Botnar Institute for Musculoskeletal Sciences
At the Botnar Institute for Musculoskeletal Sciences we conduct high-quality research to discover the causes, the disease pathways, and the new treatments that will transform the lives of patients suffering with musculoskeletal conditions.
The Botnar Institute for Musculoskeletal Sciences aims to translate its world-class research into healthcare policy, transforming the lives of patients with musculoskeletal conditions.
The Institute provides state-of-the-art facilities spread across three wings, the latest of which is the Marcela Botnar wing which opened in 2021. The new laboratory space includes a good manufacturing standard (GMP) clean room facility suitable for the manufacturing of biomaterials for human implantation, the first university-owned clean room in the UK.
Sharing the site of the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, the largest specialist academic musculoskeletal hospital in the UK, puts the Botnar in a unique position to foster the collaboration between scientists and clinicians, essential to success in medical research.
The Botnar takes a multidisciplinary approach to medical research, bringing together orthopaedic, rehabilitation and rheumatology clinical scientists, bone oncologists, laboratory scientists, epidemiologists, engineers and statisticians.
It also hosts the nationally recognised Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit (OCTRU) and the Centre of Statistics in Medicine (CSM), providing excellent statistical support to all aspects of clinical research.
The Institute's research is funded by a grants portfolio worth over £96m. Major supporters include the NIHR, the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, Versus Arthritis, Cancer Research UK and the European Commission).
Home to around 350 staff and postgraduate students, the Institute fosters an international and friendly atmosphere.
The current Director of the Institute is Professor Jonathan Rees, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Science.
Structure
The Botnar Institute is structured into four academic divisions that support delivery of its mission:
To transform the lives of patients suffering with musculoskeletal pain and disability by conducting high quality research to better understand the causes and the disease pathways, and to discover new treatments and healthcare innovations for these common conditions.
