We are delighted to announce the first seminar of the term in the LCDS seminar series, to be delivered by Professor Prabhat Jha, Head of the Nuffield Department of Population Health, on Tuesday 3 February at 2pm in the Butler Room, Nuffield College. While a formal title for the seminar will be confirmed shortly, this event marks an important start to our academic programme for the Spring Term.
Professor Jha is a globally distinguished epidemiologist and public health expert, whose career spans influential research, leadership roles, and advisory contributions to public health policy worldwide. He is currently Nuffield Professor of Population Health and Head of the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford, having taken up the role in September 2025. Previously, he served as University Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, where he was also Director of the Centre for Global Health Research.
Professor Jha’s research has shaped understanding of the major causes of premature mortality in both high- and low-income settings, with a particular focus on large-scale epidemiological studies addressing tobacco, alcohol, cardiometabolic risk factors, and infectious diseases. His work has informed global public health strategies, notably contributing to the evidence base that supported the global tobacco control treaty now adopted by over 180 countries.
In addition to his academic leadership, Professor Jha has been recognised internationally for his contributions to population health, including being appointed Officer of the Order of Canada and elected to prestigious academies including the Royal Society of Canada and the U.S. National Academy of Medicine.
Professor Prabhat Jha’s globally influential research — including his leadership of India’s Million Death Study, which uses innovative mortality data to reshape understanding of major causes of death and inform public health policy — exemplifies the impact of large-scale epidemiological evidence that attendees can expect to hear more about.
This seminar offers a unique opportunity for students, faculty, and research staff to engage with one of the foremost thinkers in global health and epidemiology. Attendees can expect an insightful and thought-provoking presentation, followed by an audience Q&A. Further details, including the confirmed seminar title and venue, will be published on our website in due course.
We warmly invite all members of the university community to attend and contribute to what promises to be an inspiring discussion to kick off the term’s seminar series.