The day began with a welcome and introduction from Professor Ian Mills, setting the tone for a full and engaging programme of talks and discussions.
The first session opened with Professor Freddie Hamdy, who delivered a talk on prostate cancer screening and the current landscape in 2026. A highlight of the morning was the Andrew Bushell Lecture, this year delivered by Professor Constantin Coussios and Professor Peter Friend. Their talk, 'Three Decades, Two Disciplines, Two Friends, One Vision: The OrganOx Story', offered a compelling insight into the development and impact of translational innovation in transplantation. The session was introduced by Professor Fadi Issa.
This was followed by Mr Alex Gordon-Weeks, who explored advances in colorectal cancer liver metastasis and the drivers of immunosuppression.
Following a staff photograph, the second session, chaired by Dr Sarah Howles, continued the theme of diverse and impactful research. Talks included Professor Helen Higham on improving outcomes in healthcare systems, Dr Sushma Shankar on regulatory B cells, and Mr Keaton Jones on tumour-associated macrophages in pancreatic cancer.
After lunch, the afternoon session, chaired by Professor Ian Mills, explored broader themes of healthcare and innovation. Professor Ashok Handa spoke on values-based practice and The Collaborating Centre, followed by Kelly Webb-Davies, who delivered a practical and engaging session on artificial intelligence at Oxford, highlighting tools, differences in softwares, and real-world applications.
Attendees then took part in breakout sessions, offering opportunities for focused discussion and career development. These included a clinical trials clinic led by Mr Sheraz Markar and Amy Taylor, and a career-focused session delivered by Jane Dale.
Later, Dr Alice Guazzelli, together with Oxford BRC Diversity in Research Group representatives Jacqueline Adusei and Niamh White, presented on the NDS Outreach Framework, highlighting the impact of patient and public involvement and the importance of inclusive engagement in research.
The day also included the NDS Staff Awards, recognising outstanding contributions across the department. All members of the department were asked to nominate colleagues in seven categories, and the winners were decided by the NDS Staffing Committee.
Congratulations to the Award winners
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Administrative Professional of the Year
Claire was selected as the winner due to her exceptional performance across all criteria, with clear, evidence-based examples of impact including leading the implementation of the honorary contract process and creating practical documentation that improved efficiency. She demonstrated outstanding dedication through her successful progression in her CIPD qualification while maintaining high performance at work, and showed strong collaboration by building effective relationships with HR teams, the Trust, and divisional colleagues to improve processes and access to key resources. Her influence as a role model—evidenced by colleagues seeking her guidance on her CIPD course and her consistently high standards of professionalism and going above and beyond set her apart from other nominees.
Collaborative Effort of the Year
Oxford Human Islet Isolation Team
This award reflects the scale and significance of the team’s strong clinical impact, delivering a 24/7 national clinical service with direct, life-changing outcomes for patients. The team’s exceptional level of collaboration under pressure, their commitment to maintaining service continuity through unsocial hours, and their strong integration of research and clinical practice were seen as outstanding examples of collaborative effort.
Early Career Researcher of the Year
Ágata stood out through the award of a prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship, reflecting international recognition of her research, as well as for balancing her research and teaching responsibilities at the Jesus College.
Val Macaulay Community Advocate of the Year
Martin's contributions span departmental, University, and national levels, including his engagement with Parliament on end-of-life care, which demonstrates meaningful external impact.
Sir Peter Morris Scientific Achievement of the Year Award
Rao was selected unanimously for his outstanding and sustained scientific excellence and commitment, demonstrated through high-impact publications, significant independent funding, and the successful establishment of an innovative research programme, as well as his efforts to reduce cost and improve accessibility of advanced methods and meaningful patient engagement.
Research Enabler of the Year
Dennis stood out by actively building research capacity across multiple countries and institutions; his leadership in the global surgery group (designing structured training programmes and enabling clinicians in low- and middle-income countries to generate their own evidence); his ability to expand collaborations and connect networks across Africa and beyond shows exceptional collaborative leadership. He is also deeply committed to supporting colleagues and trainees individually.
Learning and Development Impact Award
Maisie was unanimously selected for her outstanding and sustained contribution to learning and development. She has created a strong culture of knowledge sharing through impactful skillshare sessions, consistently supports colleagues’ growth through mentoring and encouragement, and demonstrates a genuine commitment to making development accessible, inclusive, and practical for all staff.