https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us provides the latest news from University of Oxford Replacing just one meat dish with a vegetarian option in workplace cafeterias can significantly shift what people eat, cutting both calories and carbon emissions, according to a new study from researchers at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford. In the new study published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, researchers tested the change in six English worksite cafeterias, asking managers to swap one meat-based lunch option for a vegetarian dish while keeping prices, choice and all other menu features the same. Customers were not told about the change, and meat options remained available. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-simple-menu-tweak-boost-vegetarian.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:00:01 EDT news695484721 New research from the University of Oxford finds that more than one in five children born after 2013 experience poverty for at least half of their childhood (from birth to age ten). The study provides the first comprehensive evidence on trends and drivers in long-term childhood poverty across birth cohorts in Britain. The paper is published in the Journal of Social Policy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-term-childhood-poverty-rose-sharply.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:40:07 EDT news695305330 Musicians around the world agree on one thing: streaming platforms are essential for their careers. Most also agree on another: they don't pay enough. A new report from the Oxford Internet Institute and the University of Groningen captures this contradiction across five countries—Brazil, Chile, the Netherlands, Nigeria and South Korea. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-global-musicians-streaming-paradox-uk.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 19:00:01 EDT news694848772 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. The study, led by researchers at Oxford University's Museum of Natural History and Department of Earth Sciences as well as Yunnan University in China, has been published in Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-spectacular-fossil-treasure-trove-complex.html Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:00:01 EDT news694251419 Scientists at the University of Oxford have demonstrated, for the first time, that a key emotional center deep in the human brain directly influences how we interpret ambiguous social cues. In a new study, published in Neuron, researchers used low-intensity focused ultrasound to temporarily and non-invasively alter activity in the amygdala—a region known to be involved in emotion and affected in depression. They found that this changed how people responded to facial expressions, particularly when those expressions were emotionally unclear. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-scientists-uncover-brain-emotional-ambiguity.html Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:20:03 EDT news694346659 An individual's position in the income hierarchy is a stronger predictor of well-being than either how much they earn or how large the income gap is between them and others, finds new research from the University of Leeds, the University of Oxford and the University of Warwick. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that the strength of the relationship between income rank and well-being varies significantly depending on the social and cultural context in which people live—and that strong civic and community life can substantially reduce it. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-income-worldwide-social-capital-buffer.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:50:01 EDT news694195081 Current World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines typically recommend two to seven days of abstinence before taking semen samples or assisted reproduction. However, a new study led by Oxford University researchers suggests that regular ejaculation—whether through sexual activity or masturbation—results in higher quality sperm, with less DNA damage. The paper is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-hidden-sperm-storage-ejaculates-deteriorate.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:00:01 EDT news693566809 Materials scientist Dr. Yige Sun, from the Department of Materials and Linacre College at the University of Oxford, and the Faraday Institution, argues that as space becomes critical infrastructure for the global digital economy, its long-term viability depends on urgently transitioning from a linear to a circular model of development. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-frontier-feedback-loop-expert-space.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 19:30:08 EDT news693570459 In a study published in Nature Medicine, researchers from the University of Oxford and the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania have shown that a minimally invasive liquid biopsy test can diagnose Burkitt lymphoma rapidly and accurately in sub-Saharan Africa, where delays in traditional testing often prove fatal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-liquid-biopsy-blood-children-survival.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 06:00:09 EDT news693070501 Two international studies, a clinical trial led by the University of Oxford and University of Utrecht, and a qualitative study led by the University of Oxford and University of Antwerp, report that point-of-care diagnostic testing, when used alone, is unlikely to reduce antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections in primary care. The findings indicate that testing must be embedded within broader antimicrobial stewardship strategies to be effective. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-trial-rapid-diagnostic-antibiotic-respiratory.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:00:01 EDT news692980981 Led by researchers at NDORMS as part of the Data Analysis and Real World Interrogation Network (DARWIN EU) initiative, a new European study has shown that carefully designed observational studies can produce robust and reliable vaccine effectiveness estimates. These results highlight that high-quality real-world evidence can play a key role in complementing the findings from randomized clinical trials. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-analyses-complement-randomized-clinical-trial.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:40:08 EDT news692965742 A Global Grand Challenges case study reveals the potential of large language models (LLMs) to close health gaps in South Asia, but only when they're adapted and fine-tuned using local data and expertise. The study, "Evaluating large language models for clinical note processing: local fine-tuning and internal–external validation using electronic health records from South Asia," has been published in BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making. A collaboration between Associate Professor Sara Khalid at NDORMS and Dr. Faisal Sultan from the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) in Pakistan. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-fair-safe-medical-ai-local.html Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:10:01 EDT news692896921 New research has uncovered new insights into why the most aggressive esophageal cancers are so difficult to treat and how the body's own defense systems are helping them to thrive. The study, led by Professor Eileen Parkes and her team in the Department of Oncology at the University of Oxford and published in Science Advances, analyzed patient-donated tumor samples and found that the most dangerous types of esophageal cancers share a key feature: high chromosomal instability. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-reveals-esophageal-cancers-hard.html Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:00:04 EDT news692890381 A study led by the University of Oxford has identified a new type of planet beyond our solar system—one that stores large amounts of sulfur deep within a permanent ocean of magma. The findings have been published in Nature Astronomy. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-class-molten-planet-abundant-sulfur.html Mon, 16 Mar 2026 06:00:02 EDT news692628541 An AI-driven tool that tailors antidepressant treatment to individual patients was shown to improve outcomes for people with depression, compared to standard treatment, in a major international trial. It is the first time ever a mental health clinical prediction tool has been demonstrated as effective. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-ai-driven-tool-significantly-personalizes.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:20:03 EDT news692536452 Researchers at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology have found that physically resisting the formation of an immunological synapse actually promotes a stronger immune response. The findings could help explain how immune responses become weakened in cancer and chronic infection and inform the design of more effective vaccines. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-anchoring-key-immune-molecule-cells.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:00:06 EDT news692534762 New research from the University of Oxford shows that cold snaps and heavy rain can stunt growth and reduce survival prospects in UK great tit nestlings. However, breeding earlier within a season appears to buffer against many of these weather-related effects. The research has been published in Global Change Biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-climate-extremes-hinder-early-young.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:40:03 EDT news692448090 Researchers from the University of Oxford have created the first high-resolution molecular atlas of the adult Drosophila melanogaster (common fruit fly) brain, uncovering how the neurons that drive behavior in adults retain a record of their developmental origins. A companion study, released in parallel, shows how these same developmental programs are selectively reused and modified by sex to generate male and female behavioral diversity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-sex-brain.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:00:01 EDT news692441641 Researchers at the University of Oxford have suggested that ultrasound-repellers could help reduce hedgehog deaths caused by cars. The proposal is based on new findings, published in Biology Letters, which demonstrate for the first time that hedgehogs can hear high-frequency ultrasound. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ultrasound-hedgehogs.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 20:10:01 EDT news692350321 Engineers at Oxford University have developed a rapid, ultra-low-cost method for manufacturing soft robots using common lab equipment. The method has been published in Advanced Science. The new technique enables researchers to fabricate soft robotic actuators—the flexible components that power movement—in under 10 minutes at a material cost of less than $0.10 (US Dollars) per unit. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ultra-technique-slash-price-soft.html Sun, 08 Mar 2026 21:40:02 EDT news692011630 Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a "Stroke Cognition Calculator," a new tool designed to estimate a person's chance of having thinking and memory problems six months after a stroke. The study, led by researchers at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, is published in the Lancet Health Longevity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-month-memory-problems.html Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:40:03 EST news691938301 A new analysis of Child Measurement Program data from England, Scotland, and Wales challenges recent reports suggesting children in Britain are getting shorter. The analysis, conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford, reveals that average child height has increased over the past two decades. But these gains are not related to improved child health, the researchers say. The increases in average height are closely linked to rising childhood obesity among poorer children and widening socioeconomic inequalities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-british-children-taller.html Tue, 03 Mar 2026 07:30:03 EST news691744862 Researchers from the University of Oxford, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Chinese Academy of Sciences) have finally identified the master regulator in plants that balances root and shoot growth when nutrients are limited. In field trials, rice plants with an improved version of the gene had yield increases of up to 24%. The breakthrough, published today (26 February) in the journal Science, could ultimately improve global crop yields while reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-rice-gene-discovery-fertilizer-yields.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:00:02 EST news691247339 Researchers from the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, have resolved a long-standing debate about the strength of the moon's magnetic field. For decades, scientists have argued about whether the moon had a strong or weak magnetic field during its early history (3.5–4 billion years ago). Now a new analysis, published in Nature Geoscience, shows that both sides of the debate are effectively correct. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-apollo-moon-reveal-lunar-magnetic.html Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:00:03 EST news691232217 Countries with stricter and better-targeted climate policies cut carbon emissions faster, according to a major new study by researchers in the UK and EU. The study draws on the most comprehensive climate policy dataset ever assembled, using over 3,900 policies adopted since 2000 in 43 leading economies responsible for well over three quarters of global emissions. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-climate-policies-successfully-carbon.html Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:50:01 EST news691169761 "Temperature and sex ratios at birth," a new study led by researchers at the Department of Sociology at the University of Oxford and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides new evidence that higher temperatures can influence the sex ratio at birth, with important implications for population health and gender balance in a warming world. The study analyzes more than five million births across 33 sub-Saharan African countries and India. By linking large-scale survey data with high-resolution temperature records, the authors examine how exposure to heat during pregnancy affects the sex ratio at birth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-temperature-shift-sex-ratios-birth.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:20:03 EST news691080721 The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 10.5% of medicines worldwide in low- and middle-income countries are substandard or are falsified (i.e., fake). These medicines and vaccines fail to prevent and treat the diseases for which they are intended and risk additional adverse health consequences if the ingredients used in the falsified products are harmful, resulting in a threat to global health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-hospital-method-screen-fake-vaccines.html Wed, 18 Feb 2026 18:00:03 EST news690649865 Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a powerful new method to visualize an essential lithium-ion battery electrode component that had been extremely difficult to trace before. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, could lead to increased manufacturing efficiency of battery electrodes and ultimately help improve the charging rate and lifetime of Li-ion batteries. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-elusive-lithium-ion-anode-binder.html Tue, 17 Feb 2026 05:00:03 EST news690453301 Hip fracture is the most common serious injury in older adults, affecting more than 80,000 people in the U.K. every year. The loss of mobility, function, and independence after a hip fracture means that many people need additional support. This varies between individuals but typically involves a combination of formal paid care, informal care from family and friends, and changes to the home environment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-hidden-social-hip-fracture-exceed.html Mon, 16 Feb 2026 21:30:01 EST news690455371 Public support for sharing health data for artificial intelligence (AI) research depends on clear public benefit, strong safeguards, and meaningful consent, according to a new NDORMS study based on in-depth focus groups with members of the U.K. public. The new study, published in BMJ Digital Health & AI, adds to a growing body of evidence about public views on health data sharing for AI research. It builds on that literature by placing public voices at its center and offering a detailed analysis of how people weigh the risks, benefits and trust when deciding whether to share their health data. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-uk-focus-groups-health-ai.html Sat, 14 Feb 2026 18:00:02 EST news689867912