2025: A year in research
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Booker success
Acclaimed novelist and Department of English professor Ben Markovits earns a place on the 2025 Booker Prize shortlist for his moving new novel, The Rest of Our Lives.
Professor Markovits’s novel stands among six international finalists for one of the world’s most prestigious literary awards: a testament to his mastery of the craft and his ability to capture the complexities of modern life.
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Herbal health
Professor Alessandra Devoto, from the Department of Biological Sciences, was honoured as a Pioneer Member by the American Society of Plant Biology for her outstanding mentorship and lasting impact on the next generation of plant scientists.
Professor Devoto was recognised by the ASPB as a Pioneer ‘from former graduate students, postdocs, colleagues, family members, and friends who collectively contributed $5,000 or more to honour them.’
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Future of AI
A report published by Royal Holloway researchers gives clear direction on how society can adopt artificial intelligence usefully, yet sustainably and fairly.
The report, produced by Royal Holloway’s Digital Organisation and Society (DOS) Research Centre, follows a high-level roundtable convened by the University at the House of Lords in April 2025, bringing together leading voices from academia, industry, and policy.
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Tech abuse
A new research-led digital handbook for victims of domestic tech abuse has been launched by Surrey Domestic Abuse Partnership (SDAP) and Royal Holloway's Department of Information Security.
The SDAP released the handbook during the UN’s 16 Days of Activism campaign to help people experiencing digital abuse understand what’s happening and how to get support. This year’s campaign theme is ‘End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls.’
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Show goes on
UK theatre faced its longest closure since the seventeenth century during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, new research led by academics from the Department of Drama, Theatre and Dance reveals how the industry not only survived - but transformed in ways few could have predicted.
The study, which examined theatre activity between 2019 and 2023, shows that despite a sharp drop in the number of theatre productions, audiences returned in greater numbers than before the pandemic.
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Physics pioneer
Royal Holloway physicist Professor John Saunders has been selected as one of the three recipients of 2025 Fritz London Memorial Prize: a distinguished award that recognises scientists who have made outstanding contributions to Low Temperature Physics.
Professor Saunders researches in Low Temperature Physics at Royal Holloway, and currently directs the London Low Temperature Laboratory, where his award-winning research was undertaken.
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Domestic violence
A book published by Dr Daanika Kamal from the Department of Law and Criminology highlights how women in Pakistan are increasingly pursuing legal avenues against acts of domestic violence despite being failed by their judiciary system.
After extensive interviews and research by Dr Kamal for her book, Domestic Violence in Pakistan: The Legal Construction of ‘Bad’ and ‘Mad’ Women, Dr Kamal finds that women’s claims are often dismissed through character allegations that label them as ‘bad’ women in need of control, or ‘mad’ women not to be trusted.
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Song detectorists
Professor Stephen Rose from the Department of Music leads a team to discover musical treasures buried in local archives, most notably unearthing a previously unknown song by composer Henry Purcell.
Led by Professor Rose, Music, Heritage and Place: Unlocking the Musical Collections of England’s County Record Offices is revealing extraordinary musical treasures buried in local archives. These aren’t just notes on a page - they’re glimpses into the everyday lives, celebrations, and sorrows of people from the 17th and 18th centuries.
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Leading voice
Professor Narender Ramnani from the Department of Psychology officially begins his term at the helm of the British Neuroscience Association.
Professor Ramnani is a distinguished Professor of Neuroscience. His research uses functional neuroimaging to understand brain organisation, and brain mechanisms that govern higher cognitive function, learning processes, and the control of action.
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Climate change
New research led by Royal Holloway reveals for the first time why Europe could gain more than an extra month of summer days by 2100 using climate data from the last millennia.
Dr Laura Boyall, an author of the study and former PhD researcher in the Department of Geography, said: “When the temperature contrast between the Arctic and mid-latitudes weakens, Europe’s summer effectively expands. Our findings show this isn’t just a modern phenomenon; it’s a recurring feature of Earth’s climate system. But what’s different now is the speed, cause and intensity of change.”
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Honours list
Professor Pankaj Sharma from the Department of Biological Sciences has been honoured with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to research in strokes in South Asian people.
His OBE has been awarded for two decades of research work on stroke in the British South Asian population - a group that is often understudied but has a high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality risk.
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For public good
A new national collaborative, comprising ten leading research-focused universities including Royal Holloway, ResearchPlus was formally launched on 28 October at a special Parliamentary event in Westminster.
ResearchPlus seeks to give a collective voice and advance the social and economic contribution of research-focused universities that constitute a critical element of the UK’s research and innovation system and deliver vital research-informed education and advanced skills.