We are delighted to welcome our latest cohort of Optiver Foundation Scholars to Oxford. The programme, now in its third year, has to date awarded 18 scholarships to students from 11 countries and across five continents.
The Optiver Foundation Scholarship Programme supports women from low- and middle-income countries to undertake Master’s courses at Oxford within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Its aim is to promote greater diversity in postgraduate STEM programmes at Oxford as well as contribute to a more inclusive global scientific community. Scholarships are a crucial tool in enabling individuals, from all backgrounds, to pursue postgraduate study and to overcome potential financial barriers.
Our latest cohort is made up of women from Lebanon, Mexico, Ethiopia, Belarus, China and Kenya. They will be undertaking courses including here in Oxford Mathematics.
Mahabba El Sahili, who will be studying an MSc in Mathematics and Foundations of Computer Science says, “studying at Oxford is a dream that has grown with me over the years. I am excited to join its intellectual and diverse community and to spend the year in this beautiful city. I am looking forward to growing my knowledge and passion for mathematics and computer science during my time here.”
Professor James Naismith, Head of the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division (MPLS) in Oxford, said: “We are proud to welcome this new group of Optiver Foundation Scholars to Oxford. Their talent, determination and different perspectives enrich our community and strengthen our collective pursuit of scientific discovery. The Optiver Foundation’s continued generous support is helping us to attract brilliant women from around the world to Oxford."
Rashid Shah, Managing Director of the Optiver Foundation, said: “It is a privilege for us to support these exceptional scholars as they pursue their ambitions in STEM. We wish them success in their studies and future careers.”
Oxford Mathematician José Carrillo has been named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) for 2026, one of 40 new fellowsfor the forthcoming year.
José A. Carrillo is currently Professor of the Analysis of Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations here in the Mathematical Institute and Tutorial Fellow in Applied Mathematics at The Queen's College, University of Oxford. He mainly works on kinetic and nonlinear nonlocal diffusion equations. He has contributed to the theoretical and numerical analysis of PDEs, and their simulation in different applications such as granular media, semiconductors, collective behaviour, and lately in plasmas and tissue modelling.
José is currently officer at large at the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 2024-2028 and head of the Division of the European Academy of Sciences, Section Mathematics where he was elected in 2018. He received the 2022 Echegaray Medal of the Royal Spanish Academy of Sciences and was a plenary speaker at the International Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics in Tokyo 2023.
The AMS is a mathematics society dedicated to advancing research, promoting learning, and supporting careers.
We are delighted to announce the launch of the Pousaz Scholarship Programme, made possible through a grant from the Pousaz Philanthropies Foundation. Rooted in the Pousaz family’s belief in the transformational power of education, the new programme will provide full funding for 15 outstanding students who would otherwise be unable to take up their places at Oxford.
Starting in September 2026, three cohorts of five Pousaz Scholars will join Oxford's Mathematical Institute to pursue an MSc in Mathematics or related subjects. The scholarships will ensure that some of the brightest candidates from around the world, regardless of financial background, can benefit from Oxford’s exceptional teaching and go on to make their own contributions in academia, industry and society.
Professor Jon Chapman, Head of the Mathematical Institute, said: ‘We are excited to launch the Pousaz Scholarship Programme, and grateful for this generous support from the Pousaz Philanthropies Foundation. Here at Oxford Mathematics, we know that mathematics is the language of possibility, and mathematical approaches underpin problem solving in a wide range of disciplines and applications.’
Founded by Guillaume Pousaz and his family, Pousaz Philanthropies is inspired by the belief in the lasting value of a good education. The foundation’s work reflects a conviction that when education and opportunity are accessible, the benefits multiply across generations, opening doors for individuals, strengthening communities, and encouraging progress. The Pousaz Scholarship Programme at Oxford brings this commitment to life by investing in mathematics, a field that both strengthens the foundations of science and sparks new ideas with the power to transform society.
Guillaume Pousaz said: ‘We believe that education has the power to change lives. For us, mathematics sits at the heart of that belief. It’s the foundation for so much of our world, from science and technology to everyday problem-solving. We’re honoured to work with Oxford to help talented students pursue their love for the subject and turn that passion into discoveries that benefit us all.’
How to make a salad dressing, Fibonacci the marathon runner, the beauty of structure (see image). Just three of the many short films we have made over the last few weeks.
The films aim to make mathematics both entertaining but also challenging, encouraging people to think and maybe make connections and realise the part maths might be quietly playing in their lives. But, course, viewers can just scroll on (after sometimes posting a comment...)
The films go out across our social media (links at the bottom of the page) and on YouTube.
Here's the full list, and below you can watch Stéphanie Abo explain where she was when she suddenly got her moment of mathematical inspiration.
What is the best way to run to win a race? Why does a sprinter slow down before the finish line? Why do you swim better slightly underwater? Why, on a bike, the faster you go, the more stable you are?
Join us for the answers at this Oxford Mathematics Public Lecture - Thursday 25 September, 5-6pm, Andrew Wiles Building, Mathematical Institute, Oxford.
Amandine Aftalion is a mathematician and a senior scientist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). She specialises in modelling based on low temperature physics alongside writing on a range of sports culminating in her book 'Be a Champion, 40 facts you didn't know about sports and science'.
Please email @email to register to attend in person.
The lecture will be broadcast on the Oxford Mathematics YouTube Channel on Thursday 16 October at 5-6pm and any time after (no need to register for the online version).
The Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures are generously supported by XTX Markets.
The Martingale Foundation has announced a major expansion of its postgraduate scholarship programme for STEM students, with a commitment to support 800 Scholars across its partner universities including here in Oxford by the end of the decade. Applications for 2026 entry are now open.
The Martingale Scholarships provide fully funded support to exceptional postgraduate students from low socio-economic backgrounds, enabling them to pursue world-leading research at top UK universities, including the University of Oxford. The scholarships cover tuition fees, research costs, and a tax-free living stipend, and include access to a tailored development programme offering mentoring, leadership training, and academic network-building opportunities.
Since the Foundation launched in 2022, over 100 Scholars have been supported across ten UK universities. At Oxford, the Martingale programme has already supported students here in Oxford Mathematics, and new opportunities are emerging in high-demand areas such as Artificial Intelligence, nuclear research, and biomedical data science.
The expansion is underpinned by over £25 million in donor funding, including major contributions from XTX Markets, Google DeepMind, UK Atomic Energy Authority, Alzheimer’s Research UK and the University of Manchester’s SATURN doctoral programme. XTX Markets, the founding donor, has pledged an additional £10.5 million to support more than 100 Masters and PhD Scholarships, including a new focus on AI.
Applications for the 2026 round are now open. Full details
We are delighted and proud to announce that the Mathematical Institute and Balliol College will be seeking to appoint the first Vicky Neale Scholar, for entry in academic year 2026/27 to study undergraduate mathematics or joint honours mathematics at Balliol College.
Vicky Neale, who died in May 2023, was a passionate advocate of mathematics and mathematicians, especially young mathematicians for whom she was and still is such an inspiration. This scholarship is a fitting tribute to Vicky, her family and all who worked and learnt with her.
The Scholarship will be awarded to a student ordinarily resident in Europe (outside the UK), and not eligible for Home Fees. Among eligible students, the Scholarship will be awarded based on academic ability. The Scholarship will cover all tuition fees for the fee liability period of the course, and provides a grant for living expenses. No separate application for the scholarship will be required.
Congratulations to Oxford Mathematician Alain Goriely who has been awarded the 2025 LMS/IMA David Crighton Medal. The award recognises his deep and influential mathematical insights into mechanical and biological processes and materials, his support of early career mathematicians, and his contributions to the public understanding of mathematics and its applications.
Alain's work embraces a broad range of problems including dynamical systems, the mechanics of biological growth, the modelling of the brain, the theoretical foundations of mechanics, the dynamics of curves, knots, and rods, the modelling of cancer, the development of new photovoltaic devices and the modelling of lithium-ion batteries. Alain is passionate about the study and development of mathematical methods for applied sciences.
Educated at the L’Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Alain moved to the University of Arizona where he was professor before coming to Oxford in 2010 as the inaugural Chair in Mathematical Modelling. He is Director of the Oxford Centre for Industrial Mathematics (OCIAM) and of the International Brain and Mechanics Lab (IBMTL). He is a Professorial Fellow of St Catherine's College.
The David Crighton Medal is awarded jointly by the LMS and the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications. The award ceremony and Crighton Lecture will be held in spring 2026.
Simon Singh - From Theorems to Serums, From Cryptography to Cosmology … and The Simpsons
Join science writer Simon Singh on a whistle-stop tour through two decades of his bestselling books. 'Fermat’s Last Theorem' looks at one of the biggest mathematical puzzles of the millennium; 'The Code Book' shares the secrets of cryptology; 'Big Bang' explores the history of cosmology; 'Trick or Treatment' asks some hard questions about alternative medicine; and 'The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets' explains how TV writers, throughout the show’s 35-year history, have smuggled in mathematical jokes.
Wednesday 06 August 2025, 5-6pm Andrew Wiles Building, Mathematical Institute, Oxford
Please email @email to register to attend in person.
The Vicky Neale Public Lectures are a partnership between the Clay Mathematics Institute, PROMYS and Oxford Mathematics. The Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures are generously supported by XTX Markets.
Three Oxford Mathematicians have won London Mathematical Society (LMS) Prizes for 2025. Nigel Hitchin has won the De Morgan Medal, Helen Byrne has won the Naylor Prize and Lectureship in Applied Mathematics and Vidit Nanda has won a Whitehead Prize.
An undergraduate in Oxford, Nigel Hitchin was Rouse Ball Professor in Cambridge until 1997 when he became Oxford's Savilian Professor of Geometry. He retired in 2016 after winning the Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences that year. Nigel's work has covered many areas on the interface of differential geometry, algebraic geometry and the equations of theoretical physics. He is perhaps best known for the integrable system which bears his name, and his work on instantons and monopoles. His current interests include the geometry of the intersection of two quadrics, a classical object in algebraic geometry which now reveals in a concrete way some of the features of the geometric Langlands programme.
Helen Byrne is a leading expert in mathematical biology at the University of Oxford. With over 25 years of experience, she specialises in developing mathematical models for biomedical systems, particularly in the field of mathematical oncology. Her research focuses on using mathematical, computational, topological, and statistical modelling techniques to study tumour growth, immune evasion, and treatment response mechanisms. Helen holds a joint appointment at the University of Oxford’s Mathematical Institute and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and is a tutorial fellow of Keble College. She has won a number of awards including the Society of Mathematical Biology (SMB)’s Leah Edelstein-Keshet prize and was named an SMB Fellow in 2020.
Vidit Nanda is a Professor of Mathematics here in Oxford and a fellow of Pembroke College. He works at the interface of algebraic topology, geometry and data science and is a member of the Data Science, Topology and Geometry groups in Oxford Mathematics. He previously worked at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and at the Turing Institute (as one of its first Research Fellows).
