Cancer research now generates huge amounts of data, and sophisticated computational tools are needed to answer biological questions. Making sense of this variability at molecular level will help us better tailor treatments to individual cancer patients. Dr Benjamin Schuster-Böckler heads the computational group at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. His work has demonstrated that epigenetic modifications influence the mutational landscape in cancer cells. He studies the effects of DNA-bind...
Feb 09, 2015•6 min
Video microscopy aims to improve target discovery and drug development and to do so generates large volumes of data. Professor Jens Rittscher has a joint appointment between the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, the Target Discovery Institute and the Department of Engineering Science. His research aims to enhance our understanding of complex biological processes through the analysis of image data acquired at the microscopic scale.
Feb 09, 2015•7 min
Dr Sebastian Nijman develops new approaches to study signalling networks in cancer cells and uncover specific weaknesses, particularly in breast and lung cancer. This can be used to develop more effective drugs and to better guide treatment decisions. In the context of cancer, genetic diversity means that we respond differently to various treatments. Pharmacogenomics sits at the intersection between genetics and drugs. Better understanding of the genetic landscape of cancer and the recent increa...
Feb 09, 2015•4 min
Microbiology in Thailand Acurately diagnosing infections is particularly challenging in tropical environments. Researchers at the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) are working to develop effective and practical means of diagnosing and treating malaria and other neglected tropical diseases, such as dengue fever. The development of rapid tests for dengue, similar to pregnancy tests, allow rapid and acurate diagnostics in the field.
Dec 10, 2014•6 min
Infectious diseases in South East Asia The Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) is a collaboration between the University of Oxford and Mahidol University, and was established with the Wellcome Trust in 1979. MORU aims to fight the infectious tropical diseases affecting rural communities in Asia and elsewhere in the developing world. MORU's malaria research aims to directly improve the treatment of the disease globally. It's researchers focus on the treatment of severe malaria, ...
Dec 10, 2014•6 min
Daniel Paris: Rickettsial Disease Rickettsial diseases such as scrub typhus are important causes of fever in southeast Asia especially in rural communities. Discovered quite recently and not big killers, these diseases are among the most under-reported and under-diagnosed illnesses that are both treatable and preventable. Rickettsial studies at he Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) focus on the epidemiology and incidence of the disease using hospital-based fever studies in Tha...
Dec 10, 2014•6 min
Oxford Health Systems Research Collaboration (OHSCAR) Professor Mike English leads the Health Services Unit at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Nairobi, Kenya. This unit aims to strengthen equality in access to affordable quality health care in Africa. Studies are based on health systems clustered around five main topics: malaria, service delivery & access, information for decision making, governance and financing. Professor English leads efforts to develop multidisciplinary li...
Dec 10, 2014•4 hr 23 min
Governance in practice Dr Sassy Molyneux's main interests reside in Social science and Ethics in Public Health. Over the years, social scientists have developed a programme of empirical work on research ethics. This work is based on an understanding that while the ethics of human subjects research may be universal, there can be big differences across contexts and circumstances in key ethical issues or principles.
Dec 10, 2014•7 hr 11 min
Novel light microscopy techniques allow us to track single viruses. From a virus centric approach, we can now study interactions between the host and the virus. In the case of HIV, we could demonstrate that the virus might enter the cell through endocytosis. A better understanding of virus-cell interactions will ultimately help us test and develop new drugs and vaccines.
Dec 10, 2014•5 min
DNA replication and Cancer The process of DNA replication is complex, and mistakes can lead to genome instability. Surveillance systems are not always successful which results in mutations that have the potential to inactivate genes or change their activity. This can lead to cancer, and many chemotherapeutic drugs are designed to disrupt DNA replication. A better understanding of these mechanisms can help us develop new drugs with reduced side effects.
Dec 10, 2014•7 min
Over the past decade, data-driven science has produced enormous sets of data. The convergence of statistics and computer science, in the field known as machine learning, provide the means to understand these large datasets. Ultimately, machine learning algorithms will be develop into clinical decision making support systems.
Dec 10, 2014•6 min
Between research and humanitarian Professor François Nosten's work concentrates on infectious diseases at the Thai-Burma border. The main focus of his research is on malaria, especially malaria in pregnant women and emerging drug resistance of malaria parasites.
Dec 10, 2014•6 min
Tuberculous Meningitis Professor Guy Thwaites is trying to improve outcomes for patients with tuberculous meningitis, the most severe form of tuberculosis. 100, 000 people a year get tuberculous meningitis and without treatment 100% of people with the disease will die.
Oct 07, 2014•7 hr 49 min
Innate immune system Professor Alison Simmons is interested in the molecular aspects of innate immune recognition, the primitive arm of the immune system that defends the host from infection by other organisms in a non-specific manner. Defects in the innate immune system can result in difficulty clearing infections but also in inflammation.
Oct 07, 2014•7 hr 9 min
Structure of viruses Professor David Stuart studies the structure of viruses at the molecular level. His work is particularly interested in virus-receptor interaction and the basic puzzles of virus assembly and he uses structural biology to answer these questions.
Oct 07, 2014•8 min
Adult gastrointestinal stem cells The gastrointestinal tract is lined with a single sheet of epithelium that is replaced every 4-5 days. The base of a flask-shaped structured called the crypt is where the gastrointestinal stem cells are found. These divide to form daughter cells that travel up the crypt to replace these cells. Dr Simon Leedham's current research focuses on the cell-signaling pathways that control intestinal stem cells and the dysregulation of these pathways in cancer.
Oct 07, 2014•5 hr 18 min
Inflammatory signalling Dr Mads Gyrd-Hansen aims to elucidate fundamental mechanisms governing pro-inflammatory signalling during innate immune responses, and through this, to better understand how aberrant inflammatory signalling contributes to tumour development and cancer progression.
Oct 07, 2014•5 hr 57 min
Airway inflammation Ian Pavord is Professor of Respiratory Medicine and has been joint Chief Medical Advisor to Asthma UK since May 2008. He has developed new techniques to get a better idea about airway inflammation and uses this information to investigate the best treatments to prevent asthma attacks.
Oct 07, 2014•7 hr 5 min
Genetics and genomics of Streptococcus pneumoniae Angela Brueggemann's main focus is using high-throughput genotyping and whole genome sequencing techniques and unique collections of isolates to understand pneumococcal evolution, especially evolutionary changes related to antimicrobial and vaccine selective pressures.
Oct 07, 2014•4 hr 59 min
Professor Townsend tells us about lessons to be drawn from the history of immunology in Oxford, from 1979 onwards, until his current research on active and passive immunity to influenza. All these developments happened in Oxford because the atmosphere was right, open, researchers were encouraged to explore, and there was an enthusiasm in a great environment. Experiments and discoveries were made possible by the very open attitude of the supervisors at the time, telling their team that they they ...
Oct 01, 2013•31 min
Professor Peter Donnelly tells us how genetics helps us to understand common diseases and develop new drugs. Understanding which variations in our DNA affect susceptibility to diseases can provide new insights into the disease process and lead to new treatments. Professor Peter Donnelly leads large collaborative human genetic studies, and his group develops and applies statistical methods to extract maximal information from the large datasets generated by genomic studies.
Jul 09, 2013•6 min
Dr Trudie Lang tells us how the Global Health Network facilitates collaboration and resource sharing. Clinical trials establish the evidence base for prevention and treatment of disease and are critically important in the field of Global Health. Dr Trudie Lang leads the Global Health Clinical Trials group, which aims to promote and improve the conduct of non-commercial clinical research across all diseases in resource-poor settings.
Jun 26, 2013•6 min
Professor Nick White talks about the future of artemisinin and other drug therapies for malaria. Malaria kills more than half a million people every year. Following a number of groundbreaking clinical trials, Professor Nick White and his Thailand team successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of artemisinin drug therapy for malaria in adults, children and infants. He also pioneered artemisinin combination therapy, the first-line treatment for malaria worldwide.
Jun 18, 2013•6 min
Professor Chris O'Callaghan tells us about the role of our immune system in vascular disease. The accumulation of fat in the arteries, such as cholesterol, can cause a thickening of the artery wall known as atherosclerosis. Professor Chris O'Callaghan is researching the role of the innate immune system in atherosclerosis to better understand immune responses to vascular disease. This may lead to improved treatments.
Jun 11, 2013•6 min
Dr Najib Rahman talks about his research on respiratory medicine. The Pleura are thin membranes that cover the surface of the lungs. Dr Najib Rahman specialises in areas of respiratory medicine including pleural disease and the conduct and analysis of respiratory trials. Dr Rahman is currently conducting clinical studies in malignant and infectious pleural disease, and is Clinical Director of the Oxford Respiratory Trials Unit.
May 28, 2013•6 min
Professor Jonathan Flint talks about his research on psychiatric genetics. It is now known that genetic variants can form the basis of psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Professor Jonathan Flint is investigating the genetics behind psychiatric disorders, in particular the origins of stress-related conditions, such as anxiety and depression, for which we have relatively ineffective treatments.
May 21, 2013•4 min
Professor Stefan Knapp tells us how the development of chemical probes helps us to find new drugs. The role of proteins in cellular signalling and disease is best studied through the development of highly specific chemical inhibitors, which can serve as a tool molecule for functional studies. Professor Stefan Knapp works to determine the structure of protein molecules to understand their regulation and to aid the design of selective inhibitors that can be developed further into efficient drugs
May 21, 2013•7 min
Dr Sumi Biswas talks about the development of a vaccine aimed at the mosquito stage of the malaria parasite cycle. Malaria transmission-blocking vaccines aim to induce immunity against the parasites that infect mosquitoes. Such vaccines will prevent malaria transmission on a wider scale, focusing on the community rather than the individual. Dr Sumi Biswas is working on the development of transmission-blocking vaccines to prevent the spread of malaria.
May 07, 2013•8 min
Dr Liz Carpenter talks about her research on membrane proteins and drug development. Membrane proteins are the gateways to our cells - with nutrients, waste products, and even DNA and proteins entering and leaving cells via these tightly controlled proteins. Drugs often target membrane proteins; therefore, understanding their molecular structure helps us design better drugs. Dr Liz Carpenter uses X-ray crystallography to solve membrane protein structures. This information is then used to improve...
Apr 29, 2013•5 min
Dr Alexander Finlayson tells us how MedicineAfrica aims to bring healthcare professionals around the world in a global expert network. Disparity in healthcare between the developed and developing world is a major global health problem. MedicineAfrica, an online health facility, aims to connect doctors and healthcare professionals in Africa to clinical support teams around the world. Dr Alexamder Finlayson established MedicineAfrica in 2008, and is now working to develop this platform for future ...
Apr 29, 2013•6 min
