The MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology (formerly the Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology) is an institute dedicated to research on

radiobiology Radiobiology (also known as radiation biology, and uncommonly as actinobiology) is a field of clinical and basic medical sciences that involves the study of the action of ionizing radiation on living things, especially health effects of radiation. ...

and radiotherapy. It is funded by the Medical Research Council and is based at the University of Oxford's Department of

Oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

History

The institute was founded as the Gray Laboratory at

Mount Vernon Hospital Mount Vernon Hospital is located in Northwood, an area of north-west Greater London. It is one of two hospitals run by The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. History The hospital was founded as The North London Hospital for Co ...

Louis Harold Gray Louis Harold Gray FRS (10 November 1905 – 9 July 1965) was an English physicist who worked mainly on the effects of radiation on biological systems. He was one of the earliest contributors of the field of radiobiology. A summary of his work ...

in 1953 as the world's first radiobiological institute. Early research focused on the

oxygen effect In biochemistry, the oxygen effect refers to a tendency for increased radiosensitivity of free living cells and organisms in the presence of oxygen than in anoxic or hypoxic conditions, where the oxygen tension is less than 1% of atmospheric press ...

to improve radio sensitivity of tumours. The institute at Mount Vernon was home to a unique 4 MeV heavy ion Van de Graaff accelerator. Research on the effects of oxygenation has continued, as well as other projects and collaborations including work on proton accelerators. The institute remained at Mount Vernon Hospital until 2008 when it relocated to Oxford after the Gray Laboratory Cancer Research Trust became a wholly owned subsidiary of the University.

References

{{Reflist Organisations associated with the University of Oxford 1953 establishments in England Cancer organisations based in the United Kingdom