News | Christ Church, University of Oxford

Julia Moore elected to prestigious All Souls Fellowship

4 December 2023

Julia Moore, a recent graduate of Christ Church, has been elected to a prestigious Fellowship by Examination at All Souls College. All Souls elects just two 'Prize Fellows' each year through a notoriously difficult competition open exclusively to recent University of Oxford graduates, often described as 'the hardest exam in the world.'

Co-Creator of Grand Theft Auto returns to Christ Church

29 November 2023

Last week Dan Houser, Co-Creator of the iconic Grand Theft Auto franchise and alumnus of Christ Church (Geography, 1993), dropped in to deliver a talk to a room full of captivated Computer Science students. Dr Irwin Zaid, Lecturer in Computer Science at Christ Church, reports on what the gaming icon had to say.

Professor Smartt at the outreach event in Warwick

Encounters of the educational kind: Professor Smartt introduces pupils to astrophysics

23 November 2023

Christ Church astrophysicist Professor Stephen Smartt recently made his way to Warwick, where he delivered a talk introducing pupils from a number of local schools to cutting-edge research in his field. The outreach event was part of the Encounters Programme founded by Christ Church alumnus John Jefferies (History, 1986).

Stephen Smartt and team discover never-before-seen space event

16 November 2023

A group of University of Oxford astrophysicists including Christ Church’s Professor Stephen Smartt has helped uncover a remarkable new space phenomenon that has scientists stumped. The team confirmed the occurrence of an exceptionally bright explosion 4.4 billion light-years away – an explosion that exhibits behaviour that has never before been observed. The exciting findings have been published in Nature.

Oxford Vice-Chancellor elected to Honorary Studentship of Christ Church

13 November 2023

Christ Church is delighted to announce that Professor Irene Tracey CBE FRS FRCA FMedSci MAE has been elected to an Honorary Studentship. The election recognises her profound contribution to medical science and the collegiate University.

Two Christ Church developments win Oxford Preservation Trust Awards

9 November 2023

Two Christ Church development projects have been lauded at this year’s Oxford Preservation Trust (OPT) Awards. The Awards ‘seek to recognise the contribution that projects, large and small, can make to Oxford’s character and communities.’

Disability History Month blog: FDR and the disabled politics of the visual

6 November 2023

Stephen Smartt confirms source of intense gamma ray burst

26 October 2023

Professor Stephen Smartt has played a key role in pinpointing the neutron star merger responsible for an intense gamma ray burst and in confirming that the merger formed a rare, heavy element. The exciting findings from Stephen and a global team of researchers have been published in Nature.

Holly Haines first to win both George Humphrey and Oldfield prizes

25 October 2023

Christ Church DPhil candidate Holly Haines has become the first Oxford student to win both the George Humphrey Prize and the Oldfield Prize – each awarded for her outstanding work as part of the MSc in Psychological Research.

Undergraduate praised for 'extraordinarily impactful' open-source work

11 October 2023

"Lucas' work was extraordinarily impactful and I say without exaggeration that it will be used by millions of people worldwide." This is what Dr Irwin Zaid, Lecturer in Computer Science at Christ Church, had to say about the open-source work completed by second-year Computer Science & Philosophy undergraduate Lucas Colley. Learn about Lucas' impressive work, in his own words.

Conference discussing Universal Health Coverage

Routes to Universal Health Coverage explored at Christ Church

10 October 2023

On 27 and 28 September Professor Mike English, Senior Associate Research Fellow at Christ Church, and the former Nuffield Trust Director Professor Nigel Edwards convened a meeting at Christ Church to share and debate ideas on the role of hospitals in achieving the World Health Organization goal of Universal Health Coverage.

Team led by Niko Munz rediscovers major 17th-century artwork

9 October 2023

A Royal Collection Trust research project led by art historian Dr Niko Munz, Junior Research Fellow at Christ Church, has resulted in the rediscovery of a major 17th-century artwork. The formerly 'lost' painting, Susanna and the Elders, has now been reattributed to Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi (1593–1653).

Sarah Gilbert receives Freedom of the City of London

6 October 2023

In recognition of her outstanding contribution to public health and science in her role as the Oxford Project Leader spearheading the development on the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London.

Three Oxford chemistry groups collaborate on amorphous calcium carbonate

25 September 2023

'Geometrically frustrated interactions drive structural complexity in amorphous calcium carbonate' – a paper co-authored by a team of scientists including Christ Church’s Professor Dirk Aarts – has been published in Nature Chemistry.

Canon Professor Carol Harrison awarded Chair at KU Leuven

20 September 2023

Carol Harrison, Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity and Canon at Christ Church, has been awarded a Chair at KU Leuven in recognition of her globally distinguished research.

Four Christ Church academics receive Recognition of Distinction

14 September 2023

Four Christ Church academics – Sarah Mortimer, Malcolm McCulloch, Belinda Jack and Amin Benaissa – have each received a Recognition of Distinction, being given the title of full professor due to their outstanding achievements.

Christ Church Theology student awarded Gibbs Prize

13 September 2023

Christ Church student Felix Kirkby has been awarded a Gibbs Prize for having secured the best performance of any undergraduate finalist this year in the Honour School of Theology and Religion.

Sports Day 2023: Christ Church takes on Trinity, Cambridge

12 September 2023

On Friday 1 September, staff from our sibling college ventured to Christ Church ready for an afternoon of socialising and sporting rivalry.

Professor Yarin Gal appointed Research Director of UK AI taskforce

11 September 2023

Professor Yarin Gal, Tutorial Fellow in Computer Science at Christ Church, has been appointed as the first Research Director of the UK government's Frontier AI Taskforce.

Sally Atkins, winner of the David Shwayder, Christ Church Philosophy Prize

Sally Atkins wins first David Shwayder, Christ Church Philosophy Prize

5 September 2023

We’re delighted to announce that the inaugural David Shwayder, Christ Church Philosophy Prize has been awarded to Sally Atkins. Sally completed her graduate studies at Exeter College and will soon join us at Christ Church for her DPhil.

Dr Leah Broad at the BBC Proms

21 August 2023

The BBC Proms are in full swing, and one guest speaker this year was Christ Church Junior Research Fellow Dr Leah Broad. Dr Broad provided expert commentary ahead of a performance of Dora Pejačević's Symphony in F Sharp Minor, part of Prom 40: Martin Helmchen plays Brahms.

Award holders Lucas Janz and Cyrus Lecciso

Two Christ Church Philosophy undergraduates receive awards

10 August 2023

Christ Church Philosophy students Lucas Janz and Cyrus Lecciso have each been awarded prizes for their impressive work.

Scanning Electron Microscope image of colloidal particles

Dr Clare Rees-Zimmerman receives 2023 Katharine Burr Blodgett Award

9 August 2023

Christ Church Junior Research Fellow Dr Clare Rees-Zimmerman has received the 2023 Katharine Burr Blodgett Award for the best PhD thesis in colloid and interface science.

The Christ Church University Challenge team

Christ Church on University Challenge

8 August 2023

Monday’s episode of University Challenge (BBC Two) saw a talented team from Christ Church go head to head with the University of Southampton’s top quizzers in a nail-biting first-round match.

Professors Yuji Nakatsukasa and Nick Trefethen

Professor Yuji Nakatsukasa receives Frontiers of Science Award

4 August 2023

The inaugural International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS) kicked off last month in Beijing, launched with the mission of promoting and celebrating groundbreaking research in fundamental science and applied mathematics. Among the research celebrated this year was that of Yuji Nakatsukasa, member of Christ Church and Associate Professor in the Oxford University Mathematical Institute.

Professor Parkinson named Emotion Review co-editor

27 July 2023

Professor Brian Parkinson has been named one of a team of three new co-editors of the academic journal Emotion Review. He will be joined in his new role by Giovanna Colombetti (Professor of Philosophy, University of Exeter) and Bradley J. Irish (Associate Professor of English, Arizona State University).

Two Christ Church Official Students Elected to Fellowship of the British Academy

21 July 2023

Professor Jonathan Cross, Official Student in Music, and Professor Mark Edwards, Official Student in Theology and Religion, have been elected as Fellows of the British Academy in recognition of their distinguished contribution to research.

Peter Parsons Memorial

5 July 2023

Remembering the life of Peter Parsons, Regius Professor of Greek at Christ Church 1989–2003.

Letter written by Charles Dodgson from Christ Church

New Charles Dodgson letters added to Christ Church Library’s collection

16 June 2023

The recent addition to Christ Church Library’s Dodgson material consists of a selection of letters written to the family of the Reverend James and Sarah Anne Thresher.

Will AI create a sea of garbage output?

8 June 2023

In a paper titled The Curse Of Recursion: Training On Generated Data Makes Models Forget, two Christ Church computer scientists raise concerns about the future of advanced text-based systems like ChatGPT.