OxSI is a showcase of recent innovations in surgical practice and policy, aimed at surgically inclined students, trainees and consultants. It featured a programme of keynote talks, hands-on workshops and interactive career-focused seminars that covered a broad range of surgical specialties and emerging perspectives.
The day opened with keynote talks from Mr Ed Sideso and Ms Sumrit Bola. Ed spoke on Innovations in thoracic aortic disease, while Sumrit presented her research on advances in tumour markers in head and neck cancer. Further keynote contributions were delivered by Professor Peter Friend, who presented 'Taking an idea from concept to market: The OrganOx story', and Dr Harald Veen, who discussed 'Surgery in conflict zones', offering additional perspectives on surgical innovation and global practice.
The conference also featured a series of hands‑on workshops, giving attendees the chance to develop practical skills alongside the main programme. Sessions covered core surgical techniques such as suturing and knot tying, laparoscopic skills, rib fixation, and ultrasound for vascular access. Complementing these were hybrid workshops - including how to pitch an idea, how to get started in publishing, applying for surgical training, and values and shared decision‑making - broadening the educational opportunities available to those attending the conference.
Additionally, attendees engaged with a curated selection of poster and oral presentations drawn from submitted abstracts, and prizes were awarded for the best poster and best presentation.
Thank you to Shreya Sunkara, a graduate‑entry medical student at the University of Oxford, who served as a co‑chair of this year’s Oxford Surgical Innovation Conference. Each year, a medical student has the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working alongside Professor Ashok Handa in organising the conference, and Shreya’s contribution was an excellent example of this.