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Dr Andrei Starinets was awarded the 2011 Maxwell Medal of the UK Institute of Physics for his work on the gauge-gravity correspondence which relates quantum gauge theories to gravitational systems.

The medal is awarded for outstanding contributions to theoretical Physics, mathematical or computational Physics. Dr Starinets joins other distinguished past winners from the Rudolf Peierls Centre: Prof Richard Dalitz (1966), Sir Roger Elliott (1968), Prof Anthony Leggett (1975), Prof Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith (1979), Prof James Binney (1986) and Dr John Wheater (1993).

A new space mission, involving Oxford University scientists, will explore Jupiter and its icy moons to reveal fresh insights into the habitability of the 'waterworlds' orbiting the giant planets in our solar system and beyond.

On 2 May 2012, at a meeting in Paris, ESA's Science Programme Committee voted to go ahead with the project, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE), the first European-led mission to the outer solar system, and the first spacecraft destined to orbit an icy moon.

The prize is awarded annually to the candidate who has displayed excellence in the execution of the scientific method as witnessed by the award of Doctor of Philosophy in Plasma science from a UK or Irish university. The thesis content should exhibit significant new work and originality, clearly driven by the nominee, be well explained and demonstrate a good understanding of the subject. The prize consists of £500 in cash plus an expenses paid trip to the annual IOP plasma physics conference, where the recipient will be asked to give an invited talk.

Oxford Physics researcher Andrew Steele will be competing in the UK final of FameLab on Wednesday evening.