Corpus E-newsletter - November 2025

Corpus Christi College, November 2025

As November draws to a close, there is so much news to share from Michaelmas Term. Corpus has been a hive of activity, with students and Fellows alike achieving remarkable things. Student prizes have been awarded to 160 of our high achieving students, while our Finance Tutor, Professor John Biggins, has been busy making bursary awards. The student presidential hustings took place last week, resulting in the election of Pablo Araguas Rodriguez (Chemistry) as MCR President and Melita Rodrigues (English) as JCR President. Those of you who attended our 1352 Foundation Society and Benefactors’ Day Lunch met Professor Sam Behjati, who later in the month delivered the Crick Lecture. Read on to find out more about this and other Fellows' news, including the admission of six new Fellows.

COLLEGE NEWS

VICE-CHANCELLOR WELCOMED TO LECKHAMPTON HOUSE

We were delighted to welcome Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, to Leckhampton in November for her first visit to our postgraduate site. She toured the estate, admired the view from the Kho Building roof, and learned about the history of Leckhampton from Rachel Lawson (Development Director), Richard Leather (Bursar) and JD Rhodes (Warden of Leckhampton). This was followed by an important meeting in the GTB Library to discuss future priorities for postgraduate provision at Leckhampton and the University, attended by the President, Senior Tutor and Admissions Tutor.

The visit also included an informal discussion with postgraduate students, who shared their enthusiasm for life at Leckhampton, followed by lunch at Old House. Read more

CORPUS OUTREACH RECOGNISED AS VICE-CHANCELLOR
VISITS THE NORTH EAST

Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, visited schools across Tyneside to strengthen connections with regions where there are perceived barriers to progression into universities like Cambridge and Oxford.

Organised by Corpus Christi College and the University's Student Admissions and Access Department, the visit included discussions with students from Year 10 to Year 13. Corpus Fellow Mike Nicholson and Access and Outreach Coordinator Elaine Effard planned the visit and joined the Vice-Chancellor in meeting pupils and staff. Read more

The Vice-Chancellor (third from right) and Corpus Fellow Mike Nicholson (centre) with students and staff from Whitley Bay High School, North Tyneside. Photo by Andrew Commins.

Member of the Corpus outreach team Elaine Effard (Access and Outreach Coordinator for the North East) speaks to students during the visit. Photo by Andrew Commins.

NEWS FROM THE FELLOWSHIP

WELCOME TO OUR NEW FELLOWS

This term, in a ceremony held in the Chapel, the Master formally admitted six new Fellows to the College. They include Robert Dorschel, a sociologist exploring digitalisation, work, class, and culture, with recent research on generative AI and green tech; Alissa Drees, Walter Benjamin Fellow in Chemistry; Christopher Moore, Associate Professor at the Institute of Astronomy, specialising in black holes, gravitational waves, and relativistic astrophysics; Simon Shinkfield, Second Bursar; Alexander van Dijk, Parker Library Early-Career Research Fellow, a historian of science with interests in empire, geography, and religion; and Audrey Wozniak, an interdisciplinary scholar researching the politics of belonging through social theory, music, and sound studies.

We warmly welcome our new Fellows and look forward to the contributions they will bring to the College community. Read more

PROFESSOR SAM BEHJATI DELIVERS FRANCIS CRICK LECTURE

On 10 October, Fellow Professor Sam Behjati delivered the Francis Crick Prize Lecture at the Royal Society in London, having been awarded the Francis Crick Medal 2025 for his groundbreaking work uncovering the developmental roots of childhood cancer.

Watch his fascinating lecture, The origins of childhood cancer, here. Read more

PROFESSOR BARAK KUSHNER VOICES CHINESE POST-WAR DOCUMENTARY

Corpus Fellow Professor Barak Kushner, historian and author, appears in a new two-part documentary The Trials of Justice, produced by Jiangsu TV and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The programme explores how justice was pursued in postwar Asia and coincides with the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII in East Asia. Read more

STUDENT NEWS

DR ALEXA MOUSLEY LEADS RESEARCH THAT IDENTIFIES FIVE AGES OF A HUMAN BRAIN

Led by Corpus Gates Scholar, Dr Alexa Mousley, neuroscientists at Cambridge’s MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit have mapped how the human brain rewires itself across a lifetime, revealing five major epochs of brain structure separated by four pivotal turning points. This fascinating story has been covered in BBC News, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, The Times, New Scientist, Daily Mail, and the Independent. Read more

160 ACADEMIC PRIZES AWARDED

Each year our Senior Tutor, Dr Marina Frasca-Spada recommends to the Governing Body that they award a number of named prizes to recognise academic performance. This year we were thrilled to award £24,700 to our students. These awards are made possible thanks to alumni who have made donations to recognise academic excellence.
Meet some of our prize winners

CORPUS STUDENTS WIN CAVENDISH PHYSICS AWARD

Two Corpus physicists were among the winners at the Cavendish Annual Prizewinner’s Dinner. Francesca Di Cecio (Physics Part II) won the Mark Warner Prize for talented theoretical physicists, while Daniil Zhitov (Physics Part III) took the prize for best overall performance in Part III. Read more

ADMISSIONS VISIT TO NORTHERN IRELAND

In October, Admissions Tutor James Davies-Warner visited a number of schools in Northern Ireland. He spoke with hundreds of students, teachers and parents about participating in our various summer schools and outreach programmes. He also offered guidance on how to make competitive applications to Cambridge. Read more

ALUMNI NEWS

AMY HUNT NOMINATED FOR SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR

Corpus alumna Amy Hunt (m.2020) has topped off a fantastic year, in which she won a stunning silver medal in the 200m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, by being included on the shortlist for the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year 2025. Read more

BEATRIX SCHLARB-RIDLEY AWARDED HONORARY MBE

We are delighted to share the news that Dr Beatrix Schlarb-Ridley (m.1996) has been awarded an Honorary MBE for services to innovation and inclusion in science, in recognition of Bea's work as Director of Innovation and Impact at British Antarctic Survey, where she has championed innovative and inclusive practices across the international polar research community. Congratulations! Read more

1966 CORPUSCLES STILL FRIENDS AFTER 60 YEARS

Mike Palmer (m.1966) has been reuniting with members of his cohort for well over half a century. We are delighted to see they continue to come together so long after departing Corpus. Mike has kindly written about their reunion events. Read Mike's full article here

TARIK O'REGAN MAKES BBC DOCUMENTARY ON AI IN MUSIC

Alumnus and former Composer-in-Residence Tarik O'Regan (m.1999) has made a BBC Radio 3 documentary about music and AI. Tarik, whose work spans orchestral, choral, operatic, and chamber music, has written about the making of the documentary for The Guardian, and his fears for what this might mean for the creative sector. Read more

MEET OUR ALUMNI

MARTIN BURTON (m.1977) An otolaryngologist, professor of medicine and a proponent of evidence-based practice in health and social care. Since 2023, also the Master of Sidney Sussex College Cambridge. Read more

KERRY McINERNEY (m.2013) An AI ethicist, podcaster, author and New Generation Thinker examining the digital world through a feminist and anti-racist lens. Kerry is a Corpuscle several times over. She first came to Corpus as an undergraduate Girdlers' Scholar studying Social & Political Sciences. She followed that with an MPhil and then a PhD in Gender Studies (as a Gates Scholar). Read more

Meet more of our Alumni

JOIN US

CORPUS IN NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON DC

Corpus Development Director, Rachel Lawson will be visiting alumni in New York and Washington DC from 9 - 14 December. She will be in attendance at the Vice-Chancellor's drinks reception on 11 December, and looks forward to reconnecting with alumni and sharing exciting updates from the College at after-work drinks in Washington DC on 10 December, and a special alumni breakfast at the Harvard Club in New York City on 12 December. For more information, please contact development@corpus.cam.ac.uk or visit our website to register.

GET INVOLVED

EXPLORE THE VICTORIAN WORLD WITH CORPUS ALUMNUS

All are welcome to join a presentation and discussion of Being Victorian: How it felt then; why it matters now – A Balance Sheet, by Jamie Camplin (m.1965), former Editorial Director and Managing Director at Thames & Hudson, on Friday 30 January, 6pm-7pm

This recently published work explores the Victorian era’s lived experience and its relevance today. Please register your interest with Andrew Harvey on ach34@cam.ac.uk

OLD MEMBERS'
GUEST NIGHT

All Corpus alumni are warmly invited to return to College for the next Old Members’ Guest Night on Saturday 24 January.

This termly tradition is a wonderful chance to reconnect with fellow alumni and enjoy a spectacular four-course dinner with wine in the unique atmosphere of College.

We look forward to seeing you there! Register now

CAMBRIDGE ALUMNI VISIT MAKESPACE

The Cambridge Alumni Group recently enjoyed a tour of Makespace, a creative community-run hub in the centre of Cambridge. Makespace, founded by Corpus alumna, Dr Laura James (m.1996), has over 500 members and has helped hundreds of startups, hobbyists and businesses.

Next up for the group is an interactive workshop titled A Philosophical Odyssey, which will be hosted on Monday 12 January by Jason Buckley (m.1993).