Our people

Gianmarco Contino is an Associate Professor of Cancer Genomic Medicine and Group Leader in the Department of Cancer and Genetic Sciences at the University of Birmingham Medical School. He also serves as an Upper GI Consultant at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, part of the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust, and as the Translational Lead for Precision Health Technologies at the University of Birmingham. Additionally, he is the Director of the MSc in Clinical Oncology at the University of Birmingham and the Network Chair of the EORTC Pathobiology Group. Gianmarco is a Research Fellow at the Von Hügel Institute, University of Cambridge, where he explores topics in the epistemology of medicine and the implications of artificial intelligence.

Previously, Gianmarco was a Clinical Lecturer at the University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke’s Hospital. His training in surgical oncology and translational science included positions at the European Institute of Oncology (Milan), Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston), the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Imperial College London. He consulted for AI-driven biotech companies, including Cambridge Cancer Genomics (now part of Nvidia) and EpistemicAI.

Gianmarco's research focuses on functional genomics of aneuploidy and upper gastrointestinal cancers. As part of the International Cancer Genome Consortium, he worked on identifying structural variations driving oesophageal adenocarcinoma. His current research leverages functional genomics approaches to understand the molecular mechanisms behind chromosomal instability in oesophageal adenocarcinoma, with active studies involving Genomics England and UK Biobank.

Clinically, Gianmarco specializes in advanced endoscopy and endoscopic treatment for upper gastrointestinal cancers. He has published extensively on the genomics and molecular therapeutics of pancreatic and oesophageal adenocarcinoma, with contributions appearing in leading journals such as Science and Nature.

Gianmarco is passionate about training the next generation of clinician-scientists and volunteers with organisations that support students from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter STEM fields.

Dr Wojciech Szczerba's research explores contemporary challenges -migration crises, climate change, geopolitical tensions, and technological shifts - through the lens of philosophical theology. They examine these issues in relation to such concepts as Imago Dei, Deus Migrator, hospitality, and the theology of the Other.

Professor Wojciech Szczerba (PhD., habilitatus) is the Rector of the Evangelical School of Theology in Poland and a scholar specializing in the philosophy of religion, patristics, and ecumenism. His research explores themes of universal salvation, human dignity, and interreligious dialogue, engaging with historical and contemporary theological discourse. He has authored and co-authored multiple books and scholarly articles in these fields and has served as an editor for various academic publications on philosophy, theology, and religious studies. Professor Szczerba completed his undergraduate studies at the Christian Theological Academy in Warsaw (1996) and the Economic Academy in Wrocław (1997). He pursued theological studies in the Netherlands at the Theological Seminary in Amsterdam and in Belgium at the ETF in Leuven. In 2000, he earned his PhD. in Patristics from the University of Wrocław and a second PhD. (habilitation) in Ancient Philosophy from the same institution in 2009. His scholarly contributions include three books on universal salvation in Greek philosophy and Christian thought and numerous articles on Protestant theology, ancient philosophy, and religious traditions. In 2025, he published In Search of Dignity: Humanity in the Light of Formative Metaphors, a monograph exploring human identity's philosophical and theological dimensions.

Since 2002, Professor Szczerba has played a key role in theological education and leadership. He served as the Academic Dean of the Evangelical School of Theology before being appointed Rector in 2006. He is the editor-in-chief of Theologica Wratislaviensia and secretary of the Evangelical Union. His commitment to ecumenical dialogue and interreligious engagement is reflected in his involvement with numerous scholarly and practical initiatives. In 2021, he was nominated as chairman of the Foundation of Mutual Respect in Wrocław, Poland, an organization dedicated to fostering mutual understanding. Prof. Szczerba has held research and teaching affiliations with several institutions. Since 2016, he has been a member of the International Doctoral School at “Aurel Vlaicu” University in Arad, Romania. In 2019, he joined the Von Hügel Institute at St. Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge, as a Research and Senior Research Associate. In 2025, he was nominated as a Visiting Fellow at the Duke Center for Reconciliation at Duke University.

His current research analyses contemporary global challenges—including migration crises, climate change, geopolitical tensions, and the technological revolution—through philosophical theology. His work examines these issues within sociological and historical frameworks, engaging with theological concepts such as Imago Dei, Deus Migrator, Apocatastasis, hospitality, and the theology of the Other. In recognition of his contributions to preserving religious and cultural minority identities, Professor Szczerba was awarded the Silver Cross of Merit by the President of Poland in 2018.

Academic Profile

Publications

• W. Szczerba. 2025. „The Imago Dei Concept as a Symbol of Human Dignity?” Rocznik Teologiczny 67
• W. Szczerba. 2024. „Post-religious World and Religion: Jürgen Habermas”. Studia Religiologica 57 (1)
• W. Szczerba. 2023. „Knowing the Unknowable: Gregory of Nyssa”. Rocznik Teol. LXV (1)
• W. Szczerba. 2022. „The Concept of Apocatastasis - Human Equality and Inclusion”. Forum Phil. 27 (2)
• W. Szczerba. 2022. „There and back again: freedom in the Plato’s cave”. Forum Phil. 27 (1)

Awards & Recognitions

• 2018, the Polish president awarded Prof. Szczerba the Silver Cross of Merit.

Dr Joseph Millard is a Bye-Fellow at St Edmund's College.

His research focuses on the application of large-scale statistical models to understand the causes and consequences of biodiversity change. His current role is as Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at Cambridge, focusing on the role of novel AI and economic mechanisms in solving biodiversity change.

Dr Millard is currently a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge. He has published across a number of areas of the biodiversity sciences and the application and ethics of AI in research. In particular, he led in developing the largest models of future global crop pollination risk resulting from human land-use and climate change, and led in developing the first real-time index of human interest in biodiversity. For such work Dr Millard was nominated twice by the Royal Society as an outstanding early career researcher. Specifically, he was selected to talk at the Royal Society at an event commemorating Prof Dame Georgina Mace, and to attend the 2025 Royal Society UK-China Early Career meeting in Beijing on biodiversity and the climate.

Dr Millard has provided scientific advice to the government at a high level, including contributing to a No. 10 SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) Cabinet Briefing on the reintroduction of COVID-19 restrictions, advising Sir Patrick Vallance on the biodiversity modelling work of the Natural History Museum, contributing towards a trade data guide for the Ecuadorian government, and writing 12 species trade reviews for the European Commission. Dr Millard has also been an expert reviewer for Conservation Letters, Ecosystem Services, Ecography, Scientific Reports, Global Ecology and Biogeography, Communications Earth & Environment, PLOS ONE, Conservation Biology, Nature Ecology and Evolution, and the UK research council BBSRC.

Prior to his current role, Dr Millard was a postdoctoral researcher at the Natural History Museum in London, an honorary non-stipendiary research fellow of Nuffield College, an associate member of the Department of Sociology at the University of Oxford, and an employee of the Nature Publishing Group and UNEP-WCMC (UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre). He completed his PhD in Ecology jointly between University College London, the RSPB, and the Zoological Society of London, and a BSc (Zoology) and MSc (Biodiversity and Conservation) at the University of Leeds.

Academic Profile

Dr Cristiano Longarini is a PDRA at St Edmund's College.

His research focuses on astrophysics, with a particular interest in planet formation. His is currently a Postdoctoral Associate at the Institute of Astronomy, and his work combines theoretical modelling, numerical simulations, and data analysis to explore the processes driving planet formation.

Dr. Cristiano Longarini is a postdoctoral associate at the Institute of Astronomy, specialising in planet formation and protoplanetary disc dynamics. His research explores the role of gravitational instabilities in shaping planetary systems, combining theoretical modelling, numerical simulations, and observational data analysis. He has contributed to large observational programs, and has expertise in interpreting high-resolution data from ALMA telescope.

My research interest focuses on optical sensors and sensing systems for non-destructive testing and structural health monitoring. I'm a a Marie Curie Fellow at the Future Roads Programme and my research topic is AI-assisted vehicle-mounted sensors based road surface condition monitoring system.

Dr Xiang Wang is a Marie Curie Fellow in the Automation and Robotics Group at the Future Roads project at the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge. His research interest lies in the field of advanced sensing and sensing systems for non-destructive testing and structural health monitoring, investigating the development and application of sensing and optical metrology systems for versatile monitoring purposes.

Academic Profile

Dr Sampad Sengupta is a Post Doctoral Research Associate at St Edmund's. His research bridges the gap between engineering and healthcare, focusing on translational aspects of engineering applications. His work involves using computational tools to model cardiovascular diseases and their treatment.

The overarching aim of Dr Sengupta's research is to carry out computational investigations of cardiovascular flow and to improve understanding of cardiac disease and its response to treatment. He aims to improve clinical outcomes by employing bioengineering principles using computational tools. His areas of expertise include fluid dynamics, structural mechanics, cardiovascular mechanics, and computational modelling. He has previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Manchester, having obtained his undergraduate degree from Queen Mary, University of London, and postgraduate degree and PhD from Imperial College London. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA).

Publications

• Sengupta, S., Yuan, X., Maga, L., Pirola, S., Nienaber, C. A., & Xu, X. Y. (2023). Aortic haemodynamics and wall stress analysis following arch aneurysm repair using a single-branched endograft. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2023.1125110
• Sengupta S, Zhu Y, Hamady M, Yun Xu X. Evaluating the Haemodynamic Performance of Endografts for Complex Aortic Arch Repair. Bioengineering 2022, 9(10), 573. doi:10.3390/bioengineering9100573
• Sengupta S, Hamady M, Xu XY. Haemodynamic Analysis of Branched Endografts for Complex Aortic Arch Repair. Bioengineering. 2022;9(2). doi:10.3390/bioengineering9020045
• Bhute VJ, Sengupta S, Campbell J, Shah U v., Heng JYY, Brechtelsbauer C. Effectiveness of a large-scale implementation of hybrid labs for experiential learning at Imperial College London. Education for Chemical Engineers. 2022;39:58-66. doi:10.1016/J.ECE.2022.03.001

My research interests include transport resilience, transport reliability, transport robustness, transport management and optimization.

Dr Liu is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Future Roads Fellow at the University of Cambridge. He earned his Ph.D. from Southwest Jiaotong University and was a Ph.D. visiting student at the University of Maryland. Prior to his research at the University of Cambridge, he served as an associate professor at Kunming University of Science and Technology. His project is aimed at evaluating the impacts of climate change on transport performance and developing effective models and methods to mitigate the negative impacts of various climatic events. He is involved as an investigator in several projects centered around transport resilience and reliability. He is the first or corresponding author of 25 peer-reviewed journal papers and 16 conference papers, with several selected as "Editor’s Choice" and best papers. He also serves as a reviewer for 13 international journals and is a member of the editorial board for two journals.

Academic Profile

Publications

• Liu J, Schonfeld P M, Peng Q, et al. Measures of travel reliability on an urban rail transit network[J]. Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, 2020, 146(6): 04020037.
• Liu J, He M, Schonfeld P M, et al. Measures of accessibility incorporating time reliability for an urban rail transit network: A case study in Wuhan, China[J]. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2022, 165: 471-489.
• Liu J, Schonfeld P M, Zhan S, et al. The economic value of reserve capacity considering the reliability and robustness of a rail transit network[J]. Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, 2023, 149(6): 04023046.
• Liu J, Schonfeld P M, Zhan S, et al. Measuring and enhancing the connectivity reliability of a rail transit network[J]. Transportmetrica A: Transport Science, 2022, 18(3): 1699-1733.

My research holistically looks at modular and interoperable information architectures in complex networked systems, especially in industrial ecosystems.

Anand is a Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), University of Cambridge, a Senior Member of IEEE, and a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. His research focuses on modular and interoperable information architectures in complex networked systems. With over 13 years of R&D experience in IoT and automation, his expertise includes digital twins, IoT architectures, UAV networks, eHealth, and digital transformation. He serves as Vice Chair of IEEE P1954 Standards Committee, Area Expert in IEEE ComSoc SIG on IoT for e-Health, Editor for IET Digital Twins and Applications, and Associate Editor for Springer Nature PPNA. His accolades include the IEEE e-Health TC Best Paper Award (2022), Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award (2018), and top-cited papers in IEEE Transactions. He is the author of two textbooks and over 70 scientific publications. Frequently delivering keynotes globally, he was listed among Elsevier's Top 2% Scientists in 2024.

Academic Profile

Dr Ani Avetisyan is a Post Doctoral Research Associate at St Edmund's College.

Her research focuses on Semitic Languages, Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, Arabic, Hebrew, Judaeo-Arabic, Judaeo-Arabic Manuscripts, Islamic Medicine, Jewish Medicine, Judaeo-Arabic Philosophy, Literature, Knowledge Transmission, Medieval and Early Modern Jewish History.

Dr Ani Avetisyan is a Rothschild Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Cambridge, FAMES and a Research Affiliate at the Woolf Institute. Her PhD research focused on Judaeo-Arabic manuscripts from 'Matenadaran', with a forthcoming monograph to be published by Brill. Ani holds degrees in Arabic Studies from Yerevan State University and Jewish Civilizations from Paideia – The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Stockholm, and Heidelberg University. She played a pivotal role in establishing the Centre for Hebrew Language and Culture at Brusov State University and taught Hebrew during her PhD studies. Ani serves as the co-chair of the division on Culture and Academia at the newly established Armenian Jewish Friendship Council. She is also a Board Member of the Yesai and Maria Mazmanian Foundation, overseeing outreach, development, and partnerships. Additionally, Ani is engaged in a project with Dr Aviad Moreno at MALI Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, exploring Armenian-Jewish repatriation dynamics in Egypt.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Ani is training to become a qualified Pilates instructor, blending her passion for fitness with her scholarly work. She also enjoys exploring new destinations, travelling almost every month, which fuels her enthusiasm for cultural and academic exchanges. Ani is dedicated to passing on her knowledge and experience to future scholars and generations, firmly believing that such exchanges are the cornerstone of transformative progress and meaningful development.

Academic Profile

I am a postdoctoral fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, specialising in drug resistance and diagnostic development for parasitic worms. My research uses advanced genomic and transcriptomic approaches to address key challenges in parasitology and improve disease control.

Dr Mona Suleiman is a postdoctoral fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, specialising in anthelmintic drug resistance and the development of diagnostic tools for parasitic helminths. Her research focuses on using experimental evolution models to investigate the genetic mechanisms underlying drug resistance in the nematode Strongyloides and identifying selection pressures in populations undergoing mass drug administration. Additionally, Mona is advancing molecular barcoding techniques to develop a high-throughput sequencing assay for human-infective helminths, which will enable more accurate diagnostics in resource-limited settings. Mona completed her PhD at the University of Bath, where she explored the role of small RNAs in parasitism, contributing to a deeper understanding of host-parasite interactions. Her research has been recognised with numerous awards, including the William C. Campbell Award from the Irish Society for Parasitology and multiple Best Oral Presentation prizes from the British Society for Parasitology and ISP.

Beyond research, Mona has extensive experience in global health collaborations, working with researchers in Kenya, Ghana, and Bangladesh to enhance diagnostic capabilities for parasitic infections. She is committed to interdisciplinary research and actively engages in mentorship and university initiatives to support the next generation of scientists.

Academic Profile

My research focuses on the relationships between religious diversity, education, and social cohesion. I explore how schools, universities and local communities can better navigate religious diversity, fostering respect and understanding across diverse religious and non-religious perspectives.

Dr Peacock's publications have contributed to understanding how education plays a role in creating inclusive societies, where diversity is seen as an asset rather than a challenge. Her research outputs have also influenced social practice and policy around religious inclusion and diversity.

Publications

• Peacock, L. and Guest, M. (2024) 'Worldviews, Religious Literacy and Interfaith Readiness: Bridging the Gap Between School and University'. Coventry University and Durham University
• Aune, K., Peacock, L., Guest, M. and Law, J. (2023) University Chaplaincy as Relational Presence: Navigating Understandings of Good and Effective Chaplaincy in UK Universities, Journal of College and Character 24(3), 197-216
• Peacock, L., Guest, M., Aune, K., Rockenbach, A. N., Staples, B. A. and Mayhew, M. J. (2023) 'Building Student Relationships Across Religion and Worldview Difference'. Coventry University, Durham University, North Carolina State University and The Ohio State University
• Peacock, L. (2021) 'Contact-based Interfaith Programmes in Schools and the Changing Religious Education Landscape: Negotiating a Worldviews Curriculum'. Journal of Beliefs & Values 44(1),1-15
• Peacock, L. (2021) 'Building Closer Communities: An Evaluation Report'. Coventry University

The Rev Dr Luigi Gioia is the Theologian in Residence at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City and a Visiting Scholar at the Von Hügel Institute at the University of Cambridge (UK).

A scholar of systematic theology, he focuses particularly on the Trinity, ecclesiology, and the relationship between theology and spirituality. Working at the crossroads of academy and church, he speaks and writes for both academic and general audiences, seeking to make rigorous theological reflection accessible and pastorally grounded. He is the author of The Theological Epistemology of Augustine’s De Trinitate (OUP, 2016, with a foreword by Rowan Williams), Say It to God: In Search of Prayer, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book 2018 (Bloomsbury, 2017), and Saint Benedict's Wisdom: Monastic Spirituality and the Life of the Church (Liturgical Press, 2020). His award-winning books have been translated into six languages.

Academic Profile

Publications 

• Luigi Gioia, The Theological Epistemology of Augustine’s De Trinitate, 2016, OUP: Oxford. Paperback edition with a foreword by Rowan Williams.
• Luigi Gioia, “The Threat of Death As a Test for Theological Authenticity”, 2017, in The Practice of the Presence of God: Theology As a Way of Life, Ed. Martin Laird and Sheelah Treflé Hidden, Routledge: New York, 120-9.
• Luigi Gioia, St Benedict’s Wisdom. Monastic Spirituality and the Life of the Church, 2020, Liturgical Press: Collegeville (MN, USA), and Canterbury Press (UK)
• Luigi Gioia, “St Benedict’s Rule as the Antidote to Regulatory Inflation”, 2021, Reviews in Religion & Theology, 28:1, 4-9.
• Luigi Gioia, “Prayer in the Secular City”, 2024, Concilium 4, 41-50

Awards and recognitions 

• The book Say It To God. In Search of Prayer (Bloomsbury, 2017) was chosen as the Archbishop of Canterbury Lent Book 2018.
• The book St Benedict’s Wisdom. Monastic Spirituality and the Life of the Church (Liturgical Press, 2020) received the First Place in the category of Spirituality Award by the CMA (Catholic Media Association) in 2021.

Emanuela is Director of Studies for Modern and Medieval Languages

Dr Eden Yin is a Fellow of St Edmund's College. His research focuses on internationalisation and branding strategies of Chinese firms. I am an associate professor at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, and the co-director of the Cambridge Centre for Chinese Management.

Dr Yin received his PhD in Business Administration from the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, and currently an associate professor at the Judge Business School, and the co-director of the Cambridge Centre for Chinese Management, At Cambridge, he teaches the core marketing strategy courses for both the EMBA and GEMBA programs. He also teaches branding strategies for the MBA program. His research interests include internationalization and innovation strategies of Chinese firms, building China’s global brands, branding strategies in the digital era, and new product growth in high-tech industries. His research work has appeared in journals such as Marketing Science, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of International Marketing, Management International Review and Sloan Management Review. Besides offering classes to degree programs, Dr Yin is an active contributor for the executive education of the Judge Business School and has taught executives from the US, UK, Japan, Australia, Finland, China, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand and a few others across a large number of executive programs. Dr Yin is a member of the American Marketing Association, INFORMS, and the Academy of Marketing Science.

My research focuses on reconciliation, applied ethics, political theology, and interreligious dialogue, with emphasis on antisemitism, Islamophobia, extremism, and peacebuilding in the Middle East and Europe, promoting empathy, justice, and coexistence.

Dr Barakat researches reconciliation, applied ethics, political theology, and interreligious dialogue, with a focus on antisemitism, Islamophobia, gender, and peacebuilding in the Middle East and Europe. She directs the European Wasatia Graduate School.

Academic Profile

Publications

• Zeina Barakat & Thies Münchow, “Introduction to the Volume” in Echoes of Bonhoeffer. The Political Dimensions of Reconciliation and Interfaith Encounter. Essays in honour of Ralf K. Wüstenberg, Freiburg Germany:WBG Academic Verlag Herder 2025.
• Zeina Barakat, Envisioning Reconciliation: Signs of Hope for the Middle East Conflict (Reconciliation and Conflict Resolution Vol. 1), Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft (2022). Review: Colin H. Williams, in Religion & Theology 30:3 (2023), pp. 136-138.
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• Zeina Barakat. From Heart of Stone to Heart of Flesh: Evolutionary Journey from Extremism to Moderation (ta ethica Vol 17, edd N. Knoepfler, E. Mack), Munich: Utz 2017 (Doctoral Thesis).
• Zeina Barakat, Thies Münchow, Ralf K. Wüstenberg (eds), Islam & Democracy (Law, Gender and the West (Reconciliation and Conflict Resolution Seies, Vol. 2), Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft 2022.

I am a human development economist, working on topics relating to poverty, inequality, aporophobia, education and indicators of human development. I have been working on the operationalisation of the capability approach and on the development of new methods of partial rankings for evaluating well-being and sustainability. I carry out a long-term (unpublished) research on moral sentiments, focusing on the links between love and human development. I am currently Professor of Business Ethics and Economics, and Dean of the IQS School of Management/Ramon Llull University in Barcelona. I have been a senior economist for the United Nations Development Programme in Brazil. I have also worked as a consultant for several UN agencies such as UNEP, ILO, UNESCO, FAO, among others. Prior to that I was a GB fellow, CTO and Director of Studies of Economics & Land Economy for St Edmund’s College for several years. I have been associated with the Von Hügel Institute since my PhD years at St Edmund’s, back in 1994. I have also lectured for Land Economy on ‘human development and ecosystem services’ for 18 years.

Flavio Comim is the Dean of the IQS School of Management, University Ramon Llull in Barcelona. He is a Professor in Business Ethics and Economics. He was senior economist for UNDP Brazil during 2008/2010 when he coordinated Brazil’s Human Development Report on ‘Human Values’. After that he coordinated Panama’s 2014 Human Development Report on ‘Childhood and the Youth’. He has also been a consultant for many international organisations such as UNEP, UNESCO, FAO, WHO, UNDP and ILO, carrying out fieldwork in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America. He has also been a consultant for CSR projects of big corporations such as Natura & Co, Philips, Siemens, Petrobras, Vale, TIM, among others. He lectured for Land Economy for 18 years. In Cambridge, he is also a research associate of the Von Hügel Institute at St Edmund’s College. He has been a Coordinating Leading Author of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and has contributed to the Global Environmental Outlook 4. He has published widely in areas such as history of economic thought, economic methodology, development ethics, ecological economics and the capability approach. Among his publications, it could be mentioned the co-edited books Children and the Capability Approach (2011) with Mario Biggeri and Jerome Ballet, Capabilities, Gender, Equality with Martha Nussbaum (2014) and New Frontiers of the Capability Approach (2018) with Shailaja Fennell and PB Anand. He has published in journals such as the Cambridge Journal of Economics, Ecological Economics, Ecological Indicators, China Economic Review, Social Indicators Research, Review of Social Economy, Journal of International Development, Journal of Economic Methodology, History of Political Economy and Structural Change, and Economic Dynamics and Development among others.

Dr Bevins' research focuses on the development of novel machine learning enhanced data analysis tools for studies of the early universe.

He is a member of the Cambridge based Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen collaboration which operates a radio telescope in the Karoo Radio Observatory in South Africa aiming to detect light from the first stars and galaxies. He is also a member of the CosmoCube initiative which aims to send a radio telescope into orbit around the moon in the coming years.

Dr Harry Bevins is a Kavli Research Fellow at the Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge and Cavendish Astrophysics. He works at the intersection between theory, data analysis and instrumentation developing machine learning enhanced analysis pipelines to help researchers learn about the early universe.

Dr Bevins received his PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge in 2023. His thesis is titled “A Machine Learning-enhanced Toolbox for Bayesian 21-cm Data Analysis and Constraints on the Astrophysics of the Early Universe”.

As a scholar educated in international relations, peace and conflict studies, sociology, religious studies and theology, I carry out research on various intersections of international affairs, migration, peacebuilding, EU foreign and security policy, and religion.

Dr Vladimir Kmec joined the Von Hügel Institute as a Research Affiliate in 2013 and was appointed Research Associate in 2017. At the University of Cambridge, he supervised undergraduate students at the Department of Politics and International Studies and served as a Research Associate at the European Centre. He coordinated the Politics and International Relations courses at Trinity Hall and Downing College and lectured in the International Security summer programme at Magdalene College. He previously held academic appointments as a Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University College Dublin and as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Groningen.

As a Peterhouse Scholar at the University of Cambridge, he analysed the EU’s peacebuilding efforts within the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy. As a Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholar at Trinity College Dublin, he examined the interplay of migration and religion. He was also a visiting scholar at Humboldt University in Berlin and at the University of Göttingen. He studied at the University of Cambridge, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Ottawa, Comenius University in Bratislava, Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen and Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen-Nürnberg.

Beyond academia, Vlado brings extensive experience from his work with the United Nations (DPKO and UNMAS), international NGOs, media outlets and faith-based organisations. He has served on boards of academic associations and youth organisations. He has advised the United Nations and the European Union—including the Political and Security Committee of the Council of the EU and the European External Action Service. Since 2022, Vlado has served as Programme Officer for Central and Eastern Europe at the Ecumenical Centre in Berlin.

Vlado is an interdisciplinary scholar with research interests at the intersection of international relations, European security, peace and conflict studies, sociology, theology and religious studies. He has conducted empirical fieldwork in Ireland, Germany, the Western Balkans, Mali, and in Brussels and New York. In recognition of his contributions to research on European security and defence as well as his engagement in European-level initiatives, Vlado was awarded the European Award for Citizenship, Security and Defence – Special Award for European Security and Defence, along with the Medal of the French President, at the 2018 Berlin Security Conference.

Publications

• 'Minority Religions and Immigration in Ireland', in Ganiel and Holmes (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Religion in Modern Ireland, Oxford University Press, 2024, 522–541.
• EU Missions and Peacebuilding: Building Peace Through Common Security and Defence Policy, Abingdon: Routledge, 2022.
• 'Inclusiveness and Exclusiveness of Religious Actors in Peace Negotiations', with Gladys Ganiel, International Negotiation, Vol. 24 (1), 2019, 136–163.
• 'The Establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission: Reflecting Power Shifts at the United Nations', International Peacekeeping, Vol. 24 (2), 2017, 304-322.
• 'United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei' Oxford Handbook of UN Peacekeeping Operations

Dr Pavlína Kašparová researches how visual art mediates Christian faith, identity, and the divine. Her work spans theology, fine art, and perception, exploring art practice as a method of theological scholarship. She publishes and exhibits on topics such as visual arts and healing, female identity, symbolism, and the role of imagination in faith.

Pavlína Kašparová, also known as Sr Marie OP, is an artist and theologian and has been a member of the Czech Congregation of Dominican Sisters since 2006. She holds a PhD in Fine Art and Theology from Anglia Ruskin University. Currently, she serves as the Director of Studies and a Research Associate at The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, where she actively engages in academic discussions and promotes interdisciplinary connections. Additionally, Dr Kašparová has been a Psychology Cross-training Workshop Fellow at the University of Birmingham since July 2023, where she continues her exploration of visual language in theology.

She is a Post-doctoral Research Associate at St Edmund's College, University of Cambridge, a member of the Cambridge Interfaith Research Forum at the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge and a Research Associate at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology. Her research centres on the material and concrete expressions of religious identity as reflected in bodily appearance. Her interdisciplinary projects span across theology, with an emphasis on spirituality and soteriology, fine art incorporating photography and moving images, and psychology exploring perception and self-awareness.

Since 2020, she has served as a Council Member of the Czech Congregation of Dominican Sisters and was a Coordinator for Central and Eastern Europe for the Dominican Sisters International Confederation for four years (2019-2023). Previously, Dr Kašparová held the position of Director of Studies at The Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide, where she lectured on Spirituality and the Arts. Her academic foundation includes two Master’s degrees in Catholic Theology and Art History, along with a Bachelor’s degree in Design, earned at Palacky University in Olomouc and University Hradec Kralove, the Czech Republic.

Academic Profile 

Publications

• Kašparová, P. (2022). Perception of Visual Art in Christian Churches. In: H. Alford, ed., Preaching and the Arts / Predicazione e Arte. Communitas 2021. Rome: Angelicum University Press, pp.33–42.
• Kašparová, P. (under review). Look! This Is My Faith: Healing Narratives in the Work of Christian Artists.
• Watanabe, S., Kašparová, P., Łazarewicz-Wyrzykowska, E., Perez, J., Tanton, T., & Waite, H. (under review). Voices in the (interdisciplinary) wilderness: Reflections from a psychology cross-training project for theologians.

Honours & Awards 

• Funding for 2-year research project Organisational development process of the Dominican Sisters in Central and Eastern Europe, 2024, Renovabis
• Funding for 1-year research project Material Rendering of Imagery of 'Divine' and 'Faith' of Practicing Christian Adults with Artistic Skills, 2023, John Templeton Foundation
• Funding for art research project The Women of the Book, 2020, Spalding Trust
• First Prize Presentation Award, 2019, Anglia Ruskin University
• Full-time PhD scholarship for 3.5 years, 2017, Renovabis
• Exceptional MA dissertation in Theology, 2015, Palacky University Olomouc

Dr Yves Gaspar obtained in 2002 his PhD at the University of Cambridge (UK) with a thesis in the field of mathematical cosmology (supervisor Prof John D. Barrow) on the late-time behaviour of general solutions to the Einstein Field Equations.

He has been lecturer in cosmology and astrophysics at the Department of Mathematics and Physics of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Brescia (Italy), where he also lectures on the complexity of natural systems for the Master courses of the Postgraduate School for Environmental Studies.

He is currently Visiting Scholar at St Edmund’s College of the University of Cambridge where he carries out research on randomness, uncomputability/philosophy and theology.

Publications

• “The laws of nature and the problems of modern cosmology”, Foundations of Science, Springer Nature, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10699-023-09904-1, arxiv.org/abs/2308.02338, co-authored with Prof. Pawel Tambor, 2023
• "The problems of modern cosmology, the fine tuning of constants and parameters, and the notion of time”, book chapter in Cosmology Research – addressing current problems with astrophysics, Intechopen, Eds. M. Smith and A. Oztas, 2025