Mr Keaton Jones attends Pancreatic Cancer UK parliamentary reception
22 June 2026
Last week, Mr Keaton Jones attended a Pancreatic Cancer UK parliamentary reception at the House of Commons which brought together 50 MPs, government representatives, researchers, patients, and supporters to discuss how the UK can accelerate progress in pancreatic cancer treatment.
Targeting polyploid cells to overcome treatment resistance in glioblastoma
18 June 2026
Dr Lucy Brooks has been awarded funding from Brain Research UK to investigate the mechanisms that allow therapy-induced polyploid tumour cells to survive and contribute to therapy resistance and recurrence in glioblastoma, with the aim of uncovering new therapeutic targets to improve patient outcomes.
New biomarker brings personalised Polθ inhibitor-radiotherapy treatment closer to the clinic
14 June 2026
A new study led by Professor Geoff Higgins, in collaboration with Artios Pharma, has uncovered a genetic vulnerability that could help identify patients most likely to benefit from a promising radiotherapy combination treatment. Published today in Science Advances, the research identifies loss of SHLD2 as a predictive biomarker for treatment with DNA polymerase theta (Polθ) inhibitors, an emerging class of DNA repair-targeted drugs.
Researchers uncover how cancer cells evade PARP inhibitor treatment
2 June 2026
Research led by scientists at the University of Oxford and published today in Nature Cell Biology has uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that allows cancer cells to resist a widely used class of cancer drugs known as PARP inhibitors.
Dr Ejung Moon awarded MRC funding to target metastatic breast cancer’s “Achilles’ heel”
28 May 2026
Dr Ejung Moon, Group Leader in the University of Oxford’s Department of Oncology, has been awarded funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to investigate a promising new strategy for treating metastatic breast cancer.
New compound developed to target hypoxia by reducing tumour oxygen consumption
11 May 2026
Researchers have developed a promising new compound designed to reduce tumour hypoxia, a major cause of radiotherapy resistance.
Associate Professor Daniel McGowan joins €50m European study on heart health in cancer patients
28 April 2026
Researchers from the Department of Oncology are part of a €50 million European project looking at how innovative medical and digital technologies can improve the early detection of heart-related problems in cancer patients and survivors.
Study reveals lifetime obesity exposure in cancer patients is widely underestimated
27 April 2026
New data published today in ESMO Real World Data and Digital Oncology show that more than half of people receiving systemic anticancer treatment had a history of obesity, compared with only around one in four who were classified as obese at the time their treatment began.
New funding to fast-track ultra-fast FLASH radiotherapy into the clinic
16 April 2026
A new EPSRC-funded research project led by Dr Kristoffer Petersson aims to advance the clinical implementation of FLASH radiotherapy, an emerging technique that delivers radiation in a fraction of a second and may significantly reduce treatment side effects.
Blood Test May Improve Survival of Childhood Cancer in Africa
19 March 2026
In a study published today in Nature Medicine, researchers from the University of Oxford and the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es salaam, Tanzania have shown that a minimally invasive “liquid biopsy” test can diagnose Burkitt lymphoma rapidly and accurately in sub-Saharan Africa, where delays in traditional testing often prove fatal.
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.
Professor Ester Hammond Awarded Brain Research UK Funding to Tackle Paediatric High-Grade Glioma
10 March 2026
Ester Hammond, Professor of Molecular Cancer Biology in the Department of Oncology, has been awarded new funding from Brain Research UK to investigate much needed treatment options for paediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG), the most common cause of tumour-related death in children.
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.
Matt Jackson recognised as 2026 JING Cohort Study Idea Winner
3 February 2026
Congratulations to Matt Jackson, who was selected as a 2026 JING Cohort Study Idea Winner at the Junior Investigator Network Group (JING) Training the Next Generation event, held in Manchester last month.
New clinical study launched examining the role of insulin in breast cancer treatment response
28 January 2026
A new clinical study has launched to investigate whether insulin levels influence how women with the most common type of breast cancer respond to treatment.
OVM-200: Phase Ia Results of Novel Survivin Cancer Vaccine
23 January 2026
Researchers from the Jiang Group in the Department of Oncology have published Phase Ia clinical trial results for OVM-200, a novel cancer vaccine targeting survivin. The first-in-human trial, published in eClinicalMedicine, reports promising early safety and immunogenicity findings in patients with advanced solid tumours.
Kendra Perez-Smith receives Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability Award
17 December 2025
The Department of Oncology is proud to share that Kendra Perez-Smith, Translational Support Unit (TSU) Manager, has received an Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability Award in recognition of her innovation and leadership in establishing Lab QuTe: a department-wide network designed to reduce the environmental impact of clinical trials.
Oxford-Built Multi-Agent assistant for Cancer Care to be piloted in collaboration with Microsoft
16 December 2025
Researchers at the Department of Oncology have developed TrustedMDT, a multi-agent artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to support medical specialists during cancer treatment planning meetings.
New Study to Investigate How Immunometabolism Shapes Treatment Responses in Pancreatic Cancer
3 December 2025
Keaton Jones, Consultant Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgeon at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Senior Clinical Researcher in the Department of Oncology at the University of Oxford, has received a Wellcome Trust Early Career Award to investigate the role of macrophage metabolism in determining therapeutic responses in pancreatic cancer.
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.