LinacreCollege SeminarSeries
2023/24
Linacre Seminar Series
The main aim of the Seminar Series is threefold: to showcase the great research that takes place at Linacre College; to provide our community with time and space to engage with one another; and to facilitate networking across disciplines Reflecting on the talks delivered during the 2023/24 academic year, there is no doubt that we achieved these aims. The topics spanned the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, including discussions on the first stars in the Universe, self-control in cyberspace and women in diplomacy. Presentations were delivered by graduate students, DPhil candidates and fellows of the college. On behalf of the college community, we can’t thank enough every speaker and chair for their invaluable contribution
The seminars are normally held during term time on alternate Tuesday evenings from 6:00-7:00 PM in the Tanner Room at Linacre. They are a 20-minute talk followed by a 10-minute discussion, as this format allows us to have two different presentations per meeting The setting is informal, refreshments are served If you are interested to present in the upcoming 2024/25 academic year, please register at this link: https://forms.office.com/e/Va2qqGacEW If you would like to chair a session, please sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/k3ug9WyzqV
We are accepting applications on a rolling basis. Speakers and chairs are invited for guest night dinner following the seminar, and encouraged to continue the conversations in a less formal setting. Participants are also welcome to invite a guest free of charge. If you have any questions about any aspect of the Linacre seminars, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us at academic.office@linacre.ox.ac.uk
The Convenors, Agnes Strickland-Pajtok
Esben Rasmussen
ListofSpeakersandPresentationDates
24th October 2023
Alex Cameron, Junior Research Fellow
Aya Kamil, MSc student
7th November 2023
Harmandeep Gill, Junior Research Fellow
Yifeng Jia, DPhil student
21st November 2023
Nicholas Chow, DPhil student
Vibe Nielsen, Junior Research Fellow
16th January 2024
Stephanie Brittain, Junior Research Fellow
Tarick El-Baba, Junior Research Fellow
30th January 2024
Kristine Dyrmann, Junior Research Fellow
Yama Farooq Mujadidi, DPhil student
13th February 2024
Matthew Edmans, Junior Research Fellow
Branagh Crealock-Ashurst, MSc student
27th February 2024
Agnes Strickland-Pajtok, Staff member
Ulrik Lyngs, Junior Research Fellow
23rd April 2024
Simon Marchant, DPhil student
Christoffer G Alexandersen, DPhil student
7th May 2024
Briana Applewhite, DPhil student
Tobias Hector, Junior Research Fellow
21st May 2024
Luena Ricardo, MSc student
Thomas Underwood, DPhil student
4th June 2024
Dominic Martin, Junior Research Fellow
24th
October 2023
Chair: Claire Guimond, Junior Research Fellow
Alex Cameron
Formation of the First Stars in the Early Universe: New Insights from the James Webb Space Telescope
Bio: Dr Alex Cameron is an astronomer in the Department of Physics at Oxford He grew up on a farm in rural Victoria, Australia, where views of the night sky are particularly spectacular. He did his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Melbourne, before moving to Oxford as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant in 2021. He is a member of the JWST/NIRSpec instrument team and had some involvement in the commissioning process after the launch of JWST His research interests involve trying to understand how the first galaxies formed and what evolutionary processes have shaped galaxies over the last 13 billion years until the present day
Abstract: The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the largest telescope ever launched into space and was specifically designed to give us unprecedented new views of stars galaxies in the early Universe. After successfully launching on Christmas Day 2021, the first stunning images from this observatory were released in July 2022. As we move into the second year of operations for JWST, the flood of data delivered so far has not answered our existing questions so much as it has raised a swathe of new questions about how stars and galaxies formed in the early Universe I will review some of the major findings about galaxies in the early Universe from JWST over the past year. In particular, I will discuss some of the puzzles that have been raised which will keep astronomers busy for many more years as the JWST mission continues.
Aya Kamil
Can the Securitization of Climate Change Improve Libya and Morocco’s Climate Adaptation Capacity?
Bio: Aya Kamil is an intersectional policy practitioner and climate researcher. She is pursuing an MSc in Modern Middle Eastern Studies at Linacre College, University of Oxford Kamil’s research focuses on climate mitigation, South-to-South integration, global environmental governance and human security. Before joining Oxford, Kamil was a 2022 James C Gaither Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a 2023 Rising Expert Fellow at Young Professionals in Foreign Policy.
Abstract : This study examines climate securitization as an alternative policy tool to bolster climate adaptation and mitigation measures in Morocco and Libya. Climate Securitization relies on the discursive framing of climate affects as an existential national security threat Little attention has been paid to the workings of climate securitization in the Maghreb. Successfully put in place, I argue that it can effectively promote climate diplomacy and launch a regional impetus for mitigation and adaptation. Case studies include Libya and Morocco, surveying the existing climate institutional framework, the shortcomings, and venues for improvement through climate securitization at the domestic level The study couches its climate securitization analysis within the larger context of a human security approach.
7th November 2023
Chair: Pascal Kaienburg, Junior Research Fellow
Harmandeep Kaur Gill
“Reaching the Mountain Top:” Temporal Perspectives from Life at a Tibetan Old Age Home
Bio: Dr Harmandeep Gill has a PhD in anthropology, and has been doing research among the Tibetan exile communities in India and Nepal for a decade. She has done fieldwork on and written about the Tibetan self-immolations, the Tibetan freedom struggle in exile, and most recently about aging and dying among elderly exiled Tibetans.
Abstract: The presentation explores the everyday life of a 94-year-old Tibetan monk, Gen (‘teacher’) Lobsang Choedak, who is a resident in an old age home in Dharamshala, a small hill station in Northwest India, also known as the capitol of Tibetans-in-exile Tibetan Buddhists emphasize that old age is the time to meditate on death and come to terms with the impermanence of life. Like most elderly Tibetans, Gen Lobsang is immersed in religious practices in the preparations for death and rebirth Whenever I asked him about what thoughts occupied his mind, he only had one answer for me: death. My presentation will explore how the impermanence of life manifested in Gen Lobsang’s everyday life How did he handle the uncertainty of the future and work for a good death and rebirth? What hopes and worries is he and others accompanied by at life’s end?
Yifeng Jia
Development of Microscope Mode Mass Spectrometry Imaging
Bio: Yifeng Jia is a 3rd-year DPhil student in the Department of Chemistry, specializing in physical chemistry Her research journey primarily centres on the development of cutting-edge mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) instruments. Unlike traditional approaches, this work transcends the study of real samples and delves deep into refining the very tools that enable chemical analysis With a passion for creating innovative solutions, she thrives on the complexities of instrument development in the field of analytical chemistry. She is committed to advancing the capabilities of MSI, pushing boundaries in scientific instrumentation, and shaping the future of chemical research through technology.
Abstract : Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a powerful analytical technique that can detect spatial and chemical distribution, and it has been widely used in biological and biomedical fields. Microscope mode MSI applies defocused primary beams and position-sensitive detectors. Thus, it could achieve higher throughput, which shows the potential for large-scale clinical diagnostics Mass resolution is one of the essential properties of mass spectrometry, while superior mass resolution can aid in distinguishing more adjacent mass peaks We increased the mass resolution by introducing a buncher to reduce the width of the primary ion beam and applying postextraction differential acceleration (PEDA) to decrease the ToF difference of the secondary ion beams, which have the same mass charge ratio but different initial velocities. Moreover, a plastic scintillator with a shorter response time was also installed to increase the mass resolution The results show that the mass resolution is increased from 100 m/∆m to 1600 m/∆m at 100 m/z, making microscope MSI a suitable technique for isotope detection.
21st
November 2023
Chair: Emily Stevens, Junior Research Fellow
Nicholas ChowQuantifying the Value of Infrastructure Resilience and Management: A
Water Mega-Project Case Study in Los Angeles
Bio: Nicholas Chow is a DPhil student in the Climate Systems and Policy Group at the University of Oxford’s School of Geography and the Environment His research centres around the interactions of policy, governance, and society with climate-driven infrastructure development. His research approach is informed by his training as a water resources and environmental engineer, and his years of work on water management, planning, and modelling at UCLA where his focus was on applied infrastructure, economics, finance and policy research
Abstract: In the coastal desert of the Western United States, the City of Los Angeles serves water to over 4 million people annually Facing climate change, their previously long-standing supplies appear unstable and so the City must take action to safeguard their population and economy One strategy could be to develop the world's largest water recycling facility, but there is uncertainty in quantifying the value of this project, especially as it is related to regional resilience. On the backdrop of an increasingly complex political environment marred by unequal legal precedents, the City seeks to understand the relative value of investing in a multi-billion dollar project that will be built across decades but felt across generations This presentation is the culmination of a research endeavour to quantify the value of building resilient infrastructure systems in an applied setting. It presents the novel integration of three interdisciplinary models connecting climate variability, water management and politics, as well as economics to evaluate the relative costs of this revolutionary a project for the Southwest US Region.
Vibe Nielsen
Diversifying Public Commemorations in Cape Town and Copenhagen
Bio: Dr Vibe Nielsen is a postdoctoral researcher at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek and the Department of Arts and Cultural Studies at the University of Copenhagen. She is affiliated with the Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford as Associate Researcher and is a continuing member of Linacre College, where she held a Junior Research Fellowship from 2021-24. Her research project “Decolonising MuseumsChanging Curatorial Practices at the Pitt Rivers and Quai Branly”, which was funded by the Carlsberg Foundation, focuses on processes of decolonisation and changing curatorial practices in French and British ethnographic museums She holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Copenhagen, a MA in Museum Studies from UCL, as well as a MA in Modern Culture and a BA in European Ethnology from the University of Copenhagen
Abstract : How are existing commemorations in urban spaces challenged and transformed? In this talk, presenting the findings of my book chapter Diversifying Public Commemorations in Cape Town and Copenhagen, I examine two cases, where statues, one ephemeral, the other more permanent, have been added to public spaces in the process of decolonisation and de-commemoration The two cases, one in the former Dutch and British colony of South Africa and one in the (former) colonial power of Denmark, are two of many examples where statues related to colonialism have been either removed, replaced, or accompanied by new statues in recent years to commemorate stories often left out in narratives of the colonial era.
16th January 2024
Chair: Alex Cameron, Junior Research Fellow Stephanie BrittainIndigenous-based Monitoring of Biodiversity on Mount Elgon, Kenya
Bio: Dr. Stephanie Brittain’s research spans both the theoretical and practical aspects of conservation science She uses interdisciplinary approaches to explore complex conservation challenges, with a focus on developing community-led approaches for monitoring species hunted for wild meat and their threats, and building an evidencebase for the role of community-led conservation on ecological outcomes.
Abstract: The current and potential contributions of Indigenous peoples and local communities (IP&LCs) to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity are not sufficiently recognised or supported, despite being crucial to the fulfilment of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Launched in 2022, the Transformative Pathways project is a joint initiative led by indigenous organisations in five countries and supported by a network of global partners. Our collective aim is to support improved conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by recognising, supporting and expanding the actions and contributions of indigenous peoples. As part of this project, community-owned monitoring frameworks are being developed so involved communities can collect, use and present evidence on the impact of their actions This presentation will share progress on one such collaboration between researchers at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science (ICCS) with staff at the Chepkitale Indigenous Peoples Development Project (CIPDP) and the Ogiek Indigenous community on Mount Elgon, Kenya.
Tarick El-Baba
Uncovering Maladaptive Changes to Proteins Implicated in Major Depressive Disorder
Bio: Dr. Tarick El-Baba is a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Chemistry and the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery. He earned a PhD in Chemistry at Indiana University and carried out postdoctoral studies at Oxford as a Canadian Institutes of Health Research postdoctoral fellow and Royal Society Newton International Fellow. His work spans chemistry and neuroscience and seeks to describe the molecular nature underlying psychiatric conditions like depression. Tarick is also interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms that afford psychedelics and dissociative anaesthetics effective in alleviating psychiatric conditions
Abstract: Depression is a debilitating psychiatric condition characterised by symptoms associated with experiencing negative emotional states. Therapeutics that alleviate symptoms of depression are thought to act by correcting imbalances in neurotransmitter levels These drugs require weeks to take effect, and relief is not guaranteed. Typically, multiple drugs targeting different neurotransmitter pathways are trialled over many months to find an effective treatment. This trial-and-error approach is an indication that we lack a fundamental understanding of the maladaptive changes underlying depression. Therefore, an understanding of the pathophysiology of depression would remove barriers in the development of novel, targeted, and rapidacting treatments. Here, I will describe a new approach that we have developed to understand maladaptive changes to proteins – the entities that transduce information throughout the brain. We use principles from the physical sciences to develop an understanding of how these proteins are altered directly from post-mortem brain tissue. By tracking how these proteins are altered in tissue from brain regions associated with hedonic experiences, reward processing, and decision making, I will describe how we are now using this information to inform the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder
30th
January 2024
Chair: Luciano Marasco, Junior Research FellowKristine Dyrmann
Salon Diplomacy and State Bankruptcy: Women and diplomacy in Denmark and Norway 1784-1815
Bio: Dr. Kristine Dyrmann is a Junior Research Fellow and Carlsberg Visiting Fellow at Linacre College and the Faculty of History, University of Oxford Her research examines Nordic salons, informal diplomatic practices, and elite women’s political agency from the era of the French revolution through to the early nineteenth century She was awarded a PhD in History at Aarhus University in 2021. Her work has been published in 1700-tal: Nordic Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies; The Court Historian; The Scandinavian Journal of History and The International History Review
Abstract: Between 1784 and 1814, Denmark and Norway were reigned by an absolutist ruler and his circle of advisers, known as the ‘family circle’ or the ‘agrarian reformers’ In a time of revolution, Napoleonic wars, and state bankruptcy, this group of men and women remained in power, and successfully implemented a series of school reforms and land reforms However, by the early 1800s, their influence was challenged by the turmoil of war on the continent, and the increasing independence and absolutism of crown prince Frederik (from 1808 king Frederik VI). The women in the ‘family circle’ kept a close correspondence for more than thirty years, revealing the internal exchange of information and external negotiation and representation carried out by the women and their husbands to maintain their party’s position of power This presentation tells how the women of the ‘family circle’ negotiated the combination of domestic reforms in the 1780s and 1790s, and the international, diplomatic connections that became increasingly relevant with the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars in the early 1800s.
Yama Farooq Mujadidi
Clinical trial empowerment through effective delivery and efficient data management of large and complex COVID-19 trials
Bio: Yama Farooq Mujadidi, an award-winning third-year DPhil student at the University of Oxford, is the Programming and Data Management Director at the Oxford Vaccine Group. Playing a crucial role in the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine development, Yama is an entrepreneur and skilled software engineer with over ten years of experience in Clinical Trials, Data Infrastructure, Data Management, and Governance Besides his academic pursuits, Yama has established several ventures. He founded Oxus Academy to provide decentralised education services, particularly for women in low-income countries. Additionally, he created Oxus Jobs, a platform connecting employers and women in low-income countries, and Oxus Technologies, offering specialised advice to universities and pharmaceutical companies Yama drives the strategic direction, infrastructure setup, and local and international promotion for all three start-ups, showcasing his expertise in academia and entrepreneurship.
Abstract: Clinical trials are crucial for evaluating new medical interventions, yet traditional processes often hinder research efficiency due to high costs, participant burdens, and lengthy timelines Modernised clinical trials address these challenges through technological advancements, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic The modernised infrastructure significantly improved trial quality by employing electronic data capture systems (EDC), real-time data processing and cleaning, database interconnectivity, and e-diaries/surveys. These innovations reduced manual effort, streamlined participant screening, increased engagement, and enhanced safety. Consequently, the rapid collection, processing, and analysis of highvolume data led to an unprecedentedly swift development and licensing of a COVID19 vaccine.
13th February 2024
Chair: Sara Hijazi, Junior Research Fellow Matthew EdmansFinding MAIT's, Mucosal associated Invariant T cells in different species
Bio: Dr. Matthew Edmans studied cell and molecular biology at Oxford Brookes University, graduating with First class honours in 2013. Following his undergraduate studies, he worked at the University of Oxford as a research assistant working on T and B cell immunology and vaccinology. In November 2020 he defended his DPhil thesis, titled “Mucosal T cell defence in large animal models of infection” His current research focuses on the development of novel vaccines for the Hepatitus C virus and the continuing study of the immune cell populations in different species.
Abstract: Mucosal associated T cells (MAIT) cells are an ‘unconventional’ ‘innate-like’ T cell population. In humans, MAIT cells are the most abundant T cell population that responds to a single antigen. Unlike other T cells, which react to peptides derived from proteins, these T cells respond to vitamin metabolites presented through an antigen-presenting molecule MR1 MR1 is the most highly conserved antigenpresenting molecule known in the animal kingdom, suggesting that MAIT cells are also highly conserved between species. Within this talk, I will show data indicating that MAIT cells are readily identifiable in a range of species and conserved to the point that the MR1/MAIT cell interaction functions between species separated by millions of years of evolution However, despite the seemingly strong conservation of this immune population, a range of species have lost their MAIT cell population, leading to the hypothesis that there is overlapping functionality of innate-like T cells, which is a significant area of divergence in the immune cells of different species.
Branagh Crealock-Ashurst
PEARLES Challenges to Conducting Research in a (Re-)Emerging Infectious Diseases Outbreak
Bio: Branagh Crealock-Ashurst is a Medical Doctor, currently undertaking the MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology at the Nuffield Department of Population Health. He is doing this as a part of his speciality training in Public Health. Prior to this, he was a junior doctor within the Thames Valley, working at the John Radcliffe Hospital and Horton Hospital Before coming to Oxford, he undertook his MBChB in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Warwick, as well as a BSc (Hons) in Medical Microbiology and Virology. Outside of work and the MSc, he enjoys musical theatre and gardening.
Abstract : Political, Economic, Administrative, Regulatory, Logistical, Ethical and Social (PEARLES) challenges pose significant barriers to those seeking to conduct research in a (re-)emerging infectious diseases outbreak. Recent examples include the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ebola virus disease outbreaks. These have shown that a multitude of PEARLES barriers exist which can hamper efforts to conduct effective clinical research during a public health emergency. A scoping review was conducted between February – September 2023 to assess the literature on these issues and identify potential solutions. The aim of this work is to improve the ability and capacity of international organisations, academic institutions, governmental bodies and NGOs to conduct research during infectious disease outbreaks This research also aims to inform policy makers and funders of weaknesses in current regulations that can be improved in advance of the next disease of epi-/pandemic potential
27th February 2024
Chair: Teodor Grama, MSc student
Agnes Strickland-Pajtok
Baroness Orczy’s Cultural Hybridity and the Birth of the Dual Identity
Superhero
Bio: Dr. Agnes Strickland-Pajtok holds a PhD and MA in English and Hungarian Studies from Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest. Her fields of interest include transcultural literature, with special emphasis on the representation of immigrants and cultural minorities the media and literary texts, and the cultural constraints of literary translation Currently she works as an Academic Support Officer at Linacre and a freelance literary translator. Her latest volume, the translation of Baroness Orczy’s autobiography was published in 2023.
Abstract: This presentation analyses the oeuvre of Baroness Emma Orczy from the perspective of cultural identity. Special attention is paid to the author’s strategies of identification as she continuously tried to harmonise the irreconcilable clashes stemming from her Hungarian-English dual nationality The experience of her cultural hybridity shaped not only her identity but also her writings. This talk tackles the correlation between the author and her main hero the Scarlet Pimpernel, and sheds light on how Baroness Orczy’s protagonist becomes a projection of her dual, bicultural identity. Paradoxically, via the creation of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Orczy manages to resolve the dilemma of her own hybrid identity: by modelling a protagonist who can successfully lead double lives, she not only legitimises but also celebrates the operation of dual identities, modes of behaviour and languages.
Ulrik Lyngs
Self-Control in Cyberspace
Bio: Dr Ulrik Lyngs is a researcher at the Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford His PhD research on digital self-control received a Doctoral Prize from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. He created the Reduce Digital Distraction workshop, which since 2019 has helped over 900 students take back control of their time and attention on smartphones and laptops.
Abstract : Smartphones, laptops, and other digital devices are meant to give us super powers to do anything, anywhere, anytime. But a lot of the time, they just make us super distracted Constant notifications make it difficult to stay focused Bottomless, clickbait-filled newsfeeds make us spend more time than we planned. Indeed, many tech companies do all they can to capture our attention and steer our behaviour. How can we maintain control of our digital life? In this talk, I examine how digital design choices meet our psychological limitations. We also explore the jungle of ‘digital selfcontrol tools’, where hundreds of developers create tools of resistance in the battle for your online attention.
23rd April 2024
Chair: Esben Rasmussen, Junior Research FellowSimon Marchant
How to Identify Brain Activity Related to Pain in Newborn Babies
Bio: Simon Marchant is working towards a DPhil in paediatric neuroimaging, where he designs new methods for analysing electroencephalography (EEG) from infant brains. Previously he worked as a clinical scientist in the NHS, providing combined technical and clinical support to neurological and orthopaedic rehabilitation units. He is a Chartered Engineer and a registered Clinical Scientist in the UK.
Abstract: Many newborn babies are admitted to hospital, and once there they undergo many potentially-painful clinical procedure every day However, we have limited ability to tell when an individual infant is in pain. I have developed software which can identify noxious-evoked (i.e. related to pain) EEG activity in individual infants in both clinical and research settings. In this talk I will discuss how I have taken a novel, neurological biomarker towards being used in clinic.
Christoffer Gretarsson Alexandersen
Alzheimer's and Oscillations: Using Mathematics to Understand the Dying Brain
Bio: Christoffer Gretarsson Alexandersen holds an MSc in Biotechnology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, where he specialized in bacterial metabolism. Currently pursuing a DPhil in Mathematics under the supervision of Alain Goriely, Christoffer focuses on the mathematical modeling of human brain activity during neurodegenerative disease.
Abstract: Alzheimer's is an elusive disease. Even after decades of intensive research, the disease is still not fully understood. This is partly due to the impracticality of studying human participants across the development of the 20+ years of the disease
However, using simple mathematical models, researchers are simulating human brain activity in mere seconds. This presentation shows how we can combine our knowledge of the brain with mathematics to understand its behaviour, and, in particular, how we can understand its decline during Alzheimer's disease.
7th May 2024
Chair: Edinah Samuel, MSc student
Briana Applewhite
Black Racial Minority Young People with Psychiatric Disorders
Utilizing Creative Arts Therapies (BLACK-ARTS)
Bio: Briana Applewhite is a DPhil student in the Department of Psychiatry whose research focuses on culturally competent therapeutic solutions for ethnic minority youth in the UK, namely with creative arts therapies and the exploration of these as adjunct and effective treatment methods. She graduated with an MSc in Mental Health Studies from King’s College London In 2019, she completed a Fulbright Research award in Berlin assessing the uses of narrative therapy in Syrian refugees with PTSD.
Abstract: In the UK, racial and ethnic minority groups, specifically Black racial minority groups, have higher rates of common mental disorders and severe mental illness (SMI) such as schizophrenia in comparison to their White counterparts and poorer mental health outcomes and service outcomes In recent years, the literature has identified a need for culturally competent mental health treatments for racial minority groups and tailored interventions to address their unique needs and improve mental health outcomes. Creative Arts Therapies (CATs), which include music, dance, visual arts, and drama, have been shown to improve upon a multitude of psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia We aim to investigate the attitudes and opinions of Black racial minority young people, and clinicians on the use of CATs for the improvement of mental-wellbeing and potentially culturally competent treatment options for this population. We aim to understand how to improve mental health services for Black racial minority young people and explore if creative arts therapies can be a helpful intervention that is culturally relevant for this population
Tobias Hector
Will Pathogens Evolve to Become more Deadly as Temperatures Heat up?
Bio: Dr. Tobias Hector is an evolutionary ecologist interested in the interactions between hosts, pathogens, and their environment Completed BSc (Hons) at University of Stirling, Scotland. Then worked as a field assistant and manager on the Guppy Project, Trinidad & Tobago, working under Prof David Reznick. PhD at Monash University under the supervision of Dr. Matthew Hall and Prof. Carla Sgrò. Since 2021 I have been a postdoc with Prof. Kayla King, and since 2023 also with Prof. Tim Barraclough, in the Deparment of Biology, University of Oxford Since October 2023 I have been an EPA Cephalosporin Fellow at Linacre College.
Abstract: Recent years have highlighted that many species – including our own – sit perilously between the threats of infectious disease outbreaks and warming temperatures. Intensifying heat is threatening the persistence of populations, shifting host and pathogen distributions, and modifying disease dynamics However, the potential for pathogens to adapt to shifts in temperature, and how this will impact on host health and the severity of disease outbreaks, remains unknown Here, we experimentally evolved a natural bacterial pathogen (genus: Leucobacter) in nematode worms, to test how changes in average and extreme temperature may alter the deadliness of pathogens Our results demonstrate that warming could have great repercussions for the evolution of pathogens. With these insights we can begin to predict how warming temperatures may shape the evolution of pathogens, and what this may mean for the future health of host populations.
21st May 2024
Chair: Leonardo Bonetti, Junior Research Fellow
Luena RicardoWhat Explains the Emergence of Informal Public Goods?
Bio: Luena Abigail Pimenta Ricardo is currently pursuing an MPhil degree at the University of Oxford. Her area of expertise is in community engagement and social justice. She has an M.A. in International Economics from Hochschule Furtwangen University and a Law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais. Luena has been recognized for her exceptional communication skills and research on social injustice, having won the Domus Research Prize (2023) and the Mulder Fund Prize (2023) respectively. Additionally, she was awarded the Best Pitch Prize at Oxford's StEP Programme in 2023.
Abstract: This thesis explores Informal Public Goods (IPGs), community-driven solutions to deficiencies in state-provided services, focusing on favelas in Belo Horizonte and townships in Cape Town. By examining the interplay between government structures and local agency, it reveals how local adaptations of global strategies (glocalisation) create hybrid solutions
Both Brazil and South Africa, despite progressive laws, continue to struggle with racial and spatial inequalities. These disparities influence the emergence and operation of IPGs, highlighting the importance of diverse socio-spatial characteristics. The research challenges traditional, state-centric models of public goods provision, emphasising bottom-up approaches and community-driven initiatives.
The study underscores the role of social capital, historical legacies, and cultural customs in forming and sustaining IPGs It offers practical insights for policymakers and urban planners, advocating for the integration of IPGs into broader public policy frameworks to enhance service delivery Successful development of IPGs relies on competent local leadership and informal governance systems.
Thomas Underwood
Dealing with Cheaters in the Legume-Rhizobium Symbiosis
Bio: Thomas Underwood’s first degree was an integrated masters in Plant sciences from the University of Manchester which he received in 2021. He progressed immediately to begin his DPhil as a part of the BBSRC DTP Throughout his studies he has undertaken a variety of projects including a Sainsbury studentship in Cambridge, and studying small RNAs in the Genus Kalanchoe. His DPhil project is now focussed on exploring the interaction between partners in the nitrogen fixation symbiosis and how cheaters are combatted in what is effectively an evolutionary arms race
Abstract: The legume-rhizobium symbiosis is the exchange of photosynthates in return for atmospheric nitrogen that has been fixed by the rhizobium into organic nitrogen. This exchange is vital for the legume to meet its nitrogen requirements in a nitrogen limited environment. Nitrogen fixation is an expensive process that requires a large amount of energy on the part of the rhizobium Previous work in the lab, along with the preliminary work of this project, has demonstrated that this regulation takes the form of post infection sanctioning by the plant of inefficiently fixing rhizobia It has also been shown that these sanctions occur conditionally by sanctioning the least efficient strains relative to the other strains present rather than having a threshold nitrogen output The overarching aim of this project is to gain a greater understanding of this regulation through sanctioning as well as to begin elucidating the mechanism underlying this regulation This work will improve the ability to select and utilise more efficient rhizobium for use in agricultural settings as well as improving the base line understanding of the symbiosis which will aid in related projects such as the engineering of this symbiosis into cereal plants such as barley and maize Both of these outcomes would help in achieving the major goal of reducing reliance on fertilisers
4th June 2024
Chair: Agnes Strickland-Pajtok, Convenor
Dominic Martin
Ancient Orthodox perspectives on the war in Ukraine
Bio: Dr Dominic Martin is an anthropologist of Russia and a Postdoctoral Researcher on the ERC-funded project Emptiness: Living Capitalism and Democracy After (Post)Socialism. Dominic has an MA, MPhil and PhD in Social Anthropology from King’s College, Cambridge Before coming to Oxford, Dominic was a Postdoctoral Associate in Russian Studies at the Macmillan Center for International and Area Studies and a Lecturer in Anthropology at Yale University His work concerns the relationship between postsocialist life and the transformations of economy, society and sovereignty that followed the end of the Cold War in Russia’s Asia-Pacific borderlands
Abstract: This talk, which draws on 10 months’ fieldwork in 2022 in the Russian Far East, describes divergent perspectives on the war in Ukraine within an Orthodox ‘Old Believer’ congregation President Putin’s speeches and the posters that bedeck Russia’s Pacific Maritime region invoke a familial organic community of ‘one’s own’ (svoi) as justification for ‘protecting’ the Donbas. On the one hand, as family-centric adherents in Russia’s messianic vocation, many Far Eastern Old Believers criticise what they see as the state’s ‘pseudo-‘ or ‘schizo-patriotic’ discourse. On the other hand, one zealot who was firmly in favour of the ‘Special Military Operation' tried to convince me that I myself should fight in the invasion of Ukraine. In these perplexing encounters what is the scope and the limits of ‘taking seriously’? Can one take over informants’ immanent critiques of bellicose ideologies while at the same time dismissing the alienness of pro-war views?
