The Bodleian Libraries and the British Journal of Photography have unveiled Catalysts, a new portrait series celebrating Oxford University researchers whose work is influencing health, society, and the environment on a global scale.
The initiative introduces 19 new portraits into the Bodleian’s permanent collection, broadening its historic archive while highlighting the real-world impact of contemporary research across the University.
Created by commissioned photographers Alys Tomlinson, Francis Augusto, and Leia Morrison, the portraits feature researchers nominated by their peers for driving significant advances in fields ranging from medicine and climate action to social justice and the humanities.
Responding to the theme Catalysts, each portrait reflects pivotal discoveries, breakthroughs, or interventions that have generated lasting positive change.
The project’s sitters represent the diversity and depth of Oxford’s research portfolio. They include Sir Adrian Hill, Director of the Jenner Institute, recognised for his work on malaria vaccines and the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine; the REACH team, improving water security across Africa and Asia; and Global Youth Climate Training founders Alexis McGivern and Clarissa Salmon, whose programme has equipped over 4,500 young people from 177 countries with technical climate expertise.
Other sitters include Professor Rachel Upthegrove MBE, known for her contributions to psychosis research and youth mental health interventions, and Professor Krina Zondervan, whose work on endometriosis has transformed understanding of women’s reproductive health.
The portraits will be on display from early next year in the South Parks Road entrance of the Weston Library. In 2026, the series will become the focus of public and University events designed to broaden access and engagement.
Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s Librarian and the Helen Hamlyn Director of the University Libraries, said the commission demonstrates both the value of the University’s research and its societal reach. He described the featured researchers as “catalysts in the truest sense,” noting their contributions across science, culture, and education.
The British Journal of Photography paired the three photographers with researchers following an open call to its Members. The aim was to create a contemporary, multi-voiced record of Oxford’s community and its global impact.
Photographer Alys Tomlinson said the experience offered rare insight into disciplines ranging from child mental health to women’s reproductive science, adding that she found the researchers both approachable and inspiring.
The full list of sitters includes leading academics, research teams, and cross-disciplinary initiatives such as the Africa Oxford Initiative, Global Youth Climate Training, and We Are Our History.
Professor Rajesh Thakker, one of the featured academics, emphasised the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing scientific and societal progress.
The Catalysts project is supported by the Guy and Elinor Meynell Trust, whose £40,000 gift enabled the creation and preservation of the new photographic works.
