Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford and 2U Launch New Program in AI-Driven Drug Discovery

New partnership brings the Nuffield Department of Medicine into 2U's growing portfolio of partnerships with schools and departments across the University of Oxford

ARLINGTON, Va. and OXFORD, England, Sept. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 2U, a global leader in higher education, today announced a new partnership with the Nuffield Department of Medicine (NDM) at the University of Oxford to launch the Oxford AI in Drug Discovery and Medicine Programme, a six-week online executive education program that equips scientists, researchers, and R&D professionals to apply artificial intelligence across the drug discovery pipeline while navigating the ethical and regulatory standards essential to modern biomedical research.

The program marks the beginning of 2U's partnership with the Nuffield Department of Medicine and further expands its growing relationship with the University of Oxford. The partnership now spans more than 40 online executive education programs and open courses delivered on edX, bringing together leading Oxford schools—including Saïd Business School, the Faculty of Law, the Blavatnik School of Government, and now the Nuffield Department of Medicine—to deliver education in areas of rapidly growing global demand. A second executive education offering from NDM, the Oxford Nuffield Healthcare Management Programme, is expected to launch later this year, further extending the collaboration into life sciences and healthcare.

"Artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities to accelerate biomedical discovery, but realizing its full potential requires scientists who understand not only the technology, but also the scientific, ethical, and regulatory context in which it is applied," said Dr Abigail Rickard, Head of Academic Programmes, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford. "This program combines our expertise in biomedical research with practical applications of AI, giving professionals the knowledge and tools to translate emerging technologies into meaningful advances in drug discovery and medicine."

Developed by faculty with a track record in open-science research, from leading international drug discovery initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic to OpenBind, an open-science consortium building the world's largest public dataset linking protein structures to binding measurements, the program is designed for professionals who need to understand and apply AI in biomedical research. Participants explore how AI can support target identification, biomarker discovery, patient stratification, and therapeutic prediction while working with industry tools including MedChemica and Target Safety. No coding experience is required.

Alongside technical applications, the curriculum examines the ethical, legal, and regulatory considerations surrounding AI in medicine, including algorithmic bias, model explainability, and responsible deployment. Participants complete practical assessments throughout the program, culminating in an AI implementation roadmap they can apply within their own organizations.

"One of the advantages of a long-term partnership is the ability to grow alongside an institution as its priorities evolve," said Andy Morgan, Chief Partnerships Officer at 2U. "Over the past several years, our relationship with the University of Oxford has expanded across schools and disciplines in response to growing learner demand. Our collaboration with the Nuffield Department of Medicine is another example of that momentum, with additional programs already planned. Together, we're helping extend Oxford's expertise into fields where AI and advances in healthcare are rapidly reshaping professional practice, creating new opportunities for learners around the world to benefit from the University's leadership in research and innovation."

The Oxford AI in Drug Discovery and Medicine Programme reflects 2U's strategy of helping leading universities extend their reach through long-term partnerships that evolve alongside learner and workforce demand. As institutions look to expand successful digital education initiatives across schools and disciplines, 2U continues to help partners bring their expertise to new audiences and disciplines—from business and leadership to law, government, healthcare and medicine.

To learn more, visit https://www.getsmarter.com/products/oxford-ai-in-drug-discovery-and-medicine-online-certificate-course.

About 2U

2U partners with the world's top universities and companies to build education programs that accelerate careers and transform lives. Through more than 250 institutional and enterprise partnerships, 2U develops and delivers over 5,300 online programs, reaching more than 100 million people worldwide through edX, 2U's global learning platform. From executive education and professional credentialing to master's degree programs and free, open courses, 2U aligns education with workforce needs, enabling professionals to advance without pausing their careers. Learn more at 2U.com.

About the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford

The Nuffield Department of Medicine (NDM) at the University of Oxford is one of the world's largest medical research departments and has been at the centre of major advances and world-firsts in medicine and global health. Bringing together researchers, clinicians and partners across the world, NDM works to understand disease, discover new treatments, vaccines and diagnostics, and translate scientific discoveries into improvements in health. Its research spans fundamental science to large-scale clinical studies and global health programmes, with major research partnerships and units in the UK, Africa and Asia. https://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/  https://uk.linkedin.com/company/ndmoxford

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