The Podium Institute for Sports Medicine and Technology at the University of Oxford represents a landmark partnership between Podium Analytics and the University of Oxford, uniting leaders in engineering, medicine, data science and sport.

The Podium Institute is an independent academic institute dedicated to preventing sports injuries across youth and grassroots sport. Its mission is to revolutionise sports safety through world‑leading research, cross‑disciplinary innovation, and evidence‑based policy change. 

As part of Oxford’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering, The Podium Institute builds on more than 15 years of translating engineering and medical‑science advances into real‑world healthcare impact.

To address the most urgent and under‑researched risks in modern sport, The Podium Institute concentrates its efforts across four core focus areas:

• Brain Health
• Musculoskeletal Health
• Cardiovascular Health
• Mental Health, Sleep and Cognition

Across a range of technological areas such as:

• PPE and Wearables
• Computer Vision
• Finite Element Modelling and The Digital Athlete
• Medical Imaging and Neuroimaging 
• Biomarkers

These domains reflect the Institute’s belief that athlete safety must be advanced through multidisciplinary science, next‑generation engineering, and scalable, real‑world solutions.

The Institute aims for evidence‑based safety improvements within ten years, influencing schools, clubs, national and international governing bodies, and professional sport.

Collaborative Reach and Real‑World Impact

The Podium Institute maintains strong research links across the University of Oxford and collaborates widely with experts in engineering, medicine, neuroscience, data science, and public health. It also partners with sports clubs, professional teams, and national and international governing bodies of sport to ensure scientific breakthroughs translate into safer sporting environments for athletes of all ages and levels.

LOCATION

The Institute is located at the foremost biomedical research campus in the UK on the Old Road Campus of the University of Oxford. It forms part of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and calls upon the cross-disciplinary expertise of several departments across the University, in an open innovation environment.

Leadership and Steering Committee

The Institute is led by Professor Constantin Coussios OBE FREng FMedSci, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Oxford. 

The Institute Steering Committee is led by Dame Sarah Springman DBE FREng and includes:

• Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey CBE FRS FMedSci
• Professor Jonathan Rees MBBS, FRCS (Eng), MD, FRCS (Tr&Orth)
• Professor Heidi Johansen-Berg FMedSci
• Professor Constantin Coussios OBE FREng FMedSci
• Sir Ron Dennis CBE
• Peter Hamlyn MBBS BSC MD FRCS FISM
• Andy Hunt