Celebrating our COVID-19 Emerging Leaders Prize winners

Despite gathering virtually last year to award the prizes, we were thrilled to have the chance to recognise the achievements of these truly exceptional scientists at an in-person event.

Guests gathered at the Wellcome Collection to celebrate Dr Koen Pouwels, Dr Katie Doores, Dr Antonia Ho and Dr Rosalind Eggo, whose ground-breaking COVID-19 research shaped national and international responses to the pandemic.

With financial support from Pfizer Limited, we awarded each of the winners £100,000 to build on their COVID-19 research and ensure we are better protected against emerging health threats, as and when they come our way.

Our Chair, Professor Nick Lemoine CBE, opened the ceremony by acknowledging the huge sacrifices made by these outstanding scientists:

“All of the winners here with us tonight have helped to save lives during the pandemic. They have made huge personal and professional sacrifices, putting aside their primary research interests, and working tirelessly to accelerate our understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.”

Dr Berkeley Phillips, Pfizer UK’s Medical Director, also took the time to reflect on why they chose to sponsor our prestigious award.

Before inviting each of the winners on stage, Professor Danny Altmann, Chair of the Expert Review Panel for this award, said:

“As you may know, in previous years our Emerging Leaders Prize has been limited to £200,000, with only one first place prize available. But this year, due to the high quality of applicants – and the extent of their impact during the pandemic – it was impossible to choose between them.

Therefore, the Board was delighted to double the amount of funding available to £400,000 – thanks in part to additional support from Pfizer. We’re incredibly excited to see the impact this prize will have on their careers – both now and into the future.”

We want to support even more exceptional scientists, but we can only do this with your support.

Find out how you can support the next generation of research leaders – whether it be making a donation, taking part in a fundraising event, or leaving a gift in your Will.