Health & Climate Research Forum

Oxford researchers are engaging with climate and health research from a wide variety of perspectives and across a diverse range of geographical environments. Oxford's key strengths are both our critical mass in many different disciplines relevant to climate and health, and the interdisciplinary networks already coordinating action across fields.

More than 150 University of Oxford researchers from more than 30 departments across the four academic Divisions are involved in climate and health research. While our researchers lead in many aspects of these areas, there is the opportunity to strengthen and expand existing collaborations, as well as building new ones across disciplines - hence opportunity for more in climate and health.

A series of pan-Divisional Climate and Health FORUM were held in October 2021 to further support this work. Very much focussed on linking across disciplinary boundaries, delivering multi and interdisciplinary research and innovation (MIDRI), this network aims to support researchers from all Divisions working at the intersection of climate and health, to talk together, discuss shared research interests and develop a common language for delivering interdisciplinary funding applications.

In 2026, an initial "Strategic Horizons in Climate x Health Research" was held, bringing together researchers, clinicians, funders, policymakers, and external partners to explore Oxford's strengths and opportunities at this intersection. 

Research questions around climate and health cut across traditional subject boundaries. While some University of Oxford researchers with interests working on climate and health cluster broadly into thematic areas, there are many cross-cutting aspects, such as ethics, policy, economics, inequality, justice and methodology.

Following from this forum in 2026, OCRN hosted two lunches focusing on themes identified as key interest areas at the forum: sustainability of healthcare and climate science & modelling and health impacts. Additionally, a climate x health seminar series has been launched, led by a group of researchers in collaboration with OCRN.