New Study Finds Common Virus May Improve Skin Cancer Treatment Outcomes
23 April 2025
A new study led by the University of Oxford has revealed that a common and usually harmless virus may positively influence how skin cancer patients respond to current treatments.
New project tackles the 'undruggable' in acute leukaemia treatment
24 March 2025
University of Oxford researcher, Katherine Vallis, has been awarded new funding from the MRC to launch a project on the use of cell-permeant antibodies for the treatment of acute leukaemia. The funding will allow Prof. Vallis and her team to generate in vivo data on the use of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) for cancer applications, a crucial step towards clinical translation.
Oxford Researchers Uncover a Key Mechanical Signalling Pathway Linked to Neurological Disorders
17 February 2025
A team of researchers at the Department of Oncology have uncovered a key mechanism by which cells respond to their physical environment. In a pioneering study, published in Science Advances, Eric O’Neill and his team describe a new signalling cascade, through which mechanical forces trigger the assembly of nuclear actin, crucial for nuclear integrity. Moreover, a common mutation in this pathway, present in ~10% of the population, was shown to associate with schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression, underscoring the importance of mechanical signalling in the nucleus for brain health.
Early-Career Researchers Awarded Competitive Funding for Pioneering Cancer Studies
30 January 2025
We are proud to share the success of two early-career postdoctoral researchers at the Department of Oncology, Ahmet Hazini and Esther Ng, who have secured funding to deliver pioneering research projects that aim to advance the field of cancer immunotherapy.
Machine Learning Enhances Detection of Multiple Cancer Types from Blood
8 January 2025
Researchers from the University of Oxford have developed TriOx, a highly sensitive blood test that detects six cancers at their earliest stages. Published today in Nature Communications, the findings highlight the test’s potential to transform early cancer detection and improve patient outcomes.
MSc Medical Physics with Radiobiology receives IPEM accreditation
29 November 2024
The Department of Oncology at the University of Oxford is delighted to announce that our new MSc Medical Physics with Radiobiology programme has received Masters Level Accreditation from the Institute of Physics and Engineering Medicine (IPEM).
Study Publishes New Insights on Goblet Cell Differentiation in Colorectal Cancer
15 October 2024
The Oncology Department at the University of Oxford is excited to announce the forthcoming publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) of the research paper “Goblet Cell Differentiation Subgroups in Colorectal Cancer.” This groundbreaking study sheds light on the role of goblet cell differentiation in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its impact on cancer progression and prognosis.
Oxford and NTU Singapore Study discovers new process for cells to repair DNA damage
11 September 2024
A team of international researchers at the University of Oxford (Oxford) and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), has discovered a new process for repairing damaged DNA that is particularly relevant for patients undergoing colorectal cancer treatments.
Ground-breaking Study reveals previously unknown genetic causes of Colorectal Cancer
7 August 2024
A pioneering study, led by UK universities, including the University of Oxford, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, the University of Manchester and the University of Leeds, has provided the most comprehensive analysis to date of the genetic makeup of colorectal cancer (CRC).
Subashan Vadibeler wins 2024 Lasker Essay Contest
16 July 2024
Subashan Vadibeler, a recent Oxford Rhodes scholar and Department of Oncology student, is one of five co-winners of the international 2024 Lasker Essay Contest, sponsored by the Lasker Foundation.
Glowing dye helps surgeons eradicate prostate cancer
10 June 2024
A glowing marker dye that sticks to prostate cancer cells could help surgeons to remove them in real-time, according to a study led by the University of Oxford.
New funding for development of world's first lung cancer vaccine
22 March 2024
Oxford and UCL researchers seeking to create the world’s first vaccine to prevent lung cancer in people at high risk of the disease have been granted up to £1.7 million from Cancer Research UK and the CRIS Cancer Foundation.
Researchers develop easy-to-deploy federated learning system that safeguards patient data
24 January 2024
The technique, which builds on recent advances in decentralised machine learning, uses inexpensive pre-programmed micro-computers, making it easy to deploy in hospitals and cheap to scale up.
Festive Science Image Competition Winners
5 December 2023
Winners of the Medical Research Foundation's second Festive Science Image Competition, run in partnership with the Medical Research Council (MRC), have been announced today.
Robert Watson Awarded ACP McElwain and Presidents Prize
23 October 2023
Dr Robert Watson has won one of three McElwain and President's Prizes from the Association of Cancer Physicians for his DPhil work undertaken with Professor Ben Fairfax.
Prof Anna Schuh launches first private specialised haematology clinic and laboratory in sub-Saharan Africa.
23 October 2023
SerenOx Africa aims to address diagnostic gaps for common blood disorders through a testing facility for key underserved patient populations in Tanzania. This facility will also aim to provide early cancer detection for high-risk patients.
Professor Eileen Parkes appointed to lead Oxford’s Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre
17 October 2023
Eileen Parkes, Associate Professor in Innate Tumour Immunology in the Department of Oncology, will lead the expansion of the centre’s programmes in early drug development and biomarker research.
Machine Learning Predicts SETD2 Mutation Status with Unprecedented Accuracy using DNA methylation
11 August 2023
In a pan-cancer analysis spanning 24 different cancer type, researchers shed light on the critical role of SETD2 in tumourigenesis.