Healthcare: April 2026

In hospitals, research labs and policy-making arenas across the globe there are Rhodes Scholars committed to improving human health.

In this edition of Rhodes Ahead, we are spotlighting some Scholars who exemplify service in the healthcare field. While their work spans disciplines from pharmacy to population studies to physiotherapy, they are united in serving underserved communities, advancing cutting-edge medical research and reimagining the future of healthcare.

"So many avoidable medical errors happen because physicians do not have patients' complete medical history for informed decision-making."

Laura Sophie Wegner (Germany & Keble 2025) cycled the length of the United Kingdom in the summer before she arrived at Oxford, with the goal of raising awareness around avoiding medical accidents. She talks about undertaking such a journey as an amateur cyclist, lessons learned, and how she is applying her computer science background to healthcare research.

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"By the time most patients with cardiovascular disease came to us, we were already too late... It is the leading cause of death globally, yet our approach is still largely reactive."

Michael Petrus (Namibia & Green Templeton 2025) is approaching cardiovascular disease differently. He shares how he is using artificial intelligence, particularly machine learning, to get more information out of CT scans.

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"I think it's easy to get lost in your research and forget your why. But when you remember this is the patient we are serving, it gives you much more motivation to keep going forward."

Oluwakorede Adedeji (Nigeria & Linacre 2025) is a pharmacist who is currently studying a DPhil in Clinical Medicine. In this video he talks about his research into HIV drug resistance and drug discovery in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 80% of children with HIV live.

"Vision is closely tied to independence and identity, yet many causes of vision loss remain incompletely understood."

Anne Xuan-Lan Nguyen (Québec & Balliol 2024) received the 2025 Fighting Blindness Canada Clinician-Scientist Emerging Leader Award. She tells us more about her research into thyroid eye disease, investigating why some patients progress to irreversible blindness and how that progression might be identified earlier.

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"The skin cancer rate in Cornwall matches that of Australia because of the outdoor work, outdoor hobbies, the location near beaches."

Vandana Ramrakha-Jones (Kenya & Somerville 1994) is the only paediatric dermatologist in Cornwall, single-handedly running the service at Royal Cornwall Hospital. In this interview, she describes the unique circumstances and challenges which come with working in the most southerly point of the UK.

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“Fortification is to commence by the end of this year. Predictions suggest that this will prevent 200 cases of spina bifida every year in the UK."

Colin Michie (Zimbabwe & University 1980) is a paediatrician at the Institute of Child Health, University College London. In this article he shares his thoughts on embryonic nutrition, fortification of foods and the changing role of vitamins in a future where we eat more plants.

"There are so many questions about the statistical quantities, the scientific quantities, the expense (of clinical trials)... So this all comes together in a uniquely complicated mess, but that's the fun that we get to sort out."

Rishi Bansal (Ontario & Hertford 2023) is exploring the application of Bayesian methods to clinical trials in his DPhil research, a field which has exploded in popularity recently. He discusses the expense of running these trials, controversies in determining success and the impact of COVID on clinical trial design.

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"I was always somewhat discontent with the idea of treating one patient at a time, when simple tools like the partograph could potentially save generations of lives."

Kelechi Prince Chima (Nigeria & Trinity 2023) is researching how to maximise equitable access to health systems for people in resource-constrained settings. In this article, he reflects on how his experiences in rural and underserved areas in Nigeria led him to pursue his DPhil studies.

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"Every year around the world, about 18.4 million people experience a foot ulcer or a foot wound. 50-60% become infected, 20% of which will result in a lower limb amputation."

Jemma Houghton (Diocesan School for Girls, Grahamstown & Green Templeton 2021) is a physiotherapist whose DPhil research focuses on improving diabetes foot care using participatory and community-embedded approaches. This short film highlights patient and healthcare provider testimonies in Cape Town. You can learn more about her project here.

Scholars' Library

Dr Khameer Kidia (Zimbabwe & St Hugh's 2011) discusses his new book, Empire of Madness: Reimagining Western Mental Health Care for Everyone.

Empire of Madness offers an urgent rethinking of the Western approach to mental health, which medicates symptoms instead of changing the structures that harm the human psyche. Kidia reports from the front lines of mental health crises at home, in the clinic, and during a decade of fieldwork.

Rhodes Ahead: Healthcare

"So many avoidable medical errors happen because physicians do not have patients' complete medical history for informed decision-making."

"By the time most patients with cardiovascular disease came to us, we were already too late... It is the leading cause of death globally, yet our approach is still largely reactive."

"I think it's easy to get lost in your research and forget your why. But when you remember this is the patient we are serving, it gives you much more motivation to keep going forward."

"Vision is closely tied to independence and identity, yet many causes of vision loss remain incompletely understood."

"The skin cancer rate in Cornwall matches that of Australia because of the outdoor work, outdoor hobbies, the location near beaches."

“Fortification is to commence by the end of this year. Predictions suggest that this will prevent 200 cases of spina bifida every year in the UK."

"There are so many questions about the statistical quantities, the scientific quantities, the expense (of clinical trials)... So this all comes together in a uniquely complicated mess, but that's the fun that we get to sort out."

"I was always somewhat discontent with the idea of treating one patient at a time, when simple tools like the partograph could potentially save generations of lives."

"Every year around the world, about 18.4 million people experience a foot ulcer or a foot wound. 50-60% become infected, 20% of which will result in a lower limb amputation."

Scholars' Library