Publicly-funded clinical trials were crucial for COVID-19 vaccines; do the same for antibiotics

The triumph of COVID vaccine development, and the identification of effective treatments like dexamethasone, were only possible because of unprecedented coordination of clinical trials.

Reduction in UK red and processed meat intake, but more needed to meet our climate targets

Daily meat consumption in the UK has decreased by approximately 17.4g per person per day – just under a 17% reduction – in the last decade, finds new research from the University of Oxford.

Lowering blood pressure is still beneficial for the heart in old age

Blood pressure medication could lower heart attack and stroke risk even when blood pressure is not substantially raised

How age-friendly cities are paving the way for the future: the case of Akita City

The convergence of population ageing with urbanisation is one of the major global mega-trends that will shape societies and communities in the 21st century.

Alpha variant spread via ‘super-seeding’ event within UK

The rapid spread of the Alpha variant of COVID-19 resulted from biological changes in the virus and was enhanced by large numbers of infected people ‘exporting’ the variant to multiple parts of the UK, in what the researchers call a ‘super-seeding’ event.

Funding applications open to manage future shocks

The Oxford Martin School has opened its latest round of research funding, inviting expressions of interest for research into how future shocks can be managed.

Post-Brexit trade agreements could lead to unhealthier diets

Post-Brexit free trade deals could lead to unhealthier eating in the UK and more diet-related deaths. But harms could be offset with targeted farming subsidies, now possible because of Brexit, and by making concerns for healthy eating central to trade policy, according to an Oxford study published today in the journal Nature Food.

Oxford Martin School academics recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours

Three Oxford Martin School academics have been included in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours List, in recognition of their research and contributions to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

How can governments end the COVID-19 pandemic?

We are now into the second year of life with COVID-19. Although we have overcome the first enormous challenge of swiftly developing and approving several effective vaccines, we are far from ending the pandemic.

Team behind SARS-CoV-2 naming system formalised as the Pango Network

Researchers at the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh have announced the formalisation of the Pango Network, an international team of experts to oversee the identification and naming of different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Many more people could benefit from blood pressure lowering medication

The Lancet has published new research showing that blood pressure-lowering medication can prevent serious cardiovascular conditions such as strokes, heart failure and heart attacks even in adults with normal blood pressure.

COVID-19 elimination, not mitigation, creates best outcome for health, economy, and civil liberties

Countries that aimed for COVID-19 elimination registered fewer deaths, better economic performance, and less restrictions and lockdowns, shows a paper published today in The Lancet.