Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine
What does your organisation do?
The Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine (IDRM) is a flagship, multidisciplinary research institute at the University of Oxford. Uniting over 200 scientists across Cardiology, Neurology, and Immunology, we bridge the gap between developmental biology and regenerative medicine to pioneer next-generation therapies for chronic diseases and birth defects. While our academic footprint is well-documented, a unique aspect of the IDRM is the deeply entrepreneurial nature of our faculty. Many of our lead scientists are seasoned founders with a proven track record of launching successful Oxford biotech spin-outs. This firsthand commercial pedigree creates an ecosystem where fundamental science is intentionally geared toward clinical translation and venture creation from day one.
Why did you choose to build in Oxfordshire?
As an integral part of the University of Oxford, the IDRM is physically and strategically embedded within the world-class Oxfordshire life sciences ecosystem. Located in the state-of-the-art IMS-Tetsuya Nakamura Building on the Old Road Campus in Headington, we sit at the heart of one of Europe’s largest biomedical research and innovation clusters. Our immediate proximity to the BioEscalator, major Oxford hospitals, and nearby biotech hubs allows us to seamlessly collaborate with local academic, clinical, and industry partners, driving Oxfordshire's reputation as a global powerhouse for regenerative medicine.
What big problem are you trying to solve?
The IDRM is tackling one of the greatest hurdles in modern medicine: the fact that adult human organs cannot repair themselves after being damaged by chronic disease, trauma, or birth defects. Currently, conditions like heart failure and neurodegeneration require lifelong medical management, placing a massive emotional burden on patients and an unsustainable financial strain on global healthcare systems. We exist to find permanent cures rather than temporary patches. By studying how organs successfully form during early development, our multidisciplinary teams are pioneering new therapeutic strategies to safely trigger regeneration in adult tissues. Solving this problem will fundamentally transform patient outcomes, shifting the future of medicine from long-term care to definitive, restorative recovery.
How can you support the Oxfordshire ecosystem?
The IDRM supports the Oxford innovation ecosystem by providing a unique intersection of academic brilliance, translational expertise, and world-class research infrastructure. We actively invite external industry partners to leverage our cutting-edge capabilities, including the Oxford ZEISS Centre of Excellence for advanced imaging and our high-dimensional flow cytometry facilities. To scale our impact, we are actively looking to be supported by the ecosystem through new commercial collaborations. We want to establish more industry-funded research projects, co-development agreements, and strategic corporate partnerships with organisations that share our goal of transforming how chronic diseases are treated.
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Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine