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Research in the Institute focuses on ten themes, each formed around collaborations between researchers in Oxford and China. Some build upon and expand on-going successful collaborations that are currently part of the CTI, others present exciting, new collaborative opportunities within the Institute.

Research Themes

This theme builds on on-going collaborative projects that aim to understand how immune cells respond to cancer. The findings will be used to help identify new targets for cancer vaccine design and for immunotherapy in which T cells are recruited against tumour cells.
1. Cancer Immunology & Immunotherapy
Collaborative projects are currently investigating influenza and sepsis, for example, looking at how genetic variation affects the immune response to these infections and using this information to develop better vaccines and therapies. This theme will expand the current scope to include other important infections such as Zika and Dengue virus.
2. Viral Infection
To understand how cancer develops and progresses, and mechanisms that underlie fundamental processes such as cell growth, the transformation of normal cells to cancer cells, and the spread, or metastasis, of cancer cells.
3. Cancer Biology
This theme addresses fundamental questions about cell-cell signalling systems of importance to human health. Such as, how are signalling assemblies arranged? Which features are necessary for normal signal transduction into the cell? What mechanisms trigger dysfunctional signalling? The work ties into an extensive network of interdisciplinary local and international collaborations with the ultimate aim of learning how to manipulate these signalling systems for the design of new clinical therapies.
4. Structural Biology
The aim of this theme is to understand how mature blood cells are normally made from stem cells and how this is perturbed in common blood disorders. Ultimately our purpose is to improve the management of patients with inherited and acquired blood diseases.
5. Haematology
To understand the regulatory mechanisms of PRR signalling which should shed new light on the pathogenesis of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and will provide important clues for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for immune-related diseases.
6. Inflammation and Metabolism
To study the mechanisms of Chinese medicines which should facilitate improved clinical efficacy and broaden our views on the understanding and treatment of human diseases.
7. Natural Medicine Discovery
To study the mechanisms of Chinese medicines which should facilitate improved clinical efficacy and broaden our views on the understanding and treatment of human diseases.
8. Big Data and Computational Biology
To develop and promote knowledge of organisational and research management in an international context to best equip research and support staff to manage international research.
9. International Governance & Research Management
To develop a clinical training program in association with the Dphil./M.D. program, and to develop specialist training programs for clinicians.
10. Clinical Training