©
Shutterstock
Regretfully, we are announcing the closure of the Kennedy and Botnar Institutes effective from noon on Wednesday 25 March. The Kadoorie Centre based at the John Radcliffe Hospital will remain open for staff working in clinical roles in the NHS and for essential follow-up of patients already recruited into clinical studies.
Many of our staff and postgraduate students will be continuing their day-to-day work from home, while others may take on or extend a clinical role to support the NHS in the fight against COVID-19. Some of our research teams are working towards solutions to contain the spread of coronavirus and we will share updates on this as we have them.
All new clinical research will be put on hold and recruitment of new participants to our clinical studies in Oxford will be paused.
For students, teaching and learning in Trinity term will be moved to an online format where possible, and there will be no conventional written paper exams. Detailed planning continues but our aim throughout is to ensure students can continue, or complete, their academic careers at Oxford. Most of our scheduled workshops/modules for postgraduate research students have been postponed and students are being advised to keep in touch with their supervisors.
Professor Andrew Carr, Head of Department said: "Researchers at NDORMS and across Oxford are at the forefront of global efforts to understand this coronavirus (COVID-19) and protect our communities.
I would like to thank all our teams at NDORMS who are supporting these efforts and the very responsible and collegiate way in which you have responded to this unprecedented situation. It is very stressful and disruptive for everyone particularly those with extra risk factors. In addition, many members of the department have family members and loved ones who are at high risk and many live in other countries where restrictions to travel make visits impossible."
The University of Oxford COVID-19 research hub features regular updates about the latest research publications and longer-form pieces covering the many ways Oxford is approaching this pandemic: www.ox.ac.uk/coronavirus-research.
Funding for Oxford's COVID-19 research requires unprecedented speed, scope and ambition and anyone wishing to fund the university's efforts can donate here: http://www.ox.ac.uk/coronavirus-research/support
For more information please contact communications@ndorms.ox.ac.uk in the first instance, and we can direct your enquiry to the appropriate team.