New research reveals why some oesophageal cancers are so hard to treat
11 March 2026
Research published today in Science Advances has uncovered new insights into why the most aggressive oesophageal cancers are so difficult to treat and how the body’s own defence systems are helping them to thrive.
New study reveals how blood cell production responds to parasite infection
11 March 2026
Research led by the Nerlov Group in the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit provides the first detailed explanation of how parasite-fighting immune cells are selectively increased following infection.
Anchoring a key immune molecule boosts T cell responses
11 March 2026
Researchers at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology have found that physically resisting the formation of an immunological synapse actually promotes a stronger immune response. The findings could help explain how immune responses become weakened in cancer and chronic infection and inform the design of more effective vaccines.
Paresh Vyas receives CRUK Discovery Programme Award
11 March 2026
Congratulations to Professor Paresh Vyas, who has been awarded a Discovery Research grant from Cancer Research UK to investigate cancer immunotherapies.
Oxford research highlights the global challenge of iron deficiency
9 March 2026
Iron deficiency affects more than a billion people worldwide and remains a leading cause of anaemia. Oxford researchers are uncovering how iron levels shape immunity and infection - insights that could inform safer, more effective strategies to tackle iron deficiency globally.
Oxford Population Health researchers to tackle one of cancer’s toughest challenges
4 March 2026
Oxford researchers join $25m international effort to uncover immune mechanisms that protect certain people from cancer.
New bone marrow model offers scalable platform for next-generation drug discovery
23 February 2026
Researchers at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine have developed the first combined human bone and bone marrow organoid platform capable of modelling long-term blood and immune cell production in a fully human 3D system.
How Unstable Cancer Genomes Reshape the Tumour Landscape
19 February 2026
Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a hallmark of aggressive cancers, yet the mechanisms through which it shapes tumour behaviour and clinical outcomes remain poorly defined. With new funding from Guts UK and the University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division, Dr Bruno Beernaert, postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Oncology, is tackling this challenge by developing innovative approaches to uncover the role of CIN in tumour evolution and immune evasion.
New Oxford-led trial explores if the immune system can be trained to control HIV
6 February 2026
Can the immune system be trained to control HIV without continuous medication? A new Oxford-led clinical trial is exploring whether immune-based strategies could support longer-term viral control after stopping antiretroviral therapy.
Podcast: Unravelling T-Cell Recognition – Insights from Immunology and AI
5 February 2026
A conversation with Professor Hashem Koohy about possibilities for use of AI in driving forward T cell research.
Podcast: HIV in 2025 - the latest science, global burden and future outlook
5 February 2026
A conversation with Professor Andrew McMichael, Professor Tomáš Hanke, and Dr Fon Acho about current priorities in HIV treatment and prevention.
Kennedy scientists join world-leading researchers in ‘pivotal’ study to help arthritis patients to live drug free
27 January 2026
The prospect of long-lasting drug-free remission for children and adults living with inflammatory arthritis is a step closer to becoming a reality, thanks to a new collaboration.
Rapamycin helps protect immune cells against DNA damage
26 January 2026
New research carried out by Dr Loren Kell at the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS) has demonstrated for the first time that rapamycin can reduce DNA damage in immune cells, a hallmark of ageing.
Rewiring T cell co-receptors to improve the safety of cancer immunotherapy
20 January 2026
A new study from the Dushek and van der Merwe labs demonstrates a novel strategy to reduce dangerous off-target effects in engineered T cell therapies.
What determines the fate of a T cell?
20 January 2026
Research led by Dr Mariana Borsa at the Kennedy Institute has found that a cellular housekeeping mechanism called autophagy plays a major role in ensuring that T cells generate diverse progenies upon cell division. The findings, published in Nature Cell Biology, could help boost vaccine response in older adults.
Kennedy researchers contribute to UK-wide AI and bioscience training initiative
18 December 2025
Together with a group of Oxford researchers, Mark Coles, Professor of Immunology at the Kennedy Institute, will co-lead the Enabling Next-generation AI for a Bioscience-Led Economy (ENAIBLE) initiative.
Blood test predicts risk of death in acutely ill children in lower-income countries
9 December 2025
An international study has identified a blood-based indicator of intestinal damage and inflammation that strongly predicts mortality in sick children. The new biomarker could help to identify those children at greatest risk of dying after hospitalisation in parts of the world with limited resources.
A healthier brain may reduce your risk of dementia and early death
26 November 2025
Professor Sarah Blagden shares cutting-edge precision prevention research at Oxford in new Channel 4 Documentary
21 November 2025
Over the past year, Professor Blagden has been filming for Cancer Detectives: Finding the Cures, a new three-part documentary series from Channel 4 which follows three scientists on the front lines of cancer research across the UK.