Welcome

Our mission is to lead discovery, innovation and education in surgical sciences.

World-first perfused pancreas transplant marks major Oxford study milestone

A clinical study at the University of Oxford has recruited its first participant, marking the world’s first successful transplantation of a perfused human pancreas and a major advance in efforts to improve organ preservation for transplantation.

Study shows AI can be safely deployed in NHS prostate cancer diagnosis

Findings from the landmark Articulate Pro study have now been published, marking a major milestone for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in NHS histopathology laboratories and demonstrating its potential to improve and standardise prostate cancer diagnosis.

Oxford Open Grand Rounds: What’s next for AI in surgery?

Healthcare Innovation and Technology (HIT) module leads, Matthew Gardiner and Ryan Kerstein address some pressing questions related to what’s on the horizon for AI in surgery, including challenges, opportunities, and use cases.

Oxford Open Grand Rounds: Designing healthcare for clinician wellbeing and patient safety

Watch the recording to explore how clinician wellbeing and workplace design are connected, and how they influence engagement and patient safety.

Research

Our 30 research groups, based around 18 research themes, work together under a common goal of education and surgical intervention.

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Teaching

We offer opportunities for research training for clinical and non-clinical graduates and host two taught master's courses. We are also responsible for delivering the surgical training to Medical School undergraduates.

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Engagement

We aim to showcase our research, inspire the younger generation, engage with the local community and raise debate on the impact of science on society.

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News

Academic surgeon selected for leading Toronto transplant and HPB fellowship

21 August 2026

Mr Syed Hussain Abbas, Academic Clinical Lecturer in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) and Transplant Surgery at the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, has been selected for a prestigious two-year fellowship in abdominal organ transplantation and HPB surgery at the University of Toronto.

Puneet Plaha awarded Professorship in Neuro Oncology Surgery

19 August 2026

The Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences is delighted to announce that Puneet Plaha has been awarded the title of Professor of Neuro Oncology Surgery by the University of Oxford, as part of this year’s annual recognition of Distinction exercise.

David P. Taggart, 1958-2026

14 August 2026

It is with profound sadness that we mark the passing of Professor David Taggart, a highly respected surgeon, researcher and colleague at the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, whose influence on cardiovascular surgery extended around the world.

NDS DPhil student wins Young Investigator Award at American Transplant Congress 2026

24 July 2026

Hatem Sadik, a DPhil student and Clinical Research Fellow at the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences (NDS), has received the Young Investigator Award at the American Transplant Congress (ATC) 2026 for his research on liver machine perfusion.

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Surgical Grand Rounds

The Surgical Grand Rounds are the key educational meetings for consultants, juniors and medical students. Presentations revolve around clinical cases and are followed by lively, educational discussion.

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Resources for Researchers

Explore our collection of resources useful to researchers in all parts of the research process, from experimental techniques to publication and review.

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