University of Oxford

The 2026 excavation was organised and led by a collaborative partnership between Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH) and the University of Birmingham, with additional researchers joining the excavation from Liverpool John Moores University. The aims of the excavation were to extend the trackways uncovered in previous field seasons, uncover new trackways and identify any additional, previously unreported, aspects of the site.

Some of the research team at Oxford University’s Department of Earth Sciences behind the study. From left to right: Professor Mike Kendall, Dr Tobermory Mackay-Champion and Professor Jon Wade. Credit: Dr Charlie Rex. Mars is often described as a ‘stagnant lid’ planet: unlike Earth, its surface is not broken into moving tectonic plates.

Statins are widely prescribed to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, but concerns about potential side effects, particularly muscle-related problems, can deter some people from starting or continuing treatment, even when they are likely to benefit. The research behind the calculator,published in The Lancet Digital Health, found that serious muscle disorders are rare for the majority of people who are eligible to take statins.

The projects are supported as part of ARIA’s Sustained Viral Resilience programme, a £57 million initiative led by Programme Director Brian Wang. In this programme, 11 funded teams will explore and unlock ways to create sustained innate immunoprophylactics (SIIPs) - a new class of medicines that provide durable, broad-spectrum protection against respiratory viruses by engineering the innate immune system.

Dr George Dransfield and colleagues with the Antarctic telescope, ASTEP (Antarctic Search for Transiting ExoPlanets), during a summer service mission in 2021/2022. Image credit: Karim Agabi/IPEV/PNRA. The two planets, named TOI-791 b and TOI-791 c, orbit an F7-type dwarf star located around 1,110 light years from Earth in the southern constellation Volans.

The projects are supported as part of ARIA’s Sustained Viral Resilience programme, a £57 million initiative led by Programme Director Brian Wang. In this programme, 11 funded teams will explore and unlock ways to create sustained innate immunoprophylactics (SIIPs) - a new class of medicines that provide durable, broad-spectrum protection against respiratory viruses by engineering the innate immune system.

In this guest blog, undergraduate student Bethan Sheldon reflects on her two-week field course in the Danum Valley, Malaysian Borneo, and how immersive fieldwork deepened her understanding of rainforest ecology, biodiversity, and conservation. Waking up on our first morning in the Danum Valley, we saw a young orangutan high in the canopy above the road as we wandered to the rest house for breakfast.

Merton College was awarded Gold status in the Green Impact Award 2026, out of a possible Bronze, Silver, Gold or Beyond Gold accreditation, matching the status achieved last year. Green Impact is an award-winning programme that helps organisations including universities, and other organisations in the public sector, such as NHS Trusts, on their sustainability journey.

Professor Arindrajit (Arin) Dube, one of the most influential economists on the topic of wage inequality and minimum wage policies, presents his new book, 'The Wage Standard: What's Wrong in the Labour Market and How to Fix It'. How did the labour market stop working for so many in the workforce? Why did wages at the bottom and in the middle of the pay scale fail to keep up with a growing economy that delivered over 70 per cent productivity gains and soaring incomes for those at the top?

The individuals who received honorary degrees today are: Rt. Hon. Dame Jacinda Ardern GNZM, 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand (2017-2023). ‘I have got to know and work with Oxford through the Blavatnik School of Government and the World Leaders Circle, as they’ve supported my work on empathetic leadership.