Decanal Team

The Dean is in charge of the discipline of the College’s Junior Members. The role is wide-ranging, and although it excludes individual pastoral matters, does take account of the general welfare of Junior Members. Particularly, the Dean is concerned with matters of policy and with the College’s rules, which are set out in the College Handbook. Junior Members should feel free to approach the Dean on any appropriate matter, particularly if it involves non-pastoral difficulties outside the College, and indeed, are urged to do so. Junior Members may also be summoned to see the Dean, and they are reminded that such summons take priority over any academic, sporting or social engagement.

The College also has an Assistant Dean, and four Junior Deans. The role of the Assistant Dean is focused on managing day-to-day issues; Junior Members wishing to hold events should ensure that they approach him first. The Junior Deans deal with disciplinary matters on the ground, and one Junior Dean is rostered to be on duty every night from weeks nought to nine.

Those wishing an appointment to see the Dean or the Assistant Dean on non-urgent matters should contact the Deans’ secretary, Jacqui Julier. If the matter is urgent, the Junior Member should contact the Dean via the College Lodge, or directly on 07786 061 613.

Office: SH G2 A
Office phone: 71976
Mobile: 07786 061 613
michael.burden@new.ox.ac.uk
 

Michael's biography can be found on his fellow's information page.

Room: New Buildings
gideon.elford@new.ox.ac.uk

A former graduate of New College, Gideon is now a Departmental Lecturer in Political Theory. Much of his research engages questions concerning equality, agency and responsibility. His most recent work involves exploring issues related to freedom of expression and he is presently developing a project on the ways that non-state factors can threaten free speech. Gideon is a film lover and an amateur screenwriter. He is also a fitness enthusiast and keen sportsman, formerly representing the College at football and the University at boxing. As Assistant Dean, Gideon is in charge of granting permissions for events held in College.

Room: Castle Mill
adrian.fernandes@new.ox.ac.uk 

Adrian is a DPhil student in the Department of Education, where he teaches on the PGCE English course. He has an academic background in English, having completed a BA in English Language and Literature, followed by an MA in English: Issues in Modern Culture. He eventually moved into the Social Sciences Division, completing his MSc in Education at Oxford. His research examines curriculum reform, social justice and representation in English teaching, with his interests rooted in his classroom experience. Outside academia, he enjoys football, boxing, tennis and cricket.

Room:  Weston Buildings
jack.hamilton@new.ox.ac.uk

Jack is a third-year DPhil student in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, studying the sleeping brain. His research in the Vyazovskiy Lab asks questions like: How does the brain know how much sleep it needs? What is the contribution of different brain regions to the control of sleep? How is sleep affected by one's social environment? Jack’s studies are supported by Australian Ramsay and Oxford-Australia Scholarships, which he was awarded after completing his BSc in Neuroscience at UNSW Sydney. Outside academia, Jack is passionate about health and fitness, leadership, meeting new people, good coffee, and travelling. He is also an avid rugby union scrum-half and recently captained the Blues to Varsity success in 2026.

Room: 18 Longwall
michael.bryan@new.ox.ac.uk

Michael is an MD-PhD student in the Nuffield Department of Medicine, developing computational approaches for multi-pathogen, multi-epitope vaccines. His research aims to create a single vaccine to protect against multiple diseases; this work has implications for regions battling multiple endemic diseases. Before his DPhil, Michael was awarded a pre-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School, where his work detecting viral-induced cancers through blood biomarkers received recognition from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Currently, he leads seropositivity research in a joint project with the UK Health Security Agency. Michael's work has taken him to Beirut and Damascus, fueling an ambition to join Médecins Sans Frontières as a physician-scientist. Outside the lab, he enjoys cycling, learning languages, and playing competitive beach volleyball.

Room: Gradel Quadrangles
chloe-marie.hawley@new.ox.ac.uk

Chloe-Marie is a third-year DPhil student in the Department of Biology, researching how reef-building corals genetically adapt to the radically changing conditions facing tropical reefs. She works with Oxford’s only research group specialising in coral genetics, an interdisciplinary collaboration spanning biology, earth science, and chemistry. Her broader interests cover conservation and ecosystem resilience in a changing climate. Before her DPhil, Chloe-Marie completed her MBiol at Oxford and subsequently spent a year conducting marine research in the Red Sea. 

Chloe-Marie is a keen sportswoman and has represented Oxford across several Blues teams, most recently captaining the Women’s Rugby Blues to a strong Varsity victory in 2026. She has a particular interest in the role of sport in social development across Africa & Asia, and has worked on projects with ChildFund Rugby. Away from research and sport, she loves travelling, discovering new places and meeting people from different walks of life.