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« Back to NewsOxford statistician co-awarded $1 million Rousseeuw Prize for the R Project
17 June 2026
The $1 million prize recognises the achievements of Professor Brian Ripley and the international R Core Team, whose work has helped make advanced statistical computing freely available to researchers, organisations and students around the world.
Ancient genome duplications laid the foundations of complex brains
10 June 2026
A new study led by researchers from the Department of Biology and published in Nature has found that genetic doubling events that occurred over 450 million years ago helped kick-start the evolution of complex brains.
New type of inhibitor could help tackle resistance against ‘last-resort’ antibiotics
3 June 2026
Researchers from the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research (IOI) have identified a new class of molecule that could help protect ‘last-resort’ antibiotics from bacterial resistance, and reduce the amount of antibiotics needed to treat infections by up to 32 times.
Strange winds reveal strongest hints yet of magnetic activity in exoplanets
2 June 2026
Physicists from the MPLS Division have contributed to a new study which has found the strongest evidence yet that some planets outside our Solar System may be magnetic. By using telescopes to measure wind speeds on seven very hot, Jupiter-like exoplanets, they discovered that the winds on these planets are most likely governed by magnetic fields.
MPLS researchers elected Fellows of the Royal Society
27 May 2026
Twelve Oxford researchers have been elected Fellows of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences, in recognition of their exceptional contributions to advancing scientific knowledge.
Oxford researchers contribute to world-first in quantum computing and genomics
22 May 2026
Researchers at the Department of Computer Science have helped to achieve a world first: loading a complete genome onto a quantum computer. This makes an important step forward towards a future where quantum computing accelerates biological discovery.
Coal pollution is cutting solar power output, study finds
15 May 2026
New research led by the University of Oxford and University College London has revealed that pollution from coal-fired power plants is significantly reducing the energy output of solar PV installations, particularly where these are expanding side by side.
OpenBind releases first open dataset and AI model for drug discovery
13 May 2026
Researchers from the Department of Statistics, as part of the OpenBind consortium, have published a new dataset and predictive AI model, strengthening the data foundations needed for AI in drug discovery.
Lin Li and Yarin Gal awarded $371k grant to improve safety of LLMs
8 May 2026
Theoretical Machine Learning Group have won a $371,000 (£274,000) grant from US philanthropy organisation Coefficient Giving to improve the safety of LLMs.
FLASH radiotherapy project promises fewer side effects for cancer patients
30 April 2026
Researchers from the Department of Physics and the Department of Oncology are joining forces to develop a new approach to radiotherapy that delivers radiation at dose rates a thousand times higher than current treatments, with the potential to significantly reduce side effects for patients.
New study shows why rainfall remains hard to predict in a warming world
30 April 2026
A new study led by the Department of Physics and ETH Zurich reveals that a key part of the climate system, the large-scale wind patterns that determine where rain falls, can be underestimated by current climate models, helping explain why forecasts of regional rainfall remain uncertain.
Fungi found to be the crucial ingredient for restoring tropical islands
29 April 2026
Oxford researchers have contributed to a new study which has demonstrated that symbiotic fungi play a critical role in maintaining and restoring tropical island ecosystems. The findings offer new insight into how some of the world’s most biodiverse and fragile environments can recover from human disturbance.
Study shows that non-invasive ultrasound shows promise for treating Parkinson’s disease
27 April 2026
Institute of Biomedical Engineering researchers have shown for the first time that ultrasound could have similar effects on brain activity in Parkinson’s sufferers as implanted deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes.
Scientists unlock new route to extreme light intensities
23 April 2026
Oxford physicists have led a significant advance in laser science, demonstrating for the first time a practical route to dramatically boosting the intensity of high-power laser light, possibly creating the most intense source of coherent light ever.
Tracking the breakdown of the world's largest known chimpanzee community
20 April 2026
A collaborative study led by the University of Texas at Austin, involving researchers from the Department of Statistics, has reported the first clearly documented permanent split of a wild chimpanzee community, along with the intergroup aggression that followed.
‘Dancing jets’ from a black hole reveal their immense power
16 April 2026
New research from the University of Oxford and Curtin University has used radio telescopes that spans thousands of kilometres to snap images of jets launched by a black hole, that showed for the first time a black hole jet ‘dancing’ as it orbits a massive star. The ‘dancing jets’ enabled a measurement of the immense power of the black hole jet, confirming key assumptions made by scientists in simulations of large-scale structures in the Universe.
Spectacular fossil treasure trove pushes back origins of complex animals
13 April 2026
A newly discovered fossil site in southwest China has transformed our understanding of how complex animal life emerged on Earth, revealing that many key animal groups had already evolved before the start of the Cambrian Period.
New study finds that stored sperm deteriorates across the animal kingdom
25 March 2026
Current WHO guidelines typically recommend 2–7 days of abstinence before taking semen samples or assisted reproduction. However, a new study led by Department of Biology researchers suggests that regular ejaculation – whether through sexual activity or masturbation – results in higher quality sperm, with less DNA damage.
New centre launched to create computer models of lungs, liver, kidneys and cartilage
19 March 2026
A new research centre launched by GSK, University of Oxford and Imperial College London and backed with £11 million from GSK will build open-source digital twins of organs for in-silico research to advance disease understanding and speed up development of new drugs.
New study suggests ultrasound could help save hedgehogs
11 March 2026
New research from the Department of Biology shows for the first time that hedgehogs can hear high-frequency ultrasound, raising the possibility that ultrasound repellers could help reduce road deaths.