During the developing COVID-19 pandemic, the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics is taking measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

Departments are instructed by the University’s Registrar to work from home and manage building closures. 

This is to restrict any contact between individuals as far as possible. The University remains open and operating as far as possible with the following restrictions:

Only essential activities should continue on site (e.g. research relating to Covid-19 or that of national importance, or the maintenance of research equipment and animal welfare). Departments are responsible for defining what is essential, in line with divisional guidance, and should provide appropriate operating procedures. PVC Research will be in touch with Divisions to assist in drawing up guidance.

Other research and teaching continues remotely where possible and students return home (if possible and where that has not already happened)

Departments physically close except where essential activities have to be done on site. Staff work remotely where possible. Only core support functions and other essential activities continue on site and only with critical staff on site – e.g. building access and maintenance, security, animal welfare, maintenance of research equipment.

The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics is a research institute of the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford, funded by the University, Wellcome and numerous other sponsors. It is based in purpose-built laboratories on the University of Oxford’s Biomedical Research Campus in Headington, one of the largest concentrations of biomedical expertise in the world.

With more than 400 active researchers and around 70 employed in administrative and support roles, the Centre is an international leader in genetics, genomics and structural biology.