Biology award for Cambridge scientist

University of Cambridge neuroscience PhD student, Kate McAllister has won The New Researcher Prize from The Society of Biology.

McAllister, along with Dr Nicola Hemmings from the University of Sheffield were named as the winners of the Society of Biology's Science Communication Awards 2014 which reward outreach work carried out by scientists to inform, enthuse and engage the public.

The competition was open to bioscience researchers from UK universities and institutes in two categories; New Researcher Prize (750) and Established Researcher Prize (1500).

McAllister designed, coordinated and taught a weekend neurology course for a lay audience aged 21-90. She has visited schools to debate brain-enhancing drugs and has consulted with BFI on communicating neuroscience through cinema. She appears regularly on the 'Naked Scientists' podcast and has collaborated with them in creating the Smarter UK schools project.

Dr Steve Cross, head of public engagement at UCL and chair of the judging panel said: "It has been a real pleasure to read the nominations for the Society of Biology's Science Communication Awards this year. So many biologists are doing great work to get their research and knowledge out there, all over the world."

McAllister said: "The science communication projects I have been involved in over the last few years have broadened my knowledge of biology and been some of the most rewarding and engaging aspects of my career so far."

Dr Cross said: "Kate has been fantastic at pro-actively creating a really varied range of communication activities, and adapting and improving them to reach different people. We were really impressed by the audience focus of her work, and the fascinating research she shares with people outside science."

The Established Researcher Prize was awarded to post-doctoral research associate Dr Nicola Hemmings from the University of Sheffield.Nicola created a three-tiered programme to teach children as young as five about fertility. She has engaged thousands of local school children by developing hands-on activities on fossils to solar-panels and mentoring undergraduates to deliver them in conjunction with regular lectures. She has also developed workshops to help adult audiences understand how studying sperm can help save endangered species.

Dr Hemmings created a three-tiered programme to teach children as young as five about fertility. She has engaged thousands of local school children by developing hands-on activities on fossils to solar-panels and mentoring undergraduates to deliver them in conjunction with regular lectures. She has also developed workshops to help adult audiences understand how studying sperm can help save endangered species.

Dr Hemmings said: "I'm delighted and honoured to receive this award. It is wonderful to gain recognition for something I love doing! I hope my work inspires other scientists to engage the public with their research too."

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Biology award for Cambridge scientist