Big Questions
We combine expertise and evidence to answer the biggest questions in population health.
Gain insight into our research identifying risk factors and treatments for major diseases and learn how our work is improving health for generations to come.
Featured Big Question
How have global clinical trials rewritten care for kidney patients?
Learn how Oxford researchers led the world’s largest kidney disease trial to reduce heart risks and improve treatments for chronic kidney disease patients.
How can we stay healthier for longer?
Explore evidence on diet, heart health, dementia, cancer risk and public health policy.
Can vegetarian and vegan diets save your health and the planet?
Vegetarian and vegan diets are growing in popularity, but messages about how they affect our health and the environment are mixed. Our researchers consider the evidence.
How can you keep your heart healthy?
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally. Large studies are helping us understand their causes, and how to prevent them.
What makes statins life-saving?
While there have been concerns about statins, we now have ample evidence from large-scale trials to weigh the very small risk of side effects against their significant benefits.
How far can understanding risk factors take us in preventing dementia?
Dementia research is complex and calls for care when weighing the evidence. How can we protect ourselves and make informed choices about prevention?
Is there a recipe for reducing cancer risk?
Studying diet is hard—genes, habits, and inequality all play a role. How can researchers untangle its impact on cancer and other diseases?
How can research improve care and treatment?
Learn about our work on remote healthcare, home-based care, kidney disease and cancer treatment.
How have global clinical trials rewritten care for kidney patients?
Learn how Oxford researchers led the world’s largest kidney disease trial to reduce heart risks and improve treatments for chronic kidney disease patients.
Are remote technologies leading us towards the future of healthcare?
With limited opportunities to scale up healthcare, could adopting remote technologies to support out-of-clinic care offer a way forward?
Can Hospital at Home beat a hospital stay for older people?
Hospitalisation is common for people living with frailty in later life. Could Hospital at Home offer better outcomes, safety and dignity?
How do small trials add up to big changes in breast cancer survival?
Meta-analysis combines small trials to uncover overlooked patterns. How has this helped halve breast cancer deaths in UK women since the 1980s?"
Can cancer treatment be risk-free?
Radiotherapy halves cancer recurrence—but may raise heart risk. How can we balance life-saving treatments with safeguarding long-term health?
What can large-scale studies reveal about health?
Discover what we learn from long-term, large-scale population studies.
How is UK Biobank rewriting our understanding of disease?
With over 2,000 studies behind it, UK Biobank is rewriting our understanding of disease. Where could it lead us next?
What have 30 years of tracking a million women taught us about women’s health?
Over 1.3 million UK women were recruited to explore how lifestyle, hormones, and ageing impact health. What have 30 years of research uncovered about cancer and beyond?
What can half a million Chinese teach us about global health?
Differences in diet and lifestyle between China and the West reveal insights into disease risks. How can these comparisons uncover patterns that shape global health?
How do researchers find reliable answers?
Learn how clinical trials, ethics, data and evidence help answer urgent health questions.
How did clinical trials survive COVID-19?
As COVID-19 halted many clinical trials, some continued. What can we learn from their adaptability and resilience for future global health emergencies?
How did we create clarity in a time of uncertainty?
The report, Creating Clarity in a Time of Uncertainty, details our COVID-19 research undertaken in 2020, from the RECOVERY treatments trial to public health impacts and diagnostic testing.
How can you set up a clinical trial in just nine days?
The RECOVERY trial enrolled over 10,000 patients in just two months. What made it one of the world’s fastest-recruiting randomised trials—and what can future studies take from it?
Can science thrive without ethical integrity?
Ethical standards underpin every aspect of scientific enquiry. So how can researchers ensure participants fully understand the study and consent with confidence?
How is science rewriting the future for tiny lives?
Advances in neonatal care have saved countless babies. How have these survival gains affected their families, their health, and their futures?
How is maths solving the world’s biggest health mysteries?
From revealing patterns in data to driving prevention, how is Professor Rory Collins’s work combating chronic disease worldwide?