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Current Research

Research that makes a difference.

Durham is an ancient seat of learning and a leading world University which, since its establishment in 1832, has developed a distinctive reputation for leadership and innovation in education and research.
Research and Business
Scientists examine DNA models in modern Neurological Research Laboratory

Research, scholarship and ideas are at the core of Durham University. We are home to some of the most talented researchers and scholars from around the world, tackling global issues, and making a difference to people's lives. Research directly informs our undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and, in partnership with policy-makers, industry, the public sector, and communities around the world, shapes local, national and international agendas.

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Parents need better guidance on how to use baby carriers safely

New parents receive little guidance on how to use a baby sling or carrier safely, according to new research.

Research news
Baby asleep in a sling

Improving care for women in prison living with severe mental illness

Women in the prison system often have complex mental health problems, frequently alongside long-term physical conditions, with women from racial minority backgrounds worst affected.
Research news
Female hands through prison cell bars

Giant fan-shaped geological structure discovered beneath East Antarctica

An international team of researchers including our Department of Geography has discovered a vast geological structure hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Research news
Landscape image of Antarctica

Young children have long-lasting memories of vegetable smells experienced in the womb

Experiencing bitter or non-bitter flavours before birth can shape taste likes or dislikes after being born, according to new research led by our Department of Psychology.
Global research
A young boy wearing glasses and sitting at a table eats a green vegetable from a plate full of vegetables.

Widely available extreme porn is normalising sexual violence

Widely available extreme pornography on mainstream platforms is eroticising masculine dominance and normalising sexual violence, according to leading law professor Clare McGlynn.
Research news
Someone scrolling on a mobile phone.

Universities: 'enemies of the enemies of the open society'

Professor Karen O'Brien, our Vice-Chancellor, addressed the 2026 Sir Harry Evans Investigative Journalism Summit on the role of universities in open, civil societies. This is her speech.
Alumni news
Woman standin behind lecter

Astronomers release gigantic cosmological simulation dataset

Our physicists and their collaborators in Leiden are making public one of the largest datasets in cosmology, offering scientists around the world a new way to explore how the Universe evolves.
Global research
A visualisation of the most massive cluster in the simulation of a cube. Blue, purple, yellow and white colours swirl against a dark blue back drop.
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Parents need better guidance on how to use baby carriers safely

New parents receive little guidance on how to use a baby sling or carrier safely, according to new research.

Baby asleep in a sling

Improving care for women in prison living with severe mental illness

Women in the prison system often have complex mental health problems, frequently alongside long-term physical conditions, with women from racial minority backgrounds worst affected.
Female hands through prison cell bars

Giant fan-shaped geological structure discovered beneath East Antarctica

An international team of researchers including our Department of Geography has discovered a vast geological structure hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Landscape image of Antarctica
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Thought Leadership

Could it be aliens? From Cheyava Falls on Mars to exoplanet K2 18b – here’s what scientists really think

What do scientists really think about signs of alien life? Professor Peter Vickers, Head of our Department of Philosophy, takes a look.

Global research
An image of a blue planet in space

Could it be aliens? From Cheyava Falls on Mars to exoplanet K2 18b – here’s what scientists really think

What do scientists really think about signs of alien life? Professor Peter Vickers, Head of our Department of Philosophy, takes a look.
Global research
An image of a blue planet in space

The story of Pope Leo’s ‘landmark’ text on AI technology – by a member of its launch panel

Professor Anna Rowlands, in our Department of Theology and Religion/Centre for Catholic Studies, has helped Pope Leo XIV launch his first social encyclical focused on being human in a time of AI. Here she talks about the importance of Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity).
Global research
As seen from behind, Pope Leo waves to crowds while standing on the back of the Popemobile.
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