The Nuffield Department of Medicine is a cutting-edge research and teaching institution at the University of Oxford, working across several clinical disciplines. Our global reach and significant breadth in terms of capabilities and capacity make us unique among departments of medicine across the world.
The Nuffield Department of Medicine's vision is Universal Health. Our mission is to save lives and improve the quality of life by advancing the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease. We deliver this by forging global partnerships and accelerating the discovery of new medicines.
William Morris, Lord Nuffield (1877–1963) was a prolific philanthropist following his success as a car manufacturer. He first offered the University of Oxford £2 million in 1937 (equivalent to over £160 million today) to support the establishment of a postgraduate school of clinical medicine in Oxford.
The first Nuffield Professors in Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Anaesthetics were elected in 1937, followed by chairs in Pathology and Radiology. Departments in each field developed quickly and grew to not only include medical training, but also medical research.
Over time this group of medical training and medical research departments consolidated to form what is now the largest department at the University of Oxford and the largest department of medicine in Europe: the Nuffield Department of Medicine.
During the pandemic, the Nuffield Department of Medicine made world-leading contributions to global efforts in tackling COVID-19. These included developing the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the RECOVERY Trial, the ONS COVID-19 Infection Survey, the NHS app, the COVID-19 Moonshot Consortium, and many more.
Our funding, independence and existing collaborations enabled us to move quickly and actively catalyse activities. This meant that our research and innovations made a significant impact on the global pandemic response.
To counter future pandemic threats, we are hosting the Pandemic Sciences Institute, a multi-disciplinary institute focused on reducing the risk from infectious threats and building global preparedness for future outbreaks.