The latest news, research updates and announcements from the Nuffield Department of Medicine.
For media enquiries, background information on any of our research, or to arrange interviews with relevant scientists please contact Marin Hirschfeld, NDM Head of Communications. We also have photos and videos of our work available for B-roll purposes.
What's new
New insights into the genetics of brain asymmetry
6 May 2024
Differences between the left and right sides of the nervous system are seen in all animals, including humans. A study by researchers from University College London and NDM’s Division of Structural Biology reveals a new piece in the puzzle of how such asymmetries can arise.
Prof Yang Shi elected to the US National Academy of Sciences
3 May 2024
Professor Yang Shi from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at NDM has been elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States.
Melanoma research in the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
2 May 2024
For Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research looks at recent research into melanoma from Professors Richard White, Professor of Genetics, and Colin Goding, Professor of Oncology.
New study to improve vaccines and therapeutics development
1 May 2024
A first-of-its-kind study led by the University of Oxford has successfully investigated human immunity against COVID-19 in people who already have antibodies against it.
Unveiling of Medawar Nobel Prize medal
30 April 2024
The Oxford immunology community celebrated the donation of Sir Peter Medawar’s Nobel Prize medal to the University.
Record number of patients enrolled in a landmark plague trial
29 April 2024
A randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of treatments for bubonic plague has enrolled over 220 patients in Madagascar, marking a critical milestone in evidence generation for plague treatments.
Forecasting how best to control and eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases
26 April 2024
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a major cause of death, disability, and economic hardship worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. While many of these diseases are targeted for control, elimination, or eradication by 2030, achieving those targets will be challenging due to disruptions to programmes related to the COVID-19 pandemic and differences in disease transmission across regions, which requires tailoring interventions to local settings.
The potential of the R21/Matrix vaccine to redefine malaria prevention
25 April 2024
Researchers from the Jenner Institute at NDM will present new exciting data on the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine during the 8th Pan-African Malaria Conference, in collaboration with the Rwandan Ministry of Health and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre.
Significant global variation in national COVID-19 treatment guidelines
23 April 2024
A new study, led by researchers at the Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO) and the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) at NDM, found that a large number of national guidelines recommend at least one treatment proven not to work.
New study highlights Indian regions with treatment-resistant malaria parasites
17 April 2024
A new study by researchers from the Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, and collaborating organisations, has identified areas in central, eastern and north-eastern India where treatment-resistant malaria parasites could be more prevalent.
Aerosol human infection model gives hope for TB vaccine development
16 April 2024
University of Oxford researchers have for the first time established a controlled human infection model for tuberculosis (TB) that infects people via the lungs – the way TB enters the body.
Chinese ambassador visits CAMS Oxford Institute
15 April 2024
The Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Zheng Zeguang, visited the University of Oxford last week, where he promoted deeper educational exchanges between China and the UK. During the visit, Zheng met with Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the university, and had an in-depth discussion on the university’s collaboration with Chinese counterparts.
Novel biomarker’s accuracy for predicting preterm births confirmed
11 April 2024
A recent study by the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit and collaborators has validated a novel biomarker that accurately predicts preterm births. The research published in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine represents an important advancement in the early detection and management of preterm labour risks, with potential implications for improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes in the Southeast Asian region.
Rapid diagnostic test offers cost-effective solutions for non-malarial febrile illness
10 April 2024
New research by the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, explores the potential benefits of a presumptive lateral flow rapid diagnostic test in managing acute non-malarial febrile illness (NMFI) patient care in rural areas of Southeast Asia.
Francesco Boccellato receives Lee Placito Research Fellowship
8 April 2024
Dr Francesco Boccellato, Leadership Fellow at the Oxford Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research has recently been awarded the Lee Placito Research Fellowship in Gastrointestinal Cancer.
Oxford hosts Belgian vaccine experts
5 April 2024
Researchers from Oxford Vaccine Group and the Pandemic Sciences Institute welcomed a delegation of vaccine researchers from Belgium to further UK-Belgian collaboration on vaccine development and manufacture.
OUCRU celebrates World Health Worker Week 2024
4 April 2024
In the first week of April each year, the global community comes together to celebrate health workers, the backbone of the health industry and society.
Novel pairing of proteins controls tumour growth
3 April 2024
New research by the CAMS Oxford Institute, the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit and the Kennedy Institute researchers describes a novel pairing of integrins which could improve T cell control of cancer.
Early changes after a gene inactivation shape kidney cancer initiation
2 April 2024
A study from the Ratcliffe research group of NDM’s Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research has demonstrated the early events defining the cell-type specificity of the development of a tumour, providing a focus for mechanistic understanding and therapeutic targeting.
OUCRU researchers contribute to WHO’s diagnostic handbook on TB
28 March 2024
Members of the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit’s Tuberculosis group have contributed to the World Health Organization's latest edition of the tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic handbook. The "WHO operational handbook on tuberculosis" is an important resource for the rapid detection and diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB).