Rob Iliffe

Rob Iliffe is Professor of the History of Science at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Linacre College. He serves as Co-Director of the Oxford Centre for the History of Science, Medicine and Technology and is a General Editor of the Newton Project. His research focuses on the intersections between science and religion, the intellectual legacy of Isaac Newton, and the cultural history of scientific genius.

Iliffe holds editorial roles for History of Science (2001–2008) and Annals of Science. His teaching includes undergraduate courses on the Scientific Revolution and scientific racism, as well as postgraduate modules on evolution and Malthusianism. Current DPhil students research topics ranging from utopian ideas in early modern Europe to the history of virtual reality technology.

His media engagements include BBC Radio 4 discussions on William Stukeley and Robert Hooke, alongside lectures exploring the role of imagination in scientific creativity. Iliffe’s work bridges historical scholarship with public engagement, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding science’s cultural dimensions.