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Matthew Rushworth replaces Kia Nobre as interim Head of Department

Kia Nobre has now stepped down as our Head of Department after six years at the helm. She saw us through many changes and upheavals, including the tragic loss of our previous head, the sudden closure of the Tinbergen Building and then, of course the pandemic. She not only steered us through these challenges with unwavering dedication and leadership, but also ensured we thrived. Indeed, we remain among the handful of top psychology departments in the world and ranked as the top psychology department in the UK in the Complete University Guide’s 2022 league table.

In her spare time, Kia spearheaded the development of many aspects of human cognitive neuroscience at Oxford, not just in EP but also directing OHBA, often introducing many of us to  techniques that we now all take for granted. The new undergraduate degree and Life and Mind Building will be lasting legacies reflecting her time as HoD. 

Matthew Rushworth, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, has stepped forwards to be the interim HoD for theMA DPhil Matthew Rushworth - Watts Chair and Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Head of Department rest of the academic year. A fellow of Wolfson College, he is not only our Watts Chair and an FRS, he has been with us since his undergraduate years. We have no doubt that we are in capable hands!

Matthew said, "I will be the interim HoD for the rest of this academic year. While I hope that I will be catching up with many of you over the coming months, my chief desire is for a period of calm and time to continue to re-establish our research programmes."