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The research team led by Jordan Raff was named the Overall Winner of the Oxford Climate Awards 2026, recognising its pioneering efforts to reduce the environmental impact of biomedical research. At the awards ceremony held at Oxford Town Hall on Thursday 15 October, the lab also received the Innovation in Climate Action Award, while Saroj Saurya, a member of the Raff lab and Chair of the Dunn School Green Group, received the Climate Action Champion Award. The department as a whole was also shortlisted for the Sustainable Further Education School/College of the Year Award.

These awards recognised the Raff Lab’s efforts to develop practical approaches to reduce the environmental impact of the team’s research. A major focus has been washing and reusing laboratory consumables, including Drosophila culture vials, embryo collection plates and other plastic materials that would otherwise be discarded. Improved waste segregation, recycling and more efficient use of laboratory resources have further reduced waste and unnecessary purchasing.

Many approaches initially developed and tested in the Raff Lab have subsequently been shared with other research teams across the Dunn School, helping to establish more sustainable practices throughout the department.

The Dunn School’s wider commitment to embedding environmental sustainability across its activities are driven by the volunteer-run Dunn School Green Group, overseen by the Sustainability Committee. In 2025–26, the Dunn School achieved Beyond Gold Green Impact accreditation, while all its laboratories and facilities received LEAF Gold accreditation.

More coverage on this story: Oxford Mail – Oxford Climate Awards 2026

Photo credit: Joe Baker, Newsquest Media Group Limited.