Professor Tulio de Oliveira has more than 20 years’ experience responding to infectious disease outbreaks including HIV, hepatitis B and C, chikungunya, dengue, SARS-CoV-2, zika and yellow fever virus. His research focuses on applying genomic data to improve disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and outbreak response. He played a critical role in identifying and tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants during the COVID-19 pandemic through CERI and the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform. Professor de Oliveira will talk about the work of CERI and CLIMADE, a global consortium focused on developing knowledge, surveillance tools and adequate interventions to decrease the impact of climate amplified diseases and epidemics.
Abstract TBC.
Through a new series of online talks, we aim to explore the vital role Hindu chaplaincy can play in healthcare today. In the UK, the need for Hindu chaplains in hospitals is growing rapidly. At the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS), we carried out an informal survey of some of the country’s largest hospitals. Every single one told us the same thing: the demand for spiritual care far exceeds their current capacity. Abha Mehndiratta is a paediatrician with a Diploma in Child Health (DCH) and a Diplomate of National Board (DNB) in Paediatrics, a public health practitioner with a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from Harvard University as a Fulbright scholar, and an Improvement Advisor (IA) certified by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Currently, she serves as a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development and is an advisor to the AIIMS (Delhi) Humanities in Medicine Initiative. Furthermore, she is an IHI faculty and has supported quality improvement projects in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nepal, Singapore, and Taiwan. Prior to this, she worked as a consultant for organisations such as the National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE) UK, the World Bank, and Imperial College London. Dr M. R. Rajagopal is an Indian palliative care physician (anesthesiologist) and professor referred to as the 'father of palliative care in India in honour of his significant contribution to the palliative care scene in India. Rajagopal is the Founder Chairman of Pallium India, a palliative care non-governmental organisation formed in 2003 and based in Kerala, India. Rajagopal was the prime mover in the creation of the National Program for Palliative Care (NPPC) by the Ministry of Health of the Government of India. His advocacy has contributed to the amendment of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of India in 2014 and in its implementation—a critical step in reducing needless suffering and allowing millions to access pain relief.
Join Zoom Meeting https://aarhusuniversity.zoom.us/j/65050948135 Meeting ID: 650 5094 8135 Abstract Integrating phenotype and genotype data with functional genomic annotations can deepen our understanding of the genetic basis of complex traits. Previous studies have shown that the distribution of genetic effects varies across functional annotation categories, partly shaped by natural selection. In this presentation, I will discuss statistical methods we have developed to leverage functional annotations for improving polygenic prediction of complex traits and for genome-wide fine-mapping of causal variants. I will also review current strategies for integrating functional genomics with GWAS data to identify cell types associated with complex traits, share key lessons we learned from benchmarking different methods, and present our findings from applying a temporal single-cell transcriptomic data analysis to psychiatric disorders. Biography Dr Jian Zeng is a Group Leader in statistical genetics and an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) at the University of Queensland (UQ). He received his PhD in Quantitative Genetics from Iowa State University and joined the Program in Complex Trait Genomics at UQ in 2016. His research focuses on developing and applying innovative statistical methods to understand the genetic architecture of complex traits. He works on identifying genetic variants, genes, and molecular phenotypes associated with trait variation, as well as disease risk prediction using genome sequence data. Since 2022, Dr Zeng has also served as Director of the Genetics & Genomics Winter School, an annual in-person course held each July, which provides training in computational methods for genetic data analysis.
Throughout the day, our brains are constantly bombarded by external stimuli, most of which get filtered out to extract behaviourally relevant information. This sensory filtering process continues during sleep, with primarily salient or strong stimuli capable of waking us up. We recently discovered a brain state allowing for quiescent behavior by generating coherent slow-wave activity (SWA) between sleep-need- (R5) and locomotion-promoting neural networks in Drosophila. Synchrony of these networks can regulate behavioral responsiveness by providing antagonistic inputs to downstream head direction cells. We propose that the temporal pattern of SWA provides the structure to create a ‘breakable’ filter, permitting the animal to enter a quiescent state, while providing the architecture for strong or salient stimuli to ‘break’ the neural interaction, consequently allowing the animal to react. Along with these network principles, I will present insights from the single cell level, where we identified calcium channel-mediated activity windows that promote breaking the filter and thus arousal.
Biography – Arno Alpi received his PhD at the Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry and the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, followed by a Postdoctoral study at the MRC-LMB, Cambridge with Prof KJ Patel, where Arno got interested in ubiquitin-mediated cell signalling in DNA damage response and the chromosome instability syndrome, Fanconi Anaemia. He then headed labs at the MRC-PPU, University of Dundee, and the Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Munich, before moving back to Scotland in spring 2024 to join the Institute of Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh. His current research interests focus on haematopoiesis and on how the ubiquitin system, in particular the multiprotein CTLH E3 ligase, modulates metabolism and gene regulation in red blood cell development. Recent publications – • Gottemukkala KV, Chrustowicz J, Sherpa D, Sepic S, Vu DT, Karayel Ö, Papadopoulou EC, Gross A, Schorpp K, von Gronau S, Hadian K, Murray PJ, Mann M, Schulman BA, Alpi AF (2024) “Non-canonical substrate recognition by the human WDR26-CTLH E3 ligase regulates prodrug metabolism” Mol Cell. 2024 May 16;84(10):1948-1963.e11.doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2024.04.014. • Sherpa D, Müller J, Karayel Ö, Chrustowicz J, Xu P, Yao Y, Gottemukkala KV, Baumann C, Gross A,Czarnezki O, Zhang W, Gu J, Nilvebrant J, Weiss MJ, Sidhu SS, Murray PJ, Mann M, Schulman BA, Alpi AF (2022) “Modular UBE2H-CTLH E2-E3 complexes regulate erythroid maturation” eLife 2022;11:e77937 • Karayel O, Xu P, Bludau I, Bhoopalan SV, Yao Y, Freitas Colaco AR, Delgado AS, Schulman BA#, Alpi AF#, Weiss MJ#, Mann M#. (2020) “Integrative proteomics reveals principles of dynamic phospho-signaling networks in human erythropoiesis” (#Co-corresponding authorship). Mol Syst Biol. (EMBO Press) 16(12):e9813. doi: 10.15252/msb.20209813.
From the Laboratory to the Clinic is an annual translational research conference established in 1984, held at Trinity College, Oxford. The conference brings together an international mix of basic scientists, clinicians, and industry researchers to explore how the latest discoveries in immunology and molecular medicine can be applied to improve clinical medicine. The major topic this year's conference is vaccines, along with other therapy-related topics of Gene Therapy and Regulatory T-Cells. The meeting will be in-person and streamed live online.
Hostility to seats of learning is now bundled into general ambivalence towards higher education. Besides rows about exploiting students, corporate highhandedness, eye-watering executive pay and lukewarm engagement with societal needs, universities have been dragged into disputes over ideological indoctrination, freedom of speech and support for violent extremism. I examine the following disputes: Luxury goods. Top universities have been caught red-handed serving unresponsive, global elites. Exuberance. Campuses have become one-sided engines of indoctrination. By-products. Higher education’s training of sharp minds has also bred progressive, values-led opinion. Inequity. Universities have created opportunities for new participants but not enough and unevenly. Values. Higher education has been poorly served by corporate managerialism and structures. Engagement. Academics’ loyalties to knowledge and truth renders them as aloof and monk-like. Are some critics asking universities to upend their universal mission to inquire, teach, share and apply? Universities remain the best machine invented to discover, test, curate and distribute knowledge at scale. They embody the human genius of combining intelligence, toolmaking and cooperation. This is an overlooked feature. Therefore, is it fair to conclude that weaponisation is unavoidable?
Dr Monica Olcina: 'Identifying druggable tumour-specific vulnerabilities in immunosuppressive microenvironments' Dr Peter Wing: 'Understanding viral replication through the lens of cellular oxygen sensing’
The human brain is a complex, adaptive system comprised of billions of cells with trillions of connections. The interactions between the elements of the system oppose this seemingly limitless capacity by constraining the system's dynamic repertoire, enforcing distributed neural states that balance integration and differentiation. How this trade-off is mediated by the brain, and how the emergent, distributed neural patterns give rise to cognition and awareness, remains poorly understood. In this talk, I will argue that the thalamus is well-placed to arbitrate the interactions between distributed neural assemblies in the cerebral cortex. Different classes of thalamocortical connections are hypothesized to promote either feed-forward or feedback processing modes in the cerebral cortex. This activity can be conceptualized as emerging dynamically from an evolving attractor landscape, with the relative engagement of distinct distributed circuits providing differing constraints over the manner in which brain state trajectories change over time. In addition, inputs to the distinct thalamic populations from the cerebellum and basal ganglia, respectively, are proposed to differentially shape the attractor landscape, and hence, the temporal evolution of cortical assemblies. The coordinated engagement of these neural macrosystems is then shown to share key characteristics with prominent models of cognition, attention and conscious awareness. In this way, the crucial role of the thalamus in mediating the distributed, multi-scale network organization of the central nervous system can be related to higher brain function.
The Social Outcomes Conference is the annual convening of the world's leading researchers, policymakers and practitioners working to improve social outcomes. The conference will feature discussions on the latest thinking and findings from academic research alongside insights from the emerging practice across different geographies, disciplines and policy areas. Hybrid conference: We will host the conference in hybrid mode. We will stream all the conference sessions online (Zoom), as well as offering in-person places for those who wish to attend at the Blavatnik School of Government in Oxford. Photography and Video: All sessions of the Social Outcomes Conference that are streamed online are recorded and recordings will be distributed online after the session. Please be aware that by joining the session online, you consent to these conditions. For in-person attendees, there will be photographers taking pictures and filming during both days of the conference. This year's keynote speaker: Mario Calderini We are delighted to announce that the keynote address at this year’s SOC25 will be delivered by Professor Mario Calderini, a global leader in social innovation, impact finance, and mission-oriented governance. Mario Calderini is Professor at the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, where he teaches Management for Sustainability and Impact and directs Tiresia, the School’s Research Centre for Impact Finance and Innovation. His work has shaped government policy, advanced the impact investing field, and positioned social innovation as a key strategy for tackling today’s most pressing challenges. With a PhD in Economics from the University of Manchester, he has served as a senior advisor to multiple Italian ministers and was Sherpa for the G7 Italian Presidency. In 2021, he was named one of the World’s Most Influential Academics in Government by Apolitical. His keynote will speak directly to SOC25's theme - Institutionalising outcomes and impact: partnerships for systemic change - exploring how innovation and impact can be embedded into public institutions and cross-sector collaboration. Join us for an inspiring keynote that will help set the stage for a conference focused on turning isolated successes into sustainable, system-wide impact!
The Self-Respect Movement and its Legacies Conference, a two-day conference in September 2025 at the University of Oxford, commemorates the centenary of the Self-Respect Movement rooted in South India's Dravidian ideologies. This movement profoundly influenced socio-political thought in Tamil Nadu by challenging entrenched hierarchies of caste and gender. Simultaneously, the conference aims to explore global interpretations of self-respect, social justice, and human dignity, fostering an academic dialogue that bridges regional and international perspectives. This interdisciplinary event will examine the ongoing relevance of self-respect as a foundational concept in social and political systems worldwide. It will juxtapose the Dravidian approach with diverse global movements, such as civil rights struggles, anti-apartheid efforts, and contemporary protests against systemic inequalities, that have sought to dismantle oppressive power structures. Scholars from various backgrounds will discuss how principles of self-respect have evolved in different cultural contexts and how they can address contemporary challenges like authoritarianism, religious extremism, and gender-based oppression on a global scale. A key focus will be a comparative analysis of caste-based oppression in India and analogous social hierarchies worldwide, such as racial segregation, ethnic discrimination, and class stratification. Participants will explore how religion and ideology have been utilized to sustain these hierarchies and examine movements across the globe that have sought to deconstruct them. The Dravidian emphasis on rationalism and secularism will be considered alongside global philosophies that advocate for similar principles, aiming to contribute to worldwide struggles against discrimination. Another central theme is the redefinition of gender roles integral to the Self-Respect Movement and its parallels with global feminist movements. The conference will analyze how strategies for dismantling patriarchal structures in Tamil Nadu can engage with international efforts advocating for women's rights, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and gender non-conformity. Issues of gender equity will be addressed through multiple lenses, including race, class, and ethnicity, exploring intersections of these identities in diverse global contexts. Insights from both Tamil Nadu's feminist politics and international gender studies aim to inform and enrich each other. Additionally, the conference will examine experiences with federalism and governance in Tamil Nadu and compare them with global models of autonomy and decentralization. Discussions will focus on how different federal structures can foster inclusive governance, preserve cultural diversity, and resist the erosion of local autonomy. Lessons drawn from India's federal challenges and successes will be juxtaposed with case studies from other nations, such as federal conflicts in Spain's Catalonia, autonomy movements in Scotland, and indigenous governance in Latin America, to inform governance models worldwide. By bringing together academics from various disciplines and regions, the Self-Respect Movement and its Legacies Conference aims to facilitate a critical exchange between the Self-Respect Movement's legacy in Tamil Nadu and parallel movements worldwide. This scholarly dialogue intends to deepen the understanding of self-respect in different social, political, and cultural contexts. The goal is to envision how these principles can collaboratively guide global efforts toward a more just, equitable, and inclusive world.
Sleep problems are quite prevalent in children and young people, and they are associated with the development of a range of poor outcomes in the short, medium and long term. Further, in most cases sleep problems in children do not occur in isolation but are the consequence of early life risk factors surrounding the child. In this presentation, I will share findings from my research in which we have explored how sleep patterns develop in children and adolescents, the factors contributing to sleep difficulties during childhood, and the impact of childhood sleep problems on health-related outcomes (primarily mental health problems) throughout childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. For this, I will present results from my studies using secondary data analyses from existing birth cohort studies in Finland and in the UK. Finally, I will also present relevant methodologies that can be used with large longitudinal cohort studies to explore sleep development across several time points, as well as to investigate more complex associations between sleep and mental health, including potential underlying mechanisms.
Chair: Professor Cristina McKean (Department of Education, University of Oxford) The landscape of early childhood education in Australia was significantly transformed almost 20 years ago with the implementation of the National Quality Framework (NQF), establishing consistent standards across the country and emphasising the quality of care and education provided to young children. In 2025, both federal and state governments are in another major reform window. In this context, the ECEC sector faces challenges, particularly in terms of the workforce, including training, staff retention and quality improvement. As Australia continues to navigate these complexities, the focus remains on fostering high-quality, accessible early childhood education that supports the holistic development of all children, regardless of their socio-economic background or geographical location. This presentation will describe the work of the REEaCh Centre (Research in Effective Education in Early Childhood) and our contributions to discourse, specifically on the strategies that strengthen children’s learning, that is, building evidence of the impact of universal quality preschool experiences; our collaborative partnerships with others in the early years sector; and the implementation of best-practice teaching strategies. This seminar is hybrid. For in-person attendance: Seminar Room K/L, Bruner Building, 30 Norham Gardens, Oxford, OX2 6PY; or Join Teams for online attendance https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3aH7IoYwBLlY_nR8d0DFzqC4yXRigyhbzyOceuytRk4g01%40thread.tacv2/1755007521668?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22cc95de1b-97f5-4f93-b4ba-fe68b852cf91%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22be558437-bc8f-4f3b-801c-af85d95b70ea%22%7d Bio: Professor Tricia Eadie is the Director of the REEaCh Centre (Research in Effective Education in Early Childhood) in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. Tricia’s research focuses on better understanding the evidence‐based learning experiences and intentional teaching practices which most influence children’s developmental outcomes. Tricia’s work includes projects that monitor children's developmental pathways, the use of observational tools to understand adult‐child interactions, and professional learning programs for early childhood teachers. Since 2015 Prof Eadie has developed a program of internationally recognised research which crosses the boundaries of education (early childhood and early years) and health (speech pathology) to enable optimal outcomes for all children irrespective of their circumstances. Tricia is a Fellow of Speech Pathology Australia.
Existing debt-environment solutions overlook critical macro-financial linkages. This seminar will address this gap by modeling four green debt instruments – concessional borrowing, local-currency investment, interest renegotiation, and principal adjustment – and their combinations for Colombia using the GEMMES macroeconomic framework. The results identify robust Pareto-optimal strategies that achieve green investment targets and reduce harmful exports while maintaining greater macroeconomic stability compared to the baseline. While debt relief can temporarily ease imbalances, lasting stability requires structural economic transformation. This research contributes to the debate on international financial architecture by integrating macroeconomic resilience and linking historical debt analysis with contemporary sustainable development challenges.
Address as part of the Self-Respect Movement and Its Legacies Conference (4-5 Sept)
The third Reuben College Entrepreneurship Forum will take place at Reuben College on Friday 5 September 2025. The keynote lecture will be delivered by Dr Mina Bekheet (CEO, Panacea Innovation). Mina is a Millennial Serial Entrepreneur and Venture Capitalist. He is the Founder and CEO of Panacea, an innovative enterprise committed to discovering, launching, financing, and scaling the next wave of life sciences and health tech companies. Between 80 and 100 graduate students from across the whole University are expected to attend the Forum, including 6 invited teams for a pitching competition after the keynote lecture, with a first prize of £30k and a second prize of £10k. These teams will have been pre-selected from the Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre and EnSpire programme, Oxford Venture Builder, as well as from Oxford University Innovation and the Oxford Edge student entrepreneur programme, StEP Ignite. The Forum will start with opening talks from Dr Cath Spence (Reuben Fellow and OUI), and Kirsty Lloyd-Jukes (Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Oxford Science Enterprise), who will explain how they help to support student entrepreneurship. We will then hear from CEOs who started their companies as Oxford students and we will go further afield during the afternoon session, before the keynote lecture and pitching competition which, this year, will be chaired by Nicola McConville from Mishcon de Reya.
Giant calyx of Held synapses are renowned for delivering spikes with millisecond precision – but so far they were thought to be confined to auditory brainstem circuits. We report a second calyx-like architecture in the rodent extended amygdala that contains glutamate, acetylcholine, and multiple neuropeptides within a single terminal. Originating from the pontine Kölliker–Fuse nucleus, these synapses engage capsular neurons of the central amygdala and oval neurons of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis within minutes of acute hypotension, preceding the slower hypothalamo-pituitary vasopressin response. The discovery (i) expands the calyx concept beyond sensory relays, (ii) links a limbic structure directly to fast sympathetic rescue of blood pressure, and (iii) highlights a multimodal transmitter strategy for integrating visceral and emotional information – insights with potential relevance for stress, cardiovascular function, and affective disorders.
The DMK today is restoring two central tenets of movements for justice in Peninsular India. The first is the central principle of the Justice Party, which connects the self with respect through the idea of swayam mariyatai. Mariyatai has been a crucial part of Tamil history since at least the Chola period, and sees its major expression in temple honors in Tamil history. Temples were also the primary basis of cultural connectivity between what are today the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. In both these regards, the Justice Party and today's DMK draw on a vital tradition which makes justice and respect crucial elements of a wider Dravidian geography.
Our September Summer School is tailored for postgraduate students, researchers, and professionals in economics. Your application includes enrolment in two academic courses in Applied Microeconomics, Macroeconomics or Econometrics (from two different disciplines, or focusing on a single field of interest), along with a formal dinner and welcome reception at an Oxford college, daily lunch and refreshments, and a certificate of completion. Visit the website for more information and registration: https://ouess.web.ox.ac.uk/september-summer-school
Join online: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NmY5ZjdkZjItMjc2My00ZWNmLThiOTAtN2JmMjcyNjk0NjUw%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22cc95de1b-97f5-4f93-b4ba-fe68b852cf91%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22fa3b41da-7db0-4318-8a5e-363245623321%22%7d Meeting ID: 346 106 193 465 8 Passcode: RM9w8gK7 Refreshments served 2-2.30pm. Kristen Brennand, PhD is the Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Genetics at Yale University School of Medicine. She first established her independent laboratory in the Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2012, after having completed post-doctoral training at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and PhD studies at Harvard University. Dr. Brennand’s research combines expertise in genomic engineering, neuroscience, and stem cells, to identify the mechanisms that underlie brain disease. Her focus lies in resolving the convergence of, and complex interplay between, the many risk variants linked to disease, towards the goal of facilitating the clinical translation of genetic findings. Dr. Brennand’s work is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the New York Stem Cell Foundation, the Brain Research Foundation, and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.
Professor Amy Dickman is the joint CEO of Lion Landscapes, an organisation which works key landscapes for lions and other carnivores. However, these areas also have an extremely high level of lion killing, as lions and other carnivores impose high costs on poverty-stricken local people. Amy will describe the complexity of this topic, and how Lion Landscapes is working with local communities to reduce carnivore attacks, provide villagers with real benefits from carnivore presence, engage warriors in conservation and train the next generation of local conservation leaders. In this online talk, Amy will discuss the significance of this project, the difficulties of working in an area where witchcraft and mythology abound, the successes achieved so far, and the wider challenges of simplistic conservation narratives around divisive topic such as trophy hunting. This lecture is part of the part-time Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques programme at Oxford Lifelong Learning, University of Oxford.
*08:45 Registration and Coffee* *09:20 Welcome* | _Professor Chas Bountra, Professor of Translational Medicine_ *9:30 Launch of Medical and Life Sciences Translational Fund (MLSTF) 2025 Autumn* | _Dr Deepak Kumar, Head of the Translational Research Office (TRO)_ 09:45-09.55 Cancer Research Horizons (CRUK) Innovation Fund | _Dr Ruth Barrett_ 09:55-10:05 University Challenge Seed Fund | _Ms Aaliyah Wallace_ 10:05-10:15 EPSRC IAA, MPLS Impact Office, Oxford | _Mrs Hyea Matthews-Palmer_ *10:15 Refreshment Break* *10:45 MLSTF Case for Support Form: What the Panel Are Looking for?* | _Dr Kavita Subramaniam, Translational Research Office_ *11:00 How to showcase your AI and Digital Health Approach in Your Proposal? Considerations and Skill Building Masterclass* | _Dr Oliver Harrison - Entrepreneur in Residence at University of Oxford - Koa Health_ This talk will provide an overview of two initiatives aimed at strengthening the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health within health research and impact. The first half will introduce a newly implemented section in the MLSTF application form, designed for projects that involve significant use of AI. This change reflects the growing need within the University to support the responsible and impactful use of AI in health innovation. The second half of the talk will present the new Masterclass in AI and Digital Health, a curated learning series developed to support researchers across the University in building competencies in AI tools, data-driven approaches, and digital methodologies relevant to health. *11:20 Emerging Translational Innovators* | _Mrs Vlada Yarosh, Translational Research Office_ *11:30 Have you discussed your IP strategy with Oxford University Innovation?* | _Dr Matthew Carpenter (Deputy Head of Licensing & Ventures – Life Sciences at Oxford University Innovation (OUI)_ *11:50 MLSTF Successful Case Studies* | _Moderator: Mrs Anna Camera, Translational Research Office_ *Talk 1: Navigating the early stages of translational research - an Early-Career Researcher’s journey with MLSTF* | _Speaker: Dr Thomas Lanyon-Hogg (Department of Pharmacology)_ An early-career researcher will share how MLSTF served as a crucial stepping stone in launching their translational programme. Having received multiple awards they will highlight how MLSTF helped to de-risk early ideas, build credibility, and open doors to new opportunities. Attendees will gain insights into navigating the early stages of translational research and how targeted support can catalyse meaningful progress. *Talk 2: From technology to clinical impact - a Senior Academic’s perspective* | _Speaker: Prof Robert MacLaren (Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences)_ A senior academic will discuss their experience translating research into real-world clinical outcomes, with a focus on how MLSTF played a pivotal role in securing major follow-on funding. Drawing from their path from discovery to implementation, they’ll outline lessons learned, strategies for long-term impact, and how MLSTF fits into broader translational planning. *12:20 Lunch and Networking* *13:20 Fireside Chat 1: Mastering the Milestone Mindset* | _Moderator: Dr Nessa Carey (Carey IIT); Panel: Prof Stephan Sanders (Department of Paediatrics), Dr Adam Babbs (MRC), Prof Ronjon Chakraverty (Radcliffe Department of Medicine), Dr Jasmina Kapetanovic (Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences), Dr Helen Fletcher (Johnson&Johnson)_ You are expected to plan for a reasonable go/no-go milestone in your MLSTF proposal. This fireside chat will include discussions on how to strategically plan, execute, and present your project milestones effectively. Gain insights from funding panel members on what makes a manageable and realistic milestone and how cultivating a milestone-focused approach can enhance your grant proposals, increasing your chances of securing funding and advancing your research or project. A well-defined, realistic go/no-go milestone is a critical expectation in any MLSTF proposal. This session will explore how to strategically design, implement, and communicate milestones that demonstrate progress and de-risk future investment. The fireside chat will feature insights from funding panel members on what distinguishes a strong milestone from an unconvincing one. The session will help researchers adopt a milestone-driven mindset that strengthens funding applications and project delivery alike. *14:00 Fireside Chat 2: Regulatory Path Plans and Considerations for your Project* | _Moderator: Dr Toni Day ; Panel: Dr Oliver Harrison (Koa Health), Mr Daniel Voyce, Dr Peter Bowness_ Join us for an insightful talk exploring how a robust regulatory strategy, coupled with strong in-house support, is crucial for successfully advancing your innovation projects. Discover how proactive regulatory planning can de-risk your ventures, accelerate time to market, and ensure your groundbreaking ideas not only comply with essential guidelines but also thrive in a competitive landscape. *14:40 Refreshment Break* *15:10 Fireside Chat 3: The Translational Funding Landscape* | _Moderator: Dr Nessa Carey (Carey IIT); Panel: Dr Adam Babbs (MRC), Dr Lisa Klaourakis (NIHR), Mrs Ann Berger (Rosetrees)_ Moving from proof-of-concept funding to securing substantial follow-on grants is a significant step in translational research. This session explores the evolving UK funding landscape, highlighting pathways and opportunities across preclinical to clinical stages. Designed for researchers aiming to move their findings closer to patient impact, the session will offer practical guidance on long-term and higher-scale translational funding schemes. It will also demonstrate how the sections covered in MLSTF proof-of-concept funding closely align with the structure and expectations of major translational grant applications. *15:50 Fireside Chat 4: Inside Industry: What Drives Investment in Translational Research?* | _Moderator: Dr Liz Covey-Crump (Business Partnerships Office); Panel: Dr Claire Brown (Oxford Science Enterprises), Dr Kay Penicud (Apollo), Dr Laura Ferguson (AstraZeneca), Prof Deborah Gill (Radcliffe Department of Medicine)_ Gain an insider’s view into how biotech and pharma evaluate academic discoveries. From strategic boardroom decisions to real-world case studies, this session reveals how scientific, clinical, and market factors shape investment and partnership opportunities. Designed to equip Oxford researchers with insights to align their work with industry drivers and accelerate real-world impact. *16:30 Closing Remarks*
So, you’ve got a great idea for a research study – but what approvals do you need before you can start? Who do you apply to? And how do you go about doing this? Join an online presentation through Microsoft Teams for an overview of: • how research is governed in the UK • which approval bodies are involved • a step-by-step guide on how to apply for approval • handling amendments to your study
Accountability in higher education is a global phenomenon and important area of scholarly inquiry and policy attention. How did scholarly conversations develop and communities form? How did ideas of accountability evolve and travel? Using longitudinal, mixed-methods social network analysis, we examine co-citation networks of 450 articles on higher education accountability published between 1992 and 2016. We identify 24 knowledge communities that coalesce around different accountability topics, fields, and contexts. Through this approach we are able to capture the transformation of accountability in certain fields as well as its adaptation and integration across the globe.
We’re excited to announce an upcoming Spectral Flow Cytometry Event at the Dunn School, sponsored by Sony! Lunch will be provided. This event will showcase the capabilities of spectral flow cytometry and how it can expand your research possibilities. Would you use this technology in your projects? You’ll have the chance to: - Learn about spectral flow cytometry technology and its applications - See Sony’s latest spectral flow cytometers - Discuss how this technology could support your research - Share your interest and potential use cases
Our vision is to transform research and healthcare in dementia. Dementia Research Oxford, led by Professors Masud Husain and Cornelia van Duijn, brings together researchers and clinicians across the University, our hospitals, patients, and industry partners to translate our growing insights in the basic molecular origin disease into effective treatment and prevention. We aim to take science further from drug target to treatment, from molecular pathology to early diagnosis and prognosis and from early intervention to prevention.
Lesson of the week, clinical cases and research. All clinical and academic staff and students welcome. Coffee, Tea and Cake will be served.
Are you baffled by open, confused by embargoes? Does the mention of the colour gold or green catapult you into a realm of perplexed irritation? Come to this session, where we’ll break down open access and all its many jargon terms, confusing publishing structures and hint at the advantages you can reap by publishing open. The session will cover: what is open access? Key terms – Gold, Green, Article Processing Charges; where to get more information and help; where to look for open access material; and useful tools to assist you in publishing open access. Intended audience: Researcher & research student; Staff
The third in the series of Christ Church 500th Anniversary Lectures, Humanist Learning: A Vision for Today? to be given by The Right Reverend Dr Rowan Williams.Dr Williams will discuss faith in today's world and uncover education's integral role in the creation of human beliefs.
Working towards universal access to safe, affordable surgical, anaesthesia and obstetric care. This intensive five-day course, in person, in Oxford, is suitable for those in all disciplines interested in global surgery, anaesthesia and obstetrics. The course comprises presentations, discussions and seminars looking at major topics in global surgery such as burden of disease, health workforce capacity, training, partnership, supplies, service management, research needs, advocacy and ethics, and resource allocation. There will also be a half-day session on practical preparation for going to work in new contexts alongside local surgical teams. Traditionally surgery has been taught as a technical and practical specialty; however this short course takes a completely different approach and looks at the provision of surgical services at a global level. The term 'Global Surgery' in this course encompasses all related specialities including obstetrics, gynaecology and anaesthesia/critical care. For more information, please visit the Global Surgery Course website.
Overview: With science, health and politics increasingly in the popular press and media the interface between scientific evidence and its use in informing health policy is never more under the public scrutiny. Health data research can play an important role in informing health policy -current and future. Yet the two sectors of academia and policy can act somewhat disparately, resulting in research and policy making being siloed. Aim: In the inaugural masterclass series, we aim to deliver a varied session that combines demystifying the wheels of policymaking, exploring successful examples of health research informing policy and lively debate on how and when scientific evidence could inform future policy development through a topical example. A further hands-on session specifically for DPhils and ECRs will explore some useful tools, frameworks and opportunities for health data scientists to develop and optimise their work for policy impact. Agenda: 12:00 - 12:30: Networking & Light Lunch 12:30 - 12:40: Welcome: Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh 12:40 - 13:10: Debunking Policy Speaker: Tommy Wise (DHSC Social Care and Digital Innovation) Overview of the machinery of policymaking, examples from digital technology and social care, key considerations of when engaging with policymakers 13:10 - 14:00: Panel Session: Research and Policy Interface: The Evidence Quandary Moderator: Tommy Wise Panel: Professor Cathie Sudlow (Strategic Advisor to HDRUK) Professor Dame Jenny Harries (Former Deputy Chief Medical Officer) Interactive debate: How should evidence be generated to inform policy, by whom and when, and consideration for health data research? 14:00 - 14:20: Audience Q&A and close main session 14:20 - 14:45: Break 14:45 - 16:15: Hands-on Policy Masterclass (DPhils and ECRs only) Instructors: Jose Rojas Alvarado (OPEN Policy Network) and Tommy Wise Introduce some available tools and frameworks to help understand policy landscape and how researchers can work with policy makers to inform their research Work through two practical examples Highlight opportunities in Oxfordshire and the UK for policy fellows 16:15 - 17:00: Networking and close
Join the SCHEMA team for our Autumn Conference at the University of Oxford. The conference will start at lunchtime with a buffet lunch on the 15th and the main conference will conclude at 17:00 on the 16th September. There will be a poster session on the evening of the 15th September and dinner by invitation on the evening of the 15th September, starting at approximately 19:30. Speakers at the conference include: Distinguished Professor Karen Wooley - Texas A&M University Dr Subhasish Mukerjee - Ceres Power Dr Alexander O’Malley – University of Bath Associate Professor Hannah Leese - University of Bath Dr Liam Bailey – Cardiff University Dr Donald Inns – University of Liverpool Madeleine Smith – University of Oxford Dr Peihao Song – University of Oxford Plus Confirmed panellists: Dr Sarah Cleary (HydRegen), Dr Giovanna Laudisio (Naturbeads), Dr Simson Wu (OXGRIN), Dr Gustaf Hemberg (Scindo), and representatives from Materiom We are inviting poster submissions for this conference. This is an opportunity to share your research, projects, or ideas with the SCHEMA community in an engaging and interactive setting. There are also two £200 prizes on offer, proudly sponsored by RSC Sustainability and Green Chemistry, respectively. Submission Deadline: 15 August 2025 Notification of Acceptance: 25 August 2025 A selection of posters will also be featured in our Lightning Presentations session, giving authors a chance to present a 2-minute pitch ahead of the main poster session. If selected, you’ll be notified by 25 August 2025 along with your acceptance. We welcome submissions from across disciplines, career stages, and institutions. Please complete the form below to submit your poster. SUBMIT YOUR POSTER ABSTRACTS VIA THE CONFERENCE PAGE
Understanding The Hebrew Bible presents interdisciplinary coverage of biblical scholarship from archaeological, gender, historical, linguistic, literary, sociological, theological, and visual cultural perspectives. It connects sacred texts and religions of the Mediterranean world, including reception history, literary theory, and commentaries. Edited by Revd Prof John Barton, FBA, the book features contributions from the following Members of the SOTS (Society of Old Testament Studies): James K. Aitken (†) , John Barton, Richard S. Briggs, George J. Brooke, Caroline Blyth, Kevin J. Cathcart, C. L. Crouch, Eryl W. Davies, Sue Gillingham, John Jarick, Paul M. Joyce, Anja Klein, Ekaterina E. Kozlova, Reinhard G. Kratz, Nathan MacDonald, Tsaurayi K. Mapfeka, Hilary Marlow, Holly Morse, Carol A. Newsom, Hugh S. Pyper, Laura Quick, Deborah Rooke, Mark Scarlata, Joachim Schaper, David J. Shepherd, Katherine E. Southwood, Francesca Stavrakopoulou, Jim West, H. G. M. Williamson. The book provides academics, Bible students, clergy and rabbis, and intelligent general readers with a snapshot of the main approaches and issues in the study of the Hebrew Bible since (approximately) the year 2000.
coming
The turn of the 21 Century was a period of optimism for the process of globalization that included open science, international efforts to confront the world’s major scientific and health challenges, and the value of cross-cultural interchange. But this globalist vision has unravelled. A new geopolitical Cold War has emerged, and in turn a Neo-Academic Cold War. One cause is the rise of neo-nationalist movements that harbor distrust of public institutions and their leaders, including universities and their academic communities. In that vain, Trump’s attacks on American universities include the rhetoric that universities are the “enemy” of his MAGA movement. He and his administration are pursuing draconian funding cuts to academic science, brute intervention in campus autonomy, and isolationist policies that hinder talent mobility. All are playing an outsized role in shaping the Neo-Academic Cold War. This presentation will discuss Trump’s attacks on colleges and universities and how it is eroding America’s higher education advantage. But Trump is not the only cause of the Neo-Academic Cold War. There are a series of contributing traumas: 9/11 and fears related to terrorism, the impact of the Great Recession, Russia and China’s re-emergence as geopolitical adversaries to the US and the EU, shaped in part by the war on Ukraine, the arrival of the pandemic, the global trend toward illiberal democracies, as well as the return of Trump. The net effect is that science and cultural diplomacy, and the concept of collaboration and open access data and research, has declined as a global value. A new bifurcated world of transnational academic engagement has emerged — multipolar environment with new adversarial relations even with traditional allies, including between the US and the EU. In the Neo-Academic Cold War, questions to ponder include the long-term and detrimental impact on open science and attempts to meet social and environmental challenges that are global, as well as which nations and transnational alliances will be in some form benefactors.
In our September event, Dr. Brian Wong (Hong Kong & Balliol 2020) will discuss his book Moral Debt: Defending a New Account of Reparative Justice. Brian is a HKU-100 Assistant Professor in Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong. His research examines the ethics and dynamics of authoritarian regimes and their foreign policies, historical and colonial injustices, and the intersection of geopolitics, political and moral philosophy, and technology. At HKU, he serves as a Fellow at the Centre on Contemporary China and the World, sits on the Steering Committee for the Hong Kong Ethics Lab, and advises the Interdisciplinary Dynamics: Ethics, AI, and Society at the Institute of Data Science. He also serves as an Associate Editor for the journal Inquiry, having presented and written on issues of public philosophy for the Journal of Practical Ethics, the American Philosophical Association, and the Royal Institute of Philosophy. Brian co-founded and now advises Oxford Political Review, a publication aspiring to bridge the theory-practice gap. He is a HKSAR (2020) Rhodes Scholar, having read his DPhil at Balliol College, University of Oxford.
This first ever Oxford Open Grand Rounds event is hosted by our Healthcare Innovation and Technology (HIT) module leads, Matthew Gardiner and Ryan Kerstein and is intended to address some pressing questions related to what’s on the horizon for AI in surgery, including challenges, opportunities, and use cases. Oxford Open Grand Rounds is a brand new series of virtual events open to all and featuring key concepts from modules in our MSc in Surgical Science and Practice and PGCert in Patient Safety and Quality Improvement.
An introduction to the what, why and how of public involvement
This two-day public event across two locations will bring together researchers, clinicians, local organisations, and the neurodivergent community to collaborate and drive meaningful change. Conference Themes: Strengthening partnerships across research, community, and organisations Advancing mental health research and support for neurodivergent individuals Promoting inclusivity, innovation, and long-term impact Day 1: Identifying Gaps and Advancing Mental Health Research (Saïd Business School) Identifying Gaps and Advancing Mental Health Research Featuring flash talks, panels, and lived experience speakers across the lifespan. Day 2: Community Support, Advocacy, and Lived Experience (Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital) Community Support, Advocacy, and Lived Experience Includes workshops, mindfulness, and discussions on practical support and research engagement. Each ticket includes refreshments and lunch.
This event will showcase research that examines the factors that promote and inhibit immigrant senses of belonging and well-being in their receiving societies. Researchers, policy makers, and practitioners will gather to foster cross-sectional communication that identifies ways of bridging theory and practice to apply the research presented in a British societal context. This event is hybrid: To join in-person: COMPAS Boardroom, 58 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6QS (please note, this building is not wheelchair accessible; seating is limited; parking is unavailable) To join online, you must register in advance through this Zoom link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/H6A3Yx72TXyJk6TFSf6DGw Attendance is free, and all are welcome. About the presentation: The first speaker, Professor Adam Komisarof (Keio University, Japan), will present his research on social markers of acceptance (SMA). SMA are the criteria that members of receiving societies use to determine whether to accept immigrants as members of their community socially. For example, they may expect immigrants to become fluent speakers of the nation’s official language or contribute to the economy by filling labour market needs. SMA can serve as achievable benchmarks that potentially empower immigrants to belong. Alternatively, when SMA are not fulfilled, they can negatively impact immigrants’ mental well-being (for instance, if immigrants feel a lack of belonging) and/or physical well-being (e.g., if they are denied government welfare). In his latest study, Komisarof and colleagues examined the impact of SMA on immigrant well-being in Australia, Japan, and the US. For example, does the expectation that immigrants learn to speak the nation’s official language promote or inhibit well-being? Komisarof and colleagues differentiate which kinds of expectations are associated with higher life satisfaction and lower stress levels vs. those that tend to be seen by immigrants as exclusionary and associate with negative mental well-being. They also identify new ways to expand the notion of who is considered a member of society, potentially giving more immigrants a sense of belonging. Dr William Allen (University of Southampton, UK) will also share his research, “Welfare Preferences and Immigrant Labour: The Role of Occupational Essentialness” (co-authors: Jacqueline Broadhead, University of Oxford; Mariña Fernández-Reino, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Denis Kierans, University of Oxford; Isabel Ruiz, University of Oxford; and Madeleine Sumption, University of Oxford). In this paper, they address public opinion about which immigrants should have access to national public welfare systems, and under what conditions. These questions are central to economic and migration policymaking in many receiving countries. Existing evidence identifies a degree of preference for nationals being able to access welfare over migrants (sometimes called ‘welfare chauvinism’), although this varies across groups. By contrast, the authors argue that immigrants’ occupations can matter just as much or even more for these preferences by signalling how essential they are to the core functions of society. The evidence comes from a large-scale three-wave survey experiment fielded in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results indicate that there are greater preferences for immigrants working in essential occupations over non-essential ones, as this allows them to access key types of public welfare. While immigrants’ time spent in the country also matters for preferences, occupational essentialness remains salient. Overall, these patterns suggest immigrants’ occupations may be more important for shaping public opinion than previously thought. Dr Sanne van Oosten (COMPAS, University of Oxford, UK) will be the discussant for the papers, and then all attendees will be welcome to ask further questions in an open format. These comments and questions may include, but are not limited to: 1) What are the implications of these research findings for immigrant settlement policies and practices? 2) How can we utilise these findings to encourage greater inclusiveness and empowerment of immigrants within British society? 3) In light of these findings, how can we provide immigrants with greater support to improve their mental, physical, and economic well-being?
Are you planning to present a poster at an upcoming conference, meeting or symposium? This introductory session will provide you with some top tips on how to create a poster presentation which will help you to communicate your research project and data effectively. There will be guidance on formatting, layout, content, use of text, references and images, as well as advice on printing and presenting your poster. This session will also provide help with locating resources such as templates, free-to-use images and poster guidelines. By the end of this online session you will be able to: evaluate the effectiveness of templates, formatting, text and images; and plan, prepare and present your poster. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Researcher & research student.
The third ONT User Group Meeting will take place on the 23rd September at 11.30am – 13.00pm. Please save the date and register via this link: https://nanoporetech.swoogo.com/Ox_UGM3/register More info to follow.
Access to post-secondary education in low- and lower middle- income countries (LMICs) is very low. In this paper, we systematically review academic research and grey literature published between 2012-2022 to 1) lay out the state of the evidence on the transitions of students from secondary to post-secondary education in LMICs, 2) describe factors that enable or constrain these transitions, 3) aggregate the effects of programs and policies that have successfully improved student admission and enrollment in post-secondary education, and 4) propose a conceptual framework to guide future empirical work, emphasizing the need for a global research agenda on the topic.
The adult body of an animal has two histories. One is its embryonic history, in which it is built anew each generation from a fertilised egg cell. The other is its evolutionary history, how evolutionary selection has shaped the diversification of adult forms over the 600 million years since the first animals arose. Central to both is how the information encoded in the genome is turned into shape and form by the processes of developmental biology. In September’s Balliol Online Lecture Professor Shimeld will explore how some of these processes work, the surprising amount we as humans share with even distantly related animals like worms and jellyfish, and how changes to genes and mechanisms may result in changes to the final adult form and what this means for how diversity has evolved. Professor Sebastian Shimeld studied zoology as an undergraduate and developmental genetics as a postgraduate, before working for a while at Guy’s Hospital in London. In 1995 he was awarded a Fellowship by the Medical Research Council to initiate work on the evolution and control of spinal cord development in embryos. In 2004 he relocated his research group to Oxford, where he is the Julian Huxley Fellow at Balliol and Professor of Evolutionary Developmental Biology in the Department of Biology. His work uses experimental approaches from evolutionary biology, developmental biology, cell biology and genomics to ask how the information in the genome regulates the development of animal embryos, and how these mechanisms have changed through evolutionary time to give us the huge diversity of animal forms that inhabit our planet.
This ½ day course is run by Professor Helen Higham (Director of OxSTaR & a Consultant Anaesthetist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford) and is suitable for clinical and non-clinical staff and aims to provide an introduction to the fundamentals of human factors in healthcare. The course introduces participants to basic human factors frameworks, including the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS), and focuses on practical applications in the workplace to improve understanding of systems in healthcare. This course will align with the new National Patient Safety Syllabus Learning Objectives Improve understanding of human factors principles Introduce and explore a human factors framework (SEIPS) Provide opportunities to practise applying SEIPS to real world examples Course content Definition and background of human factors Human factors applied to healthcare Importance of work place culture (including Just Culture tool) Explanation of SEIPS framework Exercises using SEIPS Plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions
This year’s Energy Day will explore how data-related opportunities can advance energy technologies, materials and systems, and benefit scientific, engineering & social science research. The event will show how new data can enable innovation and provide improved policy, governance and decision-making to support delivery of a just energy transition. It will also address risks associated with increasing energy demand from data and computationally intensive activities, and the impact of AI throughout the energy system.
What does the future of low carbon health and care look like? How can we work across sectors to develop systems, partnerships, and approaches which will protect and improve health, care for our communities, and reduce our impact on the environment? This afternoon workshop will bring together academics from diverse disciplines, clinicians, policymakers, and civil society to discuss these challenges. Through two interactive panel discussions we will explore the contextual factors influencing low carbon health and care, consider the current opportunities and challenges, and look ahead to the future. The panel sessions will be followed by a networking drinks reception, to allow time for further discussion, strengthening of local networks, and to support future collaborations. The event is co-hosted by the Centre for Personalised Medicine, the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation (GCHU), and the National Institute of Health Research Applied Research Collaboration Oxford & Thames Valley, and will be held at the Hub, Kellogg College, the University’s first Passivhaus-certified event space.
awaited
In computational social science (CSS), researchers analyze documents to explain social and political phenomena. In most scenarios, CSS researchers first obtain labels for documents and then explain labels using interpretable regression analyses in the second step. The recent advancements in large language models (LLMs) can lower costs for CSS research by annotating documents cheaply at scale, but such surrogate labels are often imperfect and biased. We present a new algorithm for using outputs from LLMs for downstream statistical analyses while guaranteeing statistical properties—like asymptotic unbiasedness and proper uncertainty quantification—which are fundamental to CSS research. We show that direct use of LLM-predicted surrogate labels in downstream statistical analyses leads to substantial bias and invalid confidence intervals, even with high surrogate accuracy of 80-90%. Our approach guarantees valid inference for downstream statistical analyses, even when surrogates are arbitrarily biased, without requiring stringent assumptions, by controlling the probability of sampling documents for gold-standard labeling. The is talk is based on joint work with Naoki Egami, Musashi Hinck, and Hanying Wei.
The fiftieth lecture in the Astronomy for All Lecture Series, which Charles Barclay began in 2006 to strengthen and reinforce the link between Green Templeton College, home of the Radcliffe Observatory, and astronomy and the Oxford Astrophysics Department in particular. All are welcome. Speaker: Charles Barclay is an Associate Fellow of Green Templeton College and joined the Oxford Physics Department as an Academic Visitor in 2003. He served two terms on the Council of the Royal Astronomical Society and became Vice President (2017-2019) He directed the Blackett Observatory at Marlborough College in Wiltshire for 25 years, where he taught Astronomy and Physics. He was a UK National Astronomy Education Coordinator for the International Astronomical Union (2022-2024), UK Team Leader for the Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad (2015-2021) and was Chair of Examiners for Astronomy GCSE for twelve years. Charles was recognised by the Royal Astronomical Society 2023 Service Award for his outstanding contribution to Astronomy education. Synopsis: When Thomas Hornsby as Savilian Professor persuaded the Radcliffe Trust to build an Observatory, his aim was not only to put Oxford Astronomy on the World map but also to have a grand building with facilities for teaching. The Observatory fulfilled this aim and for a while was perhaps the most desirable facility in the world. Though its fortunes waned during the 1800s and light pollution from the growing city diminished the potential of its larger instruments and necessitated relocation to South Africa, the foundations had been laid for the teaching of Astronomy and Astrophysics. Now the large and very successful Astrophysics sub-Department is once again linked with the College and through outreach events and lectures, Astronomy and Astrophysics can return to its roots here. The talk will illustrate the (often very human) story behind this Oxford icon. Chaired by Professor Rob Fender.
Two of the most striking features distinguishing human cortical pyramidal neurons (CPNs) from other mammals which are thought to play a role in the emergence of our unique cognitive abilities are: (1) human CPNs receive significantly more excitatory and inhibitory synapses than any other mammalian species including non-human primates and (2) synaptic development is strikingly neotenic in humans, taking years to reach maturation compared to weeks or months in other mammalian species. Our lab identified two human-specific gene duplications called SRGAP2B/C which, by inhibiting all known functions of the ancestral postsynaptic protein SRGAP2A, leads to slower (neotenic) rates of excitatory (E) and inhibitory (I) synaptic maturation and increased E and I synapse number (Charrier et al. Cell 2012; Fossatti et al Neuron 2016). We demonstrated that induction of expression of human-specific genes SRGAP2B/C in mouse CPNs increases specifically the number of cortico-cortical synaptic connections they receive leading to changes in the coding properties of these neurons in vivo as well as improved behavioral performance in a sensory discrimination task (Schmidt et al. Nature 2021). I will also present recent evidence demonstrating the function of human-specific SRGAP2B/C in human neurons as key mediators of synaptic neoteny, using a novel xenotransplantation model, in collaboration with Pierre Vanderhaeghen’s lab (Libé-Philippot et al. Neuron 2024). These results also provide the first evidence that human-specific genes such as SRGAP2B/C are not only relevant to understand human brain evolution but also constitute human-specific disease modifiers. I will also present new results demonstrating that human-specific SRGAP2B/C genes also act as master regulators of the timing of structural and functional maturation of microglial cells using both humanized mouse models and SRGAP2B/C loss-of-function approaches using human iPSC-derived microglia xenotransplantation in mouse neonatal cortex. Our results demonstrate that SRGAP2B/C-dependent induction of neotenic maturation of microglial cells participates non-cell autonomously to the delayed timing of synaptic maturation in cortical pyramidal neurons. Our results reveal that, during human brain evolution, human-specific genes SRGAP2B/C coordinated the emergence of neotenic features of synaptic development by acting as genetic modifiers in both neurons and microglia. SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY Since 2013, Franck Polleux is a Professor of Neuroscience at Columbia University and a Principal Investigator at the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute in New York. He obtained his PhD in 1997 at Université Claude Bernard in Lyon France under the supervision of Henry Kennedy and Colette Dehay. He then did his postdoctoral training with Anirvan Ghosh at Johns Hopkins University. From 2002-2010, he started his independent research career at UNC-Chapel Hill, then moved to Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA. Throughout his scientific career spanning three decades, Dr Polleux has focused on the identification of novel cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the development and function of synapses, neurons and circuits in the mammalian neocortex. More recently, his lab started studying the genetic basis of human brain evolution by focusing on the role of human-specific gene duplications as genetic modifiers of synaptic connectivity, circuit function and their impact on cognition. His work demonstrates that human-specific genes such as SRGAP2B/C not only represent human-specific modifiers of brain development but also represent unique human-specific disease modifiers in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders. In collaboration with the lab of Attila Losonczy, he recently started to study the synaptic and molecular basis of feature selectivity of place cell emergence using mouse CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons as a model. For his numerous scientific contributions, he was awarded several prestigious awards such as the Albert L. Lehninger Research Prize for postdoctoral research, the 2005 NARSAD Young Investigator Award, the 2015 Foundation Roger De Spoelberch Prize, a 2021 Nomis Foundation Award and the 2021 R35 Research Program Award, a career award from the NIH-National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
The second in a duo of courses (attendees should attend the Fundamentals course prior to Logistics) that will cover the logistics of researching, publishing, and locating open scholarship resources and tools at the University of Oxford. Subjects include: what is the Oxford University Research Archive?; depositing work into ORA via Symplectic Elements; depositing data into ORA-data; applying for one of Oxford’s APC block grants; registering or connecting your ORCID; how to be included in the rights retention pilot; and locating and checking funder policies. Intended audience: Researcher & research student; Staff
A Bodleian Open Scholarship Event This event discusses issues of loss of access to datasets in the context of the current situation in the US, where US federal datasets are at risk of deletion and funding withdrawal. In addition to the current US context, we’ll look at other examples of data rescue efforts and discuss the impacts on research, teaching, and beyond. We’ll cover how data access and preservation is supported by open scholarship methods and infrastructure, and consider the implications for future approaches. The session will include perspectives from colleagues at Oxford about data access and data rescue efforts.
What is the best way to run to win a race? Why does a sprinter slow down before the finish line? Why do you swim better slightly underwater? Why, on a bike, the faster you go, the more stable you are? Amandine Aftalion is a mathematician and a senior scientist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). She specialises in modelling based on low temperature physics alongside writing on a range of sports culminating in her book 'Be a Champion, 40 facts you didn't know about sports and science'. Please email external-relations@maths.ox.ac.uk to register to attend in person. The lecture will be broadcast on the Oxford Mathematics YouTube Channel on Thursday 16 October at 5-6pm and any time after (no need to register for the online version). The Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures are generously supported by XTX Markets.
Biography Robin Evans is a Professor of Statistical Science at the University of Oxford. His research interests include causal inference, multivariate and graphical models, latent variable models, and algebraic statistics. He is particularly interested in causal simulation, and in how evidence from different kinds of study might be combined. His previous work has been applied to systems biology, quantum information theory, and the social sciences.
Confirmed speakers include: Stanislav Aseyev (author of The Torture Camp on Paradise Street and In Isolation. Dispatches from Occupied Donbas), one of the most celebrated contemporary Ukrainian writers, in conversation with Syria expert, Ammar Azzouz (Oxford University); Maksym Butkevych, renowned journalist and human rights activist; Nataliya Gumenyuk, co-founder of the Reckoning Project; Oksana Kis, author of works including Survival as Victory: Ukrainian Women in the Gulag; Bohdan Tokarsky, an expert on Vasyl Stus and Ukrainian dissidence. The workshop is free to attend, and open to all members of the university and the general public. If you are interested in attending, please register. A more detailed programme for the day will be released closer to the workshop date.
A science degree naturally leads to academic research, but once we have a PhD or have done a Postdoc, once we have done some new-to-the-world science and published some papers, what can we do next? Careers Adviser Dr Mike Moss, who did a two year Postdoc in Caltech, then went on to be a successful research scientist and inventor with 54 patents in industry will share his thoughts.
2-2:30 pm: Prof Deborah Gill (RDM) 2:30-3:30 pm: Dr Matt Carpenter, Dr Susan Campbell & Cath Spence (Oxford University Innovation) 4-4:30 pm: Dr Joe Illingworth (DJS-AbbVie) 4:30-5 pm: Dr Sally Dewhurst (Oxford Science Enterprises)
Highlights from the presentation: ‘What happens when you blend the medicinal chemistry with the complexity of biology? You get a journey that starts with small molecules and ends with big breakthroughs… (and sometimes, with llamas). In this talk, I’ll share how a foundation in chemistry shaped my approach to biotherapeutics, leading to novel insights in GPCR antibody discovery. Expect science, some surprises, and yes — a few camelid cameos’ Christel Menet, PhD is currently Chief Scientific Officer at Confo Therapeutics. Christel joined Confo as CSO in 2016 from Galapagos NV, where she was one of the first chemists and later advanced to Director of Medicinal Chemistry. She is the inventor of filgotinib (Jyseleca), commercialized for treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis. Prior to Galapagos, Christel worked at Faust Pharmaceuticals (now Domain Therapeutics), a biotech specializing in GPCR drug discovery. She is an inventor on over 25 patent applications and co-authored numerous publications. Christel completed her PhD in Organic Chemistry at the University of Manchester in the lab of Prof Jonathan Clayden.
Nitric oxide (NO) is a ubiquitous signaling molecule with complex, context-dependent roles in human physiology. Dysregulated NO production contributes to the progression of various diseases, notably affecting women's health in areas such as pregnancy, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular conditions, endometriosis, chronic pain, and postmenopausal complications. Despite its therapeutic potential, drug development targeting the NO pathway remains challenging due to its pleiotropic effects and systemic nature. Our research focuses on harnessing the therapeutic potential of NO through precise and controlled modulation. We are developing stimuli-responsive NO donors and novel peptides that selectively inhibit inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in a targeted manner. This approach aims to deliver tissue-specific therapeutic effects, minimizing systemic side effects and addressing the limitations of current NO-modulating therapies.
Through the US DOE Office of Science’s Accelerate Innovations in Emerging Technologies initiative; we are developing a platform to predict catalyst sintering and long-term performance based on based on short-term experiments. We are leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence in an active learning workflow, whereby steady state and dynamic testing, operando and in-situ characterization, and theoretical modeling are used as input parameters to guide subsequent experiments and continuously improve the quality of the predictive models. We chose to focus the catalytic chemistry on the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction, which is critical for unlocking new routes to sustainable fuels and chemicals from CO2 feedstocks. In particular, we are investigating Rh/TiO2 as the catalyst of interest as prior work hypothesized a distinction in the selectivity towards CO vs. CH4 as a function of Rh cluster size. In this presentation I will introduce the project, and discuss several of the unexpected findings. This will be a hybrid event online and in person with coffee and cake to follow the presentation.
Philosopher Menachem Fisch and visual artist Debra Band present the first illuminated manuscript of the entire biblical text of the Book of Ecclesiastes and the first philosophical analysis of the argument. Professor Fisch uncovers Qohelet’s twin concerns: life is short, and situated as we are, far below the heavens, we can never be assured of comprehending our world, or understanding divine will and intent. Since we can never fully predict or understand our fortunes or the heritage we leave behind us, the best we can do is to live our lives fully, relating to others attentively, always aware of the limits of human life. In her glowing, immersive, and discursive illuminated paintings of the entire text, Debra Band imagines Qohelet’s teachings, employing the grandest of palaces, the Alhambra, as the central metaphor for the beauty and impermanence of human life and accomplishments. She fills its halls and gardens with often surprising imagery, symbolism, and related poetry, creating a visual midrash that reveals the relationship of Qohelet’s thought to other biblical texts and Jewish lore and its reverberations across the centuries and cultures of Western civilisation, from ancient Israel to today’s America. Each illuminated page is complemented by lucid commentary explaining its full meaning. Renowned scholars Ellen F. Davis and Moshe Halbertal crown the work with a penetrating foreword and preface.
Do you need help managing your references? Do you need help citing references in your documents? This online session will introduce you to EndNote, a subscription software programme which can help you to store, organise and retrieve your references and PDFs, as well as cite references in documents and create bibliographies quickly and easily. On completing the workshop you will be able to: understand the main features and benefits of EndNote; set up an EndNote account; import references from different sources into EndNote; organise your references in EndNote; insert citations into documents; and create a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student.
Are you looking to learn about the ways in which to transmit scientific ideas and make your research accessible to a non-specialist audience through a variety of mediums? This session will serve as an introduction to science communication and how it can be successfully incorporated into our roles. By the end of this session you will be able to: define science communication and provide a list of examples; explain why science communication is important for both our CPD and the public; and list ways in which we can all get involved in science communication. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student.
Understanding the nature of tumour evolution promises to enable more accurate prognostic methods and more effective treatment strategies. I will use three examples to illustrate how the analysis of stochastic processes can aid this goal by bridging the gap between ODE/PDE models and agent-based simulations. First, I will show how surprisingly simple mathematical expressions can be derived to explain why selective sweeps (the spread of beneficial mutations through an entire population) are rare except when tumours are relatively very small. Next, I will explain how studying tree generating processes and tree shape indices can improve model selection and clinical forecasting methods. Finally, I will present an application of stochastic processes to improving cancer cure rates by minimizing the probability of evolutionary rescue. Although all this work is motivated by questions in cancer research, the methods and results are readily applicable to other biological systems such as bacteria and invasive species.
Attacks on universities, faculty and students have escalated dramatically in the early months of Trump’s second presidential term. The pace and ferocity of these attacks have taken almost everyone by surprise, including those who have been subject to political intervention for some years in Republican-led states such as Texas and Florida. What makes the latest oppressive phase so devastating is the clear intent to dismantle all research and scientific expertise that does not conform to the far-right’s ideological viewpoint. Silence and self-censorship have descended on most campuses, and growing numbers of scholars and students seek new institutions outside the country to study, teach and conduct research on health, climate, poverty, racism and other pressing global issues. As a result, the international status of US higher education is plummeting. Trump has, in effect, declared war on higher education, and in so doing has arguably abandoned the immediate and long-term needs of the American population and jeopardized the futures of all societies.
The discovery of an envelope of photographs taken at the British Pharmacological Society meeting in 1937 labelled ‘Joint meeting with the German Pharmacological Society’ in the Pharmacology Department in Oxford provided the impetus to find out more. Together with the Chair of the German Pharmacological Society, this special event aims to look more closely at the shared histories of both societies pre-war and the subsequent disruption to academic careers. Talks will share new material looking at exile in the 1930s under National Socialism, the cost to academia and some surprising alliances.
This interdisciplinary workshop explores the application of causal artificial intelligence (AI) to address real-world challenges in primary care. Designed for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers, the event aims to co-create interpretable AI frameworks—such as causal graphs and validation methodologies—that can support equitable, efficient, and evidence-based decision-making in healthcare. Through hands-on sessions and policy roundtables, participants will collaboratively identify high-impact use cases, develop prototype tools, and outline actionable policy recommendations. The workshop aligns with CHAI Hub’s goals of explainable AI, real-world relevance, and scalability across the NHS.
So, you’ve got a great idea for a research study – but what approvals do you need before you can start? Who do you apply to? And how do you go about doing this? Join an online presentation through Microsoft Teams for an overview of: • how research is governed in the UK • which approval bodies are involved • a step-by-step guide on how to apply for approval • handling amendments to your study
How did the US Army emerge as one of the most powerful political organizations in the United States following World War II? In Warriors in Washington: Henry Stimson, the US Army, and the Politics of American Power in World War II, Grant H. Golub asserts that this remarkable shift was the result of the Army’s political masters consciously transforming the organization into an active political player throughout the war. Led by Henry Stimson, the Secretary of War and one of the most experienced American statesmen of the era, the Army energetically worked to shape the contours of American power throughout the war, influencing the scope and direction of US foreign policy as the Allies fought the Axis powers. The result saw the Army, and the military more broadly, gain unprecedented levels of influence over US foreign relations. As World War II gave way to the Cold War, the military helped set the direction of policy toward the Soviet Union and aided the decades of confrontation between the two superpowers.
SeedWISE enables you to build an impactful toolkit using enterprise skills. You will: Understand and adopt tools for self-actualisation to enable you to realise your full potential and become the best version of yourself. Develop collaboration, networking and communication skills to build community and support broad career options. Explore enterprise thinking and concepts as tools for reflection. We are running SeedWISE IN-PERSON and attendance is required for the full three days. We also invite you to an online Meet & Greet event which will give you a flavour of what to expect and gives you a chance to meet the team and each other before we begin. The three days are different in theme and build upon one another. Our expert trainer will lead days one and three, and our team of facilitators will guide you through day two: - Day One: REFLECT - Day Two: EXPLORE - Day Three: ACTION Sessions are designed to be fun, interactive and will feature a mixture of speakers from a variety of career backgrounds, group work and action learning sets. All additional material will be available on the Canvas learning hub. This includes resources discussed in each session, video lessons, exercises and further information for those who want to delve deeper. *We also welcome non-binary people who are comfortable in a space that will discuss women focused experiences.
During the last 50 years, dramatic improvements in safety have been made in industries, including energy production, rail, air transport and construction. However, the rate of accidental harm to patients from their treatment has not changed much in healthcare, despite 30 years of research. In this lecture, Professor Peter McCulloch will explain particular problems of the healthcare environment and the challenges to developing ultra-safe care.
War and human flourishing exhibits strong spatial bias across geographical scales. Geography matters in conflict and cooperation but no mathematical framework thus far ties them together at the global scale. Here, we show that simple network models can explain the spatial patterns of conflict and cooperation with accuracy and robustness, reinforced and explained by simple agent-based-modeling. We go on in our second piece of work to add tipping dynamics to understand how cascades can happen or be prevented. This was then linked to several branching projects: (i) how will future climate change and migration affect the model (MET Office), and (ii) how can we model causal latent spaces in climate change and conflict. More generally, I am interested in how to better understand networked tipping dynamics and how it contributes to our understanding of global tipping dynamics in climate-society-technology ecosystems in the Tipping Points Report.
In this online workshop you will be shown the functionality of Zotero, which is a free-to-use software programme used to manage references and create bibliographies. Zotero will be demonstrated on a Windows PC but users of MacOS or Linux computers will be able to follow the demonstration. The workshop will cover: understanding the main features and benefits of Zotero; setting up a Zotero account; importing references from different sources into Zotero; organising your references in Zotero; inserting citations into documents; and creating a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student
Research students and staff planning to attend the Finance and Management Consultancy Fair (or other careers fairs) are invited to book this pre-fair event. How can researchers get the most out of a careers fair? This pre-fair session looks at ways to engage with companies of interest at the fair, with a focus on how to present the skills gained through your research training to non-academic employers. We will also consider how to ask insightful questions and build relationships with organisations that interest you. Time permitting, we will discuss any questions you may have about job search strategies, networking or applications. Our discussion will be led by participant interests and may cover reasons why companies see value in a doctorate and/or academic research experience, and how you can identify, translate and/or build your skillset in ways that will appeal strongly to recruiters. Further information on the fair can be found at http://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/careers-fairs/. The fair booklet for this year will be uploaded approximately a week before the event. All research students and research staff welcome. To reserve a place please go to "CareerConnect":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=22578&service=Careers%20Service *You will need to bring your University card with you on the day to access the fair, unfortunately we are unable to allow entry to those without their University Card*
Meet a wide range of organisations, browse jobs and learn about working in the finance and consultancy sectors at the Finance and Management Consultancy Fair. The fair is an excellent opportunity for undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers to meet company representatives, many of whom will be Oxford alumni with memories of their own job search. Join this job fair if you are considering a career in accounting, insurance, banking, investment management, quantitative trading, strategy, management consultancy, and beyond, to find out about the internships or full-time roles available to you. Specialist Oxford University careers advisers will also be present at the fair, so you can find out more about how they can support you on your career journey. Information about the exhibitors at the fair will be available closer to the event. You can download the details from last year here: "Finance and Management Consultancy Fair booklet (PDF).":https://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/sitefiles/finance-mancon-fair-booklet-2024.pdf Note that this event is only open to Oxford University students, researchers, and alumni. *Please bring your University card with you on the day to access the fair.*
Research students and staff planning to attend "this fair":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=22650&service=Careers%20Service are invited to book this pre-fair event for both researchers and alumni. This is an opportunity for talk informally with a Careers Adviser about options for researchers. Our discussion will be led by participant interests and may cover reasons why companies see value in a doctorate and/or academic research experience, and how you can identify, translate and/or build your skillset in ways that will appeal strongly to recruiters. We will also consider how to get the most from this careers fair, e.g. how to ask insightful questions and build relationships with organisations that interest you. Time permitting, we will discuss any questions you may have about job search strategies, networking or applications. Visit the "Oxford University Careers Fair: The fair for all sectors page":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=21220&service=Careers%20Service to find out more. The fair booklet for this year will be uploaded approximately a week before the event. *You will need to bring your University card with you on the day to access the fair, unfortunately we are unable to allow entry to those without their University Card*
Interested in finding out about the different types of sectors that you could get into? Are you looking to take the next step on your career path? If so, then come along to our *careers fair for all sectors* to find out more about the jobs, insight days, internships, graduate training or further study opportunities currently available with top recruiters. Join us at the Oxford University Careers Fair and meet representatives from national and local businesses, as well as professional organisations and organisations in the not for profit and charity sectors. This is our only Michaelmas term fair with a broad appeal. It attracts a diverse range of employers in sectors such as consulting, retail and manufacturing, creative arts and communications, teaching, non-profit, and more. At the fair, you will also be able to chat to the Careers Service team and find out about the support that we offer during your time at Oxford and beyond. For information about the exhibitors at last year's fair, "download the Oxford University Careers Fair booklet (PDF).":https://careers.web.ox.ac.uk/sitefiles/oxford-university-careers-fair-booklet-2024.pdf Note that this event is only open to Oxford University students, researchers, and alumni. *You will need to bring your University card with you on the day to access the fair, unfortunately we are unable to allow entry to those without their University Card.*
Are you planning to present a poster at an upcoming conference, meeting or symposium? This introductory session will provide you with some top tips on how to create a poster presentation which will help you to communicate your research project and data effectively. There will be guidance on formatting, layout, content, use of text, references and images, as well as advice on printing and presenting your poster. This session will also provide help with locating resources such as templates, free-to-use images and poster guidelines. By the end of this classroom-based session you will be able to: evaluate the effectiveness of templates, formatting, text and images; and plan, prepare and present your poster. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Researcher & research student.
TBA
Are you baffled by open, confused by embargoes? Does the mention of the colour gold or green catapult you into a realm of perplexed irritation? Come to this session, where we’ll break down open access and all its many jargon terms, confusing publishing structures and hint at the advantages you can reap by publishing open. The session will cover: what is open access? Key terms – Gold, Green, Article Processing Charges; where to get more information and help; where to look for open access material; and useful tools to assist you in publishing open access. Intended audience: Researcher & research student; Staff
A general online introduction to the vast range of electronic resources which are available for all historical periods of British and Western European history. Learning outcomes are to: gain an overview of some of the key online resources for medieval, early modern and modern British and Western European history; know how to access subscription resources.; and gain awareness of key examples of useful resources: bibliographic databases; reference sources; primary sources; maps; audio-visual resources; and data sources. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
How, and to what extent, do apartheid regimes, ideologies, policies, and practices impact higher education? In this webinar, we will discuss the role of universities in apartheid, settler colonialism and racial supremacy. We will focus on higher education in apartheid South Africa and Israel, unpacking the role of higher education systems, institutions and scholars in othering and subjugating Black and Palestinian people, respectively, and enabling, facilitating, justifying and/or participating in crimes against humanity. Finally, we will address the importance of international academic solidarity with the oppressed and discuss the strategic role of academic boycotts and the global movement to decolonise higher education.
Trapped ions—charged atoms suspended using electric fields—are among the most promising systems for exploring the strange world of quantum physics. In October’s Balliol Online Lecture Dr Srinivas will introduce how trapped ion experiments work and why they’re such a powerful platform for both fundamental research and emerging technologies. He will then delve into three areas of his research. First, explaining how quantum entanglement is used to enhance the precision of atomic clocks. Next, exploring how the spring-like motion of ions can create exotic, nonclassical states of matter that behave in ways we never encounter in everyday life. Finally, he will discuss his work in quantum computing at Oxford Ionics—a spinout from the University of Oxford—where they're working towards a practical quantum computer using ion-trap technology. Dr Raghavendra Srinivas is a research fellow in the Department of Physics and Early Career Fellow in Physics at Balliol College, and also works part-time for Oxford Ionics. His research focuses on using trapped ions for quantum information processing, quantum sensing and fundamental quantum optics. Dr Srinivas was awarded Optica’s 2024 Theodor W Hänsch Prize in Quantum Optics, which recognizes impactful early career researchers working on optics-enabled quantum technologies.
RGEA is pleased to announce the launch of a new course ‘Good Clinical Practice (GCP) for laboratory staff’. The course is for University of Oxford staff working in laboratories handling samples derived from clinical trials, and outlines the principles of GCP from the perspective of the laboratory. It will be delivered in-person at Boundary Brook House (Old Road Campus), by members of RGEA who have previous experience of working in laboratories.
Medical Statistics Drop In Session with Dr Lei Clifton,Lead Statistician, Applied Digital Health (ADH) Group, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford. Day: Thursday Date: 16 October 2025 Time: 11:00 -12:00 Venue: BDI conference room (lower ground, near the cafe) Registration: https://forms.office.com/e/b8UEEgrBrY?origin=lprLink Do you have a burning medical statistics-related question that you would like to discuss with the wider Oxford Biomedical community? Submit your question in advance and join the drop-in session, where Lei Clifton will address your query. If you’re interested in being part of the conversation but don’t have a specific question, feel free to attend the session in person and follow along. This is an excellent opportunity to engage in knowledge exchange with your peers. The session will be informal and conversational, encouraging participants to share their perspectives on medical statistics. There will be no set agenda or specific topics of focus; instead, discussions will be spontaneous, shaped by the questions and interests brought forward on the day. Attendees will have the freedom to drop in and ask questions without restrictions, allowing for an open and dynamic exchange of ideas. While the session will not include presentations or detailed statistical analysis, general advice on study design and statistical methods will be provided. The emphasis will be on applying statistical thinking to real-world questions rather than conducting in-depth explorations of predefined topics. This is an in-person event only.
Puzzled by PICO? Daunted by databases? Baffled by Boolean? This one-hour online introductory class will offer top tips and advice on how to find literature to answer a research question. No prior experience necessary! Together, we will break down a question into the PICO format, put together a structured search, and try it out in PubMed. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what structured searching is, and when to use it; break your research question down into searchable concepts; and make use of Boolean operators (ANDs/ORs) in your structured searches. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student
COURSE DETAILS Explore your research through the lens of core enterprise and innovation concepts. Learn how to spot ideas that could lay the foundations for impactful deliverables. This is a foundation programme for STEM researchers to enable you to build these 1st principles into every project and build stronger collaborations. The course will cover the core concepts of idea validation: desirability, feasibility & viability, along with self-awareness and communication fundamentals. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this course, participants will be able to: Implement the core concepts of idea validation: desirability, feasibility and viability Incorporate these core concepts into your research strategy for greater impact Utilise these concepts to improve communication with potential collaborators Use greater self-awareness to build stronger partnerships
Speaker Bio: Ahmet Davutoglu, former Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, is a world-renowned professor of international relations. Davutoglu, who gives conferences in many parts of the world, is the author of many books such as 'Systemic Earthquake' and 'Alternative Paradigms'.
Do you need help managing your references? Do you need help citing references in your documents? This online session will introduce you to EndNote, a subscription software programme which can help you to store, organise and retrieve your references and PDFs, as well as cite references in documents and create bibliographies quickly and easily. On completing the workshop you will be able to: understand the main features and benefits of EndNote; set up an EndNote account; import references from different sources into EndNote; organise your references in EndNote; insert citations into documents; and create a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student.
This paper analyzes a model in which an outcome equals a frontier function of inputs minus a nonnegative unobserved deviation. We allow the deviation's distribution to depend on inputs, thereby allowing for endogeneity. If zero lies in the support of the deviation given inputs—an assumption we term assignment at the frontier—then the frontier is identified by the supremum of the outcome at those inputs, obviating the need for instrumental variables. We then estimate the frontier, allowing for random error whose distribution may also depend on inputs. Finally, we derive a lower bound on the mean deviation, using only variance and skewness, that is robust to a scarcity of data near the frontier. We apply our methods to estimate a firm-level frontier production function and inefficiency.
The decades between the 1970s to the 1990s brought striking transformation in the conceptualisation of women, gender, and the economy. New ideas, particularly connected with notions of 'empowerment', presented a major challenge to prevalent views of the proper role of women in markets and households. In the case of the global South, women and girls came to be seen as the key drivers of development. This paper will explore the various dimensions of this moment, and will argue that it constitutes a major shift in the vision of the global gender order. *Professor Maria Misra* is a Professor of Global History at the University of Oxford, and a fellow of Keble College. She is the author of _Business, Race and Politics in British India, 1850-1960_ (Clarendon, 1999) and _Vishnu's Crowded Temple: India Since the Great Rebellion_ (Yale University Press, 2008). She is currently completing a book on the global history of gender.
This event is a free, one-hour lecture, hosted by Oxford University's Sustainable Urban Development programme. The event will be live-streamed from our Lecture Theatre, so you have the option to join us online or in person. Cities are often the first responders in times of crisis - whether conflict, climate disaster, or migration. This lecture by keynote speaker Ievgeniia Kopytsia, draws on Ukraine’s experience to examine how cities on the frontlines of conflict can become laboratories for transformative recovery, reimagining housing, climate adaptation, legal frameworks, and participatory governance. It explores the challenges and opportunities of urban crisis response, highlighting the role of local leadership, adaptive policy, and cross-sector collaboration in building more resilient, inclusive urban futures amidst profound disruption.
TBA
Religion-related violence is the fastest spreading type of violence worldwide. Attacks on religious minorities follow a clear pattern and are preceded with early warning signs. Until now, such violence had no name, let alone a set of policies designed to identify and prevent it. A unique attempt to create a new moral and legal category alongside other forms of persecution and mass murder, Religicide explores the roots of atrocities such as the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, the Bosnian war, and other human rights catastrophes. The authors tap into their decades of activism, interreligious engagement, and people-to-people diplomacy to delve into a gripping examination of contemporary religicides: the Yazidis in Iraq, the Rohingya in Myanmar, Uyghur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists in China, and the centuries-long efforts to wipe out Indigenous Americans. Yet, even in the face of these horrific atrocities, the authors resist despair. They amplify the voices of survivors and offer a blueprint for action, calling on government, business, civil society, and religious leaders to join in a global campaign to protect religious minorities.
In this online workshop you will be shown the functionality of Zotero, which is a free-to-use software programme used to manage references and create bibliographies. Zotero will be demonstrated on a Windows PC but users of MacOS or Linux computers will be able to follow the demonstration. The workshop will cover: understanding the main features and benefits of Zotero; setting up a Zotero account; importing references from different sources into Zotero; organising your references in Zotero; inserting citations into documents; and creating a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student
A characteristic feature of chronic inflammation is its predilection for certain anatomical sites. In this presentation, I will explore the concept of "Inflammation Location" to illustrate how unravelling the biological pathways underpinning the genetic, molecular, and cellular basis of inflammation across distinct yet clinically related Immune Mediated Inflammatory Diseases (IMIDs) can help explain why many some IMIDs are site specific and other systemic. Traditional models of research in IMIDs silo their management within specific specialties and between children and adults. Patients with disease in one organ system often have co-morbid involvement of another organ and are treated in similar ways with similar drugs. Here I will provide a mechanistic link between gene-environment interactions and clinical outcomes via tissue biology. By breaking down the clinical and operational boundaries that prevent an integrated programme of experimental medicine research in IMIDs, we aim to deliver a tissue-based, cellular understanding of inflammation to facilitate cross-disease, cross-discipline, basket-trials which utilise Bayesian statistics to de-risk early-stage trials. In the longer term our aim is to link the cellular basis of IMIDs to therapeutic interventions that either target shared pathogenic mechanisms or are disease specific.
Are you looking to learn about the ways in which to transmit scientific ideas and make your research accessible to a non-specialist audience through a variety of mediums? This session will serve as an introduction to science communication and how it can be successfully incorporated into our roles. By the end of this session you will be able to: define science communication and provide a list of examples; explain why science communication is important for both our CPD and the public; and list ways in which we can all get involved in science communication. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student.
The United States has undergone two massive shifts in housing and schooling in the past 40 years. First, residential income segregation has markedly increased, especially among families with children. Second, postsecondary enrollment has greatly expanded, likely as a result of higher wages for college-educated workers. As these two secular trends have ascended side-by-side, a puzzle has emerged: Are families competing for neighborhoods that can ensure their children’s success in the college game? If so, are families increasingly hoarding geo-spatial opportunities to maximize their children’s socioeconomic success? To illuminate possible answers to these questions, I examine three successive cohorts of restricted data on students going to college in the early 1980s, the mid-2000s, and the late 2010s to understand whether the neighborhoods in which students grew up have increasingly differential impacts on their college enrollment and college selectivity outcomes. Using geocoded data from the NLSY 1979, NLSY Children and Young Adults, and transcript data from the High School Longitudinal Study, I track students from childhood and adolescence through young adulthood and find that the neighborhoods where they grew up indeed do have increasingly differential impacts on their college outcomes across these three cohorts of students. I discuss the potential implications for future economic disparities as increased competition for housing among families contracts students’ access to higher education.
Nearly 40 years ago, Andy Yao proposed the construction of “Garbled Circuits,” which had an enormous impact on the field of secure computation -- both in theory and in practice. In Garbled Circuits, two parties agree on a Boolean circuit that they want to evaluate, where both parties have partial, disjoint inputs to the circuit, and neither party is willing to disclose to the other party anything but the output. In this talk, Professor Ostrovsky will survey the state of the art for garbling schemes, including computing with Garbled Random Access Memory, the so-called GRAM constructions that were invented by Lu and Ostrovsky in 2013, as well as more recent progress, including the GRAM paper by Heath, Kolesnikov and Ostrovsky, which received the best paper award in Eurocrypt 2022. He will also discuss Garbled Circuits in the malicious setting, where parties try to deviate arbitrarily from the prescribed protocol execution to gain additional information, and will review some of the latest advances in this area. The talk will be self-contained and accessible to the general audience. Rafail Ostrovsky holds the Norman E. Friedmann Endowed Chair in Knowledge Sciences at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering. He is a Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics at UCLA. He was elected as a Fellow by multiple organizations, including the American Academy of Inventors, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR). Prof. Ostrovsky is a foreign member of the Academia Europaea. He has published over 350 peer-reviewed articles and holds 16 patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He served as chair of the IEEE Technical Committee on Mathematical Foundations of Computing from 2015 to 2018 and as Chair of the IEEE Foundations of Computer Science (FOCS) 2011 Annual Conference Program Committee (PC). He also served on over 40 other international conference PCs and is serving on the editorial boards of the Journal of ACM and the Algorithmica Journal. He also served on the Journal of Cryptology's editorial board from 2006 until 2025. Prof. Ostrovsky is the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including the 1993 Henry Taub Prize; the 2017 IEEE Computer Society Edward J. McCluskey Technical Achievement Award; the 2018 RSA Award for Excellence in Mathematics (also known as RSA Prize); and the 2022 W. Wallace McDowell Award – the highest award given by the IEEE Computer Society. The Strachey Lectures are generously supported by OxFORD Asset Management
The advent of large language models (LLMs) provides an opportunity to conduct qualitative interviews at a large scale, with thousands of respondents, creating a bridge between qualitative and quantitative methods. In this paper, we develop a simple, versatile open-source platform for researchers to run AI-led qualitative interviews. Our approach incorporates established best practices from the sociology literature, uses only a single LLM agent with low latency, and can be adapted to new interview topics almost instantaneously. We assess its robustness by drawing comparisons to human experts and using several respondents-based quality metrics. Its versatility is illustrated through four broad classes of applications: eliciting key factors in decision making, political views, subjective mental states, and mental models of the effects of public policies. High performance ratings are obtained in all of these domains. The platform is easy to use and deploy: we provide detailed explanations and code for researchers to swiftly set up and test their own AI-led interviews. In addition, we develop, validate, and share a simple LLM-based pipeline for textual analysis and coding of large volumes of interview transcripts
Puzzled by PICO? Daunted by databases? Baffled by Boolean? This one-hour online introductory class will offer top tips and advice on how to find literature to answer a research question. No prior experience necessary! Together, we will break down a question into the PICO format, put together a structured search, and try it out in PubMed. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what structured searching is, and when to use it; break your research question down into searchable concepts; and make use of Boolean operators (ANDs/ORs) in your structured searches. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student
Written with Oriana Bandiera, Menna Bishop, Robin Burgess, and Jack Thiemel
Utilising data from Finland, where genetic details of approximately 500,000 individuals are linked to a national health registry, this presentation will explore the use of polygenic scores and electronic health records (EHRs) to predict disease susceptibility. It will highlight the challenges and successes of employing polygenic scores for disease prediction. Additionally, the talk will discuss the application of machine learning algorithms to predict healthcare outcomes from EHRs, assessing their fairness and generalizability across different populations. The presentation will conclude with a direct comparison of genetic and EHR-based predictions to assess which approach is most predictive and generalizable across healthcare systems.
In our October event, Jaz Brisack (Mississippi & Wadham 2019) will discuss their book Get on the Job and Organize: Standing Up for a Better Workplace and a Better World. Jaz is a union organizer and cofounder of the Inside Organizer School, which trains workers to unionize. After spending one year at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, they got a job as a barista at the Elmwood Starbucks in Buffalo, NewYork, becoming a founding member of Starbucks Workers United and helping organize the first unionized Starbucks in the United States. They have also worked with organizing committees at companies ranging from Nissan to Tesla to Ben & Jerry’s. Jaz’s first book, Get on the Job and Organize: Standing Up for a Better Workplace and a Better World, is out this year from One Signal Press.
On October 23-24, 2025, the University of Oxford, will host the IX Workshop on Migration, Health, and Well-Being, following the success of the previous editions. The workshop’ focus is broad, covering empirical economic research on the topics of immigration, health economics, economics of migration and wellbeing. Spanning two days, the event will feature a select number of hour-long research presentations, fostering in-depth discussions. The workshop aims to strengthen connections among scholars with shared interests in these fields.
Do you want to make sure your work is ‘REFable’ per the new REF open access requirements? In this focused online briefing, we will: step you through the changes and new requirements; provide links to further REF information and guidance; let you know where to find help at Oxford; and answer as many questions as we can. Intended audience: Researcher & research student; Staff
Our vision is to transform research and healthcare in dementia. Dementia Research Oxford, led by Professors Masud Husain and Cornelia van Duijn, brings together researchers and clinicians across the University, our hospitals, patients, and industry partners to translate our growing insights in the basic molecular origin disease into effective treatment and prevention. We aim to take science further from drug target to treatment, from molecular pathology to early diagnosis and prognosis and from early intervention to prevention.
Biography Professor Carbone (MD, PhD) is an Associate Professor of Hepatology at the University of Milano-Bicocca and Honorary Consultant Hepatologist at the Niguarda Liver Transplant Centre, Milan. He qualified in Medicine in Rome, Italy and trained in hepatology in Italy and in the UK. His research interest mainly relates to study disease mechanisms in autoimmune and cholestatic liver diseases. He runs a research programme in autoimmune and cholestatic liver diseases that encompasses joint modelling of molecular, histological and radiological data, and their conversion into meaningful outputs that can inform mechanistic understanding, health care decisions, and the design of innovative clinical trials. He is member of the International Clinical Research Network of PSC Partners, steering committee member of the Global PBC study group, and Vice-Chair of the PBC Foundation Medical Advisory Board. He founded and co-chairs the Italian Registry of PBC and PSC. He serves on the panel of the national guidelines for PBC and PSC. He is the recipient of the Rising Star in Gastroenterology award by the United European Gastroenterology (UEG) and the Europena Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Sheila Sherlock Fellowship. He is Associate Editor of Digestive and Liver Disease, serves on the editorial board of Hepatology, and co-authored more than 144 articles in peer-reviewed journals (h-index 35).
Almost Nothing But Blue Ground is a performative lecture by artists Tom Pope and Matthew Benington. Weaving together storytelling, cyanotype prints, and archival discoveries, the lecture traces the life and legacy of Anna Atkins — the trailblazing botanist and photographer who published Cyanotypes of British Algae (1843), the first book to be photographically printed and illustrated. Tom and Matthew’s research into Atkins' pioneering work unearthed themes of botany, land ownership, and the colonial roots of Victorian plant collecting. Inspired by these discoveries, the artists undertook a weeklong walk from Atkins’ former home in Tonbridge to the coast of Hastings. Along the way, they created a new body of cyanotype photographs which are presented alongside their research in this performance.
Extra-chromosomal DNA (ecDNA) is a genetic error found in more than 30% of tumour samples across various cancer types. It is a key driver of oncogene amplification promoting tumour progression and therapeutic resistance, and is correlated to the worse clinical outcomes. Different from chromosomal DNA where genetic materials are on average equally divided to daughter cells controlled by centromeres during mitosis, the segregation of ecDNA copies is random partition and leads to a fast accumulation of cell-to-cell heterogeneity in copy numbers. I will present our analytical and computational modeling of ecDNA dynamics under random segregation, examining the impact of copy-number-dependent versus -independent fitness, as well as the maintenance and de-mixing of multiple ecDNA species or variants within single cells. By integrating experimental and clinical data, our results demonstrate that ecDNA is not merely a by-product but a driving force in tumor progression. Intra-tumor heterogeneity exists not only in copy number but also in genetic and phenotypic diversity. Furthermore, ecDNA fitness can be copy-number dependent, which has significant implications for treatment.
Mitochondria are increasingly recognized as dynamic, cell type–specific regulators of brain function and behavior. I will present recent work dissecting how mitochondrial features in distinct neuronal populations of the nucleus accumbens shape anxiety and motivation, highlighting findings from rodent models implicating mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergetics. Beyond neurons, emerging evidence from our unpublished studies identifies astrocytic mitochondria as key modulators of blood–brain barrier properties with behavioral consequences, and transcriptomic profiling reveals microglial mitochondrial signatures associated with anxiety phenotypes. Integrating results across neuronal, astrocytic, and microglial compartments, I will discuss how mitochondrial diversity at the cellular and circuit levels contributes to individual differences in stress responsiveness, anxiety, and motivation, and how these insights may inform strategies to promote resilience. SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY Carmen Sandi is Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), where she leads the Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics. She has made seminal contributions to understanding how stress affects brain function and behavior, identifying glucocorticoid signaling and cell adhesion molecules as key modulators of stress-induced neural and behavioral adaptations. Her current research focuses on how brain metabolism, particularly mitochondrial function, shapes the structure and function of neural circuits involved in motivation, emotion regulation, and decision-making. Using integrative approaches in rodents and humans, her work has revealed how mitochondrial processes contribute to individual differences in behavior and vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression. Carmen carried out her PhD research in Neuroscience at the Cajal Institute in Madrid, followed by postdoctoral training in Bordeaux and at the UK Open University before joining EPFL. She served as Director of the EPFL Brain Mind Institute from 2012 to 2019. Carmen has published over 280 research articles and contributed to various books. She has held major leadership roles in the neuroscience community, including as President of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), the European Brain and Behaviour Society (EBBS), and the Cajal Advanced Neuroscience Training Programme. She is the founder and current President of the Swiss Stress Network and the Global Stress and Resilience Network, and also founded the ALBA Network for Diversity and Inclusion in Brain Sciences.
Research students and staff planning to attend the "Science, Engineering and Technology Fair":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=22684&service=Careers%20Service, are invited to book this pre-fair event. This is an opportunity to talk informally with a careers adviser about options for researchers. Our discussion will be led by participant interests and may cover reasons why companies see value in a doctorate and/or academic research experience, and how you can identify, translate and/or build your skillset in ways that will appeal strongly to recruiters. We will also consider how to get the most from the fair, e.g. how to ask insightful questions and build relationships with organisations that interest you. Time permitting, we will discuss any questions you may have about job search strategies, networking or applications. All Oxford University research students and research staff are welcome.
The Science, Engineering and Technology Fair offers you the opportunity to find out about a variety of different career options across the science, engineering and technology sectors. This is your chance to to explore internships and graduate roles with organisations from a variety of technical areas including energy, engineering consultancy, science R&D, patent work, IT, transport, and many others. Organisations attending range from leading global companies to specialist technology firms. Oxford University careers advisers will also be on hand to answer your questions. The Science, Engineering and Technology Fair is aimed at all students, particularly those studying science, engineering, computing or maths including undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers. The fair booklet will be available one week prior to the fair. Note that this event is only open to Oxford University students, researchers, and alumni. *Please bring your University card with you on the day to access the fair.*
I study the implications of climate change on housing markets, mortgage credit, and private adaptation. Households are exposed to physical climate risks that damage housing and degrade land, which is inelastically supplied. While the exposure to climate risk weakens housing demand, I show that the materialization of climate change raises house prices over time, as habitable land becomes increasingly scarcer. In frictionless markets, price signals support efficient adaptation. However, credit-constrained households have weaker incentives to adapt to climate change, indicating that pricing alone may be insufficient. Unequal adaptation reinforces wealth inequality and contributes to further habitat loss. As this tightening credit constraints for future generations, the private adaptation gap widens over time. I show that a shift from constrained homeownership to a rental model with unconstrained owners can lead to more efficient adaptation.
Academic careers are diverse, with the ability to conduct research, deliver teaching, and increasingly support innovation and knowledge exchange. In this first instalment of the insight into Academia series, join us for an introduction to the variety of options available and see that that there is no ‘one route’ to follow in an academic career. Intended for students considering embarking on an academic career, this session will outline the diverse roles and pathways within academic careers within a range of higher education and research institutions. We will cover: · The core academic functions: Research, Teaching and Knowledge exchange/Impact and innovation · The range of role types that currently exist with a focus on the UK landscape and the diversity of institutions that exist. · Skills and competencies, entry points and early career stages · Mobility and International considerations We will also share tools resources and next steps to advance your career thinking in this area. This series accompanies the "Academia and Higher Education sector briefing":https://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/academia available on the Careers Service website. Other sessions in the series: · Insight into Academia: Positioning for Academic Progression (6-Nov-25) · Insight into Academia: Myths and Realities of Academic Careers Panel Event (13-Nov-25) · Insight into Academia: Academic Application Materials (17-Nov-25)
Worldwide, only around 7% of refugees attend university, despite the financial, psychological, social, and career benefits it offers. Recognising these benefits, UNHCR has set a target of 15% of refugees accessing higher education (HE) by 2030. Drawing on interviews with participants from refugee backgrounds, universities, Further Education colleges, NGOs and local authorities, this research explores the barriers and possibilities for refugees’ access to HE in the UK, with a focus on the south-west region. Findings highlight how increasingly hostile immigration policies, rigid academic systems, and resource shortages combine to restrict access to HE, while also documenting the growing expertise and support offered within some sectors. It calls for coordinated, transformative action to remove systemic barriers and build a socially just, refugee-centred approach, including enhanced financial support, alternative entry pathways, and transparent institutional accountability.
Ignacio Arana Araya (www.ignacioarana.org) is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Carnegie Mellon University. He specializes in the study of political elites by analyzing how the personality traits and other individual differences of heads of government impact executive governance. His research also examines the impact of political institutional variation across countries, with an emphasis on Latin America. His first book, Presidential Personalities and Constitutional Power Grabs in Latin America, 1945-2021, is forthcoming from Oxford University Press. He is currently writing the book The Psychology of Presidents, under contract with Cambridge University Press. His work has been published in leading journals such as The American Journal of Political Science, The Journal of Politics, Political Psychology, Democratization, Journal of Legislative Studies, Latin American Politics and Society, Journal of Law and Courts, Latin American Perspectives, América Latina Hoy, Revista de Ciencia Política, Estudios Internacionales, Bolivian Studies Journal, and Política. He has also contributed book chapters published by Springer, FLACSO, and Oxford University Press.
Why do Agatha Christie’s novels continue to inspire each generation? The answer is the quality and range of her puzzles: her rich and varied structures of deception. Christie broke the mould of detective fiction and rewrote the implicit rules of the whodunnit. In the sheer variety and profusion of her whodunnit puzzles Christie is without peer. In this talk, Tony and Sally Hope will bring into the open what Christie so cleverly kept hidden: the many ways she helps us solve her puzzles whilst, at the same time, deceiving us. Sally and Tony Hope are authors of Agatha Christie: Plots, Clues and Misdirections which examines Christie’s skills as a whodunnit writer. It analyses her methods in setting her puzzles. It shows how she uses a combination of diverse plots, cunning clues and subtle misdirections. Sally and Tony have also written on each of Christie’s sixty six crime novels. There will be a drinks reception following the talk to which everyone is welcome. If you'd like to attend this event, please register at: https://forms.office.com/e/b2pkLE6Chd
In this session we will cover how to locate and interpret journal level metrics such as the Journal Impact Factor (JIF). We will examine the tools you can use to locate journal level metrics, such as Journal Citation Reports and Scopus Sources. We will also consider the uses, limitations and pitfalls inherent in these metrics and how they can be used responsibly. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with: the major journal metrics and how these are calculated; accessing journal citation data using Journal Citation Reports and Scopus Sources; using JIF, CiteScore and SJR journal metrics to rank journals; and the limitations of different metrics, including how journal metrics may be skewed or distorted. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
Explore internships, graduate opportunities and full time jobs with top employers in the IT and computing sector. Oxford's undergraduate and postgraduate students achieve exemplary employment outcomes. Yet the process of making informed career choices and navigating the available opportunities can be challenging. Given that organisations across various sectors are keen to recruit individuals with computer science expertise, we designed this event to provide a valuable opportunity for students to meet potential employers and explore a wide range of career ideas. Oxford University careers advisers will also be on hand to answer your questions. Oxford University students from any degree discipline are welcome to attend this fair, as well as researchers and alumni. The fair booklet will be available one week prior to the fair. In the meantime you can "Download the 2024 event booklet for information about the recruiters who attended last year's Careers in Computing Fair (PDF).":https://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/sitefiles/careers-in-computing-fair-booklet-2024.pdf Note that this event is only open to Oxford University students, researchers, and alumni. *Please bring your University card with you on the day to access the fair.*
Puzzled by PICO? Daunted by databases? Baffled by Boolean? This one-hour online introductory class will offer top tips and advice on how to find literature to answer a research question. No prior experience necessary! Together, we will break down a question into the PICO format, put together a structured search, and try it out in PubMed. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what structured searching is, and when to use it; break your research question down into searchable concepts; and make use of Boolean operators (ANDs/ORs) in your structured searches. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student
Motivated by pattern formations and cell movements, many evolution equations incorporating spatial convolution with suitable integral kernel have been proposed. Numerical simulations of these nonlocal evolution equations can reproduce various patterns depending on the shape and form of integral kernel.The solutions to nonlocal evolution equations are similar to the patterns obtained by reaction-diffusion system and Keller-Segel system models. In this talk, we classify nonlocal interactions into two types, and investigate their relationship with reaction-diffusion systems and Keller-Segel systems, respectively. In these partial differential equation systems, we introduce multiple auxiliary diffusive substances and consider the singular limit of the quasi-steady state to approximate nonlocal interactions. In particular, we introduce how the parameters of the partial differential equation system are determined by the given integral kernel. These analyses demonstrate that, under certain conditions, nonlocal interactions and partial differential equation systems can be treated within a unified framework. This talk is based on collaborations with Hiroshi Ishii of Hokkaido University and Hideki Murakawa of Ryukoku University.
The Symposium will highlight areas of stem cell research with trajectories towards treatments of diseases including metabolic disorders, neurodegeneration, vascular diseases, heart failure, cancer and new bioengineering strategies.
Dr Tim Rawson Imperial College London https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/timothy.rawson07
Are you preparing a poster presentation for an upcoming conference, meeting or symposium? This interactive session, or ‘poster clinic’, will include a group discussion of different examples of poster presentations, as well as an opportunity to present your own draft of your poster presentation to your fellow attendees. It is expected that the small group of peers in attendance will provide feedback and respectful comments on each other’s work. By the end of this classroom-based session you will be able to: evaluate the effectiveness of your poster presentation and others; and summarise the content of your poster concisely in preparation for a conference. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Researcher & research student.
This paper explores the interaction between market power and the energy transition in the global upstream oil industry. To align with the Paris Agreement's global warming target, a significant portion of world oil reserves needs to remain untapped. At the same time, the OPEC cartel in the global crude oil market exercises market power by strategically slowing down production to inflate prices. Using detailed micro-level data on global oil production, costs and reserves, I build and estimate a dynamic structural model of global oil production in a cartel-fringe setting, capturing the trade-off faced by the cartel between exercising market power by slowing production and accelerating production to avoid future devaluation of oil. My findings reveal that (i) OPEC exerted market power during the 1990 - 2019 period, although the cartel only partly exploited the full potential gains; (ii) increasing carbon taxes can accelerate production and emissions—a green paradox—causing a reallocation of production under imperfect competition; (iii) well-designed carbon taxes can significantly erode market power incentives.
TBA
So, you’ve got a great idea for a research study – but what approvals do you need before you can start? Who do you apply to? And how do you go about doing this? Join an online presentation through Microsoft Teams for an overview of: • how research is governed in the UK • which approval bodies are involved • a step-by-step guide on how to apply for approval • handling amendments to your study
Derek Bucks
Many prominent social scientists have advocated for random-draw lotteries as a solution to the “problem” of college admissions. They argue that lotteries will be fair and equitable, eliminate corruption, reduce student anxiety, restore democratic ideals, and end debates over race-conscious admissions. In response, we simulate potential lottery effects on U.S. student enrollment by race, gender, and income, using robust simulation methods. If we went to a lottery system, what would happen to student diversity? And how could this change the built relationship between students and selective colleges?
COURSE DETAILS This session looks at the way in which we can have useful conversations in career development reviews. It examines the blockages to such conversations and how we can overcome them using active listening and coaching techniques. There will be an opportunity to discuss the policy and process surrounding CDRS. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will have an understanding of: The Career context and support for CDRs. How coaching and active listening can enable positive CDR conversations. An opportunity to practice relevant skills.
This 90-minute session will cover some more advanced techniques for finding medical literature to answer a research question. We will recap some basics, then demonstrate searching in several medical databases, including using subject headings (MeSH) and the differences between platforms. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what subject headings are, and how to use them; search for words that appear near to other words; take a search from one database into another; and save a search and document it. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Researcher & research student
If you are new to the University of Oxford and want to find out more about the University’s network of libraries or have been at the University a while and would like a refresher, join us for this online introduction to understanding and accessing the libraries, their services and resources. By the end of the session, you will: be familiar with the network of Oxford libraries; know the logins needed to access Bodleian Libraries services; be able to conduct a search in SOLO (the University’s resource discovery tool), filter results and access online and print resources; and know how to manage your library account including loans and requests. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
In this session we will examine article level metrics. We will discuss how citation counting can help identify influential papers in particular fields and how altmetrics provide a different perspective on research output. Using tools such as Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus you will learn how to locate different article metrics. The session will also allow you to appreciate the limitations of different metrics and the importance of their cautious interpretation. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with: using Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar to track and count citations to papers and individual researchers; measuring impact using altmetrics; understanding how to contextualise metrics against other, similar papers in a field; and the limitations of different metrics. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
Building a career in academia involves more than research and teaching; it requires deliberate positioning, and an understanding of how academic advancement is assessed and achieved. In this second instalment of the Insight into Academia series, we will focus on how to develop and demonstrate the profile needed to move forward in an academic career. Intended for Masters and Doctoral researchers considering academic pathways, this session will explore how individuals can prepare for academic roles and begin to position themselves for future progression — even at the early stages of their career. We will cover: * How academic progression typically works in the UK (from postdoc to professor) * Common expectations and indicators of academic potential * Building your academic identity and track record across research, teaching, and engagement * The importance of visibility, networks, and strategic choices for positioning and reflection on the academic job market * We will also offer practical tools and reflective prompts to help you identify development areas and take action to strengthen your positioning. This series accompanies the "Academia and Higher Education sector briefing":https://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/academia available on the Careers Service website. Other sessions in the series: Insight into Academia: Myths and Realities of Academic Careers Panel Event (13-Nov-25) Insight into Academia: Academic Application Materials (17-Nov-25)
Are you baffled by open, confused by embargoes? Does the mention of the colour gold or green catapult you into a realm of perplexed irritation? Come to this session, where we’ll break down open access and all its many jargon terms, confusing publishing structures and hint at the advantages you can reap by publishing open. The session will cover: what is open access? Key terms – Gold, Green, Article Processing Charges; where to get more information and help; where to look for open access material; and useful tools to assist you in publishing open access. Intended audience: Researcher & research student; Staff
Do you need help managing your references? Do you need help citing references in your documents? This online session will introduce you to EndNote, a subscription software programme which can help you to store, organise and retrieve your references and PDFs, as well as cite references in documents and create bibliographies quickly and easily. On completing the workshop you will be able to: understand the main features and benefits of EndNote; set up an EndNote account; import references from different sources into EndNote; organise your references in EndNote; insert citations into documents; and create a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student.
2025 Annual Uehiro Lectures: Reproductive Rights (Lecture 1/3) Lecture 1: Male Reproductive Dependency Abstract TBC Lecture followed by a drinks reception
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the emergence of bacterial strains that survive antibiotic treatments, is a major global public health concern, causing more than 1.2 million deaths each year and threatening a return to a pre-antibiotic era. Tackling AMR is a multi-faceted problem that involves actions and interventions from the understanding of AMR mechanisms to the development of new antibiotics and diagnostic tests. A panel of AMR specialists will discuss the problem and the action that is needed to slow down this "silent epidemic". There will be a drinks reception following the talk to which everyone is welcome. If you'd like to attend this event, please register at: https://forms.office.com/e/WB9wNnY2Nu
The T J Clark Seminar at Keble Poems about paintings have long been part of literary tradition, and many such poems go on being written. Why? What is hoped for from them? What is involved in the passage from picture to word? This seminar series will look at particular poems and paintings, ancient and modern, with such questions in mind. Professor Timothy Clark is one of the world’s most renowned art historians. He taught for many years at the University of California, Berkeley, and is the author of several books, including The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and his Followers (1985), Farewell to an Idea: Episodes from a History of Modernism (1999), The Sight of Death: An Experiment in Art Writing (2006), Picasso and Truth: From Cubism to Guernica (2013), Heaven on Earth: Painting and the Life to Come (2018), and If These Apples Should Fall: Cézanne and the Present (2022). The Poetry & Painting seminars will take place three times a year. There are no sign-up lists or reserved places (free entry, and all are welcome). A few weeks in advance of each seminar a handout will be made available via a downloadable link which will feature the poetry and painting to be discussed. At the seminar Clark will introduce the material and lead the discussion. Questions to be explored will include: Is this poem ‘about’ the picture it says it is about? What does ‘about’ mean in this case? Is it clear what, in or about the picture, provoked the poem? Why write a poem about a picture? Or, is writing a poem about a picture different from writing one about, say, the scene or situation that the picture is ‘of’? Does the poem we’re reading propose an answer to these questions? What would failure in a poem about a picture be like? And success? Is there a moment in the poem when you sense the resistance of the ‘visual’ or ‘pictorial’ to poetic translation producing poetry (or the opposite)? How many of these questions are reversible? That is, do we have strong cases of pictures that are, or claim to be, about poems? Does this poem, whether or not we think it successful in describing or evoking the picture it says it’s about, make a difference to our understanding of the picture? Does it alter our seeing of it? How much does this poet care about painting (or sculpting etc.)? Does it matter if the answer is ‘not much’? i.e. does it matter to the poetry? How do we approach poems that are clearly homages to painting, even to particular paintings, but seem deliberately to refuse a one-to-one (descriptive) ‘aboutness’? How indirect can a poem about a painting be before the painting disappears? Or is ‘disappearance’ necessary (to poetry)? The next seminar, entitled Poems About Cezanne, will take place in the Pusey Room at 5.30 pm on 6 November. Professor Clark writes: “Not for the first time in this series, the word ‘about’ in my title will be a matter for discussion. Are the poems I’ve chosen about Cézanne? If so, how? These questions fold into a further one: What are Cézanne’s paintings about? In particular the paintings of his last years, when death was imminent. (That might have meant ‘death’ was the last thing his art would be about. [Read that sentence whichever way you like.] But death seems to figure largely in writing about him.) Wordplay aside – and it’s striking that Cezanne’s art does bring on wordplay – I for one need help deciding on the relation of several of the poems chosen to Cézanne. The Charles Wright ‘Homage’ is the central, difficult case. But so is the Gertrude Stein ‘Cézanne’, and even the Carlos Williams. Which raises the question: Why do poems about Cézanne tend to put ‘aboutness’ so markedly in question? I have included a poem of my own, which will inevitably seem pedestrian, not to say naïve, alongside the others. I stand by the poem; but it may well suggest to many of you why poems ‘about Cézanne’ don’t go in for the kind of description mine does. Cézanne seems to provoke poetry in English not French. This is strange. As compensation, I add a tremendous poem by René Char on Courbet’s Stonebreakers, which Samuel Beckett proved to be untranslatable.” A link to the handout is available below. Free entry, all welcome, no tickets or booking required. Enquiries: please contact Matthew Bevis.
Standard methods for estimating production functions in the Olley and Pakes (1996) tradition require assumptions on input choices. We introduce a new method that exploits (increasingly available) data on a firm’s expectations of its future output and inputs that allows us to obtain consistent production function parameter estimates while relaxing these input demand assumptions. In contrast to dynamic panel methods, our proposed estimator can be implemented on very short panels (including a single cross-section), and Monte Carlo simulations show it outperforms alternative estimators when firms’ material input choices are subject to optimization error. Implementing a range of production function estimators on UK data, we find our proposed estimator yields results that are either similar to or more credible than commonly-used alternatives. These differences are larger in industries where material inputs appear harder to optimize.
Biography: Florian Sicklinger studied medicine at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. After completion of his MD, he began his specialist training in internal medicine and cardiology in 2021 under the direction of Prof. Dr. Norbert Frey at Heidelberg University Hospital. As a physician scientist in the lab of Prof. Dr. Florian Leuschner, he focuses on the role of the immune system in cardiovascular disease. Using high-throughput tools for induction of myocardial infarction in mice combined with single-cell and spatial omics technologies, he is interested how immune cells can be targeted or exploited to improve left ventricular remodeling and myocardial fibrosis. Florian Sicklinger is also a member of the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) in Heidelberg/Mannheim.
In this online workshop you will be shown the functionality of Zotero, which is a free-to-use software programme used to manage references and create bibliographies. Zotero will be demonstrated on a Windows PC but users of MacOS or Linux computers will be able to follow the demonstration. The workshop will cover: understanding the main features and benefits of Zotero; setting up a Zotero account; importing references from different sources into Zotero; organising your references in Zotero; inserting citations into documents; and creating a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student
Seminar followed by Q&A and drinks - all welcome Story creates agency for the climate and nature crises. It is a common feeling for people to feel anxiety and fear, helplessness too, in the face of the global climate and nature crises. Yet story can act like tricksters of old who set us on new paths through the dark forest ahead. Organisations often find themselves facing their own crises, sometimes existential. All have their own tried and tested ways of talking about themselves: foundation myths, measures of success, mission statements, brand architecture and tales of enemy competitors. But these are not stories. Good story is always about engagement with the public: audiences, readers, listeners, members, students. An organisation succeeds when it tells a story not about itself, but how it is helping people make the world a better place. It talks about how it is improving lives. This talk is based on the 2025 paper by Pretty, Milner-Gulland and 27 co-authors: “How the Concept of “Regenerative Good Growth” Could Help Increase Public and Policy Engagement and Speed Transitions to Net Zero and Nature Recovery” (Sustainability 17(3), 849). Jules Pretty is Emeritus Professor of Environment and Society at the University of Essex. His sole-authored books include The Low-Carbon Good Life (2023), Sea Sagas of the North (2022), The East Country (2017), The Edge of Extinction (2014), This Luminous Coast (2011), The Earth Only Endures (2007), Agri-Culture (2002), The Living Land (1998), and Regenerating Agriculture (1995). He is former Deputy-Chair of the UK government’s Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, and has served on advisory committees for UK research councils and the Royal Society. He was appointed A D White Professor-at-Large by Cornell University from 2001, and was Founding Editor of the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability. He received an OBE in 2006 for services to sustainable agriculture, an honorary degree from Ohio State University, and the British Science Association Presidential Medal (Agriculture and Food) in 2015. He was appointed President of Essex Wildlife Trust in 2019, is Chair of the Essex Climate Action Commission, was also a trustee for WWF-UK, and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Essex in 2023. This Luminous Coast was winner of New Angle Prize for Literature, and The East Country was winner of the East Anglian book of the year. He is host of 80 podcasts and films (in the series Louder Than Words and Brighter Futures) and writes the series The Climate Chronicles at www.julespretty.com.
'In this lecture, I will return to fundamental questions that shaped social policy in European welfare states and the EU over the last 40 years, notably the issue of ‘personal responsibility’ versus ‘collective responsibility’, and ‘moral hazard’ as a limit to the organization of collective action and solidarity. These questions apply both to interpersonal relations and to relations between political entities, such as the regions in a federal country, or the Member States of the EU in the EU. I will highlight long-term trends and swings in the ideational debate on personal responsibility, collective action and moral hazard, and revisit the well-known debate on ‘social investment’ as a paradigm for social policy. The reference to ‘responsibility’ in the lecture’s title finally also refers to my own role: having been both a policy-maker and politician and an academic, the question is also one about the meaning and limits of pragmatism in political action: how can one reconcile, in the realm of social policy, one’s own understanding of social justice and solidarity with the dominant political and budgetary realities of our time?' -------------------- Speaker bio: Frank Vandenbroucke was born in 1955 and studied economics in Leuven and Cambridge, UK, and received his D.Phil. in Oxford in 1999. He was Minister for Social Security, Health Insurance, Pensions and Employment in the Belgian Federal Government (1999-2004), and Minister for Education and Employment in the Flemish Regional Government (2004-2009). In that period, he played a key role in the ‘activation turn’ in Belgian employment policy. Vandenbroucke was closely involved with the launching of the EU’s Lisbon Strategy in 2000, notably with the development of its social dimension. He was a member of the High Level Group on Social Investment Policies set up by the European Commission (2011-2014). He was the chair of the Belgian Commission on Pension Reform (2013-2014). Frank Vandenbroucke was full-time engaged in politics until 2011, and then returned to academic research at the Universities of Leuven, Antwerp (in association with the Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy) and Amsterdam. He published on the role of the EU in the development of social policy, patterns of household employment and poverty, social investment, the architecture of the welfare state and the problem of ‘institutional moral hazard’, pension policy, public attitudes on risk-sharing, and child poverty. His publications are available at www.frankvandenbroucke.be. In 2020, Vandenbroucke returned to politics, to become Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health in the Belgium Federal Government during the Covid 19 pandemic. He currently plays a prominent role in debates on EU health policy. He was re-appointed Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health in January 2025.
This OxPeace annual Day-Conference explores developments in peacebuilding at all levels, and in particular in the involvement of women, in the 25 years since UNSC Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and the 30 years since the 1995 Beijing Declaration on the rights of women. Examples will be explored, and several speakers will present fresh research. Further details nearer the time. You are invited to reflect on this significant and growing field with fellow students, academics, practitioners, and policy-makers.
Are you planning to present a poster at an upcoming conference, meeting or symposium? This introductory session will provide you with some top tips on how to create a poster presentation which will help you to communicate your research project and data effectively. There will be guidance on formatting, layout, content, use of text, references and images, as well as advice on printing and presenting your poster. This session will also provide help with locating resources such as templates, free-to-use images and poster guidelines. By the end of this classroom-based session you will be able to: evaluate the effectiveness of templates, formatting, text and images; and plan, prepare and present your poster. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Researcher & research student.
Obesity is the fifth leading cause of death globally and one of the leading causes of disability. While the general medical impacts of obesity, including cerebrovascular complications, are relatively well-recognized, the less obvious effects on brain health are often overlooked. Obesity is frequently linked with brain cortical thinning, subcortical atrophy, accelerated brain aging, cognitive impairments, and an increased risk of dementia, even in absence of additional cardiovascular risk factors. This is particularly concerning in people with severe mental illness (SMI), where the rates of obesity are high and the brain effects of obesity and psychiatric disorders may interact. Indeed, we and others have demonstrated that obesity adds to brain gray and white matter alterations in SMIs. Variations in extent of obesity contribute to variations in extent of brain alterations in people with bipolar disorders or schizophrenia. Importantly, obesity related brain changes explain part of the cognitive impairment already in people with first episode of psychosis. Moreover, baseline weight or weight gain predict future acceleration of brain aging and hippocampal atrophy across SMIs. These brain effects could explain why obesity in SMI is associated with worse psychiatric outcomes, including greater psychiatric morbidity, chronicity, disability, functional decline, and worse responses to psychiatric medications. Monitoring weight and body composition thus becomes relevant for managing psychiatric, cognitive and brain health. Future research should investigate if prevention or treatment of obesity, i.e. with GLP1 agonists, could prevent or improve neurostructural changes and related psychiatric outcomes, including cognitive impairment.
This workshop will introduce participants to the key catalogues and finding aids for post-1800 archives and manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries. In particular the session will focus on Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts, the online catalogue for post-1800 archives and manuscripts. The session will also briefly introduce some of the major UK online gateways for discovering archives. The topics covered include: how to use the Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts online catalogue; other printed archive catalogues in the Bodleian Libraries; major subject areas covered in Bodleian archives and modern manuscripts; and national archive gateways. The workshop will include a question and answer session with Bodleian archivists. This session does not cover: Pre-1800 manuscripts (Medieval and Early Modern periods); or Manuscripts in Middle Eastern, Semitic, and Asian languages. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
Open access publication of monographs and other longform works is an emerging movement, offering many opportunities to scholars looking to publish their research. With several major funding agencies now requiring longform open access publication, the impact of this is only set to grow. However, for those looking to publish their monograph open access, the novelty of this can present a challenge. What do funders require? What are the different publishing models? This webinar will cover the basics of this emerging field, including benefits, funder requirements, publication models and tools and resources. At the end of the session participants will be able to: explore the benefits of open access publication for longform works; consider the more challenging aspects of open monograph publication that that may not arise in traditional monograph publishing; follow the open access requirements of major funders for longform works; and understand the range of open access publication models offered by publishers. Intended audience: Researcher & research student; Staff
Differences in savings behavior between households with different incomes are key for wealth inequality. We propose differences in asset market access as a novel explanation for these differences. Decomposing household wealth into its main portfolio components, we document three new facts about the US wealth distribution: (i) wealth gaps are primarily driven by differences in asset market participation rather than investment amounts; (ii) participation heterogeneity mirrors differences in observed market access; and (iii) most wealth is accumulated through financial products with contractual savings flows, such as mortgage payments and retirement contributions. Motivated by these findings, we develop a life-cycle model of financial lifetime decisions: buying a home, starting a retirement plan, and becoming an entrepreneur. In the model, income-dependent access to mortgages and retirement plans shape household participation decisions, while financial contracts govern wealth accumulation of participants. The calibrated model closely matches observed participation and wealth accumulation patterns. Equalizing initially heterogeneous access increases wealth for the bottom half of the income distribution by 32%. With access heterogeneity, top-decile households realize five times more capital gains than those in the bottom quintile. Expanding access to retirement plans fosters broad-based wealth accumulation, a prediction supported by historical data.
Newspapers are a valuable resource for researching not only news but also many other aspects of political, economic, social and cultural life. In this session we will introduce key online sources of news and how to make best use of them. The focus will be on historical and contemporary newspapers from the 17th century across most countries of the world. After the session participants will understand: the value of newspapers in research; the difficulties of using newspapers in research and effective search techniques, and be able to use a range of sources for searching and reading including: historical newspapers; contemporary newspapers; and historical audio-visual news sources. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
This lecture explores how digital academic education is being reshaped by the fusion of emotional governance and technological design. Drawing on 20 in-depth interviews with learning designers working in Israeli EdTech companies, I examine how these professionals—positioned between private platforms and public universities—construct educational environments that are simultaneously affective and algorithmic. At the center of this analysis is the concept of “supervised autonomy”, which captures a core paradox: students are imagined as autonomous, self-regulating learners, yet also as emotionally vulnerable subjects in need of constant technological oversight. Surveillance technologies such as learning analytics dashboards are reframed by designers as tools of emotional care and personalized support. This dual logic extends to the role of professors, who are reimagined as both emotional caregivers and performative presenters—expected to maintain engagement, deliver emotional connection, and respond to behavioral data. In this new emotional-technological architecture, autonomy becomes not a withdrawal from control, but a condition shaped and sustained through ongoing algorithmic monitoring and therapeutic discourse. The lecture argues that the digitalization of academic life cannot be understood solely through the lens of market rationality. Rather, it reflects a deeper cultural reordering—where emotional expectations are embedded into digital infrastructures, and educational roles are redefined through a convergence of care, performance, and control.
In this session we will examine metrics for individual researchers. Using tools such as Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus you will learn about the researcher h-index and its limitations. You will be introduced to additional metrics tools such as author beamplots which help to contextualise a researcher’s output over time. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with: accessing citation data for specific researchers on Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar; understanding how the h-index is calculated and its inherent limitations; creating an ORCID number to help track all your own research outputs; and the importance of research outputs beyond journal and conference papers when assessing a researcher’s impact. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
This paper introduces a method to study the impact of policy events on equilibrium selection in settings where strong complementarities may lead to multiple equilibria and coordination failures. Many industrial policies are rooted in the idea of coordination failures and big-push' theories, yet empirical evidence on their effectiveness remains limited, since distinguishing equilibrium shifts from direct changes in fundamentals is challenging. Leveraging tools from industrial organization and algebraic geometry, I develop an approach to study coordination effects without imposing strong assumptions on the distribution or responsiveness of economic fundamentals. The method identifies the `types' of factual and counterfactual equilibria through a three-step procedure: model estimation and inversion, equilibrium enumeration, and type assignment. Types of factual equilibria may be used to examine how events, like urban infrastructure, subsidy drives, or trade liberalization, affect equilibrium selection. Types of counterfactual equilibria further allow decomposition of observed effects into fundamentals- versus coordination-driven. I apply this method to study industrial zones in India. Using a newly assembled dataset, I find that municipalities receiving an industrial zone see a 60% increase in non-farm employment over 15 years, with significant spill overs to non-targeted sectors and municipalities. Combining the methodology with event study designs, I find that industrial zones increase the probability of escaping a low-industrialization equilibrium by 38%, with coordination effects explaining roughly one-third of the observed change in outcomes.
COURSE DETAILS During the course you will have the opportunity to manage a project. You will be able to apply the techniques you learn to a project that you bring along. Topics covered: project initiation, managing stakeholders and risk, time estimation, planning. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand more about: The importance of planning. The tools to make project management succeed. How to estimate the time a project will take realistically. The skills you need to be a good project manager.
Can women influence household decisions through effective communication when they lack decision rights? We conduct a field experiment in India to test whether a communication training for married women impacts female labor supply, an important decision households make and a frequent source of intra-household disagreement. The treatment shifted women’s communication styles towards the techniques taught in the training. We find positive effects on labor supply and earnings but, consistent with theory, only for women who were more interested than their husbands in the women working. These effects last at least one year post-treatment and represent a 53% increase in earnings over this period. Mechanisms analyses suggest the labor supply effects come from women changing their husbands’ preferences rather than shifts in bargaining power. A back-of-the-envelope calculation estimates this treatment to be highly cost-effective at raising female employment relative to public vocational training. Written with Namrata Kala, MIT Sloan School of Management https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LgQtwvTMExxf49YvnkgWugxhffJ2rqlF/view
Join us for the inaugural Oxford Global Health Summit. An internal event to connect, celebrate, reflect, and shape Oxford’s collective engagement in global health. This event brings people together — to listen, share, and spark new conversations about Oxford’s role in global health. We’ll explore bold questions: • What should Oxford be doing in global health — today and tomorrow? • How can we respond most effectively to the real needs of people around the world? • How can we collaborate more meaningfully across disciplines and with partners in the Global South? We want to hear from you — your ideas for what Oxford Global Health should be doing. Event Highlights • Welcome from Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor • Presentation of Oxford Global Health’s strategic direction • Interactive panel – shape a shared vision for the future • Keynote address offering a grounded perspective on global health • Networking reception and visual exhibition 🎟️ ️ Registration required: https://forms.office.com/e/EYfAWJeaNd 📩 Questions? Contact the Oxford Global Health team at enquiries@globalheath.ox.ac.uk
The Adam Phillips Seminar at Keble The New Yorker has described Adam Phillips as ‘Britain’s foremost psychoanalytic writer’, and John Banville has praised him as ‘one of the finest prose stylists at work in the language, an Emerson of our time.’ He has been a regular writer for The London Review of Books, the Observer, and the New York Times for many years, and is the author of several books, including On Kissing, Tickling and Being Bored (1994), On Flirtation (1995), The Beast in the Nursery (1998), Darwin’s Worms (1999), Houdini’s Box (2001), Going Sane (2005), Side Effects (2006), On Balance (2010), Missing Out (2012), and Becoming Freud (2014). ‘The Poet’s Essay’ seminars take place three times a year. Each seminar lasts around one and a half to two hours. The series is free and open to all who wish to attend. There are no sign-up lists or reserved places, although there will be a small amount of required reading in advance of each seminar. Seminars focus primarily on American poetry of the twentieth century. A few weeks before each seminar, a handout will be made available via a downloadable link on this page, and at the meeting Phillips will introduce the material and lead the discussion. The series will pursue a wide range of ideas and issues, but recurring questions may include: Pragmatically, what is the problem the essay is trying to solve, or clarify that the poems can’t? What, if anything, about the poet’s future practice is being intimated or broached by the essay? What, if anything, does the poet’s essay add to or detract from our reading of the poems? Does the essay spoil, in any way, our reading of the poems? What is the poet’s essay persuading us not to do? Given the essay interrupts and continues an already ongoing cultural conversation, in what direction is the essay pushing the conversation? How is the poet in her essay persuading us, if at all, to read her poetry? What, if anything, is the poet’s essay telling us about how his readers might have failed him? What, if anything, is the poet’s essay telling us about his preferred reader of his poems? What, if anything, is the poet’s essay telling us about he mistrusts, or is unconvinced by his own poetry? How does the poet want our lives to be different after reading her essay? If we hadn’t read the poet’s essay what, if anything, might we have missed about her poems? Why might we prefer not having read the essay? Where, if anywhere in the essay, do we get a sense of the poet’s real enjoyment? Next Seminar The next seminar, on Kenneth Koch, will take place on Wednesday 12th November at 4.30 pm, Pusey Room. No tickets, free entry, all welcome. Reading material will be available via pdf link below. Enquiries: please contact Matthew Bevis.
A key database for those researching the social sciences, medical sciences and physical and life sciences, Scopus encompasses more than 94 million records from 5000 publishers. This interactive session will cover basic and advanced searching, highlighting features unique to Scopus and recent updates to the database. Attendees will be encouraged to practice the tips explained during the session. This will be useful for those new to databases and a good refresher for experienced users. By the end of the session you will be able to: construct simple and complex searches; navigate filters; understand effective search query techniques; save and export results; and extract further information from your results. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
Academic careers are often surrounded by persistent myths and assumptions about what success looks like, how to ‘make it’, and what working in academia is really like. In this third instalment of the Insight into Academia series, join us for a candid panel discussion exploring the lived realities of academic careers. This session brings together a diverse panel of academics to share honest insights into the challenges, choices, and opportunities they’ve encountered on their career journeys. Intended for aspiring academics, this event will help you build a more nuanced understanding of what working in academia entails — beyond the job title or CV. We will explore: * Career pathways that defy the "linear” model of academic progression * The pressures and pleasures of research, teaching, and academic service * Navigating precarity, imposter feelings, and sector change * What panellists wish they’d known earlier in their academic journey * You’ll have the chance to ask questions and hear directly from academics working in different contexts, fields, and roles. This series accompanies the "Academia and Higher Education sector briefing":https://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/academia available on the Careers Service website. Other sessions in the series: Insight into Academia: Academic Application Materials (17-Nov-25)
2025 Annual Uehiro Lectures Lecture 2: Societal and Specific Dependency
The day will bring together leading academics, early career researchers and students across the Oxford Water Network whose research focuses on diverse facets of the global water security challenge. Partners in government, industry and utilities will also join the discussions to address the challenge of managing water in an increasingly water-stressed world, exploring how to build resilience and tap into water adaptation potential amidst a looming climate crisis. Oxford Water Day will include presentations from early career researchers, career networking, posters, and a keynote presentation. Lunch and refreshments will be provided, and optional drinks reception will be taking place at the end of the day. If you are based in Oxford or in close proximity or are planning to stop by, save the date in your calendar and stay tuned for more details.
Cell and tissue movement during development, immune response, and cancer invasion depends on chemical or mechanical guidance cues. In many systems, this guidance arises not from long-range, pre-patterned cues but from self-generated gradients locally shaped by cells. However, how heterogeneous cell mixtures coordinate their migration by self-generated gradients remains largely unexplored. In this talk, I will first summarize our recent discovery that immune cells steer their long-range migration using self-generated chemotactic cues (Alanko et al., 2023). I will then introduce a multi-component Keller-Segel model that describes migration and patterning strategies of heterogeneous cell populations (Ucar et al., 2025). Our model predicts that the relative chemotactic sensitivities of different cell populations determine the shape and speed of traveling density waves, while boundary conditions such as external cell and attractant reservoirs substantially influence the migration dynamics. We quantitatively corroborate these predictions with in vitro experiments on co-migrating immune cell mixtures. Interestingly, immune cell co-migration occurs near the optimal parameter regime predicted by theory for coupled and colocalized migration. Finally, I will discuss the role of mechanical interactions, revealing a non-trivial interplay between chemotactic and mechanical non-reciprocity in driving collective migration.
Zotero is a reference management tool that helps you build libraries of references and add citations and bibliographies to word processed documents using your chosen citation style. This classroom-based session covers the main features of Zotero and comprises a 45-minute presentation followed by practical exercises at the computers. You can leave at any point once you have tried out the software, and do not have to stay until the end. The learning outcomes for this classroom-based session are to: create a Zotero library and add references to it; edit and organise references in your Zotero library; add in-text citations and/or footnotes to your word-processed document; create bibliographies; understand how to sync your Zotero library across multiple computers; and understand how to share your Zotero library of references. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
Puzzled by PICO? Daunted by databases? Baffled by Boolean? This one-hour online introductory class will offer top tips and advice on how to find literature to answer a research question. No prior experience necessary! Together, we will break down a question into the PICO format, put together a structured search, and try it out in PubMed. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what structured searching is, and when to use it; break your research question down into searchable concepts; and make use of Boolean operators (ANDs/ORs) in your structured searches. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student
Do you need help managing your references? Do you need help citing references in your documents? This online session will introduce you to EndNote, a subscription software programme which can help you to store, organise and retrieve your references and PDFs, as well as cite references in documents and create bibliographies quickly and easily. On completing the workshop you will be able to: understand the main features and benefits of EndNote; set up an EndNote account; import references from different sources into EndNote; organise your references in EndNote; insert citations into documents; and create a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student.
How can I make my job application stand out from the crowd? Whether it is for a PhD, postdoc, lectureship, or fellowship, a strong CV and supporting materials are vital to unlocking the next stage of the application process. During this session we will share examples to explore the key building blocks of a strong academic CV and cover letter, and work through how best to present your skills and experience. This session will focus on application materials for academic research and teaching positions only. By attending, you’ll: • Understand the typical structure and content of academic CVs • Explore the variety, structure and content of academic personal statements, statements of purpose, and other related academic application materials • Gain access to resources including template academic CVs and Cover Letters To get the most out of this workshop we strongly encourage you to look at the "'Academic Applications' page":https://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/academic-applications of our website before you attend.
This session will cover some more advanced techniques for finding medical literature to answer a research question. We will recap some basics, then demonstrate searching in several medical databases, including using subject headings (MeSH) and the differences between platforms. After the main 90-minute workshop, one of the Bodleian Health Care Libraries Outreach Librarians will be available for another 30 minutes to answer questions about your own searches, so feel free to bring along what you are working on. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what subject headings are, and how to use them; search for words that appear near to other words; take a search from one database into another; and save a search and document it. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Researcher & research student
TBA
The second in a duo of courses (attendees should attend the Fundamentals course prior to Logistics) that will cover the logistics of researching, publishing, and locating open scholarship resources and tools at the University of Oxford. Subjects include: what is the Oxford University Research Archive?; depositing work into ORA via Symplectic Elements; depositing data into ORA-data; applying for one of Oxford’s APC block grants; registering or connecting your ORCID; how to be included in the rights retention pilot; and locating and checking funder policies. Intended audience: Researcher & research student; Staff
In this online workshop you will be shown the functionality of Zotero, which is a free-to-use software programme used to manage references and create bibliographies. Zotero will be demonstrated on a Windows PC but users of MacOS or Linux computers will be able to follow the demonstration. The workshop will cover: understanding the main features and benefits of Zotero; setting up a Zotero account; importing references from different sources into Zotero; organising your references in Zotero; inserting citations into documents; and creating a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student
For several years now, critical perspectives on the development and current orientation of internationalisation have emerged, expressing concern about the risk of reproducing already uneven global hierarchies through mainstream internationalisation activities, particularly in institutions of the Global North and Western/ised higher education. Scholars and practitioners caution that as institutions grow more interconnected, without a redistribution of power or a reimagining of dominant relationships, longstanding inequalities may be further entrenched. There is increasing concern that prevailing approaches to internationalisation risk reinforcing colonialist, capitalist global relations and sustaining Eurocentric knowledge regimes. Drawing on eleven months of ethnographic fieldwork across the UK, Denmark, and Germany, I examine how international student mobility is embedded in wider struggles over knowledge, legitimacy, and global inequality. The research traces how dominant hierarchies are reproduced or unsettled through everyday practices within universities, as well as in broader policy, institutional, and social spaces. Attending to both structural conditions and lived experiences, the study explores how spatial associations of knowledge and global power relations are articulated through everyday interactions, educational practices, and ways of knowing. It ultimately argues for a more ethically engaged and politically reflexive approach to internationalisation - one that takes seriously the call for cognitive justice in global higher education.
Are you looking to learn about the ways in which to transmit scientific ideas and make your research accessible to a non-specialist audience through a variety of mediums? This session will serve as an introduction to science communication and how it can be successfully incorporated into our roles. By the end of this session you will be able to: define science communication and provide a list of examples; explain why science communication is important for both our CPD and the public; and list ways in which we can all get involved in science communication. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student.
In this online interactive workshop, you will learn how to create an effective search query and have the opportunity to try out a range of tools that you can use to search for scholarly materials to support your research. You will: learn how to find books and other scholarly items in Oxford libraries using SOLO; search for journal articles using subject databases and scholarly search engines; and be signposted towards learning materials you can use if you are interested in searching for conference proceedings, theses and dissertations. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student.
RisingWISE equips women* in STEM early career research positions to reframe their skills, realise their individual potential, broaden their mindsets, expand their professional networks and explore new career avenues. Rather than feeding into the competitive nature of advanced professional careers, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge have developed this innovative, collaborative programme that works closely with enterprising women in industry. Together, we build mutual relationships that benefit women in STEM researching at Oxford, Cambridge and across STEM industries. *We also welcome nonbinary people who are comfortable in a space that uses women-focused language to discuss women-focused experiences.
The Jobs for Mathematicians careers fair offers you the opportunity to find out about careers using maths and start planning your next career steps or focus your search. Join the fair to meet recruiters in person and explore the opportunities available. You can also chat to careers advisers and ask questions to help your decision making. The fair is open to all Oxford University students, including undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers, as well as Oxford alumni. Note that this event is only open to Oxford University students, researchers, and alumni. Please bring your University card with you on the day to access the fair. The fair booklet will be available one week prior to the event, in the meantime, you can browse last year's exhibitor details here: "download the Jobs for Mathematicians Fair booklet 2024 (PDF)":https://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/sitefiles/jobs-for-mathematicians-fair-booklet-2024.pdf
COURSE DETAILS Topics will include presenting your CV, how to approach employers, writing covering letters and interview skills. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand: How to improve your CV. How to approach employers. How to write a covering letter. How to plan for an interview. How to interview well.
An online introduction to using alerts to keep up to date with new research and save you time. A combination of presenter-led instruction and the opportunity for participants to set up email alerts to receive notifications for publications in their field of research. We invite you to send any questions you have in advance to usered@bodleian.ox.ac.uk for the instructors to cover in the session. There will also be opportunities to ask questions in the class. The workshop will cover: how email alerts can help you; setting up alerts on your favourite databases and other platforms for new content in your field; and managing your alerts. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student.
COURSE DETAILS This short practical session will help you understand more about the career context for research staff at Oxford and beyond. It will enable you to identify the skills and abilities that you need to develop and give you guidance on how to enhance them so you are prepared for a useful conversation in your next CDR. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will have: An understanding of the career challenges and opportunities facing research staff at Oxford. An understanding of the skills you need to acquire. Started to apply a process of developing these skills.
Narrative CVs are being adopted by many funders, nationally and internationally, to give researchers the opportunity to showcase a wider range of skills and experience than is possible in a traditional academic CV; an example is the UKRI Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI). Writing a narrative CV requires a different way of thinking about and describing your skills, experience and contributions to research and innovation compared to a traditional CV. Writing your first narrative CV will take some time and effort; you might not be sure about what activities to include, and how to describe their quality, relevance, and your involvement in them. This presentation will try to demystify and simplify narrative CVs by providing advice, prompts and suggestions for how to write one. Speakers Mary Muers Research Culture Facilitator, MSD Kanza Basit Senior Research Facilitator, SSD Gavin Bird Head of Research Facilitation and Support, SOGE, SSD Susan Black, Careers Adviser, Oxford Careers Service Everyone welcome, please register to receive the TEAMS link for this event If you are a student or researcher with a CareerConnect account, please register "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=22968&service=Careers%20Service All other staff register "here":https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPke7xLB0LNIFKuA055EWF9ZtUN1M2U0xGSE80QkJRQTRHRk1LNjVKWDUyNy4u, the joining link will be in the registration confirmation email
A practical 180-minute workshop where participants will work on searches for their review across multiple databases. Librarians from the Bodleian Health Care Libraries will be on hand to demonstrate online tools for facilitating the process and give practical advice on refining individual search strategies. By the end of this classroom-based session you will be able to: improve a search strategy that you are working on; adapt the search across multiple databases; use tools such as Yale MeSH Analyzer and Polyglot; describe alternative methods for identifying references, including citation chaser; use Covidence for your review; and report your search methods according to PRISMA-Search. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Researcher & research student
2025 Annual Uehiro Lectures Lecture 3: Girls’ Rights against Gestational Labour
The systems engineering initiative for patient safety (SEIPS) is a framework to help us to analyse and understand work processes and outcomes within the complex adaptive environment of healthcare. SEIPS is one of the preferred human factors frameworks in the NHS and has been incorporated into the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF). SEIPS offers a number of tools to support safety incident investigations, and this interactive, introductory course will focus on using SEIPS to: • support learning and improvement following a safety incident in the immediate aftermath of an incident or for a more in-depth patient safety incident investigation • improve engagement and support for patients and their families after a safety incident • improve support for staff involved in safety incidents • understand system factors influencing the evolution of a safety incident • inform system design • design action plans
EndNote is a desktop-based reference management tool for Windows and Mac users. It helps you to build libraries of references and insert them into Word documents as in-text citations or footnotes, and to automatically generate bibliographies. This online introduction to EndNote is open to all University of Oxford students, researchers and staff and teaches you how to use the software so that you can effectively manage your references.The workshop will cover: what EndNote can do for you; adding references to EndNote from a range of sources; managing your references in an EndNote library; adding in-text citations and/or footnotes to your essays and papers; and creating bibliographies. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) can occur as a physiological adaptation to transient stressors such as exercise or pregnancy, or as a pathological response to chronic strain. Pathological LVH contributes substantially to heart failure with preserved or reduced ejection fraction (HFpEF, HFrEF). While intracellular drivers have been well studied, the role of interorgan signaling remains less defined. Our recent published work in humans and mice revealed a liver–brain–heart axis mediated by fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). Although FGF21 analogs show metabolic benefits and are in clinical development, we found that under sustained cardiac stress, FGF21 can promote pathological hypertrophy. In pressure overload (transverse aortic constriction, TAC), hepatic FGF21 production rises before cardiac dysfunction, inducing FGF21 expression in cardiomyocytes (CMs). Subsequently, CM-derived FGF21 disrupts hypothalamic oxytocin signaling, driving pathological LVH. Deleting FGF21 from hepatocytes or CMs restored oxytocin signaling and reduced LVH, identifying CM-derived FGF21 as a direct mediator of cardiomyopathy. On the other hand, in HFpEF, the effects diverged: hepatocyte-specific FGF21 deletion, which was protective in TAC, accelerated progression to HFrEF, suggesting an early adaptive role for liver-derived FGF21. Conversely, CM-specific deletion delayed HFpEF development. These findings constitute the basis of our ongoing research aiming to address how liver-derived FGF21 promotes adaptive hypertrophy, whereas CM-derived FGF21 drives maladaptive remodeling. This work has important implications for ongoing clinical use of FGF21 analogs in metabolic disease, underscoring the need to evaluate cardiac risk and highlighting the potential of targeting the FGF21–oxytocin pathway for heart failure prevention and treatment. SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY Konstantinos Drosatos received his undergraduate degree in Biology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 2000. He pursued graduate studies in Molecular Biology and Biomedicine at the University of Crete, Greece, and Boston University, USA. From 2007 to 2012, he conducted postdoctoral research at Columbia University, where he was later promoted to Associate Research Scientist. In 2014, he joined the Temple University School of Medicine as a tenure-track Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2020. In 2021, he was appointed Ohio Eminent Scholar and Professor of Pharmacology & Systems Physiology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
Are you planning to present a poster at an upcoming conference, meeting or symposium? This introductory session will provide you with some top tips on how to create a poster presentation which will help you to communicate your research project and data effectively. There will be guidance on formatting, layout, content, use of text, references and images, as well as advice on printing and presenting your poster. This session will also provide help with locating resources such as templates, free-to-use images and poster guidelines. By the end of this online session you will be able to: evaluate the effectiveness of templates, formatting, text and images; and plan, prepare and present your poster. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Researcher & research student.
Scientific evidence shows that we are going through the first human-induced mass extinction, and as such, conservation policies are widely discussed among policymakers. However, there is little research on the harmful externalities of such policies. This paper combines global georeferenced data on wildlife habitats (including both animal and tree species) with information on armed conflict to estimate the violent externalities generated by international trade restrictions on wildlife products aimed at conserving biodiversity. An event-study specification shows that the imposition of trade restrictions increases the risk of conflict in affected areas. Two-stage least squares estimates for elephant ivory show that trade restrictions increase prices, which in turn increase the likelihood of conflict. Accounting for the spatial distribution of elephants, the implied effect size exceeds that of well-documented industrial conflict minerals. For precious trees, the analysis suggests that, once restrictions are in place, production shifts from states with high institutional capacity to those with low capacity, generating local windfall rents that fuel additional violence. Armed groups positioned to capture these rents expand operations into new areas and become more likely to gain territorial control, supporting the “feasibility” mechanism whereby increased wealth relaxes their budget constraints and enables violence. A social planner general equilibrium model shows that a targeted policy restricting trade in states with both high institutional capacity and relatively small stocks of precious trees improves welfare. Together, these findings document a previously overlooked conflict-related cost of conservation policy and suggest a mitigation strategy.
Designed for research staff who are considering their next career move—whether within Oxford, within academia more broadly, or in other sectors. This interactive workshop supports researchers in navigating their career development with greater confidence and clarity. It offers participants the space to reflect on their ambitions, explore alternative futures, and engage in structured peer discussions to share insights and challenges. Participants will use design-thinking approaches to consider different career scenarios. The session then moves into goal setting and peer advice-sharing, helping researchers to build practical short-term plans and identify supportive resources and networks. Participants are introduced to key tools and services available through Oxford to support their development as they prepare for their next step, whatever that may be. By the end of this session, participants will be able to: * Articulate multiple possible career directions, including both preferred and alternative pathways. * Identify actionable short-term goals that support career progress. * Reflect on and assess their professional development to date, including skills, motivations, and values. Everyone welcome, please register to receive the TEAMS link for this event If you are a student or researcher with a CareerConnect account, please register "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23004&service=Careers%20Service All other staff register "here":https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPke7xLB0LNIFKuA055EWF9ZtURDNaUFBBSFJPRFVWQktKQVBLTjhMSFo5NC4u, the joining link will be in the registration confirmation email
The extant literature on the link between international education and socio-political development emphasises the role political socialisation in democratic host societies plays in instilling democratic values in foreign students and prompting them to advocate for democratic change in the home country. In this webinar, I will discuss such assumptions drawing on some findings of my doctoral research project which explored the impact of international educational mobility on Russian young people’s socio-political views and engagement. More specifically, I will consider the influence of studying abroad on Russian mobile students’ understandings of democracy and aspirations to engage socio-politically in Russia. The analysis draws on data from 55 in-depth interviews with Russian students and alumni of British and American universities. The findings reveal that international mobility contributes to heightened socio-political awareness and sometimes helps shape notions of democracy. However, such individual-level democratising impact is somewhat weakened by the conflicting evidence demonstrating that study abroad may contribute to scepticism about democracy as a political system and that newly acquired socio-political knowledge is sometimes impressionistic and fragmented. Furthermore, the evidence points to the paramount importance of the sending country’s political context in examining the linkage between student migrants’ democratic socialisation abroad, aspirations to enact political agency and potential to impact on the level of democratic development in the homeland.
In our September event, Professor Robert McGill (Ontario & Wadham 1999) will discuss his book Simple Creatures. Robert McGill is the author of three novels and two nonfiction books. His short stories have been published by magazines including The Atlantic and The Dublin Review, and his most recent book is the short fiction collection Simple Creatures. He is Professor of English at the University of Toronto, where he teaches Creative Writing.
What if you could draw sound? What if there was a way to sketch music that was so intuitive that school children could pick it up with ease, yet powerful enough that it could revolutionise the creative process for professional composers, liberating them from the constraints of traditional notation? In 1977 visionary Greek-French composer and polymath Iannis Xenakis brought this idea to life with UPIC, a groundbreaking machine that transformed visual gestures into audio signals; a user could draw on a board and UPIC would convert these drawings into sound. Xenakis’s pioneering work has profoundly shaped my own music compositional journey, inspiring me to explore the deep connections between drawing and music and between what we see and what we hear. In this talk I will delve into the fascinating relationship between sound and image and how this interplay informs my music. My solo violin cycle, “Nicosia Etudes” intertwines musical gestures with the soundscape of Nicosia in Cyprus, the last divided capital in Europe. I will discuss how this piece draws on the spirit of UPIC and will demonstrate how gestures evolve into sound through live examples and performances on musical instruments. There will be a drinks reception in the Sybil Dodd Room following the talk to which everyone is welcome. If you'd like to attend, please register at: https://forms.office.com/e/8qmCxREksP
Join us for this novel course hosted by OxSTaR, for an introduction to the skills required to deliver simulation-based healthcare education. The course is directed towards healthcare professionals with an interest in simulation, but no previous experience is required. Why this course: Are you looking at starting to build the skill set required to deliver simulation to healthcare professionals? This course will introduce you to the importance of debriefing, including giving you the opportunity to practice, and understanding of the roles required to deliver simulation. No experience is required but completion of the e-learning for health modules in simulation prior to the course is essential. This course is part of a wider programme that will also include mentorship opportunities post course. Course Outline: Full day of Lectures and hands on workshops: > Principles of simulation and roles required to deliver > Why do we pre-brief? > Practical debriefing >Designing a simulation scenario
EndNote is a desktop-based reference management tool for Windows and Mac users. It helps you to build libraries of references and insert them into Word documents as in-text citations or footnotes, and to automatically generate bibliographies. This online introduction to EndNote is open to all University of Oxford students, researchers and staff and teaches you how to use the software so that you can effectively manage your references. The workshop will cover: what EndNote can do for you; adding references to EndNote from a range of sources; managing your references in an EndNote library; adding in-text citations and/or footnotes to your essays and papers; and creating bibliographies. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
This 90-minute session will cover some more advanced techniques for finding medical literature to answer a research question. We will recap some basics, then demonstrate searching in several medical databases, including using subject headings (MeSH) and the differences between platforms. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what subject headings are, and how to use them; search for words that appear near to other words; take a search from one database into another; and save a search and document it. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Researcher & research student
Are you looking for a streamlined approach to gathering, managing and citing your references? Join us for this interactive online session in which we introduce Zotero, a reference management tool that helps you to collect and manage references and insert them into your word-processor document as in-text citations or footnotes, as well as generating bibliographies. The demonstration will be on Windows although Zotero is also available for Mac and Linux.By the end of the session, you will understand: how Zotero can help you; how to add references to Zotero from a range of sources; how to manage your references; how to add in-text citations and/or footnotes to your documents; how to create bibliographies; and where to get help with Zotero. Please note that, whilst this session is mostly aimed at beginners, there will be a chance at the end to ask more specific questions about how to use Zotero. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
Are you looking for a streamlined approach to gathering, managing and citing your references? Join us for this interactive online session in which we introduce RefWorks, a subscription reference management tool that University of Oxford members can use for free during their time at the university and as alumni. RefWorks is web-based and helps you to collect and manage references and insert them into your word-processed document as in-text citations or footnotes, and you can generate bibliographies. Being web-based, RefWorks can be used with any operating system and, to cite your references in a document, provides a plugin for Microsoft Word on Windows or Mac computers. By the end of the session, you will understand: how RefWorks can help you; how to add references to RefWorks from a range of sources; how to manage your references; how to add in-text citations and/or footnotes to your documents; how to create bibliographies; and where to get help with RefWorks. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student.
Celebrate a decade of igniting ideas and accelerating innovation at Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre's flagship conference. This milestone year commemorates the Forum’s evolution into the must-attend event for anyone passionate about entrepreneurship. Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Forum (OSEF) connects you with trailblazing startups, global thinkers and high-calibre entrepreneurs driving change across industries. This anniversary edition of the Forum, you can expect unparalleled networking opportunities, inspiring keynotes, and Oxford University’s unique blend of intellect and impact. Whether you’re a founder, funder or future innovator, OSEF 2025 isn’t just another conference, it’s a front-row seat to the future of innovation.
Microbial communities contain many evolving and interacting bacteria, which makes them complex systems that are difficult to understand and predict. We use theory – including game theory, agent-based modelling, ecological network theory and metabolic modelling - and combine this with experimental work to understand what it takes for bacteria to succeed in diverse communities. One way is to actively kill and inhibit competitors and we study the strategies that bacteria use in toxin-mediated warfare. We are now also using our approaches to understand the human gut microbiome and its key properties including ecological stability and the ability to resist invasion by pathogens (colonization resistance). Our ultimate goal is to both stabilise microbiome communities and remove problem species without the use of antibiotics.
A practical 180-minute workshop where participants will work on searches for their review across multiple databases. Librarians from the Bodleian Health Care Libraries will be on hand to demonstrate online tools for facilitating the process and give practical advice on refining individual search strategies. By the end of this classroom-based session you will be able to: improve a search strategy that you are working on; adapt the search across multiple databases; use tools such as Yale MeSH Analyzer and Polyglot; describe alternative methods for identifying references, including citation chaser; use Covidence for your review; and report your search methods according to PRISMA-Search. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Researcher & research student
During this forum speakers from Bodleian Open Scholarship Support and across Oxford will discuss current changes in the field of open scholarship. Including subjects like data, open access, open monographs, copyright and more. It is advised that attendees of the forum have previously attended the Fundamentals and Logistics courses to improve understanding. Intended audience: Researcher & research student; Staff
Are you preparing a poster presentation for an upcoming conference, meeting or symposium? This interactive session, or ‘poster clinic’, will include a group discussion of different examples of poster presentations, as well as an opportunity to present your own draft of your poster presentation to your fellow attendees. It is expected that the small group of peers in attendance will provide feedback and respectful comments on each other’s work. By the end of this classroom-based session you will be able to: evaluate the effectiveness of your poster presentation and others; and summarise the content of your poster concisely in preparation for a conference. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Researcher & research student.
A practical 180-minute workshop where participants will work on searches for their review across multiple databases. Librarians from the Bodleian Health Care Libraries will be on hand to demonstrate online tools for facilitating the process and give practical advice on refining individual search strategies. By the end of this classroom-based session you will be able to: improve a search strategy that you are working on; adapt the search across multiple databases; use tools such as Yale MeSH Analyzer and Polyglot; describe alternative methods for identifying references, including citation chaser; use Covidence for your review; and report your search methods according to PRISMA-Search. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Researcher & research student
TBA
Do you need help managing your references? Do you need help citing references in your documents? This online session will introduce you to EndNote, a subscription software programme which can help you to store, organise and retrieve your references and PDFs, as well as cite references in documents and create bibliographies quickly and easily. On completing the workshop you will be able to: understand the main features and benefits of EndNote; set up an EndNote account; import references from different sources into EndNote; organise your references in EndNote; insert citations into documents; and create a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student.
In this online workshop you will be shown the functionality of Zotero, which is a free-to-use software programme used to manage references and create bibliographies. Zotero will be demonstrated on a Windows PC but users of MacOS or Linux computers will be able to follow the demonstration. The workshop will cover: understanding the main features and benefits of Zotero; setting up a Zotero account; importing references from different sources into Zotero; organising your references in Zotero; inserting citations into documents; and creating a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student
This 90-minute session will cover some more advanced techniques for finding medical literature to answer a research question. We will recap some basics, then demonstrate searching in several medical databases, including using subject headings (MeSH) and the differences between platforms. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what subject headings are, and how to use them; search for words that appear near to other words; take a search from one database into another; and save a search and document it. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Researcher & research student
Mechanotransduction was perhaps the last major sensory modality not understood at the molecular level. Proteins/ion channels that sense mechanical force are postulated to play critical roles in sensing touch/pain (somatosensation), sound (hearing), shear stress (cardiovascular function), etc.; however, the identity of ion channels involved in sensing mechanical force had remained elusive. The Patapoutian lab identified PIEZO1 and PIEZO2, mechanically-activated cation channels that are expressed in many mechanosensitive cell types. Genetic studies established that PIEZO2 is the principal mechanical transducer for touch, proprioception, baroreception and bladder & lung stretch, and that PIEZO1 mediates blood-flow sensing, which impacts vascular development and iron homeostasis. Clinical investigations have confirmed the importance of these channels in human physiology. SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY Ardem Patapoutian is an American scientist of Armenian origin. He is molecular biologist specializing in sensory transduction. His research has led to the identification of receptors activated by temperature and pressure. His laboratory has shown that these ion channels play crucial roles in sensing temperature, touch, proprioception, pain, and blood presssure. Patapoutian was born in Lebanon in 1967 and attended the American University of Beirut for one year before he immigrated to The United States in 1986 and became a US citizen. He graduated from UCLA in 1990 and received his Ph.D. at Caltech in 1996. After postdoctoral work with Dr. Lou Reichardt at UCSF, he joined the faculty of Scripps Research in 2000, where he currently holds the Presidential Endowed Chair and is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. Patapoutian was awarded the Young Investigator Award from the Society for Neuroscience in 2006 and was named an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 2014. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2016), a member of the National Academy of Sciences (2017) and a member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2020). He is a co-recipient of the 2017 Alden Spencer Award from Columbia, the 2019 Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical, the 2020 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience, and the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Blood vessels are among the most vital structures in the human body, forming intricate networks that connect and support various organ systems. Remarkably, during early embryonic development—before any blood vessels are visible—their precursor cells are arranged in stereotypical patterns throughout the embryo. We hypothesize that these patterns guide the directional growth and fusion of precursor cells into hollow tubes formed from initially solid clusters. Further analysis of cells within these clusters reveals unique organization that may influence their differentiation into endothelial and blood cells. In this work, I revisit the problem of pattern formation through the lens of active matter physics, using both developing embryonic systems and in vitro cell culture models where similar patterns are observed during tissue budding. These different systems exhibit similar patterning behavior, driven by changes in cellular activity, adhesion and motility.
Do you want to make sure your work is ‘REFable’ per the new REF open access requirements? In this focused online briefing, we will: step you through the changes and new requirements; provide links to further REF information and guidance; let you know where to find help at Oxford; and answer as many questions as we can. Intended audience: Researcher & research student; Staff
Are you looking to learn about the ways in which to transmit scientific ideas and make your research accessible to a non-specialist audience through a variety of mediums? This session will serve as an introduction to science communication and how it can be successfully incorporated into our roles. By the end of this session you will be able to: define science communication and provide a list of examples; explain why science communication is important for both our CPD and the public; and list ways in which we can all get involved in science communication. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student.
An introduction to the what, why and how of public involvement
Patents and standards are a valuable source of technical information relevant to the fields of engineering, materials sciences, and more. Together, they provide approved rules and guidelines whilst helping to protect inventions and innovative ideas. They can, however, be tricky to find. Join this session to find out more about what patents and standards are, why they might be useful for your research and how to find them in specific databases. By the end of this session, you will: know what a patent is and where to find it; know what a standard is and where to find it; and be able to reference patents and standards. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
Coaching skills are the key to fostering positive and effective working relationships with your colleagues and team members. This workshop is your gateway to the powerful world of coaching. It will introduce you to essential coaching concepts, approaches, and skills that will transform your leadership style.
In a fast-changing world, psychiatry needs to adapt to remain relevant. This presentation will summarize the changes in psychiatry that are considered to have been the most impactful for the practice and research in psychiatry since 1945. Based on this historical context, the current status of psychiatry and its future as one of the main medical specialties will be discussed.
Do you need help managing your references? Do you need help citing references in your documents? This online session will introduce you to EndNote, a subscription software programme which can help you to store, organise and retrieve your references and PDFs, as well as cite references in documents and create bibliographies quickly and easily. On completing the workshop you will be able to: understand the main features and benefits of EndNote; set up an EndNote account; import references from different sources into EndNote; organise your references in EndNote; insert citations into documents; and create a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: Medicine & NHS; Taught student; Researcher & research student.
https://www.ovg.ox.ac.uk/team/james-gilchrist
Derek Presentation
Part of the Dementia Research Oxford seminar series Our vision is to transform research and healthcare in dementia. Dementia Research Oxford, led by Professors Masud Husain and Cornelia van Duijn, brings together researchers and clinicians across the University, our hospitals, patients, and industry partners to translate our growing insights in the basic molecular origin disease into effective treatment and prevention. We aim to take science further from drug target to treatment, from molecular pathology to early diagnosis and prognosis and from early intervention to prevention.
https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/wren.brendan
COURSE DETAILS You will learn how to read a group, deal with difficult situations, use humour, match your presentation to the audience, and make an impact. You will learn how to get your message across so it is remembered. You will learn about timing and when you should deliver key messages. You will develop your self-awareness and understand its role in presenting. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand more about: How to structure your presentation for impact. How your psychological state affects your presentation skills and how you can manage it. How to read a group and how to deal with difficult situations. How to deliver your presentation with more confidence.
https://www.infectiousdisease.cam.ac.uk/staff/kate-baker
In this session we will cover how to locate and interpret journal level metrics such as the Journal Impact Factor (JIF). We will examine the tools you can use to locate journal level metrics, such as Journal Citation Reports and Scopus Sources. We will also consider the uses, limitations and pitfalls inherent in these metrics and how they can be used responsibly. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with: the major journal metrics and how these are calculated; accessing journal citation data using Journal Citation Reports and Scopus Sources; using JIF, CiteScore and SJR journal metrics to rank journals; and the limitations of different metrics, including how journal metrics may be skewed or distorted. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
This ½ day course is run by Professor Helen Higham (Director of OxSTaR & a Consultant Anaesthetist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford) and is suitable for clinical and non-clinical staff and aims to provide an introduction to the fundamentals of human factors in healthcare. The course introduces participants to basic human factors frameworks, including the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS), and focuses on practical applications in the workplace to improve understanding of systems in healthcare. This course will align with the new National Patient Safety Syllabus Learning Objectives Improve understanding of human factors principles Introduce and explore a human factors framework (SEIPS) Provide opportunities to practise applying SEIPS to real world examples Course content Definition and background of human factors Human factors applied to healthcare Importance of work place culture (including Just Culture tool) Explanation of SEIPS framework Exercises using SEIPS Plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions
https://www.biology.ox.ac.uk/people/bridget-penman
In this session we will examine article level metrics. We will discuss how citation counting can help identify influential papers in particular fields and how altmetrics provide a different perspective on research output. Using tools such as Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus you will learn how to locate different article metrics. The session will also allow you to appreciate the limitations of different metrics and the importance of their cautious interpretation. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with: using Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar to track and count citations to papers and individual researchers; measuring impact using altmetrics; understanding how to contextualise metrics against other, similar papers in a field; and the limitations of different metrics. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
COURSE DETAILS This session looks at the way in which we can have useful conversations in career development reviews. It examines the blockages to such conversations and how we can overcome them using active listening and coaching techniques. There will be an opportunity to discuss the policy and process surrounding CDRS. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will have an understanding of: The Career context and support for CDRs. How coaching and active listening can enable positive CDR conversations. An opportunity to practice relevant skills.
In this session we will examine metrics for individual researchers. Using tools such as Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus you will learn about the researcher h-index and its limitations. You will be introduced to additional metrics tools such as author beamplots which help to contextualise a researcher’s output over time. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with: accessing citation data for specific researchers on Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar; understanding how the h-index is calculated and its inherent limitations; creating an ORCID number to help track all your own research outputs; and the importance of research outputs beyond journal and conference papers when assessing a researcher’s impact. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
COURSE DETAILS The ability to influence others is a significant skill in any walk of life. This workshop will explore the impact of our communication preferences on others when seeking to influence. By also understanding the thinking process that underlies people’s decision making, we can use learnable skills to help people say ‘yes’ to us. The aim is always to influence others to the right decision, not just the decision we may want. LEARNING OUTCOMES After attending this workshop you will: Understand the impact of your own communication preferences when seeking to influence. Review how people think things through when making decisions and develop skills to positively impact the thinking process. Plan for the right outcomes and work out a healthy motive for the influence conversation. Help people say ‘yes’ to you. Understand the role of emotions when seeking to influence. Spot and adapt to the communication style of others to better land your message. Develop assertive communication skills. Plan for, and practice, an influence conversation.
COURSE DETAILS This short practical session will help you understand more about the career context for research staff at Oxford and beyond. It will enable you to identify the skills and abilities that you need to develop and give you guidance on how to enhance them so you are prepared for a useful conversation in your next CDR. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will have: An understanding of the career challenges and opportunities facing research staff at Oxford. An understanding of the skills you need to acquire. Started to apply a process of developing these skills.
COURSE DETAILS During the course you will have the opportunity to manage a project. You will be able to apply the techniques you learn to a project that you bring along. Topics covered: project initiation, managing stakeholders and risk, time estimation, planning. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand more about: The importance of planning. The tools to make project management succeed. How to estimate the time a project will take realistically. The skills you need to be a good project manager.
https://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/team/guy-thwaites
Narrative CVs are being adopted by many funders, nationally and internationally, to give researchers the opportunity to showcase a wider range of skills and experience than is possible in a traditional academic CV; an example is the UKRI Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI). Writing a narrative CV requires a different way of thinking about and describing your skills, experience and contributions to research and innovation compared to a traditional CV. Writing your first narrative CV will take some time and effort; you might not be sure about what activities to include, and how to describe their quality, relevance, and your involvement in them. This presentation will try to demystify and simplify narrative CVs by providing advice, prompts and suggestions for how to write one. Speakers Mary Muers Research Culture Facilitator, MSD Kanza Basit Senior Research Facilitator, SSD Gavin Bird Head of Research Facilitation and Support, SOGE, SSD Susan Black, Careers Adviser, Oxford Careers Service Everyone welcome, please register to receive the TEAMS link for this event If you are a student or researcher with a CareerConnect account, please register "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=22970&service=Careers%20Service All other staff register "here":https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPke7xLB0LNIFKuA055EWF9ZtUOUhSTjVFMExHUzlVSkU1WFZER1JKTU9VTy4u, the joining link will be in the registration confirmation email
COURSE DETAILS Topics will include presenting your CV, how to approach employers, writing covering letters and interview skills. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand: How to improve your CV. How to approach employers. How to write a covering letter. How to plan for an interview. How to interview well.
In this paper we study a class of weighted estimands, which we define as parameters that can be expressed as weighted averages of the underlying heterogeneous treatment effects. The popular ordinary least squares (OLS), two-stage least squares (2SLS), and two-way fixed effects (TWFE) estimands are all special cases within our framework. Our focus is on answering two questions concerning weighted estimands. First, under what conditions can they be interpreted as the average treatment effect for some (possibly latent) subpopulation? Second, when these conditions are satisfied, what is the upper bound on the size of that subpopulation, either in absolute terms or relative to a target population of interest? We argue that this upper bound provides a valuable diagnostic for empirical research. When a given weighted estimand corresponds to the average treatment effect for a small subset of the population of interest, we say its internal validity is low. Our paper develops practical tools to quantify the internal validity of weighted estimands.
https://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/team/brian-angus
Designed for research staff who are considering their next career move—whether within Oxford, within academia more broadly, or in other sectors. This interactive workshop supports researchers in navigating their career development with greater confidence and clarity. It offers participants the space to reflect on their ambitions, explore alternative futures, and engage in structured peer discussions to share insights and challenges. Participants will use design-thinking approaches to consider different career scenarios. The session then moves into goal setting and peer advice-sharing, helping researchers to build practical short-term plans and identify supportive resources and networks. Participants are introduced to key tools and services available through Oxford to support their development as they prepare for their next step, whatever that may be. By the end of this session, participants will be able to: * Articulate multiple possible career directions, including both preferred and alternative pathways. * Identify actionable short-term goals that support career progress. * Reflect on and assess their professional development to date, including skills, motivations, and values. Everyone welcome, please register to receive the TEAMS link for this event If you are a student or researcher with a CareerConnect account, please register "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23006&service=Careers%20Service All other staff register "here":https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPke7xLB0LNIFKuA055EWF9ZtUNFk4NDEwVkVLWklPNDc5WjZKWFU2VEMwWC4u, the joining link will be in the registration confirmation email
An introduction to the what, why and how of public involvement
Coaching skills can help you build positive and effective working relationships with all those you work with. Coaching is a highly impactful approach to people development and can support individuals to identify goals, gain insights into challenges, consider options and plan actions. They are a valuable asset to leaders and managers and can be useful in a range of workplace conversations, such as feedback, delegation and career development reviews.
COURSE DETAILS During the course you will have the opportunity to manage a project. You will be able to apply the techniques you learn to a project that you bring along. Topics covered: project initiation, managing stakeholders and risk, time estimation, planning. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand more about: The importance of planning. The tools to make project management succeed. How to estimate the time a project will take realistically. The skills you need to be a good project manager.
https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/9641
Course description This ½ day course is run by Professor Helen Higham (Director of OxSTaR & a Consultant Anaesthetist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford) and is suitable for clinical and non-clinical staff and aims to provide an introduction to the fundamentals of human factors in healthcare. The course introduces participants to basic human factors frameworks, including the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS), and focuses on practical applications in the workplace to improve understanding of systems in healthcare. This course will align with the new National Patient Safety Syllabus Learning Objectives Improve understanding of human factors principles Introduce and explore a human factors framework (SEIPS) Provide opportunities to practise applying SEIPS to real world examples Course content Definition and background of human factors Human factors applied to healthcare Importance of work place culture (including Just Culture tool) Explanation of SEIPS framework Exercises using SEIPS Plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions
Complimentary refreshments from 3:30pm in the Hume-Rothery Meeting Room. Composites with intricate microstructures are ubiquitous in the natural world where they fulfil the specific functional demands imposed by the environment. For instance, nacre presents a fracture toughness 40 times higher than its main constituent, a crystalline form of calcium carbonate. This relative increase in toughness value is obtained as a crack propagating within this natural brick-and-mortar structure must interact with multiple reinforcing mechanisms, leading to a millimetre-sized process zone. The boost in performance obtained has pushed scientists for a few decades to use nacre as a blueprint to increase the toughness of synthetic ceramics and composites. Our ability to reproduce accurately the structure of nacre from the nanometre to the millimetre scale has improved with the introduction of Magnetically-Assisted Slip Casting (M.A.S.C.), a technique that combines an aqueous-based slip casting process with magnetically-directed anisotropic particle assembly. Using this technique, we can now fine-tune the structural properties of nacre-inspired alumina-based composites to reach strengths up to 670 MPa, KIC up to 7 MPa.m1/2 with subsequent stable crack propagation and this even at temperature up to 1200°C. While these materials already present interesting properties for engineering applications, we fail to see the large process zones that are acting in natural nacre. This led us to work on a new composite system, using this time monodisperse silica rods that can self-assemble into bulk colloidal crystals to finally test the effect of order in the microstructure on the toughness. The presence of this regularity in the microstructure proved crucial in enabling a large process zone. We obtained a 40-fold increase in toughness compared with the polymer use as a matrix in a composite made of 80% in volume of ceramic, all of which is processed at room temperature. From these two studies, we can extract the role of the interface and grain morphology in tough bioinspired composites and what will be the next steps for these materials. Brief biography Florian Bouville is a senior lecturer in the Centre for Advanced Structural Ceramics in the Department of Materials of the Imperial College London. His group is researching both colloidal processing and fracture mechanics, to design more robust and durable materials based on their microstructure and not composition, with applications ranging from high temperature structural components for aerospace to energy storage devices. These studies are supported by various funding sources, including an ERC Starting Grant and the European Space Agency. He obtained his Master's degree in Material Sciences at the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA de Lyon, France) in 2010. He then moved to the South of France for his PhD between three partners: the company Saint-Gobain, the Laboratory of Synthesis and Functionalization of Ceramics and the MATEIS laboratory (INSA de Lyon). From 2014 to 2018, he was a postdoctoral researcher and then scientist in the Complex Materials group at the Department of Materials at the ETH Zürich.
https://www.ovg.ox.ac.uk/team/merryn-voysey
In this session we will cover how to locate and interpret journal level metrics such as the Journal Impact Factor (JIF). We will examine the tools you can use to locate journal level metrics, such as Journal Citation Reports and Scopus Sources. We will also consider the uses, limitations and pitfalls inherent in these metrics and how they can be used responsibly. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with: the major journal metrics and how these are calculated; accessing journal citation data using Journal Citation Reports and Scopus Sources; using JIF, CiteScore and SJR journal metrics to rank journals; and the limitations of different metrics, including how journal metrics may be skewed or distorted. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
This paper proposes a new class of time varying models for which a vector of unknown parameters may vary stochastically or deterministically over time or be a mixture of both types. There are novel features to this class and its econometric treatment differs from the existing literature which typically separates stochastic and deterministic time variation in the parameters. Estimation methods for the former are often based on Bayesian resampling algorithms whereas nonparametric estimation methods are usually employed for fitting unknown deterministic functional forms. This paper develops instead a unified approach based on orthonormal series decompositions to estimating time variation irrespective of whether that variation is stochastic or deterministic. The proposed procedure has wide applicability, covering linear and nonlinear time series models as well as stochastic trends. Consistent estimators of the time varying structures are developed and the limit theory for each of the settings is established. A notable outcome is that unit root time-varying parameters can be estimated with asymptotic validity and fast rates of convergence when the unit root structure is captured by an orthonormal series representation. Other advantages include the flexibility and convenience of the approach in practical implementation. Simulations are conducted to examine finite sample performance and the procedures are illustrated in several real data examples.
Capital in modern economies increasingly takes the form of intangible capital, whose formation heavily depends on the contributions of specialized workers—such as inventors, managers, and entrepreneurs. To examine the macroeconomic implications of this fact, we develop and calibrate a general neoclassical model where capital formation requires both investment goods (tangible investments) and specialized labor (intangible investments). We show that rising intangibles renders the supply of capital more inelastic owing to the limited supply of specialized labor. Rising intangibles also change the incidence of capital taxation: whereas in traditional neoclassical models the tax burden falls entirely on production workers, in intangible economies, it is borne primarily by specialized workers and capital owners.
In this session we will examine article level metrics. We will discuss how citation counting can help identify influential papers in particular fields and how altmetrics provide a different perspective on research output. Using tools such as Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus you will learn how to locate different article metrics. The session will also allow you to appreciate the limitations of different metrics and the importance of their cautious interpretation. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with: using Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar to track and count citations to papers and individual researchers; measuring impact using altmetrics; understanding how to contextualise metrics against other, similar papers in a field; and the limitations of different metrics. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
In this session we will examine metrics for individual researchers. Using tools such as Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus you will learn about the researcher h-index and its limitations. You will be introduced to additional metrics tools such as author beamplots which help to contextualise a researcher’s output over time. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with: accessing citation data for specific researchers on Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar; understanding how the h-index is calculated and its inherent limitations; creating an ORCID number to help track all your own research outputs; and the importance of research outputs beyond journal and conference papers when assessing a researcher’s impact. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
COURSE DETAILS Topics will include presenting your CV, how to approach employers, writing covering letters and interview skills. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand: How to improve your CV. How to approach employers. How to write a covering letter. How to plan for an interview. How to interview well.
COURSE DETAILS This short practical session will help you understand more about the career context for research staff at Oxford and beyond. It will enable you to identify the skills and abilities that you need to develop and give you guidance on how to enhance them so you are prepared for a useful conversation in your next CDR. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will have: An understanding of the career challenges and opportunities facing research staff at Oxford. An understanding of the skills you need to acquire. Started to apply a process of developing these skills.
Narrative CVs are being adopted by many funders, nationally and internationally, to give researchers the opportunity to showcase a wider range of skills and experience than is possible in a traditional academic CV; an example is the UKRI Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI). Writing a narrative CV requires a different way of thinking about and describing your skills, experience and contributions to research and innovation compared to a traditional CV. Writing your first narrative CV will take some time and effort; you might not be sure about what activities to include, and how to describe their quality, relevance, and your involvement in them. This presentation will try to demystify and simplify narrative CVs by providing advice, prompts and suggestions for how to write one. Speakers Mary Muers Research Culture Facilitator, MSD Kanza Basit Senior Research Facilitator, SSD Gavin Bird Head of Research Facilitation and Support, SOGE, SSD Susan Black, Careers Adviser, Oxford Careers Service Everyone welcome, please register to receive the TEAMS link for this event If you are a student or researcher with a CareerConnect account, please register "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=22972&service=Careers%20Service All other staff register "here":https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPke7xLB0LNIFKuA055EWF9ZtUMDI4VEEwVVk3RkNGRE5MTjRWWDNLRFRRTy4u, the joining link will be in the registration confirmation email
Designed for research staff who are considering their next career move—whether within Oxford, within academia more broadly, or in other sectors. This interactive workshop supports researchers in navigating their career development with greater confidence and clarity. It offers participants the space to reflect on their ambitions, explore alternative futures, and engage in structured peer discussions to share insights and challenges. Participants will use design-thinking approaches to consider different career scenarios. The session then moves into goal setting and peer advice-sharing, helping researchers to build practical short-term plans and identify supportive resources and networks. Participants are introduced to key tools and services available through Oxford to support their development as they prepare for their next step, whatever that may be. By the end of this session, participants will be able to: * Articulate multiple possible career directions, including both preferred and alternative pathways. * Identify actionable short-term goals that support career progress. * Reflect on and assess their professional development to date, including skills, motivations, and values. Everyone welcome, please register to receive the TEAMS link for this event If you are a student or researcher with a CareerConnect account, please register "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23008&service=Careers%20Service All other staff register "here":https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPke7xLB0LNIFKuA055EWF9ZtUNDZHUzhVQ1RSTjRJNjA4QkJTWDROVkwwNS4u the joining link will be in the registration confirmation email.
An introduction to the what, why and how of public involvement
COURSE DETAILS You will learn how to read a group, deal with difficult situations, use humour, match your presentation to the audience, and make an impact. You will learn how to get your message across so it is remembered. You will learn about timing and when you should deliver key messages. You will develop your self-awareness and understand its role in presenting. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand more about: How to structure your presentation for impact. How your psychological state affects your presentation skills and how you can manage it. How to read a group and how to deal with difficult situations. How to deliver your presentation with more confidence.
Coaching skills can help you build positive and effective working relationships with all those you work with. Coaching is a highly impactful approach to people development and can support individuals to identify goals, gain insights into challenges, consider options and plan actions. They are a valuable asset to leaders and managers and can be useful in a range of workplace conversations, such as feedback, delegation and career development reviews.
Course description This ½ day course is run by Professor Helen Higham (Director of OxSTaR & a Consultant Anaesthetist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford) and is suitable for clinical and non-clinical staff and aims to provide an introduction to the fundamentals of human factors in healthcare. The course introduces participants to basic human factors frameworks, including the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS), and focuses on practical applications in the workplace to improve understanding of systems in healthcare. This course will align with the new National Patient Safety Syllabus Learning Objectives Improve understanding of human factors principles Introduce and explore a human factors framework (SEIPS) Provide opportunities to practise applying SEIPS to real world examples Course content Definition and background of human factors Human factors applied to healthcare Importance of work place culture (including Just Culture tool) Explanation of SEIPS framework Exercises using SEIPS Plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions
