Oxford Medicine, the community and the NHS

The aim of the University’s Medical Sciences Division in research is to be the best university biomedical institution in Europe and to be amongst the top five in the world, and, in the context of outstanding research, to deliver top-class teaching and patient care. The Division comprises more than 2200 academics and staff, 800 graduate students and 900 undergraduates; about 350 NHS Clinicians and GPs contribute to our teaching activities. In total over 2500 individuals are involved in research.

Find out more about the Medical Sciences Division

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre embodies the centre, a partnership that brings together the clinical excellence of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and the academic expertise of the University of Oxford, is investing more than £100m to support patient-centred research that will improve healthcare. 

Its research is tackling the biggest healthcare challenges of the 21st century including cancer, dementia and heart disease. It is pioneering new technologies to improve diagnosis, surgery and treatment, and it is developing world class facilities to support sustained progress.

Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism is one of the pioneers in establishing an effective partnership for clinical research and patient treatment in Oxford. The Centre moved to a three-sided building in 2003, symbolising the partnership between the University, the hospital trust and industry.  The building houses research laboratories, in-patient ward and a clinic that sees more than 30,000 out-patients a year. 

The University has established a critical mass of epidemiologists, trialists, geneticists, and other cancer researchers.  The following are a few examples of University involvement in cancer research in recent years:

In developing new treatments the watchword is translation: how can research results be applied as better care for patients? One example is a collaboration between doctors and engineers at the Oxford Institute of Biomedical Engineering, conveniently housed in the same research building as the Institute of Cancer Medicine. High-intensity focused ultrasound is a non-invasive technique that can be used to destroy tumours. Dr Constantin Coussios and his colleagues have developed a way of simultaneously monitoring the tiny bubbles generated by the ultrasound wave, which help to distribute its destructive effect, in order to adjust the delivery of the ultrasound to maximise its impact on the tumour.

The late Sir Richard Doll helped save millions of lives by demonstrating that smoking greatly increased the risk of getting cancer (and many other diseases) and that stopping smoking worked remarkably well. Oxford researchers at the Richard Doll Building, are continuing to save lives by conducting large prospective studies of smoking, drinking, diet, obesity, hormone replacement therapy and other avoidable causes of cancer. They also conduct worldwide meta-analyses that combine hundreds of different studies of cancer causes, early detection or treatment – showing, for example, that breast cancer can generally be halved by combining radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy.

The first multi-gene DNA sequencing test that can help predict cancer patients’ responses to treatment has been launched in the NHS, thanks to the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre.

The test uses the latest DNA sequencing techniques to detect mutations across 46 genes that may be driving cancer growth in patients with solid tumours. The presence of a mutation in a gene can potentially determine which treatment a patient should receive.

The £300 test could save money in drug costs by getting patients on to the right treatments straightaway, reducing harm from side effects as well as the time lost before arriving at an effective treatment.

The BRC’s Molecular Diagnostics laboratory, based at the Churchill Hospital, carries out the test. The lab covers all cancer patients in the Thames Valley area, but it is hoped to scale this up into a truly national NHS service.

The £13m Acute Vascular Imaging Centre (AVIC) at the John Radcliffe Hospital is improving early treatment of heart attack and stroke by increasing our understanding of a patient’s heart or brain tissue at the crucial early moments during an attack.

It offers the latest technology for imaging and diagnostics including a fully equipped suite for treating blocked arteries and an MRI scanner. Patients can be transported smoothly and rapidly between the two.

“NHS patients are benefiting from this unique service which is embedded within the hospital. It is another example of how the partnership between the research expertise of the University of Oxford and the clinical expertise of the Oxford University Hospitals is translated into improved care for patients,” Professor Ted Baker, Medical Director of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust.

New state-of-the-art research facilities in Oxford will enhance the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries, strengthen the fight against bone cancer and improve arthritis care.

Research teams moved into the £6m "phase 2" of the Botnar Research Centre, based at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Tust’s Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (NOC) site in Headington, in spring 2013.

It makes the Oxford University research facility one of the largest musculoskeletal research centres in Europe, doubling its size to ensure it continues to compete with leading institutions on the world stage.

Professor Andy Carr, Divisional Director at the NOC and Director of the Botnar Research Centre said: "Since it opened in 2002, the Botnar Research Centre has established itself as a world leading centre for musculoskeletal research. This expansion will strengthen our efforts and provide our researchers and medical staff with the best possible facilities. Ultimately, it will help us improve quality of life for those people who suffer from debilitating musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis."

The Botnar Research Centre now comprises 4,000sqm of custom built research facilities including state-of-the-art laboratories and flexible office accommodation.

It will also house research supported by the National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Unit (Oxford BRU), a collaboration between Oxford University NHS Hospitals Trust and Oxford University to accelerate innovation in musculoskeletal research.

Professor Carr said: "The Oxford BRU embodies the great strength of this site, the collaboration between University researchers and world class NHS medical staff.

"One of the real advantages is that when we make a discovery, we can ask patients if they would be willing to participate in a clinical trial to discover whether there is clinical benefit. In addition, more than 90 per cent of people having an operation at the NOC help our research by donating tissue samples that are vital to so many  projects."

Dame Fiona Caldicott is an embodiment of the close relationship between the University and the NHS.  Dame Fiona is a distinguished psychiatrist and psychotherapist who has been Principal of Somerville College, Oxford since 1996. She also served as a University Pro-Vice Chancellor. In 2009, she was appointed Chairman of the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust having been acting Chairman since December 2008 and a Non-executive Director since 2002. She is a former President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (the first woman President) and the immediate past President of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Dame Fiona also chaired the 1996 NHS working party on patient confidentiality - its report led to the appointments of Caldicott Guardians in all trusts. She was re-appointed Chairman of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust for a further four year term from March 2013.