Fellow wins international teaching prize

The teaching by a Fellow of St Catharine’s has been recognised by the Physiological Society. Professor Matt Mason (2001), Robert Comline Fellow and Director of Studies in Physiology at St Catharine’s, has been awarded the Society’s 2025 Otto Hutter Physiology Teaching Prize and Lecture for excellence and originality in physiology teaching at undergraduate level.

The Physiological Society represents over 4000 scientists from over 60 countries who advance the understanding of biological systems and the treatment of disease. When awarding this annual prize, the Society gives special consideration to evidence of innovation in teaching and learning activities. 

Professor Mason began teaching in Cambridge, first for St Catharine’s and then across the university more widely. He received the University’s Pilkington Prize in 2018, which singled out his passion for teaching and learning. He is now University Physiologist and Professor of Comparative Physiology at the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience.

He commented, “I’ve been so lucky to have the chance to sit down with small groups of St Catharine’s students every week to discuss different aspects of physiology, and these conversations over the years have enabled me to develop better ways to explain complex concepts. Some of these ideas have evolved into the presentations on my YouTube channel, Hippomedics, which I created in collaboration with animator and tech whiz Cong Cong Bo. Hippomedics is now being used by students around the world.

“I would like to thank all those in my College and Department who have helped and supported me in my teaching over the years, and also my own students with whom I have spent many happy hours exploring the subject. In particular I would like to thank Catz alumnus Dr Owen Vaughan (2005, Natural Sciences), now Lecturer in Fetal Physiology and Prenatal Therapy at University College London, who nominated me for this prize almost 20 years after he first joined one of my supervision groups.”

Professor Mason has also recently led a project with The Physiological Society to develop online resources to support the next generation of teachers, in the form of short videos for lecturers to use when explaining fundamental physiological concepts.