Botnar Institute for Musculoskeletal Sciences

New research, led by Dr Loren Kell, has demonstrated for the first time that rapamycin can reduce DNA damage in immune cells, a hallmark of ageing.

Targeting this DNA damage could be a key way to rejuvenate immune systems in older people.

www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/news/rapamyc...

Use of ADHD medication in UK more than tripled in 13 years, study finds UK had highest relative increase of five countries in study, with 20-fold rise in proportion of women over 25 using it

Check out The Guardian’s report on Xintong Li’s latest paper, looking at the use of ADHD medication in Europe!

Hand holding tablets

A new study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe has found that the use of medications for ADHD has increased substantially across Europe over the past decade. https://www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/news/adhd-medication-use-rises-sharply-across-europe-driven-by-growth-among-adults

🎅 All we want for Christmas is… a fun Christmas video! Thank you to all the NDORMS staff and students who took part!https://www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk All I Want For Christmas Is You... NDORMS edition!

🎅 All we want for Christmas is… a fun Christmas video! Thank you to all the NDORMS staff and students who took part!

2025 has been a brilliant year at the Botnar and at NDORMS! Merry Christmas!

NDORMS staff and students

🎄 A very merry International Christmas Lunch 2025 at the Kennedy Institute!

Young woman educating other traditional women about sanitary pads and how to use them

Congratulations to the Planetary Health Informatics group at the Botnar @botnaroxford.bsky.social, led by Sara Khalid, who have been awarded funding from the Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenges initiative!

Maria Kyriazi

🎉 Congratulations to Maria Kyriazi, who won the Young Star Award at the Greek International Women Awards! https://www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/news/maria-kyriazi-wins-young-star-award-at-the-greek-international-women-awards

Dani, Francine and Ali with their awards

🎉 Congratulations to Prof Dani Prieto Alhambra , Dr Francine Toye, and Dr Ali Cenk Aksu who have all been recognised in this year’s Medical Sciences Teaching Excellence Awards! https://www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/news/teaching-excellence-awards-for-ndorms

Meet Kim, a DPhil student at NDORMS.https://www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/study Meet Kim

🎓 Kim is a DPhil student at the Botnar. Find out what made her apply to study at NDORMS, and what her highlight here has been!

Meet Brook, a DPhil student at NDORMS.https://www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/study Meet Brook

🎓 Brook is a DPhil student at the Botnar. Find out what he thinks is the best thing about NDORMS, and his advice for applying to study at Oxford!

We asked some of our students what the best thing about studying at NDORMS is.https://www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/study What is the best thing about studying at NDORMS?

🥼 🩺 How can you possibly choose one best thing about studying at NDORMS? Our students managed it – hear what they have to say!

Taught MSc in Musculoskeletal Sciences Part-time course run over two years, commencing October 2026 www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/taught-msc

There is one month left to apply for our part-time taught MSc in Musculoskeletal Sciences! Join us for world class training in the musculoskeletal sciences and be part of our amazing alumni. 

Apply by Tuesday 2 December 2025! www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/taught-msc

Meet Maria, a DPhil student at NDORMS.https://www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/study Meet Maria

🔬 Meet DPhil student Maria, who shares her experience studying at NDORMS! Find out what her highlight has been, what the best thing about NDORMS is and her tips for applying! 🥼 🧫

Taught MSc in Musculoskeletal Sciences Part-time course run over two years, commencing October 2026 www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/taught-msc

Calling all orthopaedic, rheumatology and trauma trainees! Are you looking to gain specialist knowledge, understanding and skills to help you in your career? Check out our part-time taught MSc in Musculoskeletal Sciences. 

Apply by 2 December 2025. www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/taught-msc

Students outside the Botnar Institute

👋 🎓 A big welcome to our new students, who started their studies at NDORMS this week!

A woman in a laboratory The Oxford skyline Fully-funded PhD studentships available at NDORMS, University of Oxford

🔬 🧫 🧬 🩻 Applications are now open to study at NDORMS next year! 🥼 🩺 🎓

Join us at our world class University of Oxford research institutes, the Kennedy @kiroxford.bsky.social and the Botnar @botnaroxford.bsky.social for your DPhil!

https://www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/study

Four PhD projects advertised for October 2026 @ndorms.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk

Find info and apply here:

www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/study/botnar...

A woman sits in a laboratory The Oxford skyline Fully-funded PhD studentships available at the Botnar Institute in Oxford

🩻 🦴 🖥️ 🔬 Applications are now open to study at the Botnar Institute @botnaroxford.bsky.social next year!

Find out what it’s like to study at Oxford, meet our supervisors and see available projects! www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/study-at-the-botnar

Ghada Alsaleh

🎉 Congratulations to the wonderful Associate Prof Ghada Alsaleh, who has been made an Official Fellow in the Cellular Life Theme at Reuben College!

Jim Dunford with the Green Impact Gold Award

🎉 Congratulations to the Botnar Institute @botnaroxford.bsky.social, who have won the Green Impact Gold Award!

Hand holding some tablets

Researchers at the Botnar Institute @botnaroxford.bsky.social have joined a new consortium that has been awarded £3m by Versus Arthritis!

Rainbow cake and rainbow decorations

Rainbow balloons

People at NDORMS Pride

People at NDORMS Pride

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🌈🧁 Thank you to everyone that came and celebrated identity and inclusivity at NDORMS Pride, and a big thank you to our brilliant students for organising!

🎉 Congratulations to Prof Andrew Carr, who has been awarded an MBE for services to Orthopaedic Research and Training in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours List! https://www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/news/professor-andrew-carr-recognised-in-king2019s-birthday-honours

New research led by Dr Liye Chen at the Botnar Institute @botnaroxford.bsky.social has identified key drivers of inflammation in spondyloathritis.

Students and staff at the Botnar Institute Student Symposium

🔬🧫🦴🩻 Another brilliant Botnar Institute @botnaroxford.bsky.social Student Symposium! Thank you to everyone who helped organise a wonderful day celebrating our students!

Research with Human Tissue Samples on the International Space Station, with Dr Ghada Alsaleh Exciting developments are underway at the Space Innovation Lab at the University of Oxford! The launch of human tissue samples to the International Space Station marks a bold and forward-looking step ...

A new podcast episode out today! Learn about Ghada Alsaleh's pioneering work with samples on the International Space Station: podcasts.ox.ac.uk/research-hum...

@ndorms.bsky.social
@botnaroxford.bsky.social

Three postdocs at the EMBO Lab Leadership course

Three of our brilliant Botnar @botnaroxford.bsky.social postdocs recently attended the EMBO Lab Leadership course. They shared their thoughts about how it will help their careers, and their day-to-day work, on our blog! https://www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/news/blog/the-value-of-embo-part-one