species of amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles. It examined how future extreme heat events and projected land-use changes will affect species across their preferred habitats and thermal limits.Our research highlights the importance of considering the potential effects of multiple threats together to get a better estimation…

Consolidator Grants award around €2 million for projects typically lasting 5 years. Awardees must have 7-12 years of highly promising postdoctoral experience plus an excellent research proposal. With funding from the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, these grants will support cutting-edge research at universities and research centres in 25 EU Member States and associated countries. The ERC received 3,121 applications for this call, of which 11.2% were successful. Oxford received more grants…

Many animals try to win a mate by displaying spectacular ornamentation – such as the famous tail of male peacocks. However, these impressive traits can have negative consequences, even hindering movement or making individuals easier for predators to find. New research has revealed a previously undocumented example of this: the feather ornamentation on the heads of male Chrysolophus pheasants restricts their field of view.We know surprisingly little about how birds…

Professor Edward Harcourt Recently, the BBC carried the tragic report of two teenagers, both of whom had seemingly taken their own lives thanks to their interactions with chatbots. How can further such tragedies be avoided?Specialist therapy chatbots may help, trained on expert advice rather than on whatever’s out there on the web. But arguably we need more: to educate users of this technology  – especially young users – about what it is…

The UK is far from being food self-sufficient, importing between 40-50% of the food it consumes each year. For decades, globalised and highly industrialised supply chains have largely insulated consumers from shocks. But as the effects of climate change and environmental damage begin to hit, the cracks in this system are widening. Professor Paul Behrens speaking at the National Emergency Briefing. Credit: National Emergency Briefing. For generations, a stable climate…

Cosmic filaments are the largest known structures in the Universe: vast, thread-like formations of galaxies and dark matter that form a cosmic scaffolding. They also act as ‘highways’ along which matter and momentum flow into galaxies. Nearby filaments containing many galaxies spinning in the same direction- and where the whole structure appears to be rotating – are ideal systems to explore how galaxies gained the spin and gas they have…

The trial, conducted by the Oxford Vaccine Group, and funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), will assess the safety and immune response of the ChAdOx1 Lassa vaccine. 31 people aged 18-55 will participate in the trial in total.Lassa fever is caused by the Lassa virus, which is primarily spread by rodents and can result in serious illness including deafness, severe bleeding and even death. First discovered in…

In 2022, contaminated medicinal syrups caused the deaths of more than 300 children across Indonesia, The Gambia, Uzbekistan and Cameroon. Only two months ago, at least a further 24 deaths were reported in India. In response, Oxford’s DEG-EG team is developing novel tests to identify these lethal contaminants in both medicinal syrups and their raw materials.The team has successfully repurposed commercially available rapid tests, each costing less than £1:Alcohol test…

Professor Stephen Smartt. The award recognises the achievements of the ENGRAVE (Electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave sources at the Very Large Telescope) collaboration in tracing the origins of the Universe’s heaviest elements, forged in the aftermath of supernova explosions. In doing so, it has helped uncover the very building blocks of our existence. The award celebrates ENGRAVE as a model of scientific excellence and collaboration, particularly for its joint European…

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany visited the University of Oxford on Friday 5 December as part of his three-day State Visit to the United Kingdom, hosted by Their Majesties The King and Queen. The President was accompanied in Oxford by the First Lady, Ms Elke Büdenbender. Oxford formed the final stop on the President’s visit, and provided an opportunity to celebrate long-standing academic partnerships between the University and Germany,…

The UK is facing a national emergency not only because the climate is changing, but because the living systems that regulate that climate, protect our homes, and feed our people are breaking down. This is exposing our country to escalating risks: floods, fires, heatwaves, food insecurity, and economic instability. Professor Nathalie Seddon speaking at the National Emergency Briefing. Credit: National Emergency Briefing. The facts are sobering: the UK is one…

Professor Yuval Shany, Institute for Ethics in AI Human rights such as equality and privacy are under considerable pressure due to practices such as profiling and mass surveillance associated with certain AI systems; plus new AI systems also invite consideration of extending human rights protections to capture new human needs and interests implicated by their use.Not only can these systems generate new benefits in areas such as health, education and work,…

Published in Nature Scientific Reports the research determined insight from 3,752 health professionals and researchers across 151 countries and is one of the largest Global studies of its kind, with 86.9% of participants based in low- and middle-income countries. Participants reported that climate change, poverty, and drug resistance are combining to create an escalating health crisis that could become a ‘creeping catastrophe’ if left unaddressed.Data gathered in countries across Africa,…

Published in Nature Scientific Reports the research determined insight from 3,752 health professionals and researchers across 151 countries and is one of the largest Global studies of its kind, with 86.9% of participants based in low- and middle-income countries. Participants reported that climate change, poverty, and drug resistance are combining to create an escalating health crisis that could become a ‘creeping catastrophe’ if left unaddressed.Data gathered in countries across Africa,…

Once seen as a source of alarm, drones (or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs) are now proving to be surprisingly elephant-friendly and a valuable research tool. Previously, the use of drones in elephant conservation has mostly relied on their power to disturb: with their buzzing propellers, which can sound like a swarm of bees, elephants reliably run from drones, making them a useful tool to drive elephants from croplands.This research demonstrates…

An alliance between the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University and Oxfordshire County Council, the Local Policy Lab promotes partnerships between academia, community, and government in order to inform policy and improve quality of life for Oxfordshire residents.Professor James Robson, Dr Joanna Crocker and Associate Professor Jonathan Reid will each be responsible for leading and delivering an ambitious three-year research plan in one of three focus areas: delivering a skilled…

The Budget raises income tax without changing the rate bands. “The way that most people will feel it in income tax is via what is called fiscal drag – frozen thresholds mean that people drift into higher tax brackets as their wages increase,” says Prof McMahon. “Often called a stealth tax, the Chancellor was at least open that this was a tax increase.” There are a lot of measures related to growth, but we will have to wait…

The University of Oxford has been awarded a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further Education, recognising the globally impactful work of the OpenSAFELY platform.Based within the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science, OpenSAFELY was created during the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. It pioneered a new method of accessing whole-population NHS GP data - which OpenSAFELY made accessible for…

Thomas Hale, Professor in Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, said that conclusion of COP30 in Belém saw limited progress in efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions but, in a year of failed negotiations, did just enough to hold the process together and to leave room for more progress in the future: In a year of worsening climate impacts and geopolitical conflict, COP30 was both absolutely necessary and completely insufficient. The fact…

Thomas Hale, Professor in Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, said that conclusion of COP30 in Belém saw limited progress in efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions but, in a year of failed negotiations, did just enough to hold the process together and to leave room for more progress in the future: In a year of worsening climate impacts and geopolitical conflict, COP30 was both absolutely necessary and completely insufficient. The fact…

Published in History Today ahead of the 487th anniversary of the excommunication on 17 December, the research offers the first ever account of how an event that might have changed the course of England's religious history was botched by indecision and delay. Professor Paulina Kewes and Dr Frederick Smith trace the extraordinary eight-year saga that finally saw Pope Paul III acting against Henry in December 1538 – long after the King had created the Church of England in his own image. The potency of Paul…

Our project seeks to elucidate the fundamental principles that govern the light-dependent animal magnetosense, and to explore how we might exploit the underlying mechanisms to engineer technologies in biomedicine.Professor Christiane Timmel, Department of ChemistryThe ‘Quantum sensing in nature and synthetic biology’ project is funded through BBSRC’s Strategic Longer and Larger (sLoLa) grants scheme, which supports curiosity-driven research that has the potential to transform our understanding of biology and spark innovation…

Dr Caroline Emmer De Albuquerque Green, Institute for Ethics in AI Imagine a world in which a humanoid robot cares for you when you need help and support with daily activities.This robot would not only take on mundane tasks like cooking or cleaning, but also be your conversational partner and help you with maintaining your personal hygiene etc. This idea of robots as caregivers – ‘carebots’ - especially for older people,…

This is the first time anyone has taken a broad evolutionary lens to examine kissing. Our findings add to a growing body of work highlighting the remarkable diversity of sexual behaviours exhibited by our primate cousins.Lead author Dr Matilda Brindle (Department of Biology) Kissing occurs in a variety of animals, but presents an evolutionary puzzle: it appears to carry high risks, such as disease transmission, while offering no obvious reproductive or survival advantage.…

The Life and Mind building, a £200 million world-class teaching and research facility, has been officially opened by Sir Paul Nurse, Principal Group Leader, The Francis Crick Institute, President Elect of the Royal Society, and 2001 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine.  The special opening event was hosted by Oxford University's Chancellor, Lord Hague of Richmond, and the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey. It brought together many of the people involved in the delivery of the building…

GSK invests £10 million over five years to establish the Experimental Medicine Collaboration with the University of Oxford. The GSK and University of Oxford Experimental Medicine Collaboration (EMC) is a pioneering partnership that aims to redefine the approach to studying and treating immune mediated inflammatory diseases. Through the integration of cutting-edge molecular insights with clinical advancements, the EMC will allow testing of multiple medicines across cellular mechanisms in parallel.The EMC…

The recent curriculum and assessment review recommends strengthening digital literacy at each key stage of the curriculum, to equip pupils for an era of rapid social and technological change. It includes recommendations to improve the clarity of the contents of the computer curriculum; to replace the much-critiqued GCSE Computer Science with a Computing GCSE that is broader in focus; and to map the teaching of digital literacy and the use…

In the heart of the Amazon, COP30 reminds us that nature holds the key to innovation — and the Nature’s Intelligence Studio embodies this new approach: protecting nature while learning from its intelligence.Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, President of COP30Nature-inspired innovation means learning from and emulating ideas from nature, which is a billion years of R&D ahead of us and has learned to adapt to changing environments.Professor Amir Lebdioui, Director,…

HomeNewsTwo Oxford academics receive ERC Synergy Grants to tackle major scientific challenges Two Oxford University academics are to co-lead ambitious new research projects backed by European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grants, part of the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. Synergy Grants foster collaboration between outstanding researchers, enabling them to combine their expertise, knowledge and resources to push the boundaries of scientific discovery.   Of the 712 proposals submitted this year,…

The University of Oxford has celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of undergraduate Scholars to complete the Oxford Laidlaw Scholars Programme, delivered through the Oxford SDG Impact Lab in partnership with The Laidlaw Foundation.Held at Pembroke College, Oxford the ceremony on November 11 brought together students, University leaders, community collaborators and guests from across the Laidlaw network. Scholars from colleges and departments across the University, including those from the Laidlaw Women…

Overcoming a key challenge in soft roboticsJust as fireflies can begin flashing in unison after watching one another, the robot’s air-powered limbs also fall into rhythm, but in this case through physical contact with the ground rather than visual cues. This emergent behaviour has previously been observed in nature, and this new study represents a major step forward towards programmable, self-intelligent robots.Lead author Dr Mostafa Mousa, Department of Engineering Science,…

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that can cause severe pelvic pain and infertility. It affects an estimated one in ten women and girls worldwide, yet the new research shows that across the 194 WHO member states, nearly half of all countries have no national policies or clinical guidance on diagnosis or care.Global gaps in care and guidanceThe first study, Availability of region-specific endometriosis care guidance: a global scoping review,…