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Ian Wallman
The Vice-Chancellor is Oxford University's senior officer, responsible for strategic direction and leadership. Professor Tracey's nomination has been approved by the University's Council and is now subject to approval by Congregation, the University's sovereign body. Following approval from Congregation, Professor Tracey will succeed the current Vice-Chancellor, Professor Louise Richardson, in 2023.
We are delighted that our much loved colleague Irene Tracey has been nominated to become Oxford's Vice-Chancellor from 2023. In NDCN we all know her exceptional creativity and energy, and that she will lead the University with wisdom and integrity, but it is also a wonderful prospect that Oxford University will be led by a neuroscientist!
- Professor Kevin Talbot, Head of Department
Irene Tracey is a founding member of the institute now known as the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, of which she was director for ten years. Her research on the neuroscience of pain has contributed to a better understanding of pain perception and the representation of pain in the brain. She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to Medical Research by Her Majesty The Queen in 2022.
Professor Irene Tracey said of her nomination: 'I am honoured to be nominated as the University of Oxford's next Vice-Chancellor, and I wish to thank my colleagues for entrusting me to lead such a magnificent and world-leading academic institution.
'The last few years have reminded us all of the crucial role Oxford, along with other leading British universities, plays in tackling global societal issues. That is why I am deeply committed to growing Oxford's impact through supporting its ground-breaking discovery research, its excellence in teaching and its drive to create a global innovation powerhouse.
'The University has also made significant strides in recent years to becoming a more diverse community. Coming to Oxford University from a terrific local school, Gosford Hill, I know well the transformative power that great teachers, professors and a good education can have throughout one's career; Oxford's commitment to attracting the very best students from whatever their background will remain steadfast.'