Support Staff

Tessa Ross is CEO of House Productions, and the former Controller of Film and Drama at Channel 4.

Under her leadership, Film4 worked with the most innovative talent in the UK and built a reputation for developing and financing some of the most acclaimed British films of recent years. These include Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, Kevin Macdonald’s The Last King of Scotland, Chris Morris’ Four Lions, Shane Meadows’ This is England, Steve McQueen’s Hunger, Shame, and 12 Years A Slave, Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges, Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin, Lenny Abrahamson’s Frank and Room, Todd Haynes’ Carol, and Alex Garland’s Ex Machina. Her work in television includes commissioning programmes such as Shameless, Sex Traffic, The Devil’s Whore, Longford, White Teeth, and Clocking Off.

Tessa has been a governor at the NFTS, a governor of the BFI and a member of the ICA Council. She was on the Board of the National Theatre and appointed as its first CEO. Tessa was one of eight film industry representatives on the panel of the 2012 Film Policy Review, chaired by Chris Smith. She was appointed CBE in the New Year 2010 Honours List and was awarded a BAFTA for Outstanding British Contribution to Film in 2013.

Emma Rothschild is Jeremy and Jane Knowles Professor of History at Harvard University.

She is Director of the Joint Center for History and Economics, a fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge, and professeur invitée at the Centre d’Histoire de Sciences Po, Paris. She is involved in collaborative research projects, at the University of Cambridge and at Harvard, on Exchanges of Economic, Legal and Political Ideas and on Visualizing Historical Networks. She is also an Affiliated Faculty member at Harvard Law School. Publications include “Economic History and Nationalism” (Capitalism, Winter 2021), “A (New) Economic History of the American Revolution?” (New England Quarterly, March 2018), “Isolation and Economic Life in Eighteenth-Century France” (American Historical Review, October 2014), Economic Sentiments: Adam Smith, Condorcet and the Enlightenment (Harvard University Press, 2001), The Inner Life of Empires: An Eighteenth-Century History (Princeton University Press, 2011), and An Infinite History: The Story of a Family in France Over Three Centuries (Princeton University Press, 2021).

https://www.infinitehistory.org

Catherine Royle joined NATO in January 2015 as Political Adviser to the Commander at Joint Force Command Brunssum after a long career as a British diplomat. She joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1986 following studies at the Universities of Oxford (BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics) and Wales (MscEcon in Strategic Studies).

After an initial stint in London, Catherine’s first post was in Chile as it transitioned from dictatorship to democracy. She returned to the UK at the end of 1991 where she worked on various aspects of UK policy in Iraq until 1997. Catherine then served in Dublin as First Secretary for EU and Economic Affairs. From 2001-2003 she served as Head of the Policy Unit on the Convention for the Future of Europe. She acted as policy advisor to Peter Hain – the UK’s ministerial representative at the Convention on the Future of Europe – during the drafting of the proposed European Constitution (which later became the Lisbon Treaty).

Catherine spent seven years in Latin America where she served as Deputy Head of Mission in Buenos Aires, and then as British Ambassador to Venezuela where she worked closely with UK business to protect and promote investment in a politically volatile environment, and to build a partnership with Venezuela on tackling narcotic trafficking.

Catherine was posted to Kabul in September 2010 as Deputy Ambassador at the British Embassy. In August 2012 she took up the role as Head of the Secretariat of the International Police Co-ordination Board. In that role she reinvigorated the organisation and partnered MoI in developing a 10 Year Vision for the ANP/MoI and initiating work on a series of 2 year rolling plans to promote implementation of the vision.

Catherine’s work on Afghanistan continued in JFCBS. She was a regular visitor and firm supporter of ANP / MOI until the end of the NATO mission.

Her time in JFCBS has coincided with NATO’s return to its core mission of deterrence and defence. She has been actively involved in the defence planning for Eastern Europe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Catherine is also leading a project on assessing deterrence.

Catherine is Commodore of the NATO Tri-border sailing club. She has two surprisingly well-adjusted sons.

Sir Simon Russell Beale is an English actor for television, stage and film, described by The Independent in 2009 as “the greatest stage actor of his generation”.

Sir Simon began his acting career at The Royal Court after gaining a first in English from the University of Cambridge. He then spent 8 years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, making a name for himself with both comedic and tragic roles, before joining the National Theatre, where he remained on and off for 25 years.

During the course of an illustrious career on both stage and screen, Sir Simon has received ten Laurence Olivier Award nominations, including three wins for his performances in Volpone (1996), Candide (2000), and Uncle Vanya (2003). On Broadway, he been nominated for two Tony Awards, one of which he won for his performance as Henry Lehman in The Lehman Trilogy (2018). His work in film and TV has been recognised with two BAFTAs, one for the BBC’s Hollow Crown series (2012) and another for A Dance to the Music of Time (1997). In 2019 he was awarded a Knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to the Arts.

Sir Simon engages with the theatre not only as a performer, but as an editor, author and public intellectual. He is a series editor of the Arden Performance editions of Shakespeare’s plays and his first full-length publication A Piece of Work, published in September 2024, will offer unparalleled insights into a lifetime of Shakespearean study and dramatic craft.

Sir Simon has been a close associate of Somerville College since 2015, when he spoke alongside our Fellow Emerita and Shakespeare expert Professor Katherine Duncan-Jones (1941-2022) at a literary tea. He has since joined us for numerous events, and was made an Honorary Fellow of the College in June 2024 in recognition of this long and fruitful association with the College. 

Sir Simon Russell Beale in ‘The Lehman Trilogy’

Responding to receiving the Honorary Fellowship, Sir Simon said, “I am delighted with this great honour that Somerville College has awarded me. Over the years, and during many visits to the College, particularly through my meetings with Katherine Duncan-Jones and Emma Smith, my affection for the College has grown and I anticipate confidently that it will grow still further. It is marvellous to play a small part in the history of an institution that is so rightly proud of its inclusivity and its sense of adventure.”

An honorary fellowship is the college’s highest recognition of distinction for alumni and associates, conferred annually by our Governing Body. Speaking of the College’s decision to grant Sir Simon this honour, Principal Jan Royall said, “It is delightful to know that, through this association, Somerville College can reaffirm our long-standing commitment to the humanities and anticipate many more such unforgettable encounters with Sir Simon. He is a thoroughly good man, a phenomenal actor and a livewire connection to the world of Shakespeare and his contemporaries.”

Sir Simon with (l-r) Professor Fiona Stafford, Hon. Fellow Professor Emma Smith (1988, English), and Principal Jan Royall

 

 

Hello there! My name is Sanjana Choudhary and I am reading for a Master’s in Modern South Asian Studies as an OICSD scholar. My research tackles colonial censorship of Indian magazines and banned literature in the 20th century. I am a writer and journalist, which makes me naturally passionate about the workings of the library and academia. As your Library & Education Rep, I will be coordinating as a bridge between the Education Committee of the College and the graduate academic community (MCR). I will also be organising the MCR research symposium for interested members. Feel free to reach out to me with any academic or library related concerns, suggestions and feedback! I can be reached out at sanjana.choudhary@some.ox.ac.uk anytime!

I joined the Domingos group in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at the University of Oxford as a Novo Nordisk postdoctoral fellow in 2019.

My research focuses on the study of neuroimmune mechanisms underlying obesity. I use advanced molecular and genetic technologies along with computational approaches for transcriptomic profiling of sympathetic ganglia and the sympathetic neurons innervating the fat tissue. The aim is to identify the novel cellular and molecular targets that may lead to develop new tissue-specific therapies for obesity.

I completed my Ph.D. in Neuroscience at ETH Zurich in 2018. During my Ph.D., I have investigated the long-term impact of maternal overnutrition on the brain, behaviors, and metabolism. My study reveals that perinatal maternal high fat diet-induced obesogenic and addictive like phenotypes can be conserved across three generations via the paternal lineage and identifies sperm tRNA-derived small RNA as a potential epigenetic mark that partly mediates such abnormal traits to the progeny. Prior to my Ph.D., I attained an MSc in Neuroscience from the University of Bonn, Germany. I also hold a Bachelor in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from Dhaka Medical College, Bangladesh.

Dr Raffaele Sarnataro is a Fulford Junior Research Fellow and a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Neuroscience, working in the Miesenböck group at the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour. His research investigates how sleep-control neurons operate and how sleep need is physically encoded in their molecular machinery and circuitry network dynamics, and is aimed at unveiling the mystery of why we need to sleep. 

Raffaele studied at Scuola Normale Superiore and, in parallel, at University of Pisa, Italy, obtaining a BSc in Biotechnologies, an MSc in Molecular and Cell Biology, and a Diploma di Licenza in Biology.  After a visiting research experience at Harvard Medical School, supported by the award of an Armenise-Harvard Foundation Summer Fellowship, Raffaele joined the 4-year Doctoral Programme in Neuroscience at the University of Oxford, funded by a Wellcome Trust four-year PhD Studentship in Science. During his first year, he obtained an MSc in Neuroscience, working with Prof. Gero Miesenböck and Prof. Colin Akerman for his rotation projects.

He then completed a DPhil (PhD) in Neuroscience in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (University of Oxford), working in the Miesenböck lab at the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, co-supervised by Prof. Vladyslav Vyazovskiy.  During his time in Oxford, Raffaele obtained a Jesus College Graduate Scholarship, gaining Oxford Scholar status in 2019, and received several academic awards by the Physiological Society, the British Neuroscience Association, the Guarantors of Brain, and Gordon Research Conferences.

In 2024, he was awarded a Fulford Junior Research Fellowship by Somerville College Oxford.  Raffaele has been President of the Oxford University Cortex Club, the neuroscience student forum, where neuroscience is discussed in formats ranging from small debates to panel discussions, to symposia with other universities, with talks featuring internationally prominent speakers and early career researchers.

At the same time, he is associate member of the Italian Center for Excellence and Transdisciplinary Studies, long-term collaborator of Italian National Association of Natural Sciences Teachers and Amgen Biotech Experience Italy, and was jury member at the 29th International Biology Olympiad, contributing to science communications and public engagement at various educational levels.

Reema is a social entrepreneur dedicated to bridging income inequalities and advocating for the rights of vulnerable communities in India. Over nine years, she has been consistently engaged in grassroots work, building community-led income generation models with rural women, smallholding farmers, and indigenous populations.

Reema’s work centers around transforming agriculture and livestock supply chains, empowering rural communities to embrace entrepreneurship through micro-enterprises. In the State of Maharashtra, she pioneered the first-ever rural women-owned food brand. This initiative not only doubled their incomes but also inspired a set of women leaders challenging the status quo regarding women’s social and economic standing in their respective villages.

Along with her efforts on the ground, Reema serves as an advisor to various non-profits and community-led organizations in India. Her role in establishing Rajasthan’s first micro camel milk dairy benefited over 3,000 camel herders, providing a sustainable source of income amidst livelihood threats due to State policies and declining camel populations. Additionally, her expertise has catalyzed the formation of Manipur’s first women-only farmer producer company (FPC), empowering over 16,000 tribal women to embrace small-scale pig farming and create value-added products from forest resources. Her responsibility in this role revolved around policy recommendations and programs aimed at enhancing technology, finance, and livelihood opportunities for women in India and Bangladesh.

She has co-authored a regional chapter on South Asia for FAO’s (The food and agriculture organization of the United Nations) report on Gender and Climate-Smart Agriculture in collaboration with the University of East Anglia (UEA, Norwich). Reema is a Presidential Award Winner in the year 2017 (awarded by the Honorable President of India and the Ministry of Woman & Child Development), recognized for bringing positive economic change for rural women in Maharashtra.

She has been featured as one of the Most powerful women in the Indian impact business in Business Today and the Forbes Magazine. Her organization, Happy Roots, has been featured as one of the successful case studies bridging gender gap in agriculture by the United Nations & The World Bank Group. Reema is also a fellow at the British Asian Trust and UnLtd India. Her passion for building more inclusive, equitable, and transformative institutions and societies, leads her to Oxford, where she seeks to deepen her inquiry through theory and practice. Reema wishes to challenge her critical thinking, both inside and outside the classroom, to solve development problems at scale. Her interest lies at the intersection of economic development, multi-dimensional equality (including gender justice and community rights) and technology. When not working, Reema indulges in the joys of traveling, exercising, and savouring a good glass of wine.

Rhiannon is a DPhil Student in Mathematics, specialising in Derived Algebraic Geometry. She previously completed a MMath Master of Mathematics at Oxford (2020). Visit her website here.

Aanchal is the first Elizabeth Moir Scholar, reading for an MPP at the Blavatnik School of Government . Before joining Oxford, she worked for the Food Innovation Hub at the World Economic Forum. 

Her research interests include policies at the intersection of innovation, technology, and partnerships for enabling food systems transformation. Her work with the World Economic Forum, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature focused on blended finance and partnerships. She holds a Bachelor’s in Commerce from Delhi University and Master’s in Sustainable Development Practices from TERI School of Advanced Studies.

Her experience with some of the leading organisations in the world and eminent experts trained her in in policymaking, implementing, partnering, and financing for large, complex projects. These projects include monitoring the environmental, social, and economic effects of responsible tourism on tribal communities, surveying villages and designing comprehensive agri-solutions, and leading India’s first research team in assessing PPP models for marine conservation. 

During her time at Oxford, she aims to work towards refining her skills and learning from her peers to lead effective collaboration.

Lachie is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Oxford’s School of Archaeology, and a Fulford Junior Research Fellow at Somerville College.

A biologist by training, Lachie’s research sits at the interface between the human and life sciences, employing the “celebrity science” of ancient DNA to investigate the role that humans and the environment play in shaping global animal populations. More specifically, he is focused on unravelling the causes and consequences of millennia of interaction between humans and their closest evolutionary companion, dogs.

Lachie is from New Zealand, where he completed both his undergraduate and master’s degrees (in Geology and Zoology) at the University of Otago. He then moved to the United Kingdom to undertake a DPhil in Archaeological Science at the University of Oxford (Merton College), funded by a Clarendon scholarship. In 2024, he began his Postdoctoral Fellowship funded by a German Research Council Grant, with the specific aim of assessing the consequences of strong artificial selection on purebred dogs over the last two centuries.

Hi, I’m Jess and I am a DPhil student in the Department of Primary Care Health Sciences.  I am studying the impacts of hot temperatures on mental health outcomes in England. I decided to focus my dissertation on this topic because mental health is personally very important to me and I want to better understand how the environments around us, and the changing climate, are impacting mental health. 

I am from the United States where I received my bachelor’s degree in biology and my master’s in environmental health. Outside of academics I spend a decent amount time doing some form of physical activity as I have a goal of running the original 6 major world marathons — I have already completed 3 and will be running the fourth this fall. I also enjoy photography, reading, traveling, and baking for my friends. 

I am excited to be a part of the welfare team and the Somerville community. Please reach out if you would like a friendly chat, if you would like a listening ear, or if you need support. 

Hi, I’m Rebecca the MCR House Chair. I’m responsible for the MCR space and its amenities (such as the air mattress lending scheme), together with providing biscuits and tea. I hope to green up the space a little and am always happy to hear suggestions how we could contribute to your wellbeing in the MCR! Otherwise I am a DPhil student in Medieval German, researching healthcare in medieval German convents. I like to go on long rambling walks, have a (supposedly) questionable obsession with peanut butter, and enjoy meeting friends and new people for shared food and nature excursions!