blueprint Staff magazine for the | October 2013

Discovering drugs Meeting the mafia Juicy opportunity news in brief u An online version of the University u Would you like to talk about the impact Strategic Plan is available at www.ox.ac.uk/ of your research on policy, health, business strategicplan. The plan covers the period or culture? If so, you may be interested in 2013–18 and sets a high-level agenda for making a video diary about your work to the University, with new priorities of global help showcase Oxford’s research impact. reach, networking, communication and Research Services is looking for researchers interdisciplinarity, and new core strategies willing to film themselves discussing why in relation to research, education and wider their research matters to society and what engagement. The plan was developed by they’ve learned through taking their research a steering group chaired by the Pro-Vice- into the community. Workshops are being Chancellor (Education) and comprising held on 11 October and 4 November. members from Council, the divisions and Details at www.ox.ac.uk/staff/news/video_ the colleges, and was revised in the light of diaries.html. comments received from a University-wide consultation in Hilary term 2013. u Oxford University Student Union (OUSU) has partnered with the charity u Development at the Radcliffe Future First for their ‘Back to School Observatory Quarter has reached a new Week’ campaign (12–19 October). milestone with the formal opening of Future First aims to build alumni networks the Mathematical Institute building on in state schools to inform and inspire 3 October. Designed by Rafael Viñoly young people about their futures. As part Architects, the building has been named of the campaign, OUSU is encouraging the Building in honour Oxford staff and students to join the alumni of one of Oxford’s most distinguished network of their former school. This may mathematicians. The Maths Institute will involve mentoring students, giving careers

move from three separate locations into the talks or becoming a school governor. Details Atherton Lee new facility, which will accommodate more at https://networks.futurefirst.org.uk/former- than 500 academics, researchers, support student-search?t=ousu. staff and postgraduate students. u Staff can enjoy 15% off First Great u The McCall MacBain Foundation, a Western train tickets for journeys into and grant-making organisation established by returning from Oxford. The discount is John and Marcy McCall MacBain, has available on singles/returns, peak/off-peak announced a lead donation of £75m to the and weekly tickets. Monthly, quarterly Rhodes Trust towards the future expansion and six-monthly tickets will be added later of the international graduate scholarship this month. The discount has been made programme. The gift is the largest since the possible through a partnership between establishment of the Scholarships in 1903 the University and easitNETWORK, which and enables the Trust to further advance its supports businesses in offering their staff core mission, which is to send future global sustainable travel solutions. The discount leaders to Oxford. The announcement scheme had initially run on a trial basis

Oxford University Images/Rob Judges comes at the start of the public launch of the − the success of the trial means the offer Rhodes Trust campaign, which aims to raise has now become permanent. Details £110m to support the existing Scholarships at www.admin.ox.ac.uk/estates/travel/ From top: New home for Maths; the and plan new strategic initiatives. easitoxford. McCall MacBains; become a videostar

u The University’s finance system, Oracle Financials, is being upgraded to a Cover: blueprint Staff magazine for the University of Oxford new version (R12) on 11 November. During the transition period from the end | October 2013 Autumn of October until 11 November, no financial transactions can be carried out at the – this includes expenses, purchases and payments to suppliers. University’s All expenses and requests for advances must be submitted to the central Harcourt Payments team by 22 October; all shopping in Marketplace − the University’s Arboretum online purchasing system − must be completed by 29 October; while the University’s online recruitment system (HRIS) will be unavailable to job applicants from the afternoon of 8 November to the morning of 11 November. Departments should avoid setting vacancy closing dates for 11 and 12 November to allow

D candidates time to submit their applications following the downtime. iscovering drugs M eeting the mafia Information about R12 and key deadlines is at www.admin.ox.ac.uk/finance. Juicy opportunity Details about the impact of R12 for HRIS users are at www.admin.ox.ac.uk/

personnel/corehr/support. Photo by Botanic Garden

2 | BLUEPRINT October 2013 www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint research round-up

u The earliest modern humans were in Europe and the Middle East at about the Shy male great tits find feathered same time, suggests a new study led by friends with similar personalities Dr Katerina Douka from the School of Archaeology. A team of researchers was unable to directly date human fossils found at Ksar Akil, a key archaeological site in Lebanon, but by radiocarbon-dating marine shells from the same section of archaeological layers and taking their relative location into account, the researchers calculate that the earliest human fossil is between 42,400 and 41,700 years old. The age of the earliest fossils, directly or indirectly dated, of the modern humans found in Europe is similar. The shells were either perforated or had bright red pigmentation on the surface, denoting the handiwork of early modern humans rather than Neanderthals. The

findings were published in the journal Joe Tobias PLOS ONE. Church to create an authentic Elizabethan was taking over their lives and invading u A genetic study has identified a biological menu for the occasion. Minister-Counsellor their privacy. An additional 37% of users process that influences whether we are right- Dariusz Laska from the Embassy of the had no strong feelings either for or against handed or left-handed. With around 90% Republic of Poland was in attendance to the internet and were described as ‘moderate’ of people being right-handed, humans are mark his country’s links to the play. in their view, while 17% said it made the only species to show such a strong bias them more efficient, 12% said they were in handedness, but the cause of this bias has u Male great tits that exhibit ‘shy’ social happy going online and 19% had mixed remained largely a mystery. Now British behaviour are much more likely to join flocks views, feeling efficient and happier but also and Dutch scientists have found correlations of birds with a similar personality than their frustrated, says the latest Oxford Internet between handedness and a network of genes ‘bold’ male counterparts, but shy birds also Survey report. involved in embryo development. ‘The genes have fewer social partners than bold birds, a are involved in the biological process through study reported in Ecology Letters has found. which an early embryo moves on from being The research, carried out by scientists from a round ball of cells and becomes a growing Oxford’s Department of Zoology and the organism with an established left and right Australian National University, used a new side’, explains first author William Brandler, way of analysing the social networks that a DPhil student in the MRC Functional link individual animals to each other – a Genomics Unit at Oxford. The researchers kind of ‘Facebook for birds’ – to reveal how suggest that the genes may also help establish differences between individuals underpin left–right differences in the brain, which in the way that social interactions occur across turn has an influence on handedness. populations. ‘We think shy male birds might

group together to avoid the more aggressive iStockphoto/webphotographer u An Oxford DPhil candidate has translated bold birds’, says author Lucy Aplin, a DPhil a 16th-century play from Latin into English student at Oxford. The work is part of as part of a special event held at Christ a long-term project led by Professor Ben Church. Elizabeth Sandis, a member of Sheldon that involves tracking thousands the Early Drama at Oxford research team, of wild birds in Wytham Woods. translated William Gager’s Dido for a banquet and drama-staging on 21 September. u The number of people in Britain using The play was inspired by Virgil’s Aeneid and the internet has risen, reaching 78% of was commissioned to celebrate the official the population aged 14 years and over as visit of the Polish Ambassador, Alberto compared with 59% in 2003. Yet, according Laski, to Oxford University 430 years ago. to the latest survey of British attitudes to Elizabeth, who sprinkled a few passages the internet conducted by the University’s of Latin throughout her translation to give Oxford Internet Institute, more than half audience members a flavour of the original, of those who go online do so without also liaised with the head chef at Christ enthusiasm. 14% of users felt the internet Katemina Douka

Top: Handedness is written in the genes For more information, visit www.ox.ac.uk/news and Bottom: Beads from Ksar Akil, found closely ◢ www.ox.ac.uk/staffnews associated with the skeleton of a modern girl, dating to between 39,000 and 41,000 years ago

www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint October 2013 BLUEPRINT | 3 people and prizes

Dr David Acheson, Gus Hancock, Professor of Chemistry Ian Walmsley, Hooke Professor of Emeritus Fellow in and Head of the Physical and Theoretical Experimental Physics and Pro-Vice-Chancellor Mathematics at Jesus Chemistry Laboratory, has been awarded an (Research, Academic Services and University College, has been honorary doctorate by the National University Collections) has received an honorary awarded an Honorary of Córdoba, the oldest university in Argentina, doctorate from the University of Toulouse DSc by the University where he has lectured regularly for 15 years. III – Paul Sabatier. of East Anglia, in recognition of his Sir David Hendry, Professor of Economics, Sir David Weatherall, Julia Baer work on the public has been selected as a 2013 Thomson Reuters Regius Professor of understanding of mathematics. Citation Laureate for contributions to the Medicine Emeritus, field of economics, based upon the number has been awarded Dr Justin Benesch, Royal Society University of times fellow researchers have cited his the 2013 Wallace H Research Fellow and University Lecturer in published papers. Coulter Award for Physical Chemistry, has received the Alfred Lifetime Achievement Tissières Young Investigator Award of the Cell Dr Cecilia Lindgren, in Hematology, the Stress Society International for his research Career Development highest honour of the into the biophysics underpinning molecular Fellow at the Wellcome American Society of Hematology. The award chaperone function. Trust Centre for recognises ‘his more than 50-year career in Human Genetics, hematology combining seminal discoveries, Dr Susan Brigden, has been awarded visionary translational research leadership, Reader in Early the first Leena Peltonen and a passion for global health initiatives that

Modern History, Library Wellcome Prize for Excellence have together helped improve clinical care for has won the 2013 in Human Genetics, thousands throughout the developing world’. Wolfson History Prize in recognition of her work on applying for Thomas Wyatt: genetics and genomics to dissect the Bernard Wood, Research Professor in the The Heart’s Forest, a aetiology of type 2 diabetes, obesity and Department of Earth Sciences, has been biography of the Tudor fat distribution. awarded the Harry H Hess Medal of the John Cairns poet, ambassador and American Geophysical Union for outstanding courtier (Faber & Faber, 2012). Robert MacLaren, Professor of Ophthal- research on the constitution and evolution mology in the Nuffield Department of of the Earth and other planets. Paul Collier, Professor Clinical Neurosciences and Consultant of Economics and Ophthalmologist at the Oxford Eye Hospital, Public Policy at the has won a 2013 Pfizer Ophthalmics Carl Blavatnik School Camras Translational Research Award. of Government, The annual award for young researchers new Engineering has won the A.SK recognises his pioneering research into novel Social Science Award treatments for retinal degeneration including Fellow 2013 in recognition gene therapy. PS: Unlimited Photography PS: Unlimited of his innovative Zhanfeng Cui, contributions to our understanding of Tim Palmer, Royal Donald Pollock development, poverty, democratisation, Society Research Professor of civil wars, and global justice. Professor in Climate Chemical Physics, has been Engineering Dr Andrew Goodwin of the Inorganic elected to the 2013 and Professorial Chemistry Laboratory has been selected class of American Fellow of by the New York Academy of Sciences as Geophysical Union Hertford College, one of ten ‘Future Leaders’ in Science to attend Fellows in recognition has been elected Wikimedia the Science and Technology in Society (STS) of his fundamental a Fellow of the Royal Academy of forum in Kyoto this month. The annual understanding of the predictability of weather Engineering. forum discusses the promises and risks of and climate, and for pioneering the tools to His research interests include the science and technology, and how they impact estimate such predictability. technologies that will monitor and society. regulate tissue growth, including Andrew Pollard, micro-membrane probes and micro- Nicole Grobert, Professor of Nanomaterials, Professor of Paediatric sensors, cryo-preservation techniques was one of 40 young scientists selected from 19 Infection and Immunity and membrane filtration processes. He countries to participate in the ‘Annual Meeting and leader of the is Director of the Oxford Centre for of the New Champions’ held at the World Oxford Vaccine Group, Tissue Engineering and Bioprocessing, Economic Forum in Dalian, People’s Republic has been appointed which is involved in the development of of China, last month. The award recognises her as Chair of the bioreactor technologies for the growth work in developing new methods of creating, Department of Health’s of bone, cartilage, tendon and neuron processing and characterising a variety of Joint Committee on cells, with the longer-term aim of bulky nanomaterials, including nanoparticles, Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises tissue growth from stem cell cultures. nanotubes and graphene. the Department on vaccine policy issues.

4 | BLUEPRINT October 2013 www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint british Academy Fellows royal Society prizes Eight Oxford professors were among Julia Lee-Thorp, Professor of Archaeological 59 academics recently elected into the British Science and Fellow of St Cross College, is Three Oxford researchers have been Academy. The new Fellows are recognised primarily interested in the ecological contexts named winners of Royal Society awards for their outstanding research across the of major shifts in human biological and and medals. humanities and social sciences. cultural evolution. Her main approach is Professor Sir Walter Bodmer of the based on the biogeochemistry of fossil teeth Mary Dalrymple, Department of Oncology receives and bones, especially stable light isotopes. Professor of Syntax a Royal Medal for his seminal She pioneered their application to the ecology and Fellow of Linacre contributions to population genetics, of ancient fossils, which has led to something College, researches gene mapping and understanding of of a revolution in people’s view of shifts in syntax, semantics and familial genetic disease. the ecology of early hominins. the syntax–semantics Professor Douglas interface. She is Colin Mayer, Peter Moores Professor of Higgs, head of the

Rob Judges particularly interested Management Studies at the Saïd Business MRC Weatherall in the syntactic School and Professorial Fellow of Wadham Institute of properties of human languages and how they College, researches in the field of financial Molecular can guide the process of assembling meanings economics: specifically on corporate finance, Medicine, of words and phrases into meanings of larger governance and taxation, and the regulation has won the phrases and sentences. of financial institutions. Buchanan John Gardner, Professor of Jurisprudence Kevin O’Rourke, Chichele Professor of Medal for his and Professorial Fellow of University College, Economic History and Fellow of All Souls outstanding work on the regulation of works on topics in the philosophy of law College, researches at the intersection the human alpha-globin gene cluster. His and nearby areas of moral and political of economic history and international group uses this model to understand how philosophy. Most recently he has been economics. He has worked extensively on human genes are switched on and off in developing new ideas about private law, the history of the international economy, cells and hence improve the management especially the law of torts, while bearing looking at the causes and consequences of of patients with human genetic disease. out the thought that there is no radical globalisation and deglobalisation. Current Professor Frank Close, Emeritus Fellow disconnection between law and the rest of projects focus on the interwar period and of Exeter College, is the winner of the human life. the international spread of industrialisation. Michael Faraday Prize and Lecture for Vincent Gillespie, Jenny Ozga, Professor of the Sociology of his work in science communication. J R R Tolkien Professor Education and Green Templeton Senior A particle physicist, he has been at the of English and Fellow Research Fellow Professor, examines forefront of outreach in physics for of Lady Margaret education policy in international comparative 35 years, writing for mainstream and Hall, examines the contexts, with a current focus on governance scientific media, producing radio scripts psychology of literary and governing, through investigation of the and presentations, writing popular response: the ways in resources that are being mobilised by new science books and organising science which writers struggle governing forms (networks) and through exhibitions. to express experiences new policy technologies (data). and acts of imagination, the strategies they use to articulate their understanding of these experiences and imaginative acts, and the codes and conventions that develop between physicists honoured texts and readers to allow communication Steven Balbus, Peter Norreys, Professor of Inertial and understanding to develop and to be Savilian Professor Fusion Science and Plasma Physics Group manipulated. He analyses texts against the of Astronomy, has Leader of the Central Laser Facility, STFC deep background of their contemporary won the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, has won textual, social and intellectual environment in Astronomy 2013, the Payne–Gaposchkin Medal and prize for and researches the history of the book. sharing with Professor his pioneering contributions to the physics John Hawthorne, Waynflete Professor of John Hawley of the of fast particle generation and energy Metaphysical Philosophy and Professorial transport in relativistic laser–plasma Fellow of Magdalen College, researches a $1m award for work interactions. metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of that explains how astronomical objects form. Dr Joanna Dunkley, University Lecturer in language, philosophy of mind and early The award recognises their discovery of the Astrophysics and James Martin Fellow in the modern philosophy. His books include mechanism – magnetorotational instability Programme on Computational Cosmology Metaphysical Essays – original treatments – that accounts for the process of accretion, has been awarded the Maxwell Medal and of fundamental topics in philosophy, including a phenomenon which plays a key role in star prize for her contributions to determining identity, ontology, vagueness and causation – formation and the growth of supermassive the structure and history of our universe, and Knowledge and Lotteries, in which black holes. particularly her leading role in the analysis he defends a view in epistemology according Two other Oxford physicists received prizes of the cosmic microwave background, the to which the presence of knowledge is in the Institute of Physics 2013 awards: relic radiation from the Big Bang. dependent on the subject’s interests.

www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint October 2013 BLUEPRINT | 5 new Heads of House

Oriel College Pembroke College Wycliffe Hall Moira Wallace OBE Dame Lynne Brindley The Revd Dr Michael became Provost of DBE FRSA became Lloyd has taken Oriel College in Master of Pembroke office as Principal September, making her College in August. of Wycliffe Hall, the college’s first female Dame Lynne was a Permanent Private Provost. the Chief Executive Hall of the University. She brings more Officer and a board He was until than 20 years’ member of the British recently Chaplain British Library Keith Barnes/PhotographersWorkshops experience in senior Library from July of The Queen’s civil service roles across Whitehall. She 2000 to July 2012. She previously served as College, and has nearly a decade of began her career in the Treasury, where she Pro-Vice-Chancellor and University Librarian experience teaching in theological colleges. served as Economic Affairs Private Secretary at the University of Leeds, and in senior A former Tutor in Theology at St Paul’s to Prime Ministers Major and Blair and was executive roles in information technology and Theological Centre and Tutor in Doctrine the first director of the government’s Social information management at the London School at St Stephen’s House, he previously served Exclusion Unit. At the Home Office, she was of Economics and the University of Aston. as Chaplain of Fitzwilliam College, Director General of Criminal Justice and then Her first degree was in music and she Cambridge, and earlier as Chaplain and Director General of Policing. In 2008 she was completed an MA in information studies at Director of Studies in Theology at appointed Permanent Secretary to the newly University College London. She is credited Christ’s College, Cambridge. formed Department of Energy and Climate with leading the development of national He is the author of Café Theology, Change, which she led for four years. digital library and networked information and regularly contributes to the Godpod Ms Wallace read French and German and dataset services across UK higher (a theological podcast). at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and education, and was made a Dame in the 2008 Dr Lloyd holds degrees in English from then studied Comparative Literature at New Year’s Honours List for services to the Cambridge University and in Theology from Harvard as a Kennedy Scholar. From British Library and to education. Her current St John’s College, Durham, and a DPhil in 2000 to 2008 she was a Visiting Fellow non-executive roles include membership of Theology from Oxford, where his doctoral at Nuffield College. the Board of Ofcom and the AHRC. thesis was on the problem of evil.

noticeboard

u Carolyn will be responsible for the planning and frame your research question to make best Puddicombe became delivery of the University’s digital media use of high-performance computers. Further the University’s channels, including the top-level pages of information is at www.arc.ox.ac.uk or email Director of Asset & the University website and the University’s [email protected]. Space Management on Facebook page. u Professor Gary Ford has been appointed 1 July. She has overall Chief Executive of the Oxford Academic responsibility for Asset u The Nuffield Health Science Network (AHSN), in which Management, Estates Department of the University is a partner. He joins the Strategy, Space and Population Health AHSN in November from the University of Information Management, Graduate has been established Newcastle where he holds the Jacobson Chair Accommodation, Wytham Woods and the in the Medical of Clinical Pharmacology, and is Director of University Parks. A Fellow of the Royal Sciences Division and the National Institute for Health Research Institution of Chartered Surveyors, with combines groups from Stroke Research Network and Associate a degree in Land Management, she has the Department of Medical Director for R&D at the Newcastle experience with the private and public Public Health with Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He has sectors and came to Oxford from Bath Spa the Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Clinical Trial also maintained a clinical practice as a University. Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit. The head of department is Professor Sir stroke physician and developed strong u Suzi Ardley Rory Collins, who was appointed Professor links with the life sciences sector. became Head of Public Health and a Fellow of St Cross of Digital College on 1 July. Communications,

based in the Public u Advanced Research Computing (ARC) is viewfinder found Affairs Directorate, the new name for the Oxford Supercomputing 2–5pm. November, 30 Saturday on John’s

on 16 September. Centre, a resource of high-performance St in display public on be will collection The White. tion) given to the college by its founder, Sir Thomas Thomas Sir founder, its by college the to given tion)

She has joined the computers that are free at the point of use for pre-Reforma- (many vestments clerical of collection

University from University researchers of any discipline. There important an vestments, Laudian the of one is and Monash University, Melbourne, where is free training to help you get started and fragments 15th-century using 1930s the in made

she was Communications Manager in the a supportive expert team at ARC who can been have to thought is frontal The College. John’s

Faculty of Business and Economics. She St of chapel the in covering) (decorative frontal both assist with technical issues and help you altar embroidered an on appears (p20) angel The

6 | BLUEPRINT October 2013 www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint arrivals board

Chichele Professor of Public Professor Dorling’s research seeks to September. International Law understand and map the changing social, He is also a political and medical geographies of Britain Fellow of Harris Catherine Redgwell, and further afield, concentrating on social Manchester College. Professor of and spatial inequalities to life chances Professor International Law, and how these may be narrowed. His Roy’s main area University College work involves developing new techniques of research is London, took up this

to analyse and popularise quantitative Doucette Vernon physical acoustics post in the Faculty of information about Human Geography, – the generation, Law on 1 September. including the introduction of novel propagation and detection of acoustic She is a Fellow cartographic techniques. waves, and the interactions of sound of All Souls College. with matter. He is particularly interested Professor Redgwell’s research is Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor in acoustic cavitation and bubble focused on international energy law of Anglo-Saxon dynamics, especially problems related and international environmental law, Andrew Orchard, to sonoluminescence (light from sound), particularly the international legal Professor of English sonochemistry, and the inception and regulation of energy actors and activities, and Medieval detection of inertial cavitation activity. ranging from environmental impact Studies, Provost He also studies the role of bubbles and to public participation and corporate and Vice-Chancellor, cavitation microstreaming in diagnostic accountability issues. With climate Trinity College, and high-intensity therapeutic ultrasound, change and the pressure to move beyond and Senior Fellow, and also ocean ambient noise mechanisms, a strongly carbon-based economy, her Massey College, near-surface scattering from bubble research is increasingly at the confluence University of clouds, and the acoustics of ship wakes. of international environmental and energy Toronto, took up this post in the Faculty of law and, as a member of the 2009 Royal English on 1 September. He has also become Professor of Respiratory Medicine Society working group on geoengineering, a Fellow of Pembroke College. Ian Pavord, her work is increasingly engaged with Professor Orchard’s chief teaching and Consultant Physician the current debate on the governance of research interests lie in the fields of Anglo- in the Department geoengineering. Saxon, Norse, and Celtic languages and of Respiratory literatures. He is particularly known for his Medicine, Glenfield Halford Mackinder Professor scholarship on a range of material spanning Hospital, Leicester; of Geography more than eight centuries and including Honorary Professor Danny Dorling, such iconic works and authors as Alcuin, of Medicine at Professor of Human Aldhelm, Beowulf, Boniface, Cynewulf, the University of Geography at the Poetic Edda, Wulfstan, and the Anglo- Leicester; and NIHR Senior Investigator, the University of Saxon riddle tradition. He is the author of took up this post in the Nuffield Department Sheffield, Visiting A Critical Companion to ‘Beowulf’ and of Clinical Medicine on 23 September. Professor in the is a member of the International Advisory He is a Fellow of St Edmund Hall. Department of Board of the Dictionary of Old English. Professor Pavord’s chief research

Gemma Thorpe Social Medicine at He was elected a Fellow of the Royal interests include airway pharmacology and the University of Society of Canada in 2012. the development of techniques to assess Bristol, Visiting Professor in Sociology at airway inflammation in asthma and other Goldsmiths, London, and Adjunct Professor Professor of Mechanical Engineering airway diseases. He has played a lead role in the Department of Geography at the Ronald Roy, Professor of Mechanical in the development of three of the most University of Canterbury, New Zealand, Engineering and Chairman of the promising treatments for asthma in the took up this post in the School of Geography Department of Mechanical Engineering at last ten years – bronchial thermoplasty, and the Environment on 1 September. Boston University, took up this post in the mepolizumab and CRTH-2 antagonists He is also a Fellow of St Peter’s College. Department of Engineering Science on 1 – and is co-editor of the journal Thorax.

on the shortlist academicians appointed A University art project involving lecturer permanent collection. She wants to make Elizabeth Price – the winner of the 2012 a new film that explores the photographic The Academy of Social Sciences has Turner Prize – has been shortlisted for one archives and collections of the University’s conferred the award of Academician on of the UK’s highest-value contemporary museums, focusing particularly on the two Oxford researchers: Fran Bennett, art awards. Ashmolean and Pitt Rivers. Senior Research Fellow in the Department In partnership with the Pitt Rivers The proposal is one of four to have of Social Policy and Intervention, and Museum and the Ruskin School of Drawing been shortlisted for this year’s £60,000 Desmond King, Andrew W Mellon and Fine Art, the Ashmolean Museum is Contemporary Art Society Annual Award Professor of American Government. seeking funding to commission a new piece for Museums. The winner will be announced of work by Dr Price to form part of its in November.

www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint October 2013 BLUEPRINT | 7 target: drug discovery Why is it such a struggle to find new medicines, despite huge investment? Jonathan Wood talks to Oxford researchers who are spearheading international efforts

‘The world urgently needs new medicines for global biomedical community in this – is good many diseases such as Alzheimer’s, depression, at selecting the right target for drug discovery.’ diabetes and obesity’, says Chas Bountra, Peter Ratcliffe, the University’s Nuffield Oxford’s Professor of Translational Medicine. Professor of Medicine, is of exactly the same ‘Yet the pharmaceutical industry’s success rate mind: ‘It’s almost self-evident that in starting University of Oxford Images/John Cairns for generating truly novel medicines remains drug development you need to start in the low, despite investing tens of billions of dollars.’ right place. We need to have the right What’s going wrong? Why can’t we depend molecular target.’ importance to human health, places the data on the vast commercial pharma industry to Professor Ratcliffe is the director of the new in the public domain, open and free to all. deliver the new treatments we need? Professor Target Discovery Institute (TDI) at Oxford, Knowing the structure of a protein is important Bountra is the ideal person to ask. He came an institute whose whole purpose is validating in finding candidate drugs that bind this target. from the drug firm GSK to lead the Structural targets for drug discovery. Researchers have just More recently, the SGC began working Genomics Consortium (SGC) at the University, started moving into the TDI’s impressive new further along the drug discovery chain in a public–private partnership that bridges building on the Old Road Campus. All clean coming up with novel chemical compounds academia and industry and produces data lines, sharp angles and a glass frontage to guide that block target proteins. Again, the data that are directly relevant for coming up with you in, it brings the best biologists and chemists and reagents are openly available to allow new drugs. together with the latest genetic and cell biology anyone to investigate them. Some novel drug ‘What the pharma industry has done is technologies. compounds are already being taken forward recruit some of the smartest people on the by new biotech companies. planet, invested tens of billions in technology ‘In the next one to two ‘We need to pool the strengths of academia and infrastructure, and acquired promising years, Oxford will be the and industry’, Professor Bountra believes, ‘to companies’, he says. ‘It’s not that industry is create a more efficient, more flexible way of doing anything wrong. The problem is that academic drug discovery discovering new drugs. It is only by pooling it’s so difficult. The fundamental bottleneck centre in the UK’ resources and by working with the best people is our ability to identify new targets for drug that we can hope to reduce costs and reduce discovery.’ Modern biology research is delivering risks in this very difficult task.’ Researchers in this area talk about ‘targets’. thousands of potential targets, Professor Professor Ratcliffe adds: ‘The failure of If you have a biological molecule – most often Ratcliffe says, but it is currently hard or drug candidates at a late stage in large-scale a protein – that you find is critical in a disease impossible for scientists in pharma to know trials is reasonably held to be the thing killing process in the body, this is a target. It’s a target which are the most promising to pursue for the pharma industry. We have to secure the because you can throw tens and hundreds new drugs. He believes that at least a portion rationale for developing a drug in the first of thousands of small chemical compounds of academic research should be more aligned place, and we have to make sure we don’t find at it and see which of these would-be drugs to what industry needs to take things forward. untoward aspects at a late stage.’ stick. You might come away with a handful One of the examples he gives is a set of Both professors believe that target discovery of compounds that bind your target protein enzymes called histone demethylases. These is of wider importance to the British economy, and block the disease process. Now you have are involved in switching genes on and off in following many drug companies downsizing somewhere to start, you have some candidate cells, and drugs targeting these proteins may their research capacity in the UK. By making drugs against this disease. be useful in cancer and inflammatory disease. these projects in Oxford a success, drug You will want to optimise the chemical But this work is still at a relatively early stage company investment can be brought in, new compound and do toxicology checks, and there and there is a lot to be done to determine the biotechnology companies spun off and highly will be years of clinical trials to determine if it is range of effects that blocking these enzymes skilled people retained in this country, they say. safe and beneficial. But the starting point turns can have, and whether discrete medical benefits ‘I honestly think what is happening in out to be crucial. If you don’t know enough can be achieved. That’s where the interest of Oxford is phenomenal’, says Professor Bountra. about the target and the disease process it the TDI comes in. ‘In the next one to two years, Oxford will be affects, you may waste billions of pounds and Forging successful partnerships between the academic drug discovery centre in the UK. years of effort and expose patients to something academia and industry is exactly what What distinguishes Oxford is a culture that that may have no medical benefit – or worse, Professor Bountra has done at the SGC, makes all of this work. We are all pulling in find side effects you didn’t know about. which has partners worldwide. This not- the same direction to help industry develop Professor Bountra explains: ‘There are for-profit group, which determines the new medicines because society desperately around 22,000 different proteins in humans, three-dimensional structures of proteins of needs new medicines.’ any of which could be a target for a drug. There are hundreds of diseases and hundreds of subsets of diseases. What we can’t do right now More information at www.thesgc.org/scientists/groups/ is say this protein will work in this subset of oxford and www.tdi.ox.ac.uk Alzheimer’s patients. Pharma is extremely good ◢ A podcast on drug discovery by Professor Bountra is at at taking a candidate drug molecule through to market. None of us – and I include the whole www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/chas-bountra-drug-discovery

8 | BLUEPRINT October 2013 www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint Oxford’s new Target Discovery Institute (below) and Structural Genomics Consortium are bringing the best researchers from academia and industry together with the latest genetic and cell biology techniques

Left: a genetic scientist loads frozen protein crystals on to X-ray diffraction equipment

www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint September 2013 BLUEPRINT | 9 Garth Boden University of Oxford Images/JohnCairns of Oxford University Juicy and delicious – Worcester’s small orchard will provide about a tonne of fruit this year Samuel Lui Samuel Lui a taste of Worcester Alison Leslie A college orchard is providing a core business,

reveals Sally Croft Alison Leslie Alison

Alison Leslie Hand-picked by the Worcester gardeners, apples and pears are juiced by Chris Lanczak (left) and his team at Waterperry Gardens

Situated between Oxford’s busy bus and four years provided the College’s own-label and his team pick and bring their fruit to railway stations, Worcester College lies in the apple and pear juice. ‘The orchard Waterperry where we press, bottle and heart of the bustling city. But step through its was planted in the early 1900s by Provost pasturise it. The sweetness of the juice imposing entrance and a surprise is revealed: Lys’, says Simon. ‘We currently have 65 depends both on the particular varieties 26 acres of tranquil gardens, complete with trees in the orchard, a mixture of eating and on the balance of the fruit – a greater lake and sports field. The explanation is and cooking apples and pears, with a proportion of cooking versus eating apples simple: when the College was founded in wide range of varieties such as Blenheim makes it slightly sharper, whereas more 1714 (on the site of what started life in Orange, Newton Wonder, Lady Sudeley pears produce a sweeter result. The Worcester 1283 as Gloucester College, a place of study and Darcy Spice. Trees have been replaced juice is always very good because they’ve got for 13 Benedictine monks), it was on the over the years but some of them are a nice selection of varieties. And this year, edge of town and generous grounds were probably a hundred years old and are quite thanks to plenty of sunshine in July and easy to come by. large. Nowadays, we replace with specimens August, we’re seeing a bumper crop that will Today, the grounds are beautifully on root stock, which are much easier to pick be particularly flavoursome.’ maintained by a team of six full-time and and maintain. We recently planted some Worcester juice is very pure and completely one part-time gardeners (one of whom is Pitmarston Pineapple, which is a particularly organic, Simon emphasises. The orchard a groundsman), plus an apprentice and a juicy sweet apple.’ produces about a tonne of fruit a year, two- couple of volunteer helpers. Traditional thirds of which goes for juicing and produces herbaceous borders feature an eclectic mix of ‘The juice is delicious – it around 400–500 bottles. It’s all handpicked contemporary plantings, creating a relaxed and windfalls and fruit growing less than a and airy style while exhibiting the delights tastes fantastically clean metre above ground are not included. of plants ranging from begonias to bananas. and crisp’ The labelled Worcester bottles are sold in Worcester students have their own vegetable College in October and November, with all plot and donate surplus produce to the college The orchard is deliberately low- profits going back to the gardens. ‘They’re kitchens, which also benefit (though in a small maintenance. In the summer, the grass is very popular with both students and staff – way) from apples, pears, plums, quince, figs allowed to grow up into a meadow (wild an ideal Christmas present for parents and and salad fruits grown in the gardens. flowers encouraged) and the gardeners cut friends’, says Simon. Other customers include A particular feature of the Worcester meandering paths through it and create areas Old Members. Nick King, who read English landscape is its 600 or so trees. ‘We have a for students to sit. Pruning takes place in at Worcester in the mid-1980s, is a keen strict “one out, one in” replacement policy the winter, with tuition and expert advice customer and buys every year. ‘I remember and try very hard to plant interesting and provided by Chris Lanczak, Orchard hosting drinks parties in the College orchards unusual specimens’, explains Simon Bagnall, Manager at Waterperry Gardens, which also as a student’, he says. ‘The juice is delicious Head of Gardens and Grounds. ‘We recently carries out the juicing process for Worcester. – it tastes fantastically clean and crisp. The added an Emmenopterys henryi – a tree ‘The secret of a good juice is to use fruit nostalgic element is obviously there for me, that the renowned English plant hunter with a decent flavour and pick when it’s but it really does stack up against the very Ernest Wilson declared to be one of the just coming up to ripen’, says Chris. ‘Simon best. My children love it too.’ most strikingly beautiful trees of the Chinese forests.’ A much-loved part of the gardens is the Read the Worcester gardeners’ blog at http://wocogaga.blogspot.co.uk College’s small orchard, which has for the last ◢

www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint October 2013 BLUEPRINT | 11 Into the Shadowlands Researching organised crime networks has its moments of unpleasantness, Federico Varese tells Maria Coyle Rob Judges Rob

Federico Varese, Professor of Criminology When Varese turned up in a city bordering functions: to protect business, govern markets in the Department of Sociology, counts Siberia to carry out the research for his and settle disputes. But he points out that the world-famous crime writer John le Carré DPhil, many locals at first questioned his mafia protects, in legal markets, illegitimate as one of his friends, and even advises him motives. But in time he was introduced business such as illegal cartels, and he on the details of some of his storylines. It’s to some of the Russian mafia in the area believes that the mafia is ‘disastrous for the something Varese is eminently qualified to do: through contacts in the business community. overall economy, driven not by principles he is an expert on mafia groups around the ‘My way is never to lie or try to hide of justice but by who pays them the most.’ world and has written two academic books anything and I make it quite clear that I’m To build up trust, Varese takes time to of his own, The Russian Mafia (2001) and totally independent and want to understand persuade his subjects to be interviewed. Mafias on the Move (2011). and explain their way of life in my academic Crime bosses do not take kindly to being Described by le Carré as a ‘fearless fact- publications. I reassure them that what they recorded, which means he must transcribe hunter’ and a ‘dedicated academic’, Varese tell me will never go anywhere else and they the content of their meetings immediately admits that his research has led to ‘moments shouldn’t tell me anything that no-one else afterwards. Recently his work has focused on of unpleasantness’. Once he was invited already knows about’, he says. reconstructing the internal structure of crime to the offices of a Russian politician for an networks on the basis of judicial evidence, interview about the problem of the mafia ‘I arrived in a windowless in particular phone-tapped conversations gangs. He arrived in a windowless basement basement where the between criminal gang members. ‘It is a where the politician revealed he was a challenge’, agrees Varese, ‘which is probably mafia member himself – a conversation that politician revealed he why so few academics are carrying out took place while surrounded by men with was a mafia member himself’ research in this area.’ guns. But Professor Varese is, by his own Away from real gangs, he likes to indulge admission, careful as well as fearless, and he He discovered that many members of the his passion for cinema, and aptly his always makes it clear that his interest lies in Russian mafia were keen to explain their favourite film isUnforgiven , an American explaining, not uncovering, crime. lives, in particular their rituals and rules. This Western about a gang of ageing outlaws. Varese’s childhood was spent in northern period was not only pivotal to the future ‘It has an air of authenticity and doesn’t Italy, in a region without obvious mafia links. direction of his academic research, but also glamorise violence. The story is about a As a youth, although politically aware, he his personal life as he met his future wife wrong never being addressed by the justice was not particularly interested in the mafia. (although he quickly adds that she never had system properly, leading to more violence’, After studying Russian as an undergraduate any links with the mafia!). he explains – a theme that obviously in Bologna, he became curious as a Varese’s primary interest is in the way the resonates with him. And, true to his friend postgraduate student (first at Cambridge and state functions in managing the economy, le Carré, one of his favourite books is then at Oxford) to see at first hand the effects and he argues that the mafia has similar The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. of the Glasnost reforms in the Soviet Union. He believed (quite rightly) that illegitimate power sources would fill the vacuum created For more information visit www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/ by a weakened state, as had happened in ◢ index.php/staff-profiles/federico-varese.html and post-feudal Italy. www.ox.ac.uk/media/books/112803.html

12 | BLUEPRINT October 2013 www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint what’s on

exhibitions

Ashmolean Museum

Francis Bacon/Henry Moore: Flesh and Bone Until 19 January 2014 Ashmolean Museum

l ore Topfoto A G Tickets £8 / £6, under 18s free arry Willis Bacon asekela and L /Moore on www.ashmolean.org/exhibitions Hugh M show Exhibition of work by two giants of 20th-century western art, designed to www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk/events bring out the similarities and differences lectures and talks Professor Charles Godfray explores between them. solutions for alleviating the increasing Have we justified the faith of our pressure on the food system, focusing on suffragette sisters? conferences the role of plant science. Saturday 26 October, 2–6pm Big Change: sustainable healthcare for St Hugh’s College the 21st century Tickets £35 concerts Friday 22 to Saturday 23 November www.st-hughs.ox.ac.uk/emily Hugh Masekela and Larry Willis Saïd Business School A centenary celebration of St Hugh’s alumna Sunday 10 November, 7.45pm www.georgeinstitute.ox.ac.uk/news-and- Emily Wilding Davison, with a panel S John the Evangelist Church events/big-change-2013 discussion chaired by the Rt Hon Dame Tickets £8–£22 The challenge of providing affordable Elish Anglioni DBE QC, followed by a tea www.sje-oxford.org healthcare to all who need it is the party at 3.30pm. Speakers include Baroness A rare chance to see this South African focus of this event hosted by the George Helena Kennedy QC and Ceri Goddard, jazz legend, playing in an intimate duo Institute for Global Health and the Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society. with pianist Larry Willis. Entrepreneurship Centre. The future: six drivers of global change family friendly special events Thursday 31 October, 5.30pm Examination Schools FUNomusica family concert: magic and LiveFriday: The Art of Theatre www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/events mystery Friday 25 October, 7–10.30pm Former US Vice-President Al Gore discusses Sunday 27 October, 3pm Ashmolean Museum the emerging forces that are reshaping our Oxford Town Hall www.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/livefriday world. Tickets £8 adults / £2 children Free late-night event at the Ashmolean www.oxfordphil.com showcasing the interaction between The challenge of feeding 10 billion Join Alasdair Malloy and the Philomusica’s theatre and art through the ages. Run in Monday 11 November, 7.30pm musicians as they lead you on a magical tour association with the Oxford University Daubeny Lecture Theatre, Botanic Garden of ghosts and ghouls, witches and wizards. Dramatic Society. Tickets £8 Most suitable for ages 4–8.

make, do and engage with the IT learning programme Are you keen to expand your digital Following on from the success of Miro Memorial Award, is running again skills or find out how social media can Make, ‘Engage’ launched last year and this term – for details, visit www.it.ox. benefit your work or research? If so, the focuses on the use of social media for ac.uk/engage. ‘Make’, ‘Do’ and ‘Engage’ programmes networking and public engagement. This year sees a new addition to the may be for you. The programme encourages participants series with the introduction of ‘Do’ in Run by the IT Learning Programme, to explore social media tools through Hilary term, a programme focusing on each is an informal programme of talks workshops and talks, from using Twitter the technology and processes used to run over the course of a term. The first in academia to crowdsourcing digital support the University’s administrative in the series, ‘Make’, began life in 2010 images. The initial series of talks was work. The aim is to include demos of the and offers a forum for people to showcase accompanied by a self-directed learning main University systems and provide a their creative use of technology. Over programme called ‘23 Things for Research’. forum for people to share ideas. the past three years the programme Run in collaboration with the Bodleian The talks in all three series are delivered has notched up 60 talks, with subjects Libraries, it introduced participants to by volunteers – members of the University ranging from open-source 3D printing a range of digital tools and encouraged who are keen to share their experiences. to managing your allotment online. them to spend a short period each week If you would like to give a talk or suggest A further Make programme is planned developing their skills. The programme, a topic for discussion, please contact david. for Trinity term. which won the inaugural UCISA Amber [email protected].

www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint October 2013 BLUEPRINT | 13 Fun in the sun – alumni meet up in Jersey a link for life The University’s alumni groups provide a worldwide network of contacts, as Alastair Lack discovers

14 | BLUEPRINT September 2013 www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint A worldwide web of groups around the globe

Pick up the latest Oxford Alumni Networks alumni groups in South Korea, Singapore Networks Manager. ‘They act as our Directory and you enter a world that is and Thailand organised highly successful regional ambassadors and trusted truly global. In the UK, alumni groups gatherings, which attracted almost 300 advocates, support current and prospective exist from Aberdeen to York. In Africa, alumni, around the Vice-Chancellor’s visit students, and keep Oxonians in touch they stretch from Algeria to Zimbabwe; to Asia. The Alumni Office also runs with their alma mater.’ Christine Fairchild, in Asia, from China to Vietnam; in regular regional events – in North Director of Alumni Relations, agrees: Continental Europe, from Armenia America, in Europe and now in Asia ‘They are our most treasured resource to the Ukraine; and in the United States, (the first alumni weekend in Hong Kong – they keep the Oxford alumni network the list begins with Arizona and ends will take place in March 2014). These thriving and resonant in all corners of with Washington. There are also academic ‘Meeting Minds’ events take place every the world.’ groups, ranging from Business through two years, with the most recent being in Among the most popular events at Engineering and History to Medicine. Madrid last April. A Friday reception at alumni meetings are lectures, and In all, the University currently has the residence of the British Ambassador University academics travel far and wide 42 alumni groups in the UK and over was followed by a series of distinguished to give educational and entertaining talks: 170 international groups (now almost an Mark Damazer, Master of St Peter’s, spoke equal split between Oxford alumni groups ‘Our alumni groups are a recently on ‘Oxford and the BBC: Public and joint Oxford and Cambridge Societies). wonderful resource for the Institutions under Pressure’ to the Tayside Groups are constantly forming, with new branch, and Jessica Rawson, former ones created recently in Colombia and University on so many levels’ Warden of Merton, spoke to the Hampshire Chile, all part of alumni growth in branch on ‘China: Past and Present, an Central and South America. lectures and tours of Madrid on Saturday, Oxford Archeologist’s view’. Other recent The networks effectively began on ending on the Sunday with brunch at the speakers include Sir Neil Chalmers, former 1 December 1930, when Lionel Curtis, Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Warden of Wadham; Sir Drummond Bone, a fellow of All Souls, proposed the creation Other alumni group activities include Master of Balliol; and Mike Nicholson, of the Oxford Society, a worldwide bursary award schemes for students Director of Undergraduate Admissions. association of present and former members from the local area: Cornwall, Dorset, Professor Peter Donnelly addressed the of the University, formed to forward the Hertfordshire, East Kent and West Queensland branch on modern genetics interests of the University and to keep its Sussex all help fund summer projects. during a recent visit to Australia. members in touch with each other. This A number of groups also organise ‘freshers’ Alumni groups are always keen was to be achieved through an international and access events, and even – like OUS to attract a visiting Oxford speaker. If branch organisation and the magazine Luxembourg – mock Oxbridge interviews. you would be willing to talk to a group, Oxford (which was published for many Last year alumni groups held over 1,000 either in the UK or overseas, please years). The fostering of alumni interest and events worldwide. contact Jackie Hruby, Alumni Networks goodwill towards the University remains the ‘Our alumni groups are a wonderful Manager, at [email protected] aim, by encouraging intellectual, emotional resource for the University on so many (tel 01865 611615). You will be assured and professional ties between members and levels’, says Jackie Hruby, the Alumni of the warmest of welcomes. their University. Groups run a diverse range of activities for members and act as ambassadors for the More information about alumni activities at www.alumni.ox.ac.uk ◢ University in their region. Earlier this year

www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint October 2013 BLUEPRINT | 15 advertisements

THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD SHOP The University’s Official Store

Limited Edition

A range of unique products created for, and exclusive to, The University of Oxford Shop

Oxford Bauble with paper silhouette

106 High Street, Oxford www.oushop.com

We offer NHS and private dental care to the staff and students of Oxford University Located close to the city centre – just a 3 minute walk from Magdalen Bridge

Have you ever had anything published?

A book perhaps, or an article in a magazine like this one.

If you have then the Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society Ltd (ALCS) could be holding money owed to you.

ALCS collects secondary royalties earned from a number of sources including the photocopying and scanning of books.

Unlock information about ways of benefi tting by visiting Book online at www.templedental.co.uk www.alcs.co.uk 26 Temple Street, Oxford OX4 1JS www.templedental.co.uk 01865 922111

16 | BLUEPRINT October 2013 www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint Blueprint_Ad_Quarter.indd 1 27/03/2013 18:07 advertisements

For 3 consecutive years St Clare’s has achieved Thinking of selling the best sixth form results in Oxfordshire or letting?

Established I Professional I Recommended

Call us today for a free of charge market valuation St Clare’s offers the best in

LETTINGS SALES International Baccalaureate education. SUMMERTOWN 01865 554577 01865 759507 HEADINGTON 01865 761111 01865 759500 Scholarships and Bursaries available. EAST OXFORD 01865 244666 01865 759508 WITNEY 01993 777909 01993 705507 www.stclares.ac.uk scottfraser.co.uk

STC-15513 New Advert.indd 1 26/06/2013 10:53 www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint October 2013 BLUEPRINT | 17 advertisements

Christ Church Cathedral School 3 Brewer Street Oxford OX1 1QW

Cathedral choristership offers a unique educational and musical opportunity in Oxford for a boy who enjoys singing and has vocal potential; fees are generously subsidised.

For more information contact the Registrar: 01865 242561 [email protected]

car/taxi service

Professional, reliable service for business or Pleasure

▸ superb brand new seat alhambra: luxury combined with versatility. Panoramic roof, leather seats, air conditioned, lots of luggage room ▸ also available: luxury audi a8 limousine with beige leather seats and air suspension to waft you to your destination in comfort and style alhambra prices: Heathrow £75; eurostar £95; cambridge £125 For more prices or advice please email [email protected] tel: 01865 778608/07917 566077

accounts welcome

18 | BLUEPRINT October 2013 www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint advertisements

www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint October 2013 BLUEPRINT | 19 why am i here?

Harriet Waters Head of Environmental Sustainability

In a nutshell, what do you do? So how did you get from there to here? I make the University more environmentally After teaching ecology for a year I went on sustainable. With the sustainability team, to do a Master’s degree and since then have I work on reducing the University’s always worked in the environmental field. carbon emissions by, for example, installing I’ve been with the University since January insulation and more efficient lighting but before that spent the best part of a to reduce its impact on the environment. decade at Oxford Brookes in a similar role. We facilitate sustainable transport choices What hobbies and activities do you enjoy Rob Judges through access to the mobile bike mechanic outside work? and discounts on public transport and I do quite a lot of exercise but I’m not sure we’re just starting to look at how we could I’d class that as ‘enjoy’. I suppose the thing reduce our carbon emissions from our that takes up most of my time (other than supply chain by implementing a sustainable my family) is my music. I play the E flat Blueprint is published bimonthly for the staff of the procurement strategy. Biodiversity is University of Oxford by the Public Affairs Directorate tuba and sousaphone and any other brass another key area and we’re developing Editor: Sally Croft instruments going except the trombone! Designers: Laëtitia Velia/Katy Dawkins a strategy for that. I play in a great local street band called Picture research: Janet Avison Horns of Plenty and Oxfordshire’s oldest Items for possible inclusion are welcome and should You’ve just launched a new initiative, be sent to [email protected] haven’t you? brass band, the City of Oxford Silver Band. If you would like to receive an email alert when future We’ve just launched ‘Green Impact’, a issues are published, please send a blank email to What was your last live cultural event? [email protected] supported mechanism for departments to I played at Bunkfest in Wallingford and Blueprint is printed by Oxuniprint on recycled paper. improve their environmental performance Camp Bestival over the summer, but the last Advertising (see http://greenimpact.org.uk/oxford). thing I attended as a punter was James and To advertise in Blueprint, please contact Rosalind Estates Services can do lots of things to Cuomo on 01865 280548 or email blueprint.ads@ the Giant Peach at Oxford Playhouse – it admin.ox.ac.uk help and advise but much of our overall was great! The University accepts no responsibility for the content of any impact is down to individual behaviour. material in Blueprint. Readers should note in particular that the inclusion of news, editorial items and advertisements does not Green Impact looks at how departments can What’s the most unexpected thing imply the endorsement by the University of the matters reported, the views expressed or the goods or services advertised. influence colleagues to use resources more you’ve found yourself doing? efficiently: departments will know what The British Council invited me to speak works best in their setting. The competitive at a conference aimed at South Korean element to it – an award scheme for aspects universities on greening university operations – that was quite unexpected, and leads viewfinder like the most innovative solution and the department that has achieved the me to my most embarrassing moment: Where’s this amazing angel? Answer on p6. most credits – should make it a bit of fun. I realised over breakfast that I’d been put up in a retirement village and was asked What do you most enjoy about your job? by a resident whether I would be moving in! I love the variety and the challenge of making the sustainability agenda relevant If we gave you £1,000 right now, what to people across the University community. would you spend it on? I’d put it towards the fibreglass sousaphone The things we want to achieve (such as of my dreams – a good one costs about lower carbon emissions) have the potential £5,000. It would be a lot lighter than the to bring cost savings to departments; battered ‘vintage’ one I use at the moment! finding mutually beneficial opportunities is the most satisfying thing I do. If you could do anything on your day off, what would it be? As a child, what did you want to be? I’d go back to the Zimbabwean village And what actually was your first job? where I taught during my year out, taking Depends what phase I was in – I was a my family so they could see just how very earnest little girl who wanted to be a beautiful it is. development worker, then I fancied going into the RAF as a dentist. And finally, your favourite website? In fact, my first job was working in a Definitely www.dothegreenthing.com and field centre teaching ecology. I’m still a bit also www.informationisbeautiful.net, a of a freshwater ecology fan and never tire site dedicated to distilling the world’s of introducing my family and friends to data, information and knowledge the wonders of a cased caddis larva or a into beautiful, interesting and useful dragonfly nymph! visualisations and diagrams. Lawrence OP Lawrence

BLUEPRINT October 2013 www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint