Student Archives - The Queen's College, Oxford

Opening up the brain: making neuroscience research accessible to the next generation

What if we could map the brain in the same way that Google Maps charts a city…not just identifying individual landmarks, but tracing the routes and connections between them?

That is the idea behind “connectomics”, a rapidly developing field that seeks to understand how neurons and regions of the brain connect and communicate. We spoke to Queen’s DPhil student Sapolnach about the questions driving his research, from how brain networks shape our thoughts and behaviour to what happens when those networks are disrupted. He also told us about his work to open up neuroscience to young people around the world, giving students the opportunity to work with real brain data and discover that cutting-edge research is something in which they can actually participate, not simply read about.

For someone who has never heard the word “connectomics”, can you explain a bit about it?

I like to think of connectomics a little like Google Maps, but for the brain. If you opened Google Maps and saw only the individual buildings, you would be missing another important part of how a city works: the roads connecting them, the routes people take, and the traffic flowing between different places. Connectomics is essentially the study of these connections in the brain: how neurons (i.e. the brain cells that receive and transmit information) and different brain regions are connected to one another. A map of these connections is called a “connectome”—essentially, a wiring map of the brain.

This is important because the brain does not operate as a collection of isolated parts. We can learn a great deal by studying individual neurons and brain regions, but we also want to understand how they communicate and work together as networks. By mapping these connections and looking at the activity or “traffic” flowing through them, we can start asking how the brain’s structure and connectivity give rise to things like perception, memory, decision-making and behaviour, and what happens to these networks in disease.

The brain does not operate as a collection of isolated parts.

What first drew you to neuroscience, and what questions are you exploring through your DPhil at Oxford?

The extraordinary range of things that nervous systems can do. Even a fly, with a brain around the size of a grain of sand, can sense you approaching and execute an incredibly fast escape when you try to swat it. And then there is the human brain, which allows us to learn languages, create art, develop new technologies and even sit around being philosophical about how our own brains work. What fascinates me just as much is how differences and changes in the brain can shape who we are: how we think, what we remember, the emotions we experience, how our brains change as we age, and what happens when these processes are disrupted in neuropsychiatric conditions such as depression or addiction. Despite everything we have learned about the brain, many neuropsychiatric conditions remain very difficult to treat, and that gap between our scientific understanding and our ability to help people is something that really motivates me.

Despite everything we have learned about the brain, many neuropsychiatric conditions remain very difficult to treat, and that gap between our scientific understanding and our ability to help people is something that really motivates me.

My DPhil therefore revolves around a few big questions.

First, what is happening in the brain that allows it to operate so efficiently and produce behaviours that are essential for survival?

Second, what happens when brain mechanisms that normally help us survive, such as learning from rewards and seeking out things we need, are hijacked by addictive drugs such as nicotine or behaviours such as gambling?

And finally, can we make better use of the enormous amount of brain data we can now collect to understand why the same treatment may work for one person but not another, to predict who might benefit from a particular treatment, and ultimately to help identify better ways of treating neuropsychiatric disorders?

You’ve said that you’re passionate about making neuroscience research accessible to everyone. Can you explain what can be done to break down the barriers?

The brain makes us who we are, and I think that is one reason why so many people around the world are excited about neuroscience. We saw this excitement recently when researchers produced the largest brain map by number of neurons to date, of the fruit fly brain, and made the data publicly available. People began experimenting with it in all sorts of creative ways, including using the fly brain to play Doom, Mario 64, and Beat Saber!

More broadly, neuroscience is becoming increasingly data-driven, with large-scale brain datasets and powerful research tools being made openly available, creating an unprecedented opportunity to bring cutting-edge research to a much broader community who can contribute new questions and ideas that move the field forward. A big part of what I’m passionate about is working with researchers, educators, and student communities from around the world to build the resources and support that help young students leverage these wonderful tools and datasets.

A neuroimaging dataset, for example, might contain enormous amounts of brain data that may be difficult for a high school student to navigate even when tutorials or detailed instructions for neuroscientists exist, while downloading terabytes of brain data or accessing sufficient computing power creates another practical challenge for neuroscience research. So, for me, making neuroscience accessible means finding ways for people to experience hands-on research regardless of their existing knowledge or technical resources, while giving them the scaffolding, support, and community they need to explore their own scientific questions.

You’re leading the 2026-2027 Connectomics Research Competition. Where did the idea for the Connectomics Research Competition come from, and what will your role involve?

The idea grew out of my work with Clematis Research Empowerment Hub, an initiative I founded to make research more accessible to the next generation of scientists and changemakers by giving young people opportunities to experience authentic research, develop practical skills, and turn their own ideas into meaningful work.

In 2025, I worked with Aarushi Vardhan, a graduate student studying the fruit fly brain, to launch the first international connectomics research competition of its kind for young people. One of the things I loved most was seeing that experience spread internationally beyond the competition itself: students began running neuroscience and research workshops for their own communities, including in languages such as Arabic and Russian, reaching young people across countries including Libya, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Egypt and Kazakhstan. For 2026–2027, we wanted to build on that experience and help students appreciate the many different scales at which we can study the brain. Participants can explore connectivity from individual neurons and synapses in the fruit fly nervous system all the way to large-scale networks spanning the human brain, and see how researchers can ask very different questions about the brain depending on the scale at which they look.

A large part of my role is therefore designing the scientific and educational programme: working with researchers and students from around the world, developing tutorials that reduce technical barriers, scaffolding the research process while giving students the independence to explore, and thinking about how we can make neuroscience genuinely exciting to someone encountering it for the first time. Just as importantly, we have spent a lot of time building a supportive research community around the programme — including our Discord community of more than 1,000 members — where students can ask questions, learn from researchers and one another, and hopefully feel that they are part of the scientific community themselves.

Participants will be working with real brain data and tools used by neuroscientists. Why is it important to give students an authentic research experience rather than a simplified version of it?

For me, research is exciting because you are exploring a question without knowing what you are going to find, and I want students to experience that for themselves. When participants work with real brain data and the cutting-edge neuroscience tools, they are not simply following a set of instructions towards a predetermined answer: they can notice something unexpected, ask their own questions, try an analysis that does not work, change direction, and potentially discover something that nobody has looked at in quite the same way before. Of course, authentic research can be challenging, which is why we put so much effort into building tutorials, mentorship, and a supportive community around it, but I think there is enormous value in giving students the tools and support to rise to that challenge rather than simplifying the science itself. Ultimately, I hope they come away not only knowing more about neuroscience, but also seeing themselves as people who can ask meaningful scientific questions and contribute their own ideas to research.

Research is exciting because you are exploring a question without knowing what you are going to find, and I want students to experience that for themselves.

What advice would you give to a young person who is fascinated by the brain and considering further study?

My advice would be to explore your curiosity and not worry about knowing exactly where it will take you. Neuroscience is incredibly broad, so start with whatever genuinely fascinates you about the brain and follow that interest: read about it, find scientific papers and look at the questions researchers are asking, and gradually start thinking about questions of your own.

My advice would be to explore your curiosity and not worry about knowing exactly where it will take you.

What is particularly exciting today is how much of science is becoming open. Researchers are sharing enormous datasets, open-source software, and other resources that anyone can begin exploring, often from their own computer. So I would encourage young people not only to learn about neuroscience, but to experiment with these resources themselves: learn some code, visualise a brain, explore a dataset, or try answering a small question that interests you. Alongside that, seek out opportunities to learn from researchers, mentors, and scientific communities, because seeing how other scientists approach problems and receiving feedback are incredibly valuable parts of learning to do research. I think combining those experiences, learning from others while also exploring independently, is a wonderful way to discover what excites you, build confidence and skills, and gradually find your own path into neuroscience.

If you could shrink us down and take us on a tour through the network of the human brain, what would you want to show us first?

I would take you right down to the level of a single neuron and watch as it receives signals, fires, and passes information on to thousands of other cells around it. Then we could gradually zoom out and see those individual interactions become networks spanning different regions of the brain. It is unlikely that there is a single place where everything we think, feel, and do simply “happens”; instead, even something that seems quite simple can emerge from activity distributed across many interacting systems. I would love to follow a signal as it travels through those networks and watch how the brain continually integrates information about the world, our memories, our internal state, and what we value to produce a decision or behaviour.

Of course, we cannot yet take this kind of tour through an entire human brain at the level of individual neurons and synapses, but the progress has been remarkable: in 1986, scientists mapped the connections among the 302 neurons of a tiny worm; almost four decades later, we had a complete wiring diagram of an adult fruit fly brain containing around 160,000 neurons. The human brain, by comparison, contains around 86 billion neurons, so there is still an extraordinary distance to go. But perhaps, one day, we will be able to take that same journey through the human brain. Seeing this would bring to life what first fascinated me about neuroscience: billions of tiny brain cells working together to produce our thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and ultimately something as complex as the human mind.

Can you recommend a book?

I would recommend Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks, who, fittingly, is also an alumnus of Queen’s! I love playing the piano, and I have always been curious about how something as complex as music can emerge from patterns of sound, and how our brains can turn those patterns into vivid memories of people and places, make us want to move or dance, and evoke incredibly powerful emotions. Musicophilia explores this through fascinating stories of people whose experiences of music have been transformed by changes in the brain, and I love the way Sacks uses those stories to explore much bigger questions about the relationship between the brain, music, and who we are. It brings together two things I really enjoy, music and neuroscience, while showing just how strange and remarkable the human brain can be.

What do you enjoy about being a member of Queen’s?

A lot of my daily life at Oxford revolves around Queen’s, and I still love walking through the doors and being greeted by the College’s grand architecture. It is one of those things that reminds me how special it is to study here. Queen’s has also given me a place to continue something I have loved since I was young: playing the piano. I’m certainly not a professional, but I frequently use the College’s piano practice rooms, which have a Kawai grand and an upright piano, and Queen’s was also where I had my first opportunity to play a Steinway & Sons grand piano in the Shulman Auditorium. Steinway is one of the world’s most renowned piano manufacturers, and having seen their grand pianos in so many world-class concert venues, I had always dreamt of playing one myself.

Playing these instruments has given me an even deeper appreciation for music and has genuinely made my time at Oxford a very happy one. I also love the choir and Chapel evensongs, and our library gives us both the beautiful Upper Library and the incredibly pragmatic Lower and New Libraries, which are open 24/7. Having affordable and healthy food in Hall makes everyday College life even better! I’ve also made wonderful friends at Queen’s, both undergraduate and graduate, many of whom study subjects completely different from mine, and I’ve really enjoyed being part of such a diverse community.

We caught up with Archie as he begins his year as President of the Junior Common Room (JCR). He talks about his love of organic chemistry, his plans for the JCR, and what he values most about the Queen’s community – from friendships across year groups to catching up over lunch in Hall.

What are you studying at Queen’s, and what do you enjoy most about your subject?

I’m studying Chemistry and I’m currently in my fourth year, about to start my master’s project in organic chemistry. I enjoy chemistry because it underpins every part of our lives. You can see it in action every day, and I value being able to understand how its advancements have shaped our lives over the last 100 years.

I enjoy chemistry because it underpins every part of our lives.

I particularly love organic chemistry because of how challenging it can be. Once you overcome the initial hurdle of understanding, it is an incredibly rewarding subject. One of my favourite descriptions of organic chemistry comes from Classics in Total Synthesis by Nicolaou and Sorensen, where they compare organic synthesis to playing a game of chess backwards. Imagine starting a game with only the checkmate move (the target molecule). The chemist’s job is to work out how to move all the pieces back to recognisable starting positions (available starting materials) and, importantly, all in the correct order. With this information, the chemist can then play the game of chess normally and make their molecules.

What made you want to become JCR President, and what are you hoping to achieve this year?

I decided to run for JCR President after spending a year as JCR Vice-President. Being VP was such an exciting role. I met so many new people, worked with some incredible college staff, and learnt a huge amount along the way. Having that experience within the JCR has given me much more confidence to speak up, and I’ve become far more organised in how I approach things. In all honesty, it seemed like a no-brainer to run for the top job! I absolutely love the community at Queen’s, and I’m really excited to play my part in making the Queen’s JCR an even better place. My promise anywhere I go has been to leave somewhere better than when I found it.

I absolutely love the community at Queen’s.

Over the next year, I hope to keep the JCR a welcoming and social space for everyone. Oxford life can become stressful, and while studying for my finals last year, having a third space away from the library and my bedroom was a godsend. Having somewhere I could go to socialise, decompress and take my mind off work helped me get the best out of myself. I believe one of the JCR’s most important purposes is to create and foster that kind of space for everyone.

I’m also really looking forward to supporting the brilliant JCR committee in all their work and making sure that Queen’s continues to be an inclusive and welcoming community for all.

What’s your favourite place in College?

Undoubtably the dining hall. I sometimes have to remind myself how lucky I am to have incredible food cooked for me every day in such a beautiful building. There’s something so nice about wandering into hall after a morning of lectures or an afternoon in the labs and catching up with my mates in a packed dining hall. I know for a fact that not every college in Oxford has such a busy hall, so I’m grateful that Queen’s does.

There’s something so nice about wandering into hall after a morning of lectures or an afternoon in the labs and catching up with my mates in a packed dining hall.

I also think some of my most memorable ‘Oxford moments’ will be the formals I’ve had there. Getting dressed up and going to my first formal during Freshers’ Week, almost three years ago now, was such a novel and memorable experience. Even after all this time, there’s still something really special about sitting down for a formal dinner in hall with friends celebrating a milestone or occasion.

Has anything about the College surprised you since you arrived?

What has surprised me most is just how well you can get to know everyone across the undergraduate community. I never expected to make such strong friendships outside my own year group, or to have third- and fourth years so willing to help me out academically when I first arrived. Now, being in fourth year myself, it’s really nice to be able to do the same for my fellow students.

I’ve also been surprised by how much everyone has each other’s back. There’s a real sense of community across different years and subjects, which I think is something special about the collegiate university system. Queen’s very quickly became a place where I felt at home, and I’m incredibly grateful that I ended up here.

Can you recommend a book?

The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna.

Meet MCR President Jennice who is working hard to create a sense of belonging for everyone in the graduate community at Queen’s.

Congratulations on your election as MCR President. What motivated you to stand for the role, and what are you most looking forward to?

Thank you! After two years as Warden and Social Secretary, I’ve probably spent more of my social life with the MCR than anywhere else! Getting to know people, hearing their experiences, and often sharing their views made me feel really connected to the community. I felt that as President, I could do more with that understanding and be a clear voice for the MCR within the College.

Two things are really shaping how I’m approaching the role. Firstly, I feel there is very little people genuinely dislike about Queen’s. So, for me, it’s less about identifying big problems to fix and more about listening to what people value and where small changes can make their experience even better. The second is being present and approachable. I want to be a visible and available member of the College, someone with whom people feel comfortable speaking openly. And, of course, having plenty of fun with everyone along the way!

I want to be a visible and available member of the College, someone with whom people feel comfortable speaking openly.

You’ve already contributed a great deal to the MCR community as Warden. What did that role involve and what have those experiences taught you?

Being Warden involved a lot more than I initially realised! A big part was planning and organising events, from formals and BOPs to weekly brunches, celebrating different festivals and cultures, and discovering that people really love Ben’s Cookies, which turned Wednesdays into “Bensdays”.

But more than anything, I’ve learnt from the MCR members themselves what makes a community supportive. It’s people offering to help, noticing when someone is stressed in the library, walking home together after late events, or just staying around for a chat. You can create the space and organise the events, but it’s those everyday interactions that make people feel like they belong.

You can create the space and organise the events, but it’s those everyday interactions that make people feel like they belong.

A lot of the work that keeps student communities running happens quietly behind the scenes. What does that work look like in practice?

There’s definitely a lot more happening in the background than people realise! For instance, an MCR Guest Night exchange dinner might only run from 7:15–8pm, but we’re finalising it four weeks in advance, sending dietaries and seating plans to Kitchen the week before, arranging pre-drinks from 5pm, and then cleaning up until around 11pm.

Beyond events, it’s coordinating with other college MCRs, working with the kitchen, Hall and College staff, and simply making sure the space is looked after — coffee in the machine, milk in the fridge, cookies in the jars and dishes washed. At this point, I could probably tell you the dietaries and allergens of 70% of the MCR!

That side of the role has been a huge learning experience. It’s made me realise how many small things have to come together for college life to feel effortless and given me a real appreciation for the College staff and everyone working to make that possible.

What do you think diverse leadership brings to a college community?

I think it makes a real difference. Queen’s is already incredibly diverse, not just in culture, but in subjects, upbringings, genders and experiences. When that diversity is reflected across leadership, the voices making decisions are more representative of the community those decisions affect.

We’ve seen that in the MCR in lots of ways. Over the past two years, we’ve celebrated Diwali, Spring Festival, Holi, Eid and Passover, alongside country-themed brunches, films, and different foods. Those things happened because someone simply suggested them, and someone on the committee could understand that feeling. I think that’s how diversity becomes more than representation. Who is around the table matters precisely because it changes the conversation around it.

How would you describe the Queen’s postgraduate community to someone considering applying to Oxford?

Very, very fun! Queen’s has the kind of postgraduate community where there’s always something happening and, more importantly, always someone around to do it with, which is both a blessing and a threat to productivity. It’s incredibly international, and you end up becoming close friends with people from completely different backgrounds, subjects and parts of the world. I think that mix is what makes the MCR so much fun and such an easy place to feel at home.

What do you hope students will feel or experience during your time as MCR President?

I hope everyone feels like they belong, in whatever way works for them. You don’t have to come to every event or know everyone to feel part of the community. I’d love for the MCR to be somewhere people can always come back to and find someone who’s happy to see them. As President, I want to be approachable enough that people can just come up to me with an idea, tell me when something isn’t working, or simply say, “Why don’t we try this?” I hope people feel represented by me but also feel that we’re shaping the MCR together.

How do you fit in community and leadership roles alongside your research and what are you working on at the moment?

I’m a dendrochronologist doing a DPhil in Archaeological Science. My research is based in New Zealand, where I work with old, culturally and ecologically important trees like kauri and tōtara. I’m working on strengthening stable oxygen isotope dendrochronology as a reliable way to give otherwise floating tree-ring records a secure place in time. Or, as I say at almost every Oxford social: I date very very old trees!

I’ve been told I have far too much energy, so I suppose this is one productive use for it. Research and the MCR demand very different things from me, and I think that’s why I genuinely enjoy doing both. My lab work can be quite intense, but also very solitary, so the MCR is a very welcome return to civilisation. It also happens to be only a ten-minute walk away. There have been many days when I’ve put a sample in chemicals, run over to set something up in the MCR, then headed straight back to the lab. I also have a very understanding committee who are always ready to lend a hand. But overall, it has all been excellent for my step count!

What’s your favourite place at Queen’s?

Probably the MCR kitchen counter, which I realise is not the most glamorous answer! I’ve spent an absurd amount of time there with friends, whether we’re making salads, setting up drinks, or just standing around with coffee and cake. Some of my favourite Queen’s memories have happened while just leaning against that counter.

A close second would be the garden in spring. I love doing little picnics there or just sitting on the lawn chairs with friends doing absolutely nothing, which is honestly quite hard to beat.

Four graduate students in the Middle Common Room at the kitchen counter on which there is an array of food

MCR members Sabrina and Maksim helped us put together our Holi celebration

Welfare Officer Taqbir (left) and Social Sec Emmy (right): the duo behind our favourite mezze brunch.

While winning the Nationals is a remarkable achievement, current student and ice-hockey player Aidan (Biology, 2022) will remember the season more for the friendships and resilience that made it possible.

While juggling the demands of his degree, he captained Oxford’s ice hockey team to an undefeated season, with record-breaking Varsity victories and distinction as the University’s Sports Team of the Year. Here he considers leadership and life at Queen’s as he gets ready to graduate.

You led the University ice hockey team to an undefeated season and national title -congratulations! What has stayed with you from that experience?

I think honestly the best part of this experience was doing it alongside my teammates. I’m coming to the end of my degree now and looking back, ice hockey and my team have been such a massive part of my experience here at university. I feel like there is a special kind of bond that can only be forged in those away-game Monday nights getting back to Oxford at 5am. I’ve had more amazing experiences than I can count, from playing ice hockey at sunrise on frozen port meadow to winning the weekend in Sheffield and becoming national champions – I think what will stay with me the most is all the people I have met and the relationships made here, with friends I know from hockey now all over the world (and hopefully with a sofa for me to sleep on).

I’ve had more amazing experiences than I can count, from playing ice hockey at sunrise on frozen port meadow to winning the weekend in Sheffield and becoming national champions.

Winning by record margins is an awesome achievement; what do you think made your team stand out from the rest of the competition?

We obviously had a very good team this year, but I think what really made us stand out from the competition was our chemistry off the ice. I don’t think any other team in the league had spent as much time together or knew each other as well as ours. We showed that at nationals, and it was nice to hammer home at the end of the year with our fourth win in one season against c*mbridge; it felt pretty memorable to have a bit of a crowd and score at our home varsity with my parents watching in the stands.

You then received the award for Oxford University Sports Team of the Year on behalf of your team. What did that recognition mean to you?

Yeah that really meant a lot to me. Ice hockey is quite a big commitment at Oxford with obscene training times that can be somewhat incompatible with normal life here, I know how much the team deserved that recognition and it was a lovely way to tie up the year as well as my captaincy – it’s definitely something that I’ll remember forever.

As captain, what did you learn about leading a team under pressure?

In sports like these, and perhaps particularly on my team, there can be some quite big personalities. The 15 players in the changing rooms might want to hear 15 different things to play at their best; to be honest I found it really fun managing these dynamics, saying what’s best for the team whilst also tailoring your communication to speak to individual teammates with wildly different backgrounds and priorities. It’s super rewarding to play a part in creating such a close-knit, healthy culture in a team, but you especially feel that in certain moments, like the nationals semi-finals when we were 2-0 down against the tournament favourites with just three minutes to go; the level of trust needed to rally 15 big egos to play for each other and come back from that is pretty special I think.

I found it really fun managing these dynamics, saying what’s best for the team whilst also tailoring your communication to speak to individual teammates with wildly different backgrounds and priorities.

It was such an honour to be captain of these guys, and I’m feeling that particularly now as I’ve just had my last ever skate here in Oxford.

How does being a high-level athlete shape your day-to-day life as a student at Oxford?

I would by no means consider myself a high-level athlete – hahaha! However, as I’ve mentioned, the training times can be extremely anti-social, getting home from training past 2am on a school night or past 5am for away games can be a bit ridiculous with a STEM degree. Especially when you’re captain it can be a real balancing act of responsibilities and priorities, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The balancing act in itself is so valuable and I think in Oxford you definitely need a place to get away from Oxford. I’ve made so many wonderful friends, had so many wonderful experiences, and it would be hard to imagine my life as a student without sports – it would definitely be a lot more boring, whilst we are of course here for our degrees first and foremost, we are also here for so much more than that.

I’ve made so many wonderful friends, had so many wonderful experiences, and it would be hard to imagine my life as a student without sports.

How did you get into ice hockey to start with?

So, although I had never played ice hockey before coming to university, weirdly I played roller hockey growing up, which is basically the exact same thing, just on wheels. What’s really nice at Oxford is that there is alternative ice hockey or “alts” which hundreds of students go to every week with music and no one really knowing how to skate or play hockey- it’s a fun way to spend time with friends and a great way to get into ice hockey if someone wanted to. My College ‘daughter’ at Queen’s even started going to alts in first year and now plays ice hockey for one of the University teams.

What’s really nice at Oxford is that there is alternative ice hockey or “alts” which hundreds of students go to every week with music and no one really knowing how to skate or play hockey- it’s a fun way to spend time with friends and a great way to get into ice hockey if someone wanted to.

What do you enjoy most about being at Queen’s?

It’s so nice to have a place that feels like home whilst you’re at university, especially in 1^st year. You see the same 100 people every day and it’s so easy to make friends and spend time together. Perhaps I was just lucky but I also really love the College family system which is where you have someone in the year above to speak to for subject-specific advice. That’s great in itself, but it also means that you can meet so many more people and I made a lot of good friends in the year above. It’s then nice in second-year when you can kind of pass that knowledge on and reassure your own College ‘children’.

Can you recommend a book?

To stay on topic, I hear Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid is pretty good…

Group of five students in formal suits holding a shield and certificate — OU Sports Team of the Year

Photo: Fisher Studios

For Queen’s graduate art student Rafael Pérez Evans (DPhil in Fine Art Practice), the horizontal body is not passive. In Horizontals, his year-long exhibition at Wakehurst, Kew Gardens, fallen ash trees become sculptural resting places: part bed, part bench, part invitation.

In this interview, Rafael reflects on Henry Moore, burnout, disability, and creating public spaces where exhausted bodies are allowed to simply stop. Artist portrait: photograph by Ricky Adams.

What first drew you to Henry Moore’s reclining figures, and how did that become a starting point for your year-long exhibition at Kew Gardens, Horizontals?

Moore returned to the reclining figure obsessively, but in his work the figure reclines while we stand and look. I wanted to reverse that, to hand the horizontal position back to the visitor. Horizontals take the recline out of representation and turn it into use. The work is then completed by the body lying down, in rest and in contact with the trees above.

‘Horizontals’ take the recline out of representation and turn it into use. The work is then completed by the body lying down, in rest and in contact with the trees above.

Your work asks what kind of pose we hold today. What does the act of reclining mean in the context of burnout and illness?

We tend to read the upright, busy body as the valuable one, and the horizontal, resting body as lazy, even as failure. My wider research argues against care as a reparatory institutional fix, the kind that hurries people back to productivity, and reclining interests me as a refusal of that. Not recovery in order to return to work, but a body that simply stops.

I also wanted to add one more inclination to Moore’s recline: the flat out, fully horizontal body that is burnt out, too tired and can’t hold a pose any more. Working through critical disability studies, I considered bodies that are often bedbound, in hospital, or unable to walk. I think these bodies are often treated as surplus unless they recover or become useful in the expected way. In Horizontals, the body lies down because it is tired, ill, or unable to keep standing. That is the starting point of the work.

I also wanted to add one more inclination to Moore’s recline: the flat out, fully horizontal body that is burnt out, too tired and can’t hold a pose any more.

You describe Horizontals as participatory sculptures. Why was it important that these pieces invite the body in, rather than simply be looked at?

The action is simple: stop, lie down, look up, spend time with the trees. The sculptures are places to stop and rest, not objects to be admired from a safe distance.

Peaceful forest with sunlight filtering through trees and benches for relaxation. — Rafael Pérez Evans, Horizontals, Wakehurst, Kew Gardens, 2026. Six fallen ash trees, carved wood. Approx. 250 × 120 cm each. Image: Rafael Pérez Evans.

The sculptures were made from fallen ash trees within the Wakehurst landscape and carved on site by the arboretum team. How did working with the site and its materials shape the final work?

The timber came from trees that had fallen at Wakehurst because of ash dieback. The sculptures were made in direct relation to that material: its condition and the place it came from. The incredible arboretum team knew the trees, the landscape, and what the wood could do, so their knowledge shaped the final forms. I wanted the pieces to be made with the fewest cuts possible, keeping the wood as close to its original state as we could. The work came out of those practical decisions as much as from my original idea.

Two craftsmen working on large wooden furniture pieces in a workshop. — Production stills from the making of Horizontals at Wakehurst, Kew Gardens. Produced with Russell
and James from the Arboretum and Landscape team, using ash trees removed due to ash dieback.
Photograph: @gardenermaud

There is a strong tension in the project between rest and permission. What do public spaces allow or discourage when it comes to lying down, pausing, or stopping?

Public spaces often allow movement, but they are much less comfortable with stopping. Sitting is usually accepted, but only in controlled ways, through benches and other forms of hostile or anti-homeless design that decide how long a body can stay, how it can rest, and who is allowed to remain there. Lying down can quickly become suspicious, unless it is clearly framed as leisure. I was interested in that line: when rest is permitted, when it is policed, and who is allowed to appear tired in public. The work openly gives permission to do something public space often makes difficult, to stop, stretch out and take up space horizontally, while also pointing to how hard that simple gesture can be.

The work openly gives permission to do something public space often makes difficult, to stop, stretch out and take up space horizontally, while also pointing to how hard that simple gesture can be.

I would like to continue developing Horizontals as a project about the permission to rest, extending it to other sites and working with hospitals, parks, and universities to create outdoor resting sculptures among existing trees and new planting.

You work with fractured communities, instability, and breakdown. How do those ideas connect to the materials, forms, and atmosphere of Horizontals?

The sculptures are made from ash trees that had fallen because of disease, and I did not want to disguise that. When I first visited Wakehurst, I also learned about a large redwood that had become sick and had to be felled. That stayed with me: a giant vertical tree brought down into a horizontal position. I wanted the work to remain with that movement away from verticality, so the forms stay low, heavy and close to the ground. They come from damaged trees and are made for tired bodies. The link in some way is simple: trees that can no longer stand, bodies that need to lie down, and a landscape
already under pressure.

The work is also indebted to the Historical Materialism Disability Network, whose scholarship and community supported me through a difficult period of the research. Their work helped me think more clearly about disability, labour, and the political conditions that decide which bodies are supported and which are treated as expendable. In Horizontals, that thinking becomes a simple physical proposition: a place where the tired, disabled, sick or exhausted body is not hurried back into use, but allowed to stop, lie down, and be held.

The work is installed within Wakehurst’s National Nothofagus collection, among threatened southern beech species cared for through long-term conservation. What does that setting add to the meaning of the piece?

The sculptures sit within Wakehurst’s National Nothofagus collection, an internationally significant collection of southern beeches that includes threatened species. So the work is not placed in a neutral woodland, it is placed inside a conservation site, among trees whose survival is tied to care, infrastructure, and long-term attention.

Lying down there connects human exhaustion with a wider ecological pressure.

For me, rest also feels like something under threat. Lying down there connects human exhaustion with a wider ecological pressure. You are resting in a place where survival is already being actively managed. At many stages I was thinking of the forest as a kind of hospital of the future, a place to retune our tired bodies and minds.

What do you hope visitors take away from the experience of lying down and looking up in the forest?

I hope visitors feel a change in signal. When you lie down, the forest stops being something you move through and becomes something you tune into. Wakehurst is an incredible place in terms of its capacity to quieten the mind. When you stop, light, branches, birds, movement and weather can come into your senses.

When you lie down, the forest stops being something you move through and becomes something you tune into.

I also hope people leave with the sense that rest can be public, shared and ordinary, not something that has to be hidden away.

How is your time at Queen’s shaping your work?

Queen’s has felt like a monastery to me, and the DPhil a monastic journey, a marathon of deep introspection. I’m grateful the College has held me through it. Without that holding I couldn’t have travelled to the outer edges of my research, into the relationships between economy and labour and how they intersect with disability and madness.

Queen’s has felt like a monastery to me, and the DPhil a monastic journey, a marathon of deep introspection.

What do you enjoy most about being a member of the College?

The people, and the beautiful conversations. The College throws me in with physicists, historians and medics. Given everything my research is about, that contact with other forms of thought, outside the art world, has become a vital part of how I think and work.

Contact with other forms of thought, outside the art world, has become a vital part of how I think and work.

Header image: View from the sculptures in the Nothofagus forest, showing crown shyness: the natural gaps formed where tree canopies avoid touching. Photograph: Flora Westwood.

Rafael Pérez Evans is also featured in Henry Moore: Monumental Nature edited by Laura Bruni and published by Kew Publishing in collaboration with the Henry Moore Foundation, 2026.

Pérez Evans works with sculpture, installation and sound to think from and with fractured communities. His practice explores breakdown as both a lived condition and a potential site of liberation, shaped by queer, rural and disabled life. The materials he works with are often unstable, mirroring the degraded lands, voices and bodies that have been devalued and rendered surplus.

www.rafaelperezevans.com

Find out more about Henry Moore and More at Wakehurst, Kew, running until 23 May 2027. Installed in Wakehurst’s National Nothofagus collection, also known as the southern beech forest. Curated by Laurence Sillars. Commissioned by Wakehurst, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in partnership with the Henry Moore Foundation.

Close-up of Henry Moore's abstract sculpture with autumn trees in background.

Queen’s Germanists reflect on language, collaboration, and bringing Ingeborg Bachmann into English.

Four Queen’s students are among a group of Oxford Germanists whose translations of unfinished texts by the renowned Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmann will shortly be published by Taylor Editions. Elizabeth Dallosso, Sam Edwards, Anna Standish, and Adesh Takhar, all second-year Germanists at Queen’s, have contributed to Fragmented: A New Translation of Selected Unfinished Todesarten Texts, a new volume bringing together translated fragments by renowned Austrian woman writer Ingeborg Bachmann. They worked alongside two students from Somerville College, with the volume edited by Dr Isabel Parkinson, Lecturer in German at Queen’s.

team photo for 'Fragmented A New Translation of Selected Unfinished Todesarten Texts' — Team photo

Bachmann is widely regarded as one of the most significant German-language writers of the twentieth century. Her Todesarten project, often translated as “Ways of Dying”, remained unfinished at the time of her death, leaving behind a body of fragmentary and complex prose. For the student translators, this incompleteness became central to the intellectual and creative task of the project.

Creative translation

The group described the work as “a welcome opportunity to explore and enjoy translation in a more creative and experimental manner”, following a first year in which their translation work had focused mainly on shorter pieces and exam preparation. Unlike the individual translation exercises more familiar from their course, this project required sustained collaboration and close debate.

The students said: “Our emphasis remained very centrally on collaboration throughout the whole process, ensuring every sentence had multiple voices and interpretations. This decision stemmed primarily from the nature of Bachmann’s writing. Unlike the texts from our first year, we were immediately struck by the complexity and ambiguity of the writing.”

That complexity often led to long discussions over individual words, sentence structures, and competing interpretations. The group found that the most challenging passages were frequently the most rewarding.

We learnt how to approach these conversations productively and it was often the most debated sections of the texts which produced the most satisfying resolutions for everyone involved.

The role of human translation

The project also prompted the students to think carefully about the role of human translation at a time when AI translation tools are increasingly common. The students were clear that no generative AI was used in producing the translation. Instead, they emphasised the value of first-hand linguistic judgement, and shared interpretation.

“In a world increasingly relying on AI translation as a quick, convenient, cheaper method of translation, projects such as this are essential in preserving the importance of first-hand translation,” they said.

Having only briefly encountered Bachmann’s writing before, the students found themselves engaging with her work primarily through the act of translation. This brought an unusually intense attention to word choice, rhythm, style, and structure.

Rather than trying to translate as quickly as possible with little external help, as we would for our usual exam practice translations, we exhausted the resources at hand because we all wanted the translation to be as good as it could be.

The value of collaboration

As well as translating the texts themselves, the students have written their own translators’ introduction for the volume, reflecting on their process, their collaborative approach, and the significance of having their work published while still undergraduates.

For the Queen’s students, the project has offered an opportunity to contribute to a published literary translation and to take part in a wider conversation about creativity, authorship, and the continuing importance of language study.

The students said: “Translating for the Taylorian Editions Writers in Residence series has broadened our perspective on the use and importance of translation as a still very much relevant and important skill. We have enjoyed the creative challenges and the opportunity to use our imagination to create something that we hope reflects the innovation of Bachmann’s writing.”

They added:

Knowing that this project will be published makes all the hard work we’ve put into this, hours spent debating individual words, staring at a screen trying to figure out what Bachmann meant, and reading around the text, incredibly worth it. We cannot wait to get a copy of the published work.

Editor’s comments on human translation in an age of AI

Editor Dr Parkinson noted that: “For every one word that has ended up in the final volume, at least twice the number of alternatives was discussed by the translators. In slowness, debate, friction, puzzlement, we found connection, humour, sometimes distaste, resonance. I hope that this thought process is visible in the finished work. I hope that it does not read like something flatly perfect generated in minutes by AI. I hope it has character, idiosyncrasies, that it invites conversation.”

In the era of AI translation and LLMs, this edition seeks to explore afresh how a human mind and voice are presented in text, how prose is constructed and translated by human minds, and what may be individual, creative, and distinct about work written and processed by humans.

The fragments and drafts of the Todesarten are extraordinarily wide-ranging, and the selection and order of texts here does not intend to represent a definitive interpretation, and certainly not to constitute an exhaustive collection of Bachmann’s thinking about, and experiments with, a mind in text. Instead, its purpose is to allow our own minds to enter into and participate in the text, as readers, thinkers, and translators – and, of course, to offer more Anglophone readers the chance to encounter Bachmann. It is a testament to the broad themes of her works, to her characteristic voice, and her absorbing narrative threads, that they can be slotted together in a new order and open up fresh resonances. As will be seen, part of the question which I and the other translators asked ourselves was what we discover about the original texts precisely by re-ordering and translating them, especially in translating different versions of the same text.

This is the heart of my own thinking on translation: what happens when we treat the process of translation – or, as in this bilingual edition, the process of comparative reading – as a distinct literary lens in itself? What do we learn about the author, about German, about English, about ourselves?

Fragmented: A New Translation of Selected Unfinished Todesarten Texts will be published by Taylor Editions as part of the Taylorian Editions Writers in Residence series.

Header image: cover artwork for the book by Queen’s third-year student Emily Dicker.

read the book

A bus ticket, a stone-carved Queen, and the creative life of the College: these were among the starting points for Reginæ, a new student-edited chapbook bringing together poetry, short fiction, watercolour, and experimental writing by members of Queen’s.

Supported by the Walter Pater Grant, Reginæ takes its name from the Latin for “Queen” and draws on the long tradition of the chapbook: a small, printed booklet of verse, stories and ideas. For its founding editor, graduate student Parth (Master’s in Public Policy), the format offered something more tangible than a PDF and more intimate than a magazine: an object to read between library sessions and Hall and to keep as a piece of College life.

In this interview, we hear from its founder, Parth, how the chapbook came into being and why its editor hopes it might become a new College tradition.

Parth pictured sitting on the arm of a leather sofa in the Middle Common Room

What first prompted the idea for Reginæ, and why did you choose to create a printed chapbook for the project?

A receipt of my bus journey to arrive at Oxford, and the sight of a Queen set in stone from the Middle Common Room. Every student here at Queen’s is talented in their own way, and being creative is such a common denominator. A printed project bringing together their works seemed a suitable way for me to add and build value to the College that truly is like a nursing mother to all its members. Even in changing through the years, since not one stone of the original College remains in situ today, Queen’s has remained true to the spirit of its founders and patrons. In that, it answers the Ship of Theseus argument. Every corner here, and in Oxford at large, has a story, old and new, waiting to be told. Some are included in Reginæ, which literally, and rightly means, Queen.

Every corner here, and in Oxford at large, has a story, old and new, waiting to be told.

What is a chapbook, for those unfamiliar with the term?

A chapbook is an old-fashioned small, stitched booklet of verse, ballads, and short prose that were historically sold by itinerant chapmen. It seemed right for what we were trying to do with Reginæ—something light enough to read, say between a gruelling library session and a Second Hall, sturdy enough to leave in a common-room basket, and beautiful enough to keep and collect. Also, I have always thought of myself as a pedlar, albeit bad, of stories and ideas, and that finally made the term stick. And it’s not half bad to be called the founding editor of what I hope continues as a College tradition.

The chapbook includes poems, short stories, illustrations, and even an AI-generated fiction experiment. How did you decide what belonged in the first issue?

The criterion was simple, even if the editing was not, since each piece had to be short enough to read in a quiet quarter of an hour. Beyond that, I wanted the issue to feel like the College actually feels in conversation. Mixed, a little surprising, the engineer reading verse in three languages (Kirill), the lawyer writing love poems (Arifur), the physicist (Kate) painting watercolours, and the policy student trying to put it all in one cover. The AI piece was the deliberate experiment in seeing how an LLM can perform vis-à-vis its creators.

I wanted the issue to feel like the College actually feels in conversation: mixed and a little surprising.

What did receiving the Walter Pater Grant make possible?

In the most literal sense, bridging the difference between a PDF circulated by email and an object one can hold as a piece of the College. Receiving the Walter Pater grant helped me convert a private experiment into a College project, making it more diverse, equitable, and inclusive along the way.

What was the process of bringing the chapbook into physical form like?

It was an intensive process, since the chapbook had to be delivered within a few weeks of receiving the grant. My experience with my undergrad College magazine in India helped with the editorial work. I really enjoyed designing it. Holywell Press were patient and exacting — they sent four cover alternatives, talked me through paper weights, set the wordmark with the Reginæ æ-ligature in a way that I had hoped for but couldn’t have specified. Kate’s watercolours were scanned at high resolution and threaded as quiet ornaments between the pieces; the Queen’s eagles on the cover came from the College arms; the Finis page closes on a thistle. None of these are large decisions, but each of them is the kind of small choice that makes a chapbook feel like a chapbook and not a brochure.

What would you like Reginæ to become, and what would you say to students thinking of applying for an arts grant?

Thinking about this, I would like Reginæ to outlive its first editor. The hope is for a small annual or termly (though each term hits different) object that is as much a Queen’s tradition as it would be a coming-together of people to foster a creative space. Through this project, generously funded by the Walter Pater grant, I learnt this about creativity at Queen’s: it is there, mostly quiet, and a great deal of it asks only to be asked.

Through this project, generously funded by the Walter Pater grant, I learnt this about creativity at Queen’s: it is there, mostly quiet, and a great deal of it asks only to be asked.

To students wondering whether to apply: please do. The committee is kind and supportive. You don’t need a finished idea, maybe just a real one. Write the application honestly, give an itemised budget, and trust that the people on the other side already want to say yes.

What do you enjoy most about being at Queen’s?

Inviting my friends to a meal in Hall, and afterwards taking them around the College as they watch it wonderstruck. Finally, in the Chapel, once they have fallen in love with the stained-glass windows, I point towards the lectern, and happily translate the Latin on it for them: “The Eagle is Queen of birds, and the bird of the Queen’s.”

Queen’s students take on a global pollinator threat

A student-led iGEM team at Queen’s is working on an ambitious synthetic biology project with real-world consequences: protecting honeybees from the devastating Varroa mite. Blending biology, biochemistry, chemistry, engineering and biomedical science, the team is developing an RNA-based treatment designed to last longer, target the problem more precisely, and offer a more sustainable alternative to existing controls. Their work shows how Queen’s students are turning interdisciplinary ideas into practical science with the potential to support pollinators, agriculture and environmental health. We asked the team to tell us more.

For those unfamiliar with iGEM, what is the competition and what makes it a distinctive opportunity for students?

Lisa

Lisa (1st year Biochemistry): iGEM is the world’s largest synthetic biology competition, bringing together over 400 student teams each year to tackle pressing global challenges through science and innovation.

Teams conduct laboratory research, fundraise for their projects, and engage with stakeholders and experts, developing their ideas with the design-build-test-learn cycle in engineering. The competition culminates in the annual iGEM Grand Jamboree, where teams around the world showcase their projects to leaders in academia, biotechnology, and industry, competing for medals and special prizes.

Since its founding in 2003, the competition has built an international community of over 100,000 ‘iGEMers’. Teams can access a registry consisting of genetic parts, data, and tools shared by past iGEM teams, whilst contributing their own resources, fostering a culture of collaboration.

What makes iGEM particularly distinctive is its emphasis on multidisciplinary collaboration and real-world impact. Alongside scientific research, teams incorporate diverse perspectives from different disciplines, and consider the ethical, social, and environmental implications of their work through Human Practices. This ensures that projects are not only scientifically innovative, but also safe, feasible, and responsible. As a result, hundreds of iGEM projects have led to real world startups, demonstrating the lasting impact that student research can create.

Hundreds of iGEM projects have led to real world startups, demonstrating the lasting impact that student research can create.

Your project focuses on honeybees and Varroa mites. Why does this problem matter globally, and what impact could a solution have?

Lisa (1st year Biochemistry): Honeybees are among the world’s most important pollinators, it is estimated that one in every three bites of food we take depends on pollination. However, honeybee populations face a growing threat from the Varroa mite, a parasite that has devastated colonies worldwide. In the US alone, Varroa has been involved in 60% of honeybee colony losses. Their recent spread to Australia further spotlights the severity of the challenge: the parasite was first detected in 2022, and merely a year later, New South Wales declared that ‘Varroa eradication was no longer feasible’.

It is estimated that one in every three bites of food we take depends on pollination.

Varroa mites impair bee survival by feeding on their fat tissues, important for immune function and metabolic health. Furthermore, Varroa can transmit honeybee viruses, most notably deformed wing virus (DWV), significantly reducing their lifespan. Combined, these effects can exacerbate colony health, and ultimately, lead to colony collapse. Besides, a key Varroa control method is acaricides (pesticides used against mites and ticks). While these may be effective in the short run, acaricides need to be repeatedly applied, some acaricides negatively impact bee behaviour and health, and some mite populations have already developed resistance towards synthetic acaricides. Acaricide residues have also been detected in the environment and bee products (e.g. beeswax, honey), raising concerns on human and environmental health.

Altogether, this calls for a solution that is affordable, non-toxic and effective, providing long-term protection for honeybee colonies with minimal off-target effects. Such a solution would have profound impacts in supporting agricultural industries, strengthening food security, and safeguarding the wider environment.

Can you explain your project in simple terms and what makes your approach innovative?

Freddie

Freddie (1st year Biology): Our iGEM project is developing a treatment using RNA-based technology to protect bees more effectively and for longer than anything currently available. The most promising existing product works by delivering a molecule called dsRNA (double-stranded RNA), which disrupts the mite’s biology by specifically targeting a gene involved in reproduction. While this reduces mite numbers by 30–40%, the effect is short-lived. Within six weeks, mite populations bounce back to pre-treatment levels. There’s also a critical blind spot: mites do their most serious damage to bee larvae, yet most treatments are consumed by adult worker bees, meaning the drug rarely reaches where it’s needed most.

We’re tackling this in two ways. The first involves a gut bacterium called Snodgrassella alvi, which naturally lives inside bees. By genetically engineering this bacterium to continuously produce dsRNA, we can create a self-sustaining treatment that doesn’t need constant reapplication—a living medicine that travels with the bees themselves. To make this work well, we’re identifying strong genetic “switches” (promoters) that maximise how much dsRNA the bacterium produces, and we’re exploring ways to make the modification permanent within the bacterium’s DNA.

We can create a self-sustaining treatment that doesn’t need constant reapplication—a living medicine that travels with the bees themselves.

The second approach targets the larvae directly. Nurse bees—who care for developing larvae—feed primarily on a protein-rich food called bee bread. We plan to engineer yeast to produce dsRNA, then incorporate this yeast into “pollen patties”, a common hive supplement. Nurse bees eating these patties would absorb the dsRNA and pass it on to larvae during feeding. Research has already shown this kind of transfer can happen naturally, so we’re building on an existing biological pathway. Rather than just suppressing reproduction, our dsRNA treatment is designed as a combined cassette hitting three targets: mite reproduction, direct mite killing, and DWV.

We’re fortunate to have access to the Oxford Bee Laboratory, which can test our treatments in real hives and controlled environments—giving us the chance to see how our approach performs in living colonies.

What has it been like working as an interdisciplinary student team across biology, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, chemistry, and engineering?

Freddie (1st year Biology): The interdisciplinary nature of iGEM projects requires a broad range of scientific expertise, creating valuable opportunities for team members to learn from one another. This was especially evident during the project selection process, when the team came together to explore and debate ideas ranging from synthetic microbial communities for Mars to bacterial amino acid production factories. Working in such an interdisciplinary environment is highly motivating, as it provides a platform for transforming innovative biological concepts into solutions that can be implemented to address real-world challenges.

Working in such an interdisciplinary environment is highly motivating, as it provides a platform for transforming innovative biological concepts into solutions that can be implemented to address real-world challenges.

For many of the first-year students on the team, iGEM also represents their first opportunity to participate in a substantial research project. Doing so alongside students who have already contributed to scientific publications, as well as PhD researchers nearing completion of their theses, has provided unparalleled access to a highly motivated and engaging research community. The breadth of our project, combined with the need to consider the societal and ethical dimensions of honeybee therapeutics, continues to create valuable connections both within Oxford’s scientific community and with collaborators further afield.

How has your experience at Queen’s helped support or shape your involvement in a project like this?

Michael

Michael (2nd year Biomedical Sciences): Throughout my two years at Oxford, Queen’s has always been a multidisciplinary environment rich with insightful conversation. I often found myself engaged in scientific discussion, with the dining hall as a familiar backdrop. My friends and tutors at Queen’s always gave me freedom to fire off any idea I had, moulding my curiosity and refining my ideas. That said, my curiosity often drifts outside the bounds of science, and I wanted to do something that could have an immediate impact and reach more people.

I often found myself engaged in scientific discussion, with the dining hall as a familiar backdrop.

I first heard of iGEM from a friend in Medicine, and it was ultimately advice from an upper-year student at Queen’s that convinced me to take part. The first stage of iGEM was a project pitch, a perfect place to actualise the crazy ideas I’d thought up at dinner tables. The following stages involved experimentation, and lots of fundraising and outreach. Beyond the science, Queen’s has played a key role in supporting our project. From the little things, like the outreach opportunities I’ve been able to glean from my conversations with fellow Queen’s students; to the huge things, like the funding support, and the enormous contributions of my two first-year team members at Queen’s. Even now, the College is helping out by spreading our story. I hope that this article can spur enthusiasm for more student-run projects at Queen’s, and that more people learn about the amazing work our iGEM team has done.

What have you found most exciting or challenging about taking part in iGEM so far?

Lisa (1st year Biochemistry): For me, the level of independence that we have over our project is both the most exciting and most challenging aspect of iGEM. iGEM provides us with the opportunity to shape every stage of the process, from start to finish: identifying a problem, pitching our ideas, fundraising, engaging with stakeholders and experts, designing a solution, creating social media and website content…

There is so much that we could possibly do, and the freedom to explore is incredibly exciting. But, this also comes with responsibility. With limited time and resources, we had to make numerous decisions, such as which global issue to tackle, which experiments to run, and how to best develop our project. Reaching a consensus with such a large, multidisciplinary team can sometimes be challenging, especially when deciding on whether we should pivot or stop pursuing certain ideas, but those difficult discussions often led to stronger outcomes.

While exciting and challenging, iGEM has become a genuine passion project for our team. We dedicate time outside our studies to visit labs and hives, meet up to exchange our ideas, and hop on calls with sponsors, experts or stakeholders outside working hours. What makes this experience so rewarding is the special sense of ownership that we gain from leading different parts of the project, and we are really excited to see how our idea develops over the coming months.

igem project photo of two students smiling to camera and standing on a grass path with trees and blue sky in the background

Student-led research projects like iGEM depend on practical resources, from laboratory reagents and consumables to modelling tools and competition costs. What does it take behind the scenes to turn an idea like this into a working scientific project?

Michael (2nd year Biomedical Sciences): A lot of planning and coordination go into procuring resources for the project. The team first has to come up with a rough budget estimate, covering participation fee, accommodation, scientific tools, and outreach costs. This budget is then categorised and refined by individual teams. For example, the R&D team devises the needed protocols and tools for experimentation, then the budget is updated accordingly.

Once an estimated budget and required tools are specified, the amazing Fundraising team works its magic, setting fundraising goals and turning cold emails into cold cash. Fortunately, there are a wealth of sponsors eager to support iGEM projects, including former iGEM participants, funds for junior researchers, and prominent lab equipment companies who are the mainstays of many iGEM sponsor lists.

Whilst the process may seem straightforward, our funding was a result of meticulous planning from the R&D and Human Practices team, followed by the tireless efforts of the Fundraising team. On a more abstract level, the process is driven by a shared scientific enthusiasm between the team and the sponsors. All our planning and outreach are driven by this enthusiasm, which is then felt and reciprocated by our sponsors. The fundraising process is still in full force, and anyone interested in donating is more than welcome to contact us via the College!

What are your hopes for the project, both scientifically and in terms of the impact it could have beyond the competition?

Lisa (1st year Biochemistry): While the competition concludes in autumn, we hope that our project can be applied to protect honeybees in the real world. Moreover, we hope that our project’s impact can extend much further through the scientific knowledge we discover, the skills that we develop, and the interest in honeybee protection we spark across academia, industry, and the wider community.

Scientifically, we are excited to run experiments and explore approaches that have not yet been done before. We seek to generate genetic parts, data, and insights that can be built upon by other iGEM teams, academics, and companies working on related RNA-based technologies and honeybee protection.

Beyond the laboratory, we aim to produce a solution that is not only scientifically effective, but also acceptable by beekeepers and deployable in the real world. Conversations with beekeepers and industry councils have exposed us to the severe challenges that Varroa poses, with spillover effects beyond beekeeping. Our goal is therefore to safeguard honeybee colonies to support the apicultural and agricultural sectors, whilst promoting environmental sustainability.

Finally, we are eager to engage the wider community through two-way dialogue and outreach events, through raising awareness on honeybee health, RNA-based technologies, and the use of synthetic biology in an ethically responsible manner. By presenting science in an accessible manner, we look forward to promoting scientific literacy and inspiring the next generation of scientists and innovators.

The fundraising process is still in full force, and anyone interested in donating is more than welcome to contact us via the College: news@queens.ox.ac.uk.

igem team photo showing ten students lined up in two rows on some stairs — iGEM team photo

Two first-year Fine Art students at Queen’s are turning the end of their first year into something more than a milestone. Emerging Unrealities, a new student-led exhibition, brings together the work of Rosa and Maia: artists whose practices explore memory and the shifting boundaries between the real and the imagined.

What began as a creative friendship has quickly evolved into a collaborative project. “Meeting on the Oppox residential, we quickly became each other’s closest artistic confidants,” they explain. “Drawn together by our shared interests in the psychological, political and mobilising power of art, we felt that our work was incomplete without an audience.”

The exhibition’s title signals both ambition and uncertainty. “Emerging Unrealities echoes our shared interest in the posthuman debate,” they say. “Our practices imagine landscapes which are sentimental, mythic, cathartic and ineffable… This sense of liminality demands a qualifying status of ‘emergence’, where ideas and worlds are only coming into being, proposed, not solidified.”

Inner worlds, external realities

Although united by shared themes, Rosa and Maia approach them through distinct mediums and methods.

Rosa’s work centres on painting and multimedia, constructing imagined environments as a way of interrogating the self. “My practice explores fantastical spaces and constructed unrealities as manifestations of the psychologically complex self,” she explains. “I examine how internal states both shape and are shaped by external realities.”

Her work draws on a wide range of influences, from philosophy and religion to politics and grief, building what she describes as a “personal mythology of the metabolic nature of life.” Through imagined characters and environments, she traces how “sociopolitical systems infiltrate perception and emotional life,” revealing how ideology becomes embedded in the psyche.

Born of the Loam, Daughters of the Horizon (oil on canvas) by Rosa Goddard; the painting depicts two women coming out of the ground. They are naked except for flower chains. The sky is dark and colourful, the ground is covered in grass and soil. — ‘Born of the Loam, Daughters of the Horizon’ (oil on canvas) by Rosa Goddard

These ideas emerge intuitively. “I envision scenes of unreality in the mind, then materialise them using accessible objects from the physical world,” she says. “Through this act of translation, I navigate the dynamic interplay between the tangible and the metaphysical, the real and the unreal.”

Maia, by contrast, works primarily through sculpture and printmaking, focusing on the instability of memory and materiality. “My practice traces the distortions of memory… particularly through monoprint and plaster casting,” she says. “There is a doubling of touch, where the marks made aren’t necessarily what emerges on the other side.”

This gap between intention and outcome mirrors the unreliability of memory itself. “What we experience as a memory is distanced from the truth by layers of habit, nostalgia and feeling.”

Recent work draws on the Biblical figure of Lot’s wife, frozen as a pillar of salt for looking back. “This visceral image… resonated deeply with my preoccupation with memory,” Maia explains, “as well as imagining possibilities in which this ‘freezing’ is an empowering act: a devotion to the past.”

'Pillar of Sought' (Plaster, Clay, Chicken wire, Bandages, Scrim) by Maia Szulta; image depicts plasterwork sculpture showing clear hand/finger print marks — ‘Pillar of Sought’ (Plaster, Clay, Chicken wire, Bandages, Scrim) by Maia Szulta

Material as meaning

For both artists, material is not just a medium but a conceptual tool.

Rosa’s work ranges from painting to drypoint etching and translucent film. “Painting was my gateway to art,” she says, “but my technique disrupts the smooth surface…tracing emotion through anatomy: panic, anxiety, awe.”

Other works explore the tension between biological and digital existence. “Drypoint etching… casts an image through absence,” she explains, describing figures “floating in a digital space, yearning for contact to environments they cannot materially inhabit.” Her use of layered film, partly inspired by time spent in Oxford’s dissection rooms, creates images that blur the boundaries between body, technology, and environment.

'Fruits of the Womb' (drypoint on Perspex, coloured film sheets, printed photographs) by Rosa Goddard; the art work depicts supermarket items interspersed with body parts and fruit — ‘Fruits of the Womb’ (drypoint on Perspex, coloured film sheets, printed photographs) by Rosa Goddard

Maia’s materials similarly reflect her themes of memory and transformation. “I have been embracing the appearance of fingers and hands… a reference both to the manual process and the ‘hands of time’ which affect our memories,” she says. Working with clay and plaster, she captures every imprint, resulting in forms that appear “somewhat disturbing, clawing, as if fossilised in memory.”

She repeatedly returns to ideas of “freezing and rupturing”, solid plaster versus molten wax, alongside recurring motifs such as eggs, backs and turning bodies: “Faces emerge and are later obscured as the figure turns and the memory becomes distant.”

'Talking Head' (Plaster cast in clay, wax) by Maia Szulta; image depicts a small plaster egg-shaped object with a hollowed out centre wedged between two stones, potentially gravestones with a field and picnic bench in the background — ‘Talking Head’ (Plaster cast in clay, wax) by Maia Szulta

Beyond the ‘white cube’

Preparing work for exhibition has shifted how both artists think about their practice. “Exhibition spaces are not simply spaces to present art for a market value,” they argue. “They are places where dialogue, experimentation, critical thought and collective imagination become visible.”

Staging the exhibition at Queen’s has brought its own challenges and opportunities. Without conventional gallery spaces, they have had to rethink how their work is encountered. “Flexibility of presentation…is part of the joy of constructing an exhibition,” they say, “playing with the meanings that emerge when work is placed within this historic backdrop.”

They also credit the support of the College community, particularly Prof Anthony Gardener, Fellow in Fine Art at Queen’s, who “massively motivated us…especially when the organisational demands of the project seemed too much to handle.”

Art, community and new futures

At its core, Emerging Unrealities is as much about community as it is about individual practice. “Universities are not simply places that produce workers for the economy,” they say, “but environments where ethical, emotional and intellectual frameworks for understanding the world emerge.”

Universities are not simply places that produce workers for the economy, but an environment where ethical, emotional and intellectual frameworks for understanding the world emerge.

Their hope is that the exhibition will open up space for reflection and imagination. “We want visitors to open their minds to new ways of thinking,” they explain. “Our works ask the audience to consider how they want the world to be shaped—the possibility of building beautiful ‘unrealities’… the foundations for a new future.”

That thinking has been shaped in part by their studies at the Ruskin School of Art, where practical work is closely tied to critical and theoretical exploration. From anatomy classes, “a confrontation with mortality and the physicality of the human body”, to group critiques and theory seminars tackling issues from colonialism to AI, their work is constantly being tested and expanded.

The result is an exhibition that is both personal and outward-looking: rooted in individual experience, but reaching toward broader questions about memory, identity, and the worlds we might yet imagine.

See more of Rosa’s art on Instagram.
See more of Maia’s art on Instagram.

Stolen Fruits, Ripened for Harvest (frame-by-frame animation); image depicts a still from an animation. The image show has a deep red background and female bodies with no head and fruits at various stages of decay on the centre of the body

'Stolen Fruits, Ripened for Harvest' (frame-by-frame animation) by Rosa Goddard

'Turn 1' & 'Turn 2' (Monoprint on Newsprint, Wax, Wooden dowels) by Maia Szulta

What does a Materials Science student do and where can it take you? For first-year Nikhil, the answer includes a summer internship in Tsukuba, Japan. We asked him about life in College and the subject that sits at the heart of some of today’s biggest technological challenges.

What drew you to Materials Science in the first place and why did you choose to study it at Oxford?

The sort of classic answer is that I liked both Physics and Chemistry, and didn’t want to let go of either, and I’m perhaps a bit disappointed to say it was basically the same for me! I had actually looked into some specific literature during the application process though, which confirmed that it was a topic that was really interesting but also really important for the modern age and I thought I’d prefer it over a pure science like Physics or Chemistry.

Looking back, what would you tell your 17-year-old self about choosing Queen’s?

Well, obviously that it was the right choice, but apart from that, just that I didn’t need to be too worried about whether I was going to find the right crowd or not. That was something that I was concerned about – if I’d find people in College that I’d get along well with but I’d say honestly it turned out better that I could’ve hoped for; I have an amazing community here and even the tutors are good chat and great to be around.

What does a typical day at Queen’s look like for you and which parts of it do you enjoy most?

One thing that I’ve started to notice only recently is how often you’ll bump into people you know. It’s virtually impossible not to recognise someone at your weekly shop at Tesco that you met a few weeks ago. It makes for some very nice (or awkward) moments! Another thing is just how everyone is really just a nerd at heart. I suppose that shouldn’t have surprised me but it’s always fascinating to hear about a little niche bit about everyone’s area of speciality.

If I’m feeling particularly productive, I’ll wake up in time for breakfast in College and then head over to the Materials Department for lectures through to lunchtime. I’ll either grab lunch on the way with a few course mates or in College, depending on when my lectures end before finding an appropriate library to do a reasonable amount of work in. If I have labs/choir stuff, I’ll head there immediately after, which will probably take me to dinnertime in either College or Sainsbury’s (if I’m feeling financially responsible, if not then Wasabi). Most of my nights usually end in some way or another in the Beer Cellar where I’ll lose magnificently in a game of pool, before spending a silly number of hours in someone’s room trying to convince myself that sleep is just a construct.

My favourite parts are actually not the things I’ve listed – it’s more the random side quests that I end up doing for no particular reason – like interrogating the entire library to find my charger or going on an impromptu tour of Oxford after finding my best mate. This isn’t very conducive to sticking to my schedule though…

What has the teaching experience been like, especially tutorials and practical work?

I’m a big fan of the tutorial system – doing a problem sheet in your own time and then going through it with just you, your tute partner, and your tutor is an incredibly effective way of learning. Especially when your tutor pushes the conclusions you’ve drawn and gets you to look at more difficult but interesting concepts adjacent to the content you learnt. I think that’s one of the great benefits of having an expert guide you through the learning process.

I’m a big fan of the tutorial system – doing a problem sheet in your own time and then going through it with just you, your tute partner, and your tutor is an incredibly effective way of learning.

Labs are one of those things where they’re a lot of work and not very fun when you do them, but you start to understand their importance after, especially when you’re formatting equations in accordance with Acta Materialia, my favourite bedtime scientific journal. They’re both good in different ways – one develops a theoretical understanding that comes out in labs when you get to see what you learnt in action. There’s a huge difference between studying phenomena and trying to replicate it. It’s very instructive, and Materials Science is very much an applied science so it’s very important.

You’ve secured an internship in Tsukuba this summer. Congratulations! How did that opportunity come about?

Thank you! It was a lot of emailing around to be honest. I wanted to try my hand sorting out some summer stuff early on. It turns out I did it at the perfect time and the timeline of booking flights, securing funding etc. was nice and relaxed. I think Materials Science is a niche enough subject where researchers are eager to encourage participation from students, which is why they were happy with me going over. I can speak some Japanese, so Japan was always on the cards for me in terms of future career prospects. They’ve got a great materials science discipline and solid research into nuclear fusion – the area that I’m currently interested in. In fact, I think they have the world’s largest operating fusion tokamak there right now.

What are you most excited about when it comes to living and working in Japan?

Definitely the travelling. And the food. Japanese food is my favourite and I hope I can take a lot of pictures out and about in my free time (if I get any!).

For someone considering Materials Science but not quite sure what it involves, how would you explain its significance in the world?

Great question. Materials Science is all about optimising the current materials we use through research and prediction of material properties. It’s fairly involved with your main scientific disciplines but demands knowledge from outside those as well. The key thing is that, now, most of the fundamental problems we have with new technological advancements are materials problems; we have the fundamental physics more or less sorted out (e.g. nuclear fusion, quantum computing), but our theories of materials are not developed enough to give us materials that fit the requirements for these technologies. I believe we’re going to see more breakthroughs in fundamental Materials Science before we see things like quantum computers. Hopefully soon though! Apart from the more illustrious applications, Materials Science is needed to a certain degree wherever materials are used…So pretty much everywhere!

Can you recommend a book?

The Material World by Rodney Cotterill is an amazing introduction to my subject. It literally takes you from the cosmos and atoms, really fundamental physics, to neuroscience and the idea of consciousness, and literally everything in between from the perspective of a materials scientist.

From Tasmania to Oxford, graduate student Billy (Master’s in Public Policy) reflects on community, civic purpose, and the role universities can play in shaping not just careers, but the way we think about responsibility, opportunity, and public life.

You were recently awarded a University Medal by your undergraduate institution, the University of Tasmania. Congratulations! What does that recognition mean to you?

It’s a really satisfying recognition, particularly after having made the deliberate choice to stay in Tasmania for my undergraduate years, instead of going interstate like many of my peers from high school. More than anything, it feels like a way of tying together what was a rich and varied experience, which included a handful of fantastic professors who genuinely shaped how I think, peers I learned an enormous amount from, and some great placements and internships that were built into the coursework. I also had the chance to do two short exchange programs, to Vietnam and Indonesia, which were both amazing experiences in their own right. So in many ways the medal is a nice full stop on all of that, a reminder of just how much those years contained.

What are you focusing on in your research at Oxford and what questions are you most interested in exploring?

The Master’s in Public Policy at Oxford has given me a broad foundation, covering the philosophy underpinning public policy, political science, law as a policy tool, and the practical application of economics and evidence. This term I’ve been able to specialise further, into education policy and geo-economics with a focus on China.

Beyond the programme itself, I’m developing two distinct areas of deeper interest. The first is sovereign wealth funds, how they can build economic resilience for future generations, and how governments navigate the tension between short-term political pressures and the long-term mandates these funds are designed to serve. The second remains close to my roots: education and human capital development, and the policy levers that different countries are using to shape outcomes for their people. What excites me most is the space where these two interests converge, how institutional capital can be directed toward human capability.

How has your experience of the Queen’s community shaped your time at Oxford so far?

Queen’s has shaped my Oxford experience in ways I didn’t fully anticipate. The College did an excellent job early on of facilitating connections within the postgraduate community through the Middle Common Room (MCR), and those friendships have become a real staple of my weekly life here. Living in close quarters with fellow Queen’s students has added another dimension to that, the kind of easy, everyday interactions that make a place feel like home.

What I’ve enjoyed most is the way Queen’s has served as a hub where different worlds of Oxford converge. Some of my favourite moments have been bringing together friends from college, Rhodes scholars, and coursemates from the Blavatnik School, people who might never otherwise meet, gathered in the same room.

What I’ve enjoyed most is the way Queen’s has served as a hub where different worlds of Oxford converge. Some of my favourite moments have been bringing together friends from college, Rhodes scholars, and coursemates from the Blavatnik School, people who might never otherwise meet, gathered in the same room.

You’ve spoken about the importance of community in your earlier studies; what does that support look like in practice?

For me, community support has always been defined by reciprocity. The core conviction underlying everything I do within institutions is simple: you give back to the places that shaped you.

For me, community support has always been defined by reciprocity. The core conviction underlying everything I do within institutions is simple: you give back to the places that shaped you.

That began when I was fifteen, when a foundation scholarship to a private school in Tasmania shifted my trajectory. That relationship never really ended, I now serve on the alumni board, have spent years tutoring students there, worked in the boarding house, and contributed to their advancement office. The same principle carried through my time at UTAS, where I delivered industry showcases, workshops, and presentations to business and economics students out of gratitude for what that institution made possible for me. And it continues here at Oxford. Through the Rhodes Trust, I serve as an ambassador for the Australian cohort and join virtual coffee chats with incoming scholars. At the Blavatnik School, I’ve sat on panels and run study sessions for my peers.

The belief underpinning all of it is that no individual achieves as much alone as they can within a collective. My advice to young people is always the same: give without expectation, but give sincerely, and the institution will give back in ways you can’t always predict.

The idea of ‘civic purpose’ is important to you. How do you interpret this in your own work?

My interpretation of civic purpose is grounded in humility. Those of us fortunate enough to be at Oxford must be honest with ourselves: we arrived here through a combination of hard work, yes, but also luck, and luck is not evenly distributed. We live in a world where postcode privilege profoundly shapes the opportunities available to people from birth, and that is not something any of us earned or chose.

That recognition carries a responsibility. If you have been fortunate enough to receive good opportunities, I believe you have an obligation to dedicate a meaningful portion of your life, in whatever form brings you fulfilment, to improving the fortune of others.

If you have been fortunate enough to receive good opportunities, I believe you have an obligation to dedicate a meaningful portion of your life, in whatever form brings you fulfilment, to improving the fortune of others.

Living that out requires self-reflection: understanding where you will be most motivated to make change, and then having the discipline to resist the pull of more lucrative pathways that drift away from that purpose.

What do you think the role of a university should be today and has your perspective on that changed through your experiences in Tasmania and Oxford?

My view on this has evolved, and not always in a straight line.

My final two years of high school gave me a strong sense of what a learning institution could be at its best, a place that drives curiosity, builds confidence, and creates genuine belonging. When I arrived at university, COVID stripped most of that away. For a period, I grew pessimistic about higher education, particularly having founded businesses and worked four or five jobs concurrently throughout my degree. The professional world felt like a richer learning environment than the one I was sitting in.

What began to shift that was when my university started opening doors to experiences I couldn’t have accessed alone, such as the exchange programs to Indonesia and Vietnam, where I started to see higher education again as a vehicle for curiosity, community, and confidence in unfamiliar environments.

Oxford has consolidated that shift. What has mattered most here isn’t necessarily the content of any single lecture, it’s the fact that every class is in person, that I’m constantly in conversation with people from radically different backgrounds, and that there is a palpable sense of momentum and mutual investment in the room. I learn best through conversation, and the Blavatnik School has been an epicentre for exactly that, big, challenging conversations about the grey area. It’s a large part of why I chose to stay there for a second year. For me, the measure of a great university is ultimately the quality of human interaction it makes possible.

The measure of a great university is ultimately the quality of human interaction it makes possible.

For students considering their next steps in the world, whether it be study or work, what advice would you give them in terms of how they should make their choices?

I’d offer three pieces of advice.

The first is to not underestimate the value of trying things, including things that don’t work out. I’ve held many jobs, internships and placements over the years, and only a handful of them excited me. But the ones that didn’t were often the most clarifying. Knowing what doesn’t motivate you is one of the most reliable ways to understand what does. Breadth of experience early on means that when the time comes to go deep in a particular direction, you’re making that choice with real self-knowledge rather than assumption.

The second is to resist the pressure of the single linear pathway. I’m a strong advocate for pursuing your passions alongside your day job, continuing to learn, shifting across different areas, and expanding the range of tools and perspectives available to you. The work environment is dynamic, and the people who thrive in it tend to be the ones who’ve kept themselves curious and adaptable.

I’m a strong advocate for pursuing your passions alongside your day job.

The third, and perhaps the most important to me personally, is to build some form of reflection into your life. Living with intention is one of the great challenges of our generation. Every moment of downtime is filled with new information and stimulus, and lessons that could be formative just disappear into the noise. Whether it’s journalling, conversations with close friends, a mindfulness practice, or simply walking without a podcast, find a way to internalise what you’re learning, so it actually shapes your decisions rather than just passing through.

Whether it’s journalling, conversations with close friends, a mindfulness practice, or simply walking without a podcast, find a way to internalise what you’re learning, so it actually shapes your decisions rather than just passing through.

Can you recommend a book?

I’d encourage any young person to read The Resilience Project by Hugh van Cuylenburg. Hugh is an author, speaker, and founder of a not-for-profit in Australia built around three core principles: gratitude, empathy, and mindfulness. He’s spent over a decade working in the education sector, developing resilience programs for schools across the country, and is someone I look up to as a role model.

His book was the one that first inspired me to reflect more deliberately on my own practices, to be more intentional about how I live and how I process the world around me. For any young person navigating big decisions or busy seasons of life, it’s exactly the kind of read that stays with you.

Queen’s DPhil student Melody is bringing research out of the library and into the Ashmolean Museum this term, leading a series of tea-tasting sessions to explore ‘sensory archaeology’ and the role of taste in understanding historical cultures, using tea in China as a case study.

Supported by a highly competitive Public and Community Engagement with Research (PCER) grant, the sessions offer a rare opportunity for the public to take part in student research at the Ashmolean and bring together academics, artists and heritage specialists. We asked Melody to tell us about her research.

Can you tell us a bit about what is meant by the phrase ‘sensory archaeology’?

Sensory archaeology is a theoretical stance that argues past human senses can and should be studied through material culture. It is important to understand the sensory world of the past because the cultural value we give to different senses also shapes how society was (and is still) structured.

It is important to understand the sensory world of the past because the cultural value we give to different senses also shapes how society was (and is still) structured.

Your current PCER grant-supported project asks a deceptively simple question: what makes the perfect cup of tea? How and why are you testing that at the Ashmolean?

We will test this through a sensory evaluation (like a survey), which is a standard practice in the food and beverage industry. We are testing this at the Ashmolean Museum as many of the cup designs will be based on vessels from the Ashmolean’s collection, which also correspond to archaeological examples of cups I have encountered during my research. We need 100 participants, so this is also a chance to create an immersive experience where people not just visit the museum and look at objects, but ‘taste’ them too.

This project brings together archaeologists, scientists, artists, and a museum. How have those different perspectives shaped the way the experiment has been designed?

The experiment design has become a balance of addressing the most fundamental needs and limitations of each perspective. Archaeologists and scientists want rigour in terms of controlling all the variables, the museum needs a format that will be comfortable and enjoyable for participants, while working with the artist has given a maker’s, rather than a user’s, view of these cups. We also ran two special sessions with the local Chinese community, and the experiment also had to accommodate community needs such as providing Chinese language facilitation and bilingual surveys and consent forms.

There’s a strong sensory element: taste, smell, even the absence of perfume or strong flavours beforehand. Why is controlling those factors so important?

Our perception of the taste/smell of food and drink are easily influenced by many factors, so we need to remove as many interferences as possible.

What have been both the key challenges and the most enjoyable elements of leading a public-facing research project in a space like the Ashmolean as a DPhil student?

The most enjoyable elements have been working with the Ashmolean Museum staff and local community leads to create an event that will be not just be useful for my research but also enjoyable for the participants. Finally sharing the event with our initial Chinese community sessions was so exciting — seeing my research actually bring enjoyment to other people, especially non-academics, was so meaningful. However the biggest challenge has also been trying to make sure all the logistical puzzle pieces are in place while observing museum guidelines.

Seeing my research actually bring enjoyment to other people, especially non-academics, was so meaningful.

This is a collaborative project funded by the PCER grant, co-designed and executed with the help and expertise of the following people:

PI: Dr Anke Hein, School of Archaeology

Prof Charles Spence, Crossmodal Research Laboratory

Dr Jenny Wang, WeaveYard https://www.weaveyard.com/

Jynsym Ong, Magdalen Studios https://www.jynsymong.com/

Dr Luciana Carvalho, Department of Chemistry

Beth McDougall, GLAM/Pitt Rivers Museum

Ashmolean Museum Public Engagement with Research Coordinator

Ashmolean Museum Teaching Curator

tea-tasting experiment call for participants poster with the title 'volunteers needed to drink tea'

The Eglesfield Musical Society’s summer show is an annual highlight in the Queen’s Trinity Term calendar of events. This year, the College gardens provides the backdrop for Guys and Dolls bringing together students from colleges across Oxford. Musical Director and Queen’s MCR President Kyle tells us more.

You describe this production as “fast, playful, and a little bit different”; what can audiences expect that they wouldn’t get from a traditional staging?

The most obvious answer to this is the fact that this production is outside in the beautiful setting of the Fellows’ Garden at Queen’s. The audience is completely surrounded by the action, and for the first time in recent Queen’s history, the band is also in the garden with the audience. This means that the band becomes part of the action, and the audience sees what’s going on onstage, and what is happening in the pit. It is truly immersive.

Outdoor theatre always comes with the unexpected. What have been some of the challenges during the preparation and how have you adapted?

As with the previous EMS musicals I have been involved in, I’ve learnt that it’s best not to stress about the weather. These things tend to sort themselves out! Nonetheless, we are prepared with three very grand marquees to cover the band and the technical elements of the show, and we advise the audience to bring warm coats, as it can get chilly when the sun goes down.

For those who might not know Guys & Dolls, what makes it such an enduring musical?

As a musical director, my natural answer to this questions is the highly enjoyable and memorable score. The music in this musical is simply perfect. Each song is ubiquitous in its own right, but the whole musical is tied together by a set of recurring themes that are as much joyful as they are deeply moving to listen to. I think there are very few people who leave Guys and Dolls without humming or whistling the tunes they’ve just enjoyed for days after they’ve seen it. Having worked on it for several months, I fear that for me, I will be humming these tunes for months.

The music in this musical is simply perfect.

Music is central to the show’s energy: how are you approaching the score to match the immersive, close-up setting?

The score has got a lot of energy and contrasting moments to it, which require the band and singers to really pay attention to the dynamics and phrasing across the music. Paying to attention to the differences between the long singing musical lines and the short sharp funky music (and everything in between) across the score really brings the audience into the setting and mood of a specific scene or moment in the show. Having such engaging choreography has also helped bring out these moments in the cast’s performances.

What are you finding most enjoyable about preparing for the show?

Working with so many people from across the collegiate university is by far the most rewarding aspect of all the EMS musicals I have done. You meet so many people, all of whom are incredibly talented, and get to work on this amazing and unique piece of art together over several months. Making music together, dancing together, and laughing together is infectious and something very special. Seeing it all come together in the garden is always incredibly satisfying, and brings us all together to create (if you’ll excuse the cheese) memories that last a lifetime.

Making music together, dancing together, and laughing together is infectious and something very special.

Congratulations to first-year student Luke Chalmers (German and Spanish, 2025) who has been selected for the Laidlaw Scholarship programme, an international programme that brings together undergraduates from leading universities.

Combining research, leadership development, and practical social impact projects, the scholarship recognises students with both academic strength and a commitment to addressing real-world challenges, qualities Luke has already demonstrated through his work in education and community initiatives. We asked him to tell us more.

Can you explain what the Laidlaw Scholarship is and what drew you to apply?

The Laidlaw Scholarship is an 18-month leadership and research programme targeted at undergraduates with cohorts from universities such as Cambridge, MIT, Oxford and many others. It gives students the chance to develop research skills, take on local and global impact projects, and reflect on putting ethical leadership into practice. What stood out to me is the focus not simply on being academically strong, but about learning how to use research collaboratively and responsively to address real social challenges.

What stood out to me is the focus not simply on being academically strong, but about learning how to use research collaboratively and responsively to address real social challenges.

As an Oxford student, I am constantly surrounded by academic curiosity and highly ambitious students, but I think the real test is being able to translate that intellectual energy into something with real world impact outside of the University. I was drawn to apply to the programme because it combined research, leadership training, and practical engagement with communities on the local and international scales. I wanted to be a part of an organisation that would push me to make use of all of my skillset in a purposeful manner.

What part of the programme are you most excited about?

The individual part of the programme I’m most excited by is the Laidlaw Scholars Annual Conference. I see it as a testament to the most valuable aspects of the scholarship: being part of a wider international community of students who are all thinking seriously about leadership and social impact.

The ability to present my research in front of an engaged and motivated audience, alongside the opportunity to hear others express what they have learned will certainly be an invaluable personal growth experience. I am looking forward to meeting scholars from across the world and learning from them as I, in turn, share what I have learnt.

Was there a particular moment or experience that shaped your interest in leadership or global issues?

I have been interested in the SDG Goals from a very early age, visiting the United Nations Geneva headquarters in primary school and being exposed to what ethical leadership looks like on the global stage. Since then, alongside my studies, I have devoted a lot of time to addressing the global issues that mattered the most on my local scale, namely that of quality education. Before starting as Oxford, I founded and was involved in various charitable organisations that dedicated themselves to helping underfunded state schools pay off their debts as well as providing them with core curriculum materials such as books and pens. The three years that I spent involved in these projects shapes my view of leadership as well as making me more passionate and driven to bring about change as I got to experience first-hand how children had been positively affected by the work we had done. Reading with Year 5 students the books we had provided them, and receiving thank you letters from GCSE students we had tutored, were among the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Reading with Year 5 students the books we had provided them, and receiving thank you letters from GCSE students we had tutored, were among the most rewarding experiences of my life.

You’ve already had experience in law, finance, and consulting: how has this shaped your thinking?

Having experiences across law, finance, and consulting has really shaped the way I think about problems. Each environment has given me a different lens. Through being involved with the Oxford Alpha Fund, and my internships in private wealth management and asset management, I have become much more comfortable thinking analytically about markets, risk, incentives, and long-term value. Finance has taught me how decisions are shaped by both numbers and human behaviour.

Moreover, working for the Oxford Strategy Group as a consultant, project leader, and most recently as the Associate Director of Operations has taught me how to break down complex problems into compartmentalised issues and then address them each individually. Additionally, my ability to communicate ideas clearly and efficiently, as well as managing a team with differing backgrounds, has equipped me with the skillset to approach any leadership setting with confidence and ability.

Finally, being exposed to law at Oxford and outside, such as through my insight day at Gibson Dunn, has added another dimension. It showed me the importance of precision, judgement, and understanding the very framework under which decisions are made. Law encourages you to think carefully about the consequences of your decisions and what arises from obligations.

Overall, these experiences have equipped me with a strong mental framework to tackle global issues. They have taught me that leadership is not simply being analytical and confident, but about judgement, responsibility, and the ability to unite different perspectives. That is exactly why the Laidlaw programme appeals to me: it offers a new environment for me to continue developing those skills in a values-driven, interdisciplinary setting that is focused on real-world impact.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to students coming to study Oxford next year?

Oxford is a weird and wonderful place, but your time here flies, so it is really important to make the most of it. If you have been offered a place here, then in all likelihood you were a very academic student at school. I personally sat six A-Levels and spent much of my spare time competing in maths Olympiads or essay competitions, so I completely understand the desire to focus entirely on your studies.

And, of course, Oxford is academically extraordinary. You have unrivalled access to books, specialists, tutorials, lectures, and people who are genuinely world-class in their fields. But Oxford is more than the academics.

My number one piece of advice would be to throw yourself into every opportunity that presents itself to you.

My number one piece of advice would be to throw yourself into every opportunity that presents itself to you, and, when necessary, to make your own opportunities. You can dance tango, go skydiving, act in a play, write for a magazine, join a student consultancy, and learn almost any subject you have even had the most remote interest in.

I would also recommend not to wait until you feel completely ready. A lot of the best and most unique experiences here start with feeling out of your depth. Growth happens where you say yes to things that challenge you, introduce yourself to different people, and push yourself beyond the version of yourself that arrived here.

Growth happens where you say yes to things that challenge you, introduce yourself to different people, and push yourself beyond the version of yourself that arrived here.

So, my advice is to take the academics seriously, but not to let them define you. Be curious, ambitious, and proactive. Oxford can open a lot of doors, but you still have to be willing to walk through them.

Graduate student Ella (DPhil in Genomic Medicine and Statistics), ran her first marathon this Easter vacation alongside her mum, combining a personal challenge with a cause close to home. Their decision to support Alzheimer’s Society builds on earlier fundraising efforts inspired by Ella’s grandmother’s diagnosis with frontotemporal dementia. Ella tells us more.

What inspired you to take on a marathon in support of this charity?

My mum and I previously fundraised for Alzheimer’s Society back in 2024, when we ran six runs in six months and finished off by running the Great North Run together, a half-marathon. We enjoyed the experience so much that we decided to take on the challenge of running a full marathon together, too!

We initially chose to support Alzheimer’s Society after my Nana was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. The work they do with those affected by dementia is invaluable, and they also fund research aimed at finding effective treatments. It feels even more important to be supporting them now that I’ve started a DPhil focused on neurodegenerative disease research.

How have you balanced marathon training with the demands of your course?

Marathon training while working full-time in a lab has meant lots of late-night runs in the dark. I’ve gotten quite good at finding routes with the best streetlights in Oxford!

Do you have a favourite running route in Oxford, and what makes it special?

When it isn’t completely flooded (which I’m beginning to realise is a rare occurrence), I love running from Venneit Close up towards Port Meadow along the Thames Path. It’s nice to pretend you’re out in the countryside, despite still being so close to the city centre.

What advice would you give to someone considering training for their first marathon?

I’m no expert, as this is also my first marathon, but I would definitely recommend following a training plan that includes strength training (your joints will thank you). Plus, don’t underestimate the power of a bit of sugar on a long run – I’ve always got a few jelly beans in my pocket.

What’s your favourite running track when you need a boost?

Hypersonic Missiles by Sam Fender always makes me speed up a little bit.

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Graduate student Erica holds the the Cyril and Phyllis Long scholarship in partnership with Oxford’s Academic Futures scholarship programme. We asked her about her research into a disease that affects millions worldwide, often without symptoms until serious damage has occured.

Your research looks at Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease. Many people will be unfamiliar with this term; can you explain a bit about what it is and how your academic background has led to explore this area?

Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease, or MASLD, is the newer term for what was previously called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It describes a condition where excess fat builds up in the liver in people who have metabolic risk factors such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or abnormal cholesterol. For many people it causes no symptoms, but in some it progresses scarring (fibrosis), and in advanced cases can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer.

I enjoyed the breath of my Biomedical Sciences degree, particularly anatomy and physiology, and completed my final year project on genetic biomarkers for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. My interests lay in translational research as I think it is inherently interdisciplinary and rewarding to see the potential from bench to bedside. I was subsequently awarded an NIHR MPhil studentship targeting cytomegalovirus in kidneys before transplantation at Cambridge resulting in a Phase 1 trial application. I particularly enjoyed testing for an array of kidney injury biomarkers, histology, and discussions on medical statistics. Although the learning curve was steep, I learned a lot personally and academically and I was encouraged to apply for PhD projects and stumbled on this project which combined my interests in imaging and diagnostics and offers the opportunity to gain skills in statistics.

My interests lay in translational research as I think it is inherently interdisciplinary and rewarding to see the potential from bench to bedside.

Your work explores diagnosis and prognosis using non-invasive tools such as MRI. How does this approach differ from traditional methods, and what advantages does it offer patients?

The gold standard in MASLD diagnosis is liver biopsy which can provide detailed information about inflammation and fibrosis, but it is invasive, uncomfortable for patients, carries small but real risks (bleeding, pain), and samples only a tiny portion of the liver. It’s also not practical for repeated monitoring.

Non-invasive tools like MRI measure liver characteristics across a much larger volume of the organ. Depending on the technique, MRI can quantify fat, detect iron, and estimate fibrosis. This makes it well suited both for diagnosis and for tracking changes over time. We are evaluating how biomarkers change over time and the relationship between these changes and clinical outcomes. Combined with other tests, MRI may help identify people at higher risk of progression earlier, enabling timely referral and targeted follow-up while avoiding unnecessary invasive testing for lower-risk patients.

If your research achieves what you hope it will, how might it change clinical practice or patient outcomes in the next decade?

We hope it could help shift MASLD care from reactive to proactive over the next decade by improving how we identify who is at risk and what happens after we identify them. I hope it can help establish a clear pathway linking primary care and liver clinics. If they are identified earlier, there is a bigger window to address modifiable drivers—weight, glycaemic control, cardiovascular risk—and to introduce liver-directed therapies as they become available. Additionally, it could enable more patient-centred monitoring. Non-invasive measures such as MRI-derived markers are repeatable, so clinicians could track whether risk is improving with treatment or lifestyle changes. This would also make follow-up more efficient by targeting resources to those who need them most.

You hold an Academic Futures scholarship. What has that support enabled you to do, academically or personally, that might otherwise have been more difficult?

This funding, as generously provided for by the Cyril and Phyllis Long scholarship, has allowed me to pursue this project and work alongside leading experts in the field who are just an Oxford email away! The Academic Futures programme has fostered a community of supportive graduate students outside academic and college life and I have already enjoyed the enriching activities on offer be it pottery classes or theatre trips! The Enrichment Fund also encourages scholars to pursue extracurricular activities that otherwise would not be accessible. The team behind this programme have been exceptionally helpful even before moving to Oxford.

Medical Science increasingly relies on collaboration across disciplines. How has your time at Oxford, and at Queen’s in particular, shaped the way you think about interdisciplinary research?

I see interdisciplinary work as lightening the load, speeding up processes, and providing assurance for rigorous research. At the Oxford Centre for Magnetic Resonance (OCMR) where I am based, the team is made of physicists, clinicians, radiographers, and everyone in between and it has highlighted the importance of learning to “translate” across disciplines—being able to explain statistical reasoning to clinicians, or clinical constraints to statisticians, for example. Being at Queen’s has fostered conversations about other people’s research and this has encouraged me to think about research in terms of real-world applications.

The team is made of physicists, clinicians, radiographers, and everyone in between and it has highlighted the importance of learning to “translate” across disciplines.

How would you describe your experience of the Queen’s community alongside the intensity of DPhil research? What does the College add to your academic life?

Queen’s has been a great a community so far. I think there is a genuine supportive and nurturing atmosphere. It has provided the best flatmates, a calm working space outside of the lab, and wonderful people. Being part of Queen’s has provided the space to step back from the detail of my research and appreciate what Oxford has to offer – be it helping with outreach to schools or MCR events.

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Mapping the mind

Opening up the brain: making neuroscience research accessible to the next generation

For someone who has never heard the word “connectomics”, can you explain a bit about it?

What first drew you to neuroscience, and what questions are you exploring through your DPhil at Oxford?

You’ve said that you’re passionate about making neuroscience research accessible to everyone. Can you explain what can be done to break down the barriers?

You’re leading the 2026-2027 Connectomics Research Competition. Where did the idea for the Connectomics Research Competition come from, and what will your role involve?

Participants will be working with real brain data and tools used by neuroscientists. Why is it important to give students an authentic research experience rather than a simplified version of it?

What advice would you give to a young person who is fascinated by the brain and considering further study?

If you could shrink us down and take us on a tour through the network of the human brain, what would you want to show us first?

Can you recommend a book?

What do you enjoy about being a member of Queen’s?

A place to feel at home

What are you studying at Queen’s, and what do you enjoy most about your subject?

What made you want to become JCR President, and what are you hoping to achieve this year?

What’s your favourite place in College?

Has anything about the College surprised you since you arrived?

Can you recommend a book?

A place you can always come back to

Meet MCR President Jennice who is working hard to create a sense of belonging for everyone in the graduate community at Queen’s.

Congratulations on your election as MCR President. What motivated you to stand for the role, and what are you most looking forward to?

You’ve already contributed a great deal to the MCR community as Warden. What did that role involve and what have those experiences taught you?

A lot of the work that keeps student communities running happens quietly behind the scenes. What does that work look like in practice?

What do you think diverse leadership brings to a college community?

How would you describe the Queen’s postgraduate community to someone considering applying to Oxford?

What do you hope students will feel or experience during your time as MCR President?

How do you fit in community and leadership roles alongside your research and what are you working on at the moment?

What’s your favourite place at Queen’s?

More than medals

You led the University ice hockey team to an undefeated season and national title -congratulations! What has stayed with you from that experience?

Winning by record margins is an awesome achievement; what do you think made your team stand out from the rest of the competition?

You then received the award for Oxford University Sports Team of the Year on behalf of your team. What did that recognition mean to you?

As captain, what did you learn about leading a team under pressure?

How does being a high-level athlete shape your day-to-day life as a student at Oxford?

How did you get into ice hockey to start with?

What do you enjoy most about being at Queen’s?

Can you recommend a book?

When rest takes shape

What first drew you to Henry Moore’s reclining figures, and how did that become a starting point for your year-long exhibition at Kew Gardens, Horizontals?

Your work asks what kind of pose we hold today. What does the act of reclining mean in the context of burnout and illness?

You describe Horizontals as participatory sculptures. Why was it important that these pieces invite the body in, rather than simply be looked at?

The sculptures were made from fallen ash trees within the Wakehurst landscape and carved on site by the arboretum team. How did working with the site and its materials shape the final work?

There is a strong tension in the project between rest and permission. What do public spaces allow or discourage when it comes to lying down, pausing, or stopping?

You work with fractured communities, instability, and breakdown. How do those ideas connect to the materials, forms, and atmosphere of Horizontals?

The work is installed within Wakehurst’s National Nothofagus collection, among threatened southern beech species cared for through long-term conservation. What does that setting add to the meaning of the piece?

What do you hope visitors take away from the experience of lying down and looking up in the forest?

How is your time at Queen’s shaping your work?

What do you enjoy most about being a member of the College?

Human translation as a literary lens

Creative translation

The role of human translation

The value of collaboration

Editor’s comments on human translation in an age of AI

Celebrating creativity

What first prompted the idea for Reginæ, and why did you choose to create a printed chapbook for the project?

What is a chapbook, for those unfamiliar with the term?

The chapbook includes poems, short stories, illustrations, and even an AI-generated fiction experiment. How did you decide what belonged in the first issue?

What did receiving the Walter Pater Grant make possible?

What was the process of bringing the chapbook into physical form like?

What would you like Reginæ to become, and what would you say to students thinking of applying for an arts grant?

What do you enjoy most about being at Queen’s?

Protecting the honeybee

Queen’s students take on a global pollinator threat

For those unfamiliar with iGEM, what is the competition and what makes it a distinctive opportunity for students?

Your project focuses on honeybees and Varroa mites. Why does this problem matter globally, and what impact could a solution have?

Can you explain your project in simple terms and what makes your approach innovative?

What has it been like working as an interdisciplinary student team across biology, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, chemistry, and engineering?

How has your experience at Queen’s helped support or shape your involvement in a project like this?

What have you found most exciting or challenging about taking part in iGEM so far?

Student-led research projects like iGEM depend on practical resources, from laboratory reagents and consumables to modelling tools and competition costs. What does it take behind the scenes to turn an idea like this into a working scientific project?

What are your hopes for the project, both scientifically and in terms of the impact it could have beyond the competition?

Emerging unrealities

Inner worlds, external realities

Material as meaning

Beyond the ‘white cube’

Art, community and new futures

Material world

What drew you to Materials Science in the first place and why did you choose to study it at Oxford?

Looking back, what would you tell your 17-year-old self about choosing Queen’s?

What does a typical day at Queen’s look like for you and which parts of it do you enjoy most?