Who are the innovators featured in the new Oxford University portrait series?

The series features 19 leading innovators from Oxford, including vaccine researchers, endometriosis experts, and climate activists.

What is the Catalysts initiative at the Bodleian Libraries?

Catalysts is a new initiative displaying portraits of Oxford's top innovators to celebrate their research and contributions.

How was the Oxford portrait project funded?

The project was funded by a £40,000 gift from the Guy and Elinor Meynell Trust.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Oxford's Visionaries: New Portraits Honor Top Innovators

Oxford's Visionaries: New Portraits Honor Top Innovators

6 Dec, 2025

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Summary

19 new portraits of leading innovators added to Bodleian Libraries.
Sitters include malaria vaccine developers and endometriosis researchers.
Project funded by a £40,000 gift to showcase university impact.

Oxford's Visionaries: New Portraits Honor Top Innovators

A new collection of 19 portraits, titled Catalysts, has been unveiled at Oxford University's Bodleian Libraries, celebrating the institution's leading innovators. The initiative, a collaboration with the British Journal of Photography, adds these works to the Weston Library's permanent collection. It highlights the "value and diversity of Oxford's research," according to Bodley's Librarian Richard Ovenden.

The featured individuals and groups represent groundbreaking work across various fields. Among them are key figures in vaccine development, such as Sir Adrian Hill, who contributed to malaria vaccines and the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Also recognized is Prof Krina Zondervan for her significant influence on endometriosis treatment and women's reproductive health.