Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology

The MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology (formerly the Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology) is an institute dedicated to research on radiobiology and radiotherapy. It is funded by the Medical Research Council and is based at the University of Oxford's Department of Oncology.^[1]

MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology

Formation	1953 (as British Empire Cancer Campaign Research Unit in Radiobiology at Mount Vernon Hospital)
Purpose	Radiation biology research
Headquarters	Department of Oncology
Location	University of Oxford, Oxford
Director	Professor Amato Giaccia
Affiliations	Medical Research Council (United Kingdom)
Website	www.oncology.ox.ac.uk/mrc-oiro
Formerly called	Gray Cancer Institute Cancer Research Campaign Gray Laboratory British Empire Cancer Campaign Research Unit in Radiobiology

History

The institute was founded as the Gray Laboratory at Mount Vernon Hospital by Louis Harold Gray in 1953 ^[2] as the world's first radiobiological institute.^[3] Early research focused on the oxygen effect to improve radio sensitivity of tumours.^[4] The institute at Mount Vernon was home to a unique 4 MeV heavy ion Van de Graaff accelerator.^[5]

Research on the effects of oxygenation has continued, as well as other projects and collaborations including work on proton accelerators.^[6] 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. ^[7]

Original building of the British Empire Cancer Campaign Research Unit in Radiobiology 1956