Professor Irene Tracey Elected Warden at Merton College

We would like to congratulate Pembroke Fellow Professor Irene Tracey  on her recent election to the role of Warden at Merton College, Oxford. Prof. Tracey is currently the Head of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience and has been a Fellow at Pembroke since 2007 where she holds the title of Nuffield Professor of Anaesthetic Science. In September 2019, she will step down from her role as Head of Department and succeed Sir Martin Taylor FRS, who retires in September 2018 after eight years in post.

In the following statement Prof. Tracey looks ahead to the Wardenship and reflects on her time at Pembroke:

‘I am delighted to be elected as Merton’s 51st Warden. It is such an honour and privilege to be given this opportunity, and I look forward to helping shape and develop Merton’s future within the context of the collegiate and University system as well as the national and international landscape of higher education and academic research. I shall maintain my research team and affiliation to my current department continuing with various research projects, but I shall step down as Head of Department when I become Warden. It is my old undergraduate and graduate college too, and so as an alumnus has special significance too.

I must say that my time at Pembroke holding the Nuffield Chair in Anaesthetic Science has been fabulous and it really is with genuine sadness that the cost of this appointment means I will have to leave Pembroke in September 2019. I could not have been more fortunate working amongst Pembroke’s outstanding governing body, college officers and staff over these past ten years - led superbly by Lynne and formerly Giles. I have made many firm friends and I will always think of myself as a Pembrokian. I aim to stay in touch, as I will not be far away, but would like to take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues and friends at Pembroke for their support and kindness during my time.’

Master of Pembroke College, Dame Lynne Brindley commented: ‘We are all thrilled for Irene and proud by association – the present Warden of Merton is also a Pembrokian and we continue to work with Irene on strengthening interdisciplinary links between neuroscience and the College.’