Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Culture awarded to St Cross Fellow’s team in Medical Humanities
Torch Medical Humanities Research Hub with Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey
St Cross College is proud to share that Fellow Dr Alberto Giubilini is part of the Medical Humanities Research Hub team, which has won the 2025 Research Culture Award at the University of Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor’s Awards.
The award recognises individuals and teams whose work fosters a positive, inclusive, and equitable research culture. The Medical Humanities Research Hub, based at TORCH (The Oxford Centre for the Humanities), supports humanities- and social-science-led research into health and medicine, advocating for a broader and more inclusive understanding of healthcare and medical innovation.
Dr Giubilini commented:
The award is a recognition not only of the quality, but also of the breadth of the work carried out by TORCH Medical Humanities in terms of interdisciplinarity, inclusion of different voices, and connecting humanistic and scientific inquiry.
At the core of its activity is the idea that humanistic inquiry is neither an ancillary nor a competitor of medicine and science. Instead, they are both essential components of that synergy required for a comprehensive understanding of humans, their health, and their environment.
‘Diversity’ can have different meanings in academia, and Medical Humanities embraces all of them. Experts from different parts of the world have contributed to its activity, local communities have been engaged in its research programmes, and academics at different career stages have ensured a nice blend of enthusiasm and experience. This award is a recognition of the good work done in all these dimensions and an incentive to continue to improve.
The Hub’s work challenges the assumption that innovation in healthcare lies solely with physicians and laboratories, highlighting instead the crucial role of cultural, historical, and ethical perspectives in understanding health, illness, and medicine.
St Cross College warmly congratulates Dr Giubilini and his colleagues on this well-deserved recognition.
To learn more about the Medical Humanities Research Hub, visit the Hub’s official webpage. You can also hear more from Dr Giubilini about his work and the importance of the Hub in this short film on YouTube.
St Cross College is also delighted to share that Vice-Master Dr Matt Jarvis was a finalist in this year’s Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award. As part of the celebrations, Dr Jarvis was invited to speak at the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards Showcase event on 13 May at the Weston Library, which highlighted the achievements of all shortlisted individuals and teams through exhibitions and interactive displays. His inclusion as a finalist is a testament to his ongoing work and leadership in fostering a more inclusive academic environment.
