Welcome
The Big Data Institute (BDI) is an interdisciplinary research institute that focuses on the analysis of large, complex, heterogeneous data sets for research into the causes and consequences, prevention and treatment of disease. BDI researchers develop, evaluate and deploy efficient methods for acquiring and analysing information for large clinical research studies. These approaches are invaluable in identifying the associations between lifestyle exposures, genetic variants, infections and health outcomes around the globe. The BDI is part of the Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery at the University of Oxford's Old Road Campus.
Study finds no links between cannabis use and cognitive decline or dementia in older people
3 March 2026
Study finds no links between cannabis use and cognitive decline or dementia in older adults, showing no evidence cannabis accelerates cognitive ageing.
Deirdre Hollingsworth elected as one of the first Fellows of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences
30 January 2026
Leading epidemiologist Deirdre Hollingsworth recognised as one of the first Fellows of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences.
Can AI models rival humans in anonymising patient information from electronic health records?
9 December 2025
New research explores whether AI models can match human performance in anonymising patient information from electronic health records.