Eleven eminent scientists and exceptional early career researchers have been honoured in the annual Biochemical Society Awards. The Awards recognise excellence and achievement in both specific and general fields of science from established researchers, as well as scientists in the early stages of their career.
Each winner exemplifies the very best of the bioscience community in fields ranging from bioenergetics and electron transport to lipidomics.
This year, the winners' list includes a number of high-profile international scientists from the UK, Austria, France, Germany and USA. These include Professor Frank McCormick, PhD, FRS, a Professor of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Professor McCormick is renowned for his transformative discoveries in RAS Biology and Biochemistry.
Dr Anne Bertolotti, has become the first woman to win the GlaxoSmithKline Award in the Award's 13 year history. The GlaxoSmithKline Award is given in recognition of research leading to new advances in medical science. Dr Bertolotti has made outstanding contributions to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning neurodegenerative diseases and has translated her findings towards the therapeutic arena by developing a new drug candidate (Sephin1) that brings hope for the treatment of age-related diseases.
Professor Colin D Bingle, Acting Chair of the Awards Committee, said:
"The Biochemical Society Awards are the perfect way to honour exceptional scientists within the bioscience community. As ever, the entry criteria are tough and the standards high and the awards are a real tribute to the talent within our community. On behalf of the Society, I'd like to congratulate the winners, all of whom have made outstanding contributions in their fields. Well done."
The 2018 Biochemical Society Award winners:
- The Centenary Award
Professor Frank McCormick, University of California San Francisco, Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA
- The Colworth Medal
Dr Matthew Johnson, University of Sheffield, UK
- GlaxoSmithKline Award
Dr Anne Bertolotti, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Cambridge, UK
- Industry and Academic Collaboration Award
Professor Stefan Knapp, Goethe University, Germany
- International Award
Professor Job Dekker, University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA
- Keilin Memorial Lectureship
Professor Neil Hunter, University of Sheffield, UK
- Morton Lectureship
Professor Michael Wakelam, Babraham Institute, UK
- The Novartis Medal and Prize
Professor Laurence Pearl University Sussex, UK
- Teaching Excellence Award
Dr Deirdre Scadden, University of Cambridge, UK
- Early Career Research Award: Cells
Dr Yasin Dagdas, Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austria
- Early Career Research Award: Molecular Structure & Function
Dr Wojciech Galej, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, France
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For more information on the Biochemical Society Awards, please visit: https://www.biochemistry.org/Awards
All of the award and medal lectures will take place in 2018 and award winners will be invited to submit an article to a Society-owned publication.