Research is an important element of the Trust’s strategic theme of World-Class Impact, through which OUH can continue its global impact in improving health and care.
Clinical excellence, combined with world-leading academics, means that Oxford is at the forefront of many new cutting-edge treatments, techniques and care delivery, including:
- artificial intelligence (AI)
- medical imaging
- precision surgery
- gene and cell therapies
- new vaccines.
Our research aims to effect incremental evidence-based improvements to everyday clinical care.
Our research is supported by state-of-the-art facilities that include a biomanufacturing facility, an Experimental Medicine Clinical Research Facility for early phase trials:
Oxford Experimental Medicine Clinical Research Facility
and a Pharmacy Clinical Trials Unit to help develop revolutionary new gene and cell therapies:
New Pharmacy Clinical Trials Unit paves way for trialling new therapies - August 2023
We are proud to be the largest research-active university hospital trust in the UK. In 2023/24, we hosted around 1,500 clinical research studies. We had approximately 500 recruiting studies and 25,097 trial participants.
Specialist centres
There are specialist centres to further our understanding of a wide spectrum of specialties, including:
- stroke and vascular dementia
- brain and cardiovascular imaging
- genomics
- orthopaedic medicine
- early phase cancer
- paediatrics.
Our staff
We know that NHS trusts that are active in research have a happier workforce and better patient outcomes. As an organisation, OUH encourages staff across a range of disciplines to take part in and lead research studies.
The Trust supports nurses, midwives and allied health professionals to develop their career in research and ultimately deliver better care for patients through fellowships and internships.
Our partners
We host a number of research organisations, including some that are part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) infrastructure.
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
The NIHR Oxford BRC is run in partnership with the University of Oxford. Created in 2007 as one of the first five BRCs, it began its fourth round of five-year funding - £89 million - in December 2022.
Supporting research across 15 themes, it brings together academics and clinicians to translate scientific breakthroughs into potential new treatments, diagnostics and medical technologies that benefit patients, improve the delivery of care by the NHS and support the wider economy.
NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
NIHR Oxford Clinical Research Facility
The NIHR Oxford Clinical Research Facility supports early-phase experimental research and plays an important role in the clinical translational strategy of the Oxford BRC.
NIHR Oxford Clinical Research Facility
NIHR South Central Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN)
Since 1 October 2024, we have been part of the NIHR South Central Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN), which is hosted by Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, and covers:
- Buckinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- West Berkshire
- Frimley
- Hampshire
- Isle of Wight.
The RRDN supports the delivery of high-quality research that enables the best care for the population.
It will support clinical trials and other health and social care research studies, and public health studies that require the recruitment of individuals in an NHS setting, including acute, ambulance, mental health, community or primary care.
NIHR South Central Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN)
Health Innovation Oxford & Thames Valley
Since 2013 the Trust has hosted Health Innovation Oxford & Thames Valley (previously the Oxford Academic Health Science Network (AHSN)), which works with partners in the NHS, research and industry in:
- Oxfordshire
- Berkshire
- Buckinghamshire
- Milton Keynes
- Bedfordshire
to identify, develop and spread innovation that will benefit patients, services, populations and economies.
Health Innovation Oxford & Thames Valley
Oxford Academic Health Partners
We work closely with the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.
These two NHS trusts and two universities, along with Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley, form the Oxford Academic Health Partners, which has been designated as one of eight Academic Health Science Centres by NHS England, NHS Improvement and NIHR.
Oxford Academic Health Partners
Joint Research Office (JRO)
Joint Research Office (JRO) staff provide vital 'back office' services that support researchers to do their work. Their roles include research governance, contracts, grants, finance and business development.
Originally established in 2011 to facilitate the delivery of clinical research in Oxford by improving communication and streamlining processes between the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals, the JRO was expanded in early 2022 to include teams from Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford Brookes University.
